Rogue Audio. Reliability issues? Anyone?


I recently have been loving an Atlas Magnum power amplifier. I had a tube go bad, a fuse blow, and now red-plating. All of this could be related. But I am trying to decide if I want to pay shipping both ways ($90 each way), pay Rogue’s $175 bench fee (minimum) and then spend ungodly amounts on tubes that are hard to find.

I have friends, two to be exact, inform me that Rogue is notorious for this crap and their amplifiers are money pits. Is this normal tube stuff? Should I go for it or cut my losses and buy something else. I really love the way it sounds amd I really want to love Rogue. 

128x128nickrobotron

Showing 2 responses by wolf_garcia

For the record (is there a record?) I've owned both tube and SS gear for a long time and although there have surprisingly few issues with either one, I can easily say that tube gear has been more reliable by far, and to say otherwise is blasphemy...or something...or you're not me maybe...

I stuck a set of 4 NOS matched GE 6SN7GTB tubes in my original version Schiit Freya preamp (note that it’s the model that keeps the tubes on when you switch to one of the two "passive modes" which I only do to hear if the tubes are working properly, a handy feature) and they’ve worked perfectly and haven’t required replacement for maybe 4 years or more. I have unused original box GE replacements for them that sound exactly the same that are waiting in the wings for their big moment, along with Sylvania "chrome domes," new Tung Sols, whatever the original Russian tubes are that the thing shipped with, a few Amperex, etc. Part of the reason is my Dennis Had Firebottle SEP power amp also uses a single 6SN7GTB so I’ve collected a pile of ’em, even though I now mostly use the brilliant Pass XA-25 amp (I do swap in the Had amp from time to time when I feel it needs to get off the shelf, and it always sounds fabulous). Also I have a couple of cool all tube guitar amps (one is tube rectified and single ended) and I pretty much don't even think about their tubes...they simply work.