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Rowland 625 versus Audio Research DS450

I'm a big fan of Rowland Products. I heard the 625 at CES and was rather impressed by its huge solid soundstage, and the detailed yet mellifluous sound. I was rather depressed by the price tag. I was hoping it would be in Rowland 501 range.

I also heard the Audio Research DS450 with Magnepans at CES. While the sound was very relaxed and tube like, I didn't hear as much bass, as I would have liked. Perhaps it was the speakers or the recordings played?

I noticed both manufacturers avoided the term Class D or "Ice Module" like the plague. I think Class D has become a dirty word among some audiophiles...

Any other thoughts on how the sound of the Rowland 625 compares to Audio Research's DS450?

I would like to save up for one of them. The DS450 or even DS225 seem like they might be "better bang for the buck" (in relative terms). Appreciate your comments. Tks!
optimus

Showing 2 responses by raquel

raquel
841 posts
 
I cannot directly respond to your question, not having heard either amp, but it's interesting to see that ARC is finally building a no-global-feedback amp (the Rowland is, too). The analog power supply is another reason for hope.

Regarding Rowland, the Model 2/6/8/9 vintage is generally considered the pinnacle of his designs - they featured battery power supplies and outrageous parts quality that today's much smaller market could not support.
raquel
841 posts
 
The 201/501's straight into the wall are heavily dependent upon the quality of the A/C for their sound, much more so than a traditional amp using an analog power supply, so it can be misleading to judge performance in a given system. This is the primary reason that Rowland uses power factor correction circuitry in many of his amps, and used to offer a stand-alone power factor correction device, the PC-1, as an option for the 201/501.
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