Jeff Rowland Capri preamp

Yes, use balanced wherever you can. VAC will be excellent, now and post upgrade, but try to hear all-Rowland with Power Factor Correction before you make a final decision on that amp upgrade. YMMV regarding balanced, as a lot depends on your RFI/EMI environment and how tightly packed your components are (particularly the digital stuff).

The inverse RIAA card kit is $29 from Hagerman

The Capri's phono card is excellent, in the very top echelon. In my case it blew away my Pro-ject SEII, but, more importantly, it replaced a Levinson and a Sutherland in other systems that I know of. I don't know of anyone that replaced a K&K and I've never heard the K&K. Everyone's reporting plenty of gain with a wide variety of pickups along with enough loading choices to work with most cartridges. (If you've got "special needs" for loading, then there could be an issue, but the Capri handles "standard" loads). Uncolored, transparent, sweet, open, large stable image are things that I've heard from the three or four reporters that I've heard from directly by phone or email. The phono presentation is very consistent with the line inputs.

Dave

Hi again Clio, interesting you use VAC: Capri has same output impedance of 40Ohms SE and 80Ohms balanced as VAC Ren II pre. I suspect impedance match will be quite good. What I am not sure is if VAC is differentially balanced or simply has XLR inputs. . . may make a difference on Capri performance. Guido

For the time being I'd like to keep tubes for my amp. So the VAC or Atma-sphere come to mind (my speakers were voiced with the latter, but the designer also feels the VAC amps work well, which they have so far with the Avatar SE).

I've seen the Hagerman card now that you mention it and will order one. Since I'm using a MM cartridge the load is not an issue. I'm more concerned with the quality of the phono stage. I suspect the Capri phono will be fine.

I've read where the Capri on its own is immune to voltage swings. If I recall it can operate optimally at as low as 85 or as high as 385v. I read how some people use the PFC and I get that it actually mimics batter power with the conversion to DC, but I think I might hold off on that for now.

Search around for Guido's comments regarding the PFC. He prefers the Capri without PFC. Since it's a low current device, that's very understandable, but YMMV depending on the quality of your mains' power and the load presented by other devices in the same circuit. Guido's JRDG 312 amp has PFC, so you know it's presenting a nice sine-wave like demand to his mains, but you may not have that case in your system. Everyone that I know that combined the Capri with amps without onboard PFC, like the Rowland 501s, noted a very major gain by adding PFC to both, which the PC1 is set up to do with Rowland products.

That 385v is after PFC in DC mode. In AC mode (w/o PFC) you could hear some voltage sensitivity. Like I said earlier, a lot will depend on the basic stability of your mains along with whatever your amps and other components may be doing to contaminate.

All that said, assuming a relatively average environment, I think you'll be darn happy with the Capri without PFC, particularly if you use balanced at every possible point.

Dave

Just got the Capri and put it in my system yesterday. Currently running it single ended but that will change once I get some balanced cables. I'm currently looking at trying Mogami Neglex, Oyaide Pa-02TX, and Magnan Vi. I may add the Alha Core TQ-2 to the mix as well. Any other suggestions from Capri owners would be appreciated.

I bought a used unit here on Audiogon so I'm hoping break in time will be minimized. I ran my Granite Audio burn-in CD through it yesterday and there is about another 36 hours on it so far. Initial impressions are the preamp is quiet and more detailed. Sound is smooth, but somewhat relaxed. Soundstage is not as deep as the VAC Avatar SE, but still very acceptable. I'm running the Capri through the HT bypass on the VAC Avatar SE while I await my VAC Auricle Musicblocs.