Anyone know anything about a new Rowland 312?

Guido, if the 312 uses the model 501 ICEpower module (ASP1000), then it has a built in switch mode power supply. It doesn't make sense, why would Jeff replace the built in SMPS with an external (transformer based) one?

Chris

Chris, I have no further info at this time. Some/any/all contraddictions may be solved once real specs and manuals are posted to the web. Until then. .. there is a little information and a lot of guessing by necessity.

I just checked the specs page from the Rowland website and see that the weight is down significantly for the new iterations of the 300 series amps. The 301 monos used to be +/- 110 lbs. each and the 302 stereo version was +/- 100 lbs. Now, the 301's are 80 lbs. each and 302 is 69 lbs. This means that he has ditched the heavy analog power supplies employed in the original versions of these amps in favor of what I presume are (but do not know for certain to be) switch-mode designs. While perhaps (but not necessarily) an improvement, that is going to change the sound and make the performance of these amps much more dependent upon the quality of the wall A/C supply (in fact, the website says "[T]he 300 Series power supply incorporates active power factor correction circuitry that assures full utilization of the electrical system").

Thank you Raquel for the insight. I hope to listen to the JRDG 312 and perhaps 301 monos at the AudioFest in Denver the coming weekend. If I do, I'll report here my observations.

Guido

Heard the 312 in Denver during the weekend at AudioFest. . . simply awesome. . . the most emotionally involving yet perfectly controlled amp I have ever listen to, of any persuasion. . . solid-state, tube, analog, digital, or otherwise! To paraphrase the old song. . . I left my heart in Denver. . . or was it in Colorado Springs?