SoundRebels
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Jeff Rowland Corus + 625 review
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Bobvin
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I tried reading that review, but the white text on the black background started giving me a headache after about two paragraphs. When are web designers going to learn readability should trump style. There are at least a dozen ways to do it better, and maintain style.
Just look up after reading for a couple minutes, see how long your eyes need to adjust. The audio community makes this mistake frequently and yet us folks with the old eyes are the ones who are buying the gear. Maybe a consideration for the audience they are trying to reach?
(Sorry for the off topic rant, I was involved in early web design usability when I was at Microsoft, back when I.E. was at v2. Amazing how much info about readability exists yet designers insist on this hyper-contrast white on black.)
Just look up after reading for a couple minutes, see how long your eyes need to adjust. The audio community makes this mistake frequently and yet us folks with the old eyes are the ones who are buying the gear. Maybe a consideration for the audience they are trying to reach?
(Sorry for the off topic rant, I was involved in early web design usability when I was at Microsoft, back when I.E. was at v2. Amazing how much info about readability exists yet designers insist on this hyper-contrast white on black.)
SoundRebels
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Bobvin - Thanks for Your opinion. We want and need feedback like this, and try to introduce some improvements in the future.
I own the JRDG Corus and 625 combination and I love the looks and sound. But these sentences in your review confused me since I know of know way to control the 625 with the Corus remote.
"The 625 power amplifier looks much more richly, and at the same time very elegant. The front bears only a centrally placed, surrounded with a while ring, indicating the power state, power button. Also the remote controller can be used to toggle between power-on and standby."
"The 625 power amplifier looks much more richly, and at the same time very elegant. The front bears only a centrally placed, surrounded with a while ring, indicating the power state, power button. Also the remote controller can be used to toggle between power-on and standby."
kiwi_1282001
Active member
+1. Unfortunate such an important review should exhibit such poor readability. I needed to cut and paste the review into a word document in order to read it in one sitting.
SoundRebels
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I know that it looks like aspirin for serious disease, but You can use browsers extensions like High Contrast in Chrome ( https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/high-contrast/djcfdncoelnlbldjfhinnjlhdjlikmph )
GuidoCorona
New member
I confirm that the standby function, available on Corus front panel and remote, toggles standby/operate on Corus, but has no effect on M625 or other power amplifier.
There exists a 12V standby remote input trigger on M625, but it requires a wire connected to a 3.5mm Jack on M625… And control is usually performed from an AV receiver.
My own experience with M625 and with Criterion (very similar to Corus) is that break-in extended for about 1K hours. Furthermore, after significant standby time, sonic optimization was usually obtained after 24 hours of operating the live system with an audio signal going through it.
On the subject of human factors / accessibility… The white on black background is sometimes applied to improve the reading experience for readers with low vision… E.g. many seniors. However, W/B is in most cases too radical a medicine. In general, a 4:1 foreground/background contrast ratio is more than sufficient. It is best to style colors using CSS, so that users can override with their own custom CSS, or inherit high contrast system colors, or apply color overrides from magnification software. I also noticed that the lang=”pl” HTML attribute sprinkled all over the English page is incorrect… It should be lang=”en”. The lang attribute is used to direct screen reading software to load language-specific text-to-speech modules, and read the page with that module…. If I had a Polish synthesizer in my system, that article would have been read using Polish reading rules, making the text impenetrable.
G.
There exists a 12V standby remote input trigger on M625, but it requires a wire connected to a 3.5mm Jack on M625… And control is usually performed from an AV receiver.
My own experience with M625 and with Criterion (very similar to Corus) is that break-in extended for about 1K hours. Furthermore, after significant standby time, sonic optimization was usually obtained after 24 hours of operating the live system with an audio signal going through it.
On the subject of human factors / accessibility… The white on black background is sometimes applied to improve the reading experience for readers with low vision… E.g. many seniors. However, W/B is in most cases too radical a medicine. In general, a 4:1 foreground/background contrast ratio is more than sufficient. It is best to style colors using CSS, so that users can override with their own custom CSS, or inherit high contrast system colors, or apply color overrides from magnification software. I also noticed that the lang=”pl” HTML attribute sprinkled all over the English page is incorrect… It should be lang=”en”. The lang attribute is used to direct screen reading software to load language-specific text-to-speech modules, and read the page with that module…. If I had a Polish synthesizer in my system, that article would have been read using Polish reading rules, making the text impenetrable.
G.
Guido - good to see you as always! Thanks for your help the other day. I'm still waiting anxiously. 
Let me tell you guys, Guido might be one of the smartest guys I've ever met in Audio. Glad I got to meet him at RMAF too.
Let me tell you guys, Guido might be one of the smartest guys I've ever met in Audio. Glad I got to meet him at RMAF too.
kiwi_1282001
Active member
Yes! I enjoy reading Guido's published work and his significant contribution on many audio forums. Each contribution is without fail thoughful, insightful and interesting and always written in a competant and professional manner. Makes me think that along the way Guido must have had some great teachers! As the old saying goes, behind every professional there is a professor.
SoundRebels
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mep
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Are you sure you know what you think you know? Or do you think sometimes you need the word 'no' instead of 'know?'
GuidoCorona
New member
Thank you Mike and Kiwi for your kind words… Just don’t keep ‘em up… They’s already goin’ to my head, and…. I’ll end up a Fat-Head audiophile before long, and those teachers who have not disowned me yet, will promptly do so *grins!*
Hi Soundrebels, you are right, the standby/power relay circuit of most Rowland Amps, including M625, usually operated from the front temporary contact switch, is also operable with a 12V pulse from a wire plugged into the 3.5 mm socket in the back of these devices. However, no Rowland linestages that I know of have the capability of generating such a 12V control pulse. signal.
Saluti, G.
Hi Soundrebels, you are right, the standby/power relay circuit of most Rowland Amps, including M625, usually operated from the front temporary contact switch, is also operable with a 12V pulse from a wire plugged into the 3.5 mm socket in the back of these devices. However, no Rowland linestages that I know of have the capability of generating such a 12V control pulse. signal.
Saluti, G.
GuidoCorona
New member
Hong Kong, Corus is a fantastic amp... If you ever decide to move up to M625 S2, you will have an unbeatable pair... M625 has significant enhancements over the original... Everyone who heard it seems to agree that it is an amazing device. G.
GuidoCorona
New member
Hi Hong Kong, with Rowland electronics I have found better synergy with Shunyata, High Fidelity Cables, and Nordost Valhalla V2 than with FureTech Flux.... Flux seems to be a little hard sounding with Rowland gear.
Guido
Guido
Jumperflux for my loudspeaker is better than orginal's jumper.
I have all in Van Den Hul before : the Second and the Revelation for loudspeaker.
I haven't change my power cord : it's just DIY..
I'm going to work now....
Hi GuidoCorona, after near one year, I could say : you are right, Flux seems to be a little hard sounding with Rowland gear.
The gain with jumperflux is real : better treble and medium.
With speakerflux, better bass, more accuracy and more detailed.
I have Van Den Hul before, I have keep them.
I have test Van Den Hull, the second between DAC 360S and Corus : voice are warm, voice with Lineflux are a little hard.
I have test too bi-amp with my older Proceed AMP2.
Model 625 for bass and AMP2 with Van Den Hul for treble and medium...very strange : bass seems better and voice seems warmer.
I have a pro cable for the clock : it's very hard...so, I prefer let Van Den Hul for digital 75 Ohms -> Clock Grimm -> Lineflux 300 Ohms -> DAC 360S.
I need more time to try other solutions.
I have DIY power cord. With the Model 625, I have many differencies - I let it power cable 3x4mm2.
I have no difference for the Grimm Clock between Olflex 110 and power cable 3x2.5mm2.
I have pass an order with power cable 3x4mm2, I wait them.
See you next time ...when I have do other test.
GuidoCorona
New member
Hi Hong Kong, glad reading from you again!
I am not surprised that you found Flux not to be quite in synergy with your Rowland M625 and Corus. M625 are extremely extended and evenly revealing across the frequency spectrum. My experience is that Rowland products are at their best when matched with wiring that exhibits similar behavior... Hence Shunyata, Nordost Valhalla II, and Cardas Clear and Clear Beyond.... Perhps Vandenhull behaves the same way.
You might be interested in knowing that since last year Rowland has released two products that you might find intriguing....
* The Power Storage Unit (PSU) is a full chassis that replaces the Corus power supply with an ultra-capacitor based power supply that takes Corus completely off the grid 24/7.... There are two parallel banks of ultra-capacitors.... While one delivers pure DC to Corus and/or Aeris, the other bank gets recharged... When the first bank reaches set level of discharge, roles are switched automatically and the cycle repeates. The transition between capacitor banks is completely transparent to the user... Both from an operational and an audio point of view. PSU would isolate Corus 100% from the grid, and so eliminate any noise from the AC line.... Furthermore, ultracaps are much superior to batteries at serving precision audio circuits that need to deliver transients. To all reports, the audible result is a much more palpable black background with better defined images and stage... PSU has been launched in ASIA at the recent audio shows and the first batch was immediately sold out because of the enthusiasm of customers and distributors.
* Meantime, the M625 has now a 2nd generation series, called M625 S2. Apparently there are considerable circuit changes, and according to ROwland, he has achieved distrortions so low that he can no longer measure it.... He now uses four M625 S2s to power the home system in his factory.
These two products can now be ordered from Rowland dealers and are now shipping.
Regards, Guido
I am not surprised that you found Flux not to be quite in synergy with your Rowland M625 and Corus. M625 are extremely extended and evenly revealing across the frequency spectrum. My experience is that Rowland products are at their best when matched with wiring that exhibits similar behavior... Hence Shunyata, Nordost Valhalla II, and Cardas Clear and Clear Beyond.... Perhps Vandenhull behaves the same way.
You might be interested in knowing that since last year Rowland has released two products that you might find intriguing....
* The Power Storage Unit (PSU) is a full chassis that replaces the Corus power supply with an ultra-capacitor based power supply that takes Corus completely off the grid 24/7.... There are two parallel banks of ultra-capacitors.... While one delivers pure DC to Corus and/or Aeris, the other bank gets recharged... When the first bank reaches set level of discharge, roles are switched automatically and the cycle repeates. The transition between capacitor banks is completely transparent to the user... Both from an operational and an audio point of view. PSU would isolate Corus 100% from the grid, and so eliminate any noise from the AC line.... Furthermore, ultracaps are much superior to batteries at serving precision audio circuits that need to deliver transients. To all reports, the audible result is a much more palpable black background with better defined images and stage... PSU has been launched in ASIA at the recent audio shows and the first batch was immediately sold out because of the enthusiasm of customers and distributors.
* Meantime, the M625 has now a 2nd generation series, called M625 S2. Apparently there are considerable circuit changes, and according to ROwland, he has achieved distrortions so low that he can no longer measure it.... He now uses four M625 S2s to power the home system in his factory.
These two products can now be ordered from Rowland dealers and are now shipping.
Regards, Guido