Zero Distortion: Visit to Rhapsody Dallas

[bonzo75]

Do not want to take too much ‘ space’ in Ked’s thread but in short: I have a Kondo m1000 mk I with built in phonostage available in the Genesis 1.1 system. Still a beautiful sounding piece of equipment. In the LA system I am using a Kondo g-1000 linestage. In order to be able to play vinyl I have to add a top notch phonostage to the LA system and off course I need space for one of my turntables. I play single ended so no possibility to place the turntable far away from the phonostage. That is going to be a challenge. Furthermore the digital (at least the Wadax combo with all the special ‘features’ I have built around it) sounds to my ears really great. So for now I leave my Decca sxl’s and EMI asd’s in storage, but who knows what the future will bring?

well you can use the M1000 or if you want to spend get the G10. There are less expensive phonos as well. I think that you have a lot of options for to easily sort out. Main thing is to get the TT out of storage and set it up. The accessories, etc. Surely the the best demo of grounding will be if you can demonstrate to your visitors that grounded digital can sound better than non grounded vinyl playing Decca SXLs etc

 

[Audiocrack]

well you can use the M1000 or if you want to spend get the G10. There are less expensive phonos as well. I think that you have a lot of options for to easily sort out. Main thing is to get the TT out of storage and set it up. The accessories, etc. Surely the the best demo of grounding will be if you can demonstrate to your visitors that grounded digital can sound better than non grounded vinyl playing Decca SXLs etc

No shortage of phonostages: I never let go of my Zanden 1200 mk iii and the Lyra Connoisseur 4.2. Setting up one or more turntables is going to be a challenge however. I do not see this happen in the (very) near future. That said I have not forgotten the attractiveness of vinyl replay.

 

[mtemur]

I heard new Gakuoh II (parallel SET), Kagura 2i, Gakuoh, Kegon (300B parallel SET), Ongaku many times. They were all Kondo chain systems from cartridge to speaker cables. I also heard Ginga too.

IMHO NOS tubed Kagura 2i has better tone, control, dynamics than Gakuoh II. They are made to be used with conventional big speakers. Don’t worry they can drive them, especially the Kaguras. On the other hand Ongaku has a better midrange maybe the best amp ever made but only if you can find matching speaker.

G-1000 pre is marginally better than other models. If you’re going to own a single Kondo gear it should be the preamp.

The most important thing with Kondo gear is to provide good electricity without interruption.

 

[bonzo75]

No shortage of phonostages: I never let go my Zanden 1200 mk iii and the Lyra Connoisseur 4.2. Setting up one or more turntables is going to be a challenge however. I do not see this happen in the (very) near future. That said I have not forgotten the attractiveness of vinyl replay.

oh wow the Lyra, forgot about it

 

[bonzo75]

I heard new Gakuoh II (parallel SET), Kagura 2i, Gakuoh, Kegon (300B parallel SET), Ongaku many times. They were all Kondo chain systems from cartridge to speaker cables. I also heard Ginga too.

IMHO NOS tubed Kagura 2i has better tone, control, dynamics than Gakuoh II. They are made to be used with conventional big speakers. Don’t worry they can drive them, especially the Kaguras. On the other hand Ongaku has a better midrange maybe the best amp ever made but only if you can find matching speaker.

G-1000 pre is marginally better than other models. If you’re going to own a single Kondo gear it should be the preamp.

The most important thing with Kondo gear is to provide good electricity without interruption.

well, that kind of gels with my thinking. The preamp is doing the main magic, and I did find more tone, control, and dynamics on the Kagura, but a bit more emotion in the Gakuoh. I do agree using Amperex, United or WE in place of the RCA possibly could have added more emotion as well in the Kagura.

 

[mtemur]

I heard Lyra Connoisseur 4.2 a couple of times too. It’s a great sounding phono but I lean towards SUT+Tube phono.

 

[Audiocrack]

I heard new Gakuoh II (parallel SET), Kagura 2i, Gakuoh, Kegon (300B parallel SET), Ongaku many times. They were all Kondo chain systems from cartridge to speaker cables. I also heard Ginga too.

IMHO NOS tubed Kagura 2i has better tone, control, dynamics than Gakuoh II. They are made to be used with conventional big speakers. Don’t worry they can drive them, especially the Kaguras. On the other hand Ongaku has a better midrange maybe the best amp ever made but only if you can find matching speaker.

G-1000 pre is marginally better than other models. If you’re going to own a single Kondo gear it should be the preamp.

The most important thing with Kondo gear is to provide good electricity without interruption.

Do you have any listening experiences as regards the Gakuoh mk I, be it the push pull version (30 watts) or se version (20 watts)?

Kagura’s are 50 watts se amps, Gakuoh mk ii are 20 watts se amps (there is no Gakuoh mk ii push pull version). So no surprise that the Kagura’s are (much) better than the Gakuohs mk ii as regards dynamics.

The 20 watts Gakuohs mk I se version could not (fully) control my Tidal La Assoluta loudspeakers, notwithstanding the fact that the LA’s are (quite) efficient cone loudspeakers with an easy impedance curve (no drops below 4 ohms). The 30 watts Gakuohs mk I push pull version however is a completely different story: much more powerful than the se version and as a consequence much better control over my LA’s.

 

[Audiohertz2]

there are videos on my channel. It was at a dealer’s.

Thanks will take a look ..!

 

[mtemur]

Do you have any listening experiences as regards the Gakuoh mk I, be it the push pull version (30 watts) or se version (20 watts)?

SET version

Kagura’s are 50 watts se amps, Gakuoh mk ii are 20 watts se amps (there is no Gakuoh mk ii push pull version). So no surprise that the Kagura’s are (much) better than the Gakuohs mk ii as regards dynamics.

Dynamics were the least important difference. Kaguras are better than Gakuoh II on all aspects IMHO.

The 20 watts Gakuohs mk I se version could not (fully) control my Tidal La Assoluta loudspeakers, notwithstanding the fact that the LA’s are (quite) efficient cone loudspeakers with an easy impedance curve (no drops below 4 ohms).

I meant new Gakuoh II can drive many conventional speakers but obviously Kaguras can do better.

 

[Audiocrack]

SET version


Dynamics were the least important difference. Kaguras are better than Gakuoh II on all aspects IMHO.


I meant new Gakuoh II can drive many conventional speakers but obviously Kaguras can do better.

Kevin Scott of Definitive Audio, the former distributor of Kondo in the UK and who developed his top of the line Living Voice horn loudspeakers with (mainly) the Gakuoh push pull (mk I) amps, had at the time a (slight) preference for the pp version versus the se version. Because of his preference I first bought the pp version and later from him the Gakuoh se (mk I) amps. I played them with WE reissue 300b valves and loved them both but sold in the end the se version because they could not drive my LA’s. Pretty sure that the Gakuoh mk ii will not be a good match with my LA’s as well.

Apparently opinions differ as regards which Kondo se amp - Kagura’s or Gakuohs - is ‘better’ because Ked had a slight preference for the latter. Imho you cannot go wrong with either of them provided they match with the loudspeakers.

 

[mtemur]

Pretty sure that the Gakuoh mk ii will not be a good match with my LA’s as well.

The Gakuoh IIs are extremely different than old Gakuohs. They have great driving capability but still may not be adequate for your LAs.

Imho you cannot go wrong with either of them provided they match with the loudspeakers.

I think this sums it all perfectly.

 

[bonzo75]

The Gakuoh IIs are extremely different than old Gakuohs. They have great driving capability but still may not be adequate for your LAs.


I think this sums it all perfectly.

How is the M77 in compare to the M1000

 

[itay123]

Hi
Can you give a link to your channel?

Best regards

 

[morricab]

Kevin Scott of Definitive Audio, the former distributor of Kondo in the UK and who developed his top of the line Living Voice horn loudspeakers with (mainly) the Gakuoh push pull (mk I) amps, had at the time a (slight) preference for the pp version versus the se version. Because of his preference I first bought the pp version and later from him the Gakuoh se (mk I) amps. I played them with WE reissue 300b valves and loved them both but sold in the end the se version because they could not drive my LA’s. Pretty sure that the Gakuoh mk ii will not be a good match with my LA’s as well.

Apparently opinions differ as regards which Kondo se amp - Kagura’s or Gakuohs - is ‘better’ because Ked had a slight preference for the latter. Imho you cannot go wrong with either of them provided they match with the loudspeakers.

Have only heard Kaguras in a non-optimal setting…however heard the predecessor Gakuon many times and preferred the Gahuoh by a significant margin…but your speaker needs to be sensitive and relatively easy load. I think with a very sensitive speaker (around 100dB) something like the Souga might be the one to go for…I have a good Silvercore 2A3 amp in the house and the sound with this tube is sublime.

 

[bonzo75]

Hi
Can you give a link to your channel?

Best regards

if you click on the videos in the above report and open them in YouTube you are on it

 

[Rhapsody]

Have only heard Kaguras in a non-optimal setting…however heard the predecessor Gakuon many times and preferred the Gahuoh by a significant margin…but your speaker needs to be sensitive and relatively easy load. I think with a very sensitive speaker (around 100dB) something like the Souga might be the one to go for…I have a good Silvercore 2A3 amp in the house and the sound with this tube is sublime.

Kaguras REALLY need NOS 211's and the other tubes as well. Once that is done they are formidable.

I forget which NOS 211's Chris is using but it's either RCA's or GE's. Ked might have mentioned it in his report, sorry if he did, I must have missed it.

Kondo is no longer making the Souga. They are investigating new 2A3 amplification ideas at the moment.

 

[mtemur]

How is the M77 in compare to the M1000

I don't know, I haven't heard M77.

 

[morricab]

I don't know, I haven't heard M77.

Kevin Scott always used the M77 in his LV demos with the Vox system.

 

[morricab]

Kaguras REALLY need NOS 211's and the other tubes as well. Once that is done they are formidable.

I forget which NOS 211's Chris is using but it's either RCA's or GE's. Ked might have mentioned it in his report, sorry if he did, I must have missed it.

Kondo is no longer making the Souga. They are investigating new 2A3 amplification ideas at the moment.

This pretty much true of all SET amps.

 

[bonzo75]

I forget which NOS 211's Chris is using but it's either RCA's or GE's. Ked might have mentioned it in his report, sorry if he did, I must have missed it.

RCA, I mentioned it, and yes Amperex or United or WE will be better