Jeff Rowlands Amp and Dac vs. VAC amp and DAC

Hi Rinpoche,

Congratulations on your decision, preliminary though it may be.

To be sure it's clear, is the Roland you have tentatively settled on the 625S2?

Also, just out of curiosity, which speaker make (Focal?) and specific model was it that you listened to in the recent session?  And if you know or can determine it during your next visit, which tap on the 200iq was used in connecting to that speaker?

Best,
-- Al
 

Here's a thought, maybe do as I do...
own a Rowland ss amp for when you want that ss sound..and a tube amp for when you like the sound of tubes!
The Rowland is an excellent ss amp, having said that, it has all of the typical ss attributes...less depth than what tubes will give you, less purity in the midrange and slightly less definition of timbre. OTOH, the ss amp has better control of the bass, slightly more exact positioning of the players on the stage...although as I said above, the stage is foreshortened and the bonus of being a) probably more reliable and b) giving off less heat. Plus, the ss amp can typically drive a wider range of speakers ( at least the one I own). 
There is no amp that I am aware of that gives the best of both worlds...ss and tube.

Daveyf
Have you heard the 625 S2 in your system or compared it directly to a tube amp?

Another brand that should be on your audition list is Ayre....even the older ones are fabulous.  Their customer service is top notch as well.

There are many brands that could be worth auditioning, including Ayre.
She chose to audition these two with occasionaly couple of others in the mix. The big question here is tubes or not. The possible question Rowland or Ayre is not very significant by comparison.
People approach things differently. With the same speakers I would compare used LAMM tube preamp/ hybrid amps and VAC, I would not consider either Rowland or Ayre except maybe older Rowland 8Ti and 9Ti with Coherence preamp.
I suggested LAMM, she doesn't want to go this direction and I understand well why. I think, she is doing all the right things within her set of parameters. She is a music lover not an audiophile and doesn't want to spend all weekends for a year to choose something that she already might've auditioned.