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New Rowland Criterion 2-chassis battery pre

Jeff Rowland Design has just created a page for its upcoming statement-level, twin chassis, battery powered full function preamplifier. Detail is still scant, but a little bit of info is already available, in addition to front and rear view pics. Here’s the page:
http://jeffrowland.com/Criterion.htm
And here’s the front view:
http://jeffrowland.com/Criterion-front.htm
And here’s the rear view:
http://jeffrowland.com/Criterion-back.htm

You will find a few specs already on the site. JRDG should be publishing more info in the next few weeks. I will post here as I receive it. in addition to the published specs that you can read on the page above, here are a very few additional tidbits that I have learned this far:

. Uses Burr Brown TI OPA1632 high speed fully differentially balanced modules.
. Includes phono stage.
. Uses standard NiMH D-cell batteries available in most electronics stores, loaded in 2 rear-inserted tubes of power supply chassis.
. Capable of AC/DC operation . . . will recharge batteries on independent circuit during AC operation.
. Full remote control
. Target price $18K (not sure yet)
. Availability: probably early Fall 2008.
. Will be featured at RMAF in Soundings Hifi suite Marriott 503 or 505 from Oct 10th to 12th in Denver.

And sorry folks, I have not heard this device yet. Nor I have any good third party reports on its sound. Any speculations on Sonics from my part would be just. . . pure speculations. I’ll keep everyone posted as I learn more.

Guido
guidocorona
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Hi Keith, you are right, specs tell very little. As soon as I have some better info I will post it, as I already said above. Reason I created this thread is that as I am extremely fond of the extant little Capri pre, I can't wait to listen to a much more ambitious device that harnesses the same ideas in an all out assault. Yet, it looks like I may still have to be a little patient. G.
raquel
841 posts
 
Clio09: Running a good solid-state preamp with a tube amp is no experiment, as solid-state pre's have none of the impedance matching issues or problems driving long runs on interconnects that tube preamps have.

My personal belief is that an elite solid-state preamp run with an equally good tube amp is very hard to beat. I have been running a Coherence II with VAC Renaissance 140's and 70/70's for five years (although my main amp is now solid-state).
french_fries
815 posts
 
the capri is the low man on the totem pole according to JRDG own product descriptions. the synergy was the std. preamp after the coherence "mysteriously" stopped being made (frankly my guess is that there was very little interest in the product). BUT with added battery power, the synergy was supposed to be elevated even further, closing whatever gap might have existed between it and the coherence. now i am happy that some here feel the capri is a great preamp, but i don't see valid comparisons being made here, except with audio research, which is another animal altogether. and what about the concerto preamp...?
bar81
791 posts
 
With regard to the Coherence, this is what Hi-Fi+ had to say in the context of a review of the Ayre MX-R:

"It’s a shame that Roland have already used (sullied?) the Coherence moniker, because it could have been coined for these amps."
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Hi French_fries, I agree with you. . . direct comparisons of older Concerto, Synergy and Coherence pres with current Capri are missing. If anyone in the greater Austin area has any of these legacy devices on hand, I'd love to get together and do some a/b listening. I have heard the Concerto pre once and loved it, but have not had the opportunity of doing a direct comparison with current production Capri nor with my ARC Ref 3. And if anyone else has the opportunity of making such direct comparison with units having at least 800 hours of recent play on them, please post your findings.
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