Adam 18- nice system. Rogue and Revel do work very well together. Mark is a very old guy to deal with. I used to have a Tempest II Magnum that developed a fault just before the warranty expired. I contacted Mark- he said send it in whenever. Then I got laid up with a significant medical issue and was out of work 3 month. I needed surgery and couldn't lift the amp! I contacted Mark and he said no problem. Sent the amp in maybe 6 months after warranty expired. Back to my door in a week, good as new, no charge.

You have a very nice Revel dealer in Queensbury- been there and have been impressed. I know he does in home demos - he offered that to me and I'm in the lower Hudson valley, about 3 hrs down.

zavato January 24, 2014 11:52

Hello Schubert and Tjkurita ......
Thanks for your nice comments about my system and "my upstate New York." I live in a beautiful area west of Albany along the Helderberg Escarpment. Mighty pretty country around here, and less than an hour east of Cooperstown. Yes, Lake George is splendid, as are the Adirondacks, Schoharie Valley, and Finger Lakes regions.

adam18 July 25, 2013 20:33

I live in WI along a river 80 east of twin cities, have been all over the USA, Europe and Asia.
My few trips to Upstate NY have convinced that is easily the most beautiful place in the world.
In 60 years of traveling seen nothing to match Adirondacks and Finger Lakes !
Lake George is well known among rich Europeans many of whom think is the finest lake in the world.

schubert July 24, 2013 18:35

Nice system! What part of upstate New York are you in? I am near cooperstown anywhere nearby?

tjkurita July 24, 2013 03:34

Hey Dave ..... Yes... it sounds good. I'm a happy camper !

Hey Glenfihi ..... Thanks for your comments. I started covering the TV with the blanket when I had my Vandersteens, since the side reflections from those speakers were "tamed" by the blanket over the TV. With the Revels and their solid MDF cabinets, these side reflections are not an issue, so I no longer use the blanket. I took these photos before I decided to keep the TV uncovered.

adam18 April 11, 2013 23:15

You're welcome, sounds good!

dave_72 April 09, 2013 02:26

Great space for listening. Rogue gear is solid and a great base.

Do you really find covering the TV makes for a real sonic difference or just a good idea in theory? Happy listening enjoyed reading comments and viewing pictures.

glenfihi April 08, 2013 01:51

Hi Actu.... Thanks for your kind words about my room and system. It is a perfect retreat for listening to beautiful music. The Rotel RCD-1072 really is a tremendous value, and it is one of the most "analog sounding" CD players I have heard within the price range. I enjoy both vinyl and CD listening, and I think it's important to have both analog and digital front ends performing at a level where I can enjoy all my music.

As far as my Rogue, ... it is not the Magnum, so I cannot answer your question. I have rolled out all the original tubes, and I think I have successfully modified the amp to give me a better overall sound of music (of course, to my ears and in my room.) With the thoughtful guidance and advice of Mark O'Brien and Nick at Rogue Audio, I swapped out the five small tubes as follows : an RCA NOS 5814 to replace the Electro-Harmonix 12AU7 gain stage tube, a pair of GE NOS Five Star 5751 "goldpins" to replace the Sovtek 12AX7 input tubes, and a pair of GE NOS 12AU7A's to replace the Electro-Harmonix 12AU7 driver tubes. I then replaced the original Svetlana EL-34's with a wonderfully matched quad of Genelex Gold Lion KT-77's. All these upgraded tubes get along quite nicely, and the sound of music is sublime.

adam18 March 03, 2013 13:07

Adam,
Awesome pad! Looks very cozy and perfect for some late night listening with a few drinks in hand...

I'm all vinyl now, but I still have the Rotel RCD-1072, which was matched with the RA-1060 amp. I have to say the combo gave me a lot of enjoyment for years, before I plunged into tubes and vinyl. Especially the 1072 in my opinion is an incredible performer for the money. Interestingly, I replaced the amp with a Cronus Magnum!, and the sound was terrific - non-fatiguing, liquid, almost an analogue-like, especially with good-sounding CDs. I'm sure your experience is similar.

Regarding the Cronus Magnum, did you look into replacing the KT-90 output tubes with the KT-120? I upgraded to the M-180 monoblocks two yrs ago, and it was a simple swap, but I know you can have the top plate replaced in the Cronus to accommodate the KT-120 for about $100. No other changes are necessary I'm told. However, I would certainly not sweat it; even with KT-90s the Cronus is in my opinion impossible to beat for the price. What a sweet amp. I loved it and was actually sad parting with it.

Congratulations again on an awesome system in an awesome pad.

actusreus February 21, 2013 03:12

Hi Dave 72 and Dpac996 ..... Thanks so very much for your comments. Dpac, the Revels match beautifully with my Rogue Audio tube amp, and the synergy really is quite sublime. Dave, you're right .... the "bang for the buck" is awesome, and the $$$ saved on audio gear allows me to spend more on music, fine wine, and great food. Life is good !

adam18 February 03, 2013 23:48

Cool system. Excellent bang for the buck.

dave_72 February 01, 2013 23:40

Adam,
Nice picks! I was curious about the F12's driven by tubes but you prove its very satisfying. Excellent! For a time I ran my F12's with a 35 wpc integrated to great results. Very sensitive speakers, the mark of a good design. I've had a number of dynaudio models over the years and, in comparison you need a massive beast of an amp to make the dyns sing. I recently upgraded to a brand new dna 125 and it's a wonderful match. I have some updates I want to post when I get time. Keep enjoying your music machine!

dpac996 January 24, 2013 18:34

Hi Jax....... I've been incredibly happy with my Vandersteens for the past 15 years, but I wanted a different presentation, with a deeper more well defined bottom end and greater dynamic range. I auditioned many speakers (Magnepan 1.7, KEF Q900, PSB Imagine T, DeVore Super 8, Martin Logan Vista, Totem Arro/Forest, Revel F-32) and was the most impressed with the Revel F-12. These speakers sound absolutely wonderful with my system in my room, and they are an incredible value. I really had a certain price point in mind, and these Revels, to my ears, sound as good as speakers costing much more, and they exhibit a unique top to bottom balance and all around cohesiveness that I've been looking for. My compliments to you... your system is beautiful, and I'm sure it sounds mighty fine.

adam18 October 12, 2012 00:58

Very nice system. I dig!

I'm curious how you decided on the Revels to replace your vandersteens?

jaxwired October 11, 2012 00:33

Thanks a lot Mitch. Your system seems mighty fine ! Good Luck with your new Pass amps, and keep on enjoying the music !

adam18 October 04, 2012 21:35

.
Verrry nice. Congrats on a well executed system.
.

mitch4t October 01, 2012 08:06

A rainy Saturday in upstate New York. TV on (on mute, obviously) with Ryder Cup golf, college football, and the Yankees game (Thank goodness for remote control.)
CD's ruled the day ... acoustic live Hot Tuna, Boz Scaggs "Dig", Allman Brothers Band "Second Set Live", Joni Mitchell "Miles of Aisles", Frank Sinatra "Live at the Sands", Allison Krauss and Union Station "Live", and Neil Diamond "Home Before Dark". My system is really singing sweet music, and all is good.

adam18 September 30, 2012 00:17

System edited: I changed the category from "Ever evolving" to "Done for now." Except for some possible tube rolling in the future, I'm pretty much done for now. This system makes beautiful music, has been very affordable to build, and puts a gigantic smile on my face and happiness in my mind whenever I power it up and start playing my favorite tunes.

adam18 September 29, 2012 20:01