My last stop of the show was a real highlight. The only Kondo Audio Note equipment I'd heard up till then was at a friend's home in New York City. His setup included a Kondo Ongaku integrated amplifier, a Kondo KSL-SFz SUT (step-up transformer), Kondo silver interconnects (KSL-LPz and Ls-41), and Kondo KSL-SPz silver speaker cables. The sound was consistently beautiful, very natural, with a touch of romanticism.
But even that setup didn't prepare me for what I heard in Munich. The show system was fronted by a Kondo Ginga turntable ($68,000) mounted with a Kondo IO-XP MC cartridge ($8900), followed by a Kondo Theme 41 phono RCA cable/SR ($5500) and a Kondo SFz SUT ($12,000).
A Kondo GE-10i phono preamp ($60,000) paired with a Kondo G-1000i preamplifier ($96,000) and Kondo Kagura 2i power amps ($180,000/pair) drove a pair of classic B&W 801 N loudspeakers. Kondo Theme 41 1.5m/RR RCA interconnects ($6800/pair), Kondo SPs-2.7 speaker cables ($5300/2.5m pair), and Kondo ACz-Avocado power cords ($2300/2m) tied everything together.
The sound was slightly sweet, resonant, and exquisite, with an ever-present delicateness. For me, this was the ultimate Japanese hi-fi experience—a more powerful, expansive version of what I'd first heard in miniature in the Phasemation room. Glorious.
A Kondo GE-10i phono preamp ($60,000) paired with a Kondo G-1000i preamplifier ($96,000) and Kondo Kagura 2i power amps ($180,000/pair) drove a pair of classic B&W 801 N loudspeakers. Kondo Theme 41 1.5m/RR RCA interconnects ($6800/pair), Kondo SPs-2.7 speaker cables ($5300/2.5m pair), and Kondo ACz-Avocado power cords ($2300/2m) tied everything together.
