Take, for example, the products from the Jeff Rowland Design Group. The Consonance and Consummate preamplifiers were…
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One of the differences between mass-market and high-end audio is in product model longevity. By this I don't mean that high-end products necessarily last longer—although I think they generally do—but that models remain in a manufacturer's product line longer, perhaps being refined in an evolutionary manner. This helps products retain their value, and, when new models are introduced, these involve more than a cosmetic upgrade and some additional bells'n'whistles.
At the risk of being considered an audiophile of less than truest blue, I'm going to argue that convenience can, in fact, influence performance. I believe this is the case when it comes to convenient setting of the optimal volume level. For every recording there is a volume where the soundstage snaps into place and the perceived distance from the performers seems realistic, and a dB or two on either side is too loud or too soft (footnote 1). To tweak volume, a fully continuous volume control would be ideal, but the half-dB steps of the Synergy are subjectively small enough to allow dialing-…
Instruments and voices were defined in space with great precision, the VK-5i—which I had not thought of as being weak in this department—sounding very slightly veiled in comparison. This was particularly impressive with transients, such as the varied percussive sounds of All Star Percussion (Golden String GS CD 005). The Synergy also had deeper, better-controlled bass, evident with plucked string bass and bass drums.
Although the Synergy's clarity, bass response, soundstaging precision, and detail were ahead of the VK-5i's, I found the latter to be superior in its ability to present…
Sidebar: 1997 Measurements
Except as noted, all measurements of the Rowland Synergy were made with it AC-powered, set for a low input impedance (as delivered), and with the input sensitivity set for a gain of 12dB. All measurements were made in the full balanced configuration.
The Synergy's output impedance at its line outputs measured 78.6 ohms in the left channel and 79.2 ohms in the right. The input impedance measured 717 ohms in the left channel, 719 ohms in the right. Input and output impedances were not affected significantly by the setting of the level control. The output…
Paul Bolin wrote about the Synergy IIi in August 2002 (Vol.25 No.8):
Why the Jeff Rowland Design Group does not have a higher profile in American high-end circles is something of a puzzle to me. For nearly 20 years, Rowland has consistently produced electronics with superior sound and stunning looks. Perhaps it's simply that it's not in Jeff Rowland's nature to loudly toot his own horn. Rowland is a quiet, thoughtful man not given to hype-ridden pronouncements or publicity-grabbing annual updates of his products. His components typically have long commercial lives: the Coherence II line…
Shaken, not stirred
Some components of the solid-state persuasion are like deconstructionist French literary theorists: they dissect every part of the music with a taxonomist's precision and fanaticism, leaving behind only a skeleton of sound rather than a body of music. Each atomized element may be interesting in the manner of a butterfly tacked to a board, but compelling it is not.
Some components of the solid-state persuasion are like deconstructionist French literary theorists: they dissect every part of the music with a taxonomist's precision and fanaticism, leaving behind only a skeleton of sound rather than a body of music. Each atomized element may be interesting in the manner of a butterfly tacked to a board, but compelling it is not.
The Synergy was the antithesis of this. It combined a free-flowing and light-footed musicality with excellent resolution and a full-bodied harmonic presentation, and did a fine job of keeping everything…
The dynamics of small ensembles like Tiny Island or the Armstrong/Ellington group were irreproachably rendered. The Synergy IIi was near the state of the art in handling small- to medium-scale dynamic contrasts, resolving every subtle shading of intensity with loving care. But for all the sophistication and dignity of its appearance and overall presentation, the Rowland showed no aversion to real rock'n'roll stompage. Classic's remastering of "Achilles' Last Stand," from Led Zeppelin's Presence (Swan Song/Classic SS 841), roared out of my Apogee Duetta Signatures with tidal force.
The…
Sidebar 1: Associated Equipment (2002)
Analog source: SOTA Cosmos turntable, Graham 2.2 tonearm, Dynavector DRT XV-1 and Grado Statement Reference cartridges.
Digital sources: Classé Omega SACD/CD player, Ayre D-1x 24-bit/96kHz CD/DVD-V player; Krell KPS-28C CD player.
Preamplification: Krell KCT, Ayre K-1x line stages; Jeff Rowland Design Group Cadence, Manley Labs Steelhead phono stages.
Power amplifiers: Manley Labs 250 Neo-Classic, Lamm ML1, Jeff Rowland Design Group Model 10, Classé CAM-350.
Loudspeakers: Apogee Duetta Signature.
Cables: Phono: Hovland Music Groove 2…
Sidebar 2: 2002 Measurements
The Rowland Synergy IIi's maximum gain was 19.95dB, but this can be adjusted in accurate 0.5dB steps down to -20dB. The volume control also operated in accurate 0.5dB steps, with "63.5" the maximum indicated setting. The input impedance at 1kHz was 28k ohms or 641 ohms with the optional input termination selected. The balanced output impedance measured 51 ohms across the band, and the preamp was noninverting, with pin 2 of the XLRs connected as "hot" and the front-panel polarity-inversion LED unlit.
The frequency response (fig.1) was identical into…
Sidebar 3: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, balanced line preamplifier with separate AC power supply. Inputs: 5 per channel (XLR); 1 per channel, home theater bypass mode (XLR); 1 pair XLR/RCA adapters included. Outputs: 1 main output per channel (XLR), 1 record output per channel (XLR), 1 pair XLR/RCA adapters included. Overall gain: adjustable for each input, ±20dB relative to unity gain (0dB) in 0.5dB increments. Input impedance: adjustable for each input: 36k ohms or 600 ohms. Output impedance: 80 ohms (40 ohms each signal phase). Maximum input level: 13V RMS at 0dB gain.…