NEWS: Mr. Mark Levinson Debuts High-Performance Daniel Hertz Products
November 5th, 2009 -- by Chris Martens
Source: AVGuide
Source: AVGuide
.jpg "Daniel Hertz M5 Telikos Amplifier")
Finished in stunning true black piano finish with hand-polished stainless steel driver reinforcements—a feature whose design serves functional and aesthetic purposes—M1 loudspeakers are made to exacting standards in the Petrof Piano factory, near Prague in the Czech Republic. Real Mastering's system used two M5 Telikos amplifiers per channel in bi-amp mode, a total of four mono amps for stereo. The M5 has built-in 18dB/octave electronic crossovers, which make bi-amping easy.
As the M6 was not yet available, the front end for the system was Real Mastering's custom built Inward Technologies' preamp and Merging Technologies' Pyramix DAW. Diehard rockers all, those in attendance agreed that they'd never heard anything approaching the sheer dynamic level of Daniel Hertz. The recording and mastering worlds will never be the same.
The audiophile market will soon be similarly transformed. Dealers in Hong Kong, Dubai, Moscow, New York, and other key cities are awaiting shipments of the first Daniel Hertz products. The loudspeaker drivers are designed in the US to professional concert toughness. All the electronics are built in Switzerland with the craftsmanship you’d expect from the personal involvement of Mark Levinson. For those with the passion and the budget for the best playback on the planet, Daniel Hertz's combination of power, refinement, and ease of use will prove hard to resist.
Daniel Hertz is "the culmination of all my years in music and audio," says Levinson, founder of Mark Levinson Audio Systems, Cello, Ltd., and Red Rose Music.
.jpg "Daniel Hertz M7 Loudspeaker")
Despite his long history of cutting-edge products, Daniel Hertz shouldn't be considered an extension of his previous brands, Levinson says. "Don't expect me to copy anyone, not even myself," he cautions. "Daniel Hertz takes a totally new tack with audio, combining the dynamics of the best outdoor concert sound—think massive amounts of air moving at lightning speed—with the vitality and transparency that record producers and musicians want to hear. Daniel Hertz products are designed to reproduce the softest, most delicate musical material up to the sound of a helicopter landing in front of you."
Levinson adds, "The name 'Telikos' was given to the M5 amplifier for an important reason. In ancient Greek, 'Telikos' means 'ultimate' or 'final.' Daniel Hertz products will likely be my final statement in audio. As a musician, recording engineer and audio designer, I have always searched for the most faithful way to recreate a musical event.
"Daniel Hertz systems set a new standard for the industry based not on personal taste but on fact. Daniel Hertz systems can reproduce music and sounds that other systems simply cannot handle. Daniel Hertz takes us to the next level in audio, and will most likely become the most prized audio equipment of all time. Are you ready for a paradigm shift or not?"
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Comments
Is this an ad? Ridiculous.
Dear ThinMan,
Reactions such as yours have occurred frequently during the launches of my companies during the last 35 years. Later, when people see and hear the products in life, there has generally been enthusiasm and acceptance from all sides. I suggest you find out for yourself what Daniel Hertz has to offer before jumping to conclusions. Multiple Grammy award-winning record producers must have some good reasons for using Daniel Hertz equipment as their new reference playback system.
i bought a Daniel Hertz Amplifier about three years ago and mark tryed to buy it from me now i know why. it was a proto type that got lost buy dhl well i still, have it any one want it?
To the original poster:
Press releases are written by journalists and advertising professionals to announce industry news and are submitted to the press. Editors have the option of publishing the material or filing it.
TAS chose the publish it in the news section, which is appropriate, honest and informative.
Any reasonably well informed reader knows that press-releases come from manufacturers and do not express the magazine's views.
Read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_release
Historically, Mr. Levinson has been an enthusiastic promoter of his often too expensive for how they performed products. The early equalizer comes to mind where Mark challenged listeners at audio clubs to hear if his equalizer was in circuit or in bypass. To make a long story short, EVERYONE heard the eq set to flat in-circuit. To put it midly, there was a lot of snickering going on.
Levinsons products do score simetimes, but the last time I remember was in the early seventies when ML had no competition of substance other than Audio Research. Since those heady days many other makes have arisen not only to challenge Levinson products, made by Cello, Madrigal or other, but many had succeeded in surpassing them at far lower prices. Most of these, other than theJC-1 and 2 designed by John Curl, had been forgotten if not forgiven.
While enjoyable at all levels, people must realize that high end audio has become a game of propaganda, marketing, and imagery, not necessarily an industry based in substance. What we see is audio sculpture aimed at the aesthete that, as it has been the eperience in the past, become passe with trends, fashion, and the raised consciousness of the buyer.
In other words, faster than you can count to three, most of these products had become boat anchors...as will likely these.
I am sorry for the posssibly talented engineer who decided in a bad moment to ally with this kind of past.
I have met Mark, and he is the PT Barnum of audio. Heard his products and not much substance there. Kim is another story. Tony Kung is right on.
Hi ML,
are there any reviews in the works and from which magazine(s)..best
Mark's fourth company and looks like a solid effort - as were his other co. The comment about high-end (today) was a good one...but remember, there are always folks willing to burn big $$ on "propaganda". They must know by now that there's lots of competition. They are either ill-informed (about the market) or don't care about value.
I heard a prototype pair of the M2s at RMAF this year (April Music room). I had no idea what they were or who "Daniel Hertz" was, but they did have a something special about the sound that made me pause and enjoy them. At RMAF this year that was, for me, extremely unusual. I'm to a degree familiar with most types of speakers and accept everyone likes different things, but these had a life and ease (that I associate with high efficiency speakers) but also a naturalness to them (that I don't) which was captivating, and this with modest Stello gear. I hunted for reviews of RMAF that said similar things but didn't find any so far.
Market wise, its pretty clear that likely customers can afford to try them and forget them if they really are forgetable (I'm sure that they aren't that at least). The rest of us can watch with interest and without risk ;-). I think, like some other seriously high priced speakers they will offer a different take on reality - and one that has already demonstrated virtues to my ears. I wish ML every success - it won't be easy to establish a new marque. Don't Cello products still sell for heaps btw?