Post by sidvicious on Nov 2, 2013 15:23:44 GMT -5
It has been a long time since I have posted due to my work schedule but I came across a set of Rogue Audio Magnum M-120's, tube amplifiers last week Thursday that I traded in my Rega P3-24 modified with some cash and I have been comparing them to my Emotiva XPA-2.
The XPA-2: as we all know, big, heavy (75 pounds), powerful and a overall solid state beast. Very powerful bass, good treble and midrange and just a very well balanced power-amp top to bottom, which I still have and enjoy.
The M-120's: are big, heavy (55 pounds) and believe it or not a powerful tube amplifier. I have tried the amps in both triode mode and ultra linear mode. Triode mode cuts the power the from 120 watts in ultra liner to 60 watts in triode. Triode mode seems to focus the bass, mids and treble and slightly expands the soundstage. The tubes are KT88x4, 12AU7x2 and 12AX7 in each unit, I have done no tube rolling yet. The difference between Ultralinear mode and Triode mode is lower distortion in Triode mode and less power to do it. I did a lot of switching between the two modes, I really like Triode mode.
Equipment used: pre-amp Belles 20-A (All Tube) Music hall MMF-9.1, Musical Surroundings Nova-Phono pre-amp (changed to green Battery Mode), Musical Fidelity V-link 192, Emotiva ERC-2, XDA-1, Emotiva Ultra 10's (Dual) and of course the Emotiva XPA-2 and the M-120's.
Music listened: to Eddie Harris "Sings the Blues", George Duke "Feel it", Ralph Towner "Old Friends, New Friends", McCoy Tyner "Super Trios", Cameo "Strange" and Esperanza Spaulding "Radio".
Results: The XPA-2 sounded very good, with excellent bass response and balance mids and treble.
The M-120's surprised the hell out of me because they are not, I repeat not, not, a typical tube amplifier. Do they get hot, hell yes, they can be space heaters if I did have a ceiling fan in the room. They gave up absolutely nothing in bass response to the XPA-2 and when I say nothing, I mean nothing, I just switched the amps out and made no changes to the volume control on the pre-amp or the subs.
They don't have the typical tube lushness, but the mids and top-end are nicer than the XPA-2. When I say nicer, I mean voices sound up-front and center, channel separation of instruments is both clearer and more focused and this is at a lower volume with Triode mode and very good at Ultra liner mode. Cymbals have that attack and shimmer that is often hard to produce. I have the later model M-120's that have both the Triode/Ultra linear button and Ground Lift mode buttons on the back of the unit as opposed to the older units that had both buttons on the inside, requiring you to remove tubes and unscrew panels on the unit.
On George Duke "Feel it" on the first side the first song starts off very slow with keyboards and there is a drum attack and I mean attack and the M120's handled the attack and decay like the drummer was in the room. The XPA-2 did good but the attack of the drum beat wasn't as fast. I never would have thought 120 watts, when I used Ultra linear Mode could sound so loud and full. Now mind you, it's not Emotiva XPA-2, 250/500. The 60 watts is very good, but at a lower volume. Tubes amplifiers are different than solid state, when they clip the dynamic range, just collapses, it's something you have to experience, but once you do, you know when you have went to far.
The myth of the longer tubes warm up the better they sound, its not a myth, it's true the longer I had them run from 4:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the better the amps sounded. With the Emotiva I never noticed this, it sounded the same from the time I turned it on to the time I turned it off. You can listen to these amps all day and not get fatigued, when you realize it, it's time to turn the record over to the other side and you are sad at the end of the second side that the experience is over and you want to play the record again and again. Most listening was with Vinyl, but when I switched to digital from my computer, it was still a treat, High Resolution files sounded great (Music Fidelity V-link 192 through the XDA-1 (WMA-Hi Resolution rips) and I went onto a high resolution site and HD Tracks and listen to sample files. These amps had my system sounding the same as a couple of high-end audio stores I've been in.
Will I get rid of my XPA-2, I have no plans to do it right now, it's a great amp, but the M-120's are better with more detail being revealed. The XPA-2 does have more power. What I learned a well engineered tube amp can hang with a solid state and even beat it in sound quality and that 120 watts or even 60 watts is a lot of power if done right. This amp is upgradeable from rogue to a M150, which is 150/75 watts or possible a M180/90, which includes a better power supply and better components and less heat, a $1600 to $2100 upgrade, yikes!!! This experiment is something I have always wanted to try and the time and money were right. This isn't one of those 10-35 watt tube amps with no bass. I will be moving the amps to the basement and hooking up both the XPA-2 and M-120's to the Emotiva ERT-8.3, to try and yes I know about the possibility of volume matching issues.
Ever review you will see on these amps M-120's is positive and well deserved. I know some might think tube amps are a novelty, but honestly if any of you have never heard a good one, you owe it to yourself, to go and listen to one and I'm told other Rogue Audio Amplifiers have balls, I mean bass. Newer tube amps including the newer versions of this one, produce far less heat and it is sometimes dependent on the tubes being used. When Emotiva does tubes, and if they do them right, like I believe Big Dan will do, watch out.
The XPA-2: as we all know, big, heavy (75 pounds), powerful and a overall solid state beast. Very powerful bass, good treble and midrange and just a very well balanced power-amp top to bottom, which I still have and enjoy.
The M-120's: are big, heavy (55 pounds) and believe it or not a powerful tube amplifier. I have tried the amps in both triode mode and ultra linear mode. Triode mode cuts the power the from 120 watts in ultra liner to 60 watts in triode. Triode mode seems to focus the bass, mids and treble and slightly expands the soundstage. The tubes are KT88x4, 12AU7x2 and 12AX7 in each unit, I have done no tube rolling yet. The difference between Ultralinear mode and Triode mode is lower distortion in Triode mode and less power to do it. I did a lot of switching between the two modes, I really like Triode mode.
Equipment used: pre-amp Belles 20-A (All Tube) Music hall MMF-9.1, Musical Surroundings Nova-Phono pre-amp (changed to green Battery Mode), Musical Fidelity V-link 192, Emotiva ERC-2, XDA-1, Emotiva Ultra 10's (Dual) and of course the Emotiva XPA-2 and the M-120's.
Music listened: to Eddie Harris "Sings the Blues", George Duke "Feel it", Ralph Towner "Old Friends, New Friends", McCoy Tyner "Super Trios", Cameo "Strange" and Esperanza Spaulding "Radio".
Results: The XPA-2 sounded very good, with excellent bass response and balance mids and treble.
The M-120's surprised the hell out of me because they are not, I repeat not, not, a typical tube amplifier. Do they get hot, hell yes, they can be space heaters if I did have a ceiling fan in the room. They gave up absolutely nothing in bass response to the XPA-2 and when I say nothing, I mean nothing, I just switched the amps out and made no changes to the volume control on the pre-amp or the subs.
They don't have the typical tube lushness, but the mids and top-end are nicer than the XPA-2. When I say nicer, I mean voices sound up-front and center, channel separation of instruments is both clearer and more focused and this is at a lower volume with Triode mode and very good at Ultra liner mode. Cymbals have that attack and shimmer that is often hard to produce. I have the later model M-120's that have both the Triode/Ultra linear button and Ground Lift mode buttons on the back of the unit as opposed to the older units that had both buttons on the inside, requiring you to remove tubes and unscrew panels on the unit.
On George Duke "Feel it" on the first side the first song starts off very slow with keyboards and there is a drum attack and I mean attack and the M120's handled the attack and decay like the drummer was in the room. The XPA-2 did good but the attack of the drum beat wasn't as fast. I never would have thought 120 watts, when I used Ultra linear Mode could sound so loud and full. Now mind you, it's not Emotiva XPA-2, 250/500. The 60 watts is very good, but at a lower volume. Tubes amplifiers are different than solid state, when they clip the dynamic range, just collapses, it's something you have to experience, but once you do, you know when you have went to far.
The myth of the longer tubes warm up the better they sound, its not a myth, it's true the longer I had them run from 4:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the better the amps sounded. With the Emotiva I never noticed this, it sounded the same from the time I turned it on to the time I turned it off. You can listen to these amps all day and not get fatigued, when you realize it, it's time to turn the record over to the other side and you are sad at the end of the second side that the experience is over and you want to play the record again and again. Most listening was with Vinyl, but when I switched to digital from my computer, it was still a treat, High Resolution files sounded great (Music Fidelity V-link 192 through the XDA-1 (WMA-Hi Resolution rips) and I went onto a high resolution site and HD Tracks and listen to sample files. These amps had my system sounding the same as a couple of high-end audio stores I've been in.
Will I get rid of my XPA-2, I have no plans to do it right now, it's a great amp, but the M-120's are better with more detail being revealed. The XPA-2 does have more power. What I learned a well engineered tube amp can hang with a solid state and even beat it in sound quality and that 120 watts or even 60 watts is a lot of power if done right. This amp is upgradeable from rogue to a M150, which is 150/75 watts or possible a M180/90, which includes a better power supply and better components and less heat, a $1600 to $2100 upgrade, yikes!!! This experiment is something I have always wanted to try and the time and money were right. This isn't one of those 10-35 watt tube amps with no bass. I will be moving the amps to the basement and hooking up both the XPA-2 and M-120's to the Emotiva ERT-8.3, to try and yes I know about the possibility of volume matching issues.
Ever review you will see on these amps M-120's is positive and well deserved. I know some might think tube amps are a novelty, but honestly if any of you have never heard a good one, you owe it to yourself, to go and listen to one and I'm told other Rogue Audio Amplifiers have balls, I mean bass. Newer tube amps including the newer versions of this one, produce far less heat and it is sometimes dependent on the tubes being used. When Emotiva does tubes, and if they do them right, like I believe Big Dan will do, watch out.