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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
 
All, after 2 weeks of travel to Ithaca (NY) and Vancouver (Canada) I am back home in Austin. During this time the system was turned off and totally disconnected from the AC outlet.
The system has now just been reconnected and is back online. Criterion is doing some remedial break-in: sitting on the Appogg platform, fed music from my ancient NAD tuner through a transformer-based RCA/balanced adapter designed by Austin audiogoner Lee Roitberg ([lee_roitberg@hotmail.com]
), and I expect that it should have mostly recovered from its offline vacation by mid week for some good listening.
husk01
171 posts
 
Guido, I am wondering why you didn't leave it running while you were gone for more breakin time?
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Very simple. . . Austin is a place of sudden and potentially violent thunderstorms. . . a power surge into the system would have been a rather expensive proposition. I always disconnect the system when I leave town. G.
husk01
171 posts
 
Makes sense to me.
brazcole
63 posts
 
I bought today the Áudio & Vídeo magazine with the Criterion's review from Fernando Andrette. He had a Coherence for 8 years, he still likes JRDG devices, and said that love to review the Criterion to compare with his old pre-amplifier, as I said above.
In his opinion the Criterion keep the wonderfull sound of the Coherence with a STUNNING improvement. After the reviews, he always gives notes ( 1 to 10 ) about specifics itens. The maximum a device can rich is 80. The Criterion rich 81,5 because he gives 3 notes 10,5: for Sound Stage, for Dinamic and for Transientes ( I don't know this name in English).
You can go to www.clubedoaudio.com.br to see this review in the home page, but you need to apply to read it. Anyway, it's in Portuguese.
I'd like, any day, of course, read a full review for the Criterion from Giodocorona, another expert in audio, to compare with Fernando Andrette's review.
Very good, Guidocorona, that you are back in home, because now you're close to your set up.

Let's listen to music !!
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