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New Rowland Criterion 2-chassis battery pre

Jeff Rowland Design has just created a page for its upcoming statement-level, twin chassis, battery powered full function preamplifier. Detail is still scant, but a little bit of info is already available, in addition to front and rear view pics. Here’s the page:
http://jeffrowland.com/Criterion.htm
And here’s the front view:
http://jeffrowland.com/Criterion-front.htm
And here’s the rear view:
http://jeffrowland.com/Criterion-back.htm

You will find a few specs already on the site. JRDG should be publishing more info in the next few weeks. I will post here as I receive it. in addition to the published specs that you can read on the page above, here are a very few additional tidbits that I have learned this far:

. Uses Burr Brown TI OPA1632 high speed fully differentially balanced modules.
. Includes phono stage.
. Uses standard NiMH D-cell batteries available in most electronics stores, loaded in 2 rear-inserted tubes of power supply chassis.
. Capable of AC/DC operation . . . will recharge batteries on independent circuit during AC operation.
. Full remote control
. Target price $18K (not sure yet)
. Availability: probably early Fall 2008.
. Will be featured at RMAF in Soundings Hifi suite Marriott 503 or 505 from Oct 10th to 12th in Denver.

And sorry folks, I have not heard this device yet. Nor I have any good third party reports on its sound. Any speculations on Sonics from my part would be just. . . pure speculations. I’ll keep everyone posted as I learn more.

Guido
guidocorona
french_fries
815 posts
 
i take it all back! that is to say, i will wait for a Criterion to appear on audiogon for 33% (or more?) off- some flavor-of-the-month guy will want to try tubes- and then, THEN i will POUNCE, like the audiophilic demento that i am, upon the 6 month old model, which probably hasn't even been broken in yet... it is after all a VERY nice preamp. let's just hope it doen't have any unforseen bugs with the batteries, or whatever.
batteries are nice, but the unit has to recharge them, use them up to a point and/or switch back to the wall, etc. i wouldn't mind if it just had a dead-quiet outboard power supply, period. and possibly THAT version would probably cost $5k less to build.
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Hi French_Fries, my immediate goal is to be able to listen to a Criterion live. . . and to compare it with the Capri, and hopefully with a Ref 3. Perhaps at RMAF I'll be able to do some a/b listening with Criterion and Capri. . . . should be fun! G.
psag
518 posts
 
My Concerto pre- with onboard phonostage is dead quiet.
Until recently it was JR's top of the line preamp. So this Criterion must have something else to offer at over triple the price tag. True, there are some nice new features (adjustable gain, recording mode). But sound is what we really care about, and I wonder how the sound is going to be significantly improved.
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Yes Psag, absolutely. . . products must justify themselves on sound first and foremost. . . I am incredibly curious about its musical performance. G.
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
I'll be pleasantly surprised if the new Criterion elevates very far beyond the Capri, mainly adding flexibility to the Capri's limited switching possibilities. The ability to use the Capri in DC mode by placing the PC1 power factor correction unit in front of it makes me wonder about the value of a battery power supply. We shall see. There's surely a market for two-box, battery powered high-end units, but I think that Rowland may have made most of the performance available at a much lower price in the Capri and Continuum.

Dave
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