The Rogue Audio Chronus Integrated Amplifier and Stealth Phono-Stage

With any user adjustable unit, care and attention in set-up reaps huge rewards, a rule that applies to both these units. The Stealth offers a choice of The Gunther Wand/NDR-Symphonie performance of the Beethoven Sixth Symphony is bold and spacious, combining a sprightly life and agility with a convincing sense of orchestral weight, ebb and flow. Balance is definitely mid-hall, both in terms of warmth and also distance, but there’s no ignoring the pleasingly engaging and evocative performance, which is just the musical ticket. This is all about the what that’s being played rather than the intimacy of the how.

But good as the Chronus is with digital sources, things take a massive step up as soon as you bring the Stealth phono-stage into play. Impressively quiet and with well-chosen gain and loading values, it is easy to optimize the performance of any matching cartridge. I used both the Lyra Titan i and a Clearaudio Accurate in the VPI TNT/JMW combination (just to stretch the envelope a bit) as well as a Dynavector DV20X at a rather more realistic price level. As impressive as the Stealth was with the high-end cartridges, what I really liked was the way it made the most of the Dynavector, revealing its combination of natural colours and forceful rhythmic integrity despite the modest output. The ability to bring out the best in and capitalize on the strengths of a partnering cartridge is an underrated and rarely achieved gift, one that should be cherished. Add to it the Stealth’s perfect fit with the sonic character of the Chronus and things are definitely on the up. What the combination of the Stealth and a vinyl front-end deliver is greater depth, transparency and separation, better focus and increased dynamic range. Feed that little lot into the Cronus and suddenly the amplifier’s substance and solidity comes to the fore – all that power supply I guess. The challenging power and precision of Zinka Milanov’s voice is meat and drink to the Rogue Audio combination, the sheer presence and control in her voice stunningly impressive – exactly as it should be. Of course, low noise, decent resolution and best of all, a real poise, continuity and balance to the top to bottom range will stand the Stealth in good stead, whatever the company. But there’s no denying (and no surprise in discovering) the happy match it enjoys with the Chronus. Add in the carefully judged adjustability and carefully chosen balance of virtues – not so warm as to sound wooly, not so detailed and transparent as to sound stark or clinical – and you’ve got a serious new contender in the sub-£1K phono-stage stakes.

So which is better, the Metis/Atlas combination or the Chronus matched to the Stealth? Actually it’s a moot point. For dedicated digiphiles the £800 difference in price makes it a no-brainer while for those wed to vinyl the Stealth presents a compelling performance benefit over the MM-only stage in the Metis. In either role these Rogue audio components will form a convincing and beguiling musical heart to a twochannel system. Yes, there are electronics out there that offer more detail and superficially sharper and more impressive sound. None I’ve heard in this price range can better the Rogues’ all-round musical ability, the way they put performers in the room with you, drawing you to the music rather than the system. The Chronus arrives as a distinctive and decidedly different alternative to the made in China crowd; the Stealth just reinforces its appeal. Aptly named, Rogue Audio prove that there’s life in the old dog yet…