Jeff Rowland Capri preamp

Thank you Guido. Rich

I'll be getting a Capri with the phono boards. For the time being it will be run through the amp section of a VAC Avatar SE, 70 watts ultralinear push-pull.

I've enjoyed reading many of the threads on this preamp. I'm looking forward to auditioning it.

Clio09, I think you'll be happy. Be sure to let the Capri burn-in at least 100-hours before getting critical in your listening, that includes the phono-stage (I bought a little inverse RIAA card that allowed me to burn in the phono cards with my CDP). Keep everything running for a week and you'll have 150-hours on it before you know it.

It should be a fine match for you VAC. If you ever want to go ultra-quiet, then consider a full-Rowland set up with PFC and Rowland amps. Still, as you have planned should work well.

Dave

Clio09, I am even more conservative than Dave about Capri's breakin. . . mine has continued to sweeten and open up for over 3 months. . . I estimate that breakin time may be as much as 800 hrs before Capri stabilizes. after 100 or 150 hrs Capri will be quite good, but will be far from being at its best. A critical comparison with your current pre would still be premature with 150 hrs on it. G.

Ultimately I would like to go to an all balanced set-up. I might be getting a set of VAC Musicblocs in the future with the balanced input upgrade to go with the Capri, but for now it will run unbalanced into the VAC Avatar SE. However, I may try the balanced outputs on my DAC into the balanced inputs on the Capri. I don't have balanced cables right now but I should be able to pick up some Mogami Neglex which would not be too expensive.

Guido, I had read about the break in on the Capri. I will run my break in disc on it a few times and alternately run a CD on 24/7 repeat for a week to get things started.

Dave, where do you get the inverse RIAA card? Also, how would you rate the phono section? I think the upgrade was only $750. I'm using the VAC Avatar SE phono now and have had a K&K Audio SE phono in the past. Any comparisons to these or other phono stages would be helpful.