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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 1 response by royj

royj's avatar
royj
151 posts
 
Jwt-
You should try the Audio Magic cables and speaker wires (current production)- their Sorcerer models on up.

I've heard nothing near them for clarity and musicality. Some people find them "bland", but we've found that's because something downstream can't respond to the small subtleties these cables can pass- they do not make the dynamics "off/on"-sounding as some cables; instead are capable of the most graceful swings.

On the other hand, there have been some we know who have found them "harsh", but we've found the downstream components or wires cannot handle the complicated, quickly-changing signals these wires can pass- they do not throw a haze over complicated signals, and those complex, super-quick signals "overwhelm" some gear/wires.

For these tests, we play half-track master tapes directly into Rowland and Edge amplifiers, and into Audio Note, Manley and VAC tube amplifiers. Regardless of amplifier, opinions on their cables' sound are consistent. We have compared them to the Cardas.

Best regards,
Roy Johnson
Green Mountain Audio
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