I have many yrs. of experience with JR equipment. Cardas for all applications has worked best for me. |
I've been through tons of cables and have settled on Kimber Select 1011, nice body and texture, very smooth. On my system, YMMV but worth checking out. Portrayal of strings is very good, and acoustic guitar very nice timbre.
ARC PH 5 to CJ Premier 14 to Mcintosh 501's |
I have a Model 10; pair of 201s and Coherence II and exclusively use Cerious Technologies PCs and ICs. |
Hi Clavil, I play classical almost exclusively. I use a Capri with the JRDG 312 stereo and am also quite familiar with the 501 monos. If you have recently bought your Capri and 501 amps, they are probably not at all broken in. Expect that for the next 1000 hours of playing time they will do all sort of 'interesting' sounds, that will start slowly turn into music only sometimes after the 500 hrs mark. Until you have just over 1000 hours on the units it is not worth while thinking about interconnects or power chords, because you would be overcompensating for pre-break in artifacts. Rather, if you have the budget, you may look at a pair of JRDG PC1 Power Factor Correction units. You place them between the 501 and the current power cords. They convert the 110V AC from the wall outlet to 385V DC that they feed to the 501s. The 312 and the new Continuum 500 already have PFC built in. Rowland introduced the PC1 to bring the performance of the 501 and 201 much closer to that of the flagship products. You can expect greater authority, more filegreed treble and midrange, and lots more low level information. . . e.g. harmonics and string vibrato.
I use Audioquest Sky ICs throughout my system. They are graceful and extended and work remarkably well with the current generation of JRDG gear. . . but I do not pretend them being the ultimate solution. I have also heard Capri connected with Purist Anniversary ICs. . . absolutely wonderful, but staggeringly expensive.
One recommendation. . . leave Capri and 501 always turned on. . . that's JRDG recommendation. . . but idle time does not count towards break in.
Guido |
hi everybody,
thank you for the advices, I have heard the JFR with Cardas and Trenner-Friedl loudspeakers, it sounded warm and quiet.
With the NBS it's fast, even sometimes too agressive but of course the source isn't the same : Denon DCD versus EMM Labs
Hi Guidocorona,
you will probably find the following history funny. I was thinking to replace my Threshold Fet Nine E for an ARC ref 3 or un Mark Levinson 326 ... I was in Bangkok when somebody of the forum told me about your thread (ARC ref 3 or Capri) which made me very curious about Jeff Rowlands Capri ... back to Switzerland I got last week a Capri and an ARC ref 3 at home. The importer of the products of Jeff Rowland invited me to hear trough all the JFR products so that I got also the monoblocs 501 at home... when I compared them to my OCM I had a great schock ... opening of a new dimension of the stage imaging, definition, precision, control of the loudspeakers so that I decided to buy the monoblocs 501 + the Capri ... I was slightly desapointed by the ARC (beautifull warm sound but not so precise ... was it because it had only some 130 hours on the counter or because a Jeff Rowland preamp matches better with a Jeff Rowland amp ... or just because the Capri is so good???
In any case thank you! So I got my Capri yesterday, I am still using the monoblocs of the dealer because mine are still in the US, waiting for a transoceanic flight.
once more thanks a lot
kind regards |
Hi Clavil. At 150 hrs or so, the ARC Ref 3 does not sound terribly good. At 500 hrs it will be excellent and completely broken in. Capri won't reach its best performance until about 1000 hours of real music making.However, after everything is over and done. . . I still prefer the Capri for its amazing frequency extension, great and deep bass response without bloat, treble that is extended, and sweet, a midrange that is textured but never excessive, harmonic development that is second to none; magnificent staging and imaging. What the Capri will never be however is 'warm' or 'tuby'. . . . it just makes music in a way that I -- and it seems you -- truly like.
But in more direct answer to your question. . . yes, Capri is truly that good! Guido
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Hi Guido,
I am professional musician (classical music), that's why I am looking for a system which shows the reality ... the warmth of tubes is beautifull nevertheless a kind of distorsion of the reality ... the precision of the Capri is indeed amazing.
I use my system for 2 different purposes a) enjoy music b) as a kind of microcospe allowing my hears to zoom into the orchestra isolating one or other instrument.
In Europe we have 220 Volts, is the JRDG PC1 also build for this ?
regards |
Clavil, I have no advice for you on cables but your 501 monoblocks ought to be able to drive this speaker (notoriously heavy load). Another Arnie Nudell designed beauty (in addition to your fine R 90's). |
Hi Clavil, yes you are right, besides its amazing precision, one of the virtues of the little Capri is its resolving power and how it allows me to pan/zoom at will my attention to different instruments or groups in the orchestra or ensamble. I will call JRDG on Monday about compatibility of PC1 with 220V AC and will post the answer here. |
Hi Guido,
could you also ask him which cables he is using beetween preamp and amp ... I am very curious about this point
Talking with the importer, he told me that Jeff Rowland had a pair of Mini Magico, a really amazing "little thing" ... incredible precision and details ... but very expensive
thanks |
Clavil, I have asked about PC1 voltage compatibility: PC1 can be used with any input voltage, including European 220V 50Hz.
As far as I know JRDG's listening room is being changed. . . I will see/hear it on October 9th during a tour of the JRDG facility organized by Soundings Hifi of Denver. I will report back here after RMF. Guido |
