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Overall Performance Well Beyond the Original
Rogue Audio's RP-5 was the first preamplifier based on Rogue's groundbreaking new RP-X platform. Now the RP-5 v2 builds upon that award winning heritage with world-class technology borrowed from Rogue Audio's RP-7, RP-9, RH-5, and Triton II. The new RP-5 v2 improves both sound quality and overall performance well beyond that of the original.
The new volume control circuit has the same refinement as the RP-7 and RP-9 volume control with 0.5dB steps for more precise control and a lower noise floor.
The headphone circuit incorporates technology from the RH-5, and with both improved sound and power, it will get the best performance from even the most difficult to drive headphones.
"Music Reproduced Accurately and Beautifully"
In a glowing review of the original model RP-5, Audio Video Revolution sums it up by saying, "What sets the RP-5 apart is the coupling of great sound with a treasure trove of features."
"Rogue Audio's RP-5 surprised me. It did not have the fat, warm sound associated with vacuum tubes," reports Erich Wetzel at soundstagenetwork.com. "It exhibited no strong sonic signature of its own, which impressed me from the outset. I found it a fundamentally neutral and wonderfully musical preamplifier that would easily be at home in an all-tube system, or one in which it's mated to solid-state gear."
New High Performance Phono Preamp
The phono stage in the RP-5 v2 is now directly derived from Rogue Audio's Triton II dedicated phono preamp. This phono circuit is quieter, better sounding, and has higher gain than its predecessor. With four different user adjustable levels of gain ranging from 43dB to 65dB you can easily accommodate virtually any cartridge. A wide variety of loading options means your favorite cartridge can be precisely configured to sound its very best.
You can adjust phono stage settings to precisely match your cartridge by configuring the small blue DIP switches on the circuit board. See the manual for instructions. The until comes from the factory adjusted for a standard moving magnet cartridge, so you probably don’t have to make any adjustments unless you are using a moving coil cartridge.
More Upgraded Features
Other features include a home theater bypass, processor loop, and mono function. The ten button remote allows you to conveniently access volume, balance, selector, mute, mono and on/off from your listening position.
The display of the RP-5 v2 has also been upgraded to an easy-to-read and defeatable OLED display with improved contrast. The soft blue display provides volume, balance, and source information in large easy to read characters.
The Best of 'Old School' Design Meets State-of-the-Art
The RP-5 v2 is the perfect mix of the very best old-school design and state-of-the-art technology. On the old-school side, four 12AU7 tubes in a mu-follower configuration use a high-gain, low-output impedance inverting stage with low noise and very low distortion. For state-of-the-art performance, the tube circuitry is computer-optimized and microprocessor controlled for extreme accuracy, ultra-quiet operation, and long-term reliability.
The result is an exquisite piece of hi-fi gear that brings you the very best aspects of vacuum tube and solid state components. You get the special warmth and almost indescribable true-to-life vividness of all-tube stereo gear along with the punch, response, and reliability of solid state stereo gear.
"What High End is All About"
"With a nod to the past and footers firmly planted in the now, the RP-5 is a component that should tempt a lot of people to go Rogue," notes Neil Gader in The Absolute Sound magazine, which awarded the original model RP-5 its coveted Editors' Choice Award. "A reasonably priced, high-performance preamp like the RP-5 is a prime example of what the high end is all about – music reproduced accurately and beautifully."
The large and entirely linear power supply contributes to the accuracy and beauty. For the best possible sound quality, there are no op-amps in its signal path.
Friendly User Interface
The user interface is as well thought out as the RP-5 v2's sonic excellence. The bright front-panel VFD display provides volume, balance, and source info in large, readable characters. The volume control is a stepped-attenuator with 60 steps in 1dB increments.
Adjusting balance over 66 steps is as easy as giving the knob a spin, but Rogue has also added a return button beneath the balance knob that when pushed will automatically rebalance the two channels. This is a fabulous idea which is seldom seen in preamps.
A slow start feature allows the tubes to warm up gradually to eliminate turn-on noise and greatly extend tube life. It also offers automatic muting when powering on or off.
Connections Are Everything
The RP-5 v2 provides plenty of connections for your AV system. These include five pairs of inputs (Line 1-4 + Phono, or Line 1-5), two pairs of variable outputs, one pair of fixed outputs, a processor loop, and home theater bypass/unit gain inputs. All connections use heavy duty gold plated RCA jacks.
Designed and Built in the USA
The RP-5 v2 is entirely designed and hand built in the USA. Each unit is individually fully tested, burned-in, and auditioned, assuring you of great sound right out of the box. It comes with a three-year manufacturer's limited warranty from Rogue Audio (six months on the tubes). A high quality detachable IEC AC power cord is included, providing an easy upgrade path should you decided to later upgrade to an ultra high-end AC cable.
The handsome machined aluminum faceplate is available in either black or silver to complement the rest of your components.
"You Got Yourself One Amazing Preamplifier"
"Although I have heard nearly all the Rogue preamps, the RP-5 quickly became one of my favorites," raves John Gatski at Everything Audio Network. "In fact, because of its smooth transparency, I began to rely on it for all kinds of reference listening. It is that good. If you just consider the audiophile caliber of the line stage, the Rogue is a stellar performer and a good value. But if you throw in the separate's-quality phono and HP circuits, you got yourself one amazing preamplifier."
