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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
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Just learned a couple more bits of info about the Criterion at RMAF. . . the device was an engineering model whose internals are still a little away from final production. For one thing it does not have final ceramic multi-layered boards, but it uses downlevel engineering development boards; According to Jeff Rowland, even under AC, the final production version should sound even better than what we heard in Denver.

The display is a prototype as well. . . final production will look somewhat different, should be brighter and should have crisper color. G.
kawika
57 posts
 
Guido, are we going to see it before year end? I hate to keep asking Jeff every month about it, but we all thought it was just months away from production after seeing it at Jeff's CES exhibit...........Mine's been bought and oapid for from my dealer for 7 months!
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Hi Kawika, as far as I know all the hardware is ready and there are a few dozen Criterions almost ready to be shipped. . . control firmware is expected to be completed by year end. . . but, have you ever dealt with software developers? There is always one more module to complete, one more bug to remove, one more test configuration to run. I'll keep you posted. G.
kawika
57 posts
 
I spoke with the front desk Chickie a few weeks ago about the Criterion. All she knew was that the final production circuit boards had been ordered by Jeff.
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
That "desk chickie" was probably Jeff's wife, OR one of the production assemblers. No one there just answers the phone, so your report is probably accurate.

Chassis lay in wait for the boards and software. I've seen them myself, months ago. The big unknown is software development. Has anyone here ever depended on a software engineer to finish something on time??? Raise your hands... so my prediction is two to six months. Jeff's not really in control regarding this issue.

Dave
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