Rowland 625

yesterday I could "i fine" find some time to compare brievly the 625 and the 312

I took the excellent Cd (very plastic and incredibly colourful) of Mahler Symphony n° 6 made by Acousense and I drove to my dealer's (his name is Peter) studio. I used only 1st and 4th movement of the symphony, the most complicated regarding the structure and instrumentation with quite a few demanding tutti for the system where even a big hammer is being used ... by the way incredible masterwork

I started hearing the system how it was built:
dCS Puccini +clock
Corus + 312
Avalon Ascendant
all cables custom made

I heard quite a bit of the fist and fourth mov. ... no surprise I know the system, I just thought one more time it's incredible what Peter is getting out of these 2 either modest loudspeakers!

He told me as we had discussed on the phone that the 625 doesn't work properly with his custom made loudspeakers cables. I asked for an example, he told me that on soprano voices at quite loud volume, it could happen that some distortion appears, I asked why, he couldn't give me an answer and just told me that he didn't have this problem either with Pass Lab, Ayre & some other brands he is selling.

So we had to take his loudspeakers cables out and to install the Cardas Clear ones ( by the way I think product of the year in TAS ... but I am not sure) ...
result ? the 3D imploded litterally, the music lost intensity, colour ...
I have been making my way trough the cables starting with XLO PR O650, going to NBS Monitor III & IV and than Active II, trying quite a few ones beside ... so that I know that Cardas Clear are quite good starting "downstairs" ... but here ... frankly ... ? ...
it was a torture to hear to Mahler's 6th !

Well it didn't take long time, we decided to install the 625 which was warm and has more than 300 hours. As he hasn't developped yet the perfectly right spikes for the 625, he installed it on an custom-made acryl platform with spikes built in.

We switched the system on ...
yes a beautiful surprise!
I was quite surprised
-immediate expansion of the 3D
-smoother and very detailed trebble
-bass with more definition

now I would have like to have more time and to install again the 312 with the custom made loudspeakers cables in order to compare them directly to the 625 with Cardas Clear ...
I thought retrospectively there were playing at a similar level with maybe a little bit more drive and energy with the 312 ... but it's so difficult to compare seriously when it's not immediately one after this other...

so that this will be a next experience ...

I was supposed to get my DartZeel preamplifier yesterday, but the dealer said that the company has a delay because they got a lot of orders in Europe.

And I need to wait more 2 or 3 months.
But I could cancel my order because it was his fault.

So I cancel the order for the DartZeel.

But the main reason that I cancel the order is because I remenber that you ALL guys said that the LITTLE Capri was ALMOST as good as the Criterion. And as I'm very motivated by my order for the Electrocompaniet AW250R amplifier, I ordered the LITTLE Electrocompaniet EC 4.8 preamplifier.

Even because a review said that the 4.8 came VERY CLOSE to the MBL's top of the line 6010 preamplifier.

So I'll compare the Criterion and the EC 4.8 and I'll post the result here. And also I'll compare the GamuT D200 with the AW250R, because my old GamuT is much, but very much better than my ex-beloved Model 312.

Isvaldo

You are no longer in love with your Rowlands ??? I can recommend a top device if you like ... :-)

I owned the Capri in a second system for a while and the Criterion replaced it in that system. I don't think the Capri is in the same league but it's good for the money and amazing for the going secondhand price.

I look forward to hearing the 625; I was not all that impressed with what heard from the C500 I owned but enjoy the MC6/Criterion pairing and have an affinity for the 2/6/8/9 generation amps. I will say that the Criterion is much more transparent than the Coherence II Mk 2 I owned and quite good overall, among the best I've heard, perhaps the best value, but surpassed in some areas by some other preamps, albeit at a much much higher cost.

After I listen to the sound of the Electrocompaniet 4.8 preamplifier I could say that the Criterion is really a wonderfull device with his incredible transparency.

And I want to like better the 4.8, because I have bought the Electrocompaniet AW250R as well, but I couldn't.

Anyway the AW250R is amazing.

Sorry, because I don't speak a good speak English to write different words that I need for a review.

But the AW250R is much better than the GamuT D200 MkIII and hugely better than the Model 312.

For what I listen, I'm pretty shure that Electrocompaniet is much better than the M625.