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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
brazcole
63 posts
 
Naaahh, Pinkus, using the KX-R as a hammer to hit some nails into your wall is a crapshoot at best.
You can keep this preamp if you want. Very beautifull sound, no doubt about that.
On another note, I always think that flat cables for speakers was a bad technologie because only very few companies make those cables, but I think I'm very wrong, because if Jeff Rowland uses the Odin flat cables in his speakers, this cable must be extremely good.
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Clavil, JRDG has used internal Cardas wiring for many years in its products. Conversely, Jeff has adopted the Odin external wires in his own stereo system only very recently, in the last several months I believe. G.
clavil
254 posts
 
Guido, I find this a little bit strange because the Cardas (I am not talking about the Clear which seems to be quite different) are cables more on the dark and warm side and the Odin at the opposite on highest resolution and speed ...

but maybe it's like french cooking, you put sometime a little bit of sugar before salt & pepper ... ;-)
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Clavil, Internal wiring and external ones need not be the same. JRDG has used Cardas internal wires for many years. There is obviously no telling what internal wiring JRDG may adopt in future products. Personally I am extremely partial to Furutech Evolution (external) wiring for JRDG gear. I have not heard Jeff's setup with Nordost Odin, so it is difficult for me to comment on it. G.
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
When I visited Jeff in his shop he talked about being amazed at how different an amp or pre-amp could sound by changing one or two internal wire. He held up three or four little micro-strands of wires, all of which he'd tried in some recent project. He does a lot of iterative testing in development and might use copper in one application and silver in another, all selected by ear.

Like Guido says, just because he uses a specific brand in a specific application today, doesn't mean that he'll use that in all future applications.

Dave
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