There was a question re the Corus pre-amp. I have owned the Corus for two months following an upgrade from Synergy IIi.
As compared to the Synergy, the Corus is more transparent, quieter, images more precisely and has deeper cleaner bass.
I really enjoyed the Synergy IIi which was I felt was very musical despite being fairly neutral. In retrospect I think the Synergy emphasized the mid-bass a bit as compared to the Corus which simply goes deeper without undue emphasis anywhere across the frequency range.
One caveat is the long run-in time 1000+ hours I was concerned when I initially plugged the Corus in and it sounded a bit off. Fortunately Guidocorona impressions of the Criterion break-in was helpful. Also see search the very helpful JDRG Knowledgebase for break-in.
If there is one word the sums up the sound of the Corus to me it is holographic in terms of providing precise 3D images that surprises by revealing the normally hidden music nuances.
BTW, the design of Corus is virtually the same as the Criterion except for the absence of battery power supply (compare internal pictures of the Corus and Criterion). I bought the Corus (without opportunity to audition) because of its overall mix of features (dual pre-amp paths),close to state-of-art JDRG preamp design and positive reviews of Criterion (assuming that the Corus is a very similar design). Fortunately the Corus has lived up to expectations.
As compared to the Synergy, the Corus is more transparent, quieter, images more precisely and has deeper cleaner bass.
I really enjoyed the Synergy IIi which was I felt was very musical despite being fairly neutral. In retrospect I think the Synergy emphasized the mid-bass a bit as compared to the Corus which simply goes deeper without undue emphasis anywhere across the frequency range.
One caveat is the long run-in time 1000+ hours I was concerned when I initially plugged the Corus in and it sounded a bit off. Fortunately Guidocorona impressions of the Criterion break-in was helpful. Also see search the very helpful JDRG Knowledgebase for break-in.
If there is one word the sums up the sound of the Corus to me it is holographic in terms of providing precise 3D images that surprises by revealing the normally hidden music nuances.
BTW, the design of Corus is virtually the same as the Criterion except for the absence of battery power supply (compare internal pictures of the Corus and Criterion). I bought the Corus (without opportunity to audition) because of its overall mix of features (dual pre-amp paths),close to state-of-art JDRG preamp design and positive reviews of Criterion (assuming that the Corus is a very similar design). Fortunately the Corus has lived up to expectations.