Opinions about Daniel Hertz

I had that Dussun. It was spectacular.

I heard the ML story directly from John Curl - that’s the first knock on ML. Next is their gear is rarely/never mentioned in the latest gear or in comparison reviews, so I’m assuming old tech to not compete well sonically with contemporary new electronics, unlike Ayre and Boulder top offerings which seemingly continues to compete sonically against the newer electronics.

Well, if we're just spending money, 30,000 Euro for an amp, I found a matching stove at .5 million... 

over the years, despite its premium positioning marketing wise, i have never liked the sound of levinson/madrigal/proceed gear, then cello, then red rose - the various incarnations started by 'the person' mark levinson as he jumped from one to the next... each time the prices went more and more into the shameless nosebleed zone

hyper clear, etched, rather mechanical sounding, not organic, lacking in coherence to my ear -- the kind of sound that impresses in demos or at first listen, but which wears out its welcome upon ownership or extended listening

for this reason, i am not at all intrigued by this latest incarnation of levinson stuff under this daniel hertz label... maybe the sound is different this time, but i am hardly eager to find out

@jjss49 

Red Rose was mostly a re-branding of "Audio Prism", made in the USA (by friends of mine noted in the below article from 1999). those USA products were definitely not in that mechanical ’etched’ sounding category.

https://www.stereophile.com/news/10627/index.html

later they did add some Chinese sourced products (which i’ve not heard so cannot comment).

Well, if we’re just spending money, 30,000 Euro for an amp, I found a matching stove at .5 million...

That’s probably how much we’ll have to spend to have a gas stove soon.

@mikelavigne

yes if memory serves, this was the model red rose tube amp (rebranded audioprism) i had in my second system for a while

red rose 

i didn’t think an el34 tube amp could sound shrill (may it was the lame shuguang tubes in it) but this one did and thus it didn’t last long -- back in went my arc vt50 in a hurry

Love the m7 speakers which I still own and intend to keep for long time, didn’t love the Maria amp I was given to audition with it.  Didn’t hold a candle to my Absolare integrated, sounded like generic class d, bleached of color and texture.  Maybe that was because the user is forced to use bare wire speaker cables with the Maria amps, but probably not.  Can’t speak to the amber speaker… never heard it.  

Back to the beginning. Has anyone here actually herd the Maria amp driving a set of hi quality speakers (not ML)?

TIA

If you've come looking for solid info from owners of Daniel Hertz gear, look elsewhere. Just a bunch of biased dudes who've never heard any of the gear, mouthing off. 

After I heard about the Daniel Hertz Maria 350, I got curious and red all I could read. The marketing is convincing, but what would my ears report?

So I arranged a demo with Magna Hifi from Heiloo (Netherlands) at my house and played songs I really know well on my own equipment. It took about 15 seconds for the first “Wow!”: so much ease, so much detail and space. What a natural way of playing my favorite songs. And what a power when needed!

Now, after 3 months, she is here: the Maria 350 playing on my Martin Logan ESL 13A’s. The Grimm MU1 streamer is perhaps overkill (not sure yet), but it is a magical combination. Cables matter, as do power cords. I sold my DAC, pre-amp and amp, which financed most of the Maria.

Daniel Hertz offered to write a special file for my speakers to upload to the Maria that make my Martin Logans perform even better. We’ll see/hear.

Never regretted my decision one second.

According to his video digital music has negative health causations and his amps have an algorithm that inject a small amount of reverb between the digital steps for a less damaging experience. He also sells the software separately but it isn't as full featured as his amps.

I haven't heard it or even researched the claims but I'm old and a tube guy and he's a well known name in the industry so sure I bet it's great

This week I visited the Daniel Hertz distributor Lone Crowe audio in Santa Rosa, California.  After Steve Huff’s glowing and intriguing review of the Maria 350 with the Amber speakers and the Hifi Rose RS130, I wanted to audition the system in person.  The Maria 350 wasn’t available so I listened to the Maria 800, which John, the owner of Lone Tree, said sounds identical to the 350, but is a bi-amped version.  Listening to the Amber speakers with the 800, I was initially disappointed with the sound, very heavy, low, and almost muffled. However, after about ten to fifteen minutes of warm up, the sound changed immensely.  It was wonderfully articulated, strings shimmered, vocals were warm and rich, the presentation was holographic and presented a wide and fairly deep soundstage. I was blown away.  Listening to a variety of well known tracks through Tidal, I heard things I’ve never heard before and was elated.  The combination is exceptional and Steve Huff and Adrian are right.  Daniel Hertz is on to something that is exceptional.  I highly recommend you listen yourself and don’t rely on the naysayers that haven’t.  Your own ears will convince you like mine did.  Highly recommended!