At the end of the review period, I spent quite a few hours listening to the headphone amp. I used my modest Grado SR-60 cans. I absolutely loved the way the on board amp sounded. To me it was full bodied, with great tube sparkle, a transparent midrange, and lots of drive. It was extremely quiet during soft passages too. Listening to Jai Uttal’s Mondo Rama, showed how much resolution the headphone amp capable of. On the initial drum hits of his cover of the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” I heard the distinct reverb trails on the track’s drum intro more distinctly than I remember. In my estimation, it at least equals some pricey stand alone units. The RP-5 has a very neat feature in that the main outputs are muted when the Mute button on the remote is activated, but not the headphone output.

The RP-5 was a dream to operate and live with for the months it was in the system. I can also report there are more than enough volume steps via the remote control. The volume knob was as smooth as butter, with excellent usable range. The dual variable outputs also came in handy as towards the tail end of my time with the RP-5 I received a JL Audio subwoofer in for review. I was able to simply run interconnects out from the the second output into the sub. I also made use of the fixed output when I connected it to my Revox B77 reel recorder to make a few tape dubs.

Conclusion

The Rogue RP-5, at $3500, is a tremendous value. The tubed components field in that price range is rather crowded, but I believe Rogue has a real class leader here. The sonics are outstanding, and the build quality is off the charts good. What sets the RP-5 apart is the coupling of great sound with a treasure trove of features. A phono input, dual variable outputs, fixed outputs, an excellent headphone amp, a crystal clear LED display, balance control, a mono switch, and remote control make this a “full service” preamplifier in my book.

The RP-5 worked beautifully with all the amplifiers I used with, as detailed above. I found it difficult to find fault with it. Perhaps only side by side auditioning with Rogue’s top models would reveal any comparative shortcomings. As a side note, the RP-5 paired with the previously mentioned Stereo 100 power amp, (which I spent quite a bit of time with previously) would yield, in my estimation, a superb combo which would provide tube lovers a lifetime of great sound for $7000 total.

To put some icing on the cake, Rogue products are made in the U.S.A. and backed by a generous warranty. In fact, Rogue has invested heavily in a new factory they are in the process of building. Their dedication to improving their products, quality control, and offering fairly priced gear is highly commendable. The Rogue RP-5 is a great product, and I would recommend those looking for a keeper of a full function tube preamplifier to audition it.

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