Just ordered one of these for a second system and have been listening to it since Wednesday. My first tube speaker amp. Currently using it on a pair of Manepan LRS and it is driving them easily. Sounds excellent. Absolutely loving this amp! The phono stage is much better than I expected. Not sure if I will ever feel the need for an external phono stage. Quiet as a Hegel V10. Plan to go through the trouble of carrying my Spatial M3 Sapphires down a flight of stairs so I can hear them on this amp. Love the build quality and the looks of this amp. Like a work of art. I got the black face plate . By the way, mine did not come with KT120s but rather KT88s. KT120s are too hard to come by for now. All the tubes are JJ and they sound wonderful. Will listen for while before trying any tube rolling. Also I followed the manual and changed the transformer taps from 8ohm to 4ohms and it was really pretty easy. Just make sure you have a 1/2" wrench (not metric).
I have a similar story as yours. CM3 on LRS Maggies and it sounds wonderful! I was nervous about switching the tap to 4ohm but it took longer to unscrew the chassis then switch wires so no biggie. Mine came with the KT120s but I want to try KT88s and maybe save the 120s since they're harder to get. I say that but ultimately it depends on the sound.
One thing to note, if you have a previous generation Cronus Magnum, Rogue Audio will update it to the III (3) for around $1200. They replace almost everything and retain the power supply and chassis. I did this and the sonic differences were well worth the cost.
Thanks for your constructive review of the CMII. I just purchased a used CMII and I am smitten by its performance. While OK with the tubes supplied, I opted to roll in better 12AU7 and 12AX7s that transformed the amp's presentation of music. Increased clarity, definition (especially in the lower ranges), depth, soundstage, and imaging without losing the punch provided by the KT120 draws me into long listening sessions on a regular basis. I've been tempted to take advantage of Rogue's upgrade offer, but I cannot bring myself to do it. Wow, what an integrated!!!
@@edwincruz4002 Sorry i missed your reply. You have to try for yourself. All ears systems environments are different. Although i can highly recommend the Mazda 6189 3mica chrome plate for preamp tube. We currently use our Cronus as a mid-bass amp. Using 1950`s bugleboy and rare GEC A2900 long black plate in the other positions. However the supplied JJ tubes do a pretty decent job if you are not too fussy.
WOW... Matt Andersen!!! that was one heck of a moving track, loved it, Thanks for that one! ...tube pre, solid power ...all day everyday ;-P (...I run a Prima luna into a Classé)
Great amp, but I bought the Willsenton R8 with KT88s for $1250 and swapped the front end to vintage nos 1950s Sylvania GTB tubes. Maybe not a Cronus but damn it sounds fantastic to this old audiophile !
I had one of these a few years ago. Solid-state gear is far more consistent, ballsy and has none of the niggles of tubes. That said, in my experience no matter how much money u throw at solid state, it will never have the soul and magic of tubes. Would love to get another Rogue, hopefully one day soon. Solid state for the summer. Tubes in the winter. Cheers from Toronto 🍻
I have the original Cronus. I'll have to figure out if I should send mine back for an update. The triode/ultralinear switch sounds like it might be an interesting option to have.
Would you be kind enough to share what the rest of your system consists of? Rogue RP-9 preamp and Rogue phono stage? Thanks. I have been a bit obsessed with those monos for many years; what else did you audition before choosing them? Thanks!
I have a CMIII and they take well to changing out the smaller tubes for some NOS tubes from Amperex or Telefunken, etc. The center 12AU7 is the best one to start with.
Hello. You mentioned that the Rouge Audio,, while possibly slightly tipped on the high end, was ultimately a non-fatiguing listen, I have minimal experience with tubes, but I was under the impression they were characteristically "sweeter" on the top end. Just looking for some thoughts on this
I had many mcintosh systems and this CMIII my first Rogue boooo Im surprised by the power and quality in 1 single chassis! it's a killer ! they need 1 central 12AU7 NOS and good powercord > another level
I really hope some day soon you will review their Stereo 100 which, at a retail of $3,995 appears to be quite the value; more importantly on their site they say not to sit on their laurels their is an upgraded version called Stereo 100 “Dark” at $4,995. I would be very grateful if you acquired both for comparison to share the differences you hear. Thank you in advance for your attention & consideration of this idea.
Here's my thanks for letting us in on Matt Anderson. Oh, and thanks, of course, for ten years of fun and for encouraging me to lighten my wallet by a rather large amount...
Not to take away from the Rogue Audio gear (which I've never heard in person), but have you ever been able to listen to an old 1963 75lb Fisher SA1000 power amp with 8417 power tubes? I lucky enough to have one and I think it really sounds good, but no discriminating experts have ever heard mine (new coupling caps, new power supply caps, and new resistors).
Good morning Ron, I just attented the capital audio fest and wanted to let you know there is a new upgraded package offer the the cronus mag 3 . Cronus dark. $1395 for existing owner and only $1000 more then the mag 3 when bought new.
@@Newrecordday2013 i would of put the color photo of the flyer of what the upgrade comes with in the comments but i don’t know how to put photo on youtube comments. the unit sounded great at the show
I have the Cronus III and it is a great amp. I also have a Leben CS300XS that has more mid and top end clarity/glow. The Leben lacks a little in the low end relative to the Cronus III though. I go back and forth between which sound I prefer. It really depends on the genre or the specific recording. I like the Cronus III with rock and larger orchestral music, and perhaps even male and female vocals. I find the weightiness of the Cronus really makes vocals shine. The Leben on the other hand really shines with jazz and with any smaller acoustic ensembles, from classical to bluegrass. I guess you can't have it all with any one amp. I'm curious how the Cronus III compares to the Audio Hungary Qualiton A20i. It would be great if you could draw some comparisons as you work through your review of the Cronus.
"Leben CS300XS that has more mid and top end clarity/glow" " guess you can't have it all with any one amp" Try more tube rolling and you might be surprised!
I took your advice listen to Coal Miner Blues excellent. I listen to cheapaudioman recently and he did not like integrated amps found them to locked in and not always versital enought. Maybe you should suggest this to him.
Have always loved tube guitar amps but had never had tubes in my system until a few years ago when I got a 2 watt SET and high efficiency no crossover speakers. Sorry I waited so long! Curious about a second system with a push pull amp. Great video.
Ok so here's the question for you based on a Rega Planar 3 into Klipsch RP-6000F ii floor speakers: on one hand the Schiit Freya+, with a pair of Aegirs *OR* the Cronos Magnum III?? What say you, reviewer?
Hi bro, congrats for grates reviews!!!! I want to ask you, what you think about tha first general of Cronus magnum for a sonus faber venere 3.0 90dB of sensitive in 2023, thank for the answer!!
It's a $1000 price gap but... Is this amp worth it over the Burson Timekeeper 3iR ($2500) powering something like the Zu DW6 or Tekton Uruz/Lore in a small to medium room? And yes, would eventually use the headphone out!
Ron:great review 😊😊. Given the sonic differences between tubes and IC amps, could you please share what speakers you found tonally improved from listening with the IC’s? I am particularly curious about differences between the Rouge and your Hegel H390. Thanks.
Cmon NRD, you gotta show more b-roll while you talk about this amp for two hours. Love your channel but don't wanna see your mug the whole time. Cmon, you gotta sell this to us with sexy footage and not you
The more I make videos the less important I feel b-roll is. I’m also not here to “sell” you anything. There are plenty of others channels that exceed at that.
The Rogue is more of a modern tube sound compared with Cary but I only have experience with older, lower wattage Cary tube gear. Both are great, just depends what type of sound you're looking for.
I cheaped out and bought the Willsenton R8 amplifier two years ago. Have any of you listened to both of these with the same speakers to form an opinion on which is obviously better? I've been happy with the Willsenton, but I exist at a much lower level on the financial pecking order than Ron's setups. I've only listened to the Chronus Magnum III at the local dealer who had them hooked to a pair of new JBL L100s and insisted I listen to The Eagles. So, I wasn't that impressed with it, but I'm more curious what it sounds like through something like Klipsch Cornwalls or JBLs with horns.
I think I liked you better back then when you weren't yelling at the screen and were more calm... But, I guess this is your schtick... I mainly wanted to know about the Cronus Magnum III. Oh well, success in all your varied business ventures!
Just ordered one of these for a second system and have been listening to it since Wednesday. My first tube speaker amp. Currently using it on a pair of Manepan LRS and it is driving them easily. Sounds excellent. Absolutely loving this amp! The phono stage is much better than I expected. Not sure if I will ever feel the need for an external phono stage. Quiet as a Hegel V10. Plan to go through the trouble of carrying my Spatial M3 Sapphires down a flight of stairs so I can hear them on this amp. Love the build quality and the looks of this amp. Like a work of art. I got the black face plate . By the way, mine did not come with KT120s but rather KT88s. KT120s are too hard to come by for now. All the tubes are JJ and they sound wonderful. Will listen for while before trying any tube rolling. Also I followed the manual and changed the transformer taps from 8ohm to 4ohms and it was really pretty easy. Just make sure you have a 1/2" wrench (not metric).
I have a similar story as yours. CM3 on LRS Maggies and it sounds wonderful! I was nervous about switching the tap to 4ohm but it took longer to unscrew the chassis then switch wires so no biggie. Mine came with the KT120s but I want to try KT88s and maybe save the 120s since they're harder to get. I say that but ultimately it depends on the sound.
One thing to note, if you have a previous generation Cronus Magnum, Rogue Audio will update it to the III (3) for around $1200. They replace almost everything and retain the power supply and chassis. I did this and the sonic differences were well worth the cost.
Thanks for letting us know that!
Call Nick at Rogue. He'll take good care of you!
@@ginom407 thanks, Gino
What about upgrading from a CMII?? FYI, I don't need a headphone jack or phono stage.
@@snakechmr5191 I would suggest you call or email Rogue Audio directly to find out if there are options offered or simply the update to a III. Thanks
Thanks for your constructive review of the CMII. I just purchased a used CMII and I am smitten by its performance. While OK with the tubes supplied, I opted to roll in better 12AU7 and 12AX7s that transformed the amp's presentation of music. Increased clarity, definition (especially in the lower ranges), depth, soundstage, and imaging without losing the punch provided by the KT120 draws me into long listening sessions on a regular basis. I've been tempted to take advantage of Rogue's upgrade offer, but I cannot bring myself to do it. Wow, what an integrated!!!
Tube rolling is essential with this amp. And there are some wonderful old 12au7 variants out there which CM3 really attunes to.
@@sarahX.. I have a CMIII is my first tube amp, so you have any suggestions on tube rolling? Thank you
@@edwincruz4002 Sorry i missed your reply. You have to try for yourself. All ears systems environments are different. Although i can highly recommend the Mazda 6189 3mica chrome plate for preamp tube.
We currently use our Cronus as a mid-bass amp. Using 1950`s bugleboy and rare GEC A2900 long black plate in the other positions. However the supplied JJ tubes do a pretty decent job if you are not too fussy.
I did what you asked, your friend Matt has a lot of soul and an amazing voice. Love hearing new music! Thank you!
Freaking crazy, right!
Looking forward to the Rogue - Black Ice comparison! Thanks Ron!!! 👍👍👍
Yes, same here. I had the F22 for a while and really enjoyed it.
WOW... Matt Andersen!!! that was one heck of a moving track, loved it, Thanks for that one! ...tube pre, solid power ...all day everyday ;-P (...I run a Prima luna into a Classé)
Great amp, but I bought the Willsenton R8 with KT88s for $1250 and swapped the front end to vintage nos 1950s Sylvania GTB tubes. Maybe not a Cronus but damn it sounds fantastic to this old audiophile !
I had one of these a few years ago. Solid-state gear is far more consistent, ballsy and has none of the niggles of tubes. That said, in my experience no matter how much money u throw at solid state, it will never have the soul and magic of tubes. Would love to get another Rogue, hopefully one day soon. Solid state for the summer. Tubes in the winter. Cheers from Toronto 🍻
Matt’s video was amazing. It reminded me of my grandpa who worked the mines for over 30 years.
I've got the power amp-only version, the Atlas Magnum III, and I absolutely love it.
Heck yeah!
Congrats!! I love me some tubes, Just threw some 1949 Sylvania 2-hole hot rods in my Freya+ 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Great Two-fer video Ron. Thanks for the update on the Chronus Magnum & Matt Anderson tip. (Awesome music)
He’s incredible!
Speaking of Rogue Audio and ten year milestones, how about a review of the Stereo 100 Dark power amplifier.
Nice to see you again Ron! I know that you have been very busy and I'm sure that it will all be worth it! 👊
Nice, looking forward to the comparison.
I have the original Cronus. I'll have to figure out if I should send mine back for an update.
The triode/ultralinear switch sounds like it might be an interesting option to have.
100 w per side is pretty a powerful tube amp for the $ since it seemingly sounds great as well.
Thanks so much for the tip about Matt Anderson. As you imply by your comment, its all about finding great music. Great gear is just the vehicle.
Heck yeah!
The 2100 review was the first thing I saw.
That’s a great video man
Thanks for this one! I am an unapologetic Rogue Audio lover, having had my M 180 Dark monoblocks a few years now.
Would you be kind enough to share what the rest of your system consists of? Rogue RP-9 preamp and Rogue phono stage? Thanks. I have been a bit obsessed with those monos for many years; what else did you audition before choosing them? Thanks!
Damn bro! That’s an amazing thumbnail. Your channel has certainly matured. Great stuff!
I'm really surprised that Black Ice/Jolida is still around. Curious to see what you think of the new product.
Brilliant review Ron. Another blast from the past would be Backert Labs pre…..just saying😊
Would be great to hear your take on what the Dark upgrade does to the Cronus.
I have a CMIII and they take well to changing out the smaller tubes for some NOS tubes from Amperex or Telefunken, etc. The center 12AU7 is the best one to start with.
Hello. You mentioned that the Rouge Audio,, while possibly slightly tipped on the high end, was ultimately a non-fatiguing listen, I have minimal experience with tubes, but I was under the impression they were characteristically "sweeter" on the top end. Just looking for some thoughts on this
I had many mcintosh systems and this CMIII my first Rogue boooo Im surprised by the power and quality in 1 single chassis! it's a killer ! they need 1 central 12AU7 NOS and good powercord > another level
I really hope some day soon you will review their Stereo 100 which, at a retail of $3,995 appears to be quite the value; more importantly on their site they say not to sit on their laurels their is an upgraded version called Stereo 100 “Dark” at $4,995. I would be very grateful if you acquired both for comparison to share the differences you hear. Thank you in advance for your attention & consideration of this idea.
Here's my thanks for letting us in on Matt Anderson. Oh, and thanks, of course, for ten years of fun and for encouraging me to lighten my wallet by a rather large amount...
Not to take away from the Rogue Audio gear (which I've never heard in person), but have you ever been able to listen to an old 1963 75lb Fisher SA1000 power amp with 8417 power tubes? I lucky enough to have one and I think it really sounds good, but no discriminating experts have ever heard mine (new coupling caps, new power supply caps, and new resistors).
How does the Cronus 2 compare to the 3 or dark if you only stream and don’t care about headphones?..
I am a tube guy too.
HERE TO SUPPORT YOUR CHANNEL 🤗🤗💚💚💚
Good morning Ron, I just attented the capital audio fest and wanted to let you know there is a new upgraded package offer the the cronus mag 3 . Cronus dark. $1395 for existing owner and only $1000 more then the mag 3 when bought new.
I will reach out for a review.
@@Newrecordday2013 i would of put the color photo of the flyer of what the upgrade comes with in the comments but i don’t know how to put photo on youtube comments. the unit sounded great at the show
Hey Ron, who was that kid in that video clip? LOL.
I have the Cronus III and it is a great amp. I also have a Leben CS300XS that has more mid and top end clarity/glow. The Leben lacks a little in the low end relative to the Cronus III though. I go back and forth between which sound I prefer. It really depends on the genre or the specific recording. I like the Cronus III with rock and larger orchestral music, and perhaps even male and female vocals. I find the weightiness of the Cronus really makes vocals shine. The Leben on the other hand really shines with jazz and with any smaller acoustic ensembles, from classical to bluegrass. I guess you can't have it all with any one amp.
I'm curious how the Cronus III compares to the Audio Hungary Qualiton A20i. It would be great if you could draw some comparisons as you work through your review of the Cronus.
I'm thinking Vincent SV 237 MK2. I never find a bad review on it and it sounds fantastic even over UA-cam. Wish I could afford to Vincent SV 700.
"Leben CS300XS that has more mid and top end clarity/glow"
" guess you can't have it all with any one amp"
Try more tube rolling and you might be surprised!
I took your advice listen to Coal Miner Blues excellent. I listen to cheapaudioman recently and he did not like integrated amps found them to locked in and not always versital enought. Maybe you should suggest this to him.
Have always loved tube guitar amps but had never had tubes in my system until a few years ago when I got a 2 watt SET and high efficiency no crossover speakers. Sorry I waited so long! Curious about a second system with a push pull amp. Great video.
Hi Ron! Great video! Just curious, how does the Cronus III compare to the Audio Hungary A20i integrated amp in terms of tone/sound quality? Thanks 👍🏻
Given a choice between the Magnum III and Black Ice F35, is there a clear choice?
How would you characterize the differences between this and the Yamaha AS you reviewed,
Ok so here's the question for you based on a Rega Planar 3 into Klipsch RP-6000F ii floor speakers: on one hand the Schiit Freya+, with a pair of Aegirs *OR* the Cronos Magnum III?? What say you, reviewer?
Have you review the dark version and how big of a upgrade is it
Ahh the sweet sound of expensive distortion! Who needs cheap straight wire amplification.
Hi bro, congrats for grates reviews!!!! I want to ask you, what you think about tha first general of Cronus magnum for a sonus faber venere 3.0 90dB of sensitive in 2023, thank for the answer!!
It's a $1000 price gap but...
Is this amp worth it over the Burson Timekeeper 3iR ($2500) powering something like the Zu DW6 or Tekton Uruz/Lore in a small to medium room?
And yes, would eventually use the headphone out!
Ron:great review 😊😊. Given the sonic differences between tubes and IC amps, could you please share what speakers you found tonally improved from listening with the IC’s? I am particularly curious about differences between the Rouge and your Hegel H390. Thanks.
Only on speakers 4ohms or dips below 4 would I say the 390 has better control over bass and impact.
Cmon NRD, you gotta show more b-roll while you talk about this amp for two hours. Love your channel but don't wanna see your mug the whole time. Cmon, you gotta sell this to us with sexy footage and not you
Too many audio guys do this, one of my pet peeves.
Show us what you're talking about
11 min video and plenty of cuts
The more I make videos the less important I feel b-roll is. I’m also not here to “sell” you anything. There are plenty of others channels that exceed at that.
@Newrecordday2013 , What would be best to pair with Magnepans? (Specifically refurb'd MG-IIAs)
I have never moved away from Cary audio how would describe the difference is with rogue?
Not sure - haven’t spent time with Cary
The Rogue is more of a modern tube sound compared with Cary but I only have experience with older, lower wattage Cary tube gear. Both are great, just depends what type of sound you're looking for.
No Decware reviews?
They have always ignored my emails. Not sure why.
Price of 4 kt120 is ridiculous though these days.
I cheaped out and bought the Willsenton R8 amplifier two years ago. Have any of you listened to both of these with the same speakers to form an opinion on which is obviously better? I've been happy with the Willsenton, but I exist at a much lower level on the financial pecking order than Ron's setups. I've only listened to the Chronus Magnum III at the local dealer who had them hooked to a pair of new JBL L100s and insisted I listen to The Eagles. So, I wasn't that impressed with it, but I'm more curious what it sounds like through something like Klipsch Cornwalls or JBLs with horns.
The CMIII screams though Klipsch gear. I heard it through a pair of Forte IV and it was heavenly.
I heard them through the Martin Logan 60xti's. Loved it. I just needed more channels for home theater as well.
I think I liked you better back then when you weren't yelling at the screen and were more calm... But, I guess this is your schtick... I mainly wanted to know about the Cronus Magnum III. Oh well, success in all your varied business ventures!
Content starts at 3:25
Does anybody have the link to that video?
PCB tube amp? Or point to point connection?
PCB
@New Record Day forgive me if shared in another video, but where is the Audio Rack from? Thank you
I made it.
@@Newrecordday2013 nicely done sir
@@andyrocha thanks man!
can we listen to that amp buddy?
Revealing The Best Audiophile Tube Amp: Which One Will Come Out On Top?
ua-cam.com/video/z-SYzpJwLD0/v-deo.html
And for a mere $3k you too can own a Cronus Magnum III
You can save the 3K and listen to all your music with your smartphone and $20 earbuds. The sound is amazing 😅
Great amp, but I bought the Willsenton R8 with KT88s for $1250 and love it.
Have you tried the CMIII with the NX-Otica?