Preamp expriences? Good value amp

We think you will find that the Rogue offers a high level of performance for the price. We have auditioned this preamp with the 88 amplifier, and found the music quality to be on par with more expensive brands.

We also have appreciated time with the Conrad-Johnson PV-10 tube preamp. It's so smooth (i.e. warm) that you might want to use it with a solid state power amp to get the best of both worlds. We have received wonderful sound with this preamp teamed up with the Clayton Audio S40 pure Class A stereo power amplifier.

Happy auditioning!

The Rogue gear I've heard certainly was smooth--a bit too smooth for my liking in that it obscured enough detail that it detracted from the music. I also had a chance to audition the McCormack RLD-1 which is a solid state unit but does sound a bit on the warmer side without sacrificing as much detail as the Rogue. The soundstage was voluminous and tonality of instruments and vocals were totally fleshed out and full. It also has the home theater loop, and you won't have to mess with any tubes if that's any concern. I'd highly recommend you give this unit a listen as it sounds like it offers everything you're looking for in a preamp. It's also reasonably priced for the performance at around $1700. Best of luck.

Tim

I just went through a similar time of trying to find anew pre-amp in the same price range as the Rogue Magnum. I should say that I am not really a tube guy, but I did check some out. I also looked at the Muse Model 3; though I concluded to really get top performance from it required the external power supply which adds quite a bit to the cost ($600). In the end I bought the Musical Fidelity A3cr and I absolutely love it. you should check out the Wes Phillips review on onhifi.com (it is also Stereophile Recommended "Class B", etc). I liked it so much I just bought the matching power amp, which is if anything even more impressive (it got a Stereophile Recommended "Class A") . Together the sound is as good or better than any system I have ever heard.(Admittedly, I have not heard the C-J Art or the ML Reference components under good conditions) Nonetheless for $1500 each they are astounding.
The only drawback is that they are hard to find in a store. however, I believe that Upscale Audio is giving the Audio Advisor like 30-day return policy.

Good luck, I know how hard it is to find the right pre-amp.

I owned a Rogue 66 before upgrading to Air Tight. I found the 66 to be warm and musical and a good match to my Maggies with their ribbon tweeter. If you get the remote control volume, I think you may loose the tape monitor button. Also, the mute on my 66 just lowered the volume about 20dB or so, it did not cut the signal. However, the 66 is one of the best values in tube preamps and well worth an audition.
Good listening!

The Kora Eclipes is a huge value! When I bought mine 1998, it retailed for close to $7000. They had some issues I guess and you can find that same unit new for under $2000 (retail $4000+). Please try it, it may now be the best buy in audio. At $7000 it was a great unit, at $2000 it's a steal!