Rowland Model 6 monoblocks - my thoughts


I promised John (Jmcgrogan2), that I would share my thoughts on the Jeff Rowland Model 6 amps that I purchased from him. If you are interested...read on!

Some background: I have always been a tube guy. In fact this Rowland is my first solid state amp. From Conrad Johnson, Cary Audio, VTL, Audio Research, and Sonic Frontiers, I've had some damn fine tube gear in my house! As is so often the case with this hobby, I took a trip on the dreaded audio avalanche; buying, selling, trading, and testing various components. Each time, convincing myself that it just wasn't right. Always, that little voice kept pushing...just buy "Brand X" cable, or "Brand Y" isolation feet, and use "Brand Z" vintage tubes, and the sound will magically transport me to some sort cosmic neverland! Little could I appreciate, that I was probably already there. In short, audio-nervousa was getting the better of me, and I lost site of the goal: enjoying recorded music. I decided to take a step back from this madness and start over...SLOWLY...MORE BUDGET MINDED...NO GIMMICKS. This time I would do a better job of managing, balancing, and accepting compromise. And above all else, I would just enjoy the music.

So for the last five years, my simple and basic system consisted of:

*Conrad Johnson Premier 11A 70W tube amp
*Conrad Johnson PV 10B tube preamp with phono stage
*Electrocompaniet EMC-1 CD Player
*Technics SL1210 MK2 turntable that I've kept as a spare from my DJ years in case I get a hankering for vinyl. I Sold my SOTA, due to lack of use.
*Harbeth 7ES2 speakers
*Kimber Kable PBJ interconnects
*Speltz Anti-Cable speaker wire

A Sam Tellig or Harry Pearson reference system, the above components do not make. However, this time that wasn't my goal...I just wanted to listen to music instead of worrying about $3,000 speaker cables being the weakest link. And to my surprise what glorious music these components produced!!! Oh how I was finally moved. Beautiful imagery and staging. The components just seemed to disappear leaving me with music. In my small listening room, everything sounded good. Silky smooth and so easy on the ears. Several friends who moved from two channel into the home theatre world were astonished at my latest "house sound". Maybe my mindset was different this time; older and wiser? Possibly I was more relaxed and less fussy? Or, maybe this time I didn't listen with my wallet?! Whatever the case, I found my own slice of Nirvana.

HOWEVER, there were occasions when the wife and kids left me alone to my vices, with the opportunity to really "crank the volume knob". Here I thought the Harbeths might like a little more power...more headroom. Not that the CJ was ever clipping...perhaps the tubes were just borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, when asked to work their magic at full tilt with these speakers?!?

Enter Jeff Rowland Design Group. I have ALWAYS had a thing for the JRDG gear!!!! From my perspective, Rowland is a hands-on mad man always pushing the envelope with newer technologies and unusual circuit designs. Doing it a bit different as it were - right, wrong, or indifferent - his way. Show the guts of a Rowland to an Electrical Engineer, and the head scratching begins! All this with a beautiful packing job to boot! Years ago, I auditioned the Rowland Model 2, 75 watt stereo amp with Synergy preamp at a local hi-fi store. I was blown away and had a hard time believing that some tubes weren't being slipped in, some place. I remember that audition being very lively and punchy without annoying. In short, I never forgot it.

Enter the Model 6 monoblocks. Once the decision had been made for more power, I had my amp choices narrowed down to the CJ Premier 12 (140 watt monoblock version of my Premier 11A) or something from JRDG. Deep down, I felt it was time to roll with one of the "better" solid state amps...go for a total change as it were. Remembering my audition with the 75 watt Model 2, the Model 6 with it's 150 watts seemed like just the dish for me. The units I bought from Jmcgrogan2 had the black face plates, which was an added bonus; I felt that the all black would be less "bling bling" than the signature Rowland silver, and less likely to influence anyone that happened to be over for a listening session. The black blends in much better, and is more subtle. However, once you inspect them up close, you quickly realize that you're looking at something special. Black aluminum tanks!

Enter Model 6 sound. For some reason I was expecting more harshness, maybe some grain. Even though I was previously impressed with the Model 2, I just couldn't let go of this notion that solid state was the devil's work and would annoy me with shrill sounds. OH HOW WRONG, I WAS!!! All of that tube-lover smoothness is there. The best imagery I've EVER heard....and this is something my CJ excels at! There are times when I close my eyes and feel like I'm not even listening to a "stereo"!! It's all there only with much greater authority! Much more concert like. More stage like. This sound is very energetic and moving...and that tube like warmness that I'm so fond of is still there with just a touch more detail. And the louder it gets, the better!!!! I'm amazed at how much bass my Harbeths can deliver - these are not large speakers!!! But now I have this punchy bass slam that's accurate and controlled. And here's the clincher: at louder volumes, the Rowlands can present this deep bass without losing any of the mid range or upper registers. No more borrowing...no sacrificing one area to furnish another. They just keep delivering and reproducing what you throw at them until some other component breaks down...in my case it's probably my small room or the monitors! I never thought solid state amplification could give me the same hair raising experiences as my beloved tubes. Time to quickly step off the audio merry-go-round, yet again, and enjoy what I have.

Thanks For Reading,
Jeff
sand_man
Here's a picture of the Muse M3 unit I bought:

http://gon8.audiogon.com/i/c/f/1203124839.jpg

Very simplistic styling...typical of Muse's form following function approach. Stunningly beautiful, it ain't!
Jeff.....Dude....relax, I was just joking. I think you probably got a great deal on the preamp, like you did on my amps. Hopefully you will live happily ever after. There is no doubt in my mind that you will now have a more neutral sound than your previous CJ gear, as IMHO nothing sounds warmer/sweeter than CJ gear.
Enjoy the Muse/JRDG hook-up.

Cheers,
John
Oh yeah, no worries John! It's hard tell over the "interweb", but you didn't ruffle my feathers. All is cool! I merely was pointing out why all of a sudden I made this shift with the type of gear I'm running. It's like discovering a whole new world. At the time, I just wasn't ready to let go of my tubes. I know full well that a better tube preamp would have done the trick, also. I just figured I've come this far, might as well go the distance and toss a solid state pre in there!!! LOL!
I am using jeff rowland gears ,for the past 6 years.Its one of the best build amps .Build and the intergrity of the components is simply outstanding.The sound emmited is unlike your conventional solid state. All the proud owners of this brand;I CAN SAY;MONEY WELL SPENT.CHEERS
COOKING WITH GAS, NOW!!!

So I've finally gotten to spend some time with my "new to me" Muse Model 3 preamp! As I told the A-gon member, Jamscience, who sold it to me, this is the finest sounding "system" I've ever had in my house! What I love most is that all of my changes, as I move from tubeland to silicone valley, have been DRAMATIC! Nothing subtle here! None of this, "hhhmm, yeah I *THINK* it sounds a little different"!!! There is no doubt that I'm playing in a new game!

Now for the sound: When I was first listening to the Rowland Model 6s with my CJ PV10B preamp, I was initially awestricken because the increased wattage of the Rowlands (I went from a 70W tube stereo unit, to 150W monos), provided so much control, headroom, and bass!!! That was new to me...and I loved it! Thus explaining my initial glowing review at the opener of this thread. However, the more time I spent, the muddier the waters became. Something was getting in the way. Where were all those details? I first noticed this when I spun The Eagles, "Hotel California". This is not normally a band that I dabble with, but the song is a classic and the way Henley's high-hat, and cymbals shimmer and ring in that song, ALWAYS brought on the goosebumps when I was running CJ pre and power units! However, this time I noticed that the crash and shimmering was being cut short. The magic had dried up ever so slightly. Perhaps there was too much of a good thing? A little too much bass that was masking some of those trebbly details?

So before I left for vacation, I was able to connect the Muse M3, and let all burn-in while I was away for the week. As mentioned earlier in this thread, I no longer turn any of my sources off. As soon as I was unpacked, I was ready to spin, and the gear was good and warm! The clarity and level of detail being revealed is astonishing!!!!!! Yep, this is a good match!!! In fact, outside the perfect hi-fi boutique with it's dedicated power and room treatments, I'm not convinced I've ever experienced this. As I suspected, these Rowland amps, have all the warmth needed to support such a neutral, almost non-existent preamp!!! The warmth of the Rowlands with the warmth of my original CJ pre...was overkill!!! Another thing that I've enjoyed having with the Muse, is a FREAKING REMOTE!!!!!! Full functioning, no less! Including a button to invert the polarity of the output signal. In all honesty, I'm still getting used to this sound. I was growing accustomed to all the bass, and now some of that has been leaned out. And I'm not sure if the CJ was just bloated or if the Muse is more on the lean side...or should I say accurate? Whatever the case, I don't mean to imply that the bass is missing, just that it's been toned down...better formulated, and even more controlled. Whatever is on the disc is what you get...not a penny more, sir! It'll take some time to get used to. I've also noticed how much louder my system will play with no ill effects and while maintaining all of the elements that I love. The sound stage is top notch and expansive, even in my my small room. And another phenomenon that is new to me...SPEED! The elements are all being delivered with greater momentum...nothing laid back here! The flow of sound is amazing! In addition, on some CDs/tracks, The Shins, "Wincing the Night", for example, the details are so damn near perfectly replicated, there is almost a spooky, eerie feel. It's hard to describe. I'm not sure what is causing this, but me LOVE IT! In the case of my current setup, the more I listen, the more drawn into the music I feel. Almost, an emotional connection. Engaging, I think. Where as before, the more I listened, the more pissed off I was becoming, because I knew something was wrong!

A special thanks to Jmcgrogan2 and Jamscience for being such stand up guys who provided excellent A-gon service! You guys have helped fulfill my hi-fi wishes! I know it gets better than this, but I don't know at the expense of how many more thousands? For my modest lifestyle, this is as good as it gets!

Up next: Gregg Straley Reality Cables...interconnects and speaker, on the way! Stay tuned - more to follow...