2. amps-preamps
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Rowland preamps??????

Anyone have a lot of experience w Rowland preamps?

I'm looking for a high quality fully balanced pre to run into my Vt-100mkII, and I need to stay well under $2500.00.

Rowland makes an awful lot of products w similar names...Continuum, Consonance, Concerto pre...and Concerto integrated. It's hard to keep them all straight. Poor marketing, if you ask me.

Anyway, it seems like the Concerto, Consonance, Capri and SynergyII are all in the $2000-$2500 price range. There's also a SynergyIIi, which sould be a little stretch for me, but it's a 230v unit.

Anyone familiar with these pres, at all. Thanks in advance.
trank
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
Trank, Capri is the current production model. . . which is the one I use in my own system. Capri is said to be more extended detailed, and linear than prior JRDG pres. Whether or not it yields less or greater musical 'magic' than older models, is entirely a matter of personal preference. E.G. I prefer it over my own ARC Ref 3 because of its very linearity, extension, and control over the entire frequency range. If you valued slight euphony over linearity, you may enjoy older JRDG linestages over Capri. . . if your musical taste were similar to mine instead, Capri may very well be the ticket.
BTW, I also find the JRDG naming scheme for pres absolutely maddening. G.
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
By coincidence, I still have also an ARC LS2B, which I used for 10 years before getting the ARC Ref 3, and then the Capri after that. . . The LS2B is the most 'golden' sounding of the group. . . the Ref 3 is in the middle. . . and the Capri the most neutral. . . it all depends on your prefs. G.
ferrari
617 posts
 
My favorite in the Rowland line up is the Coherence One preamp. Very difficult to find today, and wish I had never sold the one I had. Reference caliber preamp with few peers.
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
Ferrari, have you ever heard the Coherence II? and if you have, could you comment on the differences between the 2 versions? G.
trank OP
10 posts
 
Thanks for your feedback, all. I checked out your thread from last year on the Capri vs. the Ref3. Sounds like th Capri outperforms most of the older JRDG preamps. I took some notes while shopping over the past week, and there was a Capri for sale. It must've sold cause I can't find it.....go figure:))

I owned an LS-2mkii a long time ago, and was very happy with it also, Guido. They went for around $850.00 back then. Hrd to believe this old tech is actually going up in value. I understand the LS-5 is also a tremendous pre, but the one on A'gon is listed for $2300.00!! These are almost 20 year old designs!?

I guess I'll just keep my eyes open. I got very excited about the Capri. The BAT "house" sound has always seemed like something to suit my tastes....liquid, lush, and dynamic. Perhaps a VK-31se if I could find one in my price range. There's a VK3ix-se listed, but ZI can't find much info on it. Does anyone know if this was well recieved in the press? Has anyone heard it?
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