Rogue Audio RP-9 Preamp

[ylee]

Rogue Audio recently released the RP-9 preamp, which uses four 6H30P tubes from Russia. Apparently the basic architecture is similar to the RP-7 that contains four 12AU7 tubes, which I enjoyed very much over a year and a half period. In exchanging a couple emails with the firm's founder Mark O'Brien, I decided to do the RP-7 to RP-9 upgrade for $3k. I just got the upgraded unit back today after a 2 week turnaround from the day I dropped off the previous preamp at a UPS store.

Immediate impressions so far is that soundstaging is considerably more 3 dimensional with individual instruments easier to follow as a result. Given it's fresh from the factory with new board and tubes, it's going to take a while to burn in, so it hasn't assumed the full-blooded saturated tone the RP-7 had after that unit had burned in. If the RP-7 was any indication, the RP-9 will take better part of six months to burn in at the rate I listen to my system these days with international travel and family to spend time with. I'll post impressions in a few months once the preamp has settled in.