hugh sound stage detailed and very smooth and dont forget about the price.

none i can find

I have been searching for a tube amp for quite some time now and i just end up scratching my head at all the different tube amps out there. I was listing and demoing many different brands and nothing really stood out between the amps i demoed( vac,sonic power 1, the new audio research 50 watt). They all sounded very nice some a little more noisy or thin than others but for the 2000-3000$ range i wasn''t impressed. Then I talked to a friend of mine bill from toys in the attic and he told me about rogue audio and to try it out. I just blew me away clean clear and detailed smooth and liquid midrange and at the same time detiled it just melted in my listing room. If you can upgrade to the eh6550 tubes its well worth it.

Similar Products Used:

vac,audio research9very thin),sonic power one nice but run very hot

This is a remarkably good amplifier. Used in pure triod configuration it delivers 30 watts/ch of the sweatest, purest sound one could imagine. The imaging is nothing less than remarkable, and the bass is tight and strong. I compared this amp to three other tube amps costing not less than least twice as much and found this baby the equal or better than all of them.

Warm, spacious, and able to listen for many hours without fatique

none

I bought this product after many hours of research on the web and interviewing people and dealers whose judgement I valued.

I went from a solid state to the Rogue 88, and while it did take a brief amount of time to adjust to the difference, what a difference it made. I can honestly say that this will be the last amp I buy, minus some techological change that would warrant a upgrade.

This is a beautiful piece of equipment thoughtfully executed and of verrry high build quality.

Highly recommnended

Similar Products Used:

counterpoint, conrad johnson, ..van alstein, and have demo'ed many other products at home.

Incredible bargin! Not expensive for what it does and who it beats. You have to spend alot more to gain very little.

None.

If you are in the market for some great tube gear you gotta check the Rogue stuff. Its offers great build quality and
sound quality at an unmatched price. Midrange is as smooooth as you could ever get. Highs are sweet and bass is
plentiful. Now the bass doesnt have the slam that a Pass
amp ,or Threshold, etc would have but thats not the ultimate
goal of a tube amp. The music flows, you setting in and listen for hours. The music is around you, beside you and with you. The soundstage is wide, deep and focused. Few
solid state amps can do that. With the right speakers and front end this amp will deliver. Now its not the most powerfull amp (especially in triode mode) but it sure is sweet. Often a companys best amp isnt thier most powerfull. Its often thier baby products that sound the best. Highly recommend. Associated gear:Rogue 66 preamp,
Rogue 88 pwr amp, MSB DAC, Pioneer Elite PD65 used as a transport (Another great piece but most wont admit because it says Pioneer on it) and Meadowlark Kestrals speakers. No fancy wire just good basic stuff.

Similar Products Used:

Belles, Jolida, Curcio Audio Engineering

I am what is considered an audiofile short on cash. My associated equiptment is. Marantz 67/se cd player, Audio Research LS-7preamp, Martin Logan Aerius speakers, Nordost speaker wire,and interconnect for the cd player waiting to get one for the amp-preamp. I have listened to a Krell 300i found it to be very powerfull but harsh, also a AR ca-50 intergreated which was really nice but not enough power. The salesman wanted me to buy the AR-50 for $3000 but out of my reach. The Rogue fit the bill!! It has detail and just enough power in 70 watt mode. Vocies come across very well and I am hearing things I haven't heard before. Acoustics are very impressive electric guitars can really scream! There is enough snap in the snare drums to be satisfied with.I beleve that it is better than Conrad Johnson's 50watt intergrated. I also have heard Acurus 100 and 200 on my system they are very detailed but lack the warmth of a tube. I am now considering to sell my Martin Logan's for a pair of Magenapan 1.6's . I heard this combo at the store and it really was very very musicall, especially the simballs, and just a better balanced sound as opposed to my Logans. As far as the Rogue I do not find myself wanting,would suggest to anyone to give them a try the are the best buy for the buck if you are looking for that tube sound.Consdidering the price I give it a 5 stars.

Incredible sound, good price.

none

I bought Rogue's 88 and 66 preamp at the suggestion of an audiophile expert and after a year am still thrilled to switch them on. I had never heard of Rogue Audio and I don't know how to use all the language in the magazines, but I sure have learned what soundstage means. When I put on a vinyl from the fifties or early sixties of small jazz groups, I can clearly hear the sounds of the instruments coming from different places in front of me and the sounds don't seem to be coming from the speakers. The sound of the instruments is faithful, with piano sounding like a percussion instrument (I can now hear the thuds) and reeds sounding like reeds.
Particularly noteworthy is the product support. I have never bought anything, anything, where I find two guys on the phone who are more friendly and cooperative if I have a question or if I need some help. They remember their customers and treat them like friends. These are a couple of guys who set out to build great equipment at a reasonable price and I share their enthusiasm.

This review is for Magnum version.Clear details, smooth midrange(esp. vocals), balanced overall sound, soundstage and instrument location excellent.I hear details I never noticed before on both LPs and CDs.

NONE!

I recently upgraded my system with the Rogue Mag. 88 Amp. and the improvements were significant. I run it in triode mode with beautiful results.( see comments above).
The rest of my system is:
Rogue 88 Pre-amp
Paradigm Ref.60 v2 speakers
Adcom 750 CD Player
Rega P2 TT/ with Dynavector 10x4 and Lehmann upgrade Black Cube for great LP listening.
This is a great system for the money and will keep me happy for a long time.

Soundstaging, "Liveliness",Transparency/ Accuracy, Musicality.

Slight reduction in bass weight compared to a solid state Bryston.

This review pertains to the Magnum version, which was done for me at the Rogue factory 2 months ago.
System: MSB upsampling DAC and VPI 19 MK3 turntable feeding into a CJ PV8 preamp into the Rogue 88 Magnum amp, which drives Vandersteen 2ce speakers (w/ Audioquest cables).
I finally got my speaker placement just right today and discovered what this amplifier is capable of. The amplifier creates a truely astonishing, lifelike and large flield of music. It is a rather large jump up in realism compared to mid price solid state amps. It seemingly has the edge over comparitivly priced tube amps in terms of initial cost, realistic soundstage, "jump" sound factor and reasonable maintenance(inexpensive replacement tubes). Also the manufacturer support is fantastic.
In retrospect, I'm very happy that my curiosity about tube amplification got the better of me and of course am very glad that I landed with best sounding unit for the money.

Similar Products Used:

Bryston 3B

Absolutely amazing performance for the asking price (even the full retail price). Beat all the competition I listened to. Simply a must audition if you are in the market for medium powered tube amps in ANY price range. Jadis sound at a Kenwood price!

Big Chasis...will not fit in most conventional racks and entertainment units.

I have spent the better part of 2 years now upgrading my system which had been compromised by years of budget and little-curious-fingers conciousness.

Piecing together my new ( and permanent) system has been both fun and frustrating. On the positive side, I will say that the overall state of home audio has improved tremendously in the last 10 years. The sound quality attainable at relatively affordable prices is nearly equal to sound of the top of the heap stuff a decade ago. On the downside, there seems to be more mediocre equipment being pawned off at ridiculous prices than ever before. Almost universally, it seemed the lower priced stuff I auditioned sounded better than the expensive gear. I was really disapointed at with the perfomance of some of the more famous brand stuff, most notably Krell and BAT.

I ended up choosing the Rogue simply because it sounded the best of what I listened to. The fact that it was also among the least expensive was the icing on the cake. Many of the other units I auditioned sounded very good (particularly the Manley Stingray, the MF A3cr and the CJ MV-55). Ohters were merely OK ( the VAC and Cary SLI-80) and as I said above, I think Krell and BAT are pretty brash for charging what they do for their stuff. The Cary 300b SEI sounded very good at the dealer but came off harsh and small in my home. In the end the Rogue won the day.

I feel somewhat guilty because I ended up buying the Rogue privately after having taken up several dealers precious time (my appologies to all involved...but a bargin is a bargin). I have also gotten to know the design team at Rogue (Mark & Mark) as I live fairly close to their factory. You will not find more honest and helpful business men anywhere...these guys really support and believe in their product.

To give some specifics on this product:

It throws a HUGE soundstage and really excels in rendering depth...something none of the other units I heard did as well (the Manley was close).

It has lots of Bass! The difference between the Rogue and my previous amp (Creek 4330) was astounding! I will say that the MF A3 went lower and tighter than the Rogue in my home but it was not the equal of the Rogue in any other area.

It is not speaker-sensitive.....the Rogue showed essentially the same virtues on all the speakers I heard with. The Manley and CJ units also were speaker tolerant, but the performance of the VAC and Cary models varied with different speakers.

The tubes are enclosed. Only the VAC shared this virtue. I do like the appearence of glowing tubes (my previous tube amps were open) but this means a lot of risk in terms of kids and pets...even if you are single a wrong turn or quick move of the vacuum cleaner wand could spell disaster (I cringed when I heard the replacement cost of a 300b tube!)

Overall it does all the audiophile things right. It is just plain hard to fault, especially in light of it's price.

If you are in the market for a tube amp (or any amp for that matter) I urge you to listen to this product....it will not disapoint!

It is not only great for it's price (it has no real competition at its price point), it is just plain great!!

Similar Products Used:

Owned: VTL 100 monoblocks, NAD 2200, Adcom GFA555, Jolida 302B, Creek 4330.
Auditioned: CJ CAV-50,MV-55 & Premier 11, Cary Audio SLI-80 & 300BSEI, Manley Stingray, VAC Avatar, BAT VK 75SE, Krell KAV-250, MF A3cr

Incredible bargin! Not expensive for what it does and who it beats. You have to spend alot more to gain very little.

None.

If you are in the market for some great tube gear you gotta check the Rogue stuff. Its offers great build quality and
sound quality at an unmatched price. Midrange is as smooooth as you could ever get. Highs are sweet and bass is
plentiful. Now the bass doesnt have the slam that a Pass
amp ,or Threshold, etc would have but thats not the ultimate
goal of a tube amp. The music flows, you setting in and listen for hours. The music is around you, beside you and with you. The soundstage is wide, deep and focused. Few
solid state amps can do that. With the right speakers and front end this amp will deliver. Now its not the most powerfull amp (especially in triode mode) but it sure is sweet. Often a companys best amp isnt thier most powerfull. Its often thier baby products that sound the best. Highly recommend. Associated gear:Rogue 66 preamp,
Rogue 88 pwr amp, MSB DAC, Pioneer Elite PD65 used as a transport (Another great piece but most wont admit because it says Pioneer on it) and Meadowlark Kestrals speakers. No fancy wire just good basic stuff.

Similar Products Used:

Belles, Jolida, Curcio Audio Engineering