Rowland 625

Just installed the Rowland 625 in my setup, its got less than 2 hours running therefore I'll only comment on the build. There are 2 pairs of binding which is a plus for me as I'm using 2 pairs of speaker cables to my MBL's. The IEC (power) is 20A so in the meantime I'm using an adaptor to fit my existing Shunyata 13A Ananconda Helix power cord. Might want to consider another Furutech since Guido's got some positive experience with them.

Interestingly the supplied feet are 3 sphere's which are to be screwed on the bottom of the amp. First time for me to see this on Rowland amps having owned the Concentra, 201, 501 and the Synergy preamp.

The amp runs warm to slightly hot at the moment very much like the Rowland amps of old like the Rowland Concentra. Fit and finish is the usual high standard and there are lots of pictures of the amp on the updated Rowland website. No owners manual just a well packaged amp with the usual Rowland signature red cloth. I'm looking forward to getting more hours on the amps.

Dtanclim, I noticed the spheres when I was at the last RMAF.... I asked Jeff Rowland about them. He told me that the spheres are made from Delrin, and he prefers their sonic effect to that of the traditional Sorbothane pads. I do not know if the audible improvement is real or not. I rather suspect that using the spheres as footers is mostly happenstance: they are derived from their use as chassis separators in multi-chassis devices like Criterion and the upcoming M925 monoblocks.

So Jeff now thinks that Class A/B amps are the way to go? Has he completely moved on from his ICE powered amps of the last few years?

How does this amp differ from the 10T 5 years back?

I tried a pair of 201s in my system and they didn't work for me one bit. Next to a Bryston 4BST, easily the worst amp I've had in my system.

Keith, as far as I know there is little or no commonality between 150W 10-year old M10 and 300W M625, except that both operate in class A/B, and use some forms of SMPS.

I have no real information whether Rowland has "abandoned" class D or not. Fact is that at this time tech detail is a little scant.... All I know beyond the product page on the Jeffrowland.com site is that M625 and M925 operate in class A/B with some form of "variable self adjusting bias" (my term not JRDG's) and no "global feedback" (their term).

Technical commonality with M201 is even less, M201 being an entry level device and M625 far from it. As for M925, it will cost approx 10X M201... I sure hope there is some difference beyond chassis and price tag, or I'm going to be one unhappy camper when I finally get my own units (grins!)

As for the sound, I have not heard M625 and M201 in the same system, but purely from fickle memory, they do not seem to sound the same at all at all at all.

G.

How much does M625 cost and how much is the cost of Corus preamp?
Anyone heard the Corus?
I am really curious. It seems 625 is not as heavy (and not rather large in size) as the 301 units and still it's not an ICE amp?
Better ask here, as you guys have the hands-on knowledge:)
Guido, are you here?