Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III

If you get the Cronus make sure to get some respectable tubes. I use Gold Lion (Reissue) as power tubes and NOS Sylvania Jan tubes in pre-amp section. I think with many brands, one can always increase the performance and sound with better tubes. I think most audiophiles would agree that different amp topologies and designs will give a distinct sound signature. I have been drawn to tubes upon listening to my first tube amps. That is why I have two integrated tubes amps in two separate systems. A tube phono preamp in another and a tube line stage preamp in a fourth system.

Current Cronus Magnum 2 owner here. Absolutely love it. Powerful and transparent and neutral warm. Unless I have Financial needs, I can't see myself ever really selling this. I'm using Sophia Electric kt88 and electro-harmonics kt88. The Magnum 2 and the Magnum 3 are beautiful amps for an amazing price.

Bought a CM3 for an older friend on Kauai 5 years ago. At 84 she still listens almost daily as background music. I was over there a few weeks ago and listening thru her Gallo 3.1 speakers. She is still happy with the amp and I am asking myself why I never got one for myself (especially after getting a Hegel H120 and being unexcited by it). We had one issue with it a few years ago and emailed Rogue on a weekend hoping to get an answer I could address before leaving 5 days later, which I stated in the email. 4 hours later they had searched out her location and called on the phone on a Saturday. DAMN good service. Guy talked me thru some diagnosis and it turned out just to be a tube that got jarred when she was digging around behind her rack...she is an active 80+er. Reseated it and the amp was good to go. I have not heard the Magnum or Dark versions but I would not hesitate to recommend this amp and company. I went with Hegel after LOTS of pro talk on forums and in retrospect should have just gone with something I had already heard. 

Current owner CM3. It’s awesome. I built my system around this amp as I wanted an integrated tube amp under 5k. Primarily used for vinyl I used the integrated phono stage for a while but then added a luxman phono stage when I upgraded to a Hana mc cartridge. I’ve also rolled the center 12au7 tube to a nos smoothplate telefunken and both 12ax7 to smoothplate telefunken. I feel like the system still has tube warmth but feel the soundstage improvement. Not lean more crisp and punchy.  Bass is tight.  I drive golden ear t66. Again looked for speakers that punched above their price point. I’ve spoken to rogue audio about tube suggestions and I now plan to upgrade to dark version.  And this I believe is the biggest benefit of this amp. You can build slowly enjoy it while you decide your next rabbit hole to jump into.