One of my favorite integrated amplifiers of the past decade was the Rotel Michi; I made it clear in my review back in May 2022 that it let the music flow through. With almost endless reserves of power behind it.
That was one of the most obvious things about the Michi X3; it flipped off every loudspeaker I placed in its path as if they were a mere nuisance.
The Michi X3 was replaced with the Michi X3 Series 2 less than 12 months later which felt rather odd at the time.
Having heard both with similar loudspeakers (but in different surroundings), I would agree that the latest iteration offers greater refinement and even more power, but I’m not sure I would have jumped to replace the original model because it delivered such a high level of sonic performance that one would be very happy with it.
The one thing missing from the Rotel Michi lineup to this point has been a high-end source; which was unlikely to be a turntable because McIntosh Group (which distributes Rotel in the United States) also distributes Pro-Ject’s rather large arsenal of turntables.
Michi dealers tend to demonstrate the integrated amplifiers with McIntosh, VPI, or Pro-Ject turntables based on our experience.
The only thing that made sense was a dedicated streamer or CD player/transport combined with a DAC.
Bingo.
Rotel Michi Q5
The Rotel Michi Q5 Transport DAC offers hi-res audio and CD playback and is designed to be a high-end digital hub for those with external digital devices such as a network player.
At its core, the new Michi Q5 utilizes the premium ESS ES9028PRO DAC, an industry-leading eight-channel digital-to-analog converter.
Michi has implemented the DAC in a fully balanced, fully differential circuit design to offer precision audio reproduction with an extremely low noise floor, ensuring pristine sound with minimal distortion to both XLR and RCA analog outputs.
The Q5 dedicates four channels within the DAC to each of the left and right audio signal paths.
For additional installation flexibility the Q5 also delivers CD audio to both coaxial and optical outputs allowing the unit to act as a CD Transport.
But are there any limitations when using the Q5 as a transport?
Both the Optical and Coaxial digital outputs are limited to 16-bit/44.1kHz, which somewhat negates its value as a transport — especially when the X3 S2 and X5 S2 can decode higher bit/sample rates when using their digital inputs.
Design
The Q5 continues to showcase Michi’s commitment to exceptional craftsmanship. The bespoke, top-loading CD mechanism is constructed with precision optical laser pickup housed in a premium carbon fiber and CNC-machined aluminum chassis that offers exceptional durability in a sleek, modern aesthetic.
The CD mechanism is further mounted on a custom floating spring assembly, reducing unwanted vibrations and providing a stable platform for flawless CD playback.
This design not only enhances the Q5’s visual appeal but also ensures the highest level of performance by isolating sensitive electronic circuits from physical disturbances.
To further ensure audio purity, the Q5 is equipped with bespoke, dual in-house manufactured toroidal transformers that isolate digital and analog voltage supplies, significantly reducing noise and interference.
The CD drive motor’s voltage and current supplies are also electrically isolated from the sensitive audio signals, preventing any potential motor noise from affecting the sound quality.
Digital Music Hub
Beyond its CD playback capabilities, the Michi Q5 is a versatile digital music hub. It supports a wide range of additional audio inputs, including PC-USB (up to 32-bit / 384kHz) with MQA and DSD 4X support, plus 24-bit / 192kHz coaxial and optical inputs.
These features make the Q5 compatible with all your favorite digital sources, as an ultra-high-performance DAC for your entire audio system.
The elegant front panel of the Q5 is a testament to Michi’s minimalist design philosophy, featuring a full-color TFT display that showcases CD album artwork to enhance your listening enjoyment with visual appeal.
The included Michi remote provides intuitive, seamless operation, while RS232 and Ethernet ports enable integration with popular automation systems, ensuring easy management of your audio setup.
The Ethernet port does not act as gateway for those who wish to stream. It needs to be connected to your router or modem for software updates, IP control for automation systems and to download CD album artwork; The album artwork is provided through a licensing agreement with one of the music streaming services.
Touchscreen? The Michi Q5’s front panel offers a number of physical buttons to control CD playback and toggle through source selection (if you are using it as a DAC as well).
That’s a nicer way of saying that there is no touchscreen.
Initial Impressions
The Michi Q5 is rather expensive at $7,000 when one considers that CD playback will be its main function. Based on our experience with the X3 S2 and X5 S2, we suspect that the CD player offers a very high level of PCM and DSD playback, but we are genuinely puzzled why the digital outputs are capped at 16-bit/44.1kHz.
The internal DAC has the capabilities to turn any other digital source (that can output above 16-bit/44.1kHz) into better sounding sources and that will be a positive for those using inexpensive network players with average sounding DACs or laptops who may want to take advantage of the USB input.
For those with existing Michi X3 or X5 integrated amplifiers, the Michi Q5 offers a simple (albeit expensive) methodology for adding CD playback that can measure up to the sound quality of these category leading amplifiers.
Price & Availability
The Rotel Michi Q5 Transport DAC (CD Player) will be available for $6,999 USD through authorized Michi dealers starting in November 2024.
For more information: michi-hifi.com
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