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Rogue DragoN or Bel Canto Ref600 M

Considering moving to either a Rogue DragoN or Bel Cato Ref600 M’s.  Current equipment: PrimaLuma HP Integrated, PS Audio Direct Stream Sr. DAC and Joseph Audio Prospectives.  Initially will use PS Audio as pre.  Looking for more headroom while maintaining classic tube like sound stage and move to US based equipment.  
Would like to hear others opinions / experience with Rogue and Bel Canto etc.  

testrun
tump350
84 posts
 
I am considering the same two amps -- the BC 600M's and the Rogue DragoN.  I have the BC 500S, like them quite a bit, but am intrigued by the hybrid DragoN's.  Please report back on your experience.

(I'm also considering the  PS Audio M1200s, similarly interesting tube, class D hybrid).
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
but am intrigued by the hybrid DragoN's.
Hi, look at my 3rd post.
Not really a hybrid, as it still has opamp buffers to drive the Hypex NC500 amp modules with, the tube buffers are added in front of the opamp buffers just to give sound "tube colouration".
Not too keen on this,
A buffer from your source (dac or pre), driving "another tube buffer" and it's driving another "opamp buffer" before the NC500 amp get driven.
Too many buffers 3 x in series all adding distortions and noise. 

Cheers George
testrun OP
232 posts
 
George I was wondering what you think about the build quality design quality of the Rogue RP-7? 

hueandeye
6 posts
 
As someone who actually owns both the Ref600s and a Rogue Medusa (a very close match to the Dragon) I prefer the Rogue for a variety of reasons especially after swapping in some Mullard 4003s which IMO added another zero to its price. 

The Rogue has a better mid and treble. I had to remove 2dB of attenuation when I ran the REF 600s compared to the Medusa AND to the Rogue Atlas Magnum 2 which I also own - I design my own speakers.

MORE THAN THAT the REF 600s have been extremely unreliable and have been sent back to BC for repairs on several occasions and they still never fixed the problems of intermittent cut-outs and total failure. The most unreliable amps I have ever owned except for an old Marantz Model 30 that I purchased in the late 1960s which had several issues that Sony Superscope (their importer and owner at the time) never was able to fix - they should have just replaced the unit in its entirety when it was under warranty.

I had to remove the covers and put a fan on the REF 600s to keep them cool enough so they don't cut out - that's pretty poor if you ask me.

In the end the Rogue is much more reliable and cooler running and its sound is like a tube amp.
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