Amen. My first taste of the "high end" was a DH-100 amp put together in a kit form that saved you a few bucks over preassembled. It made my large Advents shine and I've never looked back.
The passing of another legend...
I don't know if this thread has already started somewhere else, but I just read that on 5/25/03, David Hafler passed away. I am sad. The Hafler DH200 was my first venture into high-end and since Hafler catered to the "budget-minded", this little amplifier carried me through tough times in college and beyond. This little amplifier, mated with my Vandersteen 2B's, gave me many, many hours of pleasurable listening. Thank you David Hafler for giving all the poor folks (like myself back then) a little taste of high end. You will be missed.
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Sad news indeed but I understand he was very ill for some time. Peace be with him. Re dyna, he founded it with his buddy Herb Keroes. There are lots of folks who share Sherod's story I think. The little ST-70s are still recycling through another generation. One of the most standard-classic pieces in tube audio. dynaco history This piece is still worth reading 50 years after publication Ultra Linear |
I remember my excitement when I first assembled my DH-200 Amp and the 110 Pre-Amp...I was a young kid with nearly zero disposable income, and I was so proud to be the owner of Hafler equipment. Guys like Hafler confirm that, although no-one gets out of here alive, what you do with your time can matter to other people. Thanks to David Hafler I received my first real taste of a hobby that has since consumed much of my free time and brought me great enjoyment. May God bless David Hafler. |
I'm sorry to hear that he's gone. My first decent integrated amp was a Dynaco SCA-80. I bought it in the early 1970s, I still have it, it's still working (albeit with some servicing along the way), and it still sounds good. I've also got an SCA-35 stashed away, and an FM-5 tuner. I've got some newer equipment now, such as an NAD C-340 amp, but the Dyna equipment has held up remarkably well over time. |
I am just now hearing about David Hafler's passing while reading this thread, so i thought i would share a quick little story. My first experience with a Hafler amp came just last weekend, ironically the weekend of his passing. I had taken a DH-500 amp on trade at my photo shop (where i also sold some used hi-end stuff) about four years ago. I put it on the shelf and forgot about it until last weekend when my wife and i were going through some extra things i was going to sell here on Audiogon. Since i had never listened to the amp, i decided to put it in a Vandersteen system i had setup in my basement, just to make sure it functioned properly. I pushed the start button on the CD player and, as i turned to walk away, the sound stopped me in my tracks. I walked back over and sat down in front of the speakers. I remember thinking there is no way that sound can be coming from that inexpensive amp.....but it was! I was in disbelief. Layer upon layer of depth and imaging, and a lush, warm sound almost as smooth as tubes. No bass to speak of, but that's what they make subs for. I sat and just enjoyed the music for almost an hour. After that i just had to try it in my main system. I unplugged my "five figure" Jadis monoblocks and put the $750 Hafler in their place. This might sound crazy, but not only do i not miss my mono's, but i find myself listening to music on that system every day, not every week or two like i had before. That little inexpensive, 20 year old amp has caused me to reassess my entire approach to the hobby. It reminded me of something many of us, along our journey toward the absolute sound, all too often forget....it's about the music. In this hobby where the idea that higher price tags must mean better sound has pervased for years, David Hafler has left us a legacy to the contrary. Like Danlib said, "what you do with your time can matter to other people" is, in my opinion, one of the greatest legacies of all. BW |
Hi: I just heard the sad news. I have two DH100's and they are absolute gems. I really did not want to splurge on new mossfets, and DH100's were an absolute god send. I use them to bi-amp my Joseph Audio RM7's and the sound is absolutely wonderful - far better than any adcom that i tried hooking up to those babies. I echo everybody's sentiments that a great man in the world of audio has passed away. In a world of mass produced cheap and vulgar stuff, his products bring us back to a more solid reality. Pramod |