Herb Reichert listens to a very high-end Japanese Audio Note Ongaku amplifier

Stereophile’s Herb Reichert and I trip down memory lane recalling Herb’s experiences when he worked for Audio Note in the 1990s.
We heard this vintage (1995) Audio Note Ongaku integrated amp at Rhapsody in NYC,
rhapsody.audio/
The other “mystery” vintage Audio Note amp is a Kyouen.

[@amb3cog]

Herb is such a charmer. Of course he used to do sales. He's got the perfect personality for it, and his social skills are on point. Type of guy you could talk with for hours, and not even notice the time has gone by. Great video Steve. Thank you.

[@auralharmony1]

#HHScott Right!? The guy makes me want to buy something from him LOL...I'll take those Wilson speakers please.

[@italia458driver7]

Something about Herb and the way he tells his stories is so entertaining and calming. I love his stories and the way he lights up when he shares them

[@esquiremoderator32]

He also looks into cameras like he is trying to both see the people inside and crush it's soul with his ever-intensifying stare. Every youtube video I've seen him talk to a camera, I'd bet the camera no longer works

[@nikemac84]

I remember the legend of the Ongaku in Hi-Fi Choice magazines throughout the mid 1990's.

[@PrinceWesterburg]

OMG - I had that 'amp with no name' in my flat, it says Kageki on the back but isn't according to Peter Qvortrup. Let me tell you, one Christmas I went to watch the Russian Ballet, it was truly magical. I got back to the flat and put a CD on of the same music and it had 'that' sound of a live string section which I've never heard anywhere from hifi. That amp, which is parallel single ended 2A3, has absolutely no bass whatsoever but for 90% of music that doesn't matter, its a pure emotion machine, you get lost in the music. Just don't go playing Rammstein or dubstep on it! It is a true emotion machine. Oh and downstairs in the shop wiee had exactly one of those Ongakus which was incredible too - We used to put anything on but I remember the Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong version of Summertime from Porgy & Bess would have people melting into emotional puddles in the shop. I've been spoilt!

[@nvrumi]

This was one of your most entertaining vlogs to date, Steve. I love stories from people who lived them. Herb is an excellent storyteller.

[@3lueant347]

The phrases, "Hand drawn silver wire" and "LSD filigree, little sparkly wonderful things are happening" just made my day.

[@bruhl001]

I could listen to Herb Reichert tell stories forever.

[@igingmd19]

i can watch these guys all day, listening to their stories. the stories behind the music is sometimes as beautiful as the music itself.

[@FOH3663]

Damn, love me some Herb! "LSD filigree, little sparkly wonderful things are happening"

[@johndoh2121]

A slightly cheaper route to hifi bliss compared to the Ongaku ;)

[@IAm-qf2xb]

@Club Soda Haha absolutely not so.

Nothing he said describes sound, but we buy from him anyway..

[@solidtank7957]

@ if you don't think "lsd filigree" can describe sound you just have a bad imagination.

[@wildcat1065]

A friend of mine was an Audionote dealer here in the UK and he let me take the Ongaku home for a weekend. It was used to drive some Indian Cadence Speakers which are Electrostic Hybrids and also some Audionote speakers. Believe me, this mythical amp deserves its reputation. It is so transparent, liquid and punchy and the images are just totally palpable. I've heard some good amps but this one is something else. It was way out of my budget at I think it was £30,000 at the time but its worth an astronomical sum now. Sigh.

[@bolsesolheim7469]

KONDOS ARE SLIGHTLY SOFT! SUITS MY 4 YEAR OLD GRANDSON I GOT HIM A PAIR OF AUDIO POWER LABS 50 TNT THAT HE ADORES . THE LUNDAHL TRANSFORMERS ARE PURE MAGIC! THANK YOU PER AND LARS

[@sidvicious3129]

Steve, I love it when you and Herb get together, there is something magical about the two of you when you tell your stories of working in the Highend Audio Business. I wonder how many of you out side of yourselves sold Audio that worked for Stereophile and The Absolute sound?

[@miguelbarrio]

I love this interview (not the first time I watch it!). Thx Herb, Bob, and Steve!

[@Santos.Sarmento]

Mr. Guttenberg, your chat was so good that I forgot that I watched this video to listen to Ongaku according to the title! Greetings from Brazil.

[@leonkruk8003]

Steve,you and your old buddies are just awesome! Plus the enthusiasts that you turn us onto. This is the joy of this medium. We are about the same age,and growing up in Manhattan I tried to visit every audio store I could at that time. My dad fronted me the cash (which I had to pay back) to buy a Fisher console (mono with tubes) with FM and turntable and one giant speaker. WOW! It was from a short lived audio store on my block on Essex Street. I got it cheap because stereo had taken over because of WNEW FM. Allison Steele and Roscoe and Scott Muni. I was 15 in 1966 so this hobby wasn’t just started by old guys with lots of money.

[@user-nb1ex7th2i]

The Ongaku is one the very best "musical" amps I have ever heard or owned personally.

[@BlankBrain]

Those old Mercedes were fun. I used to do all the maintenance on my '77 300D except injection pump timing. It finally got hard to find parts, so I gave it to the local PBS station and took the write-off.

[@HareDeLune]

Very nice. Thank you to all involved.

[@scottcarlon6318]

Never seen Herb so overcome with joy in talking about this amp

[@jamesrobinson9176]

Steve and Herb telling war stories! What a way to start a Sunday!

[@bk6678]

Herb describes sound in the same manner an architecture professor describes, well, just about anything.

[@johnstone7697]

I repaired an Audionote Japan amplifier for a customer. It used 4- 2A3 tubes, which had to be perfectly matched. The chassis was made of copper and the material was very soft. They used double stick tape between the amp bottom panel and the rest of the chassis. It took forever just to remove the bottom panel because any pressure at all and you would bend it. I won't get into the circuitry of the thing, but suffice it to say, all those fancy capacitors and silver wire transformers gave you an amp that still had very lousy measurements. I listened to it for quite a few hours on the most efficient speakers I had, and to my ears it was very colored. "Audio Jewelry"

[@roymindmybusiness6908]

yeah the Audio Note crap from the UK Ongaku was terrible Martin Colloms lost all credibility with me after the UK Ongaku review it was terrible -the fit and finish just dreadful and trying to justify the price etc -anyway are you sure it was Japan because I heard the Kondo Ongaku and it was so much better it truly sounded fabulous and it was driving the Avantgarde Trio -anyway I only heard a Kondo again recently driving the one driver German speakers Voxativ -the system was well over 125k and I thought i could happily spend $70 000 less and be happy -for this gentleman he was going to upgrade soon

[@davepastern]

@@FrankiesMarket I once had an online argument with a very prominent audio reviewer who shall not be named about this - reviews were all BS just to generate sales and advertising revenue. No audio reviewer should EVER be trusted imho.

[@1mctous]

The measurements will be dreadful running single-ended with zero feedback. It's in the tubes' DNA. Most solid-state devices produce even more distortion than tubes in their natural state.

[@pittbrat7963]

That was definitely NOT a Japanese amp you repaired. From your description this is UK Audio Note. HUGE difference !

[@Cocteau61]

The Audio Note Japan Ongaku has been in continuous production - unchanged since 1977. Can you name another amp that can match that? (And by the way, the four 2A3s did not have to be matched at all.)

[@thomothomo1078]

I have been lucky to hear one of these on a few occasions.Somehow they connect you to the soul of the music and give you goosebumps.The closest to a live music sensation I have heard from any hi fi.

[@socksumi]

At no point did he listen to the Ongaku during this video. Misleading title.

[@dougg1075]

Herb should narrate an audiobook.

[@wilcalint]

Brings back memories. Short view of a classic KT88/6550, 60w/cha, Stereo power amp. I forget what the brand was mentioned. That's a design right out of the 1950's EE Design Textbooks. Duplicated many many times even today. 60w and about 2% 2nd and 3rd order distortion even at low output levels. That's what makes it so "musical" and "detailed". I used to own one of those devils. Sold it over 40 years ago. Went on to a Nelson Pass product.

[@khalid969]

This is my fifth or sixth time watching this video. Where would Audio be without these two!

[@iwng54]

Amazing video Steve. The entire interview was very smooth and you did it all in 1 take.

[@m.9243]

Out of all the Stereophile writers, Herb is the one that I trust most. He's a joy to listen to as well as, read whatever he has to contribute through the pages of the mag. Thanks for making this interview possible Steve.

[@HallertauRogue]

Always love hearing Herb describe experiences and tell stories.

[@bolsesolheim7469]

I use my Kondo M7 in my Siematic Kitchen in Marbella ! I understand so well what you are Talking about! ! Kondo was my friend from way back !

[@chrisvinicombe9947]

Audionote are drool worthy , their supplier here in the UK (hifi collective) is a site I love visiting and fantasizing 😍

[@colinme2672]

Actually the main dealer for these amps in the UK is Kevin Scott of Definitive Audio Nottingham.

[@chrisvinicombe9947]

@@colinme2672 thanks for the info I'll look definitive audio up 👍

[@edmaster3147]

I love Herb seeing so passionate. Audionote is very special :) I guess he is spot on. Tubes, tape, horns, quality and simplicity....

[@markmaloof2984]

Herb Is one of my favorite people in audio. Always a pleasure to hear him talk, Especially about one of the greatest amplifiers in the world.

[@markscott7583]

Love your videos with Herb, he is knowledgeable and charming.

[@anybodyelseNOW]

Super nice interview

[@seandoherty925]

Nice to remember the old days and the things we did and marvel at where we got the stamina. I heard this amp at a hifi show in the early 90's through horn loaded speakers and was equally awestruck at the scale and life-like quality of the sound and the idea that someone would spend what was then the price of a house on an integrated amplifier. I've never heard anything sound so good though.

[@khalid969]

I could watch these two all day long.

[@motorradmike]

Awesome interview, Steve. Another one for the archives.

[@lynnpoole7830]

Thanks Steve. Great vid. BTW I still have an 82 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbo (diesel). Great cars. I'm planning on getting a Japanese tube amp kit soon. Relevant vid.

[@lorigetz4489]

I can listen to Steve or Herb all day

[@bradknight2618]

All heart! That’s why we love you guys!♥️

[@WS-gs6sf]

In the nineties I built Herb's Flesh & Blood 300B with 6SN7GTB. Great fun and I'm alive still... lethal DC

[@antonyward9060]

them capacitors are beasts too hold DC

[@WS-gs6sf]

@@antonyward9060 As I recall they were 47 uF Blackgates with the notion that they were on the lean side, but the big resistor and huge source (giant mains, giant reactor, JAN 5u4) would facilitate rapid recovery. And since I ONLY listened to lute music it was never an issue.

[@davepastern]

@Walter Sims - pretty much all valve amps have lethal vDC.

[@WS-gs6sf]

@@davepastern there's pretty much and then there's dead. At least I think so

[@davepastern]

@@WS-gs6sf vDC is never good. Ever. Even in lower voltages.

[@rexoliver7780]

Those tubes in the amp-make me of the old CEMCO 500Kw SW transmitters that used similar 845 tubes as modulators.4 as cathode follower stages that drove a special 1 primary winding and 3 sec windings that fed the 3 stage RF power amp-250Kw. During the last years those transmitters were used the 845 tubescame from a high end tube supplier.Those were the first salvaged!The 845 tubes were driven by a 2 stage 807 amp.The supply voltages were 1200V and 3Kv-one of the 807 stages were fed from that supply!!the 1200V supply fed the first stage and the 4 845 tubes.Loved their glow when that Tx was on air!-and the plates glowed slightly.

[@bolsesolheim7469]

I USE THE 845 every day ON MY NAGRAS VPA THE SVETLANAS 572B ARE VASTLY SUPERIOR! SEND ME AN EMAIL REX [e-mail]

[@ninovasev]

I liked this video so much Steve,....these words LSD glowing sparkles around instruments...I like his love for AUDIO

[@jamesrobinson9176]

Some day I'm going to find an audio note in an estate sale. And some NOS tubes too! 😁😎

[@dorkvader5332]

Love listening to Herb and reading his articles in Stereophile.

[@zeppelin2900]

I never get tired listening to these 2 guys A wealth of audio knowledge and automobile knowledge too LOL

[@nathanbell6962]

That's hifi on Mars, if I could listen to it one day my life would be different

[@pauldemara7633]

Love the story telling. Herb has some great one liners. IMHO, best line "Maybe it just took a while".

[@ralphfurley123]

Great stories!!! Love listening to this!!! ☮️🖖🏽

[@stevenhoman2253]

Very impressive unit. I believe I have heard one of these imported privately into Australia. Those old Mercedes were great too, unlike the new ones. I'm technologically nostalgic now.

[@Maquis1943]

...and Mike Trei is still driving an '80s Mercedes!

[@eduardoescobar2573]

That halo could have been something else, Herb you are a great human being!!!

[@marknachmias423]

I reacall visitig Mike Trei at his place and listening to Avante Guard Trio speakers and Audio Note electronics (although I can’t remember exactly which). It was all analog, of course, and Mike’s place was literally filled with records. Then we went to Mike’s garage aroung to corner to look at his vintage Mercedes. I still lust after an Ongaku.

[@Geoduck.]

Too short! What a wonderful story teller you both are...

[@ikemi1]

I remember a guy here in Australia back in the nineties bought an Audio Note Ongaku and it was on the nightly news.

[@paulkennelly9061]

A very “fun” episode!! Well done, Steve!

[@joyfulexistence]

I too love these little conversations between old friends. Thank you. It would be fun to watch all of the older Stereophile crew (You two, Art and Mikey) sitting around a campfire shooting the shit. JA could measure it.

[@neilwhiteaker53]

Outstanding interview!

[@gregoryjolly1734]

This was A great interview Steve. It's to bad that Don Garber isn't with us anymore, he would be A great guest for your channel also. keep doing your thing Steve!

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

gregory jolly Yes, Don really was super nice guy. I miss him.

[@gregoryjolly1734]

Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac Yes he was,he built 2 Fi-X 2a3 amps for me that he paralled the 2a3's of both amps for around a whopping around 5-6 watts! I still use them with my Fostex speakers in Medallion Cabinets. Take care.

[@tombesson7293]

When you referenced the second Japanese invasion, I was reminded of the Jerry Della Famina advertising quote, "From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor". Glad they are now our friends.

[@khalid969]

Love these guys. Absolute legends.

[@ggc7318]

Very cool amp.

[@7karlheinz]

For me, my audio world changed with the Sound Practices magazine and specifically, Herb's articles. I even had a radio show called Triodes, Horns, and Recorded Improvisations.

[@mikeh2520]

I enjoyed seeing Herb in this video. I Still love his Sound Practices articles. Interesting stories here. Quite a treat. Regarding value appreciation of the Ongaku: think of all those Black Gate WKZ capacitors that are stuffed into the underside of this amp. There are a bunch there from the picture that I once saw. WKZs that were $140 dollars new in 2002 are being bought in the used market on ebay for around $1000.

[@dainawilburn2390]

That is wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

[@johnm3152]

Herb is way cool. Stereophile has been my hi-fi bible for decades. My gateway publication was Stereo Review.

[@tuneinat]

It would b nice to give an audio presentation of these wonderful music pieces when u conduct interviews

[@stevenhoman2253]

That amp would quadruple my power bill. Worth it.

[@michaelzoppo534]

Herb is one of my favorite people. Full stop.

[@TheFidop]

I remember the reviews of those very expensive products and they also had an integrated amp I remember parallel single ended for a more reasonable 2 grand. Also they had a recommended pair of speakers that were inexpensive.

[@TEST-rt1ui]

i like it when steve and herb talk, it just has to be HIFI related

[@KindOfBird]

Wow. Great video. That amp!!!

[@brandonburr4900]

Please more videos of herb and all his stories and more from rhapsody 😀

[@nicholascremato]

On my last job there were some older guys that formed a club for Benz's from the 60's and early 70's and they parked together in the lot. They used to get new leather interiors from JC Whitney.

[@LorenzoNW]

"LSD filigree" ... I call it the magic zone. It took a long time and a lot of savings to get to that space. High-end audio gets crazy expensive. It's not just about the components; It's the cables, component platforms, power conditioning, and tweaks. And if any one thing is off, the magic can disappear. Fortunately I don't have to deal with room acoustics since my system used just for headphones. I always wanted to hear Audio Note with something like the Avantgarde speakers. Never had any luck with silver cables but I'm sure Audio Note has it worked out.

[@SalamiNugget]

absolute madman

[@robinpiccard886]

He designs and builds

[@djurkk1]

No name AN 2a3 amp is Neiro (with copper version trafos) or Kageki (silver).

[@rhapsodymusiccinema4985]

You would think that, except this is a Kyoeun. It has Kyoeun engraved on the back of the amp. We verified it with the serial number with Masaki san at Kondo. The Kyoeun was a special version that had both input and output transformers wound with silver.

[@djurkk1]

@@rhapsodymusiccinema4985 , Tnx for your answer. I didnt know for that amp.

[@rhapsodymusiccinema4985]

@@djurkk1 Here is the funny part, Herb and Mike both swear that they delivered a Neiro to this customer. Somehow the customer probably ordered a Neiro and somehow they were shipped the Kyoeun instead, but you wouldn't notice it unless you saw the engraving on the back of the amp. I had to ck with Kondo to find out what the Kyoeun even was , as Herb and Mike say they never heard that name before. That's when I found out that this model which is identified by the serial number and the Kyoeun engraving had both the in and out T's in silver. All makes for an interesting story.

[@djurkk1]

@@rhapsodymusiccinema4985 , If I understand you, Herbs and Mikes customer get a good job. :)

[@rhapsodymusiccinema4985]

@@djurkk1 Exactly.

[@jamesong9408]

Very cool video.

[@1999zrx1100]

Thanks for this...Classic!

[@benjamin5909]

You should do sound clips. That would make a world of difference in these reviews. Believe it or not with a decent stereo or headphones you can hear differences in sound.

[@Watcher4111]

Yeah right lol

[@yannick930]

Thanks Steve for leaking the price 👍🏾 at least I know I have to become rich now :)

[@heribertovalentin1563]

Great stories !!! Great tube amp....

[@jonwatchesnyc8777]

So charming. What amazing stories and memories (and an expert’s touch by Steve in directing the conversation)

[@robertwebster8615]

Look at that monster Jadis Amp!!! :)

[@alexanderbelov6892]

11:33 CDs with too much distortion were probably contaminated. CD owners rely on player capabilities to correct reading errors due to Reed-Solomon correction coding on CDs. But it does not work on prolonged contaminant, non-radial soft scratches, so on. So everyone should treat CDs surface as laboratory glass, while something bad happens itself unnoticed. Only in this case Reed-Solomon helps.

[@socksumi]

There was a Canadian built version of the Ongaku that I heard made for Audionote UK. One of the best I ever heard. Not sure if it was accurate but it sure gave the illusion of sounding much more lifelike.

[@Gez492]

There was a guy in Canada making copies. They were never built for Audionote UK. I seriously doubt he had access to the level of components that Audionote UK use. As far as I know its only ever been built in Japan and UK and now exclusively in the UK using UK manufactured Caps, Reisistors, hand drawn and wound Silver wire transformers Audionote Sussex UK also gave the largest compliment of carefully selected New and New Old Stock tubes to be found anywhere.

[@socksumi]

@@Gez492 Audionote UK had in the early 2000s a design & manufacturing plant in Canada located in west end of Toronto. Run by one man, he built prototypes and various designs like DACs and amplifiers for Audionote UK including the aforementioned Ongaku but with small changes to the driver section. It was very well received by Peter Quartrup and Audionote UK and slated to sell for $18K at the time. It's parts were excellent but not over the top like the Japanese version. Not long after that the Canadian plant folded and he moved to England to work for Audionote there. I'm not sure what happened to the Canadian designed products after that.

[@Vidar.m]

Could listen to you guys talking for hours. 😂

[@nicholascremato]

Life would be worthless without fond memories.

[@DetroitVinylRob]

Steve and Herb, two rare birds of audiophilia, sing the praises of Hiroyasu Kondo-San's silver mastery. Turn on, tune in, and drop out!

[@bolsesolheim7469]

HIROYASU WAS SO FRIENDLY WITH, ME ;HE DIED SUDDENLY IN LAS VEGAS I MISS HIM!!!!!

[@r423sdex]

So what your saying is audio amps have not progressed.

[@bolsesolheim7469]

WESTERN ELECTRIC 91 A NEED I SAY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@stimpy1226]

Is a glow similar to air around the instruments?

[@hans-henrikrasmussen6839]

If It's the PSET 2a3 of the same vintage it most certainly is the copper AN/ Kondo "Neiro". I had the good fortune of working as "wing man" to Mr. Q. for some of that period, living with the entire line up on a daily basis. (I've known Peter back since 1978. And first worked with him in DK before him moving permanently to the UK.) This copper version "Neiro" was arguably thee sweeters sounding AN/ Kondo amp of the bunch then. With the most spectacular soundstage you could litterally step into and walk around in. Alas. It was/ is perhaps too polite sounding over e.g. the AN-E's. Not quite enough oompf. Cheers from DK

[@dogpoundoatthetube7756]

Love your channel, but if Herb started one of his own it would be a run for the money...

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Dogpoundo at the tube yes it would!

[@MrStingraybernard]

Another great 1

[@Waitaminutesilly]

Love Herb!

[@antonyward9060]

1980,s to 1990,s, Japanese audio was awesome.

[@MrJamescord]

antony ward I only knew a little about Luxman and believed it was the top brand, great to keep learning.

[@Watcher4111]

That's why I have separates pioneer elite set from 80s

[@andershammer9307]

When I worked at a high-end stereo store some people would bring in single ended tube amps and they just didn't sound right to me. I heard an integrated amp with 300B outputs and it sounded terrible but CD was the source. I own a lot of tube amps now but almost none are single ended outputs.

[@Thereznap]

two great gentlemen. thank you both for the nice chat. BTW. anyone knows what those speakers are @11:30 on the right side of the screen right next to the Wilson's ??. thank you in advance.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

They're Goldmund speakers

[@Thereznap]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac thank you so much for your reply.