Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum hookup questions

@erikt - thanks so much for taking the time to respond on this. I'm setting up my Cronus Magnum ii and trying to dual-subwoofer it (Dual SVS SB-1000). I was wondering if you could help out on this? 

I fear I may be headed down the path you specifically recommended not to do: using slippers instead of summing cables.

My questions:

1) Am I correct that I'm using splitters and need to get summing cables? 

2) Should I use the VAR or FIXED out on the Cronus? 

3) Should I use the VAR or LFE input or just one? 

Thanks! I'm happy to message/email pictures if that helps. 

What are your turntable issues?

It's working and sounds incredible! I'm having some turntable issues but CDs and blurays are rocking in 2 ch.

I don't see anything moving around in the tube. Just a faint rattle when I was installing it and when I give it a light shake.

Think it's ok to power up?

When putting the KT90 output tubes in my new Rogue Cronus Magnum, I heard something rattling around in one of them. The other three are quiet. Does that mean the tube is definitely bad and I should not power the amp up?

I wanted to have it up and running in a couple hours.

When I picked it up at UPS, they had the box standing on it's side despite arrows on the box showing it should be laid flat and fragile symbols. When I pointed it out they said "Oh we don't do that", referring to following handling instructions on boxes.

Nice amp - congrats.

1. From the Energy manual, looks like you are going to have to choose either hooking the sub up to your AVR to get bass management features (important for movies and scary LFE levels), or hook the sub up via speaker wires since the manual says specifically NOT to hook up both at the same time.

If you do hook up the sub via the RCA sub input from your AVR, you won't have a sub while listening to 2-channel sources connected to the Cronus.

If you do hook the sub up to the Cronus, you could use either the variable outputs or the speaker level connections. The Cronus has Left AND Right variable outputs, but the sub only has one RCA jack - so either pick left OR right from the Cronus. You can not use a simple "Y" cable as that is for *splitting* signals - you need a *summing cable* which has resistors in a circuit setup to properly sum the signals. You'd be better off for now using the speaker level connections.

2. Yes

3. Yes you can but since the Cronus does not have HT Direct, you need to be mindful of where the volume control is set on the Cronus. You should pick a volume setting and then run the audio calibration setup on your AVR - mark where the volume on the Cronus is set and then any time you switch to that input set the volume control to that setting. This does go back to point 1 - on how you have your sub connected. If you have the sub connected to the Cronus, you won't have any bass management from the AVR - be sure to set Fronts=Large, Bass=Fronts/no sub.

4. Yes.