Rogue Audio The Cronus Magnum III
Rogue Audio’s Cronus Magnum III marries tube richness to muscular 100W control, delivering vivid voices, punchy bass and an expansive three-dimensional soundstage. Hi-Fi Choice praised its drive, timing and sweet treble, while Enjoy The Music admired its harmonically natural, spacious presentation. With MM/MC phono, headphone amplification and switchable triode operation, it is a deeply capable analogue-system centerpiece.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
94/100
Build Quality
92/100
Features Connectivity
90/100
Value for Money
92/100
Pros
Combines authentic tube warmth with unusually strong drive, punch and control for demanding loudspeakers.
Produces an expansive, three-dimensional soundstage with vivid vocal placement and clear separation between performers.
Versatile built-in MM/MC phono stage, capable headphone output and triode/ultralinear modes make it an accomplished all-in-one analogue hub.
Substantial construction and high-quality controls give it a convincingly durable, premium feel.
Cons
Changing phono settings or speaker taps requires removing the lid and accessing internal adjustments, making setup less convenient than plug-and-play alternatives.
The remote is limited to volume and mute functions.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 94/100
Reviewers consistently describe a powerful, richly voiced tube integrated that combines vivid detail and realistic images with unusually strong drive. Its triode and ultralinear modes offer useful shifts in presentation, from smoother and more romantic to cleaner, more forceful and focused.
Transparency Resolution
93/100
New Record Day found the top end clear, precise and smooth, with spatial cues and fine detail intact. Enjoy the Music praised its coherent presentation and lingering harmonic decays, although its comparison with the Tavish phono stage found the separate unit retrieved a little more top-end extension and buried detail.
Tonal Balance Musicality
95/100
The Cronus Magnum III earns repeated praise for natural harmonic richness, tonal body and easy long-term listenability. Hi-Fi Choice calls voices startlingly vivid and the midrange lush, while New Record Day found vocals liquid, refined and neutral in tone, with triode mode adding a smoother, more relaxed character.
Dynamics
94/100
Hi-Fi Choice heard effortless muscularity, strong timing and unusually impressive punch for a valve amplifier, supported by convincing bass weight and snap. New Record Day likewise found the amplifier clean, punchy and untroubled by demanding loudspeakers or deep movie-soundtrack bass; one comparison noted that a separate Tavish phono stage sounded marginally more dynamic.
Soundstage Imaging
95/100
Spatial performance is a major strength. Reviewers report an expansive, three-dimensional soundstage with clear separation between performers, stable placement and a large panorama extending well behind the speakers.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
92/100
Enjoy the Music describes the 55-pound amplifier as seriously and convincingly constructed, with no apparent cost cutting, and praises its overall build quality. New Record Day also reports high-quality controls, robust remote hardware, improved grounding, upgraded signal-path parts and better binding posts.
Features Connectivity
90/100
This is a notably versatile all-analogue integrated, with four RCA inputs, fixed and buffered variable outputs for recording, subwoofer use or bi-amping, a remote, and switchable triode and ultralinear operation. Its revised phono stage supports MM and MC cartridges with selectable gain and loading, while the two-watt headphone section is regarded as a genuine feature rather than an afterthought; there are no balanced or digital inputs.
Value for Money
92/100
At roughly $3,495, reviewers regard the Cronus Magnum III as an attainable high-end tube amplifier rather than a compromised budget proposition. Hi-Fi Choice calls it one of the most compelling sonic performers tested at its price, while New Record Day considers it a convincing long-term, all-in-one solution with performance that exceeds expectations.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
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Specifications
- Power
- 100 WPC
- Bandwidth
- 5Hz-30KHz +/- 1dB
- Transformer Taps
- 4 and 8 ohm
- Turn On
- Slow start turn on sequencing
- Power Supply
- Massive high storage linear power supply
- Tubes
- (2) 12AX7, (3) 12AU7, (4) KT88* output tubes
- Inputs
- Gold plated RCA inputs
- Binding Posts
- Gold plated binding posts
- Faceplate
- Machined aluminum faceplate
- Number of Inputs
- 4 inputs (phono, line 1,2,3)
- Phono Input Gain
- 45/60 dB gain +/- 0.1 dB 20Hz - 20KHz
- Headphone Amplifier
- 2W
- Remote
- Aluminum remote with volume and mute
- Outputs
- Buffered variable outputs (great for subwoofers)\nActive outputs for subwoofer or biamping
- Circuit Board
- Heavy (2 ounce) copper circuit board
- Tube Cage
- Full tube cage/cover (optional)
- Testing
- Fully tested, burned-in, and auditioned
- Power Cord
- Detachable IEC power cord
- Dimensions
- 18" W x 17.5"D X 6.75" H (actual)\n25" W x23"D X 11" H x 55 LBs (shipping dimensions)
- Power Requirements
- 120V/240V - 50/60Hz
- Origin
- Entirely designed and hand built in the USA
Manufacturer's Description — Rogue Audio
New Dark version now available!
The award winning integrated amplifier has garnered an enviable reputation in the high end audio world. Even at its attainable price, it outperforms other integrated amps costing many times more. The pure tube design provides a smooth, almost liquid sound that has made this amp a reviewer favorite. With circuitry borrowed from our most advanced amplifier designs, the 100WPC effortlessly reproduces even the most demanding musical passages.
The Magnum III features a number of exciting new upgrades. For vinyl enthusiasts the phono section has been completely redesigned to accommodate both MM and MC cartridges. Two gain settings provide for 45dB and 60dB of gain so you can now use either high or low output cartridges. The phono also has five individual load settings so you can fine tune the phono for optimal results.
A Triode/Ultralinear switch allows for on the fly switching between Ultralinear operation and pure triode. Ultralinear offers the most power and a commanding grip on the bass while triode provides a slightly softer and more romantic sound.
A completely new headphone circuit is based around MOSFET buffers capable of massive current sourcing. The design is basically a simplified single ended version of our RH-5 headphone amplifier and puts out enough power to drive the most difficult headphones for clean crisp personal audio.
The line stage has been improved and has an amazingly low noise floor for a completely black background for your listening.
From a technical standpoint the amplifier uses a triode preamplifier coupled to our excellent Atlas Magnum power amplfier. A large oversized linear power supply stores tremendous energy for low frequency response and dynamic headroom. The tube circuitry is cutting edge with short signal paths exacted in a low noise design. Finally, precision components are used to provide the transparency and air that are so critical to accurate musical reproduction.
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- 2C Stereo — in-store — Washington, District of Columbia, United States (website)
- Absolute Audio - Canada — in-store — Calgary, Alberta, Canada (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Aris Audio — in-store — Salt Lake City, Utah, United States (website)
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- Audio Advisor — online and in-store — Michigan, United States (website)
- Audio Alternative — online and in-store — Fort Collins, Colorado, United States (website)
- Audio Breakthroughs — in-store — Manhasset, New York, United States (website)
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