Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.

“Perfect sound forever”—that was the promise consumer-electronics and recording companies made back in 1982 when Sony’s CDP‑101 made its debut. The CDP‑101 was the first consumer CD player to hit the market. Although the validity of that initial claim has been hotly debated since the CD’s inception, it’s amazing that 40-plus years later, the format maintains a foothold. Not only do manufacturers continue to introduce new CD players, but some of these components represent continuing attempts to attain that elusive goal of perfect sound.

One of those brands is Rotel, who in the fall of 2024 introduced a new flagship CD player–DAC, the Michi Q5—the subject of this review. With the Q5, Rotel aims to elevate CD playback to a whole new level. Measuring 6″H × 19″W × 17.75″D and weighing 51.8 pounds, the Q5 is a behemoth of a CD player. Of course, there are many other examples of exotic, and expensive, CD players in the high-end-audio market, such as the Esoteric Grandioso K1X SE SACD‑CD player (77.25 pounds, ~US$44K). And there are many exotic, expensive transports, such as the CH Precision D1.5 SACD‑CD transport (48.5 pounds, ~US$46K) and the dCS Vivaldi APEX SACD-CD transport (50.7 pounds, ~US$49K), both of which still need a DAC. Though just as formidable in stature, the Q5 has a closer-to-earth price: US$7499, CA$8499, £5499, or €5999. This raises a question: could the Michi Q5 be the holy grail of CD players for the common audiophile?

Description and features

The Q5 is not just a Rotel product—it’s a Michi. Michi is Rotel’s sub-brand of flagship components, and the Michi Q5 is Rotel’s most ambitious expression of an all-in-one CD player and DAC.

The Q5’s stature is only the start of what makes it so impressive. The Michi Q5 has a top-loading CD transport that’s set in the front-center of its solid-aluminum top plate. The transport features a custom-designed clamping mechanism. The bowl-like clamp itself is a separate lift-off structure that’s made from CNC-machined aluminum and weighs well over a pound. Windows on the clamp’s underside allow observation of the disc tray and spinning CD, aided by the transport’s white interior illumination. That clamping mechanism adds a rewarding physical element to the act of loading a CD ahead of listening—it’s almost like a vinyl-drop experience.

At the Q5’s Canadian introduction in October 2024, Daren Orth, Rotel’s chief technical officer, drew attention to the care that the Michi product team devoted to the CNC-machined aluminum chassis and the isolation of the CD-motor mechanism from the internal DAC. The Q5’s DAC section is built around an ESS Technology ES9028PRO eight-channel DAC chip, with a maximum resolution of 32-bit/768kHz. Four channels are dedicated to each audio channel in a fully balanced differential circuit said to provide precise digital-to-analog conversion with the lowest possible distortion.

Power comes by way of two large toroidal transformers, designed and manufactured in-house, that provide isolation of the digital and analog power supplies, thus eliminating the potential for noise and interference between the two. The voltage and current supplies for the CD motor are fully separated from the audio signal path to ensure purity of the audio signal. Custom-made slit-foil capacitors are used within the Q5’s power supplies to maintain signal purity. All of this results in a low-impedance power supply with more-than-ample reserves to enable the Q5 to faithfully track even the most dynamic passages.

Rotel states that the printed circuit boards within the Q5 are designed with symmetrical circuit traces to ensure precise timing and faithfulness to the audio signal. The Michi Q5’s internal circuits also use metal film resistors and polystyrene or polypropylene capacitors in important signal paths.

The Q5’s aluminum chassis is CNC-machined and robustly built. Knocking on the top, back, sides, and even the bottom confirms an extremely inert housing for the CD transport mechanism and internal DAC. The sides of the Q5’s aluminum chassis host full front-to-back heat sinks that have vertical ventilation openings, which are visible from the top but not from the sides. Rotel cautions that the ventilation slots must have 20″ of clearance around the chassis to avoid any chance of overheating. Even the feet are robust, made of aluminum with elastomer inserts to isolate the chassis from external vibration.

The Michi Q5 sports a black full-glass front panel, with a color TFT screen in the center. During CD playback, the TFT display shows text in a high-visibility white-on-black font, accompanied by color CD album artwork. The screen features brightness adjustment as well as a timed auto-off function. Unfortunately, there’s no way to adjust font size. From my listening seat about 8′ away, I could not make out the artist name and the track time, as they are displayed in a smaller font than the track name. This is where I wish the Michi Q5 supported control via the Rotel app, but alas, Rotel has kept things simple: clean and traditional. Five buttons on the lower-right underside, below the chin, provide source-selection, stop, play, track-forward, and track-back functions. The small icons are visible on the glass front panel when looking down on the Q5, but they’re rather stealthy; with no lighting, they’re easy to miss. The Q5 uses ethernet to retrieve album art. I installed the latest firmware (v. 1.8) to enable this feature; however, the artwork was small and low-resolution, giving an impression of newsprint rather than a glossy color cover. And on a few of my CDs, artwork did not appear at all.

The Michi Q5 can be used as a full CD player, outputting analog audio via unbalanced RCA stereo and fully balanced differential XLR stereo outputs. It can also function as a CD transport, outputting 16/44.1 PCM to your DAC of choice via coaxial (RCA) and optical (TosLink) S/PDIF outputs. Finally, the Q5 can function as a DAC, accepting up to 24/192 PCM via its optical and coaxial S/PDIF inputs, and up to 32/384 PCM and DSD256 via its USB Type‑B port. The Michi Q5 is Roon Tested, confirming its interoperability with computing devices connected to the Q5’s USB port and running the Roon app.

The Michi Q5 incorporates an ethernet port that allows it to receive firmware updates as well as CD metadata and artwork, a USB‑A port for firmware updates, and an RS232 port for home-automation connectivity. A master-power rocker switch on the rear panel allows the unit to be fully disconnected from the power line. When the rear power switch is turned on, the unit can be set to standby or on (for operation) by using the front power button or the infrared remote control. The Q5 also provides 12V trigger signal jacks to make for seamless implementation.

In the box

The Michi Q5 comes with Rotel’s RR‑RH9 infrared remote control and two AAA batteries, as well as a hex key to open the battery compartment. The aluminum remote is as beautifully finished as the Q5 itself. It has great feel and form, and its build quality is excellent. The buttons are minimal but allow full control and ease of use with a little practice. For instance, to stop playback you must hold down the play/pause button for four seconds. One quirk is that when a track is paused, you can’t skip back to the start of the track using the track-back button, as it will only allow you to skip back to the prior track. You must be playing a track to skip back to its start.

Also included is a USB flash drive that contains the operating manual and a Windows driver that needs to be installed if you want to use USB Audio Class 2.0 audio playback with up to 384kHz sampling rates with your Windows PC; driver software is not required for Mac computers. A power cord, USB cable, and RCA stereo cables are also supplied with the Q5.

It would be a mistake to prejudge the Michi Q5 based on the made-in-China badge on the carton. I found the Q5 a pleasure to use. Its fit, finish, and build quality are top-tier. The satin-like anodized-aluminum finish is lovely to look at and feel. Its gently rounded edges and minimalist surfaces provide a sophisticated aesthetic, and the full-glass front panel is very appealing. The Q5’s size and weight, including that of the clamp, inspire both confidence in its construction and pride of ownership. And then there is that gorgeous-looking illuminated CD tray to admire when you lift off the clamp. The Michi Q5 is classy and elegant in an understated manner that should garner wide appeal.

Setup and use

For this review, the Michi Q5 was connected to my Bryston BR‑20 streaming preamplifier using Zavfino Fusion XLR interconnects. My Bryston 7B³ monoblock amplifiers drove my Dynaudio Confidence C2 Signature loudspeakers via Audio Sensibility Statement speaker cables. I also did some listening with the new Dynaudio Contour 20 BE standmount loudspeakers (review pending). Audio Sensibility Statement power cables were used on both my BR‑20 and the Michi Q5 for comparisons. All listening was done in my 7.75′H × 18.5′W × 13′D acoustically treated listening room.

To evaluate the Michi Q5 as a DAC, I used my Rega Apollo CD player as a digital source, connecting it to the Q5’s coaxial S/PDIF input with an Audio Sensibility Statement SE OCC Silver digital interconnect. I connected my Apple Mac Mini, which runs Roon Core, to the Q5’s USB input with a Furutech ADL Formula 2 USB cable, and then used the Roon app to stream music from Qobuz and Tidal and play music files stored on my Western Digital My Passport Ultra HDD, which was connected to one of the Mac Mini’s USB ports.

Listening to CDs

I began my listening using the Michi Q5 as a CD player via its balanced analog outputs. My first selection was appropriately nostalgic: the 2017 40th-anniversary edition of the Eagles’ 1976 album Hotel California (Asylum Records RR2‑103). The original was one of the first albums to be released on CD, coinciding with the introduction of the Sony CDP‑101 back in 1982. On the title track, I had an immediate impression of soothing warmth. There was a rich, full tone to the slow bass-string plucks. Guitar strings possessed a pure and sweet tone with clear resonance, while the cymbals were crisp and clean. The rubbing of the güiro sounded authentic, its wooden raspy timbre well revealed. Don Henley’s voice combined a natural warmth and delightful clarity; more generally, images were well defined, solid, and well separated.

Moving to “New Kid in Town,” the cymbal hits were crystal clear, combined with what I perceived as metronome-perfect timing. The Q5 delivered the cymbal strikes with delicacy and truthfulness, accompanied by an impressive tactile quality. The soft play of the guitars demonstrated the Q5’s ability to convey tonal subtleties while also handling the ringing of the strings and the decay of the notes. There was a genuineness to the sound of Glenn Frey’s voice; the Q5 did full justice to the swagger and romance of his singing. The drums on this track were full, but they also sounded well damped, the deadness of the strikes supporting the warm, relaxed, and balanced overall tone.

I followed this up with “Chant” from Robert Glasper’s 2005 album Canvas (Blue Note 7243 4 77130 26). The song features a mix of delicate percussion, with cymbal taps and drum rolls accompanied by various wooden-block taps, as well as, once again, a güiro. Glasper’s melodious piano arrangement anchors the song. The Michi Q5 did a beautiful job bringing life to the performance, laying out the instruments in impressively clear and distinct spaces across the soundstage—left-to-right and front-to-back. The highs were delicate, detailed, and vibrant, while the mids communicated the soft vocals as well as the inherent tonal quality of the piano notes. Bass and drums were textured and full, with abundant weight. The sound of the track was coherent and well sorted, with each instrument done full justice by the Michi Q5.

Vincent Bélanger and Anne Bisson’s 2016 collaboration album Conversations (Camilo-XLO CAM2‑5022) is a stunning recording. The track “Le vent souffle encore” opens with the sound of a passing subway train, which the Q5 revealed distinctly, conveying the movement of the sound from left to right in a smooth and fluid manner as Bélanger's cello plucks and Bisson’s singing begin. The retreating sounds of the train were well separated in space from the vocals, slowly decaying into a black background. Bass plucks were precisely articulated while possessing fullness and accurate timbre. Bisson’s notes were also beautifully communicated by the Michi Q5, which fully preserved the glow and resonance of the vocals in a larger-than-life presentation. The intricacy of the singing was capably rendered, along with the sumptuous sound of Bélanger’s cello. I have attended live performances by these Quebec-based artists, and I was taken aback by the sense of realism that the Q5 was able to deliver. Images were adeptly conveyed, left-to-right and front-to-back, with the Michi providing great clarity across the soundstage and a velvety-black background. On my favorite track, “Rupture,” the Q5 recreated a live event, almost indistinguishable from my memory of hearing it played live by Bélanger. The drone of the strings was enhanced by the completeness of their decay. The Michi Q5’s depiction of the string textures, of the size of the instrument and its body and weight, was mesmerizing.

Comparisons

For my comparisons, I used matching Audio Sensibility Statement power cables, with all components placed directly on my Quadraspire rack. I compared the Michi Q5 to my Rega Apollo MK1 CD player. Long since discontinued, the Apollo last sold in 2012 for about US$1000. Despite its age, the Apollo is still a very dependable spinner. Both the Michi and the Apollo were connected to my BR‑20 in turn, using my Furutech ADL Alpha Line Plus RCA interconnects.

Listening to “The Game of Love” from Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories CD (Columbia 88883 716862) through the Michi Q5, the sound was immersive, with the synthetic pulse of the track’s opening wrapping around me right to the five and seven o’clock positions and displaying good height to the sides and back. The opening cymbal strikes were satin-smooth, possessing a refined patina with a shimmering powder-like quality. The microdynamics of the strikes were beautifully rendered. Bass guitar was punchy, deep, tight, and tuneful, and the plucks meshed beautifully with the percussion. In comparison, the sound was less detailed and less textured through the Apollo. Harmonic color was less rich compared to the Michi, the Rega player sounding less lively (if not vague) in comparison. Dynamics (micro and macro) were also not nearly as well conveyed through the Apollo.

Next, I used the Apollo and Michi as CD transports, connecting them to my BR‑20 using my Audio Sensibility digital coaxial S/PDIF cable. The Apollo sounded a little crisper, with cymbals revealing a sharper edge in the upper treble, whereas cymbal shimmer had a lovely silky smoothness through the Michi Q5. Though the overall soundstage was similar in size on both transports, the dynamics had much less sense of touch via the Rega Apollo. On guitar notes, the Apollo displayed more spirit, while the Michi conveyed a more natural, fuller, golden tone with a denser image. It was evident that even running just as a transport, the Apollo could not keep up with the Michi Q5.

My Bryston BR‑20 handles both DAC and preamplifier duties in my main system, so I thought I’d compare the Michi Q5’s DAC to that of the BR‑20. My first comparison involved connecting the Michi Q5 to the BR‑20 with both analog XLR and S/PDIF digital coaxial connections concurrently. This allowed me to simply flip between the analog and S/PDIF inputs and hear the differences between the Bryston’s and the Michi’s DAC sections. From the beginning of “Misguided Angel” by the Cowboy Junkies from their iconic album The Trinity Session (CD, RCA 8568‑2‑R), the Michi Q5 provided a greater sense of realism. Images were more palpable, providing a surer sense of physical presence. Harmonic colors were richer and more vibrant. The guitar had greater tonal density through the Michi Q5 than the BR‑20. I noted how beautifully the Michi Q5 conveyed the microdynamics from the soft cymbal swats, rendering the strikes with a holographic quality that the BR‑20 couldn’t quite match. The Q5’s DAC section rendered Margo Timmins’s voice with a smooth delivery of detail and dynamic presence that the BR‑20’s very capable DAC failed to equal, such that she sounded more convincingly human through the Michi. Guitars too had a warmer and more resonant quality through the Michi Q5, with more solidity than through the BR‑20. The closing of the track demonstrated the Michi Q5’s lower noise, as it was slightly better at revealing the quiet decay of the music against the background. On the following track, “Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis),” the patina of the cymbals via the Q5 was perhaps the most authentic I’ve heard on my system; the sound was finely detailed and delicate, providing vivid tonal color, image density, and timbral accuracy.

Continuing my comparison between the Michi Q5 and Bryston BR‑20 DACs, I decided to use my Rega Apollo as a straight CD transport into the Q5 and BR‑20 in turn, connected via coaxial S/PDIF. On “Una notte a Napoli” from Pink Martini’s 2011 compilation A Retrospective (CD, Wrasse ADCD10306), the BR‑20 sounded lower in volume, even though I had confirmed that their output levels matched. I could only attribute this perceived volume difference to the Q5’s stronger dynamics and vibrance. With the BR‑20, the opening piano keys were not quite as delicate and less tonally rich compared to the Michi Q5. The BR‑20 sounded a little washed-out compared to the Q5, with less sense of microdynamic touch. With the BR‑20, vocals sounded softer and less embodied, even though they came from a similar location on the soundstage to the Michi player. The Michi revealed more ambiance and a greater sense of space, the piano having more weight and the violin sounding more visceral, with a greater sense of physicality. Voices with the Michi Q5 were shockingly realistic, vivid, and animated, while also being finely detailed and more corporeal than with the BR‑20. Finally, there was noticeably more weight to the lowest register with the Q5 than with the BR‑20, and the Q5 still delivered fully on bass articulation.

Additional evaluations

Connecting my iPhone 12 directly to the Michi Q5 via USB, I was able to use the Tidal and Qobuz apps on my phone to play music through the Michi Q5, connected via XLR to my BR‑20. The connection was easy, quick, and stable, and it demonstrated the Q5’s ability to handle 24/192 tracks, as shown on its display. I listened to Domonique Fils-Aimé’s rendition of “Stand by Me” from her 2021 album Three Little Words (24-bit/88.2kHz FLAC, Ensoul Records / Qobuz). Fils-Aimé’s voice was astonishingly presented, the Q5 revealing intricate qualities of her singing in a fluid manner. The bass plucks were lovely in their fullness and expressed the inherent resonance of the instrument.

Connecting my Mac Mini running Roon Core via USB to the Michi Q5 and leveraging the Q5’s Roon Tested certification, I listened to “400 Lux” from Lorde’s 2012 album Pure Heroine (24/192 FLAC, Universal Records / Qobuz). I had no difficulty getting the Michi to deliver full resolution. However, track, album, and artwork does not appear on the Michi Q5’s TFT display in this application.

I also played a DSD64 version of “I Can See Clearly Now” by the Holly Cole Trio from their 1993 album Don’t Smoke in Bed (DSD64 rip from Analogue Productions SACD CAPP 049 SA). This track is stored on a Western Digital USB drive connected to my Mac Mini. The track appeared as “PCM 24/352.8 kHz Core Audio Exclusive Mode” on the Q5’s display, so it was apparently being transcoded by Roon for playback through the Q5. Roon’s support website explained this as follows: “This allows Roon to precisely control every aspect of the playback without interference from the operating system . . . for achieving audiophile grade playback.” The track was clean, crisp, and clear, with delightful soundstaging that presented the piano within my room seemingly in full-scale.

Conclusion

If you haven’t yet gotten a full sense of my impressions of the Michi Q5, let me be clear. The Michi Q5 is the finest-sounding CD player I’ve ever reviewed, and also the best-performing DAC that I’ve ever reviewed. The Q5 DAC outperformed my own reference DAC, the Bryston BR‑20, which, believe me, is no small feat. That makes the Michi Q5 a relative bargain in high-end audio. While I would never claim any audio medium to be perfect, I can confidently say that Rotel’s Michi Q5 delivers the most “perfect sound” I’ve ever experienced from CDs. Promise made, promise kept.

. . . George de Sa
george@soundstage.com

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.

Associated Equipment

• Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Confidence C2 Signature, Focal Electra 1008 Be, Monitor Audio CP-IW460X in-wall speaker
• Foundations: Quadraspire SV3T audio rack, Target MR-24 loudspeaker stands mass-loaded with sand
• Turntable: Rega Planar 10 with Rega Apheta 3 MC cartridge
• Phono stage: Gold Note PH-10 and PSU-10
• CD player: Rega Apollo MK1
• Streaming preamplifier: Bryston BR‑20
• Amplifiers: Bryston 7B³monoblocks, Rega Elex-R MK3 integrated amplifier
• Music server: Roon Core on Mac Mini 16GB/256GB, Western Digital My Passport Ultra 1TB USB HDD
• Music services: Tidal HiFi and Qobuz
• Headphones: Grado SR325e
• Cables: Audio Sensibility Statement speaker cables, interconnects, and power cables; Pangea AC-9 Mk 2 power cables; Zavfino 1877 Fusion XLR interconnects; Van Damme XLR interconnects, Furutech ADL Alpha Line Plus 1m RCA interconnects; XLO Signature 3 Series 2m RCA interconnects; Furutech ADL Formula 2 USB cable
• Network: Netgear wireless modem

Rotel Michi Q5 CD player–DAC
Price: US$7499, CA$8499, £5499, €5999
Warranty: Five years, parts and labor

Rotel
Tachikawa Building 1F
2-11-4, Nakane, Meguro-ku
Tokyo, Japan 152-0031

Email:sales@rotel.com
Website: www.rotel.com

US distributor:
Fine Sounds Americas
11763 95th Ave N
Maple Grove MN 55369
Phone: (510) 843-4500

Email: orders@finesounds.com
Website: www.finesounds.com

Canadian distributor:
Kevro International Inc.
902 McKay Road
Pickering, ON L1W 3X8
Phone: (905) 428-2800

Website: www.kevro.com