I had the chance to do a long side-by-side between the C500 and the S2. I used the same external DAC, cables and monitors with both. I alternated the monitors between the SF Amati Serafino, Maggie 3.7, and a pair of Shahinian Hawks. I must say it's really a toss, I expected the S2 to be better and it was at times, but not all the time. I think the Maggies overall sounded better with the C500, a better bass and midrange. The Shahinians sounded best with the S2, and it was a complete toss up with the Serafino's. I think the Serafinos are the least colored speakers of the bunch. All of the monitors present difficult loads to an amp.
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Guido, I try hard to express my preferences while respecting other's points of view. Audio is definitely a preference, but not an absolute. I submit the M525 is great in a smaller system/room, but in my 20' x 26' room, combined with Aerial 7Ts the power and fidelity of the S2 is very obvious. I submit the Bricasti M1 DAC is great, but knowing what I know now, if someone gave me a choice between having a PS DSD DAC with the JR Continuum S2 or Bricasti M1 DAC with the JR M525, I would take the former of the two. That speaks volumes to how good I think the Continuum S2 is compared to the M525. |
Pleasure is all mine Richard... Reality is that audible beauty lies in the ears of the beholder... And I suspect that you and I might be hearing in ways that are not dissimilar. Undeniably, someone else,, equally passionate about audio and music, might have prefered M525... Or the house sound of a totally different brand. Guido |
Guido, I appreciate you sharing you time and knowledge regarding Jeff Rowland products. My situation was difficult because I wanted to hear the S2 in my system, but didn't want to feel obligated to purchase from the dealer that could make it happen. I had to wait until a friend of a friend could help me out. It's funny how we hear different things, you said the S2 was clearly better, while others thought the S2 was only marginally better. I know I can enjoy music with the S2 and not think about my next purchase. |
If I don't think the Continuum is a big enough difference, I will sell my 525 and look for a used/demo 625 mk1....+1 Almarg, Zd542. Ricred1, before you sell off your M525 in the event the Continuum integrated is not a major step-up in SQ, do try using your 2 M525s in a vertical biamp config. It might just surprise you SQ-wise - amps driving a higher impedance are generally less stressed & sound better, no matter what the manuf says. (There are a few expensive amps that buck this general trend but these are exceptions). If it doesn't, so be it, you tried/explored every configuration with all the Rowland gear you had on-hand & it did not work out so you decided to go for the M625 Mk1. Like Zd542 wrote - you have both M525s & all the cabling (if I understood Almarg's post correctly), it behooves you to try the vertical biamp config. thanks. |
I'm not trying to 2nd guess your decision, or anything like that. We're just recommending that if you have all the equipment already in your possession, you've got nothing to loose trying it both ways, vertical and bridged. Honestly, I can't say if the bridging will be an improvement. I've never bridged Rowland gear, so I'm looking forward to hearing your comments on how it sounds. The vertical will sound better than a single. The question is how much better, and is it worth it. That has to be your call. In my system, I have 2 Ayre V-5's running vertical, and I'm very happy with the results. |
Zd542, Rowland actually mentioned vertical biamp as an option. I had a long talk with them and this is what I have decided. I'm going to get a Continuum S2 Integrated(home audition) and see if there is a big enough difference between it and a single 525(525 already for sale). My concern is a degradation of the sound through the line stage compared to the Bricasti M1. "IF" what I read is true the Continuum maybe the least complicated and most cost effective way forward. If I don't think the Continuum is a big enough difference, I will sell my 525 and look for a used/demo 625 mk1. I just want to reiterate I really like Jeff Rowland's sound. |
I also agree with the vertical biamp recommendation. I do this in my own system and get great results. All you need are 2 stereo amps (exactly the same), and a pair of speakers with 2 sets of binding posts. You have both so its just a matter of making the connections and trying it out. I'm kind of surprised Rowland didn't mention this option when you called them. |
+1 Bombaywalla (with a slight qualification as described below). Richard, I see that you are using some rather expensive interconnects and speaker cables. In part for that reason I would reiterate my earlier comment to the effect that you wouldn't have to double up on interconnect cables to implement a vertical biamp configuration. You would just use a short XLR y-cable at the inputs of the amp, such as one of those I linked to earlier, in conjunction with the same interconnect you would use for bridged mode. You may have seen people claim at times that use of y-cables or splitters in their system resulted in some amount of sonic degradation. My strong suspicion is that in most of those cases the reason for that was not the y-cables or splitters themselves, but rather the inability of the component supplying the signal to drive the two sets of load impedances that were involved, and in many cases two sets of cables as well, in an optimal manner. That won't be an issue in your situation. For example, it is sometimes reported that poor results are obtained when a y-adapter or splitter is used to route the outputs of a preamp to both a power amp and a powered sub. In those situations it tends not to be realized that the capacitance of the cable to the sub, which is often substantial due to the length that may be involved, will affect the signals received by the main power amp just as if it were added to the capacitance of the cable to the main power amp. It also tends not to be realized that the line-level input impedance of many and probably most powered subs is quite low, which will also affect the signals seen by the main power amp, especially if the preamp's output impedance is high. Yet the y-adapter itself will often be blamed for the less than optimal results. None of those kinds of effects will be applicable in your situation, given also that the RCA outputs of the Bricasti DAC, which I assume you are using to drive your subs, are driven by output stages that are fully independent of those driving the DAC's XLR outputs (that often not being the case with lesser designs). Finally, the very low output impedance of the Bricasti DAC, the fact that its connections to the amps are balanced, and the relatively short lengths that are involved, all work in the direction of reducing sensitivity to interconnect cable effects and differences. Including the effects of balanced y-cables that may be in the path. Regards, -- Al |
Ricred1, great! thanks for the update. looks like you are good to go w/ the M525. You now know that you won't have a melted output stage with the Aerial 7T's 1.5 ohms in bridged mode. Still......I would give heed to Almarg's suggestion (which was also on my mind but Almarg beat me to it) of using 1 stereo M525 for each speaker in a vertical biamped format. The amp will not see 3 Ohms (because it will be running in plain old stereo mode) & you will have 1 dedicated amp for driving the bass for each channel. Since you will have 2 M525s you can try the bridged mode & the vertical biamped mode. Yeah, you will need 4 interconnects pre-power & 4 speaker cables to try the vertical biamped mode. Let us know how you fare. Thanks. |
I talked to Lucien(Jeff Rowland Group) today regarding bridging the 525 to drive Aerial 7ts. Per our conversation, he discussed the issue with Mr. Jeff Rowland and they agreed that bridged 525s would have no problem driving Aerial 7Ts. I asked him if it were him, what would he do? I was surprised that he answered my question! His answer, "if you're comparing one 525 to a Continuum S2, get the Continuum; however bridged 525s with a Capri S2 preamp will beat the Continuum S2 integrated amp. |
Bombaywalla - Your post was factually correct, but I felt it could use some further clarification after you stated: "Ask Rowland if driving 1.5 Ohms in bridged mode will be an issue." I thought as Guido stated that this could be interpreted as if the speaker had a 1.5 Ohm nominal impedance instead of 3 Ohms. No offense was intended to you as your post was helpful and constructive. |
Hi Richard, yes you are right... I was missing the obvious... From Bricast M1, it's probably a good idea to go directly into an amp via balanced XLR connections. This would be sub-optimal from Continnuum S2, because its linestage bypass inputs are single ended RCA, while CS2 architecture is optimized for a fully balanced signal path. Guido |
Now if I can't use bridged 525s or can't find a used 625 that has the most recent updates, I may need to look at other options.Richard, to be sure it's clear, using two 525's in a vertical biamp configuration completely avoids the potential issue that has been raised about using bridged amps in conjunction with low impedance speakers. At the same time, it very likely would provide sonic benefits that would not occur in bridged mode, and I suspect would have no downside relative to bridged mode aside from probably having a bit less maximum power capability (although maximum power capability would still be significantly greater than what you have now). Good luck. Regards, -- Al |
I will ask the question and post my response tomorrow. If cost wasn't a consideration I would purchase the 625 mk2. If I had the opportunity to listen to bridged 525s in my system, I wouldn't have posted the question. I know one person that utilizes bridged 525s to drive Avalon Speakers and loves it. Why not the Continuum S2 integrated. I had the opportunity to compare an Esoteric K01 to the Bricasti M1. Music through the M1 had more detail, more musical, and just natural sounding. Remember I had a Parasound JC2 preamp and preferred music without it. I prefer my money go to improving the amplifier, without adding a preamp. Now if I can't use bridged 525s or can't find a used 625 that has the most recent updates, I may need to look at other options. |
06-14-15: Guidocorona Guidocorona, Bill_k, my post made is very clear that the Aerial 7Ts were a min of 3 Ohms nomimal & 1.5 Ohms in bridged mode. This was very clearly written, no? I'm cutting & pasting that part of my post again for your resp. convenience.... The Aerial 7T will go down to 3 ohms at certain freq which will look like 1.5 Ohms to the bridged M525 (as Almarg also stated in his post). Ask Rowland if driving 1.5 Ohms in bridged mode will be an issue. |
And the other question that comes to mind is, considering the low impedance of 7Ts.... Ask Jeff... What can be a more efficient combination for your speakers..... * A Rowland M625 V1) with a theoretical damping factor of 200 across the board and approx 20A of peak current; * A pair of bridged M525s; * A pair of M525S in vertical biamped configuration? NOTE. M625 S2 has a completely different cost, so I am not considering it in the discussion. |
Richard, if you ask the question above to Jeff, please explain that 7Ts speakers go down to a relatively reasonable 3 Ohms under normal conditions.... 1.5 Ohms may occur only in theory with a bridged amp... You do not want to lead Jeff to believe that your speakers dip normally to 1.5 Oh... Meaning a ghastly 0.75 Ohm from a bridged amp. G. |
Bombaywalla,cool, Ricred1. One suggestion - when you talk to Rowland the next time do request some specs of the M525 in BTL mode. All of us can see just one spec - 950W into 8 Ohms. The question is what is the minimum load impedance it can drive? The Aerial 7T will go down to 3 ohms at certain freq which will look like 1.5 Ohms to the bridged M525 (as Almarg also stated in his post). Ask Rowland if driving 1.5 Ohms in bridged mode will be an issue. Keep us posted. Thanks. |
Thanks Al. I really like the sound and built quality of Jeff Rowland amps. The truth is I've been going back and forth, asking questions and talking to a close friend about how to improve my system within a given budget. Adding subs has taken my system to another level(not night and day), but worth the cost. Now I'm looking for modest gains, with modest cost...my amplifier is what I want to improve. I hear your concerns about bridging the 525s. Despite what I've been told, I have the same concerns. I will have one more conversation with Jeff Rowland. |
Richard, I have no experience whatsoever with Rowland equipment, but I do have a suggestion I think may be worthwhile. When you get the new amp, in addition to trying the two 525's in bridged mode, try them in a vertical biamp configuration (which you can do with your speakers). You would of course need an extra set of speaker cables and also probably a pair of XLR y-adapters (used at the amp inputs) to vertically biamp a pair of 525's, but for initial experimental purposes, at least, those things needn't cost much. And given the very low output impedance of the Bricasti M1, it won't have any problem driving two amplifier channels from a single one of its outputs. Also, regarding Bombaywalla's most recent post above, I agree 100%. And the concern he expressed earlier about bridged mode perhaps being an issue when used with a 4 ohm speaker is certainly valid as a general word of caution. Not so much with respect to the amp's ability to function (at least in the case of a high quality amp that is presumably designed in a robust manner, such as a Rowland), but rather with respect to sonics. In this case, as I have no experience with Rowland equipment I of course have no idea as to how applicable that caution may be to the specific amp in question. But I would cite several posts Atmasphere has made in the past in which he has asserted that ALL amps will sound better to some degree when driving higher impedances, such as 8 ohms, than when driving significantly lower impedances, such as 4 ohms. And (as Bombaywalla indicated) in bridged mode the amp will "see" the nominal impedance of your speakers as 2 ohms, and as not much more than 1.5 ohms at some bass frequencies which often require lots of energy. Which is one reason for my suggestion of trying the amps in a vertical biamp configuration as well as in bridged mode. Another being that I wouldn't be at all surprised if vertical biamping were to provide a significant improvement in imaging relative to what you have now, that you are specifically looking for, without the possible sonic downsides of bridging. The possibility of improved imaging presumably resulting, at least in part, from elimination of the inter-channel crosstalk that inevitably occurs to some degree in a stereo amp, via grounds, power supplies, and other paths. In a vertical biamp configuration that is eliminated since the same signal is going through both amplifier channels. Good luck. Regards, -- Al |
Bombaywalla, your concerned about compatibility of 7Ts with M525 in bridged mode is addressed by the following fragment from Richard.... "I called Jeff Rowland several times and talked to them regarding bridging the 525 to drive Aerial 7Ts. Per my conversation with them, the 525 wouldn't have any problems. I will follow-up on Monday to confirm bridged 525s can drive the Aerial 7ts." G. |
I posted on 6/3/15 that I would explore a couple of speakers...10 days later I posted "After listening to many speakers I decided to keep the Aerial 7ts...not because they are perfect, but the cost to replace them is way more than I'm willing to spend." Bombaywalla, I assure you I know the impedance of my speakers. In fact I'm 100% sure I told that to the individual that I spoke with when I contacted Jeff Rowland. I didn't say at what frequency it dipped below 4 ohms, but I did explain it went below 4 ohms...they put me on hold, returned to the phone and told me it wouldn't be a problem. I talked to a dealer ad he told me it wouldn't be a problem. I promise you I'm listening and that's why I stated I would call Jeff Rowland on Monday and confirm that bridged 525s don't present a danger went driving Aerial 7Ts. If they tell me something different I will let you know. |
however if you not familiar with any of the components in question, why on earth would I take your advice?Ricred1, you would want to heed my advice because my advice is based on engineering & is agnostic of equipment. My advices deals with physics & the limitations it creates on any electronics. No matter what the brand, it cannot defy physics. If you ignore those considerations I stated in my original post you could end up in a very bad situation with potentially a large out-of-pocket expense coming your way. If the M525 is spec'd to handle your Aerial 7T - fine, you have nothing to worry about in terms of equipment compatibility. If the M525 is not spec'd to drive your Aerial 7T in BTL mode, a dangerous situation was detected for you well before any mishap. When soliciting advice on any forum there are always 2 aspects to one's question - one, people who have direct experience with the equipment you are seeking yourself & two, the electrical compatibility of the equipment you are seeking with the rest of the equipment you already have. Both aspects are equally important. I addressed the 2nd aspect of your quest for better SQ. That's why you need to heed my advice OR anybody else's advice who addresses this aspect. If you seek the advice of only those people with direct experience of the gear you are seeking but fail to see that this gear is incompatible with your gear, you will not have the same experience as they did. Do you know what the impedance of their speaker is? If yes, is that the same impedance as your speaker? If yes to both then only can you use their data point as-is; otherwise, you have to start from scratch as your speaker impedance is different i.e. just because it works in their system does not mean it will work in your system. I appreciate everyone taking their valuable time to respond to my questions. When there are disagreements I submit we should remain cordial...it's only audio.we mutually agree on this 100%. Thanks for stating it for the benefit of all of us. |
"Yes, anyone can have an opinion based on their experience; however if you not familiar with any of the components in question, why on earth would I take your advice? To my knowledge, Guido and Schacter are the only individuals that have direct experience with the JR 525 and/or the JR Continuum S2." I get it, but you're not being consistent. In some of your other posts, you appear to have no problem discussing different components, as well. 06-02-15: Ricred1 Zd542, Any suggestions on preamps I should listen to? I had a Parasound JC2 BP and to my ears it degraded the sound when compared to the PS Audio DSD I had at the time. The Bricasti M1 sounds much better direct than the DSD. 06-03-15: Ricred1 Onhwy61, I'm looking into speakers now. A few on my list are Joseph Audio Perspectives and Dynaudio C2s. |
"Take in consideration, not do it because they say so." ... My thinking's exactly Richard.... We can offer only data points... These may be applicable or not, or partially applicable, to your particular situation. Hence my query: what made you opt for a second lovely M525 instead of going the Continuum S2 integrated route? Congrats always! Guido |
Bombaywalla, When I post a question, I'm looking for feedback from individuals that have firsthand knowledge of the components in question. Yes, anyone can have an opinion based on their experience; however if you not familiar with any of the components in question, why on earth would I take your advice? To my knowledge, Guido and Schacter are the only individuals that have direct experience with the JR 525 and/or the JR Continuum S2. It's only logical to take in consideration what they say. Take in consideration, not do it because they say so. To say I don't take advice when posting/asking a question isn't true. I recently had a conversation with a guy on Audiogon concerning subwoofers. My thought was to pursue JL Audio only. This individuals owns a JL Audio F112, SVS SB13 Ultra, and a Rythmik subwoofer. Based on his advice I went and listen to a SVS SB13 Ultra. In addition, I tried to listen to a Rythmik subwoofer, but they were less than accommodating. I ended up purchasing a pair of SVS SB13 Ultras. He had direct knowledge, I took his advice to listen. I used my ears and wallet to make the decision on what's best for my system. No, I don't post every little detail about what I've done. I have listen to many speakers since I've had the Aerial 7Ts. If I had the money I would own Raidho C3.1s, they are the best speakers I've ever heard. After listening to many speakers I decided to keep the Aerial 7ts...not because they are perfect, but the cost to replace them is way more than I'm willing to spend. I do have room treatment and have moved the position of the speakers several times. Prior to inserting my subs, I removed my bass traps, but found it sounds better with them in now that I have subs. I appreciate everyone taking their valuable time to respond to my questions. When there are disagreements I submit we should remain cordial...it's only audio. |
06-13-15: GuidocoronaSorry Guidocorona, I find this very weird then. If one is not going to take the advice given nor is going to share the deviations from the advice given then why bother asking a question on a forum & why bother wasting people's time soliciting their advice? One should just go off & do what one wants.... If one is engaging other people in a forum for one's own benefit then, yes, one does need to share owns own knowledge base pertinent to the subject at hand & let everybody (who is trying to help you) why one is going off on another track. |
Earlier in this thread I never meant to suggest that Ricred1 didn't have a vision, but that I wished he'd actually state it as opposed to the original question about a preamp vs. separates. I too am a little surprised by his choice of bridging the power amps, but I suspect he'll be quite happy, at least for a little while. All his stated goals can be better addressed by loudspeaker placement and acoustic treatment (sometimes adding, sometimes removing). I also wonder why saving up for the 625s is out of the question? It's not a tribunal, but to think there are no judgments being made is naive. I would hope that on these forums we can honestly and directly share our thoughts. |
Ricred1, Guidocorona, thanks for your respective posts & clarifications. What happened in my post also happened earlier in Onhwy61's post when he asked what Ricred1's vision was. Just like me, Onhwy61 didn't think that Ricred1 had a vision for his improvements until Ricred1 came back in the next post & said so. It seems to me that Ricred1's not the greatest in communicating his thoughts & ideas & when he's out looking for advice like this, communication is everything. We don't know each other & we can only go by what info is posted. Like I wrote in my post there are no posts on bridging the M525s so I naturally assumed no one's discussed the pros & the cons.... Yeah, I agree its not a tribunal for sure. If Ricred1 is soliciting advice then lets discuss the topic in depth but that only happens when there's a better flow of information otherwise people end up making wrong assumptions. Ricred1 I didn't insult your intelligence - I wrote that I assumed you didn't understand & further in parenthesis I also wrote that my assumption could be wrong. |
Bombaywalla, Yes you are correct, M525 would not be more inherently nuanced in bridged mode than in standard stereo mode. However, if in bridged mode each chassis is on a lower duty cycle for the Ariel speaker, it is quite possible that the end effect will be... One of enhanced nuance. I already know from eyewitness reports that M525 delivers markedly greater authority in bridged mode than in stereo mode. From all reports I have heard, M525 do not degrade their performance in any way in bridged mode... That is why Rowland has decided to place an easy to flip selector switch in back of amp. Rowland specs are extremely conservative and simply do not tell the whole story.... Yes, Rowland has applied M525 bridged to large lower impedance speakers with great results... Sorry I do not remember which ones. This is not a tribunal... Richard need not justify his audiophilic cravings in front of us *grins!* I for one am looking forward to hearing Richard's findings... I am following threads to learn more than anything else... Damm the specks... All steam ahead Richard! *Grins!* FG. |
Bombaywalla, I take all advice with a grain of salt. Ultimately my ears and wallet determines what I purchase. I called Jeff Rowland several times and talked to them regarding bridging the 525 to drive Aerial 7Ts. Per my conversation with them, the 525 wouldn't have any problems. I will follow-up on Monday to confirm bridged 525s can drive the Aerial 7ts. They recommended the 625 mk2 as the best option, but as already stated the 625 is out of my price range. I respect your opinion, but to insult my intelligence by assuming I don't understand how bridged amplifiers work is a little too much...I'm capable of reading..JR clearly shows how the 525s are connected when bridged. Furthermore, your assumption is I haven't compared bridged 525s to a single 525. To my ears bridged 525s have more bass impact, an ease to the music, and yes a more open soundstage. No it wasn't with my speakers, but I should have the opportunity to listen to bridged 525s in my system. I don't know your experience with Jeff Rowland Class D amplifiers, but if the recording allows, the 525 presents a very good soundstage and separation, but just like many on Audiogon, I want to go to the next level. Finally, I enjoy Audiogon and post questions to provide food for thought. That being said, I submit anyone that purchases components simply on the advice of others is a fool. |
06-02-15: Ricred1 06-12-15: Ricred1 Ricred1, I've been following this thread & noting the exchange between you & the other members. Some members like Bill_k & Zd542 have tried to give you good advice but I suppose you were not listening. I'm not sure that adding a preamp would have solved your issue (of lack of instr sep & soundstage depth) but IMO its a heck of a lot better than a decision to use 2 525s in bridged mode. Do you understand how bridged mode works?? I'm inclined to say "no" but I'm making an assumption (maybe a big one). I don't see any conversation here re. bridged mode & your decision seems sudden & I'm not sure what it is based on? In bridged mode, the 2 channels of the amplifier drive the speaker in a differential mode - one output of one amp drives the plus terminal of the speaker & the output of the 2nd amp drives the minus terminal of the speaker. So, the output current is doubled (since each amp is working independently to drive the same speaker). The doubling of current can also be viewed in another way - to the amp, the speaker impedance is halved. This is the key part - in bridged mode, the amp now sees a 4-ohm speaker that was nomimally 8-ohms. All of a sudden in bridged mode, the amp is outputting 2X the current. Can the 525 amp handle this in bridged mode? If you read the specs, it says 950W at 8-Ohms. It does not specify what is the minimum load impedance that the speaker is allowed to go such that the amp remains in spec. http://jeffrowlandgroup.com/us/amplifiers-model-525-stereo-amplifier.html If you look at bridged mode specs from amp manuf, in general, you will notice that the speaker impedance is 2X for the output power in bridged mode. For example: 300W/ch, 8 ohms 600W/ch, 4 ohms 1200W/ch, 2 ohms 600W/ch, 8 ohms, bridge-tied load (or BTL) mode <---- in bridged mode, you don't get the 600W/ch at 4 ohms (that was specified in non-bridged mode); you get the 600W/ch at 8-ohms. That's because the output current capability has doubled in bridged mode. What is the minimum speaker load for the 525 in bridged mode? if you look at the Aerial 7T spec, it clearly says that the impedance dips to 3-ohms. http://www.stereophile.com/content/aerial-acoustics-model-7t-loudspeaker-specifications and you can see that here in the impedance + phase plots - Fig1 http://www.stereophile.com/content/aerial-acoustics-model-7t-loudspeaker-measurements Make sure that the 525 can handle 3-ohms minimum in bridged mode without frying the output stage of the amp. Rowland has not spec'd it on his webpage; a call to Rowland is in order to confirm this. Also, sonically, you are providing brute force to the Aerial 7T in bridged mode (assuming that it will work, as questioned above). I have never seen any amp or any system provide more nuances (instr sep, soundstage depth - the attributes you are looking for) when it is brute forced. In fact, search these archives, people have expressed their dismay at worsening of the sonics in bridged mode. In fact, those in the know, will never resort to running an amp in bridged mode unless it's for PA (public address)work when using, say, a Crown amp where SQ does not matter much at all. Rowland gave you good advice. Note that they did not advise you to run the 525 in bridged mode. They knew & know that bridged mode is not a preferred mode for audiophile listening purposes. Soundstage depth might not be the domain of class-D amplifiers as yet - I could be wrong here. They have acquired many other nice attributes as class-D has matured but soundstage depth might not be one of them. In my experience soundstage depth is a function of linearity & in this department the SET wins hands down. Single output tube doing push & pull, directly heated tube, there is no matching of push & pull transistors or tubes & you get the best front-back layering. Solid-state does not do front-back layering as well as a SET & again in my experience, the class-A solid-states do a better job of front-back layering than any other solid-state topology. I think you are going to be sorely disappointed at the outcome. My 2 cents for whatever they are worth. Thanks. |
Hi Richard, seems to be an excellent plan to me. On the subject of line stage, adding a line stage between DAC and amplifier is not likely to increase resolution per se. On the other hand, it can do the following... * if a hypothetical DAC were sounding a little hard fed direct into amps, linestage might be able to eliminate some of the treble intermodulation causing the hardness. * In some cases, a linestage might add some authority, and macrodynamics to the analog output of the DAC. * If a DAC signal could not be attenuated down to 0 with its volume control, a linestage would get you down to zero volume. On the subject of cabling.... I am getting some startling results by applying a pair of High Fidelity CT-1 power cords to my system. I will be creating a thread in the next few days to describe my break-in findings. Stay tuned. Saluti, Guido |
Guido, My digital and balanced interconnect cables are Wireworld Platinum Series 7. My powercord and speaker cables are Wireworld Silver Series 7. I've gone back and forth because I didn't think I would have the opportunity to compare everything. It looks like I may have the opportunity to compare my Bricasti M1 DAC/JR 525 combination to the Continuum S2 and Bridged 525s to the S2. I know that upgrading the power amp, adding a line stage, and/or changing speakers can have a significant impact on the overall sound. I'm limited on what I want to spend; therefore I'm trying to figure out the best way to spend my money. I've ruled out changing my speakers or my DAC. Guido, as always thanks so much for your input. |
Hi Richard, I have listened at some length to Continuum S2 and Capri S2
And have heard comparative opinions of Continuum S2 with M525 from people that I respect who have considerable Rowland experience. Continuum S2 is based on the Pascal M2Pro module, which is a higher end module than the S2Pro used in M525 And the audible results, for all that have listened to them, are quite in evidence Continuum S2 is extremely textured and marvelously nuanced. By contrast, all comparative findings that I have heard from people in the know, is that M525, while excellent at its price point, might be a little more matter-of-fact and less emotionally involving than Continuum S2. Continuum S2 delivers 400W with a peak current of 38 Amps . It will drive anything you throw at it, except some uber-large speakers . A pair of M525 bridged to mono ops might give you a smidjin more authority than Continuum S2 . At the cost of some subtlety and musicality. Capri S2 and Continuum S2 share the same/identical preamplification circuit There is no difference And yes, Capri S2 is a wonderful preamplifier I have heard it, and really like it. It is more textured and nuanced than the original, its bass is more complete, harmonically structured, and treble has greater delicacy than the original. The question is rather.... If you have a single source... The Pricasti M1 DAC, you might not need a preamplifier at all. These days, if you have a really good DAC with high quality variable analog output, a preamplifier justifies itself mostly for system management in a system with a combination of digital and analog sources. On the other hand, upgrading the power amplifier or adding a line stage are not the only way with which your system can enhance its performance very significantly. Yes, there are speakers of course, and then there is cabling, which can make a world of difference.... What wires and PCs are you using today? Guido |
