Rogue Audio hard to resell, has it fallen out of favor ?

I am also getting no interest from an amp that is well loved on USAM. I think that a lot of people are broke after Christmas and waiting for their tax refund check; at least I hope that's what it is!

I’m just guessing, but because they were so popular, a lot of people bought them.  Now there’s another must have amplifier out there.  Be patient, it’s a good product and the tides will turn back in your favor.

All the best.

Could be that the Rogue Sphinx debuted in 2014 and then the V2 was introduced in 2016. Followed by the V3 in 2020. 

Hence, there are those that will wait for (how much longer?) for the V4 to come out. I mean, the law of averages is that there should be a new version this year.

Rogue brought out the V2 of the RP-5 not long ago and- just before and just after- I saw a spike of RP-5's on sale on the usual sites. Fair drop in price after the new version appeared.

Each audio mfg differs and when you consider how few times a company like Rega comes out with a new product vs. a company like Rogue - which has a fair amount of offerings out there and in the pipe - it would make sense that a Rogue product that is "due" for a upgrade is also found readily available on the used market.

It is also likely that the market of many sub-$1000 integrated's is inundated with popular well-known brands (Denon, Marantz, Sony, Yamaha, etc) and while we all know about Rogue on this site, the vast majority of the public is not as acquainted with them. Perhaps if Rogue was sold in Best Buy, or via Crutchfield, they would have much more name recognition. Although the Sphinx is was never a sub-$1000 integrated offering. Plus there is no HT Bypass - like the RP-1 - nor a processor loop. Perhaps if they made it more home theater usable instead of offering it with good phono and headphone inputs they could gain market share for a wider audience. 

@OP

Curious, for those that have one on the market...why are you selling it?

This post is effectively a for sale ad and should be removed.

@onhwy61 - Thanks for your policing; with 5100 posts you must be a busy guy. It's not an ad, I didn't link to the product nor mention the price and asked the community for their thoughts- and got some good, relevant responses. But, again, with 5100 posts- an unimaginable number for most of us you must be diligently on Agon full time scouring for any possible infractions. The rest of us will carry on knowing you're looking out for us all. 

Could it be that tube gear in general is gradually losing steam and becoming even even more niche as time passes?

@onhwy61 The last time I looked the OP has it listed here. So what's the problem with that?

he had mentioned the price and I saw the ad, but interestingly, it’s no longer listed...

This:

@onhwy61  - Thanks for your policing; with 5100 posts you must be a busy guy. It's not an ad

 

@speedthrills  141 posts

01-08-2024 at 04:28am 

Are product ads now part of the Forum experience here ? Asking for a friend. 

@jl35 It should indicate "sold" ? 

@jl35 You’re closing in on "onhwy61" in terms of posts- you're posting on average one comment a day- EVERY day for ten years - or the equivalent. He’s posting 1.5 times a day- EVERY day- for ten years- or the equivalent. Amazing volume of comments  from both of you- you're busy bee's on Audiogon. Congrats! ME, I do a few here and there from time to time and it's not my life's passion.

it’s no longer there....usually when an item sells they immediately remove the ad...thanks so much...my responses are usually brief so really only takes a few minutes, but appreciate it !!! ...btw I had no issues with your post...and I've been a member 22 years, so a post every other day 

@speedthrills It's your hypocrisy that I'm calling out.

YOU complained a few weeks ago.  

Are product ads now part of the Forum experience here ? Asking for a friend

Lighten up Francis! No one is curing cancer here.

@speedthrills You're running on high octane. Name and nature. 

I tried unsuccessfully to sell my Rogue ST90 in Australia and eventually decided to keep it and use it to biamp. The best decision I ever made.

onhwy61 has been a valued member here since, pretty much, the inception of these forums as the "start dates" have been corrupted by various system updates.

You Speed are ???.

DeKay

We must get to the bottom of this.

This speedthrills character, if that is his real name, I suspect is here with nefarious intent. Possibly, to disrupt the peace, which exists somewhere I’m sure, although I’ve never experienced it here. 
 

I question if he truly owns the Rogue, or if it’s just a story he cooked up to get in the forums. Maybe he’s the kid I saw once that had a gas tank on his bicycle. He was always a mystery to me. 
 

Very fishy goings on…

Yes, pls - get to the bottom of this lol. I have so much time on my hands that I both posted an ad for my sphinx, which is also posted on USAM btw, then posted about low interest and asked for input- all really a ruse to generate a contentious forum thread.  Jeez...

So, it sold in about a month and you are complaining? If you got your asking price of $934.00 shipped, which is more than 1/2 price used in less than a month, I don't understand your position.

Tell 61 to take a break , he is just baffled because of the lack of interest. 
put a ad on u.s audio mart and add a review link and a OBO ,someone will buy it 

but you may have to lower the price ,which version is it ?you didnot mention That ,if older 40% of it’s cost if you are lucky . 

I have something listed.  You want to hear about it?  

Jerry

Sure, why not? I’m about to stop reading this forum because of the constant whining and belittling.

Heck, if you’re polite about it, I’m in!

The OP asked a legitimate question. Why all the naysayers? BTW, he has all positive feedback on this site!!

@yogiboy Thank you! I really did ask a legit question and got a lot of good answers, with some people indicating they were seeing the same thing with products they had listed and provided constructive comments and advice. As always there are the usual naysayers, keyboard warriors etc. Tough room, which is why I don't post much. 

In any event it sold last night so despite a few posters continuing to attack and criticize my intents, the price, whatever else they opt to zero in on, I'll thank those who offered good input and hope to avoid those that piled on in the future. Cheers. 

SOLD. Good for you. Ignore the noise.

Agreed and thanks for your support lol!

I have a friend that it just took 7months to sell a pretty popular LTA amplifier. Price was set ‘normal’, too. Used sales do also slow down in the winter. Spring and Fall are quicker selling times, in general. 

Your original question: "Rogue Audio hard to resell, has it fallen out of favor ?"

I think less than a month is a decent time line for a sale, especially with all the wacky weather we have had recently. Your ad on AudiogoN & AudioMart had only one photo and they where different. One had a photo of what looks like a additional component that is not part of the package. Yours was also the lowest price of any and that sometimes puts doubts in buyer's  minds. Your offering a factory upgraded version over Version3, new from the factory might also factor in a buyer's decision making.

Comparing the sale of Pass & ARC gear to the Rogue, to me, is like apples & oranges. 

So, the answer to your original, title question is no.

Congrats!  Your ad worked.

What took you so long ? Third or 4th comment today alone- troll. 

perhaps too many of em for sale for too long. i never saw something so current so common on the used market. i never hear or read anyone say its crap or loaded with design flaws, so i figured either the new sales were off the charts, its a gateway amp or its especially popular with who hqave chronic, rapid-onset upgrade-itis. right now is one of the rare times where i dont see any chronus magnum for sale on hifi shark.

Probably because other people have a similar priced unit that they feel is as good or better than the Rogue unit.  Most people are trying to upgrade and not move sideways IMO.

The Sphinx is a great 2 channel integrated amplifier at the price point, with the power for most systems and offered by a company that supports their products. It is a hybrid having tubes in the preamp stage, some want to avoid tubes. It has features than many would not need, phonostage and headphone amp, and two many would like, DAC and processor loop. Therefore making it somewhat more esoteric a product.

I own a version 3 and am not using the phonostage or headphone amp at the moment. I would use a processor loop if it had one.

@cey your thoughts are spot on ! think. I'm in a FB group for Rogue owners and  many owners of the amps are so pleased with the performance that they ask a lot of questions about upgrading to the other models.I only have a Rogue preamp so I don't participate in those conversations, but there seem to be new ones daily.

The Rogue Sphinx is a great integrated amp especially because the phono stage was upgraded. It’s a hybrid so the tubes are on the input. The rest is solid state. I have recommended this amp to so many people. That being said the helicopter money is gone and probably now the people buying said amp or in that price range are the ones who can afford it. I think 66% of the people maybe 68% with our new guests have $1000 beyond their monthly bills. That is really limiting buyers. Every audiophile store said they had the best three years ever starting in 2020. I just hope and prey these price hikes will calm down before the whole world implodes on itself. I feel selling that Sphinx in a month was good especially if you received close to asking price. The sad truth is things change. You have to sell when the market is hot. If you don’t you will not make that same return on your investment overall. I will bet in a year or so you will be amazed at what you can buy for very little money. My advise is sell everything you are not using or maybe even need. This is good for you, AGon, and probably even the buyer who could not afford a Sphinx for $1700. 
Also, Life is way to short to get upset with each other. We are a small group of people who should be helping more people enjoy the audiophile world. I know I appreciate your advise weather you have 1 or 13,000 posts. 

No one has any money due to the ridiculous inflation! Been grocery shopping lately? Freaking unreal how much it costs just to eat. Plus some people expect to pay little to nothing for something hardly used! They even balk at a listing that is close to $1000 off the retail price, even when Said product is listed as new and unopened...what do they expect to pay?  No clue how some think....any how, I hear ya....

Sign of the times!

...and Elton & Bernie were right....

"...Saturday nights' alright for fightin', get a lil' action in..."  

( btw, I've got some cliff face R E up for grabs....😏...)

It doesn’t help that it received a rather scathing review by ASR. That and both ASR and Stereophile measurements reveal the Sphinx falls considerably short of meeting its claimed power spec. 

Getting 50% of retail on many used items listed here is good.  I had a pair of open baffle speakers that took two postings to sell - a first for me having an ad expire without a sale.  It sold for about 55% of retail which is what I paid several years ago.  I concur be patient.  Let the price drift down some which is what I did on my listing that just sold.  One guy tried to low ball me but it was purchased right out from under him.  

I don’t think people looking to buy $1000 amps are concerned about inflation.give us a break. Besides gas prices are at their lowest in many years.lol

You're selling something in a very narrow category. That includes an even smaller group of potential buyers.

Add to that those buyers are not the audio neurotic with money to burn. They will be Best Buy type looking for something "better" but not "high end."

I have something listed and have to face reality-lower the asking price to half or lower of MSRP to attract attention.

@helomech

It doesn’t help that it received a rather scathing review by ASR. That and both ASR and Stereophile measurements reveal the Sphinx falls considerably short of meeting its claimed power spec.

Amir at ASR predominately does not listen to the products he measures. It is also well known in ASR forums that tube amps/preamps do not measure as well as SS, due to the added distortion that tubes provide.

I would also point out that if you actually study where this amp falls with others in his measurements graph, you will notice that tube amps are on the lower end of measurements (again they add distortion which does not "measure" well but that is the point for buyers) and that the best measuring devices are pretty much in the order of cost. While there are exceptions to every rule, a more expensive amp will measure better than one that is less expensive. Not surprising. In fact, most of what Amir comes up with is not surprising, but it does instigate chatter.

As for Stereophile, longtime reviewer Herb R. reviewed it (listened to it) and finished his view with this quote:

I promise, you have my word: The Rogue Sphinx V3 will someday be remembered, like the original NAD 3020 integrated amp, as one of the greatest high-value audio products of all time.

Per his analysis, the Rogue Sphinx excels in the phono stage and headphone amp sections. This is typical of all Rogue products. You get what you pay for.

Also, while the two tubes in the Sphinx are at the input stage, and not the output, changing out those tubes does elevate the sound.

On a personal note, I had a Prima Luna Preamp for a couple of years. Enjoyed it, but was not in love with the sound or synergy that it gave to my SS amps. Amir had measured it’s predecessor, the Dialogue, a year before and panned it.

About two years ago I was able to sell the Prima Luna I had for a fair amount more than I had paid for it. A first in my journey of buying and selling audiophile equipment! While there is some truth in that the turnover of that piece of gear was pandemic related, Prima Luna products have gone up in price because they are wildly popular, even though they do not measure well.

I’ve owned Rogue Audio throughout the years and their equipment is just barely hifi in quality.  Sold it and would probably not buy Rogue again because there are much better products for the same or less cost. 

That is why Rogue doesn’t sell well on the resell market.