darTZeel NHB-468
What’s the point of reviewing a pair of monoblock amplifiers that costs more than most people spend on two or even several cars—and far more than most audiophiles spend on an entire music system? That’s a good question. Another is: Why should I write this review when, just seven years ago, I reviewed a pair of darTZeel monoblocks that look exactly like this new pair?
I realize that products such as the darTZeel NHB-468 ($170,000) are for the very few, but the very few include far more people throughout the world than you may realize—people who can afford such costly audio products and who do buy them. I know, because in my travels I’ve met a lot of them, and they deserve to read reviews of products they’re considering buying—things most of us can only dream of owning.
What also makes this product worth reading about is that the man who created it admits to being directed more by sound than by measurements—within the boundaries of competent electronic engineering, of course. That takes him to some unusual, thought-provoking places where the measurements-oriented people often don’t go …
Description
Last spring, before the High End 2019 show in Munich, I made a side trip to Switzerland to tour darTZeel’s factory and machine shop,1 and to visit the listening room of founder and chief designer Hervé Delétraz. His speakers of choice are Klipschorns: not at all what I was expecting—I’m not sure what I did expect from the man behind this quirky brand—nor was the sound what I thought I’d hear.
In that system, driven by either the darTZeel NHB 108 Model 2 amplifier or the new 468 monoblocks, those corner horns delivered a steady stream of “I’ve never before heard!” revelations from every high-resolution file and vinyl record we played. I came away understanding Delétraz’s transducer choice. On the other hand, the obviously bumpy frequency balance, lack of deep bass, and “last century” spatial presentation—like listening through an open window—left a great deal to be desired compared to what I hear at home. “You can’t have everything—either at home or in the concert hall,” I thought while listening at Hervé’s, though what these speakers did correctly kept me seated for quite a long time!
