Rogue Audio Pharaoh II Dark Integrated Amplifier - Black

What the Dark Package Adds to a Pharaoh II

The Pharaoh II Dark is the standard Pharaoh II with Rogue's Dark component package fitted at the factory. The circuit is the same. What changes is what the signal passes through on its way out.

Rogue lists the package this way. Power supply upgrades. Upgraded coupling and input capacitors. Naked Vishay resistors in key spots. Upgraded resistors in the phono stage. Upgraded binding posts. And JJ Gold Pin 12AU7 tubes in place of the standard pair.

None of that changes the power rating or the connections. It is a parts upgrade, aimed at transparency rather than watts. If those parts are not what you want, the standard Pharaoh II is the same amplifier for less.

Tubes in Front, Hypex Behind

The preamp stage is a pair of long-plate 12AU7 tubes in a mu-follower topology. Power comes from Hypex N-CORE modules. The pairing is the whole point: tube character at the input, 250 watts a channel of solid-state grip at the output.

Into 4 ohms that becomes 400 watts. Rogue rates it 5Hz to 20kHz within 1dB. It runs very cool for its output. The manual asks for just an inch of clearance at the sides and top, so a cabinet or a rack shelf is fine.

The Phono Stage and the Headphone Amplifier

The phono stage takes high-output moving magnet and moving coil cartridges, and low-output moving coil too. Gain is 40dB for MM and 63dB for MC. Rogue holds RIAA accuracy to within 0.25dB from 20Hz to 20kHz.

Cartridge loading is adjustable, but note how. The DIP switches sit inside the chassis. Changing them means shutting the amplifier down fully and taking the cover off. Treat it as a setup task, not something to tweak between records.

The headphone amplifier is a hybrid tube and MOSFET circuit. It is rated 2 watts a channel into 32 ohms through a quarter-inch jack. Press the headphone button and the amp drops into partial standby, running only the tubes and low-voltage circuits.

Everything the Back Panel Offers

Inputs are phono, three line-level RCA pairs, and one balanced XLR pair. Outputs come in two sets. Variable outputs are buffered, for a subwoofer or a second amplifier. Fixed outputs suit a recorder or an outboard headphone amp.

A processor loop takes an external signal processor. A unity-gain input pair bypasses the preamp entirely for home theater use. Binding posts accept spades or bananas. Volume sits on the front panel, or on the remote in the box.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Ric Mancuso gave the Pharaoh II a Best of 2022 award at Enjoy the Music in September 2022. He heard it as "open sounding and airy without the sacrifice of weight," calling it "a full-bodied sound, but is not thick."

He credited the front end: "the tube section gives the amp the depth and quickness like a pure good tube component." Against the first Pharaoh he found "more transparency and detail," with "explosive dynamics, when called for."

Two cautions are worth knowing. Mancuso warns that engaging unity gain hands volume control to your processor: "the gain is all out full volume! Bamm! Be mindful of that scenario." And for all its connections at this price, the Pharaoh II Dark has no DAC and no digital inputs of any kind, so every source arrives as analog.

Who Is This Integrated Amplifier Best For?

• Your speakers are hard to drive — 250 watts into 8 ohms and 400 into 4 will hold onto demanding loads that tube power cannot.
• You want tubes without tube maintenance on the output — only two 12AU7s to replace, and the power section is solid state.
• Vinyl is central and your cartridge is moving coil — 63dB of MC gain and adjustable loading mean low-output cartridges work without a separate stage.
• You listen through headphones as often as speakers — 2 watts into 32 ohms from a tube and MOSFET circuit, with the power amp idled.
• If your music is digital, budget for a converter — there are no digital inputs at all. A streamer or DAC connects to one of the line inputs, and you will want a good one at this level.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Speakers go to the upgraded binding posts, spades or bananas. A turntable goes to phono with its ground lead attached. If your cartridge needs different loading, set the internal DIP switches before you rack the amplifier, not after.

A DAC or streamer takes one of the three line inputs, or the balanced XLR pair if it has one. A subwoofer takes the variable outputs, which are buffered so the sub cannot interact with the Pharaoh's own circuitry.

One habit to build: after switching the amplifier off, wait a full minute before switching it back on. Rogue is explicit that rapid cycling does not let the power supply discharge and can produce transient noises.

Pairs Well With

Building around the Pharaoh II Dark? Here are some good companions:

• Speakers: 250 watts a channel opens up the demanding end of the range — see our Floorstanding Speakers.
• Turntable: The MM and MC phono stage is already inside — see our Turntables.
• Headphones: Two watts into 32 ohms deserves a real pair — see our Headphones.
• Interconnects: Feed that balanced input properly — see our Interconnect Cables.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Dark different from the standard Pharaoh II?

Same circuit, better parts. Rogue fits power supply upgrades, upgraded coupling and input capacitors, naked Vishay resistors, upgraded phono-stage resistors, upgraded binding posts and JJ Gold Pin 12AU7s. Power and connections are identical to the standard Pharaoh II.

How much power does it deliver?

250 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 400 watts per channel into 4 ohms, from Hypex N-CORE modules. Distortion is under 0.1% typical, rising to under 1% at rated power.

Does it have a DAC or digital inputs?

The Pharaoh II Dark is entirely analog — phono, three line-level RCA pairs and one balanced XLR pair. Digital sources need their own DAC or streamer feeding a line input.

Will the phono stage handle a moving-coil cartridge?

Yes, including low-output moving coil. Gain is 40dB for MM and 63dB for MC. Loading is adjustable by DIP switches inside the chassis, so set it with the amplifier fully powered down.

Which tubes does it use, and how often do they need replacing?

Two 12AU7s in the preamplifier stage — JJ Gold Pin in the Dark. The power section is solid state, so there are no output tubes to bias or replace. Call us if you would like a spare pair.

Is it covered by a warranty?

Rogue Audio warrants parts and workmanship for three years from the date of retail purchase, and the vacuum tubes for six months. The warranty card must be returned within 30 days of purchase to validate it.

See It in Action

Our own walkthrough of what makes the Pharaoh II platform work:

A closer look at the chassis and back panel in 4K:

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