2. amps-preamps
  3. 1216693488

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
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Capuccino, by coincidence the Marriott has assigned me a room just a few doors down from suite 505, where the Criterion is being set up this afternoon by Soundings Hifi. I'll post again as soon as I manage to give an initial listen to the creature. Guido
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Guido, is it time for me to run over????

Unfortunately this Criterion will be cold out of the box. Maybe by the end of the weekend it'll be getting close to ready.

BTW, we had a first listen to Marantz's S7 reference CD/SACD player last night. Cold, out of the box, it's a contendah...Very nice indeed.
audiograils's avatar
audiograils
23 posts
 

Looks like a modern revival of the great Consummate set. If so, this will be one hell of a unit!!

AG
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Dave and I Heard Criterion yesterday for the first time at RMAF in Marriott suite 505 while the Soundings crew was setting up. Device had been used for 2 weeks by the software developer who is designing the control microcode. I estimate it may have been played for max 50 hours prior to yesterday. Device started cold and during the day played for 6 hrs continuously. Only the AC power supply was used as the firmware to control the battery DC PS is being tested. Rest of system consisted of JRDG 312 amp and the New Vienna Acoustic Die Muzick speakers which were being set up using the Masters process by Sumiko and Rod of Soundings. Source were a Marantz SA7-S1 and the PD MPS-5.

With the premise that in the little standard size hotel suite it is not possible to achieve optimal staging, and that Criterion is neither broken in nor it is using the battery power supply, results were extremely encouraging. We managed to conduct a very quick comparison with an equally new Capri. Using a Diana Krall cut, Dvorak's string sextet, 2nd movement from the New World Symphony, and 1st mov from Sibelius violin Concerto with Ann Sophie Mutter at the fiddle, my Initial impression is that Criterion seems to be yielding a much denser'', larger instrument image with a proportionally larger and more defined stage with finer and more textured overall detail. Before the show is over the Criterion will have racked up at least an additional 72 hrs of plahying time. . . I hope to be able to compare it with a fully broken in Capri. . . I'll post here my observations. Guido
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
It's always good to hear from the shareholders.

And cheerleaders.
More to discover