Rogers E20a Integrated Tube Amplifier Now Available in Canada
The new Rogers E20a II integrated tube amplifier has been a long time in the making. The pandemic created a number of challenges in 2020, including supply chain shortages which made the introduction of many new products throughout the hifi industry impossible to complete.
The Rogers brand is certainly familiar with adversity and managed to re-introduce the latest BBC licensed LS3/5a and LS5/9 in 2019 to much accolade around the world. The truly superb, British hand made hifi products won over the hearts of old and new customers alike, securing a successful and much deserved come back...again. That leads us to the new Rogers integrated amplifier.
ROGERS E20a II
As with the original Rogers amplifiers, the company has chosen iconic British brand Audio Note to build the latest version integrated marked E20a II. This is a 6L6 design which for many has become the standard for high performance tube amplification. The panel of controls from the original have been removed for a more streamlined look and now include the more practical input selection and volume. A remote has been added for volume control and the amplifier is available in two versions, one with MM phono and one without.
Internals have been upgraded and improved using extremely high quality and modern components, all hand soldered in a point to point process. The aluminum chassis and a custom anodized tube cover deliver both good looks and a level of performance expected from products of this calibre. Reference grade RCA and speaker terminals round out the inputs and speaker connections.
Andy Whittle, the Managing Director of Rogers UK has this to say about the new amplifier:
"We went back to AudioNote and asked them to upgrade the original design. They specified larger, better quality output transformers and re-aligned the circuit accordingly. The old ribbon cable was removed and replaced with Mogami LCOFC screened cable, as used in AudioNote products. Higher quality phono sockets were fitted and the speaker terminals upgraded to silver plated versions.
The chassis was changed from steel to aluminium, which sounds much better and is non magnetic. The chassis is burnished and then anodized to give a lifetime finish. To improve the styling we have added an 18mm thick front panel and removed the balance, tape loop knobs and added a remote feature...
The output valves are the same as before i.e. 6L6's as are the phase splitter and anode follower, 2 x 6SN7 and 1 x 12AX7 respectively..the main PCB is made by AudioNote production facility. The phono board and components are sourced from AudioNote UK. Mains trans former and output transformers are all hand made and assembled here in UK."