New Rowland Criterion 2-chassis battery pre

Hi Audiofil, I do appreciate your quandry. . . as I am totally blind I can't see even the large display of the Capri. The Criterion display is a pixel map display and the firmware can be updated via a USB port. I will ask JRDG if large characters can be generated. . . or if the firmware can be modified in the future to do that. . . But I have gotten used operating equipment without looking at the display, and it has been only a minor inconvenience this far. Guido

The Capri is easier to read than the prototype Critereon display, by a long shot. The buttons light, so I don't really see much need for a display if you remember which buttons are which inputs. These are both functionally pretty simple devices, so I wouldn't get too hung up about the display, but that's just me.

Dave

Guido, I am sorry to hear, or rather read about your handicap! You are most likely correct about the possibility of modifying via firmware. Dave, that's exactly the other issue of not being able to assign custom names to sources in the Capri situation. In today's world one should also be able to pick a color of choice for all LEDs in a given device. I spent much time discussing this with Larry at Magnum, but the market trend said blue and the nights of music suddenly turned into a fiesta of lights-into your face. In my humble view too much attention is given to radical styling and submission to fashion, and still a lot of work remains in the ergonomics for most brands.

Thank you Audiofil, except for the relative insensitivity to eye-candy, blindness is hardly a disability for an audiophile. . . more of a persistent annoyance, which can be circumvented to a reasonable extent by bits of added shrinkwrap on positive wire leads (thank you Cardas!) and a few written notes about remote control and component layouts.

I agree completely about the rigidity of display ergonomics and related input/output labelling. If I recall correctly -- and I may be wrong -- Criterion lets you assign meaningful text label on the display to connected devices. As for display color, the Criterion at RMAF had only an engineering level display with a temporary color. Criterion uses a series of filter jells to tune display color. Therefore it may be possible -- at least in principle -- to ask Jeff Rowland to install color filter tuned to the requirements of a particular user as a special order.

In some bright and wonderful future, I would like to see all system components able to communicate with and being remotely controlled by an external Mac/Linux/Windows computer via a platform independent web or Web 2.0 interface. . . at which point current international standards can be applied for developing highly usable/accessible control environments compatible with all audiophiles, including those of us with certain sensorial/motor/cognitive inconveniences/disabilities. See the World Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative technical guidelines at:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/guid-tech.html

Those reading Audiofil's post may mistakenly believe that the Jeff Rowland Design Groups are radically designed. In my view their physical appearance is very conservative, giving the feeling of understated quality. The blue lights for the buttons are very small and the display can be muted on devices like the Capri and Continuum. The engineering sample of the Critereon was similarly understated.

Whether the Critereon will ultimately allow users to customize their displays, I have no answer. The USB allowing firmware update would make that a possibility. All I need is Phono, Digital 1 and Digital 2 and maybe Tape in the future, we'll see. Lacking that a simple 1, 2, 3, 4, as on my Continuum 500, will suffice. I really have no trouble remembering what's what and don't let anyone else use my rig without supervision.

BTW, my Playback Designs MPS-5 has a large, red LED display and some complain about that. I mute it when not in use, but there's no satisfying everyone. There'll always be someone bitching about something. I just make sound my first priority and follow that cue.

Dave