Preamp comparison - Rogue Perseus and ARC LS25 MKII


I was fortunate to pick up a LS25 a couple of weeks ago and have been giving it a thorough listen.  Really nice preamp, my first ARC piece of gear.  It's been fun switching between it and my trusty Rogue Perseus.  Probably not a fair comparison with the LS25 over 3k more when new.  But it is what it is.  Using my Rogue Atlas Magnum tube amp and Snell type D speakers.  

Right out of the box I could tell the difference.  The LS25 is just a little more refined, the word polite coming to mind.  The Perseus gives music a bit of bite and texture, an added fullness and bass presence also. The soundstage is just a touch more open as well.  The LS25 has a slight edge in clarity, with more attack. 

I've always read that ARC tube gear is considered to be not quite as 'tubey' as most.  I think I now know what that means.

Now trying to decide which to keep.  I will do more listening to be sure but I am leaning towards sticking with the Rogue and passing along the LS25.  You all might think I am nuts (most likely I am) but I do enjoy the richer and fuller presentation of the Perseus.   

A question for those with ARC experience:  might tube rolling in the LS25 add a bit more of what I am looking for? 

Ideally, I would like to find a tube pre that combines the attributes of both - clarity with great texture and fullness and an open soundstage.  Any suggestions for tube pres that might fit this description are welcomed.

Thanks!

pkatsuleas

Showing 4 responses by audphile1

Don’t do quick comparisons. Listen to one preamp for at least 2-3 days then switch. 
As to tubes, when I had my LS25 I liked EH better than Sovteks and tried Amperex as well. What tubes you have in it now and how many hours in?

@pkatsuleas stock tubes in LS25 are at end of life or near it. Replace them. Try the EH 6H30 Gold Pin. Upscale Audio will matched pairs at no extra cost. 

@pkatsuleas totally worth trying the new EH gold pins in the ARC. 
I am not familiar with your Rogue components but I did own the RP1 paired with ST100 and then upgraded to RP5. Believe it or not, I actually preferred the RP1. In either case the RP preamps and the ST100 were very quiet as far as tube components are concerned but sounded slightly dry. I wouldn’t call that sound solid state like. The biggest value was the ST100 amp. It’s really good especially considering the price.
I eventually moved on to the solid state Pass gear and never looked back. 

Agree with @mulveling the EH gold are slightly warmer. But the key here is to get a fresh set of tubes and eliminate the possibility of old worn out tubes impacting the comparison. 
Also don’t forget what I mentioned earlier - give each preamp a few days of critical listening, let it sink in. Sometimes the changes aren’t appreciated with a quick A/B.