step up from rotel?

If BAT find a vk 500 w/BAT pack.

If looking in that price range of vk 200 think about an Odyssey Stratos extreme.

An ATI 2000 2ch would be a step up IMO.

I'd think really hard about a Butler TDB amp too. Although a Hybrid amp, I feel it's a no brainer in the under $2K preowned mkt... it's SE only though, if that matters. With a TDB 5150 you could bi amp your speakers.

My budget is $1000 or so, my room isn't really a factor because I am renting and will be moving in April. If all goes well my new place will have a dedicated listening room, maybe 18x 12 just not sure but I am looking for a place with that in mind. I am really not a audiophile and more of a music lover. With that in mind how should my rotel be sounding, what should I hear? Maybe that's a silly question. Thanks for all the info.Scott

Could switch to Emotiva or Wyred for Sound -- both of which would be upgrades imho

What is a ice amp?

Scott,what other equipment will you be using,speakers,pre,source,etc.?This info really helps.

Here is a real simple explaination of ICE amplification.You can find out more by searching the web.

9. What Are “ICE” Amplifiers?
The Ice Power division of Denmark’s Bang & Olufsen (B&O) holds patents on its “ICE” amplifier, which is basically a Class D switching design (Pulse Width Modulator) with variants that B&O claims reduce distortion to levels associated with Class A amps, while retaining the high efficiency of Class D switching designs. ICE amps use a very high switching frequency of 384 kHz, which B&O says is 20 times as high as the highest frequency the ear can detect. The ICE amps also use feedback control to minimize the effects of the PWM design. Axiom’s engineering division took a different approach in the A1400-8 amplifier design. Axiom worked with International Rectifier to develop new silicon output devices and drive the MOSFETs in the output stage in such a way as to produce a perfect Pulse Width Modulated square wave at the output before the reconstruction filter. This approach also simplified the feedback network which made the amplifier more robust in its operation without being subject to oscillations or instability. The A1400-8 also uses a very high clock frequency (450 kHz) to allow for excellent transient response and non-aliasing in the audio band. The massive power supply is able to accurately output very high current and voltage to the loudspeaker over extended time periods.