Combak Reimyo ALS-777 Review on “Hi Fi Review” March 2002 – Sam Ho

The famous Japanese sound tuning specialist, Mr. Kiuchi, is getting well-known in the Hongkong Hi End Audio market, and his products marketed under his company namely Combak, are well recognized by the audiophiles (you’ll love it after you have tried it!) I remember that many years ago when the HK economy was so strong, Micromega D/A Converter and CD Transport represented by Golden String in HK were selling so well and almost every customer who bought the Micromega D/A or CD, and Jeff Rowland Preamp, will have to buy a set of the Combak Cherrywood tuning spikes. It was getting popular by the words of mouth amongst the audiophiles and it was how we got to know about Combak as it was a very hot tuning device in the audio market at that time.

Time flies! The Combak Cherrywood tuning spikes has gone through several generations of improvement, but it is still the hottest tuning device in our market nowadays and audiophiles keep buying it (TU-210ZX Golden Toe is the current version). Also, Combak has offered a lot more other tuning devices for different applications.

Moreover, Combak has introduced a series of audio cables under the brand name of Harmonix. Its HS101 speaker cable is the favorite at the magazine house. A few of our reviewers, including me, Winson Ng, and Mr. Chung has bought the HS101 speaker cables ourselves to connect our PMC MB-1, PMC-IB-1 and HGP Ronda Speakers respectively. We all love the HS101 speaker cable very much as it is truly a very balance sounding speaker cable available at good price. The more we listen to it, the more we love it. Another one of our reviewer, Dave Ng, will use this HS101 speaker cable as his reference speaker cable whenever he does his listening at our big listening room.

About 3 years ago, Combak has launched a very good D/A Converter DAP-777 under the brand name of Reimyo, and I heard that this D/A converter has been selling quite good in the U.S. market. In January 2001 at the CES, I listened to a new Reimyo product which is a 300B valve amplifier retailing above HK100,000.- at the Combak booth. The Reimyo ALS-777 AC Line Stabilizer is recently launched by Combak, at the net retail price of HK$23,000.- in Hong Kong, and it is the third Reimyo product after the DAP-777 and PAT-777 (300B valve amp).

In the recent year, good quality powercord and power conditioner are getting very popular in the Hongkong Hi-End society. Our magazine house has done many test/listening on these products too, as we do believe that we need good power supply to get good sound. About 10 years ago, we provided the service of installing the Isoclean isolation power filter and conditioner to our readers. Today, the Isoclean isolation power filter and conditioner has gone through its 7th generation of improvement. This isolation power filter and conditioner is now come in a copper chassis, and it is installed at all of our listening rooms, including the big room & small rooms. Our contributing reviewers, Wilson Ng, Uncle Chow, and I have also installed 2pcs. 3KVA Isoclean power filter connecting in parallel, in our home. Our teacher, Uncle Ray, has installed 12 pieces of these power filters!

In fact, in my home, I have also got an indispensable Transparent Audio Power Isolator XL Power Isolator connected in between the pair of Isoclean and a Furutech RTP-6 6-Sockets Power Distributor.

I enjoy using the power filters/conditioners because you can hear much better sound as well as see much better picture on my large screen, if the filter/conditioner really works. Thus, I am always willing to test-try any type of power filters/conditioners. When I find something really work and productive, I, myself, will buy it and then make a report to readers. This Reimyo ALS-777 really works well and I have to buy it for my own personal use at my home even though I had already bought the Transparent Audio PIXL, Furutech RTP-6 and Isoclean.

Combak named the Reimyo ALS-777 to be AC Line Power Stabilizer. As quoted by Combak, “Most of the power conditioners available in the market nowadays are transformer or filter types. Although they do provide a clean sound, (reduce noise and improve the clarity), it has also caused a loss in energy, realism and musicality.” Moreover, it has added some coloration, subject to the characteristic of the electronic components.

The ALS-777 incorporates American and Japanese advanced technologies One of the technologies, Quantum Resonance Technology, which is developed by an American company namely Quantum Product, Inc., is an advanced new technology based on research into the random behavior of photons and electrons in AC electricity and on techniques for achieving more ordered behavior.

QRT does not incorporate any transformer or filter. It’s a material treatment system that employs electromagnetic field theory to correct the erratic behavior of AC current and thereby enhance the transfer characteristics of conductive materials. ALS-777 utilizes built-in micro processing chip to conduct the QRT. It has been assigned certain formula frequency to regulate the AC power.

ALS-777 is also designed to be completely parallel to the AC line, including the six medical grade sockets (produced by FIM). It can handle the total power of 15A/220VAC continuously. Thus, it’ll not cause any loss in energy and realism of a hi-end audio system, and also it’ll not add any coloration. There is a meter on the front panel indicating the power consumption. All internal wiring features ultra-low transient noise and high conductivity.

As mentioned in the catalogue, the ALS-777 can improve the sound quality and video picture dramatically. It provides a smoother, more organic, more elegant sound. It can expand the dynamic range, improve the imaging, and offer good separation between the vocal and musical instruments. It is just like to make the music to be “lively”. It can also improve the color and image of the video picture to be more 3D feel.

After a month’s detailed test and AB comparison (with the Furutech RTP-6 Power Distributor), I have to completely agree with Combak’s view. Reimyo ALS-777 surely improves the overall sound quality of my hi-fi system as well as the picture quality of my video projector. It really works, and no bullshit!

I tested it with a CD namely “**********“ (Chinese music) which I have listened all the times. The Reimyo ALS-777 obviously provides “energy” to the sound, which made me feel the realism, musicality, and live. Listening to the music, the drum obviously sounds much powerful, solid and deep in bass. You can almost feel the tension on the surface of the drum becomes more tense and the sound of the drum become more lively and powerful. You can also feel the metallic sound from the gongs and its detail. The powerful drumming sounds like the explosion of the fireworks. It is so astonishing! You can tell that the energy, transient and dynamic are dramatically enhanced to be so lively and realism. You can almost feel as if the musicians were playing in front of you and the sound reproduction of each musical instruments are so real and accurate. The recorder is loud and very clear, the drum is powerful and deep in bass, the cello is deeper and more controllable, the strings of the Pei-per seem to be so tight that the sound is crispy clear and smooth. Both the male and female vocals are very elegant with feelings that you can hear their breathings and their grinding teeth.

When I playback the romance songs, “Camomile”, the endings of the vocal is so much detailed. Its sweet and elegant vocal with so much feelings without any coloration. It makes you feel so relax and comfortable. The guitar sounds so lively and clear. The imaging is so precise and accurate than before.

Reimyo ALS-777 surely does not have its characteristics added to the sound system, and it is exactly what most audiophiles need. I personally do not like any power conditioners which provide a very strong character to the sound. Also, I can assure you that the ALS-777 will enhance the reproduction of every recording to be more lively and realism. It will not hide its shorts or exaggerate its longs and it is exactly what I need. I have already experienced its dynamic and realism in playing the drums & gongs. Even though I playback an old recording in 1962, Peter, Paul & Mary, I also found that it helped to sound so musical, organic and elegant. Thus, I am sure that every audiophile will find that the ALS-777 can definitely improves the sound quality of any audio systems.

Any of the HiVi fans having a DLP, LCD or CRT video projector will definitely appreciate the ALS-777 with applause on how much it can enhance the picture quality. I plugged the Furutech RTP-6 Power Distributor to the last AC socket of the ALS-777 so as to plug in my Sony G70 CRT video projector, Krell DVD player, Mitsubishi D2001 Component Video to RGB converter and the JVC D-VHS digital VCR, with 4 pcs. big Acrotec 4020 6N powercord to the RTP-6. To playback 1080i high resolution “U571” D-VHS video tape, the scene of stealing the summarine in the middle of the night, ALS-777 enhances the clarity of the picture quality so that you can see it very clearly even in the dark. The imaging is so much clearer, the color is so much sharper , you can see so much more details on the 110 inch wide screen.

I sincerely and strongly recommend this Reimyo ALS-777 AC Line Stabilizer to all the HiFi and HiVi fans who demand high quality of sound and picture.

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