Jeff Rowland Design Group Consummate Dual Chassis Preamplifier

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Very capable line stage preamp made by Jeff Roland Design Group (JRDG) in the late 1990's to early 2000's.

Super neutral and transparent.

Beautifully built and easy to operate with a large bright display and very logical controls.

Full featured including no less than 3 sets of XLR inputs (!), plus an outboard power supply for optimal noise control. There's also a selectable input impedance for perfect component matching.

Fully tested in our lab and performing flawlessly. This unit needed absolutely nothing from us at a technical level, and is likely to work for another 30 years.

Looks like the day it left the factory with no signs of use or abuse.

This listing is for a complete set including the original manual, original wooden shipping crate, remote, remote receiver, umbilical power cable, standard power cable, and remote control cable.

$6000 MSRP in the late 1990's.

Today would set you back $20k to buy a new preamp in this league.

From a Stereophile review written by Thomas J. Norton:

The Consummate is unquestionably a Class A preamplifier.

Both its line-level stage and phono stage are among the best in the business. If it is not unequivocally the best in all ways, that merely underscores the fierce competition that exists at the top of the high end. Its phono stage was first-rate, yet marginally bettered in some (though not all) respects by at least one highly rated competitor. Its line-stage was only bettered by a top-of-the-line passive box. And the latter, as do all passive boxes, has real functional limitations—primarily the lack of gain and the care needed in choosing the type and length of interconnecting cable—that may make it unsuitable for use in some systems. It would seem possible that Rowland, if so inclined, could create a version of the Consummate with a no-gain option, but still retain the control and switching functions of the current unit. Perhaps buffering could be another selectable option. The only disadvantage of such an arrangement is that a balanced output could only be generated with a balanced input.

But enough of dreams. In the real universe, the current Consummate is a terrific performer. It is not cheap, and the law of diminishing returns has not been repealed. But for those who can afford it, the Consummate is a further step in that paradoxical half-the-distance-at-a-time journey to perfection. Engage.

Specifications:
Line-level preamplifier with separate power supply

Frequency response:
0.05Hz - 200kHz, -3dB

S/N ratio (A weighted, ref. 500mV):
88 dB

Distortion (THD):
Ref. 2.5V RMS
Less than 0.12%

Maximum output:
8V RMS

Input impedance:
Selectable
300, 10k, or 100k ohms (unbalanced)
600, 20k, or 200k ohms (balanced)

Output impedance:
Selectable
150 ohms or 300 ohms (unbalanced)
300 ohms or 600 ohms (balanced)

Dimensions:
13.75" W by 15" D by 2.65" H
(power supply in separate chassis of same size)

Weight:
28 lbs.

Price:
$5950 (1992), Over $11.5k in today's dollars

The SkyFi Testing Process for Preamplifiers:

We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure there are no signs of stress or aging. Capacitors are checked for telltale sings of bulging or leaking, resistors are checked for signs of overheating or cracking, and transistors are checked for signs of stress or damage. Special attention is paid to the power supply which is the most common source of failure for preamps. We then power up the unit and run a simple 1k sine wave while monitoring the low voltage output on an oscilloscope for signs of distortion or noise to get a baseline.

At this point we will lubricate and clean all switches and potentiometers (that are not sealed) with a high quality contact cleaner, and then re-test all functions for any signs of noise or scratching.

Final testing involves putting actual music through the preamplifier. We have learned over time that some issues are only noticeable to a trained ear while listening to a familiar source material. Our test bench has reference vintage KEF speakers that we are super familiar with which will quickly reveal any discrepancies. Some preamps will then move into the listening room where they will be tested with our in-house reference system.

Please click here for detailed specifics regarding our specialized packing process that separates us from the rest.