Kondo DAC : Why no reviews ??

The retail price hasn't changed in many years, it's 3,300,000 Yen. The retail price has gone up in US dollars based on the value of the Yen to dollar and at today's (8-16-11) exchange rate the US retail would be $43,000.

Thank you Steve. I am not really surprised by this price because high end hifi has always been this expensive and more. Cables like Nordost Odin, Siltech Emperor etc cost even more :-). I will want to listen to this Kondo DAC at the earliest opportunity, not to say that I an buy one now but just to hear what it can do.

I've owned the Kondo KSL DAC for the past 5 years or so. Personally, Bombaywalla's analogy to the Phantom I think is a good one. To me, it sounds excellent, but I also do not chase the market and have no idea if there are other units available that are "better". There could well be. Pride of ownership is important to me, and this unit, as with other Kondo-san units, at least to me, represents the man's life's work at the time. I feel the same way about Don Garber's Fi products, which I have owned for some time now in a second system. Having said this, I purchased my KSL DAC pre-owned at a significant investment, but far, far below current Yen-to-USD retail prices. There is much in current hi-end audio that just blows me away as to suggested retail.

Well you know it's nice to have a good car instead of a budget beater and it's nice to have a good digital player instead of a $180 OPPO or NAD but I can't afford a Lamborghini or a Kondo nor can most people on the planet. Now a fairly new Caddie and a Marantz SA 8400 gets me to pretty darn good. I admit if I was rich I'd be getting the best whatever that is.

Rich does not equal the best quality nor the best in taste. It just means they spend more money.