[BunnyNamedCraig]

Music To My Ear is very proud to announce the Rogue Audio RH-5 headphone amp and pre amp.  Music To My Ear has been a Rogue Audio dealer for over 20 years.  I had a phone conversation with the owner of Rogue Audio Mark O'Brien to ask him the inside scoop on the amp he built. This is a couple excerpts from what he had to say-


 


" I really wanted to make a hybrid tube headphone amp that could capture the design of the tube.  I like the 12AU7 tubes a lot since they are very versatile.  The Amp is incredibly quiet for a tube amp. All the gain is in the tubes.The remote function is very handy with the pre amp function.... "


 


"It's very complex design. hybrid tube mosfet buffered out. takes excellent advantage of both to get a unique tube sound with a good bottom end."


 


 


" I tried out Hifiman, Audeze, Sennheiser hd600, HD800,  Abyss, couple different grado's all with the amp.  I wanted stuff that was very efficient (like Grado) to be able to eliminate noise and also really hard to drive (Abyss) to see if it could drive them."


 


"Full function pre amp- true balanced outs. these are  used all the time in the factory, used to play music throughout  the shop. excellent pre amp."


 


 


 





 


"Features include three pairs of RCA inputs and one pair of balanced XLR inputs.


 


Headphone outputs are provided via 3 pin and 4 pin fully balanced outputs as well as two 1/4" TSR headphone jacks enabling a shared listening experience. Three gain settings allow the output to be matched for either high, medium or low sensitivity headphones.


 


An easy to read OLED display elegantly communicates component settings and volume. The display can also be turned off if desired.


 


The seven button remote allows you to turn on the RH-5, change volume, select source and mute output as well as dim the display.


The RH-5 is not just a superb headphone amplifier, it can also be used as the cornerstone of your two channel audio system. Offering both balanced and single ended preamplifier outputs, the RH-5 will also do a wonderful job of driving your preferred amplifier and speakers.


 


An optional phono board also allows you to play your favorite records through either the headphones or loudspeakers. The onboard MM/MC phono has user adjustable gain settings of 43 and 58 dB to accommodate most popular cartridges. A wide variety of loading options also means your favorite cartridge can be configured to sound its very best." - Rogue Audio.





 


This is a shot I took from the top of the amp letting you look into the tubes.  The tubes are able to be swapped out if you are a tube roller.





 Amp Specifications: [back to top]

- Tube complement: 2 x 12AU7/ECC82 tubes

- Frequency response: 5Hz – 50KHz +/- 1 dB

- THD: <0.05%

- Gain line stage: 3dB/12dB/16dB (selectable)

- Rated output: 3.5W (32Ω)

- Output impedance: <0.1Ω (1KHz)

- Gain phono stage: 43dB, 58dB

- RIAA accuracy: +/- 0.1 dB

- Phono overload: 40mV

- Power consumption on: 31W

- Dimensions: 15”W X 13.5 ”D X 4” H

- Weight 19 pounds

- Shipping weight 25 pounds

- Power requirements 115V – 50/60Hz

- Power requirements 220/230/240V – 50/60Hz


 


Here is a direct link for more information to the Rogue Audio page about the new RH-5


http://www.rogueaudio.com/Products_RH5.htm


 


You can visit us here at Music To My Ear


http://musictomyear.com/


 


If you have any questions at all about the RH-5 or anything else you can always PM me.


-Craig


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

[BunnyNamedCraig]

Got the top down in the store. Show off the goods!

 

[buson160man]

Funny saw no replies to this thread. I just auditioned the Rogue RH-5 last week and liked it so much I ordered one for myself. I was using my old burson ha-160 as an amplifier feeding the conductor 3 configured for dac only operation into it. I was initially smitten by the Conductors 3 headphone amplifier section. But after it fleshed in I could not help but notice a sense of brightness in its presentation. To serve my curiosity I dragged out my old burson HA-160 hooking it up to my burson conductor 3 configured as a dac only feeding it cd from a Yamaha cd-2100 configured as a transport. I was surprised that I actually preferred the sound of my old Ha-160 to the sound of the headphone amp section in the newer conductor 3.
But I had been reading a fair amount of positive comments regarding the RH-5 headphone amplifier. So I called the nearest Rogue dealer after I enquired if they had one set up for auditioning. There website did not show it in their component listing under headphone amps. But fortunately they had taken in one in a trade in on the top of the line RH-7 preamp. So I set up an audition and took my akg 712s and my mr. speaker aon flow open back headphones with me and trekked down to the dealer.
I liked what I heard. The rogue RH-5 made both phones sound very much like speakers in the sense of spaciousness and being much less headphone like in its presentation. I had read some comments on the rogue on the net and most were of a positive nature. I only read one that the owner was considering going with the moon 430 headphone amplifier. Which costs considerably more than the Rogue. It does have higher power levels but costs a fair amount more. I did hear it briefly once with the optional dac chip but while the headphone amp was pretty decent I thought there were better dac options to be had than the one offered by moon in the 430. But I am getting away from my impression of the rogue RH-5 . Which is very favorable . I do like the Rogue and am anxious to receive it. With the covad pandemic the delivery time frame has been skewered to somewhat longer wait times on their delivery. But I think I am really going to like it when it arrives.

 

[buson160man]

I finally upgraded the tubes in my Rogue RH-5 . I just replaced the stock JJs with Gold Lions and so far I like what I am hearing very much. The improvement is quite audible. I purchased them from Upscale Audio. I went with upscale audios private stock special best of the best. It was not cheap but from what I am hearing it is going to be hard going back to the stock JJ tubes. The clarity is much better the dynamics seem more pronounced and I am hearing a lot more information that the stock JJs were missing. The price is steep but the reward is pretty substantial well worth the extra cost for there private stack tubes.

 

[jonathan c]

I finally upgraded the tubes in my Rogue RH-5 . I just replaced the stock JJs with Gold Lions and so far I like what I am hearing very much. The improvement is quite audible. I purchased them from Upscale Audio. I went with upscale audios private stock special best of the best. It was not cheap but from what I am hearing it is going to be hard going back to the stock JJ tubes. The clarity is much better the dynamics seem more pronounced and I am hearing a lot more information that the stock JJs were missing. The price is steep but the reward is pretty substantial well worth the extra cost for there private stack tubes.

Agreed. I have purchased a number of tube types from Upscale Audio: always ‘Kevin’s Stash’. Aural bliss !

 

[buson160man]

I

Agreed. I have purchased a number of tube types from Upscale Audio: always ‘Kevin’s Stash’. Aural bliss !

I also just added the herbies ultra tube dampers to the tubes. Very nice improvement. If you have not tried the herbies tube dampers you should you will not be disappointed at the amount of improvement. Very easily heard with the rogue very much for the better.