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Thread: This guide is to help you build the DOUK KSL-M77 Preamp clone kit.

  1. #11
    Join Date: Apr 2008

    Location: Cheshire, UK

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    I'm Clive.

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    Quote Originally Posted by montesquieu View Post
    Anyone else feel a bit uneasy about branded knock-offs like this?
    I do feel uneasy but this is tempered by the excruciating price of the original in this case. At least it's not going take sales from AN Japan. The board originates from a part of the world with a different attitude to IPR. Morally yes I'm conflicted but I'm interested too...and as has been said a real M77 will no doubt sound different. If I'm going to expend moral outrage I suppose I'll reserve it for climate change, plastic, even Brexit (all conversations have to come back to this nowadays).

    I suppose I'm 25% uneasy, 75% interested.
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  2. #12
    Bigman80 Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by montesquieu View Post
    Anyone else feel a bit uneasy about branded knock-offs like this?
    Nope

    I think for DIY, as long as its stated as a replica, it's ok.

  3. #13
    montesquieu Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigman80 View Post
    Nope

    I think for DIY, as long as its stated as a replica, it's ok.
    Cloning circuits has a long history going back to the dawn of hifi and there certainly seem to be a few versions of the M77 circuit out there and have been for a long time. It's kind of hard to argue that's a big issue especially as it's never going to sound like a Kondo with its hand-rolled capacitors and silver hand-wound transformers. (Hearing the M77 in my setup was a transcendent experience for me and changed my view about preamps fundamentally).

    But having built the circuit, why not just put it in a standard case? Why clone the case if it's not the intention to mislead in some way?

    In my view it's like fitting Toyota with Ferrari badges and a bodykit. What's wrong with admitting it's a Toyota?

  4. #14
    Join Date: Aug 2011

    Location: Midlands

    Posts: 185
    I'm Wayne.

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    Great idea for a thread, nice work.

    I heard this one a while back - https://audioabattoir.com/t/build-your-own-747/673

    Suffice to say it was an uncomfortable couple of hours for the three Kondo M7 owners in the room...

  5. #15
    montesquieu Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by crimsondonkey View Post
    Great idea for a thread, nice work.

    I heard this one a while back - https://audioabattoir.com/t/build-your-own-747/673

    Suffice to say it was an uncomfortable couple of hours for the three Kondo M7 owners in the room...

    Never been a fan of the M7. The M77 is in a different league entirely (sonically and indeed in terms of its price!).

  6. #16
    Join Date: Aug 2011

    Location: Midlands

    Posts: 185
    I'm Wayne.

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    Quote Originally Posted by montesquieu View Post
    Never been a fan of the M7
    Nor me. Its an effects box, which if you like that lovely golden Kondo sheen on all your music , is great - but I don't particularly.

    The Nobsound M77 as a number of people noted, was somewhere between the M7 and M77 and erred towards the M77 in terms of character.

  7. #17
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Gerrards Cross

    Posts: 2,991
    I'm Tony.

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    Agree 100% with the Donkey,

    Have both a M7 and M77 neither of them really deliver involving music, a beautiful soundscape polished within an inch or its life indeed yes, musical er...NO

    Why not have a spot of DIY if you can match 80% of the performance for 10% price go for it, you will also see many areas of improvement you can perform whilst you are in the build and finial running stage.

    But that was the fad a few years ago KONDO, humm these days you can obtain far superior sounding products for less imho

    Also good write up on the build, nice to see some one having a go at a project well
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  8. #18
    Bigman80 Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by montesquieu View Post
    Cloning circuits has a long history going back to the dawn of hifi and there certainly seem to be a few versions of the M77 circuit out there and have been for a long time. It's kind of hard to argue that's a big issue especially as it's never going to sound like a Kondo with its hand-rolled capacitors and silver hand-wound transformers. (Hearing the M77 in my setup was a transcendent experience for me and changed my view about preamps fundamentally).

    But having built the circuit, why not just put it in a standard case? Why clone the case if it's not the intention to mislead in some way?

    In my view it's like fitting Toyota with Ferrari badges and a bodykit. What's wrong with admitting it's a Toyota?
    Well, that's kind of my point, Tom. As long as the article is clearly defined as a Knock-off, where's the harm.

    I've seen loads of folks buying up the knock-off EAR834 clone boards and telling folks they have an EAR834, when they don't.

    To OP is going for the same case as the PCB out of pride in his work most probably rather than to deceive and that's very important in my view of the subject.

    He's been up front about it.

  9. #19
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

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    I'm Andrew.

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    Well I own a fairly well sorted EAR 834 clone. I only originally bought the thing for a bit of fun but I went in balls deep and ended up with something that sounds pretty half decent. TBH I wanted a MM phonostage for my then Lenco 75 project which utilised a highly modded Shure M55E cart, overall the EAR sounded very very good. Currently it resides in my Garrard 301 / Valve system. It occasionally gets fired for a but of fun. I won't be selling it but I've no doubt that an original EAR 834 probably sounds miles better. There are umpteen threads comparing some of these clones, some appear to be better than others, I suppose like most things you'll have to do your own research.
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  10. #20
    montesquieu Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigman80 View Post
    Well, that's kind of my point, Tom. As long as the article is clearly defined as a Knock-off, where's the harm.

    I've seen loads of folks buying up the knock-off EAR834 clone boards and telling folks they have an EAR834, when they don't.

    To OP is going for the same case as the PCB out of pride in his work most probably rather than to deceive and that's very important in my view of the subject.

    He's been up front about it.
    It's still a Toyota with Ferrari badges on.

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