I had nearly all Jeff Rowland preamps and phono stages over the years, and some years ago bought as an icing on the cake after my long Jeff Rowland history the phenomenal Daemon integrated, complete with phono and DAC, and with the later generation Pascal Class D amps.
This is a fantastic unit, the sound is not much different to the big and outstanding class A and A/B products, and a completely different level than earlier ICE Class D concepts. The phonostage is astonishing good, but the DAC is the most interesting part. Some say, this is on the level of the separate Aeris DAC.
I had a fellow a'phile over for a listening session yesterday. I was using just my Rowland 8T modded by Jeff. My tube amps were not active. I think the sound was still as great as ever and the amp was just easy on the ears. I really like the model 8T because not only is it incredibly solid and reliable, but it is still, at least IME, amongst the SOTA in ss designs. Jeff Rowland's gear really are heirloom pieces, IMHO.
As a long time satisfied user of different JRDG preamps, from the Consonance with phono stage, the 3-box Consummate with phono, a Synergy II to the great Coherence II series 2 with Cadence phono stage, they showed all fantastic results with different matching components, amps as well as active speakers. Parallel I used a lot of ss and tube gears, but came back regularly to the products of Jeff Rowland. This year’s astonishing return to the world of JRDG products is the Daemon. A statement product witch so many possibilities to use it in a system, not just as a lonely central gear to drive all kind of speakers, but I have used it just as phono preamp, just as DAC+pre, just as an amp to drive it with a Wadia 27 DAC directly. The phono MC stage is fantastic, but the integrated DAC is phenomenal.
Please note, the the Pascal D-class modules are really special ones, and the integration of them in the complete amplification circuit was done magically. The cooperation with Danish digital guru Thomas Holm, already involved in the Aeris DAC, made a really great job.
I think that the products of Jeff will go with and enrich my further Hi-Fi life.
I have 2 Rowland Model 12 monoblocks powering JM Lab Mezzo Utopia's and would be interested in knowing who makes a better amp for the same money... I expect crickets.....
Actually, Rowland produces a mix of class A/B and class D power amplifiers. Its monoblock M735 flagship, as well as the M625 S2 stereo amp, both run in class A/B.
Clueless statement. Most of Rowland sales are to the Asian markets where they are more concerned with sound quality and build quality than price. He can not build them fast enough to meet the demand.
I have tried Bryston, Adcom, BHK, Classe, and Anthem - when I purchased a used pair of Model 7's - everything above was put to shame. My son got a used model 112 - what it did for a pair of ML Motion 40's was simply unbelievable. I have met Jeff, and I have met some other "gurus", Jeff is a fine human being - his service is EXEMPLARY. The only thing that can replace a Rowland is another Rowland. Looking for a 625 S2 if anyone wants to dump one.
I have owned few of Jeff's amps plus have spent considerable time in other setups which use his amps. I have opened several of his amps, build quality is the best. Sound is breath taking. Highly recommend his products.
In case no one has seen this here’s a JR 125 opened up and shown what parts are used. Would love to hear Jeff talk about he designed and implemented it all together. https://youtu.be/25V7T5AxwE8
I can't speak to Rowland's current products, but heard a Coherence 1 Mk2 with the 1,3,5, and 7 in the same system. Obviously a LONG time ago, but it was just astonishingly good - beautiful to listen to. I lusted after a Coherence 1 Mk2 with either Model 3s or a Model 5. No idea if I'd be as impressed today, but it was an awesome experience. Second: I used to live within a quarter mile of their building (off of Fillmore in the Springs) in the early 1990s. Having a day off, I wandered over to the building just to say hello, and Jeff himself took me on a grand tour that lasted a couple of hours. It was an incredibly wonderful experience - and I'm still amazed that he would take that much time with a young Army lieutenant who was years away from being able to afford anything from his company.
Hence, I hope he and the company are doing well, an always have my eye open for a C1Mk2/3 or 5 combo that I could afford . . .
I know this is an older thread, but reading some of the submissions has stuck in my craw. I have one of the original 301's and I love its sound quality. The soundstage is huge and mates well with the Revel Salon2's. The sound is definitely more euphonic/liquid than analytic. There is no reason at this level of implementation to badmouth Class D, for one it is very ecological and efficient and Jeff has done a great job with the execution of this design. One caveat that deserves mention I have had to include a transformer in the line source to knock down the NZ 240 V to mate with this 230 V design. This has resulted in an audible reduction in the noise floor. I have owned JRDG amps since the mid 80's starting with the Model 7 and 9T and while I use Meridian Reference gear for the front end, I find the combination harmonically rich and musically involving. Are their better amps out there in 2020? Absolutely, but are they more musically satisfying? The answer would be based on a subjective assessment.
Hello Jimmy, those M7 golden beauties might outlast usthe both of ... Not bad at all for amps that were manufactured somewhere in the late 1980s.... by a company that "no one talks about any more". The only issue they ever had during the wonderful long years that they were in my possession since 1997 until you picked them up well over 10 years later were some output transistors that required a touch of resoldering... The 5-minutes Fix was applied by a good friend of mine at my place, under phone guidance by Jeff Rowland himself.
Now about the Rowland M535 bridgeable.... I have a pair in my system right now breaking in... Preparing a writeup for Audiogon.... These critters are magical... They remind me so much of my M925 monos... May be some 80% of the M925's authority, with a transparency and resulution that is utterly enchanting, particularly when one considers that a bridged pair lists a smidjin below $12K. I'll test M535 in stereo mode once I have completed evaluation in bridged mode.
This thread made me chuckle. ive had guido’s old 7m’s for how long? Like 8yrs now I think. they still do great work for me. Maybe those 535s that no one talked about will finally replace them. Then again, I might just run the, till they die.
The
Jeff Rowland 625 S2 amplifier vs the Luxman M900u would be very interesting comparison to me since the m900u is the amp I have been targeting to get for my big rig system for some time.
After reading Guido's feedback on a few sites regarding the Rowland's, I have started to think I should also have a listen to them before making a purchase decision. Another reason pulling me toward the Rowlands is that I am starting to become a believer in extremely quiet electronics, such as my Benchmark AHB2 amp. The Rowlands appear to follow this philosophy. Another brand that intrigued me for the same reason was Mola Mola with their pre, amp, and stand alone DAC..
Don't hear much of Rowland or Ayre as well. I've owned both and think there should be more "buz" about them. Quality products backed by quality companies.
Hello YYZ, @Alsteward might be able to tell us a bit about the sound of Daemon, as he has heard it at Expona.... I have not heard of direct comparisons of M535 with M825 or M925. However, all reports are that M535 is stunningly good for its $5900 USD per chassis. Meantime...
Neither the Rowland Daemon superintegrated, nor the M535 bridgeable are based on NCore modules
Here are some of the features and specs of the Model 535 bridgeable amp in a temporary leaflet that Rowland used at Expona 2018:
M535 utilizes the latest version of the Pascal S2-Pro power conversion module.
In the $38,900 Daemon superintegrated, a Pascal X2-Pro module in the output stage is responsible for its 1500W/8 per side… Yet it plays a small part of the total design. Here is the Daemon page from the Rowland site:
I'm trying to find a way to compare my Jeff Rowland 625 S2 amplifier to the Luxman M900u amplifier. They are similarly priced and the comparison should give me an idea of where the 625 S2 fits in the high-end world.
Can anyone get into some details on the type of Class D implementation for the Daemon and/or M535 mono block. Are they NCore? Anyone compare the sound quality of either to the 825 Stereo Amp?
Buon giorno Mike, I left Italy some 40 years ago, and live on the US East Coast.
I am very much looking forward to enjoying listening to your upcoming test of the Rowland M535 amps in bridged mode.
Meantime, so that other followers of this thread have a better idea of what you and I are talking about, here is a temporary link to M535 features and specs from my Dropbox. I will remove the file as soon as JeffRowlandGroup.com posts an official M535 page:
Buonasera Guido !, I will be posting it to my youtube channel. Just search for "OCD Hi-Fi Guy" and youll see a crazy looking guy with goggles on. Welcome to my squirrel cage. I take you guys with as I completely bug out on getting everything "perfect". I share things like how to make certain mods, or what it looks like to cut the end off a $6K audiophile power cord with a band saw, i do DAC shootouts where you can actually hear the differences over the internet and through your phone (if its a new-ish smartphone) I will be posting there when Im done. Since I am biamped, I will try 535 for Low Freq as well as highs and see how she fares..Are you here in USA or Italy, or ?
Please post here the URL of your M535 youtube when you post it.
I have owned two class D amps from Rowland.... The M312 stereo, which sported ICEpower 10000ASP modules, and since 2013 the M925 monoblocks, where the output stage contains NCore NC1200 modules... M312 was wonderful, while M925 are totally staggering.
I have not heard the bridgeable M535 yet.... But I have heard about it.... Reports are that it is one more Rowland Homerun.... Stunning for its $5900 pricepoint per chassis.
Ive known about JRDG for a long time. All I remembered was he was such a nice, easy to talk to person, like a regular guy. One year, I think it was 2016 RMAF , The amp in our Vapor Audio/Lampizator room gave up the ghost, and somehow we got a 625 S2 to mate with the Vapor Audio Perfect Storms as a backup. Lets just say the result of adding that amp, made me file JR in the back of my head if I ever decided to go SS, as at the time I was a staunch tube guy. Fast forward a few years and I decide to make a move for accuracy over musicality. I call up Jeff to ask about a model 112 for sale and to ask about how that model stacked up to him vs any others from the era. Long story short, he offered me a pair of his personal Model 12’s not much more than the guy selling the stereo amp wanted. It took 5 minutes in my rig to completely understand why the company has been around as long as they have, and to gain huge respect for the man and the designs. The amps were clearly sorted and I dindt need to analyze the sonics whatsoever any more. These are bearers of truth, lets move on to the next part of the rig. A month later, IO called Jeff back to see if there were any more 12’s hanging around. This time they came out of the company museum. So I now own and use a quad monoblock setup of Rowland Model 12 They are stunning and I can say I am a Rowland devotee. Now I have an admitted disdain for Class D amps. A bias thats not founded. Some of the early ones sounded crappy and I did not even like the idea of Class D. I still have this. Too many :" me too" companies sprouting up with the same module in a different box. Axpona this year, the Rowland/Joseph audio room was one of the top sounding rooms for me.Amazing. Furthermore it was the Damon and it was a Class D !! WTF ?? If anyone can make a killer Class D amp, I would trust Jeff more than most. SO I asked him why he chose it. He explained and it made sense to me. So as I speak Ive got a new 535 here to demo and compare against a set of Model 12’s ....as in A/B listening.. I will post a video on You Tube under OCD-HiFi Guy. Lets see what the deal is here..
Also, Jeff is a non imposing gentle man. He does not blabbermouth. So if you judge a company based on what the threads are "talking about" on Audiogon, you just may be disappointed, some of the most popular Audiophile items are held up by marketing.
I am a much poorer audiophile than I used to be with a MUCH more modest system. However, in my last decent rig, I had Rowland electronics, a Capri Series I preamp and a Model 5 power amp. The system synergy was tremendous, the sound was tremendous.
The Capri was a piece that punched so far above its price point as to be ridiculous. It's one of the very few SS preamps I have heard that compared to the many tube pre's I had owned prior to it, including Atma-Sphere. Newer Rowland gear is far, far beyond my budget these days but I will always remember the good sounds of that system.
Well Inna, now that we are all reeling from the staggering import of your momentous virdict on Rowland products, and -- having finally grokked the true truth -- are thus in a headlong rush to sell-out our JRDG components to the lowest bidders, what will your next trollesque adventure take us?
At least one of your devoted fans is, ahem... rabidly anxious to know... We's talking a real bad nail-biting audiophrenic anxiety attack here *Grins!*
But please no no no no... Not Vienna Acoustics... I could not live if I heard that it is one more orphan brand revealed by the scaving Innesque wrath.... ANd pretty please, Not Esoteric... My X-01 is still serving me admirably after 10 long years of honorable service... Would hate to be confronted with the truth... its service has been most dishonorable instead... Mayhaps HFC cables? Or Cardas?! Oh Gaia oh Gaia, please let Inna spare my beloved music making system....
[... Sobbing miserably, the ancient wretched audiophile sinks to the hard floor, and wimpers himself into a fitful sleep, dreaming of short cornets and 4-valve copper flugelhorns... That's his secret... Inna does not know about them yet]
Still no-one really talks about Rowlands. There are users of any brand, for whatever reasons they have it. There appears to be no interest in this company anymore.
I've already stated that I really love my JR 625 S2 amp. I hear a lot of talk about how bad their preamps are, but to date I haven't found anything to replace my JR preamp within its price range. Maybe I'm one of those people that enjoys the Jeff Rowland "house" sound or maybe there's such synergy with Rowland amps and preamps that makes it very hard to find a better match?
Hi Al, while listening to my M925 monos right now, I can't help it agreeing with you. As I mentioned so many times already, some folks need to "get out of the house more often". At least, if they still did not like the music made by well designed modern class D amps, they could base their preference on fresh personal experience.
I heard the Daemon at AXPONA in April of this year powering Joseph Audio Perspectives. It was hard to get a seat in that room. Many folks stated that the Rowland/Joseph/Cardas room was the best sound of the show. I thought it was...I went out and bought a Rowland Continuum S2 and JA Perspectives a month later. If Rowland is dying, they are doing it in style because their current Class D amps are musical, powerful, have an inky black background, are cool to the touch, look great, and are built like stylish tanks. I'm now a full fledged Rowland fan. I've heard the Daemon, Continuum S2, M925s, and Richard's A/B 625 S2 mentioned above. They all sounded splendid to me and never seemed to be working very hard to do it. It is that there are folks who believe Class D produces inferior SQ. I doubt those folks have spent much time listening to Rowland's latest Class D offerings.
That’s kind of what I’ve had in mind for all the big show exhibits, static displays. Mainly due to the almost obsessive compulsive use of brand spanking new speakers and brand new electronics at the show. Come on, folks. Analogous to the old expression, better to remain silent and thought the fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
Hi maplegrovemusic, actually Rowland has at least a triple presence at RMAF....
a full complement of Rowland gear can be heard in the Humboldt room, which is the Nordost suite, powering a pair of Magico speakers, and all wired by Odin II cabling.... There you will hear a linelevel stack formed by the PSU ultra-caps-based power supply feeding an Aeris DAC and a Corus preamp.... These feeding a pair of brand new M535 bridged amplifiers, that deliver some 900W per side into the Magico.
One of the amphitheater-style seminar rooms is powered by the big Rowland Daemon integrated.
Instead, the Rowland suite is kept deliberately quiet, so that audiophiles cam talk in peace with Jeff Rowland, Lucien Pichette, and others.
What was / is up with the Rowland room at RMAF 2017 ? They had pedestals with the gear on top with moving turntables to spin the gear around . No sound coming from that room . Thought it very strange .
It may not matter to me how new Rowlands sound - I don't like his attitude. This is not only about Jeff Rowland, I don't discriminate. For example, if Ralph of Atma-Sphere keeps self-advertising here like crazy in the middle of the discussions, I'll rule his amps out too.
eHello George and Inna... as much as I fear that it might be futile to do so, I must invite you once again to... Get out of the house more often... You never know what novel beauty you might discover, unless you did so.
Ah yes, I did dredge up from my old files a lovely quote from our own Rodman9999 that ever puts a smile on my face....
"Just
don't fall into the category of those whose minds, like concrete, are
thoroughly mixed up and permanently set"
Another saying that I love might be from a song by Al Yankowitcz... It goes something like:
"Ah nostalgia, nostalgia... Even you ain't what you used to be!"
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