Under the “Bad” section, we could add the system’s proprietary nature. If something fails / breaks, it would likely be difficult to remedy, with long-run support being questionable. Daniel Hertz seems to be a small company in Italy. We don’t know if they will be in business for a long time and support the proprietary tech for a long time.
This seems to be the case with his past Mark Levinson brand. My brother-in-law has the 585 and has stopped working. No one seems to know how to fix it.
This is definitely a consideration, but I have a hunch this company has a very bright future based on the sound quality and all the great press their products have received.
Adrian, I've come to realize how much I enjoy your affable and charismatic personality. I truly believe you're heading towards becoming the next Paul McGowan. Your "Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" reviews are my absolute favorite, and I thoroughly enjoy listening to you speak candidly about stereo. I love this format with only you talking!!!
I love your reviews, I have been in the industry in one facet or another for Approximately 40 years. Your humility and honesty stands out immensely. Hope to visit you guys one day. Please keep up the fine work. Sincerely, thanking you.
The fact that you don’t waste money only gives me more respect for you Adrian. I’m the same exact way. Money is a resource. Only fools waste their resources IMHO. Plus that way I’m never low on money. So if an emergency comes up. I’m prepared. And more importantly to me. It allows me to help other people along the way too. I would much rather give money to those in need, as opposed to overpaying, and having it go to someone who already has plenty. ✌️
Hey Adrian. An acrylic glazing product called Brillianize will eliminate your dust and fingerprint issues on your acrylic. I use it on my Audio Note DAC, VPI HRX and clear dust covers. It is an amazing product. I have no affiliation. Just a happy user for decades.
Adrian, great video and I'm glad you enjoyed what you were hearing. For me, the elephant in the room is Mark's C-wave technology that "fills in the spaces of the PCM digital audio waveform with original musical information" (direct quote from his website). What is he filling in the spaces with is what I want to know. Interpolation? What happens with DSD recorded material, or can the Maria even play back my ripped SACD's and other DSD files? EDIT: Found it, basically mark is adding reverberation and EQ to the signal. I don't think I want Mark jacking with my music. From his patent application: "The present invention is a system and a method for processing and adjusting the PCM digital audio signals using specific reverberation and equalization settings that have been determined to potentially improve certain physical health parameters measurements, as determined by conducting bio-signal testing." Mark has tried this before with the Burwen Bobcat. Oh, well...sigh
Sound can definitely improve (or degrade) your health parameters. So what about original analog LP, recorded and mastered on tape? For $25 LP and $2K good player, equipped with the decent cartridge and very, very good stylus, you can bypass Mark's missing signal fillers and get the same healthy results. Having experience with ML's gear, I can testify to it's superb (most times) sound, and no doubt, this sounds brilliant as well. However, exposing myself to the somebody's idea of what is the health parameter I need improvement with, sounds dubious. There is already an Apple Watch that can "improve" your health. Digital is digital, and filling the missing info with sophisticated logarithms or "reverberation and equalization" does not make it analog (healthy).
Thanks for the review Adrian, you just confirm what others reviewed about the system. It will be interesting when you compare one of your favorite the SF Amati G5 against DH M7 speakers ( both being around the same price range ). Happy holiday to you and your team at Audio Excellence.
I guess the next step(as noted by Steve Huff) is to get the Ambers in there and be further blown away. Glad you did this review. I like systems that take out the guess work of synergy. This seems to be a great system. Hope to hear it someday. Well done Adrian
@@MasterofPlay7 It's always a crapshoot when listening to recordings from a system in a room, picked up by mics, then played back again through headphones or speakers. Too many variables that make big changes. If you can ever find Stereophile's first Test CD, listen to J Gordon Holt talk through different mics. It's shocking how his voice changes. Mics are as different as speakers.
@@adrianlow2114 at LAST Adrian talks about the source mike and almost more importantly, how the CHARACTER of OUR playback systems influence the reviewed gear that we hear!
Adrian, the ankhs for doing this review! I really think Levinson has his finger on the pulse of many older audiophiles! I own McIntosh c50,mc352,La Scala speakers a DAC,server,two turntables, custom rack, well over 500 lbs pounds of stuff and yards of cables. All that just to get good sound from recordings? I am looking for less stuff and lighter stuff! I want a simpler solution, and this sounds like a great deal. I’m 66yo and almost can’t lift my amp.something has to give!
I really like this post. Very honest and truthful. Wishing you the very best in 2024 Adrian. I always try to be one of the first to watch your post as it is very informative and entertaining
Adrian - Awesome review and agree with 100% of what you said. My DH system (DH Maria 800 w/ active crossovers & Chiara speakers) are just amazing and best bass I have ever heard in my life! The instruments just sound "right" in their tone. Truly "end-game" system (Only would upgrade streamer at this point.)
Have you seen Steve Huffs videos? He added the new HiFi Rose TOTL streamer to his Daniel Hertz, and says it’s a perfect match. Just over $5k, and has a big beautiful touch screen too. Oh and it plays TH-cam videos w/an HDMI output. So you can watch concerts/music videos on a big tv. I do this with an Intel NUC in my setup, and I couldn’t live without it now. It’s so nice even just having the song information on a 50” tv in my listening room. Never mind watching concerts. ✌️
I had a Hifi Rose at one point, but VERY glitchy & sold it. I now have an Innuous Pulsar which is an amazing combo w/ the DH. Definitely not as "pretty" as the Hifi Rose & agree if you use it w/ video, a no-brainer!
@@colekyler002They are supposed to sound great. The Innuos I mean. So You probably can’t go wrong with them. Assuming their software is good anyway. Which HiFi Rose did you have? Because the one I’m referring to is their latest product. And I’ve not heard any stories about them being problematic. ✌️
THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH. DSP can allow a small speaker to produce deep bass BUT the trade-off is that bass response changes with volume unless the designer accepts high driver distortion and the possibility of damage. Usually the higher the SPL the sooner the bass response drops in order to protect the little woofer and control distortion by limiting its excursion (which is nominally very high in order to allow it to produce deep bass). So frequency response changes with loudness in contrast to a non-DSP controlled speaker. This is how small subwoofers like the KEF KC62 work. You can have your deep bass OR you can party with such speakers but you cannot do both at the same time. It is not difficult to subjectively test for that and it's easy-peasy to measure. I would bet there is DSP to that effect as described going on either in the speakers (doubtful since they do not appear to be powered in some way) or (most probably) in the amp. In the latter case performance of these speakers will be very different if used with a 3rd party amp and the high woofer excursion might easily lead to damage since it will be unchecked. Additionally the speakers will probably prove bass deficient with bass appropriate to their size (as there will be no DSP EQ to compensate for this). I would suggest Adrian investigates this BEFORE OFFERING THESE SPEAKERS TO HIS CUSTOMERS FOR USE WITH A 3RD PARTY AMP, otherwise he might quickly end up with dissatisfied customers and/or damaged speakers.
Your absolutely right. I’ve owned a pair of bowers and Wilkins mm-1 computer monitor speakers. I have always been astonished with the amount of bass these little things produce with the help of DSP
Thank you for the very informative review, you’ve certainly raised my awareness of the Daniel Hertz brand! Happy New Year to you, your family and the Audio Excellence team Adrian!
The biggest hurdle that some audiophiles need to overcome is size weight and boxes. We like to see many boxes to show off the rig, we like to think that more units are better but it's technology. The irony is that when it comes to items such a lap tops and phones we seek smaller, slimmer and are willing to pay more, however when it comes to this, we like stuff. We need to start looking more into the technology and less into the casing.
I could not agree with you MORE ! We don't need a boat anchor for an amp . . . as long as the results are there, right? Case (no pun intended :-) in point, is the Wadax stuff - holy SHIT is that ugly and probably just as heavy LOL . . . I've got a really very very good integrated amp that unfortunately weighs about 50 f'ing POUNDS! But if the Maria's sound beats it, I'll GLADLY swap it out for the 15 pound Maria . . . plus, if I ever have to move, the Maria will be my FRIEND on moving day - can carry it under one arm LOL
Please in part two, don‘t forget to assess voice reproduction. Sibilance control. Etc. And also elaborate that „tuning the amp for speakers“ process more.
In my opinion, when comparing DAC, we should use an independent preamp and power amp, rather than using the amp that one of the DAC that is the subject of comparison is built in.
You're correct that a full DAC comparison should include the analog stage. However there is no way to do that with the Maria. I was simply curious about how the Maria's digital stage compares with other favs of mine.
There is a lot of snobbery in the HiFi world, with people insisting that you can only get authentic sound by running a vinyl disc at 78rpm, picking up the signal with a nail and then playing the sound through a modified dustbin lid. What this systems seems to imply is that the best Hifi systems of the future will simply be on one grain of sand. No giant heat sinks, no glowing tubes, no dimming street lights when you switch the system on. How are audiophiles going to cope? 🙃
You’re now the 2nd who are gobsmacked by DH. Steve Huff is simply smitten by them. I must say Levinson seems to be one upping Devialet on the digital front. I’d probably back Mark over the French on the experience front. Both you and Huff appear to be highly impressed with both amplifier and speaker performance. So am I getting this right, Mark is basically saying, use a Mac as a server? I’ll need to dust off the Mac Mini. I’m seriously interested. Amber’s look magnificent! Good on you for going for it!
My question would be if both external dacs didn’t sound as good, is the analog input circuitry possibly an issue? I wouldn’t think so but it may be a possibility…
I connected the analog outputs of both the other dacs into the Maria. Then listened to the Maria with a digital input from the same streamer. It’s as fair as I know how to do
While I trust your very positive review of the speakers, I'm concerned about the resale price of speelakerd from such a small/new brand. Any thoughts?😢
Resale is as yet unknown since the speakers are new. Best case around average I would imagine. However, while the speakers and amp are new, Daniel Hertz has been around since 2007. You rarely see DH products for sale
I believe DH has been in business for about 10 years and has failed to gain any traction. So now it is being reintroduce in the Market like it's a new starling product. It does sound like a nice simple system which I think is great. I guess my question is why it didn't gain any traction when initially introduced?
@@bobheinatz5556 DH started in 2007 I believe, so 16 years approx. Earlier products were distributed worldwide. You can find some TH-cam videos from a few of the international distributors. As to why they "did not gain traction", I don't know. And I'm not sure that they didn't gain traction. Internationally I believe DH did quite well. North America is another issue altogether. As many know, there aren't as many 2 channel stores today compared to 20 years ago. Existing dealers often already have a good selection, and are not necessarily looking for more. DH products are also not inexpensive, and a lot of dealers may not have the client base. It's a complicated issue to be sure
Adrian, so glad you are a dealer for Daniel Hertz! I live just north of Detroit, MI. Would you be able to sell to me?? I am hopefully ready o put together my "retirement system". "D.H." has a system of the Maria 800 int amp and the Chiara speakers.50K together. Could I purchase through you?? Please let me know. E.R. Place
It's not that far to drive up and if you are in the shop, Adrian can sell anything to you. You would not pay shipping and the gear would arrive very safely to your home.
@@colekyler002 Software controlled volume are fine for many but there’s a quality difference compared to something like a ladder volume controller at the preamp / amp level. I can adjust my volume both ways and I can tell a difference.
@@adrianlow2114 It would be interesting to find out if tuning to other speakers is easy enough so that the lay person can do it without a dealer. So far there are not many DH dealers around.
@@reinhard1888 Apparently the process itself is not difficult. It's the knowledge, experience and "ears" that will make the difference a real optimization
Hello Fellow Audiophiles & Friends: Thank you Adrian for part one of your review. I wonder what it looks like under those covers ??? For this kind of money I would expect / demand perfect wire routing, perfect solder connections on EVERYTHING, proper stress relief on all wiring & components when required + wire lacing & chassis that darn near glows in the dark. ( Examples = Macintosh & Prima Luna ). Does the power section use a teriod type transformer to eliminate EMI & Transformer / POWER SUPPLY NOISE ( mechanical & electrical ). In my evaulation this is Paramount as we are always attempting to lower the noise floor so the full dynamic range can be enjoyable. I'm sorry if I sound like a audio snob but since I have 3 engineering degrees & the manufacturer has no problem charging big bucks for all this, so there better be the best internal components married with a wonderful design translates to me as a high quality product & gives you the BLOCKBUSTER sound you are craving. Thank You again & I look forward to Part 2 of your review. God Bless and be safe, TMP from N.J.
Everything inside looks tidy and well organized. The fully regulated power supply is shielded though I’d love to see even more. Pretty sparse inside compared to a traditional Class AB design but that’s expected. The heart of the Maria is in the design and execution of the Daniel Hertz Mighty Cat chip
@thomasperina2990 we can have FIVE engineering degrees between us (I only have one - sorry! LOL ) and be an audio snobs but at the end of the day, it is the RESULTS that count for the most . . . if you take a look at the D H site, you will see pics that show that everything is indeed well under control "under the hood" . . . yes, at first blush, the Maria appears to be "pricey" but a LOT of people here forget that it is a high end pre amp, high end 350 WPC amplifier WITH a high end DAC included (that beats out DAC's costing as much as the Maria itself!) all rolled into one. Mark Levinson, the man behind D H, I can assure you, knows how to put something together more than you and me and an awful LOT of people including McIntosh (proper spelling:-) and Prima Luna all put together :-) This is new, VERY new, tech that I think we'll have to fetch ANOTHER degree to fully understand the inner minutiae of the Maria's circuits. My intuition is that the Maria is a game changer and might well put some pretty established brands "in their place" . . . now whether Adrian will want to go there (if indeed that turns out to be the case!) is another question entirely LOL
@@davidbee8178 Good morning David. My thinking goes down to the component level of the individual parts. Then there is compatibility between each component & then comes each individual section. I've seen the internals of many ultra high end audio components & it turned out to be a conglomeration of cheap off the shelf parts from Radio Shack and nothing else but hype & BS. I'm certain you have witnessed it yourself. David you & I are not the run of the mill audio geeks like most. I don't mind paying for anything that's quality but there is so much of the normal SMOKE, MIRRORS, FOG, & BS that people like us become jaded & hardened until something literally knocks us off our chair. I live in N.J. & trying to get an honest response out of someone from the audio field is unobtainable. When I found Adrian's channel it was like a breath of fresh air. Just because someone has a few dollars 💸 doesn't make them an expert in anything. All of these things are just TOYS for our pleasure and relaxation. It just depends on how deep you wish to dig into your pockets to satisfy your addiction. You are very correct that you or I could not design a piece of stero equipment mentioned above. That is not my thing. I do rocket, missile, fire control, guidance, & aerospace, systems. Oh, and by the way thank you for correcting my spelling I guess the spell checker didn't pick it up but now I see you are qualified to be an English teacher for 35k a year. ( chump change ). Anyway nice talking to you & happy new year, TMP from N.J.
@@thomasperina2990 Happy New Year from Montreal to you as well Thomas and happy that you have found a breath of fresh air with Adrian who (counterintuitive to "normal" business practices) tells it like it is regarding products that he sells. The beauty in that, as you have discovered, is that it lends credibility to the times when he does rave about gear too, of course. Where I differ from Adrian for one example, is how fond he is of Wilson speakers - I'm not . . . ESPECIALLY the big ones which look like Darth Vader's brothers with a factor of zero WAF, here, that is LOL . . . as a matter of fact a lot of the gear he sells (with one notable exception - see below) I'm not all that fond of to be honest but I AM fond of Adrian's business approach and presentations which are fun, entertaining and very instructive . . . HOWEVER . . . ONE piece of gear that I THINK I'm going to lust after IS in fact the piece of gear under discussion here and that is the Maria which might actually turnout to be a genuine game changer. I guess we will see in the New Year! All the best and happy listening in N.J.!
@@davidbee8178 THANK YOU David for your kind & heartfelt response. I can see that we both have a lot in common & taste. I as well can't stand that Wilson stuff. To me it looks like a portable grenade launcher + downrite hideous. I really don't care what they sound like cause I really don't want that crap in my home. I've been trying to find a pair of Sonus Faber's Amati G5 here in N.J. but they are so expensive I must drive 5 hours one way to Maryland & the people there aren't that nice at all to deal with. David if I'm not mistaken the sound out of a Sonus Faber driver / speaker is on the flowing, rolling, elegant, + it engulfs you / cradles you with the audio frequencies. While other speaker brands are very sharp with there deliverance of sound like Klipsch they become annoying & rather fatiguing over time. David Happy New Year To you and your family, God Bless, & please stay safe. If you audition the Daniel Hertz components please be so kind & give me your review. TMP from N.J. 👍.
Looking forward to an honest audio review of the Accuphase. It having tone control and balance control along with what appears to be a loop output all appeals to me. Unfortunately too many amps lack these.
Thanks for the good stuff you're delivering! One thing though, what's up with the background music playing while you talk. Not a fan of that. Keep up with good work and wishing you all the best !!!
Normal balance controls use an extra pot ...........NO deal ! YBA used two volume pots ........that's the correct way to,do ,and... only IF you need a balance control...
Your children (and pretty well everyone else's :-) help keep our egos in check and feet well planted on the ground . . . while yours may accuse you of "verbal diarrhea" don't worry ! LOL . . . MANY of the rest of us hang on just about every word you voice with regard to audio stuff! I had a feeling that the Maria would elicit your (mostly) highest accolades. It MIGHT even blow a lot of the "establishment" (some very high priced ones too) into the water . . . understandably, you might not want to use that kind of hyperbole in part NO.2 of this review to diss other products that you carry so it will be EXTREMELY interesting to see how you skillfully walk that tightrope in audio land if such a trick is required :-) HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND ALL YOUR FOLLOWERS!
I am about to buy the SF Nova 3… and this review makes me… struggling? Why going big if you have everything in this small box 🤯🤯🤯… more I listen you… less I am confident!🤔🤔🤔
NO remote control ...I agee ! ...........but most live in a lazy world ..... In some amps I even replaced the remote control by a decent volume pot ..........and every time I gained in musicality ... IT'IS a personal choice .
I’ll continue to buy lottery tickets until I win and can afford this merchandise… There is an association between lottery participation and audiophile upgrades…
@@adrianlow2114 one goal I have in 2024 is to find and buy another Shatki Stone…I don’t believe in much, but I do believe in Shatki Stone. Release The Hounds!
When i saw it i though maybe 5 grand but 20 grand Canadian sorry i strongly disagree way over priced for a tiny pair of speakers and a tiny integrated plastic amp.
World class for $14K? Really? You know it's DSP, right? Or let me say this, it's enhanced. I've believed that digital would soon surpass analog, and it's going to drive audiophiles nuts. $14K really? For world class? No need for a lottery win to have world class?
14 Grand is still way overpriced and most of us blue-collar people do not have that kind of money for a stereo glad you feel it's chump change but that's 4 or 5 months' wages for me and I still need to buy food pay for rent pay for gas food insurance bills and so on.
Come on guys. The world of audiophile equipment is all about being over priced and rarely do the sum of parts ever add up. However audiophile equipment takes a second seat to watches and fashion where white collars and blue collars are equally poor.
Yes, he manufactured in China, no it wasn’t rebranded products. Stop spreading false rumors, lol. Many manufacturers like Apple assemble in China, not a big deal.
The Red Rose Rosette amp is a rebadged chinese made amp called Korsun. However, the R3 bookshelf spks sporting ribbon tweeters are not rebadged from any chinese product. They feature dynaudio midbass driver with a custom designed ribbon tweeter designed by Bo Bengtsson. That ribbon tweeter is really superb. I haven heard a better ribbon tweeter since.
@@goodsound4756 while i did not compare both amps side by side, i suspect they both sound the same. I have seen pics of the internals of both amps & to my untrained eyes, they both looked the same. But the price diff was huge. Korsun was 500 whereas the rossette was 5000. Total ripoff. Oh ya Red Rose also made a speaker called Rosebud to go with the Rossette amp. The Rosebud is also a rebadged spk from a chinese spk co called aurum cantus. Today, alot of hi end spks use ribbon tweeters made by aurum cantus cos they are relatively cheap. The Rosebud is a far cry from another Red rose spk called R3. The R3 uses dynaudio midbass & a custom ribbon tweeter designed by Bo Bengtsson. I stand corrected but i suspect Daniel hertz is not made in US?
Under the “Bad” section, we could add the system’s proprietary nature. If something fails / breaks, it would likely be difficult to remedy, with long-run support being questionable. Daniel Hertz seems to be a small company in Italy. We don’t know if they will be in business for a long time and support the proprietary tech for a long time.
Mr Mark Levinson had founded Cello Lte and Red Rose music in the past before Daniel Hertz, who know how long this company will last?
This seems to be the case with his past Mark Levinson brand. My brother-in-law has the 585 and has stopped working. No one seems to know how to fix it.
This is definitely a consideration, but I have a hunch this company has a very bright future based on the sound quality and all the great press their products have received.
Adrian, I've come to realize how much I enjoy your affable and charismatic personality. I truly believe you're heading towards becoming the next Paul McGowan. Your "Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" reviews are my absolute favorite, and I thoroughly enjoy listening to you speak candidly about stereo. I love this format with only you talking!!!
Thanks!
I love your reviews, I have been in the industry in one facet or another for Approximately 40 years. Your humility and honesty stands out immensely. Hope to visit you guys one day. Please keep up the fine work. Sincerely, thanking you.
The fact that you don’t waste money only gives me more respect for you Adrian. I’m the same exact way. Money is a resource. Only fools waste their resources IMHO.
Plus that way I’m never low on money. So if an emergency comes up. I’m prepared. And more importantly to me. It allows me to help other people along the way too.
I would much rather give money to those in need, as opposed to overpaying, and having it go to someone who already has plenty. ✌️
Agreed!
Hey Adrian. An acrylic glazing product called Brillianize will eliminate your dust and fingerprint issues on your acrylic. I use it on my Audio Note DAC, VPI HRX and clear dust covers. It is an amazing product. I have no affiliation. Just a happy user for decades.
Thanks so much for that tip !!
Did you mean Brillianize? That is the only product I can find.
@@scslite5206 yes. Sorry. I corrected the post. Thanks
I like using 100% cotton baby diapers along with the Brillianize to keep my acrylic looking beautiful.
Adrian, great video and I'm glad you enjoyed what you were hearing. For me, the elephant in the room is Mark's C-wave technology that "fills in the spaces of the PCM digital audio waveform with original musical information" (direct quote from his website). What is he filling in the spaces with is what I want to know. Interpolation? What happens with DSD recorded material, or can the Maria even play back my ripped SACD's and other DSD files? EDIT: Found it, basically mark is adding reverberation and EQ to the signal. I don't think I want Mark jacking with my music. From his patent application: "The present invention is a system and a method for processing and adjusting the PCM digital audio signals using specific reverberation and equalization settings that have been determined to potentially improve certain physical health parameters measurements, as determined by conducting bio-signal testing." Mark has tried this before with the Burwen Bobcat. Oh, well...sigh
Sound can definitely improve (or degrade) your health parameters. So what about original analog LP, recorded and mastered on tape? For $25 LP and $2K good player, equipped with the decent cartridge and very, very good stylus, you can bypass Mark's missing signal fillers and get the same healthy results. Having experience with ML's gear, I can testify to it's superb (most times) sound, and no doubt, this sounds brilliant as well. However, exposing myself to the somebody's idea of what is the health parameter I need improvement with, sounds dubious. There is already an Apple Watch that can "improve" your health. Digital is digital, and filling the missing info with sophisticated logarithms or "reverberation and equalization" does not make it analog (healthy).
Thanks for reviewing these and confirming what the other reviewer heard. I am looking forward to your upcoming companion videos!
Thanks!
I would like to know if it could compare to a Lampizator DAC.
great review!. looking forward to hearing your opinion of Amber speakers
Thanks for the review Adrian, you just confirm what others reviewed about the system.
It will be interesting when you compare one of your favorite the SF Amati G5 against DH M7 speakers ( both being around the same price range ).
Happy holiday to you and your team at Audio Excellence.
Sam to you!
I guess the next step(as noted by Steve Huff) is to get the Ambers in there and be further blown away. Glad you did this review. I like systems that take out the guess work of synergy. This seems to be a great system. Hope to hear it someday. Well done Adrian
We have them but they were damaged during shipping
The sound from Steve huff demo for these sound kinda dry/lean
@@MasterofPlay7 It's always a crapshoot when listening to recordings from a system in a room, picked up by mics, then played back again through headphones or speakers. Too many variables that make big changes. If you can ever find Stereophile's first Test CD, listen to J Gordon Holt talk through different mics. It's shocking how his voice changes. Mics are as different as speakers.
@@adrianlow2114 at LAST Adrian talks about the source mike and almost more importantly, how the CHARACTER of OUR playback systems influence the reviewed gear that we hear!
Adrian, the ankhs for doing this review! I really think Levinson has his finger on the pulse of many older audiophiles! I own McIntosh c50,mc352,La Scala speakers a DAC,server,two turntables, custom rack, well over 500 lbs pounds of stuff and yards of cables. All that just to get good sound from recordings? I am looking for less stuff and lighter stuff! I want a simpler solution, and this sounds like a great deal. I’m 66yo and almost can’t lift my amp.something has to give!
Happy new year to all the team and everyone from tropical Scotland 🎉
Please do a review with the Amber speaker.. This is expensive.. But it could be my forever speaker systems..
I really like this post. Very honest and truthful. Wishing you the very best in 2024 Adrian. I always try to be one of the first to watch your post as it is very informative and entertaining
Thanks for your support! Happy new year!
Great review! Thx Adrian... Wishing you a happy new year!
Same to you and yours!
Adrian - Awesome review and agree with 100% of what you said. My DH system (DH Maria 800 w/ active crossovers & Chiara speakers) are just amazing and best bass I have ever heard in my life! The instruments just sound "right" in their tone. Truly "end-game" system (Only would upgrade streamer at this point.)
Have you seen Steve Huffs videos? He added the new HiFi Rose TOTL streamer to his Daniel Hertz, and says it’s a perfect match. Just over $5k, and has a big beautiful touch screen too.
Oh and it plays TH-cam videos w/an HDMI output. So you can watch concerts/music videos on a big tv. I do this with an Intel NUC in my setup, and I couldn’t live without it now.
It’s so nice even just having the song information on a 50” tv in my listening room. Never mind watching concerts. ✌️
Congratulations! I’m looking forward to hearing that combination
@@amb3cog TH-cam sound quality is pretty bad
I had a Hifi Rose at one point, but VERY glitchy & sold it. I now have an Innuous Pulsar which is an amazing combo w/ the DH. Definitely not as "pretty" as the Hifi Rose & agree if you use it w/ video, a no-brainer!
@@colekyler002They are supposed to sound great. The Innuos I mean. So You probably can’t go wrong with them. Assuming their software is good anyway.
Which HiFi Rose did you have? Because the one I’m referring to is their latest product. And I’ve not heard any stories about them being problematic. ✌️
THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH. DSP can allow a small speaker to produce deep bass BUT the trade-off is that bass response changes with volume unless the designer accepts high driver distortion and the possibility of damage. Usually the higher the SPL the sooner the bass response drops in order to protect the little woofer and control distortion by limiting its excursion (which is nominally very high in order to allow it to produce deep bass). So frequency response changes with loudness in contrast to a non-DSP controlled speaker. This is how small subwoofers like the KEF KC62 work. You can have your deep bass OR you can party with such speakers but you cannot do both at the same time. It is not difficult to subjectively test for that and it's easy-peasy to measure. I would bet there is DSP to that effect as described going on either in the speakers (doubtful since they do not appear to be powered in some way) or (most probably) in the amp. In the latter case performance of these speakers will be very different if used with a 3rd party amp and the high woofer excursion might easily lead to damage since it will be unchecked. Additionally the speakers will probably prove bass deficient with bass appropriate to their size (as there will be no DSP EQ to compensate for this). I would suggest Adrian investigates this BEFORE OFFERING THESE SPEAKERS TO HIS CUSTOMERS FOR USE WITH A 3RD PARTY AMP, otherwise he might quickly end up with dissatisfied customers and/or damaged speakers.
Your absolutely right. I’ve owned a pair of bowers and Wilkins mm-1 computer monitor speakers. I have always been astonished with the amount of bass these little things produce with the help of DSP
so is this how all the other power speakers work? Using dsp to spit out the deep bass?
@@MasterofPlay7 Not all but many of the newer ones.
@@razisn for example? Like klipsch the fives? sonos and so on?
Amber vs Eva? w/ the Maria 350. Would love to see your evaluation. Are Ambers just louder, more dB, or do they impart something more?
Thank you for the very informative review, you’ve certainly raised my awareness of the Daniel Hertz brand! Happy New Year to you, your family and the Audio Excellence team Adrian!
Thanks. And same to you and yours
Start the New Year off right!
vs UK Audio.
Thanks for the vids.
Happy New Year.
The biggest hurdle that some audiophiles need to overcome is size weight and boxes. We like to see many boxes to show off the rig, we like to think that more units are better but it's technology. The irony is that when it comes to items such a lap tops and phones we seek smaller, slimmer and are willing to pay more, however when it comes to this, we like stuff. We need to start looking more into the technology and less into the casing.
Sure is different from my 2008 Spectron musical MK lll class D amp designed by John Ulrich It weighs 54 lbs!!
I could not agree with you MORE ! We don't need a boat anchor for an amp . . . as long as the results are there, right? Case (no pun intended :-) in point, is the Wadax stuff - holy SHIT is that ugly and probably just as heavy LOL . . . I've got a really very very good integrated amp that unfortunately weighs about 50 f'ing POUNDS! But if the Maria's sound beats it, I'll GLADLY swap it out for the 15 pound Maria . . . plus, if I ever have to move, the Maria will be my FRIEND on moving day - can carry it under one arm LOL
I have a feeling they will hold up in price really well
After several great reviews on this setup Im almost tempted, need to listen for myself but could be the keeper.
Definitely worth checking out
Drar Adrian, thank you for an interesting first review. Perhaps the small Wilsons would be a good comparison since the price is fairly similar?
Please in part two, don‘t forget to assess voice reproduction. Sibilance control. Etc.
And also elaborate that „tuning the amp for speakers“ process more.
NO sibilance with the Maria or their speakers, that is for sure!!
In my opinion, when comparing DAC, we should use an independent preamp and power amp, rather than using the amp that one of the DAC that is the subject of comparison is built in.
You're correct that a full DAC comparison should include the analog stage. However there is no way to do that with the Maria. I was simply curious about how the Maria's digital stage compares with other favs of mine.
There is a lot of snobbery in the HiFi world, with people insisting that you can only get authentic sound by running a vinyl disc at 78rpm, picking up the signal with a nail and then playing the sound through a modified dustbin lid. What this systems seems to imply is that the best Hifi systems of the future will simply be on one grain of sand. No giant heat sinks, no glowing tubes, no dimming street lights when you switch the system on. How are audiophiles going to cope? 🙃
78 would be shellac; not vinyl.
Plus cactus needles are the cat's meow.
LOL
Happy New Year.
spinning wax
Not really there are no reliable audiophiles in this category
Do you know anyone personally in this segment? Uncle who?
@@JingoLoBa57Strawman argument. ✌️
Yea all digital tuning and DSP, I can tell
You’re now the 2nd who are gobsmacked by DH. Steve Huff is simply smitten by them. I must say Levinson seems to be one upping Devialet on the digital front. I’d probably back Mark over the French on the experience front.
Both you and Huff appear to be highly impressed with both amplifier and speaker performance.
So am I getting this right, Mark is basically saying, use a Mac as a server? I’ll need to dust off the Mac Mini.
I’m seriously interested. Amber’s look magnificent!
Good on you for going for it!
My question would be if both external dacs didn’t sound as good, is the analog input circuitry possibly an issue? I wouldn’t think so but it may be a possibility…
I was thinking that as well but there’s no way to prove it aside from AB test with same DAC into different amps with the Maria being one of them.
I was thinking the same.
I connected the analog outputs of both the other dacs into the Maria. Then listened to the Maria with a digital input from the same streamer. It’s as fair as I know how to do
While I trust your very positive review of the speakers, I'm concerned about the resale price of speelakerd from such a small/new brand. Any thoughts?😢
yes they look pretty bad imho
Resale is as yet unknown since the speakers are new. Best case around average I would imagine. However, while the speakers and amp are new, Daniel Hertz has been around since 2007. You rarely see DH products for sale
I believe DH has been in business for about 10 years and has failed to gain any traction. So now it is being reintroduce in the Market like it's a new starling product. It does sound like a nice simple system which I think is great. I guess my question is why it didn't gain any traction when initially introduced?
@@bobheinatz5556 cuz is about marketing? Plus not everyone can shill out that kind of money
@@bobheinatz5556 DH started in 2007 I believe, so 16 years approx. Earlier products were distributed worldwide. You can find some TH-cam videos from a few of the international distributors. As to why they "did not gain traction", I don't know. And I'm not sure that they didn't gain traction. Internationally I believe DH did quite well. North America is another issue altogether. As many know, there aren't as many 2 channel stores today compared to 20 years ago. Existing dealers often already have a good selection, and are not necessarily looking for more. DH products are also not inexpensive, and a lot of dealers may not have the client base. It's a complicated issue to be sure
Adrian, so glad you are a dealer for Daniel Hertz! I live just north of Detroit, MI. Would you be able to sell to me?? I am hopefully ready o put together my "retirement system". "D.H." has a system of the Maria 800 int amp and the Chiara speakers.50K together. Could I purchase through you?? Please let me know. E.R. Place
It's not that far to drive up and if you are in the shop, Adrian can sell anything to you. You would not pay shipping and the gear would arrive very safely to your home.
Hi. Please email me
Info@audioexcellence.ca
Thanks and Happy New Year
Very nice looking kit
Spectacular. I laughed even as some of those names made me yell out loud
Price can be a challenge. However having no remote is painful.
I agree. No remote = I am not buying it.
I hope they come up with a remote with the next generation.
As Adrian said, if you stream, really no issue since there is a volume control for Roon/Tidal/Qoboz, etc - I don't really miss a remote at all!
@@colekyler002 Software controlled volume are fine for many but there’s a quality difference compared to something like a ladder volume controller at the preamp / amp level. I can adjust my volume both ways and I can tell a difference.
Fair! Worth the sacrafice though, IMHO!
@@colekyler002 Or maybe I’m too lazy 😂
Please make a video after burn in....
Wish they didn’t raise the price so high recently.
Can you tune the maria amp to non-DH speakers?
Did you watch the video? It was clearly stated.
Yes
Yes. I hope to learn how to do so in the coming weeks
@@adrianlow2114 It would be interesting to find out if tuning to other speakers is easy enough so that the lay person can do it without a dealer. So far there are not many DH dealers around.
@@reinhard1888 Apparently the process itself is not difficult. It's the knowledge, experience and "ears" that will make the difference a real optimization
Will Mark L ever make a lesser powered and less expensive one for less dollars eg 80w into 8ohm with same chip at around $5K mark?
Hello Fellow Audiophiles & Friends: Thank you Adrian for part one of your review. I wonder what it looks like under those covers ??? For this kind of money I would expect / demand perfect wire routing, perfect solder connections on EVERYTHING, proper stress relief on all wiring & components when required + wire lacing & chassis that darn near glows in the dark. ( Examples = Macintosh & Prima Luna ). Does the power section use a teriod type transformer to eliminate EMI & Transformer / POWER SUPPLY NOISE ( mechanical & electrical ). In my evaulation this is Paramount as we are always attempting to lower the noise floor so the full dynamic range can be enjoyable. I'm sorry if I sound like a audio snob but since I have 3 engineering degrees & the manufacturer has no problem charging big bucks for all this, so there better be the best internal components married with a wonderful design translates to me as a high quality product & gives you the BLOCKBUSTER sound you are craving. Thank You again & I look forward to Part 2 of your review. God Bless and be safe, TMP from N.J.
Everything inside looks tidy and well organized. The fully regulated power supply is shielded though I’d love to see even more. Pretty sparse inside compared to a traditional Class AB design but that’s expected. The heart of the Maria is in the design and execution of the Daniel Hertz Mighty Cat chip
@thomasperina2990 we can have FIVE engineering degrees between us (I only have one - sorry! LOL ) and be an audio snobs but at the end of the day, it is the RESULTS that count for the most . . . if you take a look at the D H site, you will see pics that show that everything is indeed well under control "under the hood" . . . yes, at first blush, the Maria appears to be "pricey" but a LOT of people here forget that it is a high end pre amp, high end 350 WPC amplifier WITH a high end DAC included (that beats out DAC's costing as much as the Maria itself!) all rolled into one. Mark Levinson, the man behind D H, I can assure you, knows how to put something together more than you and me and an awful LOT of people including McIntosh (proper spelling:-) and Prima Luna all put together :-) This is new, VERY new, tech that I think we'll have to fetch ANOTHER degree to fully understand the inner minutiae of the Maria's circuits. My intuition is that the Maria is a game changer and might well put some pretty established brands "in their place" . . . now whether Adrian will want to go there (if indeed that turns out to be the case!) is another question entirely LOL
@@davidbee8178 Good morning David. My thinking goes down to the component level of the individual parts. Then there is compatibility between each component & then comes each individual section. I've seen the internals of many ultra high end audio components & it turned out to be a conglomeration of cheap off the shelf parts from Radio Shack and nothing else but hype & BS. I'm certain you have witnessed it yourself. David you & I are not the run of the mill audio geeks like most. I don't mind paying for anything that's quality but there is so much of the normal SMOKE, MIRRORS, FOG, & BS that people like us become jaded & hardened until something literally knocks us off our chair. I live in N.J. & trying to get an honest response out of someone from the audio field is unobtainable. When I found Adrian's channel it was like a breath of fresh air. Just because someone has a few dollars 💸 doesn't make them an expert in anything. All of these things are just TOYS for our pleasure and relaxation. It just depends on how deep you wish to dig into your pockets to satisfy your addiction. You are very correct that you or I could not design a piece of stero equipment mentioned above. That is not my thing. I do rocket, missile, fire control, guidance, & aerospace, systems. Oh, and by the way thank you for correcting my spelling I guess the spell checker didn't pick it up but now I see you are qualified to be an English teacher for 35k a year. ( chump change ). Anyway nice talking to you & happy new year, TMP from N.J.
@@thomasperina2990 Happy New Year from Montreal to you as well Thomas and happy that you have found a breath of fresh air with Adrian who (counterintuitive to "normal" business practices) tells it like it is regarding products that he sells. The beauty in that, as you have discovered, is that it lends credibility to the times when he does rave about gear too, of course. Where I differ from Adrian for one example, is how fond he is of Wilson speakers - I'm not . . . ESPECIALLY the big ones which look like Darth Vader's brothers with a factor of zero WAF, here, that is LOL . . . as a matter of fact a lot of the gear he sells (with one notable exception - see below) I'm not all that fond of to be honest but I AM fond of Adrian's business approach and presentations which are fun, entertaining and very instructive . . . HOWEVER . . . ONE piece of gear that I THINK I'm going to lust after IS in fact the piece of gear under discussion here and that is the Maria which might actually turnout to be a genuine game changer. I guess we will see in the New Year! All the best and happy listening in N.J.!
@@davidbee8178 THANK YOU David for your kind & heartfelt response. I can see that we both have a lot in common & taste. I as well can't stand that Wilson stuff. To me it looks like a portable grenade launcher + downrite hideous. I really don't care what they sound like cause I really don't want that crap in my home. I've been trying to find a pair of Sonus Faber's Amati G5 here in N.J. but they are so expensive I must drive 5 hours one way to Maryland & the people there aren't that nice at all to deal with. David if I'm not mistaken the sound out of a Sonus Faber driver / speaker is on the flowing, rolling, elegant, + it engulfs you / cradles you with the audio frequencies. While other speaker brands are very sharp with there deliverance of sound like Klipsch they become annoying & rather fatiguing over time. David Happy New Year To you and your family, God Bless, & please stay safe. If you audition the Daniel Hertz components please be so kind & give me your review. TMP from N.J. 👍.
Looking forward to an honest audio review of the Accuphase. It having tone control and balance control along with what appears to be a loop output all appeals to me. Unfortunately too many amps lack these.
So many reviews already available
@@JingoLoBa57 I know and have watched but I want to know Adrian’s observations.
Sound clips?
Going to have to sell off the car and auction off the spouse to get this stuff! 😮..🤔...😊 And Happy New Year, everyone!
Hmm... which would you do first! Happy New Year!
Is it class D amp
Thanks for the good stuff you're delivering!
One thing though, what's up with the background music playing while you talk. Not a fan of that. Keep up with good work and wishing you all the best !!!
Normal balance controls use an extra pot ...........NO deal !
YBA used two volume pots ........that's the correct way to,do ,and... only IF you need a balance control...
Adrian is it simply a class D AMP ??
The amp is based on Class D technology, but DH says it is so much more due to the proprietary chip design and C-Wave technology
Your children (and pretty well everyone else's :-) help keep our egos in check and feet well planted on the ground . . . while yours may accuse you of "verbal diarrhea" don't worry ! LOL . . . MANY of the rest of us hang on just about every word you voice with regard to audio stuff! I had a feeling that the Maria would elicit your (mostly) highest accolades. It MIGHT even blow a lot of the "establishment" (some very high priced ones too) into the water . . . understandably, you might not want to use that kind of hyperbole in part NO.2 of this review to diss other products that you carry so it will be EXTREMELY interesting to see how you skillfully walk that tightrope in audio land if such a trick is required :-) HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND ALL YOUR FOLLOWERS!
Same to you!
I am about to buy the SF Nova 3… and this review makes me… struggling? Why going big if you have everything in this small box 🤯🤯🤯… more I listen you… less I am confident!🤔🤔🤔
NO remote control ...I agee !
...........but most live in a lazy world .....
In some amps I even replaced the remote control by a decent volume pot ..........and every time I gained in musicality ...
IT'IS a personal choice .
sad the speakers look so ordinary. They need to do better. BTW, is the Maria new world DNM!?
why is it called "daniel hertz"?
A combo of names from ML’s family.
@@E.Williams-z9y how so?
@@E.Williams-z9y but who's daniel hertz?
I believe it’s a combo of his parents names.
@@epi2045 really?
I’ll continue to buy lottery tickets until I win and can afford this merchandise… There is an association between lottery participation and audiophile upgrades…
As a good friend used to say "Live in Hope, Die in Despair" ... lol
@@adrianlow2114 if I ain’t trying I gots to be dying…Happy New Year Adrian!
@@andygrenn680 lol
@@adrianlow2114 one goal I have in 2024 is to find and buy another Shatki Stone…I don’t believe in much, but I do believe in Shatki Stone. Release The Hounds!
Balanced design downgrades the signal. Singlr ended all the way. You only need balanced for studio or above 6meter distances.
Yes and no. However balanced has a high voltage ceiling and some amps sound better with higher voltage.
LOL.
Out of my price range
i wonder if he will make a ADAM TOO!?? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... funny the all use names from the skyes
An amplifier that costs > $10,000 that doesn’t have a remote control. Hmm, ok.
When i saw it i though maybe 5 grand but 20 grand Canadian sorry i strongly disagree way over priced for a tiny pair of speakers and a tiny integrated plastic amp.
World class for $14K? Really? You know it's DSP, right? Or let me say this, it's enhanced. I've believed that digital would soon surpass analog, and it's going to drive audiophiles nuts. $14K really? For world class? No need for a lottery win to have world class?
14 Grand is still way overpriced and most of us blue-collar people do not have that kind of money for a stereo glad you feel it's chump change but that's 4 or 5 months' wages for me and I still need to buy food pay for rent pay for gas food insurance bills and so on.
Come on guys. The world of audiophile equipment is all about being over priced and rarely do the sum of parts ever add up. However audiophile equipment takes a second seat to watches and fashion where white collars and blue collars are equally poor.
Nope, not for me, won't power 20.7s 😮
Theoretically it should. Rated at 500 watts per channel into 4
Naw, guys run AB 600w@4ohms
on 3.7i & squeeze by 😮 @@adrianlow2114
This is an advert….no?
Mark Levinson the man lost all credibility when he gouged audiophiles with rebranded Chi-Fi and selling under his Red Rose brand.
Yes, he manufactured in China, no it wasn’t rebranded products. Stop spreading false rumors, lol. Many manufacturers like Apple assemble in China, not a big deal.
The Red Rose Rosette amp is a rebadged chinese made amp called Korsun. However, the R3 bookshelf spks sporting ribbon tweeters are not rebadged from any chinese product. They feature dynaudio midbass driver with a custom designed ribbon tweeter designed by Bo Bengtsson. That ribbon tweeter is really superb. I haven heard a better ribbon tweeter since.
Was the Rosette Amp that bad or the Korsun that good?
@@goodsound4756 while i did not compare both amps side by side, i suspect they both sound the same. I have seen pics of the internals of both amps & to my untrained eyes, they both looked the same. But the price diff was huge. Korsun was 500 whereas the rossette was 5000. Total ripoff. Oh ya Red Rose also made a speaker called Rosebud to go with the Rossette amp. The Rosebud is also a rebadged spk from a chinese spk co called aurum cantus. Today, alot of hi end spks use ribbon tweeters made by aurum cantus cos they are relatively cheap. The Rosebud is a far cry from another Red rose spk called R3. The R3 uses dynaudio midbass & a custom ribbon tweeter designed by Bo Bengtsson. I stand corrected but i suspect Daniel hertz is not made in US?
ML has created many brands. So if he has one brand you don’t like, you dismiss him completely?
Very distracting and unnecessary background muzak.
No disrespect to you, but the Beyoce song Partician, has the most degenerative lyrics I have ever heard. Wow!
You thieves sell at list price? 40-50 points up from cost?
Total ripoff. Far away company. Another ML disaster
There is no bigger ripoff than so called high end audio. You guys act like 11k is nothing. No remote. WTF.? Garbage
Where else can you find C-Wave ? So its special