I had the pleasure of visiting Rogue the day Mark was evaluating the final prototype of the Pharaoh. (What a proud parent!). As he showed me the internals, he explained how through iteration and analysis he selected specific parts and had moved various parts and boards to minimize noise and improve the sound. The attention to every (little) detail was impressive and Mark is an audio genius (he started his career at Bell Labs which at the time was the gemination center of numerous patents and Nobel Prizes). I currently am using the RP9 and the Apollo Darks monos and the combination is impressive. With Rogue you pay for the electronic design, the internal parts and not the case-- they are not "showy" but much more than merely a "bargain." The service and support are superb.
The new Rogue pharaoh II slams
I recently downsized my stereo to reclaim my apt living room, switching from revel 228 towers to jbl L100 limited additions, and sold my beloved Rogue M180 dark monoblocks and other front end gear, and needed a good intergrated amp to replace all those big boxes. Since I had experience with Rogue I decided to take a chance on the new Rogue Pharaoh II and boy am I glad I did. I cannot comment if or how it’s different sounding than the original but the Mk II kicks ass with the Jbls putting out 400 wpc into the speakers 4 ohm load! The slam and bass control is stunning, AND AT LOW VOLUME LEVELS!!! It’s also amazingly clear and transparent throughout the full frequency spectrum, with a non existent noise floor, The soundstage is huge, and once again you can hear all of this at low volume levels which is very impressive. Rogue knocked it our of the park with this integrated amplifier, although I loved the sound of my old tube monos this integrated actually does somethings better for a lower cost! If you are looking for a new amp/pre amp combo or integrated amp you have to go hear one of these, I bet it will surprise and impress you as much as it me, bravo Rogue Audio, well done!
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True the other Rogue components are not at all "showy", but I think the Apollos (and Zeus) are quite visually impressive and aesthetic, with exposed tubes. |
@mulveling you have a PM, I could use your help :-) jim |
@mulveling , your opinion is always appreciated and you have a beautiful system. FWIW, I have lower end Rogue gear and a friend that’s a former Rogue dealer. He had their higher end gear in his home. I have found that the Rogue items that utilize the 12AU7’s are noticeable improved by rolling in Telefunkens. Although Rogue recommends Mulllards, I feel like they throw a veil over the music. To the OP , thanks for the post as I’m looking at integrated amps for my vintage JBL 4312’s. And do yourself a favor and try some Telefunkens, especially the medical grade ones. Happy Listening, Mike B. |
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