There is a dearth of reviews/information on the top-level Rogue products, unfortunately. Last few months I was running a 99 Magnum and Atlas (with plenty of NOS tube-rolling done at each position) into Tannoy Kensington SE speakers. 99.9% of my listening is vinyl.
Then a Rogue Hera (not the mk II) was listed here for a nice deal, and the upgrade bug struck me quickly and acutely - otherwise I would have eventually gone for an Athena. I imagine they should be VERY similar. If I were doing it over again and buying new, I might consider the Athena for the savings and the reduced burden for tube replacements (4 vs 8).
The 99 Magnum had been very nice sounding - responded well to tuberolling and projected a more 3D image than I'd previously experienced. The Hera was a revelation. It did more than I expected from a preamp upgrade. The depth of the soundstage increased drastically. It significantly improved microdynamics, and speed. Tonally the Hera is perfectly natural and neutral - with the 99 if always felt a little like hitting around a target through the various NOS tubes, without ever getting exactly there. Still, macrodynamics didn't see a similar improvement and after auditioning my friend's Magnum Stereo 90, it was clear that the Atlas (nice as it is) was now a BIG system bottleneck.
I sold the 99 (along with a ton of other gear) and went all-out for some Apollo monoblocks. Even with as much cash as was was laid down, I'd never dreamed amp/preamp components could make this much difference. The Hera/Apollo combo is a HUGE revelation. It's like hearing my speakers AND music again for the first time. I'm sure that the difference between the Hera/Athena and 99 Magnum would be even more significant now, that when I first heard it. This is all with the stock EH tubes, btw.
From the Rogue gear I've heard, I get the impression that they start out as great bang-for-buck components, and then diminishing returns never really kicks in through the whole lineup - you just keep getting more in significant doses.
One item to note - for the Hera II, Rogue has moved from the motorized stepped attenuator to a motorized TKD pot, in response to customer demand for fine-level volume control. As nice as that pot may be, it's been my experience (with other gear) that a good stepped attenuator is a necessity for gear at this level of transparency. With the 5 gain settings, I've NEVER felt the need for a finer level of control with the Hera. I wouldn't give up the stepper. Not sure if they're doing the same for the Athena, but I'd recommend requesting the stepper.
If you like the 99 Magnum, you'll love the Athena/Hera :)
Then a Rogue Hera (not the mk II) was listed here for a nice deal, and the upgrade bug struck me quickly and acutely - otherwise I would have eventually gone for an Athena. I imagine they should be VERY similar. If I were doing it over again and buying new, I might consider the Athena for the savings and the reduced burden for tube replacements (4 vs 8).
The 99 Magnum had been very nice sounding - responded well to tuberolling and projected a more 3D image than I'd previously experienced. The Hera was a revelation. It did more than I expected from a preamp upgrade. The depth of the soundstage increased drastically. It significantly improved microdynamics, and speed. Tonally the Hera is perfectly natural and neutral - with the 99 if always felt a little like hitting around a target through the various NOS tubes, without ever getting exactly there. Still, macrodynamics didn't see a similar improvement and after auditioning my friend's Magnum Stereo 90, it was clear that the Atlas (nice as it is) was now a BIG system bottleneck.
I sold the 99 (along with a ton of other gear) and went all-out for some Apollo monoblocks. Even with as much cash as was was laid down, I'd never dreamed amp/preamp components could make this much difference. The Hera/Apollo combo is a HUGE revelation. It's like hearing my speakers AND music again for the first time. I'm sure that the difference between the Hera/Athena and 99 Magnum would be even more significant now, that when I first heard it. This is all with the stock EH tubes, btw.
From the Rogue gear I've heard, I get the impression that they start out as great bang-for-buck components, and then diminishing returns never really kicks in through the whole lineup - you just keep getting more in significant doses.
One item to note - for the Hera II, Rogue has moved from the motorized stepped attenuator to a motorized TKD pot, in response to customer demand for fine-level volume control. As nice as that pot may be, it's been my experience (with other gear) that a good stepped attenuator is a necessity for gear at this level of transparency. With the 5 gain settings, I've NEVER felt the need for a finer level of control with the Hera. I wouldn't give up the stepper. Not sure if they're doing the same for the Athena, but I'd recommend requesting the stepper.
If you like the 99 Magnum, you'll love the Athena/Hera :)