[ekovalsky]

The 501 exists!  A 500w version of the 201 at $6500/pr.  Apparently they were built just before CES and weren't really a "planned" product.  The 501 was driving the Nova Utopias in the JRDG room at Alexis Park with stunning result.   The 201s, which I heard in several other rooms, sounded fantastic too.

An integrated amp featuring the ICEpower modules is soon to be released too.  That will be a killer product for a small system.

[Sa-dono]

Repeat it after me, "Sa-dono is correct!"

J/k... Thanks for the info Eric!

[PhilNYC]

FYI - I just uploaded a bunch of pictures from CES.  Check out the Gallery for an album called "CES Pictures".  Hope you like them!

[Marbles]

here is the link to Phil's gallery

http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/modules.php?set_albumName=albun86&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

[KeithR]

The integrated is the Concerto, which replaces the Concentra, for 5k (so 1k less)

btw, I didn't like the Halcro room at all--it was sterile and lifeless to me.  One pink floyd cut was pretty cool in multi-channel, but the rest was a big pass.

I enjoyed the Sim/Dyn (c2s btw) room a lot...Dyns just jam and they have the midrange down right.  Very accurate, and play music.  I wish a tubed preamp wa sin there though.

I also enjoyed the Talon/Wavac room (farnsworth is a crazy dood) and the Vandy 5As on ARC equipment.  It made music to me.

Cheers,

[TheChairGuy]

I'm still in Vegas (for another show), but I cme ina day early to rip thru the T.H.E. Show at the San Remo and St. Tropez.

There was much to admire and way to much too expensive.  Among those that I thought offered superb value for their producs or work was:

Audio SoundLabs - new fella' in LA makes his own line source monitors.  Had 'em hooked up to lots of tubes(normnally not something I like) - it sounded terrific.  Full lineup of 5-6 speaker planned from $2000 to $8000.  A guy to watch.....

Wisdom Audio - Superb.  $8000 for opening prie point (ouch), but superb.  The playback of Pirates of the Caribbean was flawless, if pricey ($250,000 worth of equipment)...stunning.

Empirical Audio - Steve has a Petpetual DAC, a modded Sony DVP-S7700, a modded Adcom GFA585, and his cables (of course) playing thru a very trick modded KEF (104/2?) that sounded terrific and less than mortgage your house prices.  He sold me on his ability to mod my gear in the future.  Damn decent fella' married to a super ,super lady.

Speaker Art - 7 and 10 series crossover designer that had some great sound for reasonable money.  Never heard of the guy but appartently he is around for many years.  Gret engineer and designer, but I think let down by lowkey (or non-existent) marketing.  Good sounding equipment.

I was impressed with most of the ribbon stuff I heard...it was just more fluid than dynamic drivers.  Two exceptions were Emprical Audio and this Speaker Art fella'...very nice. Reference 3A wasgood, but I thought things sounded better at these other two fella's rooms.

The Edge room was good, but the cost made me blanche.  It outta' wax my car, toast my bagel, vacuum the house and clip my cats toenails on demand for that kinda' coin.

I thought the Acoustic Dreams booth sounded awfull...don't know if they were tuning their system when I walked in or what, but it was lousy and massively overpriced.

As far as overpriced goes, how bout a $4100.00 equipment rack from Stillpoints?  US built, nice to look at, I could have it built at many a Chinese factory and sell it, with nice profit, for maybe $600.00 max.  Sheesh, what a rip.

I was only there last doy for 5 hours that it was open, flu forced day later start.  Had I two days I could have heard far more.  All in all, a great trip and recommended for all!

[nathanm]

Are there any comments anyone could give about the Duevel speakers at this show?

[ekovalsky]

Are there any comments anyone could give about the Duevel speakers at this show?

I heard them at the St Tropez and they sounded great.  One of the best sounds from reasonably small speakers I heard.  Can't remember what electronics were being used, but Alan Kafton's power wing was there and there may have been an Accuphase digital front end.

[azryan]

I heard the Duevel's at the show too. The Belle Luna I think they were called. The midlevel model I think.

Sounded very good -as did a lot of rooms. I still do't see any advantage to doing an omnipole sound. It seemed to just make things more a wash when you're not dead center.

As always... so many rooms that I only have limited impressions of each.

They were very nice looking too.

On those Rowland amps powering the Nova Utopias...

I know he told me they were 500W, but then that's what their ad for the 201's say (meaning 4 Ohms -which I feel is being a little 'tricky' since 8 Ohms is 250 and if you don't say which 8 Ohms is usually what is implied).

He did say they were $6.5K for the pair though, but man I thought he said they were the 201's so now I'm confused about which they were?

They were REALLY small so if they were the 501's I sure didn't see the (what musta been) even smaller 201's?

[Horsehead]

Here are some Rowland pics at CES.
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/ces.pl?jeffrowlanddesi&&ManuView

Can anyone find the 501s?

I spoke to my local Rowland dealer and he said the 501s will be available in the summer.

[azryan]

Those two little monoblocks side by side are what I think Eric said are the 501's. I thought they were the 201's though and look like the 201's in the flyer Rowland had out -which calls them 500W (but it's 250 @ 8 Ohms).

I was told they were $6.5K though which seems to be the 501's price.
Very confusing. Wish I woulda looked closer at them -they probably said 201 or 501 on them somewhere. dang.

[ekovalsky]

There was one pair of 501's at the show, they were driving the Nova Utopias in the JRDG room.  Same chassis as the 201, just with the higher power ICEpower module.  Power ratings are into 8 ohms, 250w for the 201 and 500w for the 501.  The 201 will double to 500w into 4 ohms, not sure what the 4 ohm rating of the 501 is, it may not have the 1kw power supply needed to double into the lower impedance load.  

I doubt there are many applications where the extra power is needed, other than some high impedance speakers which are usually used with tube amps anyway.  250/500 should be enough for just about any reasonably efficient speaker.  I know my 302/4 (250/500 wpc x 4) averages about 1w output per channel into the Rm/X at normal listening levels, so I have 12-15db of headroom  

It is unlikely the 501 will sound any better than the 201, unless the system really needs the extra juice.

[zybar]

I talked with a Rowland dealer today and he said the 501's are prototypes and the expected release date would be summer of 2004.

BTW, he also said that there has been over 200 orders for the 201's and that dealer inventory will be basically be zilch for the forseeable future.  

Guess I can kiss good-bye trying to get a discount off list.

GW

[jgubman]

The 201's were definately the darling of CES/THE show. I saw them everywhere.

They sounded especially great in the THE show ballroom powering the Talon Raven HT set-up. Lord of the Rings never sounded so good.

It's a neat little amp, hope to get a pair in the future.