i purchased a pair of these for my monoblocks. i definitely heard an improvement - smoother across the board. i recommend them if $200 isn't going to keep you up at night. i do think this is a relatively inexpensive tweak. i spent $700 for my stereo rack. did it make my system sound better? i can't tell. i bought $1k synergistic speaker cables. my $90 anticables sound better. am i flaming against synergistic? my rack manufacturer? no - i'm a big boy. but more importantly this is my hobby and i enjoy tweaking. i was satisfied with the sound of my system from day one but that didn't keep me from trying to improve it. i don't mind spending a bit of change every now and then to see if i can improve the sound. but that's my risk profile. i think there are enough positive reviews to buy these if that's also your risk profile. but if you want "guaranteed" improvement and feel "cheated" if it's not up to YOUR expectations, then I'd pass on these and perhaps audiophilia as a hobby, because let's face it, talk about an investment of diminishing returns...
Review: Dakiom A103 and R103 Tweak
Category: Accessories
SUMMARY POINTS:
1)I am NOT affiliated with this company in any way; they wouldn't even give me their phone number! (They also sign their emails, "Dakiom".) I would sign an affadavit on this.
2)The outlandish sounding claims they (DAKIOM) make are--surprisingly--really true. They do not sound like credible claims and I was VERY skeptical, but yes, they are largely, if not completely, true, in my opinion.
3)Sonically:
-->Smoother AND more detailed high end (yes, BOTH)
-->Lower AND less boomy bass (yes, BOTH), even quicker
and more accurate than the already outstanding
Rel had to begin with
-->Better central imaging (already was good).
-->Yes, they really DO cause less listening "fatigue"
4)RECOMMENDATION:
BUY THESE-->PERIOD.
THEN: Compare with and w/out.
If you dislike, or are neutral, return them.
5)To Reiterate: I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO FINANCIAL, PERSONAL, OR OTHER INTEREST IN THIS COMPANY. I HAD TO AGREE TO WRITE A 100+ WORD REVIEW AS A PURCHASE PRECONDITION FOR THEIR "INTRODUCTORY OFFER". DOUBTED THEY WOULD WORK AS CLAIMED. I WAS WRONG. I AM NOT OFTEN WRONG!!!
William W. Hoover
==================================================================
Unabridged Version, complete with all the (annoying and irrelevant?) details:
Background:
I recently upgraded my system, with the only remaining indigenous component being the ST 140. The Paradigm Monitor 100 V3's sounded great, and the Rel Storm was just phenomenal, having been meticulously "tuned in" to the listening room by the dealer's installer. I was shopping for cables and saw the Dakiom ad on Audiogon and was intrigued. It sounded like hyperbole, but I figured I'd return it if (and when) these failed to live up to their seemingly outlandish claims. For some reason I "bit", not wanting to miss out just in case the claims were true, which I REALLY doubted. Their pre-purchase requirement to agree to write a review seemed like a probable sales gimmick, but it did pique my curiosity, and I wouldn't have to write it anyway, since in all likelihood these were going to be shipped back. They were shipped to me very quickly. I read the inserts with the wild sounding claims. I kept the envelopes for the anticipated return...
AN ASIDE: THESE PEOPLE WILL COMMUNICATE ONLY--AND I MEAN ONLY--BY EMAIL. THEY PROTECT THEIR PRIVACY LIKE HOWARD HUGHES DID HIS. THEY DO ANSWER THE EMAILS UNFAILINGLY, HOWEVER.
Experience:
Listened with my son, age 13, an accomplished violinist (unlike his father, me). He wanted NOT to know when the stabilizers were installed versus uninstalled. Four songs, including Boston's "Peace of Mind", Fresh Aire's "Tocatta" from "III", and two others I don't remember. He stated an IMMEDIATE preference, after a few notes, not knowing whether they were installed. He preferred it WITH the stabilizers, and even said that as soon as he heard the difference, he'd quietly hoped that the configuration he preferred was the "plus stabilizer" one, or else his father had just wasted a lot of money to make his system worse.
Meanwhile, my wife, listening UPSTAIRS, and also not knowing which was which, said the system sounded better with the stabilizers.
I felt the same way. JUST TO BE SURE, I took them off and listened again. Terrible. Put them back on. Great again. Out of honesty (they really do make you check a box agreeing to write a review) and gratitude (it is SO refreshing to stumble onto a company that is telling the truth) I've written this review.
CAVEAT: I can neither verify nor disprove their claims regarding differently priced amplifiers. I will comment ONLY on my system and the product's impact thereon.
Epilogue:
Now I BELIEVE these mysterious people, whoever they are, and will NOT be returning these--ever.
William W. Hoover
Associated gear
CD Player: Onkyo Integra DPC 8.5
Preamplifier: Rotel RC 995
Amplifier: B&K ST-140
Equalizer: Parasound R/EQ 150
(USUALLY ON "BYPASS"!)
Loudspeakers: Paradigm Monitor 100V3
Sub-bass: Rel Storm
Interconnects: ALL RCA's
Player-->Preamp: Audioquest King
Cobra
Preamp-->Equalizer: Audioquest
Diamondback
Equalizer-->Amp: AQ Diamondback
Speaker Cable:
Canare 4S11, "Bi-wired" ,with
Audioquest terminations.
Sub-bass Cable:
Rel stock, hooked to the amplifier
Similar products
None
SUMMARY POINTS:
1)I am NOT affiliated with this company in any way; they wouldn't even give me their phone number! (They also sign their emails, "Dakiom".) I would sign an affadavit on this.
2)The outlandish sounding claims they (DAKIOM) make are--surprisingly--really true. They do not sound like credible claims and I was VERY skeptical, but yes, they are largely, if not completely, true, in my opinion.
3)Sonically:
-->Smoother AND more detailed high end (yes, BOTH)
-->Lower AND less boomy bass (yes, BOTH), even quicker
and more accurate than the already outstanding
Rel had to begin with
-->Better central imaging (already was good).
-->Yes, they really DO cause less listening "fatigue"
4)RECOMMENDATION:
BUY THESE-->PERIOD.
THEN: Compare with and w/out.
If you dislike, or are neutral, return them.
5)To Reiterate: I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO FINANCIAL, PERSONAL, OR OTHER INTEREST IN THIS COMPANY. I HAD TO AGREE TO WRITE A 100+ WORD REVIEW AS A PURCHASE PRECONDITION FOR THEIR "INTRODUCTORY OFFER". DOUBTED THEY WOULD WORK AS CLAIMED. I WAS WRONG. I AM NOT OFTEN WRONG!!!
William W. Hoover
==================================================================
Unabridged Version, complete with all the (annoying and irrelevant?) details:
Background:
I recently upgraded my system, with the only remaining indigenous component being the ST 140. The Paradigm Monitor 100 V3's sounded great, and the Rel Storm was just phenomenal, having been meticulously "tuned in" to the listening room by the dealer's installer. I was shopping for cables and saw the Dakiom ad on Audiogon and was intrigued. It sounded like hyperbole, but I figured I'd return it if (and when) these failed to live up to their seemingly outlandish claims. For some reason I "bit", not wanting to miss out just in case the claims were true, which I REALLY doubted. Their pre-purchase requirement to agree to write a review seemed like a probable sales gimmick, but it did pique my curiosity, and I wouldn't have to write it anyway, since in all likelihood these were going to be shipped back. They were shipped to me very quickly. I read the inserts with the wild sounding claims. I kept the envelopes for the anticipated return...
AN ASIDE: THESE PEOPLE WILL COMMUNICATE ONLY--AND I MEAN ONLY--BY EMAIL. THEY PROTECT THEIR PRIVACY LIKE HOWARD HUGHES DID HIS. THEY DO ANSWER THE EMAILS UNFAILINGLY, HOWEVER.
Experience:
Listened with my son, age 13, an accomplished violinist (unlike his father, me). He wanted NOT to know when the stabilizers were installed versus uninstalled. Four songs, including Boston's "Peace of Mind", Fresh Aire's "Tocatta" from "III", and two others I don't remember. He stated an IMMEDIATE preference, after a few notes, not knowing whether they were installed. He preferred it WITH the stabilizers, and even said that as soon as he heard the difference, he'd quietly hoped that the configuration he preferred was the "plus stabilizer" one, or else his father had just wasted a lot of money to make his system worse.
Meanwhile, my wife, listening UPSTAIRS, and also not knowing which was which, said the system sounded better with the stabilizers.
I felt the same way. JUST TO BE SURE, I took them off and listened again. Terrible. Put them back on. Great again. Out of honesty (they really do make you check a box agreeing to write a review) and gratitude (it is SO refreshing to stumble onto a company that is telling the truth) I've written this review.
CAVEAT: I can neither verify nor disprove their claims regarding differently priced amplifiers. I will comment ONLY on my system and the product's impact thereon.
Epilogue:
Now I BELIEVE these mysterious people, whoever they are, and will NOT be returning these--ever.
William W. Hoover
Associated gear
CD Player: Onkyo Integra DPC 8.5
Preamplifier: Rotel RC 995
Amplifier: B&K ST-140
Equalizer: Parasound R/EQ 150
(USUALLY ON "BYPASS"!)
Loudspeakers: Paradigm Monitor 100V3
Sub-bass: Rel Storm
Interconnects: ALL RCA's
Player-->Preamp: Audioquest King
Cobra
Preamp-->Equalizer: Audioquest
Diamondback
Equalizer-->Amp: AQ Diamondback
Speaker Cable:
Canare 4S11, "Bi-wired" ,with
Audioquest terminations.
Sub-bass Cable:
Rel stock, hooked to the amplifier
Similar products
None
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