Daniel Hertz was formed by Mark Levinson in 2007 and is pitched as “Creating the next level in audio with disruptive technology that breaks the rules”.

Daniel Hertz is Mark Levinson's platform to “create new audio technology that brings us closer to the emotion of live music and replaces the marketing-driven business model of the industry, putting honesty, engineering, and the customer first”, according to the brand's website.

The company further boasts that it is the only audio equipment manufacturer developing proprietary Audio IC (integrated circuit) technology beginning from the silicon up. The result is Daniel Hertz's Mighty Cat (pictured above). The exclusive Daniel Hertz Mighty Cat Class D Audio Chip runs Daniel Hertz patent-pending software, which promises “the sound and feeling of pure analogue from digital content”.

Additionally, there is the Daniel Hertz Continuous Wave (C-Wave), which the new company states “is the first fundamental improvement to digital audio since it was invented in 1976” and apparently achieves this by filling in the spaces of the PCM digital audio waveform with original musical information enabling the brain to respond like to pure analogue with no fatigue or stress reaction.

Mark Levinson wanted a family name for his new company, so he used Daniel, his father's first name, and Hertz, his mother's maiden name. Mark's relative, Heinrich Hertz, was the German physicist first to demonstrate the electromagnetic wave, thus the beginning of audio. Hertz (Hz) is the internationally used term for cycles per second, named in his honour.

Daniel Hertz SA. headquarters is located in Switzerland with a division, Daniel Hertz S.rl., in Venice, Italy, which, according to the website, enables the brand to collaborate closely with artisanal suppliers of premium parts and services that are not available elsewhere and are essential for achieving its vision of quality and elegance.

Systems comprising of the Maria amp and a pair of speakers offer a Digital input for connecting a Digital Transport, PC, Mac or ROON Core (Server) device, as well as Bluetooth and Airplay connectivity.

Maria Amplifiers start at £12,000 and systems from £19,000 and are available via Feel Flows Ltd's retailer network.

Visit Daniel Hertz for more information