darTZeel out of business?
- Thread starter marty
- Start date
- Status
Just for your knowledge, Allegedly Herve took schematic of the Studer A68 and made NHB-108 out of it, look at this thread there is schematic of both side by side:
darTZeel NHB-108 with Studer A68
STUDER A68 power amplifier (REVOX A740 shared circuit) It was introduced in 40 years ago about 1977. It according to the Recording Industry standard, the distortion is less than 0.1% . I start simulate A68 in TINA-TI, and feel the schematic looked a bit familiar . Then I find the...www.diyaudio.com
Here is couple of comments from the thread that are illuminating:
View attachment 137975
So you think Herve is the only one doing this , everything in audio today is building block tech , it’s all been done decades ago , everything you buy today is a modified copy of a copy..
audiophiles are their own worse enemy , they will always buy the higher price tag over value.
Herve needs to get an optimus
Optimus will get the high end prices down 2.3 Kwh battery pack lasting 24 H /day .
Works all day / every day
Optimus will get the high end prices down 2.3 Kwh battery pack lasting 24 H /day .
Works all day / every day
FYI the Dartzeel website has been tweaked. You basically have a contact information page, which you have to list your info and product SN so you can hit the "Send" button. What happens next I don't know.
I assume (right or wrong) this is a temporary firewall to stem a flood of emails.
I didn't think anything of it, but communicating with Herve a month or two ago, he mentioned it was time to work on some side projects
I assume (right or wrong) this is a temporary firewall to stem a flood of emails.
I didn't think anything of it, but communicating with Herve a month or two ago, he mentioned it was time to work on some side projects
If you google dartZell the link to the website only comes up with the below which doesn't have anything but a statement, no contact link
Dear members of the darTZeel family, music lovers around the world,
I've chosen to venture into new territories in the audio field and dedicate time to shaping the future of High-End audio.The fortunate owners of darTZeel instruments who wish to upgrade and maintain their listening systems will always be welcomed with the same passion and the same quality of service.
Stay tuned.
Let the Music Be!
DEAR ALL
To those who want to know the truth, it is quite simple:
For several years now, the extreme High-End market has been in turmoil, with many prestigious brands closing down - fortunately, most of them have been able to restart - due to several factors, of which I will only mention a few.
The uncertain global economic and political climate has drawn attention away from entertainment.
But above all, the race to offer the most expensive product, claiming it’s better, while giving ever larger discounts to end users.
This extreme High-End market, whose noble and honorable purpose at its beginnings was to offer music lovers the best possible reproduction quality, has turned into a mass market, comparable to the souks of Marrakech - which I personally love, but for a different purpose - where the highest discount has become the main focus.
This trend, though not new, is now rotting the extreme High-End market and is destroying the industry.
I, Hervé Delétraz, founder and creator of the darTZeel brand, have decided that this business model no longer aligns with my vision of Extreme High End.
Not only will the darTZeel brand continue to exist, but it will also change its paradigm by focusing on new concepts, which for now will remain undisclosed for obvious reasons.
What you need to know now are the following:
1. darTZeel is more alive than ever, and legendary customer service remains unchanged.
2. Current production of the NHB, CTH, and LHC series will now be made only on demand.
For existing customers: It is strongly advised not to sell off your darTZeel equipment on AudiogoN or elsewhere, because from now on, owning a darTZeel instrument is an investment.
3. A new line of instruments, aimed at a broader audience, is currently under study. Stay tuned!
darTZeel instruments are made in Geneva to last forever. Period.
Transferred from Audiogon Forum.
I had been to Geneva just once in my life, on 2009 but it was very beautiful city.
To those who want to know the truth, it is quite simple:
For several years now, the extreme High-End market has been in turmoil, with many prestigious brands closing down - fortunately, most of them have been able to restart - due to several factors, of which I will only mention a few.
The uncertain global economic and political climate has drawn attention away from entertainment.
But above all, the race to offer the most expensive product, claiming it’s better, while giving ever larger discounts to end users.
This extreme High-End market, whose noble and honorable purpose at its beginnings was to offer music lovers the best possible reproduction quality, has turned into a mass market, comparable to the souks of Marrakech - which I personally love, but for a different purpose - where the highest discount has become the main focus.
This trend, though not new, is now rotting the extreme High-End market and is destroying the industry.
I, Hervé Delétraz, founder and creator of the darTZeel brand, have decided that this business model no longer aligns with my vision of Extreme High End.
Not only will the darTZeel brand continue to exist, but it will also change its paradigm by focusing on new concepts, which for now will remain undisclosed for obvious reasons.
What you need to know now are the following:
1. darTZeel is more alive than ever, and legendary customer service remains unchanged.
2. Current production of the NHB, CTH, and LHC series will now be made only on demand.
For existing customers: It is strongly advised not to sell off your darTZeel equipment on AudiogoN or elsewhere, because from now on, owning a darTZeel instrument is an investment.
3. A new line of instruments, aimed at a broader audience, is currently under study. Stay tuned!
darTZeel instruments are made in Geneva to last forever. Period.
Transferred from Audiogon Forum.
I had been to Geneva just once in my life, on 2009 but it was very beautiful city.
Last edited:
There is a vastly larger community of audiophiles who build, swap, modify, buy and sell hifi on a very modest budget.
As I sometimes buy older models ex-demo, which provide great value, does that discount me as an audiophile?
I spend more money on artworks. Value is often a matter of personal perception. I have little doubt most high-end audio consumers who have to consider the price feel they are getting good value.
I've been waiting since April for news on when I can send my preamp in for an upgrade.
Does anyone know if John Stone is still the US distributor?
Watches are worse than audio. As you say, it often involves a long and expensive distribution food chain. Much of what you pay is paying for glossy magazines and sponsorship of endless tennis and golf tournaments.
I own one watch. It's a totally hand made work of art by Itay Noy. He has international distribution, but many customers come to his workshop and studio. It's a big part of the ownership experience. They are not hugely expensive, about $2,500 to $7,000 mostly and limited to 24 or 100 units per design. Some are one-off pieces.
ITAY NOY - Independent Timepiece Maker
Itay Noy is an independent timepiece maker – one of a few dozen throughout the world. Since 2000, he's been creating limited-edition, hand-crafted watches, one new collection every year. Hes studio is located in the old city of Jaffa, where each watch is assembled to order, by hand; He makes...www.itay-noy.com
Itay does not use precious metals because they are necessary. I recently sold a solid gold Breguet that I inherited (I never wore it) and it was basically worth the weight of the gold. So it goes from being a watch to bullion.
Many high-end audio products could be a lot cheaper if the bling and distribution elements were rethought. Much of the lower end of the hifi market has already done this and therefore offers far better value for money.
p.s. Just read what the DartZeel guy posted. Makes sense to me. Sounds a bit frustrated.
I agree with @Kingrex, Mk2 will likely be dramatically cheaper and probably just as good. If it is successful, that could seriously hit existing product values. His "don't sell" warning sounds more like wanting to protect his brand value.
I’m happy watch consumers are such suckers that they willingly support all those golf and tennis tournaments.
Personally, I haven’t worn a watch since the iPhone came out. Don’t see the point.
Bruce, isn’t that what you are supposed to do? Or put in cheaper components and still double the price. Reviewers and consumers would never hear the difference.Weiss did it with one of his DAC's. For years he sold a DAC to Pro Audio Professionals at a decent price.... he then took the same exact DAC and put a "purdy" faceplate on it and charged double to the Audiophiles!!
The fact that he is publicly whining and pointing fingers, he is merely throwing stones in his glass house. He/they created part of this problem, in the end it is greed just like the big corporations and their shareholders.
Here is the contact info posted on Mono Stereo was he was initially announced
John Stone
Email: john@dartzeelamerica.com
Phone: +1 (757) 816-8164
In these days of click-bait, conspiracy theories and fake-news, it’s hardly surprising that I’ve been ascribed all kinds of motives and agendas in ‘outing’ the financial situation at Dartzeel. As usual, the truth is a lot simpler.
I’m a journalist: it’s my job!
This is information, not a rumour or speculation. It is the result of a legal process in the Swiss courts, the outcome of which is widely known, certainly throughout the European high-end: This is not repeating gossip, but reporting a matter of record known to multiple sources and yet, one that neither the manufacturer nor their agents were talking about.
Nor are the reasons behind it particularly hard to fathom. Global uncertainty over wars in the Ukraine and Middle-East have squeezed customer confidence and shrunk demand for high-end audio products. At the same time, the Swiss Franc is riding high, making Swiss products progressively more expensive in international markets – and foreign products cheaper in the Swiss domestic market. For a company producing a small number of really expensive units, that’s a perfect storm.
Why bring up the situation at Dartzeel now and in the way I did?
The judgement has been in place for weeks. Unless the company can meet its obligations, it will be liquidated. Although the brand name itself might continue unaffected, the company itself cannot, at least in its current form. This immediately calls into question continued access to original parts and metalwork essential to on-going servicing of existing products. It calls into question whether any ‘new’ Dartzeel will honour existing warranties. It calls into question whether current re-sellers will be willing or able to service and support existing products. None of this is good new for the resale value of demonstration, stock or pre-owned units. Residual values are likely to plummet.
Posting on WBF was a deliberate choice, giving the manufacturer and their agents a chance to come clean and clarify the on-going situation. We have seen how that worked out.
Silence or obfuscation on this subject serves only one group of people: those with Dartzeel equipment (new or used) that they want or need to sell. But in protecting their investment they are preying on purchasers ignorant of the real situation. This is not good for those customers. It is not good for the industry as a whole. But it is also not a conspiracy. It’s simply a bunch of individuals with shared interests, all opting to take the same stance. In an industry where there is no office of professional standards, it’s a depressing sight.
So perhaps the questions we should be asking are, what does this tell us about those re-sellers who chose to keep silent and, what does it tell us about the journalists and magazines that chose not to report it or the opportunists who chose to exploit and sensationalise it? For some reason, the phrase “lower than a snake’s belly” keeps coming to mind…
I’m a journalist: it’s my job!
This is information, not a rumour or speculation. It is the result of a legal process in the Swiss courts, the outcome of which is widely known, certainly throughout the European high-end: This is not repeating gossip, but reporting a matter of record known to multiple sources and yet, one that neither the manufacturer nor their agents were talking about.
Nor are the reasons behind it particularly hard to fathom. Global uncertainty over wars in the Ukraine and Middle-East have squeezed customer confidence and shrunk demand for high-end audio products. At the same time, the Swiss Franc is riding high, making Swiss products progressively more expensive in international markets – and foreign products cheaper in the Swiss domestic market. For a company producing a small number of really expensive units, that’s a perfect storm.
Why bring up the situation at Dartzeel now and in the way I did?
The judgement has been in place for weeks. Unless the company can meet its obligations, it will be liquidated. Although the brand name itself might continue unaffected, the company itself cannot, at least in its current form. This immediately calls into question continued access to original parts and metalwork essential to on-going servicing of existing products. It calls into question whether any ‘new’ Dartzeel will honour existing warranties. It calls into question whether current re-sellers will be willing or able to service and support existing products. None of this is good new for the resale value of demonstration, stock or pre-owned units. Residual values are likely to plummet.
Posting on WBF was a deliberate choice, giving the manufacturer and their agents a chance to come clean and clarify the on-going situation. We have seen how that worked out.
Silence or obfuscation on this subject serves only one group of people: those with Dartzeel equipment (new or used) that they want or need to sell. But in protecting their investment they are preying on purchasers ignorant of the real situation. This is not good for those customers. It is not good for the industry as a whole. But it is also not a conspiracy. It’s simply a bunch of individuals with shared interests, all opting to take the same stance. In an industry where there is no office of professional standards, it’s a depressing sight.
So perhaps the questions we should be asking are, what does this tell us about those re-sellers who chose to keep silent and, what does it tell us about the journalists and magazines that chose not to report it or the opportunists who chose to exploit and sensationalise it? For some reason, the phrase “lower than a snake’s belly” keeps coming to mind…
Damned i swore never to play a Jay video again ! Some kind of disclaimer please, 5 seconds was enough, my head will hurt the rest of the day !
- Status
Similar threads
