ZYX UNIverse Optimum 1Ω MC Cartridge | Review
Astonishment, personified US $16,995.00. There, I’ve said it, in bold. That’s nearly seventeen thousand dollars for a phono cartridge. I still remember the first [...]
kondo
Review: Kondo Overture II integrated amplifier and GE-1 Phono Amplifier
This is an article that first appeared in our new online PDF, downloadable magazine The Occasional this February in our Winter 2018 edition. We’ll be rolling out articles [...]
High End 2017: The tea ceremony of recorded playback with Kondo of Japan
High End at Munich in the MOC is an A-List affair with thousands of people swarming everywhere constantly, and millions of dollars in ne plus ultra gear oozing cabling [...]
High End 2016: A reason to do shows, counts as wrap up
If you are kind enough as to read through the end, you will also know my favorite rooms of this year’s Munich’s High End show. But first, let me tell you why we do show [...]
High End 2016: Holy sweet mother, it’s the Living Voice Vox Palladian
What stunning fun. As always, Kevin and Lynn Scott of Living Voice went way beyond the typical to offer an experience of unexpectedly wild luxury. Just startling. Have you [...]
High End 2016: Kondo and Kaiser, sublime elegance in sound
If you are anywhere close to the sound of tubes this was among the best rooms of the show. Legendary Japanese manufacturer of tube amplifiers Kondo paired with a pair of [...]
High End 2015: Living Voice and Kondo
At High End this year, I got to meet one of my heroes, Kevin Scott of Living Voice. I skipped the show-opening press conference (which I was pretty sure would be in German), [...]
Athens 2014: Kondo and Leben with Blumenhofer Acoustics
Japan has a tradition in tube electronics, probably second to none. In just one room, I found the best of the old school in thermionic valve designs coming from the Far East [...]
CES 2013: Kondo
Kondo/Audio Note assembled a rather elegant room at CES this year, showing off their $75k/pair Biyura loudspeakers, which feature an all-new enclosure. The Biyura are a [...]