Rogue Audio Which Combo???

Rogue Dealer Disclaimer****

So, you are looking at 3 combos (maybe 4) that are really all pretty impressive. I see your what your dilemma is....

A couple of questions to think about-

- Do you mind the small added expense of cables for the amp/preamp combo connection?

- The amp/preamp combos you mention will all be at least $2000 more then the Cronus Mag option, so do you mind the extra $ ?

- You may have mentioned this in another post, but what speakers will you be using?

As much as I love the Cronus and Cronus Mag (sound great one of my most popular sellers), the new Rogue Hybrid amps are killer. I have a Medusa demo here and it's really an all around incredible amp.

The speakers are Soliloquy 5.3 which are both tube and SS friendly and fairly efficient at a rating of 89db. They are a 2.5 way tower design with the woofer and the midrange being fed from the same set of posts.

Goldprintaudio- I see that you are also a Bel Canto dealer. If you were comparing against a Bel Canto Ref150s\Dac 2.5 combo, what would you pair up minimally or choose in the Rogue line to be in your opinion its equal? How about clearly better? (Emphasis on minimally!) Thanks for your help.

Kind of a tough call since both sound very different....

The Metis Mag and Atlas Mag option would put you at essentially the same price point, and is really a good combo.

If you did not mind the extra cost, then I might step up a bit and go for the Metis Mag and new Hydra combo or the standard Perseus and Hydra.

A little more information from me and some choices perhaps..

Thinking about my goal I would like the lower mids to be full and all the usual.. (deep but tight bass, silky mids, shimmering but not brash high’s etc.)

My last amp definitely lacked fullness in the lower mids and as a result saxophones, oboes etc. felt cheated and lacked their lower timbre and throatiness. Brass didn't sound brassy enough, woods woody enough, cellos were thin etc. I definitely want that to not be the case with the new setup I buy.

The combos I think I can afford more reasonably are the following-

1. Tempest III (PS do you make a magnum version of this with the better tubes etc. like the old super magnum upgrade?)
2. Atlas Magnum with a Perseus Magnum
3. Hydra with a Metis Magnum (I have been told that the Perseus is definitely a much better preamp but I would rely on your judgment of course)

I can't quite afford to get to the Perseus Hyrda unfortunately.

I’m not a big fan of speaker hiss so I would want to make sure the pairing I end up with has a very quiet background too.

Would your thoughts be the same or does this change the picture at all?

Hi!
I have a Stereo 90 and Perseus combo. It is a very nice combination. Great sound, no complaints. Overall I am very satisfied. I tried before a Mcintosh tube amp and no comparison, the Mc stuff is way overpriced. Rogue offers better quality and cost. Just my $.002
Dan

I really think you would be quite happy with any of the 3 options.

There is a Super Magnum upgrade on the Tempest which changes several items. Caps, diodes, binding posts, rca jacks, etc.

By going with either option 2 or 3, you would have a little easier capability of changing/swapping units later on down the road (could change preamp/amp instead of whole unit).

Thanks to everyone who responded and Goldprintaudio, you are probably right.. there is likely no wrong choice! I have been hugely impressed with everything I have read about Rogue and the feedback from its owners regarding their service and transparency. That is part of the reason why I settled on brand first this time.