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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
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
On Stereophile's blog they say that the Criterion was on static display. I suspect that you're right and they're wrong (I saw it active at RMAF, but on AC only) but I'm wondering what was going on.

I suspect that Jeff ran it on AC and didn't want Stereophile to hear it until they could hear DC. Once Jeff gets the programming finished for this thing I suspect he'll never hire a programmer again. (Necessary evil).

Dave
guidocorona OP
4,114 posts
 
If Jeff were indeed using Nordost wiring, it may not be a marriage made in heaven in an already reverberant/bright environment. Guido
cappuccino
110 posts
 
Valhalla is the best cable I have had in my system with 301 monos. The trick was to have Valhalla all the way. When I had Valhalla only partly in the chain, the sound was too bright and edgy, but all Valhalla has made my 301 shine as absolutely fantastic amps. I have compared against Stealth Indra, Synergistic Research Apex/Precision Reference and Wireworld Gold. Valhalla is the clear winner.
In another system (Cary, Sonus Faber) I have done the same test, in that system Synergistic was the winner, Indra second and Valhalla third.
guidocorona OP
4,114 posts
 
Cappuccino, it is good to know that complete Valhallas are synergistic on a JRDG-based system. . . Jeff Rowland currently favors Nordost Valhallas. . . I believe he may have them on his entire reference system in Colorado Springs. I have no details on the CES setup as yet.
clio09
2,978 posts
 
The Criterion was definitely plugged in, no battery power.

The room sounded very good today. I ran through a couple of my test CDs and found the system to be less bright and more neutral. Bass was very good too. A very even presentation with a large sound stage. Many rooms had issues with depth and/or off centered image due to the room layout. Not the Rowland room.
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