Question for Rowland aficionados

For several years I had a Model 1 and thought it was a wonderful amp, but I then auditioned a Pass Aleph 5 and suddenly the Rowland wasn't so satisfying. To some extent it's just a question of personal taste. The Rowland is a very good product, particularly at it's current used price (around $1,100). What you describe as instrumental tone I would describe as a coloration. For some types of music it's very, very positive and for others it's a slightly veiling of the sound. To the amp' s credit I never thought of this characteristic as amusical. By comparison the Pass offered a far clearer picture of the music with much less of a sonic signature. At the time I used the Model 1 with Monitor Audio Studio 20s, Rowland Coherence II (the original) and the Well Tempered TT.

I'm currently using a Rowland Concentra (version 1) and a Model 112. They are much less closed in sounding at the top than the Model 1 and are far less grainy, but at the same time they don't have the clarity of the Pass Aleph. I'd characterize them as richer sounding than the Pass, but they don't go so far that I would call it a coloration. Again, this type of characterization is heavily dependent on a person's sonic taste.

Thanks, great response Onhwy61. Not sure I would agree with your conclusion that what I like about the Model One is a coloration, but I do agree that other amps are clearer sounding. Funny, I owned an Aleph 5 for a few years, but not with most of my current system.

This brings up the great debate: Does one piece of electronics produce more of the musical reality? Or, is this just an enrichment of fatter-sounding harmonics, or some type of additive, that lead our ears to hear it was more real?

A tough question, and one that probably can't be answered definitively. In my own audiophile quest, I don't care any more. If it sounds more like music to me, even if it is added harmonics, etc. ---- I'll take it.

No electronic piece reproduces accuracy. They all miss the mark and have their individual sonic thumbprint. If a piece of electronics makes 90% of my music collection sound more real, involves me in the music more, that is the litmus test for me.

I am a fan of Rowland stuff. Currently using a pair of Model 3 monos, and a Consonance preamp in my system. Yes it sounds very natural, a Rowland signature. It may not jump out at you like some other amps would at first impression but it's a sound that will only grow on you. I belong to a local audio society and have many opportunities to listen to other "very expensive" systems, but always have found that I much prefer the naturalness of my system. If you like to listen to music rather than sounds, you can't go wrong with Rowland. Another thing, they have excellent service. I sent it my preamp when it has a minor problem (I bought it used) and Jeff Rowland worked on it himself. He even spent time trouble-shooting with me on the phone, and when it was in for service, upgraded it to current specs for a very minimal charge. Great folks to deal with.