Rogue Owners Unite

I have:

Vandersteen 2ce's with a pair of W2 subwoofers

rega RP1 with Ortofon Blue

Rega Apollo R

Working with my local store and looking at Rouge.

Cronus 2300.00
Atlas/Metis 3500.00
Audio 99 and M150's used 5000.00

I went in to look at differences of first two and noticed used.

This will probably be my last Pre/Amp upgrade ever.

My questions are as I have never owned tube equipment.

Is there a major cost of replacing tubes over time? I probably will always be a stock tube person as I am the kind of guy who wants to just listen.

Is there a MAJOR difference in Cronus vs Atlas / Metis sound? The store I am loyal to does not have the best auditioning space.

Is the 99 / M150's a great deal or just an okay deal in your opinion? Seems to me it is like getting a "free" preamp. They are 3 years old with "low" hours on tubes. They were bought at same store and customer upgraded tubes.

Thanks for your opinions

Opinions about Apollos, please.

I heard the Sphinx in an audio shop here in Chicago. And it sounded great. A very impressive unit for the price.

Though, that said, I loved the sound of the Acoustic Zens I heard at Axpona with the tube amps they were paired with. I personally would go with a tubed integrated with the Acoustic Zens. The Rogue tube integrateds aren't too much more than the Sphinx. I would personally use the Sphinx much like I used my Butler 2250: for speakers that are less efficient and thus might make appropriate all-tibe gear cost prohibitive. But for a speaker at 90dB and up I would go all tube instead of hybrid if you are looking for some tube sound.

To Roscoeii. When you say the Acoustic Zen Adagios sounded better with tube amps,how would you describe the sound?? Was the bass taut and dynamic with no compression?? Were the highs smooth, and not edgy or forward.

Currently, I am using a Bel Canto PRe3 line stage and a pair Red Dragon M-500 digital mono blocks, the sound is good to very good, but I believe the speaker can sound smoother, and the bass quicker and tighter with better amplification. The RD amps have unconventional speaker connectors which prevent use of banana plugs or even spades without any security of coming lose This has become a pain in the ass and back for me who must fumble around behind the audio rack to secure them, and later reach for the Ben-Gay and Jack Daniels. I want to eliminate many of these boxes, including my TT and phono line stage... and go simple but high quality.

However, the major question is: is a tube integrated going to best my current separates. The Bel Canto PRe3 is very good, but the Red Dragon monoblocks are just average, and but for the money a great deal.

Do you think the Rogue Magnum Cronos integrated is better than the "The Sphinx"?? They are both the same power. I be interested in the further opinions of Rogue devotees on thess two pieces without distracting from the theme of the thread which is over 10 years old. Thank you, Jimmy