Music Reference RM9 and Preamp Experiences

Not only does Roger eschew audio voodoo and pixie dust, he also challenges standard engineering principals of application design and feedback. Anyone who can make a EL84 amp which outputs twice the watts or more than other EL-84's do (writing his own Class AB2 application versus copying/modifying what's generally available in the books), uses 14db of negative feedback (when most advertise "zero" feedback), is dead quiet, and sounds magical to boot must know something about electrical engineering and audio design.

The RM9 in high gain mode makes it a great candidate for using a passive type "preamp" or control unit as I prefer to term it. I think it and the RM10 are classic designs - meaning they are VERY good indeed.

Never thought I would do it, but today I put my RM9 SE up for sale, with my speakers the RM10s have plenty of power and I will continue to use it and my Atma MP3/Atma-sphere M60s with my Merlin VSMs (which I never plan on selling). In a way, I wish I only had the RM9, but I feel too vested in the Atma combo and stash of NOS tubes for them. Maybe I'll be lucky and it won't sell:) The Lightspeed Attenuator works beautifully with both.

I still have my Rm-9 Mk II. Now using another tube amp but just can't seem to part with it. I used an EAR 868 preamp for a very muscial warm sound. My audio buddy tried his full function tubed Quicksilver whcih also sounded acceptably good but not as sweet wtih the EAR.

I regained my senses and decided to keep my RM9 Special Edition, I could just tell I would regret selling it; it is clearly Roger's masterpiece in a high powered tube amp - not sure another will come up for sale, they really are keepers.