Jeff Rowland Concerto Preamplifier - Beautifully Made

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General:
Very well-built line stage preamp from Jeff Rowland. Has a beautiful finish that changes depending on how you look at it. 

During testing It sounded and operated as good as it looks.

This particular example is line stage only and does not have the optional phono preamp cards installed.

Your purchase will include the correct matching remote control which is not pictured.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
This preamp has light blemishes on the top surface. All other surfaces are in very good condition.

SkyFi Technical Notes:
When this unit arrived it had a weak display. We replaced all of the display elements and the display is now back to looking great. Nice and bright with all digits matching in color and intensity.

Ownership:
Single Owner

Connections:
RCA, XLR, IEC Power

General Sound:
Accurate to the recording

Cosmetic Condition:
8/10 = Very Good. Excellent front faceplate, one minor flaw on chassis side or top. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab and listening room.

Included:
Just the unit and power cord.

Packing:
Will be packed using our highly developed in-house process and custom packing materials.Specs:
Overall Gain
- 20 dB
Gain Range
- 99.5 dB, 199 Equal Increments
Gain Resolution
- 0.5 dB, +/- 0.03 dB Over Entire Range
Frequency Response
- 10 Hz – 280 kHz, -3 dB
Maximum Input Level
- 15 volts RMS @ 0 dB Gain
Maximum Output Level
- 13.5 volts RMS
CCIF Intermodulation Distortion, 19/20 kHz
- < .002%
Output Noise Level
- 43 Microvolts, Unweighted 20 Hz – 20 kHz Bandwidth, 0 dB Gain
Common Mode Rejection Ratio
- > 90 dB, 20 Hz – 20 kHz
Input Impedance
- 40K ohms Balanced or Unbalanced
Channel Separation
- > 90 dB, 20 Hz – 20 kHz
Inputs
- 2 pair Balanced (XLR)
- 1 pair Unbalanced (RCA)
- Unity Gain (Bypass)
- 3 pair Unbalanced (RCA)
Outputs
- 2 pair Balanced (XLR) Line Level
Power Consumption
- 7 watts

Dimensions:
3.2” x 17.3” x 12.9”

Weight:
21 lbs.

Approximate Age:
2007

Link to Manual:
Click Here

Recommended Cables:
Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Better

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Best

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Better

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Best

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Better

Testing Process:
We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure that there are no signs of heat stress or damage. Capacitors are checked for telltale signs of predictive failure including bulging, shrunken wrappers, or physical leakage. We also inspect the PCBs for discoloration from resistors or transistors that may have been running hot. On vintage units we often spot check select capacitors for value and ESR.

When we first power on a preamplifier we connect its RCA output to a Sencore PA81 Power Analyzer which simulates real world loading conditions and gives us an oscilloscope interface.

The first order of business is checking that the volume control works smoothly throughout its entire range with acceptable channel balance. This is accomplished by feeding a 1 KHz sine wave into one of the preamp’s line level inputs while monitoring the preamp’s output on an oscilloscope.

We then switch to a 1 KHz square wave to test the tone controls, loudness function, and filters where applicable. During this step we are watching for equal alteration of the test signal by both channels. This also helps us identify dirty controls that will need treatment.

Once the basic line stage functions are verified, we test each input individually. This is especially important for devices that use relays to select their sources. If the preamp is equipped with a phono stage we test that as well. We use an inverse RIAA filter which allows us to feed a reference test signal into the phono input with the proper RIAA equalization and level. A square wave or sine sweep is used to verify that the device’s phono stage is faithfully reproducing the RIAA curve. If the preamp under test has balanced inputs and/or outputs these are tested as well.

We finish up our bench testing with a listening test with our bench amplifier and reference speakers. During this test we check for hum or hiss that may not have shown up in earlier testing. We also check that all of the tone controls and filters perform as expected.

If the preamplifier has remote control functions these are also tested. Preamps with tube circuits or complicated power supply topologies are connected at our long term test rig for extended stress testing under real world conditions.