The Rotel brand name is probably better known in Europe than in this country, but a broad line of Rotel hi-fi components is currently available in the United States. The RCD-855, manufactured in Taiwan, is a relatively low-priced CD player whose performance ratings and features make it comparable to many more expensive models.

Although notably free of the “bells and whistles” that adorn so many of today’s audio products, the Rotel RCD-855 is by no means spartan or “minimalist” in its conception and execution. It has dual 16-bit digital-to analog (D/A) converters and four-times (176.4-kHz) oversampling, and its specifications are the kind you would expect of a new CD player. For example, its rated amplitude linearity over the 20- to 20,000-Hz range is ±0.05 dB, with a phase shift of less than ±0.5 degree. The signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is specified as 100 dB, the dynamic range as 96 dB. Channel separation at 1,000 Hz is rated as 100 dB, and total harmonic distortion (THD) plus noise at 1,000 Hz is given as 0.0025 percent.

In the features department, the RCD-855 offers such amenities as shuffle play, a scan mode that plays the first 10 or 20 seconds of each track, programmed playback of as many as twenty tracks in any order, and repeat of an entire disc or a programmed sequence. The player also has the usual track-skipping functions and two-speed fast search with audible output.

The front-panel display window, unlike most, is small and monochromatic, but its white fluorescent numerals and letters are large and bright. The display normally shows only the current track number and elapsed time, along with a small box for the status of various operating modes. When a disc is first loaded, the display shows its total number of tracks and total playing time.

The RCD-855 comes with a wireless remote control that duplicates all its front-panel controls except the power button and open/close button. In addition, it has numerical keys that provide direct access to any track. The rear apron contains a coaxial digital output as well as the usual pair of analog output jacks. The Rotel RCD-855 measures 17 inches wide, 13-5/8 inches deep, and 3-3/8 inches high and weighs about 15-1/2 pounds. Price: $349.

Comments

In past years, we found that Rotel products consistently offered a better than average value for the money, and the RCD-855 follows in that tradition. Not only did its performance live up to and usually exceed its specifications, but it ranked with some of today’s best (and much costlier) CD players. It also sounded as good as any player we have heard.

The only things lacking in the RCD-855 that we occasionally find useful were a headphone jack, an “A-B” repeat function, and a display of the remaining time on a track or disc. These are admittedly very minor considerations, and they really emphasize how complete and versatile this unit is and how much it does without a complex or hard-to-learn array of controls. Our test results speak eloquently for the true quality of the RCD-855, which is certainly one of the best values we have seen in a CD player.