A Sensational Corus. Jeff Rowland Corus Pre-Amp.

The Jeff Rowland Corus pre-amp comes in a kit of 4 pieces, from left, the external remote receiver unit, the dual mono SMPS power supply unit, the main pre-amp unit, and lastly, the hand held remote. All the kit is exquisitely built, and will probably last forever if taken cared for. 

I've been waiting for this Jeff Rowland pre-amp to show up since it's CES debut. That's because I've heard the Jeff Rowland big boy pre-amp, the Criterion in action a few times on demo at CMY Audio & Visual, Damansara Up Town showroom, and can't help but to fall deeper and deeper impressed with it. There's a problem though, priced at RM$88k or so, the Criterion will very likely be out of reach for most of us mere mortals, which includes this humble blue collar worker here. Hence the attractiveness of the Corus, which is essentially the same pre-amp, with a simplified out board power supply unit. The big boy Criterion has a battery charged, full sized power supply unit, while the Corus makes do with a simple universal SMPS(Switch Mode Power Supply) unit. Am I getting your attention now?

However, I am still not a happy man when I got this baby home. Read On if you want to why?

The actual review unit with it's protective sheet still on the face plate. It's an absolutely fabulous looking pre-amp. The volume control has 99 non linear steps. This pre-amp has 3 XLR inputs and 2 XLR outputs for bi-amping purposes(the second XLR output is gain adjustable). There are just as many RCA inputs and outputs. All inputs are also individually gain adjustable. I would advise anyone to read the manual carefully before attempting to set up this pre-amp. There's just too many things to set up.

The JRDG(Jeff Rowland Design Group) Corus pre-amp is exquisitely built, one can't help, but be impressed by the special face plate treatment, the carved from inside out solid aluminium casing casing(just like the Ayre KX-R), the dual mono audio circuity boards and power supply unit, the external remote terminal and the remote unit it self, carved from the same inside out solid aluminium technique. If pride of ownership is as important as hand made fine Swiss watches, then JRDG products are certainly up there in terms of satisfaction, no other hifi product is as extravagantly styled or built, regardless of price.

As usual, my faithful Pass Labs X-2.5 pre-amp made way for this beauty for shelf space, and my, my, what sonic bounties the JRDG Corus brought my audio escapism sessions. I got more notes, more details, more performance, more dynamic contrast, faster transient response and plainly speaking, more music, from a totally silenced back ground noise(what noise?, who said SMPS is noisy power supply?).

The Corus pre-amp is tonally neutral(I hate that word), but not neutral in the "neutral" per say, but rather of the disappearing kind, if you get my drift? This pre-amp does not high light any particular area of the audio spectrum, it doesn't choose musical genre and it's never offensive sounding in any way. Like the best audio components, it just gets out of the way and let the music speak for it's self. The highs are not only refined, but suave too. The mids are gloriously rich and dense(Some may say JRDG mids is pristine clear, just like Evian mineral water!), so perhaps the pre-amp was simply reflecting those qualities of the Bryston BDP/BDA-1 combo? Lastly, the bass has a textured and slamming quality that propels the music's rhythmic foundation.

Like all great pre-amps, the sound staging and imaging properties are beyond reproach, provided your system is nicely dialed in.The sound staging is wide, and deep(that disappearing walls effect) with each layer within the layers well separated. The imaging is rock solid and clearly outlined, but not exactly hard edged lines either, but just right. One more strength of this pre-amp is the linearity factor. My work horse Pass Labs X-2.5 will start to sound edgy, with distorted highs and staging/imaging falling apart, when playing at nearly full volume. The Corus just sailed thru at all volume levels, while holding everything tightly together, until it came to a point my where my ears couldn't take the SPL any more, but the sound is still pristine clean and clear. It's an amazing experience, especially with Reference Recording's orchestral symphonic tracks, dance, house and rock music.  

The dual mono SMPS power supply unit, note the two power umbilical cords that goes to the back of the pre-amp? The small black box on top is the external remote receiver unit, which is wired to the back of the actual pre-amp unit too. Jeff Rowland believes in separating the remote and power supply units to keep RFI/EMI interference away from the delicate low signal level audio circuits. 

For the basis of comparison, the sonic character of this JRDG pre-amp lies some where in between the two extremes which on one side is anchored by the solid and hard hitting, "yang" sounding Burmester 808 MK V, and the Ayre KX-R representing the softer more organic, "yin" camp on the other side. In the context of my system, the Jeff Rowland Corus certainly falls towards the more "yang" side of things, but is more nicely refined, and delicate sounding on the highs, rendering the twice more expensive Burmester just a little course by comparison(we must however, remember that the Burmester design is more than a decade old, and pre-amp circuitry thinking has marched on since). By comparison again, the Pass Labs XP-20(which Odioslueth recently upgraded to) is dead center neutral, with just a tinge of rose coloured warmth thrown in for ear pad like comfort, within the context of where all the four great pre-amp design is positioned sonically.

All four are great pre-amps in the market one can buy new today. Throw in the Bladelius Saga and ARC Reference 5, and we'd have a grand party of six. Some may like the Burmester, others prefer the Ayre KX-R on the other extreme end. And we have the rest lying in between those two extremes. In the context of my system, the JRDG Corus reigned supreme, as the best pre-amp one could buy at any price!

Now, just so why am I not a happy man yet, if it's the best? Priced at RM$54,450.00, is way beyond my affordability factor for now. While I am working hard towards getting one, if you have the means without much effort, and in the market for a state of the art pre-amp, why not give this Jeff Rowland Corus a chance?

I am now wondering how much more supreme can the top dog JRDG Criterion can get?

JRDG amps are sold by CMY Audio & Visual, contact John at 03-21439206.

ProAc K6 On Demo At CMY

A new highend loudspeaker from ProAc is currently on demo at CMY's Damansara Utama branch. Hot on the heels of its use of carbon fibre loudspeaker cones in the Carbon Pro series, ProAc has identified Kevlar as the choice material for the follow-up model, the K6.


The K6 is a 3-way speaker, featuring two 6.5" kevlar bass drivers, a 2" soft dome midrange, and a ProAc ribbon tweeter. The K6 lists for RM70k.


Contact CMY Damansara Utama branch 03-7727 2419.

DIY Audio Guide Blog.



Does your next DIY project look like this?



While many have accused us of being a snooty high end audio blog, we do not exactly sneer at DIY audio efforts either.

DIY audio can be just as fun, if not more rewarding than high end audio. I've indulge in little DIY adventures of my own, as you may have read in these pages. These days, I am more happy to sit back and enjoy my music.

However, if getting your hands dirty and enjoying your own audio inspired sweat and tears excite you, then go visit the latest local DIY Audio Guide Blog, linked on the right hand side column.

Have fun!

Even Better the Second Time Around - Pass Labs XP-20 Pre-amp

This is my second time having the Pass Labs XP-20 pre-amp, Pass’ current top dog in its 2-model pre-amp line-up, for a listening in my system. The first time was 2 years ago, in my old room, with largely similar companion components in the system. You can read about it here.

Then, I was extremely impressed with the advancement made by the XP-20 over my own Pass Labs X2.5 pre-amp, now discontinued. The senior and newer model showed its predecessor a clean pair of heels. I was so tempted to acquire the XP-20 unit, but my brain got the better of my heart and I reluctantly returned it to the distributor. I did go back to enquire about the unit again a couple of weeks later, but some lucky soul was ahead of me and the XP-20 was gone.

The matter thus lay dormant in my memory… until recently. We at Hifi-Unlimited are sort of having a pre-amp ‘phase’ now, triggered by the revelatory performance from Ayre’s KX-R pre-amp a few months ago. We became interested to know how the current crop of top pre-amps fare, possibly with the latest component improvement. So Big E got hardworking scouring for pre-amps from a few marquees to listen to. In fact, even as I am writing now, a Jeff Rowland pre-amp is waiting in the wings for us to tell its story.

Anyway, let’s go back to the Pass Labs XP-20.


The Pass Labs XP-20 pre-amp is a 2-box affair, one box containing the circuitry and the other containing the power supply. The additional space afforded by the additional box allowed Pass Labs to design a more elaborate power supply and also to reduce its interference on the audio circuitry. The only downside I see in this is that you’d need additional rack space to accommodate an extra box.


In terms of inputs, it has 2 balanced and 3 single-ended pairs plus a tape loop. The fifth input can be used as a home theatre pass through with unity gain, which I found handy to hook my AVR to, since I drive my main speakers as the front left-right channels in my 6.1 AV setup. In terms of outputs, it has 1 balanced pair and 2 single-ended pairs, all can be used at the same time.

The operations of the remote control had been improved on. Now, you can press a button to directly select a function, rather than the previous generation’s approach where you had to scroll through the menu using arrow keys to choose what you want.

All the qualities I heard in the XP-20 during the first encounter were still evident in this second helping. I’d go further to say that the XP-20 performed even better now in my system. Probably because of the bigger space and treatment of the new room, the system breathes better, allowing the quality of a component to come through easier.

The Pass Labs XP-20 sounded quieter than my Pass Labs X2.5, it also sounded more composed and calm, but, at the same time, had improved dynamic range and dynamic contrast. Music came through breathing and living, with greater excitement and more verve.

Focus was very good, image edges were clearer and it was done to a right degree, sounding natural to my ears as it avoided going overboard and became the clinical and etched type. With such good focus, the images had excellent separation, left to right, front to back.

The XP-20 conjured up a dense sonic picture, like it was made up of many more pixels. The pixels are finer too, giving the sound a smoothness that I rarely experienced and once experienced found very hard to live without.

The highs through the XP-20 was clean and transparent; the mid had good body; the bass, while solid, was the fist in velvet glove kind rather than the bare knuckle type. Overall, it has a very even balance without undue emphasis on any frequency spectrum.


Compared to the Ayre KX-R, in terms of tonal colour, both are essentially neutral but with a slight nudge in different directions. The KX-R had a tinge of golden hue and a dab of honey sweetness especially in the highs. Good recordings of female vocals tend to melt your heart. In contrast, the XP-20 was slightly more silver-ish, slightly more muscular sounding, and it emphasized the effort and energy in the singing which set one’s pulse racing just a tad more. Overall, the Ayre KX-R triumphed in the refinement department. Well, that’s what you’d expect to get paying more, I suppose.

I find that much as I love the Ayre KX-R, I love the Pass Labs XP-20 too. The KX-R’s pricing is prohibitive to me. The Pass Labs XP-20, though having a lower price tag than the KX-R, still lists for a 'financially challenging' RM31,200. But should a man let his love slip away a second time?

Should I?

Pass Labs is carried by Perfect Hi-Fi. Contact Andy at 03-5882 1693

Paradigm Speakers Warehouse Sale, At Asia Sound Equipment.

Asia Sound Equipment is located on the 1st Floor of Amcorp Mall. You can't miss it.

Asia Sound Equipment in Amcorp Mall is clearing out all their stocks of Paradigm speakers, get this, AT COST! I believe there's no better deal than this, if one has been eyeing these Canadian boxes.

Eddie Tan tells me that they have a wide range of Paradigm speakers in stock to clear at first come, first serve basis. Hurry up, before it's all gone!

For enquiries, call Asia Sound Equipment at 03-79552091.