Guido: 625 Speakers

[PNCD]

Guido
On Audiogon you said that you had a very good experience with Die Muzik speakers and the 625.
Here it seems that you are upgrading from the 625 to the 725s.
What has brought about the upgrade: Audiophilia nervosa? Addiction to high SPLs? Lack of current delivery in 625?
I do not listen at high average SPLs but I do want the dynamics of orchestral and operatic works to come through the amp+speaker combination.
Thank you.

 

[GuidoCorona]

PNCD, Vienna The Music are extremely nuanced speakers: this far they have been sensitive to every change I have made in the component and connectivity chain upstream. Hence my curiosity in feeding them with M725 monos, which feature some more sophisticated engineering than M625, and according to 3rd party reports, may sound superior to M625. I do not know all the M725 innerds, but I have been told that M725 mono uses ceramic boards and a novel approach to the application of capacitors. Further, M725 mono is likely to have more headroom than M625 stereo, because in each chassis the PFC unit and USPS serves a single channel.

As for M625, it does a remarkably fine job at creating a sizeable and authoritative stage and images on The Music by itself, and is quite exceptional when fed through a Shunyata Triton power conditioner. I imagine that M725 monos will exceed M625 results, but I can not be be sure until I verify in my own system.

By the way, PFO has just posted the first part of my review of Vienna Die Music. This first part is a detailed discussion that covers speaker construction and driver technology and design; the second instalment will deal with sonic/musical performance of the speakers driven by a variety of amps, including Rowland M625 and M725. See:

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue59/vienna.htm

Best, Guido

 

[PNCD]

Guido
I had read your PFO review with interest.
I was simply surprised by your view of the compatibility of Die Muzik and 625 contrasted with your willing to spend twice as much to replace the 625 with the same speakers. I think of amplifier and speaker as combinations. I pick one, then find the suitably dynamic partner until I am willing to change both. Hence my quest for a speaker to match the newly-upgraded 625, which I have now purchased.
It is just so effortful as so many speakers fall within the technically eligible parameter set: Amati Futura, Sasha, and Die Musizk for example.
The Sophia 3 are probably a safer bet for the 625. Perhaps the Evolution MMMiniTwo.
Anyone else with thoughts - please help out!

 

[GuidoCorona]

Thank you PNCD, I am looking forward to your listening comments about the updated M625. You have me at a disadvantage, because my unit is an M625 original, lacking the recent in-circuit update. As such, it is difficult for me to comment on the possible effects on Die Music of two amplifiers that I do not have in my system.

On the other hand, last October I visited the JRDG factory, where I had the opportunity of listening to a pair of original M625 rigged to mono operation, powering a pair of Vienna The Music. The result was absolutely astonishing for the sheer grace and effortlessness of the presentation. Unlike the previous year, where a single M625 was powering Thiel 3.7, I never had the feeling that occasionally M625 had to "work for living". Rather, with the mono-rigged M625, I was hearing an authority that reminded me of my old Rowland Model 7 monos, which instead of 20A, yielded a peak current of 170A... Hence my intrigue at the possibilities of M725 monos.

Another speaker that I would love to hear with M625 or M725 is the Wilson Sasha, which appears to have power handling and impedance parameters very similar to Die Muzik. While I have not heard it in my own system, I absolutely loved the musicality and sound of every system that included Sasha at RMAF.
Guido

 

[NorthStar]

PNCD, Vienna The Music are extremely nuanced speakers: this far they have been sensitive to every change I have made in the component and connectivity chain upstream. Hence my curiosity in feeding them with M725 monos, which feature some more sophisticated engineering than M625, and according to 3rd party reports, may sound superior to M625. I do not know all the M725 innerds, but I have been told that M725 mono uses ceramic boards and a novel approach to the application of capacitors. Further, M725 mono is likely to have more headroom than M625 stereo, because in each chassis the PFC unit and USPS serves a single channel.

As for M625, it does a remarkably fine job at creating a sizeable and authoritative stage and images on The Music by itself, and is quite exceptional when fed through a Shunyata Triton power conditioner. I imagine that M725 monos will exceed M625 results, but I can not be be sure until I verify in my own system.

By the way, PFO has just posted the first part of my review of Vienna Die Music. This first part is a detailed discussion that covers speaker construction and driver technology and design; the second instalment will deal with sonic/musical performance of the speakers driven by a variety of amps, including Rowland M625 and M725. See:

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue59/vienna.htm

Best, Guido

These are gorgeous loudspeakers! ...I'd love to own them. :b

* There is a typo from the review: "..., as tweeters are mostly crossed above 120Hz, and hardly extend below such frequency, ..."

Cheers,
Bob

 

[GuidoCorona]

Uck.... You are right Bob, 120Hz should have been 1200 Hz.... I will request a correction to the article. G.

 

[PNCD]

Guido.
How do you find the current delivery of these amplifiers? It is not something that I normally see revealed for amplifiers. It does not help me now as I am already an owner of the 625 but I am curious.
I would love to use the 625 with the Sasha's but their impedance is much more demanding than the Sophia 3's.
Another alternative route is something like the Evolution MMMiniTwo with a powered bass...
http://www.evolutionacoustics.com/loudspeakers/mmminitwo/

 

[GuidoCorona]

PNCD, I have sent you a PM. Guido

 

[GuidoCorona]

Bob (Northstar), I just noticed that the PFO editor has added a trailing "0" to the incorrect frequency of 120Hz in my Die Muzik article... which is now correct at 1200 Hz. Thank you for pointing out the typo!

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue59/vienna.htm

 

[NorthStar]

Bob (Northstar), I just noticed that the PFO editor has added a trailing "0" to the incorrect frequency of 120Hz in my Die Muzik article... which is now correct at 1200 Hz. Thank you for pointing out the typo!

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue59/vienna.htm

Fantastic! :b

 

[GuidoCorona]

As I mentioned already on WBF, the Rowland M625 may be slightly underpowered for my Vienna Die Muzik speakers. Conversely, the M725 monoblocks yield excellent authority, as I report on my compact review of M725 in the 2012 Writers Awards page of PFO No. 64 at:

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue64/awards.htm

Once you open the URL, search for the string "725".

Merry Christmas! Guido

All, Positive Feedback has posted my compact review of the Rowland M725 monoblocks on issue 64 for November 2012. You will find it on the 2012 Writers Awards page at:

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue64/awards.htm

Once you open the URL, search for the string "725".

Merry Christmas! Guido

 

[Elberoth]

Guido,

Nice to see you back ! Haven't seen you posting anywhere for a while ...

When you expect the full review to be published ?

 

[NorthStar]

-- Guido, Merry Christmas! :b

Bob

 

[GuidoCorona]

Hi Elberoth, I would love to write a full review of M725... But before I do so, I need to learn a lot more about M725 design and technology directly from Jeff.

By the way, it appears that the M925 4-box monoblock amp may be close to completion... Ah Audiophrenia, thou art a harsh mistress!

Guido