Hi riskymichael,
I've never had the pleasure of listening to the Rogue Sphinx integrated amp but find it very interesting because of its combination of a tube preamp section with a class D amplifier section.that uses a traditional toroidal power supply rather than a smps (switch mode power supply) like typical class D amps.
As many class D amp users, including myself, have already stated earlier on this thread, the combination of tube preamps with class D amps has resulted in exceptionally good system performance with a broad range of both tube preamps and D amps. I can attest to very good results pairing a VTL 2.5L (the standard Chinese tubes being rolled to a set of NOS Mullard tubes) with my first class D amp, a Class D Audio SDS-440-CS that was my main amp for a few years and also has a toroidal power supply.
Obviously, Rogue is well aware of this synergy of tube preamps with class D amps and it's likely a major reason why your Sphinx sounds so good.
The subject of whether there's a performance benefit to using the more traditional toroidal power supplies rather than the newer switching ones in class D amps is less clear. I now use 3 class D amps in my combo 2-ch and ht system, 2 stereo amps with toroidal power supplies and a pair of mono-blocks with the newer switch mode power supplies. I notice all have the usual class D attributes of very low background noise, low distortion, high detail levels from top to bottom, very good dynamics and being very accurate and neutral overall.
The mono-blocks are more expensive,use different class D power modules and are much more powerful than both stereo amps. I do notice the monos are even more detailed, even smoother and more life-like in the mid-range/treble and portray a more solid and stable soundstage illusion which I attribute mainly to the different class D power modules. I also notice the monos have more powerful dynamics, especially on better 24/96Khz files recorded direct to digital, which I mainly attribute to the significant increase in power and perhaps the power modules and smps, too.
However, I'm unwilling and unable to claim whether the difference in power modules or power supplies are responsible for the clear improvement in dynamic range of my mono-blocks.
Without comparing otherwise identical versions of our amps, one version with a toroidal and the other with a switch mode power supply, I don't think we can determine which performs best. But even this comparison would not address the relative degree that the power modules and power supplies affect amp performance.
The only things I can state with certainty is that my smps monos are more efficient and run cooler than my toroidal stereo amps.
Tim
I've never had the pleasure of listening to the Rogue Sphinx integrated amp but find it very interesting because of its combination of a tube preamp section with a class D amplifier section.that uses a traditional toroidal power supply rather than a smps (switch mode power supply) like typical class D amps.
As many class D amp users, including myself, have already stated earlier on this thread, the combination of tube preamps with class D amps has resulted in exceptionally good system performance with a broad range of both tube preamps and D amps. I can attest to very good results pairing a VTL 2.5L (the standard Chinese tubes being rolled to a set of NOS Mullard tubes) with my first class D amp, a Class D Audio SDS-440-CS that was my main amp for a few years and also has a toroidal power supply.
Obviously, Rogue is well aware of this synergy of tube preamps with class D amps and it's likely a major reason why your Sphinx sounds so good.
The subject of whether there's a performance benefit to using the more traditional toroidal power supplies rather than the newer switching ones in class D amps is less clear. I now use 3 class D amps in my combo 2-ch and ht system, 2 stereo amps with toroidal power supplies and a pair of mono-blocks with the newer switch mode power supplies. I notice all have the usual class D attributes of very low background noise, low distortion, high detail levels from top to bottom, very good dynamics and being very accurate and neutral overall.
The mono-blocks are more expensive,use different class D power modules and are much more powerful than both stereo amps. I do notice the monos are even more detailed, even smoother and more life-like in the mid-range/treble and portray a more solid and stable soundstage illusion which I attribute mainly to the different class D power modules. I also notice the monos have more powerful dynamics, especially on better 24/96Khz files recorded direct to digital, which I mainly attribute to the significant increase in power and perhaps the power modules and smps, too.
However, I'm unwilling and unable to claim whether the difference in power modules or power supplies are responsible for the clear improvement in dynamic range of my mono-blocks.
Without comparing otherwise identical versions of our amps, one version with a toroidal and the other with a switch mode power supply, I don't think we can determine which performs best. But even this comparison would not address the relative degree that the power modules and power supplies affect amp performance.
The only things I can state with certainty is that my smps monos are more efficient and run cooler than my toroidal stereo amps.
Tim