The introduction of the Michi Q5 had us pondering why a company like Rotel chose to launch a CD player rather than a music streamer in its high-end statement range. Given the popularity of Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz et al, it seems a surprising move until we remember that hundreds of billions of CDs have been sold since the format’s introduction in 1982, and many are still in use.
Music fans with huge CD collections are hardly rare, and they still need a dedicated player capable of making the most of their discs. Step forward the new Michi Q5.
The Rotel Michi Q5’s £5499 / $7499 / AU$9499 price tag is certainly hefty in general terms, but it may surprise many to learn that it sits on the lower end of the scale as far as high-end CD players are concerned.
Given the current state of the CD player market, there isn’t as much choice in this (or any) part of the sector as there used to be, but it is still not too difficult to find alternatives at far higher prices. The beautifully engineered Esoteric K-05XD (tested at £11,650 / $12,000 / AU$15,000) is a particular favourite of ours.
Design & build
Rotel clearly means business with its new Michi CD player. Just look at it. The bluff, no-nonsense exterior design exudes a mix of seriousness and lack of frippery we think high-end fans will admire, and though it may not be apparent from the accompanying photos, this thing is huge.
Type Integrated
SACD? No
Outputs Balanced XLR, RCA, coax, optical
Inputs Digital coaxial and optical, USB
Dimensions (hwd) 15 x 49 x 45 cm
Weight 23.5kg
Finishes Black
Does a CD player have to be big enough to dwarf most amplifiers on the market? Admittedly, the size impresses superficially, but we suspect not. Maybe Rotel just wanted to use the same casework across its high-end Michi components to take advantage of the economies of scale, but at least doing things this way gives a pleasing visual consistency across the products. What we do know is that this beast is beautifully made.
The quality of fit and finish is as good as it gets at this level. The casework is impressively rigid and well-damped; it has clearly been assembled with obvious care. Each panel aligns with a precision that’s rare in the world of high-end hi-fi, with its relatively tiny production numbers and resultant more ‘hand-made’ manufacturing processes.
The Michi Q5 is about as chunky as a typical high-end integrated amplifier, and coming in at 23.5kg it weighs as much as one too. Take a look inside and you will find a pair of toroidal mains transformers, which account for some of that weight.
This is a top-loading design, which does away with a conventional drawer-loading mechanism and adds to the feeling of interaction. It’s not quite the rich ritual experience we get with vinyl and record players, but it's far more engaging than using a typical music streamer, where a tap on a tablet or phone screen gets the music started.
The Michi’s beautifully made metal CD lid lifts off like a saucepan lid and fits snugly into position. It is a relatively heavy piece that features some lovely detailing and clamps down on the disc when put back in position.
When removed, it exposes the bespoke CNC-machined aluminium CD transport mechanism. This is an impressively quiet and responsive transport in use and it didn’t have an issue in reading any of the discs we tried, even some heavily scratched ones.
An ESS ES9028PRO eight-channel DAC chip sits at the heart of the Michi Q5’s digital circuitry. The ESS’s eight outputs are combined and split evenly between the left and right audio channels, a configuration that is claimed to improve resolution and reduce distortion.
This DAC chip is compatible with 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 files, which might seem excessive when the CD format is limited to 16-bit/44.1kHz datastreams, but that extended capability comes in useful when the Michi Q5’s USB-Type B, coaxial and optical inputs are employed.
The USB input is capable of carrying music files to those limits, while coax and optical are restricted to 24-bit/192kHz, as is usual.
Usability
Any CD player at this level demands a suitably talented partnering system, and the Rotel Michi Q5 is no different. We use it with our reference Burmester 088/911MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers for the bulk of the test sessions, though we also swap in PMC’s Cor integrated amplifier and Fyne Audio’s F1-8 standmounters for a change of flavour. The CD player’s well-balanced nature means that it works equally well in both systems.
The Michi Q5 exhibits some quirks in use, though. That metal CD lid may feel beautifully made, but it is a little heavy, and you need a place to put it down every time you change a CD. We wouldn’t advise putting it on the Q5’s top panel for fear of scratching either part, so you need somewhere else that isn’t dusty and won’t mark the lid with repeated use. A hinged lid design of some sort would probably have been more convenient in use.
The player’s on-unit control buttons are tucked away under the front panel. These can be a little awkward to operate if the Q5 isn’t positioned at the right kind of height. Admittedly, most people will use the simple but nice metal remote instead, so it shouldn’t be a major issue.
We’re less forgiving of the way our review sample displays album art and information on its colour TFT screen. It uses an online database to get that information, which is a neat way of doing things, but there are too many times when the song information is wrong.
Our sample usually gets the artist album and track number correct, but proves hit and miss with the song title. We’re sure that this is something that can be fixed with a software update, so over to you, Rotel.
All these things are annoyances to a lesser or greater degree, but they matter a lot less once we start listening to this CD player. It really is a capable unit that delivers a quality of sound from our CD collection that’s hard to better at this price.
Sound
The Michi Q5 sounds impressively clean and clear. If you value scale and authority, this player is happy to oblige. It has no trouble delivering the drama of Tchaikovsky’s Marché Slave Op.31. The music’s bold dynamic shifts are conveyed with confidence while retaining an admirable sense of composure; the Michi never sounds flustered, even when the music becomes demanding.
There is none of the grain or lack of purity that we hear in lesser machines, either. Each sound and instrument is rendered with delicacy and precision, while low-level instrumental strands are tracked with ease.
This is a detailed-sounding performer that has no trouble rendering instrumental textures or subtle shifts in intensity. It resolves plenty of information and has the organisational skills to turn it into a musically cohesive presentation.
Tonality? The Michi Q5 is about as neutral as they come, sounding as convincing in this respect as any player we’ve heard near this level. It has a lovely top-to-bottom evenness that, once heard, is hard to ignore when it is missing on other players.
Stereo imaging is good too. This disc spinner has a wide and well-focused presentation with a decent degree of depth (if the recording has it to begin with). We have no issue with image stability, and there is no sense of blurring, irrespective of how difficult the music gets.
Undun by The Roots shows that the Q5 can also shine with more rhythm-driven music. Here, it conveys the irresistible flow of Kool On effortlessly. It sounds expressive and enthusiastic, conveying voices with clarity and passion, while navigating the difficult balance between analysis and emotion well. Despite the impressive amount of insight, it still feels like the Michi Q5 always puts music and entertainment first.
The player’s low frequencies are impressively taut and agile, rendered with plenty of weight but never so much that it makes the presentation sludgy. Move up the frequency band and midrange clarity is excellent. Leading edges are crisply defined but never over-etched, while voices and instruments sound natural rather than forced.
The good news continues when we try out the Michi Q5’s digital inputs with our MacBook Pro (loaded with high-resolution music and Audirvana music playing software) and the digital output of our reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer.
We play a range of music from Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions and Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall, both in DSD, to Kate Bush’s 50 Word For Snow (24-bit/96kHz), and the Michi isn’t fazed at all. The insight and balance that we so enjoyed with compact disc is just as apparent here.
It doesn’t take long to realise that the Q5’s internal DAC circuitry is hugely capable and right up there with some of the best premium standalone digital-to-analogue converters on the market. It shifts between file types and differing resolutions seamlessly, too.
Verdict
Some people will baulk at the Michi Q5’s price, and that’s understandable. Given we are so far into the age of streaming, a high-end CD player certainly isn’t going to make sense for everyone.
However, if you are dedicated to the original silver disc and have a collection that justifies this kind of expense, we have no hesitation in recommending the Rotel Michi Q5 highly. It is an excellent performer, and those few functional quirks notwithstanding, we suspect it will prove a pleasure to own.
Review published: 10th November 2025
SCORES
- Sound 5
- Build 5
- Features 5
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