Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II or Pharaoh Integrated


I have a pair of Revel F206 speakers and am wanting to upgrade the power. I am sold on Rogue Audio, but I wanted to know which of these amps would be the best option. The Cronus Magnum II is rated at 100 WPC and the Pharaoh is rated at 185 WPC. I guess my main question is whether or not the Cronus Magnum II can really power these speakers, or would I need more power?
bbroyles23

I've owned both. Both are great sounding amps, and the CM should have no problem driving the Revels. I have recently traded the CM and purchased the Pharaoh II, and could not be happier, Still a good "tube" sound by rolling RCA Clear Top tubes, but the dead quiet sound floor, and more than ample power is the icing on the cake. The Class D amp section is clean, transparent and lfie-like, and the tubes smooth out the SS. Truly, the best of both worlds. While I loved the CM, The Pharaoh II is Nirvana.

My local dealer sells wide range of arc and rogue amps and Magnepan and sonus Faber speakers and said Pharoah is his favorite sounding amp.
Talked to Rogue about the same comparison. Answer was, "it depends." I have the Pharaoh. They told me to try some tube rolling in the pre stage. I did. Bought a matched pair of 5o plus year old (NOS) Mullard 12au7 tubes. Result, made a very good sounding amp into a great sounding one. Could not be happier.
Pharaoh no doubt. It's a wonderful sounding piece maybe one of the best. I could downsize to one and be happy.

I like Cronus magnum as well but only for clear tube amp applications.
I can't answer your question, but I can certainly comment on the wonderful synergy between Rogue Audio and Revel. Please take a look at my system ..... my Revel F12's are driven by my Rogue Audio Cronus (non-Magnum) and the sound of music is sublime. Rogue and Revel make a beautiful pairing, and I recommend them wholeheartedly.
Bbroyles23,
As far as the Cronus Magnum driving your Revel's, I suggest you call Mark at Rogue and ask his opinion regarding how the amp will perform. Tell him about the impedance curve;
on paper that's what says these speakers aren't a good match.
http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1238:nrc-measurements-revel-performa3-f206-loudspeakers&catid=77:loudspeaker-measurements&Itemid=153

The Cronus Magnum is such a great sounding tube amp.
You should go demo at your Local Rogue Audio Dealer. We are in Hollywood Florida and love their products. Call Rogue they will let you know your closest dealer. If your not in Florida we couldn't help you but feel free to check out our website anyway, we have alot of demo and used products. www.hwdsound.com
In your other thread I mentioned the specs on the Revel F206's, particularly the impedance curve. Speaker sensitivity is 88dB, nominal impedance is 8 ohms.

The curve shows the speaker is driven well below 8 ohms throughout most of the frequency range. Plus an 88dB sensitivity and a recommended amp power of 50 to 200 watts nominal. A 100 wpc tube amp will not supply the power to drive these speakers to their full potential, basically they won't sound very dynamic.
Although, I love the sound of the Cronus Magnum, it needs a more tube-friendly speaker.

The Pharaoh is a killer amp; a tube stage and a Class D amp section. It would should sound good with just about any speaker.