Rotel released the A11 integrated amplifier and the CD11 CD player in a special version in memory of Ken Ishiswata. The master himself worked on it.
Ken Ishiwata was, of course, a legend that made its mark on the hi-fi industry. Rotel, among others, released special versions optimised by Ishiwata.
Last September, the time had come again, and a project with the grandmaster of the A11 and CD11 began again at Rotel in good spirits. With Ken Ishiwata’s leadership, the first prototypes were produced. The results of that work appealed to Rotel, so the green light was given to the final version. In the A11 integrated amplifier, specific parts were selected that should lead to improvements in the entire signal path. For example, in the amplifier stage, all ten capacitors and two resistors were replaced. In the preamplifier 6 capacitors – half of the present number – were replaced. Custom made damping material was added to counteract influences of mechanical vibrations and ‘ringing’ even further.
Project saved by many hands
In the CD11, 8 capacitors and a resistor in the DAC circuit was modified. In the power supply, all nine standard capacitors failed and were replaced by better ones. Furthermore, extensive attention was paid to the attenuation of vibrations plus mechanical and electrical grounding. Unfortunately, Ishiswata died last November, even before the project was completed. A number of his staff members – including personal friend Karl-Heinz Fink – volunteered to help complete the project according to Ishiwata’s vision.
The resulting Rotel A11 Tribute and CD 11 Tribute are available just about now. And as always, while the models produced by Ishiwata are slightly more expensive than the standard models, they’re certainly not astronomically priced. Both devices from Rotel are available in black and silver. The A11 Tribute costs €599 and the CD 11 Tribute €499. And those are very attractive prices!
The A11 Tribute looks like a special piece of kit, does anyone on this forum have input and experience to share regarding this amp?
This is a news-article from 2020, so I am not sure you will get a lot of feedback. What are you looking for in terms of sound? And what speakers do you use?