[ylee]

I've been seeking a preamp for my main system for a couple months. Looking at the 3 gain settings on my Benchmark AHB-2 amp and the output voltages of my Totaldac d1-twelve SE DAC's buffered and unbuffered outputs with the desire to be able to use both, I decided to order the Rogue Audio RP-7. This tubed, fully balanced preamp offers up to 20db gain with a max output voltage of 30V. This will allow me to use the lowest gain setting on the amp while using the unbuffered output of my DAC. The bias adjustment evidently is easy to set, so some of the work involved with this tubed component is minimized. The output impedance is very low so it should pair reasonably well with most amplifiers. Finally, the price is rather reasonable for high-end audio and Rogue Audio products are well made and receive very positive reviews.

I've never owned a tubed component before, so my curiosity is piqued. While my amp has sweet mid and highs, I'm looking for a little more bloom. I'll post impressions once I've had a chance to listen to it and as the preamp burns in.