Rowland Concerto integrated vs Rowland Capri & 102

oh and thanks Guido for the input! I have to admit I have no idea what a PFC is or does.

Hi Rkny, PFC stands for Power Factor Correction. It is a miniaturized form of the line conditioning technology apparently used by power utility companies to control voltage fluctuation at the source. Jeff Rowland has scaled it down for use in high end audio gear. I will write more about it once I bone up on the subject. . . . which is going to be fun because I am not an EE by any stretch.

Guido,
Where are you seeing info on the PFC unit?
Thanks,
Bill

MrBill, info on PFC has not yet been posted on jeffrowland.com. The little I know is from conversations with Jeff R. and Rod Thomson of Soundings HiFi. I hope that eventually some official info will be posted to the site. G.

Well PFC or no PFC, I went for a lightly used Rowland Capri. It just didn't make sense to lose money by selling the existing 102 amp.

Now then, while I await shipment of the Capri, can anyone enlighten me as to what sonic improvements I might enjoy with it? I'm not expecting a huge difference, but I really haven't auditioned the Capri. I just know I like the sound of the102, even as it was being preamped by an Arcam Solo (odd combo that it was).

It's interesting that there are audiophile glossaries on the web, but not much in the way of basic primers for budding enthusiasts. I Googled for ages looking for some simple pre-amp FAQs, or answers to basic questions like, what should a good pre-amp do to improve your sound? What differences should you be able to hear in a $1500 power amp vs. a $200 Best Buy closeout receiver? The best I could do was browse myriad discussion threads and look for sage-sounding advice.

Some of these audio manufacturers could probably sell a lot more gear if they spelled out, in not quite so technical, and in not such an assuming way, exactly why it is one should want their products over an old Sony dorm stereo.