Rowland 2 or Accuphase A50?

I don't think my tube experience qualifies as I went from two Golden Tube SE-40s monoblocks to one A50-V. But like many A50-V owners in this forum I will not be looking for a new amp any time soon. If anything it will be another A50-V to run as monoblocks. The A50-V is an excellent excellent amplifier. Detail, Air, Soundstaging, Bass it's all there in spades. My choice was the Rowland 8TiHC, Boulder 1060 or the Accuphase. I believe for my system I made the right choice. But let your ears be your guide.

Cheers,
Dan

I had a preamp customer who sold his ARC Ref 300 Mk IIs and bought the the Accuphase A50s which he used in mono and was very happy with them....Not familiar with the Rowland 2, but all his creations sound similar with little in common with the Accuphase.....If you like smooth go with Rowland and if you want to hear how drunk the musicians are then go with Accuphase...

I have both sitting in my living room right now. The Rowland is musical with a deep dark background. Musical if not the most transparent. Just getting familiar with the Accuphase but it is alive and vibrant with the air of your good Class A amps. I've had Krell (Audio Standard 2) and the Goldmund Mimesis 29. The Goldmund was nearly perfect but didn't have huge bass control/slam but that was not really a bother (the plastic binding posts on an amp built better than almost anything was, though).

I also consider myself a tube guy.
I recently purchased an Accuphase A-20 and a McIntosh C220 tube preamp.
I can not imagine ever parting with either one of these units.

I went from a Rowland Model 10 to an Accuphase A-50V. The Accuphase was significantly better in every way. That being said, the A-50V is both a newer design and much more expensive than the Model 2 which went out of production back in 1999. So not a fair fight IMO. I have now moved on to an Einstein hybrid, which although it does not have the ability to handle difficult loads like the Accuphase, drives my new Tidal speakers just fine. I also like the fact that it weighs 50 pounds less.