Rotel 15 Series Flagship Processors, Amps & Receivers

Looking both expensive and intimidating, this chunk of hifi equipment is part of Rotel's new 15 Series range [pdf link], set for its official launch at CEDIA 2008. Comprising multichannel home theater receivers, a preamp-processor and power amplifiers, as well as power amplifiers designed exclusively for custom-installation, they slot neatly in as Rotel's new flagship offerings.

The flagship 7.1-channel RSX-1560 Home Theater receiver has 7x100W of class D power (with assignable channels for i-amp or second-zone use), four HDMI v1.3 inputs and 1080p/24Hz Faroudja video processing. Assignable 12V triggers and an RS-232C serial port allow for integration into a customized system, and it takes up 4U of rack space. Meanwhile, if you'd rather use your own amplification, the RSP-1570 Surround Processor/Preamplifier takes everything but the power from the RSX-1560 and offers it in a 3U rackmount case.

Amps and power-amps round out the rest of the range, with two, five, six and twelve channel options depending on budget, intended use and whether you're going custom or not. Prices start from $499 for a two-channel amp, rising to $2,199 for the RSP-1570 and $2,599 for the RSX-1560. Availability is throughout Q3 and Q4 2008.