Loren's Blog #1

Hello and welcome to the first "Blog" of the official Mark & Daniel of America web site.  I've been anticipating writing this blog for what seems like a small eternity.  Now, with our web site finally up and active, it's finally a reality.

And what a trip it's been.  I became involved with Mark & Daniel Audio on what would seem, at least on the surface, a total "accident" (or was it part of a ‘Grand Design'?).

Intrigued, I read through their entire web site, fascinated by the way their head engineer, Daniel Lee, had addressed the few peculiar deficiencies of the Air Motion Transformers Dr. Heil had invented.  I ordered a pair of Mark & Daniel Maximus Monitor Speakers at full retail from overseas (as there were no Mark & Daniel speakers available in America then) and the rest, as they say, is history.

Once they arrived, I hooked them up to my Krell amplifier, and I was totally amazed by the transparent high-end clarity, the crystal-clear mid range and the absolutely stunning bass from  speakers that were not much bigger than a large loaf of bread.  That's when I decided to pursue acquiring the distribution rights, flying to Shanghai on a wing and a prayer.  I thought I had about as much chance as the proverbial snowball in hell, but luck or fate proved me wrong.

Since that time many things have happened, and Mark & Daniel has grown at a phenomenal pace.  From a company that began in late 2004 with only one speaker, Mark & Daniel is now distributed in 23 countries throughout Europe and Asia and North America.  And while most startup speaker companies would be content to perhaps introduce one other model to their lineup in less than a 4 year time period, Mark& Daniel has introduced a total of 12 different speakers, ranging in size all the way up to the 6 foot tall, 270 lb Apollo monitors, all utilizing the same radically inventive technology throughout the entire product line.

Since acquiring my first truckload of M&Ds, we've made steady progress, being favorably reviewed in www.6moons.com, Affordable Audio,and numerous European publication, while also doing shows in Montreal and Las Vegas, wowing audiophiles with speakers that that make their jaws drop when they ask "where's the sub-woofer" and find out that there isn't any...

We've established our North American headquarters in Tucson, Arizona,in a very comfortable high rise with a lovely view of the Santa Catalina Mountain range; and we are in the process of putting the finishing touches on our first showroom and demonstration facility at the Santa Fe Square Center on the East side of Tucson.

Getting the showroom ready has been frustrating and fun.  Initially we were going into Suite 5, and just before we were ready to move, a larger unit next door opened up, so now we're officially in Suite 6.

We are painting and decorating right now, and we've come across an interesting paint scheme that sort of blends both Easter and Western sensibilities and aesthetics -- a combination of gold and dark red.

We had the front showroom done -- supposedly -- in a faux finish, but apparently my idea of ‘faux' is quite different than the paint contractor, so that will have to be redone before opening up our doors.

We plan to have almost every Mark & Daniel speaker on display for anyone in the area who would like to drop in and set a spell, shoot the breeze and listen to what I consider to be the most technologically advanced line of speakers on the planet.

Right now, Mark & Daniel are a very well kept secret, known to a discerning few rabid audiophiles who search for performance and value. Yet I am certain that before long, Mark & Daniel speakers will become the touchstone for performance and value in the field of audio reproduction.

When you hear them for the first time, you'll know that everything I've written is an understatement.

Best wishes,

Loren Charles