Damned by faint praise? I was wondering if there are any other folks using the Jeff Rowland Aeris DAC and if so what is your experience?
In Feb.I replaced my Berkeley Audio Alpha 2 dac w/ the Rowland Aeris and have had the chance to hear it slowly transform. During this time I have compared it directly to the BAC and listened to it feeding my JRDG Corus preamp & directly to the Rowland 625 amp. It is more or less the least dry and analytical sounding DAC I have experienced to date and makes the BAD & the DSC loaner I have used sound somewhat bleached and thin-bodied in A/B listening.
The Aeris sounds a bit more dynamic and revealing fed straight to the power amp but a the cost of flatter soundstage? and a small tilt upward in the highest frequencies. What I find pleasing w/ the Aeris is the fluid, plasma-like blumpness of individual sounds and the organic unity of the musical expression. Its a dac that does sound more analogue (less digital ringing and hash) but in fact sounds just about as neutral as any piece of electronic gear I have heard. In some ways the Berkeley Alpha 2 makes a stronger 1st impression but the Aeris does all things well and has fewer weak area's (like the Berkeley's bleached midrange and less than great bass rendition.)
It seems odd that JRDG would not give in to the chorus of people who want a DAC that has a numeric display to facilitate ease of operation for those not using a preamp? And a balance & phase control would the nice too.Finally, I do not hear many Aeris users sharing their experiences & thoughts and wonder if this is in part because we are pleased and don't feel so compelled to report our thoughts? Hopefully the relative silence is just that.
PS If looks have even a tiny bit to do with choosing audio components the JRDG Aeris, Chorus preamp and the new 625, 725, 825 and 925 are aesthetically modernist show stoppers, even sexy if an inanimate object can be sexy!
PS The Rowland 825 sounds really really good: Had a chance to hear the new, hot off the press JRDG 825 stereo amp driving a pair of Revel Salon 2's w/ all Rowland electronics and can say it sounded outstanding, dynamic and produced the deepest soundstage and best low frequency power and control of ANY amp I have heard in decades. Both sweet, musical and dynamic w/ very silent background making dynamic contrast simply stunning. This will IMO be a game changer amp in audio circles and a relative bargain at $32K.
In Feb.I replaced my Berkeley Audio Alpha 2 dac w/ the Rowland Aeris and have had the chance to hear it slowly transform. During this time I have compared it directly to the BAC and listened to it feeding my JRDG Corus preamp & directly to the Rowland 625 amp. It is more or less the least dry and analytical sounding DAC I have experienced to date and makes the BAD & the DSC loaner I have used sound somewhat bleached and thin-bodied in A/B listening.
The Aeris sounds a bit more dynamic and revealing fed straight to the power amp but a the cost of flatter soundstage? and a small tilt upward in the highest frequencies. What I find pleasing w/ the Aeris is the fluid, plasma-like blumpness of individual sounds and the organic unity of the musical expression. Its a dac that does sound more analogue (less digital ringing and hash) but in fact sounds just about as neutral as any piece of electronic gear I have heard. In some ways the Berkeley Alpha 2 makes a stronger 1st impression but the Aeris does all things well and has fewer weak area's (like the Berkeley's bleached midrange and less than great bass rendition.)
It seems odd that JRDG would not give in to the chorus of people who want a DAC that has a numeric display to facilitate ease of operation for those not using a preamp? And a balance & phase control would the nice too.Finally, I do not hear many Aeris users sharing their experiences & thoughts and wonder if this is in part because we are pleased and don't feel so compelled to report our thoughts? Hopefully the relative silence is just that.
PS If looks have even a tiny bit to do with choosing audio components the JRDG Aeris, Chorus preamp and the new 625, 725, 825 and 925 are aesthetically modernist show stoppers, even sexy if an inanimate object can be sexy!
PS The Rowland 825 sounds really really good: Had a chance to hear the new, hot off the press JRDG 825 stereo amp driving a pair of Revel Salon 2's w/ all Rowland electronics and can say it sounded outstanding, dynamic and produced the deepest soundstage and best low frequency power and control of ANY amp I have heard in decades. Both sweet, musical and dynamic w/ very silent background making dynamic contrast simply stunning. This will IMO be a game changer amp in audio circles and a relative bargain at $32K.
