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First Impressions[/size]
Here are some random notes. The unit is NOT burned in. I am comparing directly against the RPX-33 (which I reviewed very favorably here:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=208706), with which I can fairly easily do A/Bs right now (though my RPX-33 is already spoken for and will fly away early next week).
So, I'm comparing head-to-head the new RP010 against the amp that was previously the best thing I'd ever heard (RPX-33).
Here we go:
1. As far as I'm concerned, Rudi is an audio GOD. OK, not
THE God, but
A god.
At the moment, he flies under the radar a bit here on this site, but believe you me, that will change as more and more people get to hear his wares. OK, I haven't heard his down-scale entry-level stuff, just his better and now High-End solid state. I can't judge how good or bad his more real-world designs are. But based on how great the expensive stuff is, I have to believe they are pretty darn good for the money. In any case, Rudi obviously has a pair of Golden Ears, his stuff is voiced to please.
2. I've often said on this site that I have no use for the concept of "neutrality". Sorry. I have no idea what that is or what that sounds like (and neither does anyoine else, IMO). I only know "I like" and "I don't like". Period. Rudi's stuff is easy to like. In general, I disparage the whole concept of slavish devotion to so-called "neutrality"; from what I've seen, such gear is dry, cold, analytical, dead, lifeless, and dull. It's lowest-common-denominator audio for the anal-retentive-- "OK nothing offends me or sticks out, so it must be good". Yawn.
Rudi's stuff is ALIVE and VIBRANT. That's not to say I think his gear is "colored"; I can't easily point to any frequency anomolies or other tricks. I can, however, point to the fact that his gear just shuts down that evil audiophile fascist cop in our heads who's always on the beat and ready to arrest any component that steps out of line. He becomes irrelevant, because you are far too busy enjoying yourself to take any notice of his meek protestations to the contrary. Rudi's stuff brings me closer to the music and gives me pure
ENJOYMENT, and even if that's illegal or immoral or just plain "wrong" in terms of Puritan audiophile "dogma" I just don't give a damn. Isn't that what it's all about?
3. Images are rock steady on the RP010. It's not that the RPX-33 is "flickery" or indecisve, it's just that the RP010 has it locked down tight.
4. If you like BIG soundstage, the RP010 is for you. It's even bigger and so much DEEPER than the RPX-33, which is already huge. Seriously, the RP010 makes the RPX-33 sound kinda "rinky-dink".
I never thought I'd say that, but there you go. The RPX-33 seems to shove things together in the middle of the soundstage, where the RP010 just opens up and separates sounds/images into a completely surround-sound presentation.
5. The RP010 maintains all of the benefits of the RPX-33, and adds on to it. There is a STRONG family resemblance between them sonically (what a relief!). The RP010 just delivers even more of what the RPX-33 does so well.
6. The RP010 is every bit as dynamic as the RPX-33, possibly more so. You may recall, I found the RPX-33 to be incredibly adept at PRAT, proving itself to be a very very powerful unit, with astonishing bass response. Here's the thing: these units come with two headphone jacks-- one offers HIGH gain, the other LOW gain. So, if you have a stubborn, power-hungry headphone with a demanding load, you can use the HIGH jack. My Sony R10 is very very sensitive. But I found that on the RPX-33 I needed to use the HIGH gain jack. On the RP010, the HIGH gain jack is way way way too much. There is an audible very low-level hiss through my R10s from this jack, it peers so sharply into the innards of the RP010. So instead, I have my R10s plugged into the LOW jack. The thing is, the volume knob setting on the lower-powered RPX-33 with my headphones in the HIGH gain setting is roughly equal to the same volume level I achieve with my R10s plugged into the LOW gain headphone jack on the RP010.
If you look at the specs on Rudi's site, you can see that the RP010 outputs roughly DOUBLE the power of the already mighty RPX-33. No one can say these amps are under-powered. The result is an ease to the sound, an effortlessness that makes the amp disappear. Yet the sheer power at their disposal makes your headphones kick some serious @ss when needed. The heat sinks on this RP010 must only be for show, as the unit is a cold as a stone, never breaking a sweat, where the RPX-33 gets moderately warm-ish.
7. The Rudi's give you a natural organic, and REAL sound. This amp is all about TONE. It's incredibly REAL and NATURAL. But it's different than the RPX-33. That amp sounds in hindsight a bit "crispy", with the outlines of sounds emphasized. The RP010 is just more refined. The RP010 places a different em-PHA-sis on the sound. It emphasizes the middle of the note, where the RPX-33 emphasizes the leading edge (i.e EM-pha-sis). This gives the RP010 more "body" than the RPX-33 and a meatier sound. But the RPX-33 has the illusion of slightly faster speed but at the expense of a slightly "thinner" sound.
8. Because it's less "crispy" and "sharp", the RP010 might sound slightly less "detailed" than the RPX-33, but that's a bit of an illusion. The RP010 allows small sounds to just happen naturally where they are more spot-lit on the RPX-33. This brings up one of the major differences between the two amps. You've heard the expression, "missed the forest for the trees"? The RP010 is much better at presenting the whole musical gestalt, where the RPX-33 calls out and sharply defines individual elements in the mix. The RP010 is more coherent and "whole" as a result.
9. Cymbals are one of the easiest places to spot differences between the two, and this is one place where I always focus. It's very hard to get cymbals right. The RPX-33 is great in that regard, but the RP010 is just several steps ahead of it. You don't know what you don't know. It's only possible to hear the "faults" in your current gear by hearing something better. I wouldn't have been able to hear it before, but the cymbals on the RP010 are so much more natural and complete and full than they are on the RPX-33 where they sound a bit crispy, spitty, thin and harsh. It's all relative though, as I wouldn't have heard that until it was eliminated.
10. The RP010, even without any break-in, is already taking me to new places unimagined. There is NO background noise. Different recordings sound remarkably different, so you will have to (albeit glady) re-learn all your favorite albums. The RP010 is an extremely sensistive instrument; yet, like the RPX-33, it's incredibly powerful and punchy. Yes, it has BIG b@lls, but doesn't lose a single drop of NUANCE.
When you order an amp as expensive as this, you can't help but be wracked with trepidation. It's not enough for that amp to be merely at the same level as its predecessor, but only slightly *different*. It had bloody well better
out-perform it. So, with some relief, I can happily tell you the RP010 nicely out-performs the mighty RPX-33. *phew*
