Krell FPB 300cx vs Jeff Rowland 501's?

My preference is for the Capri directly plugged into the AC, without PC1 Power Factor Correction device. I am planning to test the PC1 on Capri once again in the near future. I have tried 3 PCs on Capri this far:

PAD anniversary -- oddly, I did not like it in this application. . . some unwanted warmth in the lower part of the spectrum, slightly unclear bass, and a feeling of harmonics in the treble region 'disconnected' from the fundamental. Pad Anniv works very well on my X-01 Ltd and on ARC Ref 3 instead.

Cardas Golden Ref -- Good wire without too many flaws. . . not the ultimate extension, and some very slight raggedness at the top.

Shunyata Anaconda helix Alpha -- My preferred PC of the group. . . The most extended and apparently linear. One criticism that has been made by some to Anaconda is to yield slightly softened transients. . . but I still enjoy it very much.

Hope this helps. Guido

The Capri is no doubt a nice linestage and I again note that I have been running a Coherence II for nearly six years and owned Model 6 amps for several years - I really like Rowland equipment - but even accounting for obvious synergy between the Capri and the 312 amp, I have a tough time accepting that the Capri bests the ARC Reference 3, which is one of the small handful of very best line stages, in each of the following areas: "greater top to bottom extension, linearity, harmonic complexity, authority, macro and micro dynamics". With all due respect, that doesn't sound right.

Raquel, you are correct, outwardly at least, my preference does not sound terribly credible--the Ref 3 retailing for almost 4X the Capri, being rather diminutive, and internally rather sparsely populated. On the other hand having lost my eyesight 25 years ago, I am not particularly sensitive to the alure of component size, parts count, or striking cosmetics. . . I just let my ears 'do the walking', and more often than not, the 'surprising'.

It is worth pointing out that, in the post you refer, I did not use the term 'best' because it is suggestive of absolute valuations that I personally abhor. . . rather, I said "To my ears, Capri yields greater. . ." What I heard is neither right nor it is wrong. . . but simply my final preference of a comparison which lasted a month and a half in my own system, and admittedly started with a great deal of skepticism from my part. Initially, the Capri being factory fresh, my over 3-year old Ref 3 appeared to yield easily greater refinement, but past the 300 hrs breakin mark, my preference started to shift towards Capri, and firmed up during the subsequent few hundred hours. Approximately 3 months afterward, I put back the Ref 3 into the system for 3 weeks and swapped pres back and forth a few times just to determine if I had suffered temporary delusion. . . even inserted 6H30DRs for the occasion and a fresh SED Winged 6550C. In the end I threw in the towel and I reverted back to Capri. I concluded that either I had not suffered of delusions, or that my delusion was of a more long lasting/grievous nature, because I still easily preferred Capri.

For what it is worth, While I remain uncomfortable at the very word 'best', Rowland has commented several times that Capri is the best sounding Pre he ever created short of Criterion. He attributes a lot of its sound to the Texas Instruments Burr Brown OPA1632 differentially balanced quasi op-amp that he used at Capri's core.

All evaluation was conducted in balanced mode using AudioQuest Sky ICs. For PCs I tried Cardas Golden Ref, Shunyata Anaconda Alpha Helix, and PAD Anniversary.

I Hope this illuminates my experiences with these devices.

G.