I just had someone message me through my Audiogon thread asking me to comment on the difference between a Rowland 625 S2 and the Merrill 116. Here is my response:
Wow. Totally different beasts. Opposite ends of the solid state world.
Roland is known for warm, rich, soulful sound. I think, and many agree, that the 625 S2 is one of Jeff’s greatest design. And they look gorgeous. But they lack in many areas compared to more expensive options. Speed, transparency, dynamic impact, low end extension and noice floor. Rowland is solid state that sounds like tubes. It’s great, and musical and engaging.
116’s are, in many ways opposite and in some ways half way to opposite. The 116 are neutral, in all capital letters. There is no voicing, tonal coloration, saturation, or emphasis on anything but purity and an absolute transparent window to the preamp and source. The amps are utterly clean; like looking through a window and your brain keeps saying that it knows there is a window there, but your eyes just can’t perceive any window because the glass is just so damn transparent. There is no warm and no rich. Just music. Accurate, clean, engaging music.
It also has fathomless low extension with a sense of slam and impact that makes you scratch your head. It’s not exaggerated. But that concept of clean keeps coming back. There is an impact and sense of pace and rhythm conveyed that resembles sitting close to the performers and having that visceral, palpable experience of being near the instruments. This conveys a sense of realism that needs to be experienced to appreciate. I believe all of this is subconsciously reinforced by the fact that the amps have the lowest perceived noise floor I have ever experienced. Again, it results in that word clean that I keep bringing up.
Along with that, the amps are lightning fast. This is a hard one to describe until you hear them. But the leading and trailing edges are perfectly defined both spatially and temporally. The pluck of an instrument string or snap of a snare has a sense of correct speed that only the most expensive gear seam to get right.
All of this is done without sounding overly accurate, sterile or lifeless. Your toes will tap, your fingers will snap, and you will sing out loud. They really need to be experienced. Of course, the Rowland does that as well. Forgive the anology, but having sex with a condom feels really great, but without one is SO much better! 😜
