Rotel is extending its prestigious Michi product line with the launch of its first source with the Q5 hi-end CD Player, Transport and DAC.
The Michi Q5 Transport DAC is designed around a premium ESS ES9028PRO eight-channel digital-to-analog converter chip, configured in a fully balanced, fully differential circuit design. On the power side dual in-house manufactured toroidal transformers are there to isolate its digital and analog voltage supplies, while its CD drive motor’s voltage and current supplies are also electrically isolated from the sensitive audio signals.
The Q5 then dedicates four channels within the DAC to each of the left and right audio signal paths with outputs including analogue XLR (balanced) and RCA, plus coaxial and optical digital sockets, allowing the model to to act as a dedicated CD Transport.
It’s build quality and aesthetic looks everything we’ve come to expect from the Michi line, with a bespoke, top-loading CD mechanism mounted on a custom floating spring assembly and precision optical laser pickup housed in a premium CNC-machined aluminium chassis. Its front panel gets a full-colour TFT display that showcases CD album artwork with a Michi remote included as standard.
Alongside CD playback, the Michi Q5 can operate as a DAC supporting audio inputs including PC-USB (up to 32-bit / 384kHz) with MQA and DSD 4X support, plus 24-bit / 192kHz coaxial and optical inputs.
Priced at £5,499, visit rotel.com to find out more.
