Audiophilepure

https://www.hifinews.com/content/rotel-michi-p5-s2

Armed with an original P5 and its replacement, I was able to indulge in some A/B listening, focusing on the two DAC stages. Differences weren’t immediately obvious, because this preamp’s sound is surely as much about its high-quality analogue output, but over time I began to appreciate a slight increase in ‘sparkle’ offered by the S2, a little less of a laidback feel. It’s still cut from the same cloth, though, with a focus on both richness and musicality rather than forensic resolution, which makes it fine with less-than-pristine sources. Even the swirling production of Grooverider’s ‘Where’s Jack The Ripper?’ [Mysteries Of Funk; Higher Ground] sounded dramatic and enveloping – if not exactly ‘hi-fi’ – as it fell to either side of the cabinets, samples and synthetic bass dancing around each other.

But, again, Rotel’s flagship preamp is at its best with a high-quality source and well-recorded music. The wide arrangement of Pink Floyd’s ‘Money’ [The Dark Side Of The Moon; DSD64], was rendered with real skill and a grippy, deep dive into the low-end, while a trip into space with Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar Medley, played on stage with pals (including guitarist Johnny Marr) for his Live In Prague release [Mercury Studios, 48kHz/24-bit], showcased the P5 S2’s effortless way with midrange tones.