Last minute shopping with REL

REL 2022 Price Increases, Effective 01.15.2022

REL has been forced to raise their prices for all the usual reasons (400% shipping increases and an average of 21% per model cost increases). We’re lucky, they’ve decided to only pass on a portion of it so the biggest cost increases are 10% and some (T/5x) are as little as 3%, while others (T/9x) haven’t gone up at all. Serie S will see a 10% rise so the S/812 goes to $3,299, the S/510 up to $2,749.

Special Offer is Almost Over: For those of you in the U.S. you have just a few days left to buy them on their December Serie S Special, thereby saving you $600 on the S/812 and $450 on the S/510 compared with they’ll run you in just a couple weeks. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Issue 110

Cover Story:

Awards!

Features

Old School: The Dynaco Stereo 400
-By Jeff Dorgay

Cartridge Dude: The Ortofon Concorde Century

1095: Gear for Just over a G
The Dynaudio Emit 10 Speakers

Shanon Says: Shanon McKellar discovers the York phono stage

Merch Table: Relics From Rock’s Past

Mine: It Should Be Yours

Music

Playlists:  We share our readers choices from around the world

Future Tense

Gear in our immediate future

Why High-End Audio Gear and Luxury Goods Are Strange Bedfellows

To the segment of the high-end audio industry trying to reposition components as luxury goods, I have a message: you’re barking up the wrong tree. To the new entrants trying to create “curated luxury goods experiences,” I submit that you’re wasting your time. No, I’m not trying to be a jerk. I’m actually trying to help.

As someone who’s spent an incredibly disproportionate amount of my income on audio gear since I turned 14 and who has been writing about said equipment for more than two decades, I have gotten to know many audio enthusiasts around the globe. My love of automobiles has also introduced me to another segment of affluent consumers. In addition, my first wife’s parents were incredibly wealthy and put me in touch with people in their network. While I may not be a total expert, I have relevant data points to share from four decades of experience. And, being the human equivalent of a fox terrier, I always ask questions. Here’s what I’ve learned.

Many of our industry’s best companies possess a level of passion for visual and electronic design that matches the intensity of any of the world’s finest automobile manufacturers. They also have the same density of thought. But a difference occurs downstream. Almost no one thinks you’re awesome because you bought a $100k DAC. (Guilty as charged.) In our influencer-driven, ADD world, hi-fi doesn’t have the same cache of a new Porsche GT3 or a Patek Phillipe watch. Sorry, but it’s true.

Don’t believe me? Tell 100 non-audio people you just bought a pair of Sonus faber speakers. (Again, guilty.) I’ll bet a healthy sum that nobody will even know what you’re talking about, other than you got a pair of speakers. Tell the same 100 people you just bought a new Rolex and they will all be impressed or possibly start a conversation with you about watches or jewelry. Tell 100 people you just bought a new Harley, Ducati, or Porsche 911, and you’ll probably have at least a dozen new friends that want to hang with you.

Why? One reason is because hi-fi isn’t transportable. You can’t take it to lunch and show it off or attend a cars-and-coffee event, casually trotting over to the pack after getting out of your new toy. Like it or not, part of the appeal of owning luxury goods is getting to brag about them and being included in a community. Hi-fi doesn’t work that way. For example, telling 100 Porsche owners you just bought a new GT3 might start a minor argument about whether you bought the right one with a manual gearbox or Porsche’s excellent PDK automatic. No matter which option you chose, you’re still a god in that universe. Tell 100 audiophiles you just bought a $50k turntable, or even better, upgraded your system with $50k of premium wire, and 97 of them will tell you why you’re an idiot and why their $4,000 system is far better than your mega system. The issues run deeper.

Because they are often experience-driven and time-challenged, high-income earners don’t spend major cash on high-end audio systems. On rare occasions, I’ve met a few people with means that love to hang out with friends, relax, and listen to music. Some are members of the Greater Toronto Area Audiophile Club. I know there are more, and I’ve seen a few groups on Facebook that I’d love to meet when travel eases again. But assuming that someone who owns a nice car or a collection of nice cars (or watches, cameras, wine, etc.) will automatically want to buy a mega audio system, even if it is branded a “luxury good,” is just wrong.

Maybe it’s because music is a deeply personal thing. It might also relate to high-end audio’s exclusionary nature. In order to derive the most pleasure from a system, you must sit in the sweet spot. Alone. In silence. That’s not something everyone wants to do. Most people would rather go to a concert. Or go on vacation. Granted, the recent COVID lockdowns and limits on mobility have contributed to a couple of terrific years in the industry. Still, I’m curious how many will upgrade their systems with equal enthusiasm when it’s relatively safe to travel again.

Where does that leave us?

The future of audio isn’t bleak. There are more and better choices than ever before. The point of entry for serious sound is far less expensive than any other time in history, and the proliferation of online retailers and used-gear vendors has made it easier to acquire last year’s toys. I’ve always said well-loved, pre-owned gear is a great way to start an audiophile journey.

A good friend who has been an audio retailer for as long as I’ve been buying gear once said: “My average customer is like you, a person that makes a decent living, that spends way too much of it on his hi-fi system. Where do I get a mailing list for that?”

While that doesn’t make for exciting social media, I suspect the world of high-end audio will still thrive the way it always has: by way of enthusiasts and enthusiast publications. Keep passing the word around.  -Jeff Dorgay

Tone’s Last Minute Holiday Shopping Guide – Sponsored by MoFi Distribution

For those of you like us, that either leave shopping and holidays to the last minute, or somehow end up being the person that buys yourself the best presents at the end of the day, here’s a few suggestions from the crew at MoFi Distribution.

Little Fwend Automatic Tone Arm Lifter. This one reminds us of the automatic and semi automatic tables of the old days, when you could walk away from your turntable, knowing nothing bad would happen at the end of the record.   https://www.littlefwend.com/about


MoFi Ultra Low Noise Feet.
We’ve used these with a number of different components to great effect.  https://mofi.com/collections/accessories/products/mofi-electronics-ultra-low-noise-feet


MoFi Super Heavy Weight Champion Weight. This one’s so awesome, we’ve got three of em – one for each of our Technics decks.   https://www.mofi.com/product-p/mfeshwch.htm
IsoTek EVO3 Polaris. We use the larger Sirius version, but this and the Polaris offer up a great power conditioning solution for small systems. Very reasonably priced, too.   https://isoteksystems.com/products/evo3-polaris/


Suntory Whisky Toki.  More cocktails, less arguing about cables, pressings, and politics. Sign us up. Back when we all went to hifi shows, this crew made the best drinks. Here’s one of their secrets. (Key ingredient of the MoFi Japanese Old Fashioned)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X27SEBppHnQ


Dr. Feickert Next Generation Cartridge Alignment Tool.
Another #ToneAudioApproved product. We started with the Geo Disc and graduated to the Feickert Protractor nearly a decade ago. The current version is even easier to use with a great instruction booklet. https://www.musicdirect.com/analog-accessories/feickert-next-generation-cartridge-alignment-tool

PIEGA ACE 30 Speakers. These mini monitors from Piega, pack a major punch. Say that ten times as fast as you can. Bonus points for saying this ten times after a few Old Fashioned’s. Ha.   https://piega.ch/en/products/ace-30


MoFi Script T-Shirt.
Our publisher’s been wearing one of these since the day TONE was launched. If you are a true vinylista, you really need one.  https://mofi.com/collections/accessories/products/mfslsshirtscript_mofi_script_t-shirt


Wharfdale Diamond 12.2 Speakers.
These mini monitors with Wharfdale’s new Klarity cones will surprise you. In a good toys instead of socks kind of way. https://www.wharfedaleusa.com/collections/diamond-12/products/diamond-12-2-bookshelf-speakers


MoFi Edition LS3/5a Speakers. There are a number of variations on the LS3/5a theme. These are one of the best. We could argue THE best, but hey, let’s have some of that whisky, and listen to another record instead…  https://falconspeakers.com/collections/ls3-5a/products/falcon-ls3-5a-mofi-edition-loudspeakers

Finite Element Ceraball Feet. Finite makes incredibly good equipment racks (that just happen to be gorgeous as well) and these Ceraball feet work remarkably well, eliminating even more vibration from diffusing the sonic picture your system presents. We’ve had incredibly good luck with these under vacuum tube components. Hint, hint. https://www.leakaudio.com/collections/upgrades/products/finite-elemente-ceraball-isolation-feet

Leak Audio Stereo 130. This one sounds great, and pays homage to Leak’s beginning. Not to mention looks super cool. Don’t forget the matching CD player!  https://www.leakaudio.com/collections/stereo-130/products/leak-stereo-130-integrated-amplifier.

SolidSteel SS Series Speaker Stands. Practical, affordable, and hold a lot of weight. The perfect thing for those big monoblocks. What, no big monoblocks? Keep shopping.  https://www.leakaudio.com/collections/speakers/products/solidsteel-ss-series-speaker-stands?variant=32905664594013.

MoFi LP #9 Stylus Cleaner. Keep that stylus clean! It’s easy. Just go back to front. Remember that.  https://mofi.com/collections/accessories/products/mfsllp9_lp-9_stylus_cleaner

HiFi Rose RS201 The new HiFi Rose streamers are our favorites, bar none. This one’s got an integrated amp built in, making it the perfect audiophile gift for your non-audiophile friends. They won’t know you snuck it in under the tree. Just add whisky and speakers for instant party. See how easy that was? https://eng.hifirose.com/RS201E-info