Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum - Worth spending $700+ for Mk.III version?


I see a couple Mk.I or Mk.II units for ~$1,600, but if I want a Mk.III I would have to pay close to $2,500. I understand the Mk.III is significantly updated, with MM/MC phono, better grounding, and more. Can anyone speak to the differences, and say whether or not I should hold out for the Mk.III?

_rossbower

I have a Mk III but I’ve never heard its predecessors. I mean, it sounds really good to me and I think it’s worth spending the extra money for the latest model.

Really all generations on the Cronus are nice, but as you move up, you generally end up with a lower noise floor/background and improved phono stages and headphone amps.  If you don't plan on using either of those (phonostage and headphone amp), then the Gen II tends to be the best buy on the used side in my opinion.
 

@goldprintaudio Is the phono stage better overall, or is it primarily the added features of MC support? I have a medium-output MC cartridge, which can run into an MM stage or an MC stage, and can be loaded anywhere from 47k to 200, so I feel like I could go either way.

MC capability was the main feature, but the stage was supposed to have been improved in general as well.  With that said, I've never really done a back to back with a CMII versus CMIII only using the phonostage to see if you can tell a noticeable difference.
If you don't mind spending the few extra bucks, then I would say certainly the CMIII is best of the generations.

The new IIIs are shipping with KT 88 tubes.  Do NOT get that amp with KT-88s.  

If you can find a nice CM- II with low hour KT-120 tubes go for it.  The CM II is a winner.  

I would somewhat disagree with the above post....I love the CMIII with KT88s, and actually would sometimes run 88s in CMIIIs even when they were shipping with 120s.  I have several customers that run both, and both have their positives.