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Reimyo KAP-777 and CAT-777 MK2 test Stereo Times (USA) |
 I consider myself fortunate to attend Munich's High End show last spring. Of all the shows now available, I regard Munich's as the grandest of them all. In addition to all the new toys that become available each May, it's also the perfect to travel and reconnect with old friends. Of the many rooms that really intrigue me each time I visit is the Combak/Reimyo room. I was always a great fan and a onetime owner of their CDP-777 CD player.
At last year's event, Reimyo Chief Mr. Kazuo Kiuchi demonstrated some outstanding sound using all Combak/Reimyo products. However, I was shocked to see a solid-state amplifier in his set-up rather than the usual 300B tube amplifier. Apparently, Kiuchi felt that given the difficulty of getting NOS tubes, he could produce more power and better sound with a solid-state design. The new KAP-777 stereo power amplifier powered the system effortlessly with great authority and delicacy. I really enjoyed the sound of the KAP-777 and wanted to explore it more fully in my own listening environment. I kept in touch with Kiuchi in hopes of possibly doing a review in the near future. In August of 2011, I finally received an email from Kiuchi requesting I review his newest offerings in the Reimyo KAP-777 amplifier and CAT-777 MKII preamp - as a system. My response, of course, was an enthusiastic “Yes!”
Sometime in late last fall, a FedEx delivery arrived with two big boxes. The KAP-777 and CAT-777 MKII arrived neatly tucked inside double corrugated boxes. The Reimyo KAP-777 and CAT-777 MKII would mainly go up against my long-time reference Karan Acoustics KSA 450 and reference dual mono MKII preamplifier. For cabling, I used Jorma Design Unity speaker and interconnects throughout the review process.
cały test: LINK
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