Rotel RC-970BX Line-Stage Stereo Preamplifier — Made in Japan
$295.00
Out of stock
This one has sold. Looking for one?
We take these in regularly. Leave your name and we’ll email you the moment one arrives, before it goes up for sale.
Email me when one arrives
Give your next receiver Bluetooth. RA-Twin II, $39.00 →
Other preamps we have in stock now
3 in stock · $345.00–$1,495.00 · all ship
Rotel RC-870 Preamplifier – MM/MC Phono, Made in Japan, 1985$395.00Ships
Sony TAE-20FB Falcon Preamplifier — Bronze, MM/MC Phono, Japan$345.00Ships
Marantz 3800 Audiophile Preamp – Made in USA$1,495.00Ships
Give your next receiver Bluetooth.
The RA-Twin II adds Bluetooth streaming to any vintage receiver or amp with a spare input. Phone to stereo in about a minute, and nothing on the receiver is modified.
RA-Twin II, $39.00 →Rotel RC-970BX Line-Stage Stereo Preamplifier — Made in Japan
A Made-in-Japan Rotel stereo line preamplifier from the highly regarded 970BX series, delivering the clean, transparent signal path that established Rotel as a benchmark for affordable high-end performance in the 1990s.
The RC-970BX is a pure line-stage control amplifier — a deliberate design choice that keeps the signal path as short and uncoloured as possible. Vanishingly low total harmonic distortion of 0.004% and a signal-to-noise ratio of 95 dB ensure that what the source produces is precisely what reaches the power amplifier. Frequency response extends from 4 Hz to 100 kHz, well beyond the audible range, preserving the full harmonic integrity of the music.
A full complement of five line inputs — CD, Tuner, Aux, and two Tape loops — accommodates a versatile system. The tape monitor loops serve double duty as convenient insertion points for an outboard equalizer or signal processor. Switchable bass and treble tone controls provide an option for fine tuning the listening experience or bypassing the tone stage entirely for a direct signal path. A headphone output with a wide 8–2000 ohm load impedance range makes the RC-970BX a capable personal listening hub as well. Notably, the RC-970BX provides two pre-amplifier outputs — an uncommon feature that opens the door to biamplification or routing to a second power amplifier or recording device simultaneously.
This unit is in very good condition and has been thoroughly inspected and tested to confirm full functionality.
Configuration: Stereo line-stage preamplifier (no internal phono stage)
Inputs: CD, Tuner, Aux, Tape 1 (in/out), Tape 2 (in/out) — 5 line inputs
Outputs: Two pre-amplifier outputs (100 Ω), headphone output (8–2000 Ω compatible)
Frequency response: 4 Hz – 100 kHz (+0 dB / -3 dB)
Total harmonic distortion: 0.004% (20 Hz–20 kHz, line)
Signal-to-noise ratio: 95 dB (line)
Input sensitivity/impedance: 150 mV / 24 kΩ (line)
Output level/impedance: 1.0 V / 100 Ω
Tone controls: Bass, Treble (switchable in/out)
Tape monitor loops: 2 (usable for outboard processors or equalizers)
Made in Japan
Dimensions: (Width x Height x Depth) 17.3 x 2.8 x 12.8 inches (440 x 70 x 325 mm)
Weight: 8.8 lbs (4 kg)
A refined and highly capable Made-in-Japan line preamplifier that brings Rotel’s celebrated engineering to any serious two-channel system — an ideal partner for a matching power amplifier or any high-quality separates setup.
Backed by Radique Audio’s 90-day warranty and our perpetual trade-back policy, you can purchase with confidence.
| Weight | 10.8 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 16.8 × 21.3 × 6.8 in |
You may also like…
Related Products
- ✔️ Marantz Model 3800 preamplifier — precision built in the USA, 1976–78
- ✔️ 5Hz–60kHz, THD 0.25%, S/N 100dB line and 82dB MM phono
- ✔️ Built-in Dolby encoder/decoder with calibration metering and 400Hz tone generator
- ✔️ Independent L/R bass, mid and treble sliders, turnover selectors, three filters, tone defeat
- ✔️ Dual preamp outputs for bi-amping · four switched AC outlets · Level 1 serviced
Marantz 3800 Audiophile Preamp – Made in USA
Rotel RC-870 Preamplifier – MM/MC Phono, Made in Japan, 1985
Rotel called this a stereo control amplifier rather than a preamp, and it earns the name — no tone controls, no filters, no loudness, just four line inputs and two tape loops with dubbing either way. The phono stage runs moving magnet and moving coil through separate buffers, and line distortion is no greater than 0.004%. Stamped Tokyo, Japan on the rear panel. Excellent cosmetic condition.
Jadis Defy DP-60 Tube Preamplifier — MM/MC Phono, Outboard PSU
A full-function valve preamplifier — line stage and a moving-magnet/moving-coil phono section, valves throughout, with the power supply in its own separate chassis. Hand-built in the south of France, in excellent condition, and it comes with the original factory cartons including the shaped foam box for the supply.
Sony TAE-20FB Falcon Preamplifier — Bronze, MM/MC Phono, Japan
The control amplifier from Sony's short-lived Falcon range — made in Japan for barely two years and rarely seen on this side of the Pacific. Bronze-anodised aluminium case, a real moving-coil phono input alongside moving-magnet, and a signal path that has been freshly recapped. A couple of light marks on the casework, otherwise Very Good. Ships from Kanata, ON.
