This amplifier is substantial, beautifully designed and finished, powerful (rated at 350W/40hm) and hefty, at getting on for 30kg - and yet it's the base model of two integrated amplifiers recently added to Rotel's revived Michi range. Following on the heels of the EISA Award-winning P5/S5 pre/power amplifiers [HFN May '20] and the M8 monoblocks [HFN Oct '20], the X3 and bigger X5 all-in-one amplifiers are the next stage in the expansion of this lineup. The £6300 X5 claims 600W/40hm and while the £4300 X3 model may be 'lower powered' it's still able to deliver quite a wallop when required, offering a very impressive bang for your buck [see PM's boxout, p57, and Lab Report, p59]. Of course, sheer power isn't everything, but combining plenty of Watts with a space-efficient design and sensible pricing does seem to be something of a trend at the moment. Indeed, there are more than a few 'big integrateds' offering the kind of performance that would once have been the preserve of more conventional preamp/ power amp combinations. And while the X3 is slightly wider than the hi-fi norm at 485mm, and getting on for square in plan view, it's also clearly been designed to slot into most equipment racks, standing just 150mm - that's 6in in old money - tall.
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