6/4/2023 0 Comments Kanso audio furniture![]() ![]() This was indeed a fitting tribute to one of high-end audio's Founding Fathers. That glistening shimmering start wafted around the smallish hotel room in perfect proportion, courtesy of what Haniwa calls their "Real 3D Audio" approach. I chose to hear the opening of the Living Stereo Heifetz/Sibelius Violin Concerto. I was asked to pick a recording from those arrayed around the room, and heard digital playback of a direct transfer of an LP from Pearson's collection. The speakers are smallish sealed cubes featuring 5.5" magnesium-alloy cones. This analog signal, or digital ones, can be routed into the Haniwa HDCA01 Digital Control Amplifier and HSP1CO6 loudspeakers ($14,000/system for both amp and loudspeakers). (I don't care for the term "ripped", as it reminds me too much of digital thievery.) Haniwa offers an all-in system, starting with their own phono cartridge, the Haniwa HCTR01 ($5000), and the Haniwa Phono Equalizer Amplifier HEQAO2 ($5000). Kubo provided digital playback of several of the actual LPs from Harry Pearson's collection. Kubo was here to present his company's products marketed under the Haniwa brandname. Tetsuo Kubo, designer and president/CEO of the Kubotek Corporation, based in Osaka, Japan. It was a bit like viewing hours at a funeral parlor, but instead of a casket, arranged around the room were a selection of the legendary Harry Pearson's actual 3000-LP collection, which he bequeathed complete to Dr. I had seen information in advance, but it took me a moment to realize that I had walked into a unique event. Kubotek/Haniwa were hosting the "Harry Pearson Memorial Concert" in Room 1122 of the Denver Marriott. Shown here with a VPI turntable and Belles Audio electronics, just for the hell of it.There are rooms at hi-fi shows, and then there are rooms. Testimonial!Īudio racks, amp stands, and wall-mounted turntable shelves are all part of the portfolio. And yes, he’s really sitting on that thing. This is Aaron resting, after a rather tiring day lugging almost a thousand pounds (!) of shelving into the hotel, sipping a beer and copping a squat on a freely dangling shelf. Last bit - these shelves are not only well-thought-out and stoutly made, they’re robustly useful. I really like the “natural” walnut finish on the pieces up in the Rollo Audio room (photos at the bottom), but for those of you into the fanciful extremes, ask Aaron about “mappa burl”. ![]() I have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing this stuff in my man cave, but I’m seriously considering it. Again, this is hand-made furniture, not some mass-produced labor-abused slap-dash plank, so set your expectations accordingly. ![]() Prices are pretty much in line with the level of materials and finish (i.e., not inexpensive). ![]() Wanna system that can support your 120″ 4k TV and three 200lb amplifiers? Ask and it’s yours. Wanna match the shelves to your speakers? No problem. Wanna match the sides and top? No problem. The options available are about what you’d expect from a fully custom production schedule - if you can dream it up, Aaron can make it. The resulting shelf weighs approximately as much as a battleship. Icing on the cake? The shelf can then sport a top layer veneer, you know, in case you want to bling it up a bit. You wouldn’t notice, for example, that each shelf is a laminate of several different materials, “chosen for their levels of hardness, density and anti-resonance characteristics” with elastomers used between the layers. Aaron Hoffman’s Kanso Audio Furniture may well be the most high-tech audio racks out there. ![]()
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