Which integrated amp for better musicality - Parasound Hint vs Primaluna vs ???

@mr_m,

I also spoke to the guys at Rogue before purchasing a Pharaoh. My local dealer suggested the Cronus is the better amp and he was certainly correct. In my system, it was better in every regard: resolution, instrument separation, imaging, bass... you name it. I’m not talking small margins either. IMHO, it’s the CMII that should be their flagship integrated. I’m baffled as to why the Rogue rep I spoke to claimed to prefer the Pharaoh. He said it manages greater detail than the Cronus, but my experience was quite the opposite.

I tried one pair of NOS tubes in the Pharaoh and Sphinx - Brimar 4003s. Didn't make any notable improvement. Have you owned a full-tube integrated? They don't sound anything like the hybrids I've encountered.

Hello 
Two extra options to consider:

1-I bought the AUDIO-GD Master 1 preamp (it should be a VERY good pre). I will have it in a couple of weeks, so then I will be able to tell how good is the Line Magnetic LM-508IA solely as a power amp. It should be a noticeable step up in quality... I hope! 

2-I have a contact from Argentina who is living in Australia and he is the owner of a Boutique Speaker brand, Hulgich Audio. He won the Better Sound Stand Price, awarded by stereonet.com in a Hifi Show in Australia. He told me he was competing against 500.000 dollar systems and his own was about 20.000 bucks. Besides his Ella Speakers, he usted two Nord Acoustics One UP NC500MB class D mono power amps and those cost about 1.000 US Dollars each, if you buy it directly to the factory. He really got me thinking.

By the way, the DAC he usted in that show was an Audio-gd with double Sabre 9038 chip. This brand, Audio-gd, is also another one to consider if you want solid state amplification. 

helomach
Then I would have to presume Rogue's integrated amps (hybrid or all tube) are very much system dependent. Therefore I could no more say you are wrong then you could about me. I made this recommendation to the OP in good faith. You undermined my opinion. Not the first time you did this to me. So I felt I had to respond. I stand by my opinion that the Pharaoh is still a good option albeit system dependent.

No worries all  - I appreciate hearing everyone's opinion and do not look at differing opinions as one usurping the other. Rogue sounds like they make some amazing product based on several threads that I have read including this one. 

I may have a chance to go to an authorized dealer to take a listen to both the Rogue and the Line Magnetics... definitely looking forward to it. 

@mr_m 

Really? I undermined your opinion? My opinion is based on real experience with all three Rogue integrateds. Yours is based on a biased manufacturer's assertion.

The CMII is the far better amp. They don't even belong in the same conversation. You obviously have very little or zero experience with tube amps if you think tube rolling a Pharaoh gets it even remotely close to producing real tube sound. If you ever get a chance to hear a real tube amp you'll understand why.