Rowlands vs. Levinson Amps.

Semi, The 501, and the 201 Rowlands are much the same amp, with the 501 suitable for heavier loads. According to several owner reports, the two versions sound similar.

The Rowland 300 series amps are of a different cloth. They are a good jump in sonics. Regrettably, they are expensive.

Interesting thing about those amps you mention (Classe, Plinius, VTL, Pass), some owners of these same amps have happily replaced them with H2O amps.

It's analog power supply sets the H2O apart from the Rowland 201, and 501.

The Rowlands are ICE based amps. Done right, ICE can sound like the better part of tubes. Having a digital switching power supply, as does the 201, is the wrong way to go about it, IMHO.

For the same money, you can get the best of the Rowland's ICE competitor, the H2O Signature. Unlike the Rowland, H2O amps have the biggest analog power supply to be found on class D amps.

Due to it's analog power supply, the H2O has great energy reserves, depth, body, and smoothness.

Has anyone read the 6Moons review on the H2O Signature that is up now? Hold your wallet until you do.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/h2o/m250.html

Scarcity, I would think, have kept the two apart. The 300 Rowland series are seriously expensive. There are few of them about. There are even fewer H2O Signatures around. I, for one, would be very happy to pit my H2O Signatures against any Rowland.

On my Scintillas, the H2O sounds closer to real than with any other system I've heard.

BTW I don't mind the spartan appearance. I use to place record album covers over the big blue eyes of my X600.