Anyone heard of DK design group?

By the way, I spoke to Daniel Khesin and originally there were going to be no intenal changes to the MK II other than the removal of the loudness circuit, as Audiophiles were wary of this function appearing on a high end amp. As the loudness button does not interfere with the circuit when not in use I did not see a problem with this, however I suppose if you have to make a living selling these, you have to provide what your customers want. Daniel told me that in the end they did make some circuit changes to the internals that if he had to quantify them improved the performance of the MK I over the MK II by 10%.

"he has Atma-sphere MA-1 tube amps and huge Dunlavy SC4 speakers. We put the VS-1 in place of the Atma- spheres and compared. Even my friend commented the lows and mids were better, richer, warmer, and more detailed. The only area the VS-1 lacked in comparison was the very top end."

Wow Ed, now that is a significant comparison! Especially when your friend agreed.

Thanks Ed. I appreciate you're impressions of the VS-1. I'm leaving in the morning for CES and hoped to hear it there but don't know of anyone useing it there. I called a couple dealers and they didn't know either. Yes, I tried D-K also. No luck.
Let me know if you know anyone that's going to display it.
Thanks, Frank

While I'm taking a big chance here, I guess it's time I put in my two cents since I wrote the original review for positive-feedback. So if you all will permit me a few comments, I would like to offer an insight into the review process at our web site.

All of us at positive-feedback are pretty much unpaid. We do it for fun and to hear serious high end stuff we may not be able to otherwise afford.

We, (like other reviewers I suspect), for the most part try to keep positive and not outright insult manufacturers but tell the truth the way we heard it. After all what sounds not too great in my system, in my room, may sound great to someone else's ears in their system.

That being said, we report what we hear- the good and the bad. You can pretty much tell in any review whether the reviewer liked it or not if you read carefully. Check out positive-feedback and read a couple of reviews. For example in the current issue 17 Frank Madrid and I review the OML-1 speakers. He was fairly hard on them compared to his Pro-Ac. I liked them. I thought for $1000 they sounded pretty good, especially compared to other speakers I've reviewed.

You can also check out my past review of an Audio Note CD player or Equi-tech power conditioner, neither of which I liked.

I will also mention that the review process is a long affair. The reason you are not seeing any other reviews yet is because it can take up to 6 months or more between the time someone agrees to do the review, the equipment gets shipped, the reviewer listens for a month or more, he writes the review, it goes to the editor, gets edited, then approved then published when the next edition comes out. It’s a long turnaround!

When I was asked to do the DK VS-1 review my editor practically had to break my arm. I had to drive 100 miles to pick it up. The damned thing weighs almost 100 lbs, so loading it in my suv and lugging it up to my 2nd floor listening room was a chore. By the time I hefted it into my rack (after disconnecting all my other equipment) I was not exactly in the greatest mood.

Then I turned it on and knew it was going to be good. My review was not hype and my following comments are not hype; they are just my reactions, comments, and opinions. I have listened to the VS-1 every day since the review and my opinion is still the same- it’s killer. I recently took it to a friends house. His room is about 12 X 24, he has Atma-sphere MA-1 tube amps and huge Dunlavy SC4 speakers. We put the VS-1 in place of the Atma- spheres and compared. Even my friend commented the lows and mids were better, richer, warmer, and more detailed. The only area the VS-1 lacked in comparison was the very top end.

I love my DK VS-1. People ask me about reliability of the VS-1. They ask me about the company DK Design. Who knows? Heck Wadia comes and goes. Who knows if any company will be around tomorrow? All I can tell you is look inside the VS-1 and it’s damn well made. Unbelievably well made in fact, with brand name components throughout. I am betting that even if DK Design ceased to exist tomorrow anyone could repair this amp anyway. It’s just electronic components after all.

I have a feeling though DK Design will be around for a long time if they keep selling products this good. Again this is not hype, I don’t get paid for this. Just like any one of you guys, when I hear something great I like to tell my friends. Feel free to email me with any questions.
Ed Morawski
http://www.positve-feedback.com

Thanks, Howard. I have a tube tester and tested these tubes when I first got them some time ago, but only for conductance. I need to do more and will dig the tester out as you recommend. Fortunately, I have a spare set of CCa's, but who knows, they might have a problem too. More generally, I notice that too many NOS tubes are microphonic. We really all should be more careful to thoroughly test the NOS tubes we buy instead of taking the sellers word for it.

Kimballcorson,

You might have those CCa's tested. I've purchased three pairs that went bad quickly. Incredible tubes IMO, but hard to find good ones.

Great review, by the way.
All the best,
Howard

The problem is that so much equipment is overhyped in reviews and elsewhere that when a really good piece of equipment comes along -- which is rare -- we have the problem of the little boy who cried "wolf." All the superlatives have been used up and excessively. This amp really is terrific and a steal, though.

However, that said, and now having spent some considerable time with the amp, let me make some additional comments that are more critical. I am using a Toshiba DVD/CD player (was Stereophile class A) that has been extensively modified and upgraded internally, the DK Design VS-1 MKII (with its own IC and Siemens CCa's) and a Sansui TU 9900 FM tuner that has been serious audiophile modified (gutted and rebuilt, with a Stealth PBS Gold IC and a Magnum Dynalab Signal Sleuth on it and with a roof top FM antenna), JPS Labs top of the line bi-wired speaker cables and Piega P-10 speakers well out from the walls, with now a single REL Storm subwoofer turned way down in frequency and amplitude. Good vinyl on the classical FM station (KBAQ pronouned KBACH) can transend my best CD's across the audio spectrum (except for the deep bass -- FM transmission and tuner limitations)

The DK VS-1 MKII sounds and is voiced like the very top-end Levinson gear and sounds very similar. It is a tad too smooth in the lower and mid treble, like Levinson's best stuff, but gets the macro dynamics right in that range, slighting ever so slightly the micro dynamics. Perhaps because I have been listening to tube amps too long, the upper bass is more lean and quick than I am used to, but I believe it is also more neutral or close to it. The amp has great dynamics throughout the listening range and surprisingly does not compress when you expect it to on cresendos. (I listen mostly to classical.) It is neutrally full-bodied in all segments of the audio range. Its upper treble excess smoothness makes bad CD's sound a bit better than they should. A Christmas present CD of ocean waves breaking on a beach is shocking real with excellent weight and all dynamics. Most music has excellent weight without having a slow ponderous upper bass and lower midrange. Piano and voice do very well with this amp, but for "tubers" might sound too neutral. My CCa's ocassionally "crackle" when I first turn on the amp, if it has not been used for 12 or more hours. Why, I don't know, but I don't like it. There is a hint of grain in the upper treble, but it is not noticeable unless you are sensitive to grain and are looking for it. Generally, the amp sounds very liquid. The included IC is also a "home run." Imaging and presence are terrific and the soundstage is highly dependent on source material. Generally, I would argue it is a tad shallow, especially compared to the Levinson 20.6's I sold, but that was their forte. It is not troubling shallow to me, but is on the boarder line and some might find it so. Height and width are fine. It is easier to get a deep soundstage with rolled treble than not. The amp's treble range is not rolled, even to my aging ears (but hearing is a brain function, or so I tell myself as I get older.) There is an ever so slight loss of treble harmonics which accompanies the excentuated smoothness in that range which I describe. I have heard it before in other top Levinson amps. There are faults to this amp, but only when you start comparing it to very, very expensive stuff or live music. The faults are easily lived with for me, and the amp is much better than most, but it is not perfect. The build quality has a China be very good quality to it that is definitely short of Germany' best and on par with America's mid high-end equipment. The amp also sounds really great from the next room. It has a real and high quality sound about it that even from other parts of the house makes you occassionally sit up and take note. For $3k it should be a run away best seller. I have no trouble living with it and will keep and store it for the years coming up that I plan to go sailing.

This amp/pre-amp has my interest. One thing I'm curious about. The amp is supposed to be pure class A but does not run hot. How is that possible? Does anyone know the answere?

Here we go again.

Hometheaterdoc,

Excellent post. I liked the way you gave your background and experience with amps and speakers, as this does add weight to your recommendation.

However, regarding:

they've earned the right to use over the top marketing hyperbole to describe how good they are

I can't agree with that. No one "earns" the right to do this - they either do it, or they don't.

Regards,

Hometheaterdoc,

I appreciate the candor you offered on the DK Design amp. It was simply shameful the way some members gang-tackled Mr. Khesin. There are a few prima donnas here who just love to hear themselves talk. Mr. Khesin found out very quickly why very few manufacturers will participate here.

Thanks for the feedback and I hope we can hear more reasonable discussion about the "sound" (without the extraneous crap) of this amp in the future.

I'd like to provide a few comments, if I may...

1) We are a dealer for numerous products, including the DK Design Group integrated being discussed here. We obviously have a lot of bias. However:

2) I, as the owner of our company, picked up the DK Design Group line without ever hearing the amplifier in question. I went solely on the conversations I had with other dealers who had heard the amplifier and the opinions of owners whose ears I trusted. I plunked down my hard earned cash to bring in stock of the units so that I could hear the darn thing for myself.

3) In the past 15 years I have owned or spent EXTENSIVE review time in my own system, with my own gear, amplifiers from the following manufacturers: Krell, Levinson, Pass Labs, Plinius, Threshold, Forte, Llano, Monarchy Audio, Bryston, Classe, Sim Audio, B&K Components, ATI, Adcom, Bel Canto Design, Spectron, EAD, Butler Audio, Musical Fidelity, Linn, Opera Audio, Hafler, Carver Professional, Carver, Audio Research, Cary Audio, Belles, McCormack, Arragon, Acurus, YBA, Dynaco, and so many more I can't recall at the moment.... For each manufacturer listed, I have often had 2, 3, 4, or more models of their amplifiers over the years. I have also designed and built ~40 different vacuum tube amplifier designs over the years, ranging from 300B to push pull pentodes, to 211 and 845 amps.

I have owned more speakers than I care to recall. I have also designed and built at least 100 different speaker designs of my own, from line arrays and simple 2 ways, to extreme high efficiency designs. We now sell Von Scweikert Audio, Usher Audio, Phase Technology and other brands. I've been to the shows and heard the insanely priced signature pieces from a lot of manufacturers.

I know what sounds good to me, what sounds real to me. I'm not someone who has spent their life listening to a boombox and this is their first expensive electronics purchase. I have participated in a great deal of blind test sessions, spent more time than I care to remember listening to various gear with friends, listening to hundreds of different systems over the years with equipment from even more manufacturers than I can remember. I try as best I can not to get caught up in the hype of the new hot product of the week. I don't bull$*T and if I think something sounds like crap, I will say that it sounds like crap to anyone who cares to know my opinion.

4) The DK Design integrated amplifier lives up to the hype a lot better than other products I have previously seen touted. I have now spent some time with the integrated. It is nowhere near broken in yet as I only received my stock last Friday. However, it is a very, very, very good sounding integrated amplifier that is a value at its price point. The stock tubes need to be replaced as they seriously hold back the performance capabilities of the amplifier. It's a product that I believe is worth its asking price compared to what else I have heard at a similar price point.

5) Almost all dealers that are advertising the product, be it here on Audiogon (I fall into this category), or in a local environment are offering a money back guarantee on this product. One of the things that came up on the DK thread that is now closed kind of raised my ire a bit and I wanted to address it here:

\\\BEGIN COPIED TEXT
originally posted by Ellery911
I have a B.S. in Economics but will stay away from a political discussion and keep it on topic.

Lets say I wanted to listen to this amp judge for myself...I guess I could order one from one of the online retailers as I don't have any retailers near me...and I understand that there is some sort of guarantee...but when I read the fine print regarding returns on one site...a DK dealer...this is what I saw...verbatim

"
The final determination of what is "saleable" and "complete" condition is at our sole discretion. Returned items failing to meet these conditions may be subject to a higher return fee, they may be returned to you at your expense, or they may not be returned to you at all.
"

Not returned to me at all?

Now I REALLY want to rush out & buy one.
///END COPIED TEXT

First of all, that is a direct quote from my website. However, it is not the complete quote concerning determination of condition (it's missing the sentence "Please do not try to return any item that you have damaged, scratched, has lost pieces or manuals, mutilated packaging or has otherwise been turned into junk. Please check with us before you return items of uncertain condition."), nor is it the complete story on how returns are handled for individual items. It is taken completely out of context. Please read the policy in its entirety at http://www.hometheaterdoc.com/terms.html and don't take things out of context. If you have some concern over the policy, contact me for a clarification instead of posting it to start some sort of flame at the manufacturer.

We take great pride in going way above and beyond what other local dealers will do to service our customers. As an audiophile, I understand that there is no substitute for being able to try a piece of gear within your own system to see if the unit is right for you and if there is synergy with the other components in the chain. That is why for customers in our area we have gone out of our way to allow extensive in home audition periods of our demo gear. On a case by case basis, we have faaaaaar exceed our stated policies to allow a potential client adequate time to evaluate the piece. We do in-home demonstations, and deliver demo gear to the client for their evaluation (which in the case of large speakers is a really big pain in the derriere). However, we're not funded by philanthropic billionaires who afford us endless funding to send out brand new, sealed components to anyone who asks for them to try out for 6 months and return them for a full refund when they decide to move onto another component. Oh and let's not forget that they want that component for $10 over dealer cost to begin with....

One final point and I'll stop hijacking this thread... Many online vendors sell a tremendous amount of different products, all of which sell at various price points, all at varying degrees of profitability, be it $20 digital interconnects to $30,000 3 chip DLP projectors. At some point there has to be an overall policy for returns which common sense should tell the purchaser would be open to interpretation on a case by case basis. If you buy a $20 digital cable, "accidentally" cut it open and then seemingly get it caught in the garbage disposal, don't expect a full refund on that product. Nor should you expect that the product will be returned to you free of charge if the retailer doesn't have any means to charge you for the shipping to return the completely worthless item back to you (because you paid via money order, etc. instead of credit card).... trust me, this happens.... The policy is put in place to protect the retailer from being bombarded by folks buying something, smashing it, and then trying to take it back for a refund as if nothing was wrong. It's also trying to protect from having someone buy a $12K projector, put 300 hours on the bulb to see if they like it, then return it and expect a full refund so they can buy it from someone else.... If that piece was sold for only a couple hundred bucks over dealer cost, the dealer obviously can't sell it as new, and certainly can't make a profit on the piece given the discounted pricing for new pieces....

As for the DK Design Group piece, it is such a good component, and dealers are so confident that TRUE buyers will love it, that they are offering 30 day money back guarantees with no restocking fees. All you are out is the cost of shipping to try the unit for 30 days in your own system. They're so confident it won't come back they are sometimes sending out new, sealed units instead of a demo piece. At some point, some risk has to be taken on by the customer. If you have a local dealer, they will more than likely allow you to try out the amp in your system. If you don't have a local dealer, it's going to cost you a few bucks in shipping to try it out. Given what some of us spend on our electronics, that's about as risk free an opportunity you can have to try out a new piece of equipment. You certainly don't get that opportunity with every other manufacturer's product. It's certainly better than having to buy new sound unheard, try it out and then have to lose your shirt selling it here to the scavengers on audiogon :)

Anyways, long story short.... it's a very good amplifier and worth its asking price. In my opinion, after hearing the amplifier, they've earned the right to use over the top marketing hyperbole to describe how good they are.... it's certainly more deserving than a lot of other companies I've had experience with.....

I suggested in the other more recent thread posted by DK himself that he send a few samples to some of the "seasoned veterans" who could review it, send it back and then comment on it here on the Gon. It wouldn't be me, but I'm sure that AlbertPorter or numerous others might be willing to give it a try.

Then...pending the outcome...all the high praise the DK has *supposedly been getting might carry a little weight.

Denf,

I share your same concerns. I have requested both through this forum as well as privately for people to give me a brief list of their listening preferences, as well as other amps that they have had in the past. Thus far, I've received no responses.

The turn around time between getting a new product, falling in and out of love with it, and ultimately posting it up for sale, is usually 3-6 months. It will be interesting to see what happens as people own this product over time--or how many actually do choose to hang onto it for an extended period.

It comes out of the chute with tremendous hype, so consequently the expectations of a seasoned audio community are (and should be) quite high. On my first listen, I was not ready to trade in my Audio Aero Prima hybrid for one, but I also did not hear it at home, on our system. Therefore, it was certainly not a fair A/B comparison.

Interesting conversation, for sure...

Hmmmm... Well, at least you ("Kimballcorson") have some history here at the 'Gon, (unlike a lot of other somewhat suspicious 1st time posters who also just happen to be "new" members.)

I have to admit to still being a little skeptical of the DK Design amp. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure its a darn nice pc. o' gear, but I just don't see what possible "wiz-bang-whoo-ville" engineering is going on inside this thing that would account for it being SO good.

I mean at least with some of the new digital stuff (Tri-path, ICE modules, etc.) one is hopeful that there just MIGHT be something there, inside, that could create a sonic revelation. But again, the DK Design, at least as far as I can tell, doesn't break any new engineering ground.

I once owned a similar amp (Llano Trinity) which had the same basic "hybrid" design and layout, same rolling of the driver tubes (sans preamp section), and while it was a great amp, I'm not sure it would have "killed" a set of Cary V12's, or Levinson 20.6's.

I can see where some of the frustration is coming form both at this thread and at others relating to DK Design though, as we all get a little tired of reading & hearing about "the best _____ on earth!" "Absolutely KILLS all comers'!!" Etc., etc. The problem is, it might just BE the best, to THAT particular person or reviewer, but what basis of comparison does any of us REALLY have? Example, I wish anyone (ESPECIALLY "pro reviewers") who pen a product review would state the following criteria:

1.) What other products have they actually OWNED in the stated category.

2.) How long have they been reviewing

3.) What are ALL of the other components, speakers, tweaks, hair gel, etc. used in conjunction with the piece in review.

I personally think No. 1, above, is especially important, as many times I read a "professional" reviewer RAVING on something, only to discover that this guy has listed as his own system, something like "home built 2-way loudspeakers", "1985 Rotel CD player", "1977 Pioneer SX1980 receiver", etc. (OK , maybe the last two were slight exaggerations, but you get my drift). Lots of times these so called "reviewers" don't even have components as high caliber as many of us! Unless you've reviewed EVERY SINGLE AMP on the face of the friggin' earth, how can ANYBODY make such drastic claims??

Well, I guess it all come down to the fact that DK Design is offering a 30 day trial from their dealers, so... I guess I'll just have to put up & shut up and try one for myself (but I must confess, my Halo JC-1's aren't even the LEAST bit nervous though... we'll see ;)

I can't wait to hear this amp with other speakers. Thanks for the feedback, Kimballcorson. What I heard on the first go-round was very nice.

Responding to Boa2's inquiry, I have the DK Design VS-1 MKII amp and before I sold them, had a chance to compare it directly to a CAT Ultimate MKII preamp alternatively feeding a pair of Cary 280 MB V12i monoblocks or a pair of Levinson 20.6 monoblocks. I sold off that equipment and kept the DK amp. The amp I was most using before the the DK were the Cary monoblocks. Before "settling" on those monoblocks, I bought, listened to, and sold a whole slew of amplifiers, including the 600w FPB Krells, the best Quicksilver monoblocks, the Cary stereo version on a single chassis at half the power, an Audio Research big tube amp, and a few others I don't recall offhand. (My memory is blocked from having to lift some of this really heavy stuff and from packing and unpacking it.) Don't worry. The DK Design VS-1 MKII is a seriously good amp worth much more than it costs. (I speak to the line stage only, and have not tried the phono stage) Also, I cannot speak to long term reliability. Finally, the Siemens CCa's make the amp sound very neutral. Believe me, it is a very good amp and a tremendous value.

Not only is there a ton of hype about this product but there is no mention of reliability. Has any current owners has any problems? Do we know 6 months to a year from now if these are still going to be operating. If not do we know about there service and warranity? This maybe a great product but I would like a longer track record of the company and the product. By the way I will be interested in this product but I guess spending at least $3,000 I need a longer track record than a few months. Remember you are not just buying a product you also buying into the company.

By the way, knowing that Vegas is already full-up reserved, Cheapmike and his significant other invited me to share their hotel room at CES this year. Don't know if I can make it, but I have to say that I am constantly overwhelmed by the generosity and camaraderie of this community. I only met them yesterday!
All the best,
Howard

There is a tremendous amount of hype surrounding this amp, with many new dealers touting it as the holy grail. In addition, there is a recent slew of new A'gon members who rave about the product as well. I'm curious as to what you owners of the DK have owned (amplifier-wise) before discovering this 'audio nirvana'.

Thanks to a generous hosting by Cheapmike, I was able to hear the DK yesterday. I will reserve my comments until I am able to listen to it in my system.

Boa2: I traded in the small Zingali studio monitor speakers, my MK I Silver Knight and Audion latest model phono pre on Zingali Overture II speakers, not here yet. The Silver Knight did not quite have enough power to rock the small Zingalis'. The phono pre I never really bonded with, it sounded good at dealers (Deets) compared to lesser Audio Note but had, to me, PRAT changes with different records. My intention was to replace Zingali with the substantially better Overture and better resolution of Audion MKII. Got side-tracked with the DK VS-1. (Overture sensitivity 93 db compared to 89 db of monitor). As it turns out, my old phono (Technics SL10 with very ho-hum Grado black) works very-very good with DK built-in phono section! I do not feel competent to review more formally phono due to limited quality input and my temporary use of old home-made speakers that have limited resolving abilities (waiting for Zingalis'to arrive).
My Music: "world" music, some popular, non-progressive jazz, vocals, no classical (due to lack of good quality sound on them, need to buy some better stuff).
Your La Scalas would seem to be good Audion match, best wishes, Mike.

The company is very real. I am now a dealer for their products and am rather impatiently awaiting arrival of stock of their integrated amplifier. I have a number of folks here in the Raleigh, NC area who are in line to take the amp for a demo swing in their systems.... I can tell you more about the sound very soon....

Cheapmike,
I currently have the Audion Silver Night MKII, and have it paired with Klipsch La Scala's. I love the sound. But I'm curious as to what type of music you generally like to listen to, and if you are using the DK with your Zingali monitors?
Congrats on the new amp!
Howard

I purchased my DK VS-1 Reference MK II integrated amp. from audiorevelation.com (Jay is owner). No shipping charges, bonus package of some Cardas IC & stuff. Sounds pretty good, added 7308 tubes ($50 Upscale Audio each) have ordered CCa, tubes brought unit into easy "Class A" territory, added Analysis Plus power cord which was more than a subtle change in all aspects. Not sure about phono pre section yet but am sure it is more than just ok-good-serviceable. Previous amp was Audion 300b, very nice but no oooommmphhh, so far enjoy this more, best wishes, cheapmike.

Are you sure you're not referring to Blue Diamond ALMONDS?
Because their factory is just three blocks from me. I can run down there right now and see if they know anything about the DK.

The DK amplifier is a terrific amp and I am very happy with it. I think that the rumor about Conrad Johnson is complete nonsense. By the way, I have also tried contacting Blue Diamond Audio and no one answers the phone and I never got a reply to email that I sent a month ago.

The amp may be legit (a lot of people seem to like it).
BlueDiamondAudio may not be.

Do some checking into the dealer you are looking at buying it from.

Caveat Emptor.

I spoke to one of the reps at AAC Distribution in NJ. These guys are distributors of many high-end audio brands. According to him, DK Design Group is owned by Conrad Johnson, although it is operated as a completely separate company. Go figure.

I am seriously consider purchasing one on Audiogon. Is this amp ligit? I am starting to concern after reading all your postings.

According to this, it's Blue Diamond Elementary School.
Then you might want to ask, who is D1575?
I always have to wonder when seeing a post about something I've never heard of by someone who hasn't posted before, or very little.

Yep, I find Blue Diamond Audio a pretty suspicious outfit.
They claim to sell all kinds of high end gear (Levinson, B&W speakers, Krell, McIntosh, ARC etc), but are NOT listed as a dealer on any of those manufacturers sites! When you call them, they will tell you that the VS-1 smokes all this other high end gear that they sell. Hmmmmmmm.

A lookup on Whois shows that Blue Diamond Audio uses the exact same webserver as DKDesignGroup.com Hmmmmmmmm.

Blue Diamond Nevada itself has a population of 282 people.
Anyone care to check what actually lies at 912 Village Lane in Blue Diamond Nevada?

Of course it all may be legit.

Does anyone have the physical address for Blue Diamond Audio in Nevada---a dealer for the DK-VS1 Mk II integrated. I need to send them something, and they won't return my calls.

They do not list their address on their website.

Hello, Telescope trade

I also have the HPS 938 and am interested in the DK.
Do you use biwire or single? And what speakercable do you have?
Thanks from Holland

I don't believe the cover positioning is a misake. The cover probably is positioned with the holes toward the front to provide convection cooling for the two power transformers. Convection cooling for the tubed preamp section is provided by openings in the rear panel.

The top cover is a thick aluminum panel with four holes near the front over the power transformers. Under the cover is an identically sized black mesh screen. You can remove the cover altogether and use just the screen, which lets you see the tubes glowing in their cages near the back of the amp. It also provides better ventilation, although that's clearly unnecessary as the amp runs very cool.

Wondering whsther anyone has played with the tubes yet.

I am considering one but want to get it to the warmer side of neutral for a very bright room.

The amp is vented in the back for the tubes. I am using it with VR-4jr speakers and it is fantastic. Larry

Cover looks backwards to me too. Wonder why they screwed it up?

Cover On Backwards?

For something people spent a lot of time on, I can't help but think that the cover in all the advertising and pictures is on BACKWARDS. Think about it, the vent holes are over the transformers, rather than the hot tubes. Is it just me or is the amp really like this? I mean I'd want to vent the tubes if I had one.

See pics here:

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1105910004

What gives?

Actually, the VS-1 and the VS-1 Mk. 2 are quite different electrically from what I got from DK Design Group. It is not just a different looking faceplate. The VS-1 Mk. 2 uses better quality transformers, higher quality transistors, better wire, and there have been several capacitor changes on the circuit board among many other modifications. Also, I think that the new VS-1 MK. 2 has a much cooler and much more futuristic look to it.

I was lucky enough to get their VS-1 version (exactly the same as the VS-2 but slightly different in appearance ogf the front face-plate only) and their HT-1 (their home theater/multi-channel integrated amp) at the great intro/test price a few months ago. I have talked to Les at dkdesignsgroup and they are extremely helpful in suggestions of which components/cables to use.

Happy I got them when I did. Personally, I prefer there initial more clean/suttle faceplates than the current one.

This amp is made in China.

There's a slightly used one listed on AG right now.

The owner seems to suggest that it leans a tad more to the tube side than the SS side which can be good if that is where you want/need to take your system.

Where is this amp made?

Awesome!

F1a,

BTW...yes I am running the stock tubes for now. Scary to
think it can still be improved with some tube rolling.

Your gonna love it!! Even regular tv sounds so much better!
The dynamics are incredible and it is so darn musical.
I hate to rant on, but it is truly something special.
One bummer (easy to fix) is it does not fit all the way
into my rack. My rack is exactly 9 1/4" and it has a lip
at the front of the amp that sticks up about 1/32 to high.
:o)Oh well it will have to stick out for a little while.
It's a monster of an amp.

I am using a Audio Note CD 2.1x cdp & Hyperion HPS 938's,
Shunyata & Michael Wolff pc's, & WireWorld silver ic's.

Let me know when you get yours & what you think.

Thanks Telescoper - good to hear your comments - do keep us abreast! I've got one coming Tuesday...

What are your speakers and front end??
I take it you're hearing the stock tubes in the VS-1??

I just recieved a VS1 MKII today, and let me first say
I have never ever ever!!! heard a better amp in my life!
How they did it I do not know. But even stone cold BN,
it is in a total different class than my Spectron digtal
amp & EE Mini Max combo.
From the iron fist bass to the unbelievable transparent
midrange & airy delicate highs, it is just amazing.
I will update further as it breaks in. But I can tell you
I have owned a lot of amps & pre amps so I know what I
am hearing. A winner of biblical proportions!
And btw...imaging & soundstage are unreal.
Stay tuned.

Regarding the VS-1 integrated, here's an excerpt of an email I received from the dealer:

"In terms of clarity, let me say that it is the most amazing amplifier in this regard. It just sounds amazing, and it is hard for me to hide my enthusiasm. We have several other integrated amps like the Levinson and the MF Nu-Vista and kW500, and also the Jeff Rowland Conbcerto and the VS-1 Mk.2 sounds better then all those amps. You are asking if the tubes limit clarity, well the VS-1 Mk.2 has more clarity then the Levinson or the Rowland amps and those are pure solid state designs. Also, the VS-1 Mk.2 has much better bass than those amps. Especially with classical music when you listen to very complex passages, the other amps tend to compress a little bit, you don't realize that they compress until you hook up the VS-1 Mk.2. With the DK amp for example when the music starts to grow louder, it grows louder with the music than the other amps even though you have not touched the volume control. This quality of the amp just gives you goosebumps when you listen to it. The music sounds really effortless and extremely detailed without any electronic edge or glare whatsoever."