The Hub: some things get OLDER - some get BETTER

Here's one of those history lessons we mentioned yesterday. Once upon a time in the early days of The High End, back when Audio Research was just beginning to make a name for itself, a young man from Connecticut appeared with a skinny little rack-mount preamp. At a time when the ARC gear seemed impossibly expensive, the young guy priced his new preamp ABOVE the ARC SP3A-1, that awkwardly-named darling of TAS and JGH, which then cost the unbelievable sum of $650.That $650 in 1975 bucks equals $2500 today; even $2500 doesn't sound breathtaking now, but believe us, those were different times. Anyway, the new kid priced his preamp at $950: close to four grand in new-millennium money.

It was sleek and cool and the insides looked like a laboratory instrument. Mark Levinson was as cool as his new preamp, called the JC-2 for his friend and designer, John Curl (about whom, more another day). Our first encounter found him sitting on the floor of an audio-salon, shoes off, in a lotus position. The plan was to compare his black box with the Audio Research; problem was, the switching device was such junk it made them sound alike. Not BAD, mind you, just alike. Mark was not happy, but ultimately, his preamp was properly installed, sounded wonderful, the end.

Mark had an even more staggeringly-expensive preamp, the LNP-2 (Low-Noise Preamp, if memory serves) which looked as though it came out of a recording studio. Indeed, it often did service there. Rarely seen then because of its price (initially what, $2795?, then $3500: which in today's money is A LOT!), you almost never see one now. Yet: here is one For Sale on Audiogon right now. Wow.

As years went by, Mark's gear became justly well-known. As entrepreneurs do, he sold that company, then founded Cello and Red Rose Music, working with designers like the late Tom Colangelo and Victor Tiscareno (now with Apple). And now he's back with Daniel Hertz S.A., based in Switzerland, and tagged with his parents' middle names (website under construction at www.danielhertz.com). The company will offer one preamp, one amp, a media PC and three speakers with the surprisingly-high efficiency of 100db/1w/1m. Mark promises unmatched construction and sound. At 63, when most are winding down their lives, Mark has both a new company and a new baby.

Guts, or faith in the future? Perhaps both.