Direction on my next upgrade

Hi cpd,

I actually haven’t heard the bronze with the Rogue. I currently have a blue and it sounds great. I plan to upgrade to the bronze when that needs to be replaced. If you have the $$ just get the black, but I think the bronze is a good compromise if the blue isn’t cutting it for you.

That being said, your system is only as good as it’s weakest link, so you don’t need a Ferrari cart if you have Honda speakers, amp, etc.

Regarding the upgrade to V3, it’s worth it just for the phono, it sounds fantastic and you can tweak the sound by rolling the tubes as needed. It’s probably not going to stand up to a 1k stand alone preamp, but it’s certainly the best integrated phono I’ve heard. If you’re not planning on using the phono section, it’s probably not worth the effort to upgrade (maybe if you use headphones).

Hi Cpd,

As a fellow Rogue owner (V3) with upgraded tubes, I would recommend the following upgrade options:

1. Upgrade your Rogue to V3. Change the tubes (Brimars from upscale audio or equivalent). Upgrade the stylus to Ortofon Bronze (black is better but you’ll save money and the bronze is noticebly better than the blue). Pair with Warfedale Linton Heritage Speakers (or Harbeth if you wanna spend more)

2. Don’t invest in upgrading the Rogue (For only a few months), get the Raven (or Prima Luna etc), Ortofon Black, and equivalent speakers.

Good luck on the never ending journey!

best,

-M