Rogue Cronus Magnum Tube Rolling

I revived this thread from 2015 because I was looking hard at the Cronos magnum II, I had the deal worked out almost closed, but somebody got it out from under me before I could close the deal, but Que sera sera, it worked out to my advantage because now I have made arrangements to get the Cronos III new with an ARES phono pre-amplifier to follow this purchase. While I won’t have this equipment in my hands for a few extra months I am thrilled with the prospects for my future listening this will be my first full tube system, Except my guitar amplifier’s

 now it’s time for me to play a record. Enjoy the music.

NOS E80CC for the 12AU7s (L+R) and a NOS Mullard at the center has been my go to setup for some time.

Bump Has anyone discovered any favorite NOS tubes
what positions are you rolling to greatest effect ? Does anyone now the tube complement in the Cronus Black?

Hi Bajead ..... $ 212 for the five small tubes, and $ 156 for the Gold Lion quad (both prices including shipping with secure bubble wrap and styrofoam packing.) To my ears, in my room, with my system, it was a very worthwhile investment. The new tubes brought the quality of my Cronus to a whole new level of refinement. Now that I'm thinking about it and actually sitting at my computer keyboard , I can describe the improvement as a more refined texture and tone, with more truthful musical timbre, tighter and deeper bass, an absolutely smooth liquid mid-range, and a sparkling non-fatiguing top end. A truly beautiful sound of music.

Full complement of Mullards arrived today. Difference was immeadiate. Mids and highs blend beautifully. Very smooth yet still well defined. Extremely musical.Of course they are not broken in yet I've played a variety of music. Orchestral classical, great. Bill Evas at the Village Vanguard, piano, bass and drums all gorgeous.
Foo Fighters Sonic Highways on the table now, terrific. Even listened to an hour of iTunes. Noticeable improvement.

Thank you all. Will post again after some break in time.

I also have 2 Mullard 12ax7's from Kevin in the Cronus. Very nice sound. The rich full sound of the Mullards seems to blend well with the 12au7's mentioned above. I bet you'll like them.

Adam, you can't go wrong with advice from Mark and Nick. What did that compliment of tube set you back? I may have to try that combo down the road.

I had a wonderful experience several years ago, dealing directly with Mark
and Nick at Rogue Audio. With their guidance and thoughtful advice, I
swapped out all the tubes in my non-Magnum Cronus, and the sound of
music has been sublime. I replaced the original Svetlana EL-34's with a
beautiful matched quad of Genelex Gold Lion KT-77's.

The five small tubes were replaced as follows :
an RCA NOS 5814 to replace the EH 12AU7 gain stage tube, a pair of GE
NOS Five Star 5751 "goldpins" to replace the Sovtek 12AX7 input
tubes, and a pair of GE NOS 12AU7A's to replace the EH 12AU7 driver
tubes. Definite improvement !! I'm not sure how to describe it, other than
saying the music simply sounds better.

Thanks Bajaed. I wish I had seen your response earlier. I would've tried them. I did order some Mullards from Upscale Audio. Will update after receipt and installation.

Yes. I would suggest putting a Mazda Cite 12au7 in the center pre amp position. I have it in my Cronus Magnum and it's outstanding. Crisp, clean, clear and a very 3D holographic sound without sounding harsh or brittle.

The Cifte is flanked by 2 La Radiotechnique 12au7 in my amp. All from Kevin at Upscale Audio.

I think you would be very happy with the above. You could start with the one Cifte and take it from there!

Pre-amp tubes:
3 x JJ12AU7
2 x JJ12AX7

Thanks all for your input.

Adeep42, why not call Mark at Rogue and discuss with him the sound you are trying to achieve and see if he has any tube recommendations. I don't have my Magnum any longer and preferred a warmer vs brighter sound so can't help you with a tube recommendation, that said I did find Mark very easy to talk to.

What is the amp's current tube compliment?

Looking at your system, I think its most likely that your speakers are the problem, and not the amp. B&W tweeters have a tendency to sound harsh. I have a lot of experience with them.

There are 2 ways to deal with this problem. The first is to get a different speaker. The second is to try and fix the problem indirectly by swapping out components and accessories to start off with, and then get new speakers.