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Review: Jeff Rowland Design Concentra mkIIp Amplifier

Category: Amplifiers

I'm in to Jazz (specially guitar), Funk, Afro-Cuban, some hip hop, Classic Rock and blends of these genres.

I use any/all Cubop label Afro-Cuban LP's for testing. they're the best recordings I've ever herd period. I also use Wes Montgomery on vinyl (because Wes rules), a Cachao CD called Dos.

For me naturalness, dynamics, warmth and detal are important. I want deep tigh extnded bass that is coherent with the rest of the sound and well defined. No one-note bass lines. Nauralness and warmth re more important than detail or even imaging. Bright tinny sounds turn me of no matter how detailed or how god the imaging is. Better to want more thn to get too much of one thing. If it's not there, you may not notice it but if there's too much you'll want it to go away.

Ive had the Concentra II about a month. It replaces the Plinius 8200 (8100 upgrde w/phono). Even if the Concentra doesn't have quite the raw musle, the refinement smoothness and naturalness with better imaging make it a pure joy. The build quality and intangibles are world class. Unbelievably beautiful. And also quite pwerful 175 watts per channel very conservatively rated I'm sure.

Strenths are beauty, convenience, world class sound, great phono, warmth, detail, power, naturalness.

Weaknesses, well it retils for $7,100 but if your an audiophle then that's not crazy. You can't record one source and listen to another like the Plinius. Sonically no weaknesses. Thi may be one of the best Integrted solid state rigs in the world.

If money was no object I would still be thrilled with this unit...who knows if money was no object I could die of my own devices. Cheers. Love. Dave in S.F.

Associated gear
Sony XA7ES CD, Project Perspective Turntable /Benz Micro Gilder Cartrige, Tannoy Definition 900 Floorstanding Towers.

Similar products
Plinius 8200
davabar

Showing 2 responses by frankpiet

frankpiet
307 posts
 
Hi!

Great to see so many music lovers using the Concentra II - like I do. It replaced a AVM pre-/power combo and an Ayre AX 7 intergrated as well as my Levinson integrated. The standard C II is extremely smooth with greta soundstage and an absolutely coherent sound - but with the typical Rowland roll off in the hight. I now use a modified C II - more speed, more timbre, more space and more details. The best power cord to match is Electra Glide Mini Khan Plus - adds a lot of power and speed.
As gear I use: Transrotor Fat Bob S with modified Rega RB 2.6 tonearm and a Shelter 501 cartridge. Wadia 860x and Sonus Faber Cremona speakers. As cables I use Tara Labs The One ISM Onboard - speaker and IC´s as well as Electraglide cables.
frankpiet
307 posts
 
Ovature: strange comments about the C II. Never ever heard of any C II user that complained about build quality, ergonomics or sound quality. The build quality inside/outside is world class and the sonics of the C II are more stable, transparent and dynamic than the original C I with better frequency extension on top/bottom. Don´t know which problems you had with the C II but normally the C II is a great performer in its price class.
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