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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

Showing 3 responses by mikelavigne

mikelavigne
2,237 posts
 
I like the Dartzeel very much! What's not to like? My only reservation is that if you go beyond the resolutuion of CD the Dartzeel will have a very very slight masking effect and a tad bit of warmth to the perspective in comparison to the Criterion.

beyond CD....to hi-rez PCM or real hirez such as vinyl or RTR? (please excuse my sarcasm....i could not resist).

i wonder the context of this comparison? system? using 'zeel' interconnects and dart amp? any analog sources? or just digital....which digital? was the dart in battery mode?

i do look forward to someday hearing the Criterion with the Rowland 312 amp.
mikelavigne
2,237 posts
 
David, glad to be here.

my use of the word 'zeel' refers to the 50 ohm BNC 'zeel' cable interface which darTZeel and Playback Designs use in place of conventional cables. this offers a few 'system' and 'synergy' performance advantages. they are cheap relative to typical cables used in systems at this level. they sound the same whether .5m or .5 kilometer. they outperform conventional cables due mostly to 'near-perfect' impedence matching.

side note; in the November (maybe Septemeber?) 2001 issue of Stereophile Herve Delatraz (Mr. darTZeel before there was an actual company or products) wrote a very interesting article about how all conventional interconnects were inherently flawed due to impedence miss matching. it's worth reading.

my question was whether 'zeel' cables were used in the Criterion--Dart NHB-18NS comparison.

the dart preamp is excellent when used conventionally in any system; but it's at it's best when used with the dart amp, Playback Designs and 'zeel' cables.
mikelavigne
2,237 posts
 
Guido, the whole 'zeel' interface involves not only the cables but an engineered 50 ohm interface input and output. so simply having BNC plugs would not be sufficient.

i have no idea how much effort it might require to design and build that 50 ohm interface; it may be real simple. regarding Playback Design when they were putting the final piece together i recommended that they include the 50 ohm interface, and thankfully they did.

i saved enough money on interconnects in my system to pay for a good amount of the cost of the dart preamp (8 meter set of Nordost Valhalla XLR's just between pre and amp).

btw; when i was listing the attributes of the 'zeel' BNC interface i neglected to mention that BNC plugs have a better and more reliable mechanical connection than other interconnect plug types. obviously the TV broadcast industry uses BNC for video.
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