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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
 
Audiofil, you have a point about buttons on JRDG. . . they are a little to small for me as well. . . in particular, the on/standby power switch on the 312 amp is a tiny round thing. . . flush with the front plate. . . I always hunt around with my fingers before finding it. On the other hand, I thought buttons and volume knobs on Capri and Criterion to be no problem at all. G.
audiofil
17 posts
 
As for the Capri (I have to ask Jeff again about this) you still cannot display the balance situation. My hands have not touched the Criterion, but it appears that Jeff employed the slightly larger M&Ms. Then there is yet another element rapidly changing in video and not seeing new technologies in audio. Connectivity. Today, the traditional XLR and RCA could just as well be replaced with something smaller in size and also with better performance as well as the ease of use. I hope new standards will be implemented in the near future - a market wide benefit to all. There is an enormous amount of new technology in connectors today... By now we should all be used to illuminated switches, as well as illuminated remotes, but how many can you list? BTW, what is the Criterion remote look like? The Cardas implementation by JRDG is clearly a winner and I hope more brands would use this solution. In any case, the Criterion today looks just lovely.
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
The Criterion will show a balance reading. The Criterion's remote will be very different from Rowland's prior minimalist remotes. It still won't be a 100-button style, but it'll provide a lot more flexibility. Unfortunately, I don't think it's on any site yet where you can see it. I saw one in his shop a few months back, but that was too long ago for me to provide any detail. (Darn, I should have taken a picture).

I understand your point of view towards controls, but I'm in the other camp. I like simple and minimalist, orieted toward an owner/user.

Dave
kawika
57 posts
 
Someone mentioned it would have a phono.....Was that meaning a input, or a on board amplification section....
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Just spoke to JRDG. Criterion is a linestage. a Phono section will be introduced next year in a separate chassis.

On the subject of size and color of characters on the display. . . the display is a fluorescent panel with 32x320 pixels. All chars are generate via software. numerics will be larger than on Capri. As fluorescent display generates a relatively broad spectrum, JRDG has selected a set of filtering jells that tune the output to a broad-spectrum very-light-quasi-white-blue, which should be usable even with most color distrophies. Brightness will be adjustable; display can be set to turn itself off after 5 secs, or even stay off indefinitely.

G.
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