The Kondo (Audio Note) Overture Integrated Amplifier

[kiwi_1282001]

THE KONDO OVERTURE AMPLIFIER


Earlier this month I had the opportunity to audition the Kondo amplifier in the context of my own audio system and thought I'd provide some observations here.

This 2^nd generation Kondo Overture integrated amplifier (the first version appeared in 2011) is a push pull design based on the pentode EL34 with the gain stage using dual 6072’s and 12BH7 tubes. Surprisingly, given the amplifiers $40,000 price tag modest Svetlana and EH tubes are employed – still this is entry level Kondo with the next step up the ladder being the Ongaku at around US$120,000!

While not particularly large or heavy the Kondo Overture stands at over 200mm high and when combined with my usual third party feet is too high to fit my rack shelves so for the purpose of the audition we mounted it on a Stillpoints component stand. This arrangement also facilitated speedier cable changes so comparison could be made with reference system.

Photo 1: Peaking into the audio room – the Kondo sits on a Stillpoints equipment stand

For the purpose of the audition the Kondo was connected to my Esoteric K-03 CDP and Raidho Acoustics D2 loudspeakers via reference cables from Nordost (USA) and Ansuz Acoustics (Denmark). Six reference audio tracks (CD & SACD) were used for the evaluation.

Photo 2: The Kondo Overture connected to the rest of the system.

The six tracks used for the evaluation / comparisons were:


I’m On Fire, Edward Val, STS Digital, used for spatial and ambient evaluation
Morning Bird, Sade, Sony, used for black backdrop, piano & cello & sensory response to this
Summertime, Angelique Kidjo, Wrasse Records, used for resolution and female vocal realism
The Power of Goodbye, Madonna, Warner, used for complex layered soundscape and low bass evaluation
The Look of Love, ABC, Mercury, bad recording reference – how does the product respond noisy, grainy, 80’s synth pop?
Scheherazade Op.35, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Living Stereo, large scale orchestral and dynamics evaluation.

Photo 3: The Kondo Overture amplifier. Latest version can be identified by the push button start

THE SOUND


First impressions so often set the table for the entire meal and loading Edward Val’s take of Springsteen’s I’m on Fire, the first thing to strike you about the Kondo’s sound’ is its composed, relaxed quality, reminiscent of utterly unforced delivery. Unflustered and unhurried the reproduction takes the listener on a journey that metaphorically starts with a deep breath and continues in a natural and uncontrived fashion from start to finish of the track. The music is gloriously fluid, melodic and ethereal and yet does not sacrifice resolution with spatial cues, ambient and low level detail, ( in particular final tail reverberation) all present and accounted for and on par with the best I’ve heard. Furthermore, the vocal specificity, that is the shape, density, definition and lateral positioning of the vocal image was outstanding, considerably better than my reference integrated amplifier, the Gryphon Diablo.


The Kondo’s sense of musical flow continued in the emotionally charged and almost somniferous groove of Morning Bird by Sade. The opening piano key strokes come across wonderfully weighted, harmonic and airy as does the delicate metallic shimmer of the percussion. My senses – my litmus test of quality reproduction – immediately respond to the mournfulness of the cello and the seeming desolation and silent pain of the piano. The long rests between piano strikes create tension, intensity and a feeling of sparseness – precisely the backdrop the composer intended in order to build and sustain an atmosphere complimentary to the lyrics. While the Kondo did not paint the blackest of backgrounds in which to appreciate this track [other integrated amplifiers like the Jeff Rowland S2 are better at that], it did invite me as the listener deep into the music and held me there enthralled. Moreover, the Kondo’s resolution continued to impress with the definition of the percussion – a shivering tambourine – being particularly impressive, floating free from the kick drum with change noticeable in each shake.

Photo 4: The Kondo presents a pleasingly simple user interface

Turning now to dynamics, Madonna’s The Power of Goodbye is a challenge for any audio system to reproduce. The Orbit inspired masterpiece invokes a massive layered soundscape with complex texture and minutiae detail even whilst the underlying beat propels the tracks momentum with solid energy. Spectral analysis shows enormous energy in the sub 32Hz and the 63-160Hz parts of the audio spectrum requiring amplifiers to make heavy continuous demands on the output stage and the power supply in order for the speaker woofers to draw sufficient current to cleanly reproduce the music. The Kondo’s discrimination, that is, its ability to cleanly separate instruments was outstanding. Madonna’s voice floated effortlessly above the complex cacophony of electronica to impart deep and poetic lyrics of separation pain. Less impressive was the Kondo’s reproduction of low bass which lacked the immediacy and impact of the Gryphon. Whilst still pleasingly musical the Kondo’s low bass lacked heft and concussive force – possibly indicating a less than optimal pairing with the Raidho speakers, but what the Kondo gives up in an ultimate sense of grip and control it arguably gains in a sense of harmonic freedom and flow leading, I feel, to a high level of listener involvement and emotional engagement.


Finally, the other tracks used for evaluation were also revealing. ABC’s Look of love demonstrated that the Kondo does not wall paper cracks the same way some valve amplifiers seem to and the Kondo lacked nothing in its reproduction of the demanding Scheherazade – which came across as life like in terms of snap, aliveness and room filling scale.



CONCLUSION


To my ears the Kondo represents a balance of virtues – not so warm as to sound woolly and not so transparent as to sound stark or clinical. The Kondo may lean towards traditionalist ‘valve sound’ but it doesn’t venture so far as to morph into some sugar coated euphonious hifi treatment – in the vain of some all valve softies. Rather, the Kondo offers an analogue like sensibility sans the pops and rumble and proffers an uncanny and delightfully musically pleasing way with midrange (notably vocal and piano) reproduction which will be as irresistible as it is unfatiguing to some listeners. The Kondo’s resolution, that is its ability to resolve the subtlest, most delicate parts of the original sound – which are usually the first things lost by lessor components – was off the charts good. Only tracks with a prestigious amount of underlying low bass did the Kondo feel under damped, however, what the Kondo lacked in an ultimate sense of low bass grip and control it arguably gained in a sense of harmonic freedom and flow and the forest is more important than the trees.


When sophistication and musically sympathetic reproduction is called for, perhaps the only five letters you will ever need to own are KONDO. Paint me impressed.

[Rhapsody]

Hi Kiwi,

Very nice review on the Overture II! As the US Kondo distributor I would mention that the Overture's current list price is $26,400. The price of the Overture at one point was close to $40K, actually about $36K, but with the JPY currency change over the last year to 18 months we have restructured our US Kondo pricing. For instance the Ongaku that was $120K is now $89K and the Kagura amps that were $200K are now $157K.

I understand still premium pricing, although there is currently a 4 month lead time on any Kondo amplifiers/pre's, 2 months on cables, as Kondo is currently very successful in their global endeavors. In the US we are having our best year of Kondo sales since we started to distribute Kondo in the US 3-4 years ago.

Best regards, Bob

[kiwi_1282001]

Hello Bob. Thanks very much for the clarification on pricing. Is the product actually called Overture II? Nothing along those lines noted in the manual or on the product certificate of the unit I received. I did not expect this product to drive the Raidhos as well as it did and I am not surprised by the long waiting list.

[Rhapsody]

Hi Ralph,

Yes, there were subtle changes and the line below is directly from the Kondo price sheet. I think because of the PP topology it is quite a strong amp and when you hear "32 watts" it would appear to be a SET type offering but as you have experienced it is has a lot of drive power.

"Overture II, 32W+32W EL34 P/P Integrated Stereo with ACz-AVOCADO/1.75m power cord" USD 26,400