To Hans Wetzel,
Nice job on the review of the Rogue Audio Sphinx, Hans. Your review matches my experience very much, as my system is neutrally balanced and I can hear changes very well. Mark O’Brien, Rogue’s proprietor, has voiced the Rogue very much like the rest of his amps -- neutral. This gives the average guy like me a chance to hear the system as a whole and its balance. Changes can be made easily by substituting tubes. I hear the occasional hot sibilance you heard and found adding a Pangea Audio power cord helped to tame it. I find very little to grumble about other than some control looseness. But the amplifier is solidly built and exudes an old-school American quality I find very pleasing. This is great value for money and I think this would make a great choice to power those new Magnepan Super MMGs!
Yours,
Vic
Thanks for reading, Vic. The Rogue is a really solid piece of equipment. While it’s not totally neutral -- that tube does tend to offset the class-D section somewhat, and the sound is a little rounder than you’d expect from a dead-neutral design -- it’s still terrific for the price. I would imagine that substituting new tubes will void the Rogue’s factory warranty, but it does offer some options going forward. And I’m glad to hear you had success with the Pangea Audio power cord. I’d also agree that the Sphinx would not be a bad choice for the Magenpans, though I am not positive how it would fare pushing a 2-ohm load, which can sometimes happen with panel-type speakers. I’m not sure what load the Super MMGs present, mind you. Regardless, enjoy the Sphinx. It would be my top choice for an integrated under $2000. . . . Hans Wetzel
