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New Rogue Tube/Class D Hybrids

From the Rogue web site. Sounds pretty interesting.

News:

The 2012 CES

For the 2012 CES show we will proudly unveil our new Medusa and Hydra Tube/Class D power amplifiers! We will be pairing these with our Hera II preamp to power the venerable Andra III loudspeakers from Eggleston Works. Cabling will be provided by TEL Wire. For our sources we will be streaming digital as well as spinning LP's on a very high-end turntable. If you are planning on attending the show be sure to visit us in the Venetian Hotel room 29-225

Groundbreaking Triode/Class D Hybrid Amplifiers!

Imagine a new kind of power amplifier that combines the best of both the tube and solid state technologies. An energy efficient "green" design requiring no tube biasing or regular maintenance. An amplifier having the smooth and organic sound that only tubes can provide combined with the dynamics and slam of a damping factor of over 1000. Such an amplifier now exists! For 2012 Rogue Audio proudly introduces the Medusa and Hydra tube hybrid amplifiers. Utilizing breakthrough technology developed by Rogue Audio these amplifiers provide outstanding performance in a compact and cool running design. The Medusa is conservatively rated at 250WPC into 8 Ohms and 500WPC into 4 Ohms while the Hydra is rated at 100/200WPC. Both amplifiers feature a triode tube front end combined with a class D Mosfet output section that offers incredibly smooth and transparent sound with none of the fatigue often associated with earlier class D amplifiers. Priced at $3,995 and $2,995 respectively they also afford the excellent value Rogue Audio has come to be known for.

Available at select Rogue Audio dealers in January 2012.
donjr
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,211 posts
 
Sounds intriguing.

I would expect something similar sounding to a good tube preamp/Class D power amp combo, but more for use with an existing SS preamp to help deliver a combo of the strengths of both tubes and Class D in a single relatively small power amp package perhaps?
goldprintaudio's avatar
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goldprintaudio
502 posts
 
I've had one of the Medusa's here for a while now and I must say it is really, really good.

***Rogue Dealer disclaimer***
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,211 posts
 
Is Rogue the first to do this?

Can't think of any other straight power amps I know of but this approach makes so much sense with so many speakers out there from what I can see that I'm surprised if no one else has done this yet.

I just got done preaching the gospel of high damping factor class D for certain kinds of speakers on another thread. The article referenced above coincidentally plays right into that theme.
tgrisham
1,291 posts
 
I find it interesting that we read many discussions regarding tube pre/SS amp vs SS pre/tube amp and Rogue has decided on the former not the latter. And, his reasoning makes sense. Not that science has anything to do with it. We like what we like. I like people who agree with me.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,211 posts
 
"Not that science has anything to do with it."

Wouldn't science say that lots of high gain tubes in the output stage of a power amp are more problematic in general from a maintenance and cost perspective, both of which affect the end user?

Making the benefits of tube sound more affordable and usable for the masses seems to be the profound design goal here. On paper at least, I'd say mission accomplished!

My local dealer sells Rogue and the gear there always sounds great. I'm very much looking forward to hearing these sometime soon. They would seem to fit very nicely into either of my systems down the road if ever needed.
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