Rotel RCD-1520 or 1072?

I couldn't agree more with Adam18. My RCD-1072 is such a great machine and yes I also use it with HDCD discs. The new 1520 does not decode HDCD. Coincidentally, I too upgraded to AQ King Cobra interconnects this year. Same as Adam18. Wow, I guess great "ears" think alike!!

For what it's worth, the RCD-1072 CD player was TAS 2003 Product of the Year.

I too would think that slot loading could contribute more to disc wear than the true "audiophile" drawer loading. Interesting point.

Another area that could improve overall sound is creating a shorter signal path on the circuit board of the player. I'm not saying this was designed in to the new RCD-1520 (could be) but I know on some other brands, new models incorporate a shorter path for the signal to travel thereby minimizing loss. It may be worth asking someone at Rotel about this. Reading over the RCD-1072 technical description at Rotel's website, it sounds very similar to the 1520 overview and even mentions the phrase "minimalist" circuit environment. One Rotel dealer sales person did tell me that the new 1520 is superior to the 1072. Of course, what else would he say? It would be interesting to do a side by side listening comparison. But for the price of a preowned 1072, you can't go wrong as opposed to a new 1520.