DK Design Review

Folks like Jimmy Olsen, Emerawski, and Audioari1 are the reason that DK has such a bad reputation here on AudiogoN. That is if indeed they are different people and not one.

84audio makes valid DK points with class, as does LSA, though I don't think Larry should participate here.

It's the pro DK 'pushers', who for the most part are newer members, declaring DK is king and bashing the likes of Cary and Electrocompaniet products, that show no class and really pull DK down in the mud. As I tell my children, speaking ill of another person does not make you a better person.

I haven't heard the latest DK designs. I did hear the mk II version after all the hype last year, and felt it represented a solid value at it's price point. I didn't buy one, and it didn't make me want to run out and hear a mk III or Signature (I couldn't if I wanted to, as my local DK dealer has dropped the line in favor of Forbidden City), but it is a decent amp and a good entry into the high end for beginners. It's a shame that so many get caught up in declaring it the greatest invention since the wheel. From my experiences last year, I found that most DK pushers had little experience with expensive gear, as the DK was all they could afford. Nothing wrong with that, I'm not a snob, but show a little class when you enter into the high end please. It's a good value, but not the best deal in audio. Welcome to high end audio, enjoy yourself, hang around, you may find out, as other former DK owners have, that you have a nice start to a journey, you are not at the end though.

Toyota's are wonderful vehicle's, but lets not bash Ferrari's, Rolls Royce's, and McLaren's just to defend how wonderful a Toyota is.

Cheers,
John

Nicely put. Pretty much my observations as well, John.

Now, If you had bashed Hondas, I would have had to thump ya! Heheh.

I'm sure that most would agree that both subjectivity and passion play a large role of this hobby - just review the tube versus solid state debates on Agon as an example. The DK issue has, unfortunately, fallen into the middle one of these debates, with both sides defending their point of view. Some DK users have gone over-the-top with their enthusiasm, to which others have responded in similar fashion. Both sides have used "ad hominine" type arguments (e.g., he is a newbee or his amp company has gone out of business) which provide no useful information, but is interesting to observe.

DK has been criticized for over-the-top advertisement and has been accused of shill advertising. Advertisement for a large number of high end components is also over-the-top, just look at any issues of Stereophile or Hi Fi +. Is there a different standard for DK? Also, while we may suspect Daniel K of shill advertisement (an associate of a person selling goods or services, who pretends no association to the seller and assumes the air of an enthusiastic customer), there is absolutely no evidence the Larry Staples of doing so, as some have hinted at.

I have always selected components based on how they sound to me - not from a review and not from Agon comments. However, reviews and Agon comments can lead me to listen to a product or possibly avoid listening. Based on the Stereophile review, I might not have listened to the DK. My take on the review is that it is luke warm and somewhat self-contradictory (e.g. the less expensive Creek sounds better at some things, but the DK is comparable to $7K separates). However, for my room, musical tastes, and system, I did not agree with the less positive comments of the review.

Paired with Totem Forests, I have enjoyed the DK MkII amp for over a year, and I have no intention of selling or changing amps. My musical tastes tend to be mostly Jazz, classical (more single instruments or quartets rather than symphony), and female vocalists, although eclectic is probably the best description. I compared the DK amp to a number of similarly priced amps and selected the DK based on my tastes. Specifically, I like the sound-stage, power, and imagery of the DK. I also enjoy the emotional conveyance produced by the amp. The sound of the amp is a little warmish, and it has a tube feel, which might not be enjoyed by those who like SS amps. These are subjective things, but music is a subjective experience. BTW, I found a large positive change from changing tubes, with my favorites being the CCA and early 60's Mullard. I have not had a left - right issue. IMHO, the DK MkII is a good amp for the money. I think I'll go home and listen to some music.

The good or bad news, depending on your perspective, is that the journey never ends. Things change in time, and today's great product may be tomorrow's above average gear. I've been seriously "updating" my system for the last 20 years, and have been enjoying both the music and the chase. Again, I believe LSA will be a player in the industry for some time to come, and that many experienced audiophiles will be happy with these products, but time and sales will tell the story. I'm not married to DK. Nothing stays the same, and LSA, like every other company, will have to keep improving to stay competitive.

I also agree that it is pointless to bash another person's equipment. My system's sound is not going to change no matter how much I ridicule somebody elses choices. Discovery is part of the fun, and listening to different gear is the best way to learn.

Actually, I'm surprised more companies don't utilize a similar approach to DK's of combining a tube preamp section with high powered solid state output. I have enjoyed this combo with different separates for many years.