Just an update...
Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to respond.
Some of you suggested new or different equipment was in order. My more financially responsible better half would absolutely have my head if I got new speakers or a tube amp. I can't afford them anyhow. The B&W 683s are more than enough speaker for an iPod based system IMO anyhow. And having already jumped headfirst into an amp and landing on my face would indicate that I don't know enough about this stuff to be exploring the even trickier and more finicky world of tubes.
All this said, I think I've had a bit of an epiphany today. I spent the morning ripping some Stevie Wonder CDs into Apple Lossless and replacing their 320kbps counterparts on my iPod. Nothing shows off a system like "All Day Sucker" or "Boogie on Reggae Woman"!
I played a couple of favorite tracks through the Arcam's amp. The lossless tracks showed a considerable improvement over the 320kbps files. I decided to take the comparison to the next level and hook the Rowland 102 back up.
It's very possible I've just lulled myself into these observations, in a psychoacoustic attempt to salvage the situation, but I feel I am now hearing some differences.
With the Arcam, highs on the lossless tracks sounded very bright. Cymbals had a distinct bite...I might even say a bit harsh. Louder passages sort of jumped through my body, causing me to sit up a bit, and sometimes even instictively reach for the remote to turn it down. All in all, I'd describe the highs as somewhat angsty.
The lows were very low indeed, but as I have experienced before, they were somewhat out of control. There were booms out of character with the rest of music, and sometimes even out of sync.
The mids sounded best, but were somewhat swallowed by the problems with the highs and lows.
After hooking up the Rowland, these lossless files are making a more and more convincing case for sticking with this amp.
The entire sound spectrum sounds more cohesive. True, the bass is not as sweepingly deep, but it's more in keeping with the rest of the music. It doesn't sound like a broken arrow on its own growling booming mission. The highs have lost much of their bite. Cymbals are not quite as shimmery or dimensional, but at the same time they're no where nearly as distracting. The angst is gone, both figuratively and literally.
Best of all, the mids I'm hearing seem to have been unleashed from the shackles of overly sharp highs and booming bass. Piano has more authority. Stevie Wonder's voice has moved to the forefront of the image. Before it literally sounded as if the band was playing in front of him. Now he sounds more like he's backed by the band.
Overall, I'd describe the sound as warmer. I've read that this is a signature sound of JRDG amps. It's nice to actually be able to relate to what that means.
One visual representation keeps coming to mind in comparing the sound...the slap of a racquetball hitting a wall (without the Rowland), and, with the Rowland, the sound of the same ball hitting the wall, but with the ball wrapped in a thin layer of very fine cashmere. Another image that comes to mind is the sound of splashing in a pool of water, vs. the sound of splashing around in a pool of mineral oil.
Not once since hooking it back up have I had that edgy feeling of needing to turn it down lest I offend the neighbors. Nor have I been jarred by a louder passage.
In a perfect world, I think I might prefer a slightly crisper representation than the 102 offers, but without regressing back to the harshness of the Arcam. Some have indicated that maybe a Bel Canto S300 might offer this. It never ends does it?
Regardless, I am happier than I was this time yesterday. Unfortunately, the majority of my music is not re-rippable into lossless, as it exists as digital files only. I worry that lower quality mp3s will not react as nicely to the warmth imposed by the Rowland.
Add to this a new problem I've discovered (which turns out to be all but ubiquitous amongst iPod Classic owners playing lossless files). The Classic, in addition to having a cheaper DAC chip than its predecessor, also has a small cache; 32mb vs 64mb. Several times today, listening to lossless files over 32mb, the iPod paused itself, in order to cache the rest of the file. :(
Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to respond.
Some of you suggested new or different equipment was in order. My more financially responsible better half would absolutely have my head if I got new speakers or a tube amp. I can't afford them anyhow. The B&W 683s are more than enough speaker for an iPod based system IMO anyhow. And having already jumped headfirst into an amp and landing on my face would indicate that I don't know enough about this stuff to be exploring the even trickier and more finicky world of tubes.
All this said, I think I've had a bit of an epiphany today. I spent the morning ripping some Stevie Wonder CDs into Apple Lossless and replacing their 320kbps counterparts on my iPod. Nothing shows off a system like "All Day Sucker" or "Boogie on Reggae Woman"!
I played a couple of favorite tracks through the Arcam's amp. The lossless tracks showed a considerable improvement over the 320kbps files. I decided to take the comparison to the next level and hook the Rowland 102 back up.
It's very possible I've just lulled myself into these observations, in a psychoacoustic attempt to salvage the situation, but I feel I am now hearing some differences.
With the Arcam, highs on the lossless tracks sounded very bright. Cymbals had a distinct bite...I might even say a bit harsh. Louder passages sort of jumped through my body, causing me to sit up a bit, and sometimes even instictively reach for the remote to turn it down. All in all, I'd describe the highs as somewhat angsty.
The lows were very low indeed, but as I have experienced before, they were somewhat out of control. There were booms out of character with the rest of music, and sometimes even out of sync.
The mids sounded best, but were somewhat swallowed by the problems with the highs and lows.
After hooking up the Rowland, these lossless files are making a more and more convincing case for sticking with this amp.
The entire sound spectrum sounds more cohesive. True, the bass is not as sweepingly deep, but it's more in keeping with the rest of the music. It doesn't sound like a broken arrow on its own growling booming mission. The highs have lost much of their bite. Cymbals are not quite as shimmery or dimensional, but at the same time they're no where nearly as distracting. The angst is gone, both figuratively and literally.
Best of all, the mids I'm hearing seem to have been unleashed from the shackles of overly sharp highs and booming bass. Piano has more authority. Stevie Wonder's voice has moved to the forefront of the image. Before it literally sounded as if the band was playing in front of him. Now he sounds more like he's backed by the band.
Overall, I'd describe the sound as warmer. I've read that this is a signature sound of JRDG amps. It's nice to actually be able to relate to what that means.
One visual representation keeps coming to mind in comparing the sound...the slap of a racquetball hitting a wall (without the Rowland), and, with the Rowland, the sound of the same ball hitting the wall, but with the ball wrapped in a thin layer of very fine cashmere. Another image that comes to mind is the sound of splashing in a pool of water, vs. the sound of splashing around in a pool of mineral oil.
Not once since hooking it back up have I had that edgy feeling of needing to turn it down lest I offend the neighbors. Nor have I been jarred by a louder passage.
In a perfect world, I think I might prefer a slightly crisper representation than the 102 offers, but without regressing back to the harshness of the Arcam. Some have indicated that maybe a Bel Canto S300 might offer this. It never ends does it?
Regardless, I am happier than I was this time yesterday. Unfortunately, the majority of my music is not re-rippable into lossless, as it exists as digital files only. I worry that lower quality mp3s will not react as nicely to the warmth imposed by the Rowland.
Add to this a new problem I've discovered (which turns out to be all but ubiquitous amongst iPod Classic owners playing lossless files). The Classic, in addition to having a cheaper DAC chip than its predecessor, also has a small cache; 32mb vs 64mb. Several times today, listening to lossless files over 32mb, the iPod paused itself, in order to cache the rest of the file. :(