[triode12]

OK The Monos are 13K and the RM9SE are 10K. But sonics wise (and I realise the monos are more powerful) - are 300s as good as the RM9SE or better?

[rbwalt]

as a proud owner of a RM9SE i would say it all depends on whether the 300's are based on the SE design or the older MKII design. if the 300's are based on the older design than i would say that the SE is going to be superior. The SE is a whole different animal compared to the tried and true MKII's. i can say this because i had a RM9MKII for some 11 yrs before moving on to the SE. The SE has a 6 tube self balancing driver input section. the output section is bias and balance adjustable.The SE will be able to drive difficult loads with more ease . 2 ohms- 128 W, 4 ohms- 200 W , 8 ohms - 162 W. The new input driver  actually tolerates  grid leakage up to 500 uA. according to roger the SE is the finest amp he has ever built.  i had heard that there was a shoot out between a SE and a RM200 and the SE came out on top.

hope this has been some help. if you would like to see a pic of the SE i can send some to you. good luck!

rob.

[Ericus Rex]

I think the RM300 is based on the RM200 and not the 9.

[rbwalt]

   that could very well be and probably is the case.

[kngale1]

rbwalt, how is SE superior to rm200 in the shootout?   

I wonder if Roger can build a mono version of SE??

With all the craze on Dueland CAST caps ... Roger, do you have any experience with them?  Are they options to your amps?

[rbwalt]

really do not remember . the SE is all hand wired with a much better wire, better caps and resistors and the transformers were wound by roger. now the 200 is a hybrid/ solid state/tube uses circuit boards and i believe really only uses KT88 or 120's. SE can use 88's, 34's, 6550's. Roger only built about 18 or 19 SE's by hand . A cost no object amp. the 200 was and is built to a price point and is dam good for the bucks. now as far as getting roger to use duelands that is going to be a tough one as well as using some top notch wire such as my favorite Cardas and i have mentioned this to him in the past . the reason the Rm200 came to be was that roger wanted a amp tubed or course that could put out the necessary power needed to drive speakers that present a difficult load. ones to have impedance's that drop down to 2 or 3 ohms and yet maintain long life on the output tubes. i guess 300 watts is ok if you need to drive difficult speakers or are doing the HT thing otherwise just over kill( more heat, more tubes). now back to the duelands. i have them in my BAM for my merlins speakers and in the RC networks. bob at merlin loves them in that application but not in the speakers. it is one of those things. what works in one area may not work in another. yes it would be very interesting to get roger to try/ do it. we can only keep our fingers crossed.

R.

ps. i posted some time ago that if anyone in northern va who had a 200 would like to come over and listen to the SE they were more than welcome. just to compare.

[Ericus Rex]

I vaguely remember the question of using other tube types in the RM200 coming up in a Music Reference thread a few years back.  If I remember correcty, while the RM200 was built around the KT88 tube, it could use most (if not all, just can't remember) of the other standard octal power tubes.  Of course, you'd have to rebias.  You'd have to do some major searching to find that post, many of the threads in this circle go off on tangents irrelevant to the topic, though very important nonetheless.  Also, this doesn't necessarily mean that the RM300 could be rolled similarly.  You'd have to contact Roger directly for that answer.

Wow!  SE monoblocks!  You must be made of money!!!!

[rbwalt]

mono version of a SE should be possible. you can do a mono version of a older RM9MKI or II. just connect the two channels  together. will have to check and see if tubes different than the 88's or 120's can be used in a 200. do not think i have read anyone using anything different than what they came with. then again anything is possible. all i can say is that if you are in the market for a amp and can get by with what the SE is capable of putting out and can afford it buy it! roger only has a few left and he is keeping one for himself. if you would like to see what it looks like i can post a pic.

rob.

ps. i do know that roger was charging extra for 200's with transformers wound by him. wires and caps would be a different thing all together because you never know how it is going to end up sounding. all i know is that in high end audio you can't assume anything. just to much of a black art.

[triode12]

Thanks guys.

I use Apogee Ribbon speakers that have impedances 4 Ohms and lower. So would it be correct to assume that the SE would not be suitable for them? And that the 300s would be a better match?

[Roger A. Modjeski]

All my amps have 4 ohm taps and some have lower taps down to 1 ohm on the RM-200 and RM-300. All standard power tubes can be used including the new KT-120. If someone needs more than 300 watts I can get 400 on the RM-300 chassis with 6 KT-120 tubes. The RM-300 allows you to turn off one or two pairs of output tubes for night-time/low level listening. This saves electricity and tubes and heat. We dont need all those watts all the time.

[rbwalt]

this is from roger on the mono's:


the 300 is an all tube, hand wired amp using 6 output tubes and 3 drivers. Balanced inputs and outputs. The driver is like the RM-9 SE and the output stage is like the RM-200.

[kngale1]

Roger,

How do you get 400 instead of 300 watts out of RM300?  Just run the KT120 harder / higher bias?

There not much info including pictures of the RM300 on your website, do you have any pictures and list of available options?