Jeff Rowland Concerto Preamplifier Remote

Available around 2007-2008
Retail price in Germany in 2007 – 4998 euro

After the original Concerto never made it past prototype status, the final Concerto was likely the same electronics in a more conventional )for Rowland standards) housing. Inside is a beefy linear power supply and room for two ICE power modules to make this preamp an integrated amp. The Concerto was in production for only a couple of years and it has now vanished from the Rowland site, as if it never existed. It was available as preamp and as an integrated amp.

Concerto compared to Corus, Synergy IIi and Coherence II in Extensive Review

The Concerto has the same width as other Jeff Rowland components such as the Synergy and Coherence II. Its display can be set to be always on or to switch off after a few seconds. The more recessed display can be harder to read from a distance than the brand’s red and green displays.

Inside

Note the linear power suppy (hurray) and lots of space. The space is for the IEC power modules as the Concerto was also available as an integrated amplifier. However do note that for the integrated version, the linear supply is removed, and the preamp apparently being fed from the integrated ICE power modules’ supply.

The backpanel circuit board contains all the electronics for input swicthing as well as the preamp circuit itself. The large centrally placed metal container conceils the IEC inlet and its filter.

Sound

The Concerto sounds very good to me, even exceeding the Synergy and Coherence II in some aspects. It combines the treble air, resolution and creaminess of the Synergy IIi with the bass power, fulness and dynamic expression of the Coherence II, and has no trace of the Synergy’s woolyness or restraint. The Concerto also has very lifelike timbre and dynamics, in these areas even better then either the Synergy 2i or Coherence II.

I find the Concerto to be something of a last expression of the now classic Jeff Rowland sound. Its successor the Capri s2 sounds markedly more neutral and decidedly less ballsy and colourful. Corus and Criterion are equally neutral but much more refined and subtle, and even though they do not mimick the brand’s classic components typical creaminess, they mark the very best that I have heard from Jeff Rowland. Interestingly, these latest products have the dynamic expression to satisfy people who dismissed the brand because of this previously, while maintaining, and even improving upon, the natural smoothness and liquidity inherent in the music.