Upgrading amplifiera.

Some companies are really good about the upgrades in terms of price, they want to keep there babies up and running and owners happy. I think others view it as a money making proposition. $1,200 for these "fabulous new caps " etc. On the down side if you ever do sell your amp the upgrades don't count for much and can be a liability. ( who did the upgrade and how was it done ) can raise other issues with the buyers.  

I would say let the manufacture do the upgrade. That should help the resale value and the sound. Some of these guys think they can just ad " audiophile caps " and that is going to make it sound superb. Not so sure that is always the case. 

I just (last month)'sent my Rogue Audio,Cronus Magnum back,to,Rogue and had it upgraded to a,Cronus Magnum II. For the $700 I got 6db of gain,increased,in the phono stage, a better headphone amp, lower noise floor, upgraded circuits, wider,Soundstage and upgraded gold connectors.

I did this because I wanted more from my original phono stage and if I was looking to get a stand alone unit I would need to spend more than the $700 I spent on the upgrade. In my book I got  a bargain.

That sounds more then a fair price consider what you got. Where is Rogue Audio located? Obviously in the US. Just curious.

Hi Sounds Real Audio,
What most people overlook is Power. I cannot stress enough how important it is. I was a Skeptic for a long time - because I  did not want to spend money on the most unsexy, unseen part of the system. Fortunately I was exposed to a power cord comparison about a decade ago, and was absolutely floored by the difference.

By adding the right power delivery - was like having a completely new system.  On that first comparison I was I was able to hear the difference inside of 30 seconds. Since then most of my investments have been in power delivery - I still have the same amps speaker etc. and my system, gets better and better with every addition I make to the power delivery. 

What I have learned is that before my investment in power delivery, (chords, wall receptacles, distributor) my system as a whole was only working  at 35% capacity. After my investment I can say it's working over 90% capacity and sounds amazing. Power is the foundation, build a solid foundation and a system will last a lifetime.

The downside is that it's not cheap and requires some discipline.  I have spent about 30% of my overall investment in my system on power. I know there are naysayers regarding this - I was one of them-but only because of my spending habits. Once I was actually educated I have never looked back. I can only share with you what my experience has been as a hobbyist  - I hope it gives you another perspective that is useful in your quest. Best of Luck