Ongaku First Impressions

[howiebrou]

Summary: The Kondo Audio Note Ongaku is a hell of an amplifier!

The end.

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by howiebrou

Summary: The Kondo Audio Note Ongaku is a hell of an amplifier!

The end.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by howiebrou

Summary: The Kondo Audio Note Ongaku is a hell of an amplifier!

The end.

Howie.......You are one hell of a wordsmith. You completely captured my imagination. Unfortunately that's all you captured. My imagination is having to work overtime to fill in all the omissions in your otherwise very fine review.

[howiebrou]

Glad you enjoyed my review Ivan, Dan

Actually I have been meaning to provide my initial thoughts for a couple of days but kept getting drawn back to the music. That in itself is a significant development.

In fact just as I started writing this thread, I heard a creaking door open followed by footsteps. It scared the hell out of me as I am typing in a room adjacent to the living room where the hi fi is. I actually got up and went to look. Turned out to be a soundtrack on a demo disc that I had never played on the Sooloos. A bit too realistic one might think.

As above demonstrates, actions speak louder than words and I have to say that the last few days my listening habits have changed somewhat. The Sooloos makes it much too easy to bounce around different albums with the patience of a cat dowsed with itching powder. Now that the Ongaku has arrived I am happy to let the album play to the end (hence the fright I got).

I have read reviews where the reviewer claims to have a new set of music due to the gear under assessment but I have to admit that this has actually happened to me at last. No equipment set up has led to such a profound change in the sound coming from my speakers. The Einstein integrated was lovely the Soulution sublime, but the Ongaku is really something else.

It doesn't go louder than others, go deeper, have more transparency or even a wider soundstage but you know what? I don't care. I think I have hit what the Shindo folks have also hit. A time and place where you don't care why it sounds the way it does or how it does it, you just know it's right.

Voices sparkle with vibrancy, the singer is not just in the room but is giving you a personal audition. You feel the musicians looking your way, it is a bit eery in fact to think how in the room they are. I don't profess any piece of equipment being the same as live music but this is certainly the next best thing because you find yourself grinning like a cartoon mutt. Even my 3 1/2 year old son and 2 1/2 year old daughter came and sat down on my ottoman and just gazed at the rack listening.

There is something organic about the way tubes and the Ongaku portray the music. I have actually found that I have reached for LPs LESS than before because the digital is so good and fresh. The energy which Kondo is renowned for is evident in spades and you just find yourself enjoying it whatever your activity. There is no more leaning forward and concentrating, there is just enjoyment.

In fact the Ongaku has driven the strads with surprising ease. The volume pot has never gone past 11 o'clock and rarely goes to 10 but I find myself listening at much higher volumes than before. Noise? none. Headache? None.

I apologise in advance if you wanted a technical cross examination of the nuances of the Ongaku because this certainly is not one. It is description of the fulfillment one gets when the pin drops and you realise you have almost reached Nirvana.

Almost? I say this not because of possible Tannoy Westminsters but because I know that the Ongaku is improved when a preamp is added to the mix. The difference is quite marked imho, so that means the journey can continue for some time yet

howie

[JSCC]

Originally Posted by howiebrou

Glad you enjoyed my review Ivan, Dan

Actually I have been meaning to provide my initial thoughts for a couple of days but kept getting drawn back to the music. That in itself is a significant development.

In fact just as I started writing this thread, I heard a creaking door open followed by footsteps. It scared the hell out of me as I am typing in a room adjacent to the living room where the hi fi is. I actually got up and went to look. Turned out to be a soundtrack on a demo disc that I had never played on the Sooloos. A bit too realistic one might think.

As above demonstrates, actions speak louder than words and I have to say that the last few days my listening habits have changed somewhat. The Sooloos makes it much too easy to bounce around different albums with the patience of a cat dowsed with itching powder. Now that the Ongaku has arrived I am happy to let the album play to the end (hence the fright I got).

I have read reviews where the reviewer claims to have a new set of music due to the gear under assessment but I have to admit that this has actually happened to me at last. No equipment set up has led to such a profound change in the sound coming from my speakers. The Einstein integrated was lovely the Soulution sublime, but the Ongaku is really something else.

It doesn't go louder than others, go deeper, have more transparency or even a wider soundstage but you know what? I don't care. I think I have hit what the Shindo folks have also hit. A time and place where you don't care why it sounds the way it does or how it does it, you just know it's right.

Voices sparkle with vibrancy, the singer is not just in the room but is giving you a personal audition. You feel the musicians looking your way, it is a bit eery in fact to think how in the room they are. I don't profess any piece of equipment being the same as live music but this is certainly the next best thing because you find yourself grinning like a cartoon mutt. Even my 3 1/2 year old son and 2 1/2 year old daughter came and sat down on my ottoman and just gazed at the rack listening.

There is something organic about the way tubes and the Ongaku portray the music. I have actually found that I have reached for LPs LESS than before because the digital is so good and fresh. The energy which Kondo is renowned for is evident in spades and you just find yourself enjoying it whatever your activity. There is no more leaning forward and concentrating, there is just enjoyment.

In fact the Ongaku has driven the strads with surprising ease. The volume pot has never gone past 11 o'clock and rarely goes to 10 but I find myself listening at much higher volumes than before. Noise? none. Headache? None.

I apologise in advance if you wanted a technical cross examination of the nuances of the Ongaku because this certainly is not one. It is description of the fulfillment one gets when the pin drops and you realise you have almost reached Nirvana.

Almost? I say this not because of possible Tannoy Westminsters but because I know that the Ongaku is improved when a preamp is added to the mix. The difference is quite marked imho, so that means the journey can continue for some time yet

howie

Great review ... and I learnt something similar to what I had experienced all along. Sorry to hijack, but thats exactly how my entire Meridian combo sounded to me. I think your next move for the Kondo preamp - be it the M77, M1000 or the "entry" level G70 would drive you towards audio nirvana ... with a pair of Westminsters ..... OOOOOOO !

Congrats! I hope I can find time to drop by HK after my meeting on weekend 16th Sep. If you are free .... if not, I will just fly straight home from Shanghai.

Cheers!

[howiebrou]

Originally Posted by JSCC

Great review ... and I learnt something similar to what I had experienced all along. Sorry to hijack, but thats exactly how my entire Meridian combo sounded to me. I think your next move for the Kondo preamp - be it the M77, M1000 or the "entry" level G70 would drive you towards audio nirvana ... with a pair of Westminsters ..... OOOOOOO !

Congrats! I hope I can find time to drop by HK after my meeting on weekend 16th Sep. If you are free .... if not, I will just fly straight home from Shanghai.

Cheers!

Jerry, I am sure the Meridians do the same for you! I should be here in September.....

[howiebrou]

Check out this badly recorded video of my set up!

[ame=http://youtu.be/4H8sv2hiVqM]Kondo Ongaku two - YouTube[/ame]

[JohnThomas]

Sounds and looks good Howie. When are the wall units arriving (Westminsters)? I can't believe how well the Strad's play close to walls.

[howiebrou]

Originally Posted by JohnThomas

Sounds and looks good Howie. When are the wall units arriving (Westminsters)? I can't believe how well the Strad's play close to walls.

Thanks.

No wall units on order yet. Still thinking. The Strads would prefer more room but c'est la vie! There is a bass trap behind each one that helps.

howie

[jdandy]

Howie.......I enjoyed your review. It is clear you have found a component that is thrilling you. I am happy for you. The video is good, too. I'll be purchasing that recording if I can find it.