Interesting. The Maria is an integrated (Pre, DAC, Amp and Headphone amp).
The specs for the DAC are thin at best. I don’t see any mention of DSD.
I was just going to ask that. I am sure the analog side of it is great, but was left wanting more on how the DAC works.
Has anyone laid ears on this gear? I remember poking around on the website not too long ago and losing interest because, at that time, there was a single showroom in Venice. Looks like there might be a showroom now in Santa Rosa (nowhere close to me in Illinois). I don’t see an audition at home option, either.
I’ve been to Lone Crow Audio, in Santa Rosa, CA, where you can hear and see the Daniel Hertz gear. It is bespoke gear, as you would expect, but its their speakers that really impressed me. I’m actually considering the M7 if an audition can be arranged prior to the end of my FR20 demo period, although I’m skeptical it would be an upgrade at this point.
The gear is also setup and designed to be used as an all-Daniel Hertz system. He makes bare-wire speaker cables that the demo room has to use for all of the hookups. I will say that the top-of-the-line amp/speaker combo was really really impressive in a full-scale cost-no-object kind of way. The little bookshelf speakers with horn tweeters were surprisingly dynamic for the size.
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If anyone is interested, I will be returning my FR20s and purchasing Daniel Hertz M7 speakers – they are a dramatically different design and commensurate different listening experience. Also more $$$!
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If anyone is interested in the Magic Cat technology, its worthwhile to take a look at the patent. In essence what they are offering is a powerDAC DSP chip where he is using selective injected EQ and reverberation to improve their listener’s experience. IMO the basis of the improvement claim is biofeedback before/after readings. I read the “original music fill in” claim as implemented by adding small amounts of reverb to the signal. I’ll admit I have not heard the results as yet though have been impressed by his creativity and resilience since I was an ML dealer in the late 1970’s.
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I became aware of Daniel Hertz by way of a Steve Huff Eva S50 system review a few weeks back. I’ve not watched a lot of his reviews but enough to know that he’s not often as effusive in his praise as he was in describing the Eva S50, which he ended up buying. The review has since moved to his premium channel but you can still catch a flavor of it in this system comparison review
I have to admit it piqued my interest in ways nothing has recently, which is a bit surprising. It’s the antithesis of what I set out to build - that carefully curated assemblage of synergistic bliss. But having now gotten reasonably deep into it and recognizing how far I’ve yet to go, I’m coming to understand my temperament isn’t well suited to the journey. I’ve got the destination in mind and am under no illusion that I can somehow best the best. So yeah, this Eva S50 is really compelling, except for the Maria being a $10K amp w/o a remote.
One nice thing about Daniel Hertz is that it’s fairly easy to ask questions directly of Mark Levinson himself. He’s very responsive and chatty via email.
I recently replaced my Audionet Max monoblock amps, Pre G2 preamp and Denafrips Term Plus 12th Anniv w/ the Maria 50 - It blows the stack away for about 1/6 of the price - It is that good. As Huff said, there is something magical about the sound, not just the fact that the bass that my Alta Celeste speakers put out now compared to the Audionet stack is crazy!
John and Tony at Lone Crowe are amazing to work with and you will NOT be sorry purchasing the Maria. And yes, you “must” use it with the cheap copper speaker cables - I tried it with my Fidelium cables and the sound was very disjointed. Now I have to sell my Audionet stack…
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Could you please get a description of how the Maria 50 “blows” the stack away? Sound quality, soundstage, etc. It sounds like you are extremely happy with the change. Enjoy your new system! Thank you!
Anyone even considering it is INSANE and this is why. NO REMOTE! End of discussion next topic.
Lee 
I am not considering this as a possible change to my system. I am only interested in the experience of one of our forum members.
Sorry did not mean to offend / upset… but no volume remote is insane… I see an opportunity for someone to design an external servo motor with a rubber band that wraps around the volume knob and a remote and sell it as an “independent sonically isolated decibel control system” for $1800 bucks a pop
No offensive taken (at least by me!)
I do get that Mark Levinson has tuned the SQ of the amp with these cheap copper cables but seriously, using them is such a technical compromise that I see the end user should instead use better cables and then be able to tune the amp’s EQ to match them.
If it’s a good amplifier why throw so much of its true capability away with cable that will by the laws of nature smear the signal?
Everything is better - I didnt think I could get better bass out of the Altas, but the Maria’s bass is FAR superior - where even having an issue now where my wife and kids are complaining about the vibrations, which they never have before…
The presentation is more natural, the tone and timbre of instruments is more lifelike now.
As Mark Levinson said, it’s like listening to the original tapes!
I was highly skeptical, how could a $10K integrated amp be better than + $60K separates that are highly regarded, well it is (and then some!)
Thank you
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I get what you are saying, but believe me, there is NO smear here!
Maybe you could contact Mark or Lone Crow directly to get their take on it
Like I said, w/ my Fidelium cables, it was almost unlistenable (way too forward/harsh highs)
I have another set of cables (Cerious cables w/ graphene that I may try too)
I thought that at first, but since I mostly stream, there is a built in volume control in Tidal/QBOZ which works very well. Just sayin…!!