Sony ES vs Rotel

Rotel is not a Japanese brand that I know of unless they were bought out recently. They are based and designed in the UK and made in Taiwan, or maybe China. I forget. Of the 2 brands, I prefer Rotel, but there have been some very nice Sony ES components, as well.

"07-23-15: Mkash3
Has anyone compared Sony's new HAP-Z1ES network audio player to any of the latest Rotel CD players (RCD-1072, RCD-1570)?

I'm curious to see how they stack up in a direct comparison."

I would say don't sell a 1072 until you have a different player place and you know that you like it better. I haven't heard a 1570, so I can't say the same. The only Sony I've directly compared the 1072 to is my Sony 9000ES. For CD's, the Rotel is a much better player. Not only that, I had a problem where my system didn't sound right with the 9000 in it. I couldn't figure out what the problem was, the system just sounded bad for some reason. After some experimenting, I found that when I unplugged the Sony, my system sounded normal again. The fix ended up being a JPS Labs Digital AC+ power cord. It has a filter on it that keeps the noise generated by the Sony's power supply from effecting the other components. If anyone is still using one of these players, the JPS cable is a very nice upgrade. I haven't heard one, but I suspect the 5400 would compare much more favorably with the 1072.