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  Review: Dakiom A103 and R103 Tweak
SUMMARY POINTS:
1)I am NOT affiliated with this company in any way; they wouldn't even give me their phone number! (They also sign their emails, "Dakiom".) I would sign an affadavit on this.

2)The outlandish sounding claims they (DAKIOM) make are--surprisingly--really true. They do not sound like credible claims and I was VERY skeptical, but yes, they are largely, if not completely, true, in my opinion.

3)Sonically:
-->Smoother AND more detailed high end (yes, BOTH)
-->Lower AND less boomy bass (yes, BOTH), even quicker
and more accurate than the already outstanding
Rel had to begin with
-->Better central imaging (already was good).
-->Yes, they really DO cause less listening "fatigue"

4)RECOMMENDATION:
BUY THESE-->PERIOD.
THEN: Compare with and w/out.
If you dislike, or are neutral, return them.

5)To Reiterate: I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO FINANCIAL, PERSONAL, OR OTHER INTEREST IN THIS COMPANY. I HAD TO AGREE TO WRITE A 100+ WORD REVIEW AS A PURCHASE PRECONDITION FOR THEIR "INTRODUCTORY OFFER". DOUBTED THEY WOULD WORK AS CLAIMED. I WAS WRONG. I AM NOT OFTEN WRONG!!!

William W. Hoover

==================================================================
Unabridged Version, complete with all the (annoying and irrelevant?) details:


Background:
I recently upgraded my system, with the only remaining indigenous component being the ST 140. The Paradigm Monitor 100 V3's sounded great, and the Rel Storm was just phenomenal, having been meticulously "tuned in" to the listening room by the dealer's installer. I was shopping for cables and saw the Dakiom ad on Audiogon and was intrigued. It sounded like hyperbole, but I figured I'd return it if (and when) these failed to live up to their seemingly outlandish claims. For some reason I "bit", not wanting to miss out just in case the claims were true, which I REALLY doubted. Their pre-purchase requirement to agree to write a review seemed like a probable sales gimmick, but it did pique my curiosity, and I wouldn't have to write it anyway, since in all likelihood these were going to be shipped back. They were shipped to me very quickly. I read the inserts with the wild sounding claims. I kept the envelopes for the anticipated return...

AN ASIDE: THESE PEOPLE WILL COMMUNICATE ONLY--AND I MEAN ONLY--BY EMAIL. THEY PROTECT THEIR PRIVACY LIKE HOWARD HUGHES DID HIS. THEY DO ANSWER THE EMAILS UNFAILINGLY, HOWEVER.

Experience:
Listened with my son, age 13, an accomplished violinist (unlike his father, me). He wanted NOT to know when the stabilizers were installed versus uninstalled. Four songs, including Boston's "Peace of Mind", Fresh Aire's "Tocatta" from "III", and two others I don't remember. He stated an IMMEDIATE preference, after a few notes, not knowing whether they were installed. He preferred it WITH the stabilizers, and even said that as soon as he heard the difference, he'd quietly hoped that the configuration he preferred was the "plus stabilizer" one, or else his father had just wasted a lot of money to make his system worse.

Meanwhile, my wife, listening UPSTAIRS, and also not knowing which was which, said the system sounded better with the stabilizers.

I felt the same way. JUST TO BE SURE, I took them off and listened again. Terrible. Put them back on. Great again. Out of honesty (they really do make you check a box agreeing to write a review) and gratitude (it is SO refreshing to stumble onto a company that is telling the truth) I've written this review.

CAVEAT: I can neither verify nor disprove their claims regarding differently priced amplifiers. I will comment ONLY on my system and the product's impact thereon.

Epilogue:
Now I BELIEVE these mysterious people, whoever they are, and will NOT be returning these--ever.

William W. Hoover

Associated gear
CD Player: Onkyo Integra DPC 8.5
Preamplifier: Rotel RC 995
Amplifier: B&K ST-140
Equalizer: Parasound R/EQ 150
(USUALLY ON "BYPASS"!)
Loudspeakers: Paradigm Monitor 100V3
Sub-bass: Rel Storm
Interconnects: ALL RCA's
Player-->Preamp: Audioquest King
Cobra
Preamp-->Equalizer: Audioquest
Diamondback
Equalizer-->Amp: AQ Diamondback

Speaker Cable:
Canare 4S11, "Bi-wired" ,with
Audioquest terminations.
Sub-bass Cable:
Rel stock, hooked to the amplifier


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Mdhoover  (Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

09-19-04
  Responses (1-20 of 20)
Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

09-19-04   My experience with the same dakiom components resulted in a ...   Tvad

09-20-04   The listening experience is a subjective one, to be sure. i ...   Mdhoover

09-20-04   Mdhoover, it's amazing isn't it how the effect of tweaks var ...   Tvad

09-21-04   I've got mine on order, so i can't say yet what my experienc ...   Tarsando

09-22-04   Tvad, it is remarkable that they vary (or are perceived to v ...   Mdhoover

09-24-04   i did a tweak to these stabilizers that made them better, ...   Rpatrick

09-24-04   Rpatrick, i'll take your word on that one. for now, it's go ...   Mdhoover

10-03-04   Addendum/correction: interconnects from preamp to equalizer ...   Mdhoover

10-31-04   I've been using these in my humble system for a while now an ...   Audio_guy2

11-01-04   I'm curious if anyone has cracked one of these things open t ...   Hotsauce

12-24-04   I am more experienced in tweaking or improving systems more ...   Armyscout41

12-27-04   I have an all cary ht system. cary cinema 5 amp, cinema 6 p ...   Larryb

12-17-05   Thanks to all of the above for responding. a new chapter ma ...   Mdhoover

12-29-05   after reading reviews until my eyes ached,i ordered 2 unit ...   ronbonds@

12-29-05   Ronbonds: too often, people hype things or bash things. so ...   Mdhoover

01-11-06   Ronbonds: so, now that some time has passed, has dakiom been ...   Mdhoover

01-12-06   mdhoover,thanks for asking.actually i posted a follow up o ...   Double4w

01-12-06   Double4w: now that's an interesting story! this part is th ...   Mdhoover

04-20-07   I had been considering trying these, till now. thanks double ...   Pubul57

05-15-07   I purchased a pair of these for my monoblocks. i definitely ...   Philk1900


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