Amp/Preamp Asylum

Posted by mulveling (A) on June 29, 2020 at 12:37:22

In Reply to: RE: Inexpensive Tube amp posted by Bill the K on June 28, 2020 at 20:10:24

The Rogue Cronus Magnum has gone up in price to around $3K, with the latest III version's improvements. It's a good deal, but no it's not super-cheap enough to compete with the entry level chinese gear.

Of course used models are always a great option - Rogue supports their gear, past & present, original or 2nd hand owner.

There's a 3rd option, which is especially appealing if you have a good local tech. Vintage american tubes. These run the gamut from lower powered EL84 PP (sometimes console amp pulls) to mid-power 6L6 and KT88 amps. Eico, Heathkit, Dynaco, for more modestly priced units; Harmon Kardon (Citation II), Marantz, and McIntosh at the higher end of things. When properly restored, many of these amps sound wonderful! I had Heathkit W4, W5, and Eico HF-87. But I especially pined after my tech's personal Eico HF-22 monos.