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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


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mdhoover
mdhoover OP
695 posts
 
The listening experience is a subjective one, to be sure. In my system, with Paradigm Monitor 100 V3's and their metal dome tweeters plus solid state amp and preamp, the highs didn't seem rolled off but were tamed--but still more detailed and sweet; the mids were essentially unchanged, the bass was deeper and tighter, and the soundstage was more focused and open. In my system, detail seems to be improved, not lessened. That is a seeming paradox, but that was my experience. I tried to be mindful of any potential placebo effect.

I've no idea what these would sound like with tube components, soft dome tweeters, or any other type of speaker transducer (electrostatics, Magnaplanars,etc.). I would certainly agree that if one doesn't like them better, one should ship them back and hold the company to its word.
Post removed 
tarsando
578 posts
 
I've got mine on order, so I can't say yet what my experience is with them. In regard to detail vs digititus, my experience with live music is that there (of course) is no digititus, but also that there is often less detail than I hear on cds. So Im hoping the Dakioms will reduce digititus in my system, and Im willing to give up a bit of detail for that...
mdhoover OP
695 posts
 
Tvad, it IS remarkable that they vary (or are perceived to vary) so much in their sonic attributes among various systems. Given all the different equipment designs and musical tastes, it doesn't necessarily surprise me. Your points about "objective" listening are well taken. Unfortunately, it was impossible for me to be "blinded" to the "with" versus "without" stabilizer configuration. I tried to avoid placebo effect but cannot totally exclude it. I tend to doubt it (but won't totally rule it out) because I did NOT expect these things to work--their ad sounded like a real crock, and this business about making a 200 dollar amp sound like a 2000 dollar amp still sounds far fetched (at best!). For some reason I tried them and they worked very well (as far as I can hear)in my system.

If "digitis" is that ultra high frequency hissing/scratching (that's at a higher frequency even than the old tape hiss), it DOES seem to be gone. Speaking only for myself, that has NOT translated into a loss of detail: as far as I can tell, it is increased. I took them off once and was amazed at how much the sound deteriorated. It was immediate and obvious.

Thank you for your comments.
rpatrick
92 posts
 
I did a tweak to these stabilizers that made them better, here's what I did. I put them in two trash bags and put them in the freezer for 24 hours and then put them in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then did it all over again. After that I put them in the coldest part of my house for 24 hours then hook them back up, very nice improvement!.......Richard
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