Rogue Audio 99 or CJ Classic Preamp?

I would stick with Rogue. You have a nice system so what is $600 difference? I have not heard that particular CJ preamp but the older ones tend to be really tubey sounding or syrupy. Not my cup of tea unless its yours. Also the Rogue is a tube rollers dream as my Rogue Tempest II is. As far as BAT I can recommend them. The VK3i is a bit darker sounding than the VK5i but the 5i is a wonderful preamp at used prices. The 3ix should be in your price range or maybe a VK40 solid state. THere is a VK20 on Agon right now that has a capacitor upgrade that I would consider for sure. Goodluck :)

How do you like the synergy between your Cronus and your Silverline speakers ? Do they work well together ? If you're happy with the music now, what are you looking for by upgrading to a new amp/pre-amp combination ?

Thank you Sam and Adam. The Cronus is a great integrated amp, and works very well with the SR-17.5s. When I bought the speakers, the impedance on the amp was set to 4 Ohms to work with the old speakers. The Silverlines have a nominal impedance of 8 Ohms, but it's an absolute nightmare to switch impedance on the amp as it has to be done internally, and there is virtually no clearance between the back wall and the screws. So I've kept the impedance setting unchanged, but wonder if it might sound even better on the 8 Ohm setting. The upgrade is dictated by a few factors: the Cronus was purchased as a temporary amp until I could upgrade to separates; I'm hoping for even more refinement, greater dynamics and better control of the bottom end, which I expect with more power and a separate preamp; I'd like to have ease of adjusting impedance which the monoblocks offer. Another big factor is my dealer's trade-in system where you can trade-in equipment for full purchase value within a year. I'm slowly coming up on that year, and it would make it much harder for me to upgrade later.

Sounds like a great idea, and taking advantage of your dealer's trade-in program makes a lot of sense. I am a big Rogue Audio fan, and I'm sure the M-180 amps will sound terrific with your speakers. I like the idea of keeping amplification within the same brand, since the designers have intended those products to work well together. I'm sure that Mark O'Brien has created some good synergy between the M-180's and the Stereo 99. Good Luck, and Happy Listening.

I can't comment about the Conrad-Johnson as I have no experience with them, but I am very happy with my M-180 amp / 99-Magnum preamp combination.