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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
pkatsuleas OP
248 posts
 

Thanks all for the replies. 

@overthemoon 

I have thought about some new tubes for the Perseus in the past.  You've just reminded me!  Like I said, it would be great to keep the fullness and richness - bloom I guess it is - with just a touch more clarity.  It could be that the Brimars are just getting a bit long in the tooth.  Honestly, I don't know how many hours are on them.  Although, doing a little research it seems that they are supposed to be on the warm and full side to begin with.  Brent Jesse's website is a good read.  

I will reach out to ARC and see what they say.

More listening to come.  Having a good time with the comparison!

Thanks again

pkatsuleas OP
248 posts
 

@audphile1 

That's a great question.  I'll have to open it up and take a look.  I was too anxious to get it in the system and start listening and didn't open it up!  According to the previous owner they should be stock.  No idea how many hours.

Thanks

andirocks
28 posts
 

The LS25 MK II uses 6H30 tubes, there isn't a lot of options as far as tube rolling.

I use 6H30-DR tubes in mine but these have gotten hard to find and are big $$.

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
4,169 posts
 

@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. 

mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,774 posts
 

The Rogue preamps of that era have a really nice full bodied sound, like a warm sweater on a cool fall day. The Athena and Hera were the top of the line back then, and imo were their best offerings by a SIGNIFICANT margin. These preamps use 6H30 and glean its advantages (linearity, detail, speed, bandwidth), but also retain all of that rich full-bodied dynamic sound - and then some!

The Hera II has a LOT of gain, so keep that in mind. It’s not the best match for highly sensitive speakers + amps. Athena and Hera I have more typical gain levels. The gain switch on these units works by cutting signal, NOT noise, so it doesn’t really help the Hera II’s issue. That said if your system matches it, the Hera II is the best of the 3. But even the Athena is still great, and a super value when they come up used. A modern ARC pre like Ref 6 beats it for transparency and clarity, but for the money - damn these give you a lot.

The current Rogue RP-X series preamps have a different sonic character imo. Sometimes I just have to scratch my head lol.

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