Rotel A12 integrated Amplifier vs. Rega Brio & Audiolab 6000A | Under $1000 shoot-out!

Chapters
00:00 Features and specs comparisons
04:01 Sonic performance comparisons
08:29 Conclusions & upcoming videos

[@shamushamu6637]

Great reviews. It helped me decide on the A12. Keep up the good work.

[@ads3453]

Thanks for the review very useful :)

[@gtric1466]

Much appreciated truly agree with you in regards to the tonality of the Rotel.

[@michaelcornacchio2811]

Your measured cadence is awesome! Great review

[@analogholic_reviews]

Thank you!

[@gokhanersan8561]

I compared Rotel a11 with audiolab 6000a. Same feelings here: audiolab is more spacious and detailed without the oomph. Rotel has enough space and detail plus the oomph.

[@VinodKumar-gx7wj]

Very good and useful review as usual. Based on your comments here, I would prefer the Audiolab 6000A. Would you be able to review Arcam SA10/SA20?

[@analogholic_reviews]

Thanks, Vinod! I haven’t listened to the newer SA series but owned the older FMJ A38. Good resolution but a bit polite. My friend Sanjay owned the SA20 for a bit and ended up returning the unit because it was a bit too restrained dynamically for his tastes. He did appreciate the complete absence of brightness or harshness tho. I can try obtaining the SA10, but at some point I must start moving out some of these amps, or the mrs will have my head 😝!

[@analogholic_reviews]

Hi Vinod. SA10 out of stock like everything else here lol. But I will get notified when it becomes available. So stay tuned.

[@VinodKumar-gx7wj]

@@analogholic_reviews Sure. Thanks Rohit.

[@erics.4113]

That civil wars track ...thumbs up! Thx for suggesting it. I haven't heard the audiolab yet. Or the Rotel. The brio is awesome to me. I love that fat musical rhythmic sound signature. Just enough warmth. My kind of amp. Bravo Rega

[@arize84]

Man, I have discovered so much good music watching your channel. That Dave Bailey One Foot in The Mud, has been getting heavy rotations on my rig ever since I found out about it through one of your reviews.

[@analogholic_reviews]

Hey, Im glad that I am able to share. Although I don’t recall specifically sharing that track, one foot in the gutter has such a star cast 😍💥. A treasure trove of soul indeed!

[@arize84]

@@analogholic_reviews Sorry I meant "in the gutter" not mud. Yeah, I think you mentioned it either in the Rega RP10 or RP8 review. That album is an all star shoot out. Clark Terry is a someone who's discography I need to deep dive though. He is off the charts good on everything I have heard him on. I have been re-watched your RP8 to RP10 comparison video multiple times. I currently have a. Planar 8 with a Soundsmith Paua II cartridge running into a PS Audio Stellar phono; a neutral and superb combo. It's so good, I keep wandering just how much better can upgrading table to P10 really be? I'm very curious about this and wondering if I should pull trigger on P10 next year.

[@analogholic_reviews]

@@arize84 if you are loving the music with current setup, just keep enjoying the music. The P10 is a significant step up in resolution and I went up the chain as well. Just keep in mind that there will always be something better out there and at some point one could buckle down and simply enjoy some tunes 😁

[@arize84]

@@analogholic_reviews man you telling me it's a massive step up in resolution is making me want it more. I'm also thinking of Dr. Feickert and Origin Live as other options.

[@analogholic_reviews]

@@arize84 I know the feeling 😆. Im very curious about the feickert tables as well. HR from stereophile owns one (not the entry model tho) and loves it.

[@romainmarchese9935]

The ROTEL A11 tribute is awesome,…

[@superlocator69]

Great video. Did you compare Rotel A12 against A12 mk2?

[@analogholic_reviews]

I didn’t quite get to do that. I will seek out one for comparison.

[@andrewgorenc9160]

Great video, very informative! Thank for your comments about sonic qualities/attributes versus just focusing on wattage alone! Question: can the Brio drive most speakers? Thank you!

[@analogholic_reviews]

Thank you 🙏. I’d say yes…The Brio has driven medium to large floorstanders like the Vandersteen 2ces, Fyne F501s with ease in my approx 1000sqft listening room to moderate levels (say ~ 85db loud). I would not pair them w/ difficult loads that go below 4ohm impedance. Even speakers in the low 80s dB sensitivity spec are ok as well, as long as they don’t have min impedances dipping below 4ohm. Hope that helps.

[@skeezer180]

Hi mate I Always watch your videos in your opinion which analogue amp would best suit my wharfdale lintons Thanks

[@analogholic_reviews]

Hello! The Croft Integrated would be an awesome match. So would the Rega Elex, Brio, or IO.

[@vikrambhaskar7976]

Great comparison!! Here in India the Rotel A12 MKii costs 50% more than the audiolab. Is it worth the extra money?

[@analogholic_reviews]

I'd say, no! It isn't that much better, really. The built in DAC in the audiolab is pretty solid. The built in phono is not all that great, but then again if you are a vinyl fan, there's probably quite a few outboard phono stages like ifi zen phono.

[@uttammitra3885]

Excellent comparison. Did you try the Audiolab 6000A with your Fyne F501's? If so, how good is the matching?

[@analogholic_reviews]

They were a fine (sorry 😝) match. But if you listen to vinyl quite a bit, the Brio sounded better IMHO.

[@uttammitra3885]

@@analogholic_reviews thank you. I really appreciate your response. I listen to digital only. No plan for vinyl yet. First to get a matching amplifier only.

[@analogholic_reviews]

@Uttam Mitra I like the built in DAC of the 6000A. But of budget permits, consider the Denon PMA 1600 (video coming soon) and the Arcam SA20 (see video below) kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJXWgHWfedxpn7c

[@romainmarchese9935]

Damping factor of new ROTEL is very good

[@malinyamato2291]

thank you for your advices, I had a Roterl A11 Tribute but I returned it for a Rega Brio that I liked better and because I have a great dac and love the small footprint of the Rega.

[@tpn8402]

How did the Brio and A11 Tribute differ in sound characterstics?

[@malinyamato2291]

@@tpn8402 with my B&W CM6 S2 it was harsh but with Rega that was gone and the music become more lively. I am a fan of Maratnz and I really wanted to love the Rotel, becase it is very beutiful. Despite Brion being ugly I love its performance. B&W and Rotel belong to the same company group but my experience of them two is that tey dont play that well together as B&W with the Brio.

[@tpn8402]

@@malinyamato2291 Hmm... Perhaps A11 Tribute would be a better match to my Elac Debut Reference DBR62. I suspect it's a more polite speaker compared to your B&W

[@paritoshcnlu]

@malinyamato2291 hi, can u name ure DAC please...

[@ShurovAnt]

Thanks for the review - one of the few comparing prev-gen Rotel. Please help me understand the... "explanation" in words of a Rotel sound. I've had Denon PMA800, wanted to step up and found a great deal on Rotel A14. I realise that in some aspects (though, I can't verbalise it) Rotel is better, but on the other side I find it a bit.... lean-back sounding compared to Denon. Do I understand correctly that Denon has V-curve and because of that sound kinda rocks-n-rolls? While Rotel has more flat response? Rotel does have tonal controls, so theoretically I'd be able to make some kind of a similar V-curve.

[@analogholic_reviews]

Yes, the Denon does seem to have a v-curve but a bit more on the bass end. The midrange and highs on the 1600 were beautifully lush and fleshed out though. I have a few Rotel integrateds myself. The A14 in my system was also a bit more neutral but found the mids and highs to be not as sweet as the Denon PMA1600. What speakers are you using? Also depends on room to a big extent. And yes, tone controls are very useful to have and sadly lacking or just not well executed in affordable modern HiFi amps.

[@ShurovAnt]

@@analogholic_reviews hey, sorry forgot to mention - Elac UB52. I also have old MA Bronze 2 in the closet. Haven't tried Rotel with them yet.

[@arnoldacreman9953]

I owned the Denon 800 for a few months, and thought it sounded good. I have a Rotel 12 and also a IOTAVX 3 and both are much better than the Denon. When you add the P 3 amp to the Iota, the Rotel and Iota are very close. I like the Rotel because I can also listen to my outdoor speakers I have on my front porch. I need to sell one of the amps but I can't decide which one to sell.

[@bluerev]

Thanks for the review - very informative as usual. So if I'm primarily listening to digital via external DAC (for example, I have a large collection of music files, redbook and hi-res, including quality vinyl needledrops that I will be playing using a standalone digital source, such as a streamer/DAC), the advantages of the Rega sound with its warmth, sweetness and density ( all those descriptors you've used) will be lost for me, and all three amps are basically on the same level when playing digital into analogue inputs using the same external DAC? In other words, all those positive attributes that set Rega apart compared to the other amps will only stand true for the phono stage input - correct?

[@Anand.Asrani]

I would also love to know the answer ...to simplify, final Sound output is determined by the Quality of the Dac in the chain .... ??

[@analogholic_reviews]

Hi guys! Always appreciate your comments and questions. So here goes… Using an external DAC (I used the Peachtree iDAC), I found all 3 amps to have commendable resolution. The presentation is different tho. Brio brings sweetness and body a bit more than the Rotel. The Audiolab sounds a bit lean in comparison. I feel both the Rega and Rotel present the sound in a manner that sucks you into the music more, but that’s just my preference. It is possible to alter presentation of the amps by using some of the newer R-2R DACs perhaps 🤔 but I didn’t have any at hand.

[@Anand.Asrani]

@@analogholic_reviews Thanks ..

[@bluerev]

@@analogholic_reviews Thanks. So you still preferred Rega's presentation overall, but the difference was not as obvious as with vinyl? I was just looking for something that would make my digital sources smoother / more analogue sounding, with less digital glare, that's why I'm kind of gravitating toward Rega (but as u say, maybe adding an R2R DAC to the chain can bring that magic). I wish I could find an affordable amp that combined the analogue sweetness of Rega with digital streaming/networking capabilities... a kind of an all-in-one solution.

[@bluerev]

Btw thanks for taking the time and replying so quickly! Very helpful.

[@mnpv7812]

Rega seems to have an overwhelming advantage with it's phono stage. Does the next step up, Elex-R, have an even better phono preamp?

[@analogholic_reviews]

The Elex-R phono is supposedly trickled down from the Elicit and sounds even more resolving and dynamically expressive IME. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHyYl3eYfq6bnNU

[@anthonydaley278]

Rega Elex R is a miles better amp and the phono is well above the Brio . No contest . From someone who’s had both

[@clown8]

I am between the Brio and the a12. Don't need any digital sources as I have a wiim pro plus. Which one do you recommend me for the better sound? Many thanks!

[@analogholic_reviews]

I personally like the Brio over the A12. Especially using just the line stage. The big icing 🧁 is the built in MM phono on the Brio!

[@clown8]

I will go for the Brio, already ordered. Many thanks for your reply and recommendation!

[@JoseLopez-qy2we]

Hello, I have a question about the Rotel A12 and it is whether its front socket would play files from a USB flash drive formatted to FAT 32 and if it does, is it compatible with the flac format. Thank you

[@analogholic_reviews]

Sorry, Jose. I don’t have unit to tryout and comment. Perhaps someone who owns this amp may chime in.

[@JoseLopez-qy2we]

Thanks, let's wait for someone who has tried it, but based on your experience, what do you think the answer would be?

[@analogholic_reviews]

@@JoseLopez-qy2we IIRC it supports wav, MP3, etc from a flash drive. I don’t think it can do FLAC but I could be wrong.

[@JoseLopez-qy2we]

@@analogholic_reviews Thanks

[@thierrymeert5729]

Review Ayon Scorpio amplifier tube

[@analogholic_reviews]

Now that would be amazing to get my hands on their entry level scorpio amp!

[@dynodin81]

What a great review and comparison. I have the Audiolab 6000a play that I got on sale and I am very happy with it but it's good to know how it compares.

[@romainmarchese9935]

Rotel A12 mkII is awesome, A11 tribute even,…..

[@manuzach]

Good reviews! I have the audiolab 6000CDT …btw I returned the rotel a11 tribute as I wasn’t convinced it was better than my trusty old Denon 2808…I took a left turn and ordered the Aegir because I got really curious about class A amps and I wanted to support Schitt 😆

[@analogholic_reviews]

The Aegir is a sweet heart. Deserves a high quality pre, Manu. What are you going to be using?

[@manuzach]

@@analogholic_reviews I ordered the schiit Saga Plus tube pre amp with it. I got the Bifrost DAC - I was floored by that DAC strait into my Denon 2808

[@analogholic_reviews]

@@manuzach ETA on saga? Im eyeing the EQ Lokius for my Otari R2R! 6 wks eta tho ugh.

[@MiataBRG]

Helpful review but the filming is quite distracting, it looks like you're growing out of the amp.

[@laorhino9702]

Downsized a couple years ago, went with A12, small room, vintage speakers (cornwalls, forte, jbl 4410a, urei 809, Rel sub) I’m done chasing “that sound”.

[@analogholic_reviews]

What version CW & Forte? I owned the Forte III and CWII for a few years.

[@laorhino9702]

@@analogholic_reviews CW ll, Forte l both had Bob Crites crossover n treatment

[@sexytasmin]

There is no contest the Rega Brio is miles ahead of the other two amp particularly in sound quality. The absence of digital circuitry increases the sound quality. I have both the Rega and Audiolab amps and the Audiolab is sterile and bass light.

[@raphael6507]

🤩 Promo-SM!!

[@analogholic_reviews]

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