Rogue Audio, one of the new generation of tube design houses, gets some love from Positive Feedback. Where Manley is all about Harley Davidson, Rogue's Mark O'Brien is a superbike racer. What's up with tubes and motorcycles? The Zu guys are dirt bike fans, so there must be something going on...

In any case, you're looking at the $2695 Tempest II integrated, the mid priced product with the $1795 Cronus integrated taking the entry level slot. KT-88 tubes are hidden in the chassis for 90 big watts. So what makes Rogue Rogue?

This amp is clearly a tube amp, sounds like a tube amp, does all the tube amp things that people who like tube amps want. However, it sounds thoroughly modern in that there is no "warmth" about it (whatever that means, but tube amps are always being accused of sounding "warm"). It does not roll off the top end, fatten up the bottom end or obscure details, or do any of the negative things that tube amps can do if poorly designed. From that standpoint, this amp might help non-tube-amp people to understand why tubes are still so prevalent in high quality audio today.

Read the review for more and hit up their site for all their goods. If the word on the street is anything to go by, these amps rock and should get a world of press in the future. Interestingly, there seems to be a definite trend towards tube gear that doesn't really sound like tubes and solid state gear that doesn't sound like solid state. Of course, then there's the pseudo class-D boys that are said to sound like both tubes and solid state at the same time. Everyone confused?