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Something similar was tested with a picture of two groups of stylized flowers and one singular flower. The task was to add the single flower to one of the groups. To make the task representative for the study, the single flower shared features with both groups of flowers though more with one group (like the rounded petals as well as a leaf) while the other group only shared a pointed stem with the single flower. In this study, Americans tended to add the single flower to the group that shared only one feature, the pointed stem. Asians tended to add the single flower to the group that shared most the features. In this study it was clear that Asian people tended to look more at the whole than a detail like the Americans did. In accordance with this and other studies, our daily environment is changing. At least in the West, details are presented with ever increased hype. Look at what's happening to traffic light intensity, flashing and animated advertising
signs. TV screen almost burn your retina and are called 'high definition'. Where not long ago a lawn even in the West was observed in a holistic way, now each individual blade of grass begs for attention presented in HD 'quality'.

So what's all this got to do with a review of the Reimyo CDT-777 and DAP-999EX? More than you might think. Reimyo is the physical manifestation of Kazuo Kiuchi's ideas. Kiuchi-San founded the Combak corporation that manufacturers several brands of audio or better, music-related accessories. The most widely known accessories are the Harmonix tuning devices. With this line of products, the Japanese designer focuses on the effects the listening room imposes on musical enjoyment. As we all know, the listening room is responsible for more than 50% of the perceived sound. Mr. Kiuchi's ideas work very well and with the Harmonix products, a listening room can be adjusted such as to be more harmonious with the music played. Changes in the acoustical parameters of a room are subtle and the tools used are the results of years of development and above all, listening.
With the success of the Harmonix room and equipment tuning devices, the urge became stronger to offer a complete musical system. That meant all the necessary hardware to enable the most satisfying musical experience in the home. Kiuchi-San once again looked at the whole and not the details as he contacted the JVC and Kyodo Denshi companies to help him realize his vision. Kazuo Kiuchi had a clear 'mental' image of what his line of digital sources, converters, amplifiers and loudspeakers should sound like. First off, the 16-bit 44.1KHz Red Book CD format was the ultimate source to the mind of the Combak president. For him the format by no means had been developed yet to the ends of its musical capabilities. It became a matter of extracting the most in the best way. JVC added their K2 digital signal optimization technologies to the joint venture which would enable the resultant product to perform at its peak. Kyodo Denshi is specialized in memory systems such as optical disks and has built up huge expertise in this field. Together with the musical ideas of Kazuo Kiuchi, the Reimyo by Harmonix line of products came to fruition.
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The subject of our review is a partial system only, a sub system. It consists of the CD transport CDT-777 and the DAC DAP-999EX. We say partial as there now exists a full Reimyo and Harmonix system displayed on many show occasions where Kiuchi San plays his own recordings on a full set of Reimyo electronics, Harmonix cables, Bravo speakers perched on Dinosaur stands and with the room further treated with his Harmonix disks. That is the system as a whole and it brings that smile to Kiuchi-San's face as if a warm fire were burning inside. A happy person he is then.
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Dutch distributor Daluso delivered to us two boxes with the player and DAC plus two Harmonix power cords. One of the boxes also contained a Harmonix digital interconnect to indeed make a complete subsystem. Our intension was to review these delivered components as such and not separate entities. As fortunately seems standard for Japanese products, the packaging was exemplary, double boxed with snugly fitting corner protectors and impact absorbers. The CDT-777 emerged from its cocoon 14 kg stout and thus substantial for a spinner. At 430(W) x 325(D) x 88(H)mm, the enclosure conforms to the 430mm standard width. However, it is a top loader so when placed in an equipment rack, it should sit on the top shelf. The standard foot print is discarded with four protruding outrigger footers angled at 45° at each corner. Packed separately were four adjustable spikes and matching footers. Once mounted, they made the CDT-777 look like a NASA space pod. The DAP-999EX converter is housed in a much more modestly sized enclosure of 430(W) x 337(D) x 40(H)mm without protruding arms or other visual exotica.

We installed transport and DAC with the supplied X-CD2 power cables and interconnected the two with the supplied yellow HS-102 RCA-to-RCA digital interconnect. In order to get the components acclimated, the combination was left under signal for 48 hours before we started listening. Our own reference system is quite microscopic in how it reveals the slightest timing errors or subliminal noise artefacts. This is not always a good thing as it intrudes on the musical satisfaction of a listening session. Compare that to an annoying concert goer some rows away and thus out of reach. Just as such an annoyance commands all your attention and makes you focus even more on the distraction, an ill-matched audio system becomes guilty of the same. The Reimyo combo fitted itself remarkable well into our customary combo of Audio Note UK SET amplifier and Avantgarde Acoustics horns.