Any other Cronus Magnum users care to share how noisy your amp is? I can definitely hear a bit of transformer hum/noise when close to the amp itself, and within about a foot or so I can hear hum/buzz through my speakers. I've lived with it as it's not really noticeable when music is playing, I'm just not sure if that's normal or not for this amp? I think I can say with certainty it's not a ground loop issue, and different tubes don't seem to effect it at all. The noise through the speakers stays constant and does not change with volume.
I've asked Rogue and they said it's normal for little noise, but I don't know how much is normal??
The phono section also hums (a lot more, amplifying with volume), especially when the volume hits about 12o'clock, but this isn't too big of a deal for me as I use a separate phono pre.
The transformer hum and slight amount of noise is normal. Hey, what do you expect for a 100wpc tube integrated amp that only costs 2,200.00? I never tried the phono stage, so I can't comment on it. If you want less noise and more refined sound, go with the Prima Luna HP integrated that will cost you 4,300 with the EL34 tubes and only put out 70wpc.
What is your power situation? Do you have a dedicated AC line or are you using power conditioning? Some noise is normal thru the line stage, but the noise through your phonostage is not normal. All the Rogue phono sections I have heard are very quiet and my friend's Cronus is excellent with vinyl.
Rogue Audio offers cheaply built products with bad grounding schemes. My brother and I have tried there products and found similar issues and in some cases worse. Personally I don't believe even cheaply built products should have Hum or obvious noise. I owned a tube buffer from the far east that was quiet as a mouse and had an extremely low noise floor...cost was just over $200.
I had a bad experience with a Sphinx, and I've heard others with similar problems. The measurements on one of their amps in Stereophile showed some noise problems, too. Some people love them, but I'm not taking another chance with Rogue.
When I owned an Octave V70se and later a V110 there was absolutely no transformer hum or anything through the speakers at any volume. I did have a Naim XP5XS power supply that had a transformer but nothing through the speakers.
Thanks for all the replies! My components are all going into a PS Audio Dectet. Also using a Maze Audio power cable with the Cronus and from the wall to the Dectet (no dedicated line).
I’d say my main concern here is the actual hum/noise coming from the transformer itself, not so much the noise coming through the speakers. I don’t notice the noise through the speakers at my sitting position, but can slightly hear the humming of the transformer and it gets on my nerves! I haven’t played around with tightening or loosening the transformer end bell, but have read that may help? I also haven’t tried any sort of a DC blocker, and am a little curious if that might help and where to get one?
I was hoping to resolve (or minimize) this myself, but am thinking it may be best to send it back to Rogue to take a look, which is a PITA.
There was a thread regarding transformer hum in Rogue integrateds a while back. Rogue did admit to an owner that there was a problem with a batch of transformers.
If your unit is under warranty, you definitely should send it back. And they should also address the phonostage problem.
I have a dedicated 20A circuit which is extremely isolated and I have light hum and more hum in the phono stage. I have not read in any professional reviews where this amp was dead silent.
I demoed a Rogue Cronus Magnum and sent it back after I heard transformer hum and tube rush through the speakers. Plus my Audio Refinement separates sound more tube like than the Rogue ever did.
I suggest calling Rogue. In my experience, either Mark--the owner--or one of his techs will walk you through the problem. I have owned a Cronus as well as 2 Rogue preamps and a Rogue amp. Rogue equipment is my favorite overall brand and I have owned a lot of gear. A big reason Rogue is on the top of my list is the customer service.
I never experienced such a problem with my Cronus. Your issue may have more to do with the environment that it's placed than the unit itself. I had a buzz in my system a few years back and Mark walked me through the fix. It was not even his product at issue. He is a great guy. Again try calling Rogue.
I wholly disagree with the comment in this string that Rogue equipment is "cheaply" built. It is the opposite and an incredible value.
@tabascocat1994 I wouldn't say they are cheaply built either however, I have spoken with Rogue and inquired about the phono-pre. The person I spoke with confirmed that the one installed is in line with a $250-$400 external phono-pre. The person I spoke with confirmed that he would consider an upgrade to the Rogue Stealth ($999 new) major.
The OP has been experiencing transformer hum, not a problem from mains power such as a ground loop. And removing the ground on an amp should not be used as a fix, it's a good way to diagnose a problem.
I second the opinion of Stereo5. I had a Cronus Magnum and it was not just noisy but it didn't have the best bass. I bought a 36w Primaluna Dialogue Premium and it was not just 10 times quieter but had much better bass. In fact the best bass I have heard even compared to solid state. It's another planet.
I was so impressed I bought their preamp and love it too. I'm running it with Krell FPB300. Now I'm thinking of going tube monoblocks.
I've learned that to increase dynamic range I need to lower the noise floor. Getting a quiet amp and preamp is one of the more important ingredients in the equation.
I own a tempest 2, have owned the sphinx 2 and the RP1. I can attest to how incredibly noisy all of this gear was. The sphinx 2 was less so and was actually manageable as my speakers weren't very sensitive at the time. The RP1 created a ridiculous amount of noise unlike any other preamp I've ever owned. It was sold. The tempest likewise has a crazy unlistenable amount of noise compared to any other amp I've ever owned, even when just using the onboard passive preamp, a hum X, conditioned power, it generates massive noise that is clearly audible at 15'. I've decided to take a break from Rogue Audio products because of it.
I have a Rogue RP-5 tube preamp and it is dead quiet with my 92db efficient speakers. With the volume cranked all the way up, not 1 iota of hiss, only dead quiet.
I had the Cronus Magnum 2 for about 8 months. I loved the way it looked and sounded but I did hate the hum every so often. I noticed that depending on how much juice was running through the same circuit the more hum it created. Some days it was dead silent other days not so. I called Rogue and basically they said this was within normal operations. I'm pretty sure if I had a dedicated circuit, the amp would have been dead quiet. My reason for selling wasn't the hum, I realized that tubes weren't for me so I upgraded to a SS amp.
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