I received an email from Kim Dao, the founder and current owner of Dakiom Audio Products a few months ago asking if Soundreproduction.com would be interested in writing a review on the Dakiom Audio Feedback Stabilizers.  Without hesitation I agreed to write a review of the A103 and R103 stabilizers.  This review will focus on the A103.

Editor’s note:  I have had limited time recently to write a comprehensive review of the A103, therefore I am publishing a condensed version of the original review I had hoped to publish in December 2003. 

Product Description:

Dakiom Feedback Stabilizers are patented circuits designed to restrict positive feedback from becoming uncontrollable. The circuit senses the presence of high frequency oscillations and then switches on or off appropriate components to adapt the circuit characteristics away from the positive feedback conditions for that frequency. Therefore, any newly appearing oscillation can only reach a certain level of interference before dissipating in a short time; this is too brief to maintain any sustained distortions. Dakiom Stabilizers help your audio system follow the nuances of music the way shock absorbers help you steer your car over rough pavement.

A103: Connects to the speaker outputs of the amplifier or receiver in your home or car.

The following system was used throughout the evaluation:

Denon 3300 A/V Receiver
Sony DVD535 Player
Mirage OM-10 Front Mains
Mirage OM-C3 Center Channel
Boston Acoustics Micro 80 Surrounds
Mirage BPS-150 Subwoofer

I feel that this evaluation system best represents the “average” home theater system used by most home theater/audio enthusiasts.

Build Quality:

The A103 is very well built.  The A103 includes tinned wire ends and easy to use cable splicing clips.  One recommendation I have is the A103 cable should (as an option) be terminated with gold plated pins rather than using tinned ends.  The tinned ends break down (separate) after installing/de-installing a few times making it difficult to insert into a binding post shared with another cable. 

The A103 uses a heavy-duty enclosure which is sealed in such a way that it prevents users from gaining access to the inside (what are they trying to hide?? J )

Build Quality Rating: 9/10 (Excellent)

Installation:

Installation is simple and requires only a few minutes per component.  A detailed description of the A103 installation can be found at: 

http://www.dakiom.com/how_to_install.htm  

Installation rating: 10/10 (Outstanding)

Performance:

I started the evaluation by playing Anna Caram, Rio After Dark (Chesky JD028) track 1 in 2 channel mode without the A103 installed.  After listening for a while I installed the A103 and immediately noticed a difference in the sonic performance of my system.  The bass was noticeably tighter and the sound stage took on a new presence.  It was wider and more open feeling drawing me into the music like never before with this system.  My wife (not an audiophile, but music lover) observed the same soundstage improvement with the A103.  The delicate sound of Anna’s voice was more distinct, and found its place deep in the sound stage.  Detail from the acoustic guitar, bass, saxophone and percussion was greatly enhanced with the A103.  The difference between the A103 installed and without is far from subtle.

After listening to several styles of music with the single A103 and becoming increasingly impressed with the product I started performing A/B tests with and without the stabilizer.  The noticeable improvement in sound was evident each time the A103 was installed.   I played all styles of music including large classical ensemble, small jazz combo, big band, contemporary jazz, soft rock, hard rock, heavy metal and country. 

After listening for a while in 2 channel mode, I installed the A103 to the center channel and rear channel outputs of the Denon 3300.  I have had this setup installed for approximately 2 months and have watched close to 25 movies with the A103’s.  Improvement to the rear channels is hard to quantify given the low level effects output in Dolby Digital mode.  The center channel dialog was better defined with the A103 installed and exhibited less fatigue when the output level was increased.  Personally, I feel the biggest, most noticeable difference is evident with the A103 installed at the front left and right channel outputs. 

Performance Rating: 9/10 (Excellent)

Final Thoughts:

For $98.50 (current price as of 01/08/2004) per A103 you can’t go wrong.  I suggest starting off with a single A103 for the front left and right channel outputs of your receiver or amplifier.  Listen for the change in bass response which will be tighter and better defined.  Also take note of the change in the soundstage as it becomes increasingly open and spacious.  The A103 made listening to older, overplayed CD’s fun again!

For more information visit www.dakiom.com .

Happy Listening!

Shane Mattson
Founder, Soundreproduction.com