2. amps-preamps
  3. 184142-72674

I need impedance help. Rogue RH-5 to Solid State Amp.

I do not understand impedance, but I usually use the 1:10 rule when making a pairing. That has helped me get by in my ignorance.

I am in a situation where it’s a little more complicated. I can’t find much information on the output impedance of the RH-5. It seems like everything I read is about the headphone amplifier output rather than the pre-outs. It also complicates matters with the 3 Gain settings. Maybe that makes no difference?

I am currently using a Cambridge with an input impedance of 33k ohms or a Denafrips at 22k ohms, but I’d love to get an idea of what I’m actually looking for. Although my main amp is a good match with it being a tube amp made by Rogue, I want to find a good solid state amp to have nearby.

I read somewhere that the balanced outputs have a different impedance than the unbalanced.

So, what should I be looking for impedance wise. And does the gain settings change anything? Should I avoid the balanced outputs with a wrong amp pairing?

Thanks to anyone willing to help.

Nick

128x128nickrobotron
avanti1960
1,476 posts
 

I had this preamp and it is super clear and has amazing drive and dynamics.  Specs schmecs.  

my amp at the time had 23k input impedance and sounded fantastic.  

what amps are you considering?   

nickrobotron's avatar
nickrobotron OP
24 posts
 

For a non-tube counterpart, I’ve been looking for something powerful that can handle 4 ohm speakers well. The Parasound A23+ is a contender. It and its big brother, the A21+, measure 33k (unbalanced) and 66k (balanced).

Open to suggestions on balanced amps that can handle the wild specs of the RH-5. I would prefer to use the balanced out if possible, but if the best option is unbalanced, that’s cool.

I know this is a “headphone amp”, but it does really feel like a design flaw to not be able to use the two different preamp outputs without careful system matching and potentially not with the same amp!

nickrobotron's avatar
nickrobotron OP
24 posts
 

Mark at Rogue seemed surprised by the numbers I quoted him from the Stereophile review. He suggested bypassing a capacitor that he put in place to keep from sending DC power to the amp. Haha. So I’m not sure if he’s even confident in the design. I mean, do we sacrifice protection in the circuit so we can use off-the-shelf amps? With so many amplifiers at 20k, it’s strange to me. I do know that I will not be grabbing a soldering iron to bypass a capacitor in a $2500 preamp.

In the end he recommended an amplifier with an input impedance above 50k. Seems like I found that in the Parasound specs.

 

 

nickrobotron's avatar
nickrobotron OP
24 posts
 

I am thoroughly impressed with the sound of these products and really believe in what Rogue is doing, but it’s far from user friendly.

It’s like how all of their unbalanced preamplifiers reverse polarity, but they don’t publish this anywhere. Not in the manual or on their website. You have to call and they say, “You’ll need to swap your polarity on the speaker end.” Umm. You did a really good job of explaining how to plug it into the wall and how to flip a rocker switch, but you left out a very non-intuitive instruction?

Doesn’t help that Stereophile’s measurements don’t align with Rogue’s. With the RP-1, is it just the phono with reverse polarity? Stereophile says yes. Rogue says it’s all the inputs. But only when you really dig.

avanti1960
1,476 posts
 

@nickrobotron 

In that range check out the BelCanto e.One REF501S.  

Balanced connections, 95Kohm impedance but more importantly an ultra smooth midrange and treble that will go together with the RH-5.  The RH-5 is dead on neutral and sounds best with a smoother amplifier.    

I have the Parasound a21+ with a Cary Audio tube preamp and it sounds great but  the a21+ is just a touch too neutral for the RH-5.  

 

https://www.musicdirect.com/equipment/amplification/power-amp/bel-canto-e-one-ref501s-balanced-stereo-power-amplifier/ 

More to discover