A quick scan shows that Rogue Audio has been prominent in Stereophile. The magazine has reviewed quite a few Rogue Audio products, including the RP1 preamplifier, the several versions of the Sphinx integrated, the Pharaoh II integrated, and the Stereo 100 power amplifier. Indeed, Rogue has had a a near-continuous presence over the past decade on Stereophile's coveted "Recommended Components" list. That's an impressive track record, and accessibly priced tube gear has been Herb Reichert's forté.
As a new Stereophile reviewer, that led me to a moment of panic: What if I get it wrong? Then I thought of something I read in this very magazine: Don't think about the sound. Focus instead on how the review component impacts the music. And so I shall.
About the DragoN
The DragoN monoblock is the latest amplifier from Rogue Audio's Mark O'Brien. The DragoN is a hybrid of tubes and class-D, using Hypex's class-D NCore module in the output stage. Hence the big N in the name of the product.
Rogue Audio calls this its "proprietary tubeD circuit." Rogue says the DragoN combines power, musicality, and finesse for "dynamics and transparency without any of the edgy, etched, or grainy sound that often accompanies solid state designs." That you can read on the web, on the product description page. I asked Rogue General Manager Nick Fitzsimmons to expand on the concepts and design choices that make the DragoN monoblock different from Rogue's other amplifiers.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Louis in London
No jazz-centric visit to New York City is complete without a trek out to Queens. At 46th Street in Sunnyside stands the apartment building where famed cornetist Leon Bismark \"Bix\" Beiderbecke's alcoholism finally killed him in 1931.
Believing in bricks and mortar
North Carolina hi-fi dealer Audio Advice has been busy lately.
Musical Fidelity AI
In 1989, I bought my second pair of Rogers LS3/5a's from a guy on Staten Island who had them hooked up to a Musical Fidelity AI integrated amplifier.
Burmester 218
As much as I tinkered with a little crystal radio as a child and started reading stereo magazines in high school, it wasn't until my early 30s that I half-stumbled into the higher end of the hi-fi sphere.
Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Signature
The \"Bowers\" in the name of British manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) refers to founder John Bowers, whom I got to know fairly well before he passed in 1987.
Hegel H400
STREAMING INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle
How many times have you been told by parents and teachers that everything successful must be built on a strong foundation?
RECOMMENDED RC2024 COMPONENTS
Every product listed here has been reviewed in Stereophile. Everything on the list, regardless of rating, is genuinely recommendable.
Paging Dr. Löfgren
It started one evening when I was killing time watching YouTube videos and stumbled across a 2017 talk given by Jonathan Carr, Lyra's brilliant cartridge designer.'
Music among the Fairchildren
Pull down the shades, find a comfortable seat, and come with me on an imaginary journey to the year 1956. The Eisenhower-Nixon ticket wins reelection, the United Methodist Church begins to ordain women, and a can of Campbell's tomato soup costs 10 cents.
