This is interesting, as I'm still trying to figure this out after a fair bit of time, and the continuing comments are all appreciated.
Yes, I had started to focus on the Chinook, as so many have said, and had now been looking at the Ares too.
One thing I'm wondering a bit is that the Ares has four different gain settings but the Chinook only two. (And four has to be better than two?? LOL )
I read too about the Ares, and in the Stereophile article 1/13/10, by Erick Lichte it stated " The preamp can be run in all-tube or hybrid tube/solid-state to allow it to work with any cartridge you might want to throw at it.
Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/ces2010/rogue_ares/index.html#i45xHSlAKojYqjzD.99"; So apparently at times it is gain only from the tubes, but other times it is not?
And is the Chinook gain only from tubes, or is it also at times solid-state?
And then finally, is that really a big deal anyway if the MC cartridge has gain increased with solid state?
What is terrible is that I still can't find a definitive answer or a chart to how much gain is really needed with any given cartridge mV output.
I then also wonder, as there is Ares and Ares Magnum, which one magazine said definitely improves over the regular Ares, but in the real world is that a huge benefit? I am thinking though that the quality of the parts being improved must be of some benefit even if it sounded the same?
So, in a way I'm still fairly uncertain and still trying to figure this out.
Yes, I had started to focus on the Chinook, as so many have said, and had now been looking at the Ares too.
One thing I'm wondering a bit is that the Ares has four different gain settings but the Chinook only two. (And four has to be better than two?? LOL )
I read too about the Ares, and in the Stereophile article 1/13/10, by Erick Lichte it stated " The preamp can be run in all-tube or hybrid tube/solid-state to allow it to work with any cartridge you might want to throw at it.
Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/ces2010/rogue_ares/index.html#i45xHSlAKojYqjzD.99"; So apparently at times it is gain only from the tubes, but other times it is not?
And is the Chinook gain only from tubes, or is it also at times solid-state?
And then finally, is that really a big deal anyway if the MC cartridge has gain increased with solid state?
What is terrible is that I still can't find a definitive answer or a chart to how much gain is really needed with any given cartridge mV output.
I then also wonder, as there is Ares and Ares Magnum, which one magazine said definitely improves over the regular Ares, but in the real world is that a huge benefit? I am thinking though that the quality of the parts being improved must be of some benefit even if it sounded the same?
So, in a way I'm still fairly uncertain and still trying to figure this out.