Rogue Audio Ares II and Ares II Magnum

The reviewer calls the Ares “startlingly quiet,” highlighting the silences extracted from a Neal Young live recording. Tube changes did not disturb those “seductive silences,” suggesting impressively low audible noise in the reviewed setup.

The Ares is described as a sonic “stunner,” developing seamless top-to-bottom coherence, excellent tone and timbre, and substantial texture after break-in. On Rush's Permanent Waves, the reviewer was especially struck by the fullness of the sound.

The review praises the Ares for remarkable speed, which points to lively transient behavior rather than a softened or sluggish presentation. It says little directly about large-scale punch, microdynamic shading, or rhythmic drive across a range of recordings.

The reviewer reports that run-in considerably expanded the soundstage. There is no similarly detailed discussion of image outlines or depth layering, but the reported scale and openness are clear positives.

The reviewed Ares provides adjustable gain, capacitance and loading, making it adaptable to a wide variety of cartridge requirements. Settings are accessed through switches beneath a top-mounted panel rather than fiddly internal jumpers, which should make experimentation more practical.

The reviewer characterizes the casework as utilitarian rather than luxurious, while stopping short of calling it unattractive. An external dual-wire solid-state power supply is included and can be placed away from the audio chassis; the review offers little further long-term construction commentary.

At the reviewed Ares' $1,995 asking price, the reviewer says he cannot think of a better phono stage at the price. He acknowledges that it is not inexpensive, but considers it capable of anchoring a vinyl system that can both please and surprise; this assessment directly concerns the earlier Ares rather than the current Ares II variants.