new glow audio amp one stereo integrated tube amplifier with USB and DAC

GLOW News

-Archive-

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November-December 2009 - GLOW audio is gearing up for several new product introductions in 2010. Check back for more details.

"GLOW Audio had two of their diminutive amplifiers connected to the exquisitely built Sonist Loudspeakers. I was especially interested to hear the 5 watt per channel GLOW Audio Amp One ($648), which was the recipient of a coveted Enjoy the Music.com Blue Note Award. It is always interesting to hear what another reviewer deems the "cream of the crop." And get it I did … both the Sonist Recital 3 as well as the Concerto 3 sounded fantastic mated to the GLOW Audio units."

GLOW's two giant killer systems at AXPONA were also the subject of a flattering review on AUDIOGON. Here is an excerpt of the review:

"While one system displayed may have cost as much as a house (the Scaena/TheLars/dCs/Silversmith exhibit room, running about a quarter mil and thankfully offering superb sound), much of the excitement at Axpona was provided by products at the lower end of the price scale ... some of today's low-priced audio products offer honestly good sound and honestly great values.

You might not choose to run your $4000 speakers with a $700 amp, but Randy Bankert's $4,195 Sonist Concerto 3s sounded terrific powered by GLOW Audio's $648 Glow Audio Amp One, a 5 watt-per-channel single-ended integrated amp with EL84 output tubes. The sound had the punchiness and dimensionality associated with the best SETs, with none of the noise or "thinness" often found in cheap tube amps. A win-win situation, and a winner of a system.

A complete GLOW Audio system was playing in a room shared with Audiowood, Joel Scilley's backwoods Florida company which custom-builds turntables from (surprise!) wood. The complete GLOW system was another eye- and ear-opener, featuring the GLOW Amp One powering GLOW Voice One speakers ($348/pr.) with 3" fullrange drivers in spherical enclosures, and dual GLOW subs ($348/ea.). Dynamic, sweet, and clearly playing well above its weight, or its price."

You can read the entire AUDIOGON show review HERE.

Stereophile's Jason Victor Serinus and John Atkinson were checking out all the goodies at AXPONA. After hearing GLOW driving the SONIST loudspeakers as well as GLOW's own sub and satellite system, Serinus concluded that the GLOW amplifiers are: "definitely ones to check out ... when I took my first listen to GLOW amplification in the SONIST room, one man who just finished listening declared it his favorite sound at the show." Deep praise indeed, given that the GLOW systems were up against elite audio systems costing in excess of $40,000. Mr. Serinus' full show review can be read on the Stereophile website HERE.

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February 2010 - GLOW will be at the AXPONA, the Audio Expo of North America, sponsored by STEREOPHILE magazine in Jacksonville, Florida from March 5-7. GLOW will be exhibiting in two separate rooms, click HERE for information about the show.

GLOW will be powering Randy Bankert's most excellent SONIST high end Loudspeakers in room 264, the SONIST/GLOW/CRL Labs room. Randy will use our EL84 based GLOW Amp One, and our soon to be released GLOW Amp One Tetro, utilizing an 832 dual envelope tetrode power tube.

GLOW will also be exhibiting in room 269 as part of the AUDIOWOOD exhibit. The exhibit will feature a hand crafted Voice One/Sub One combo designed and built by designer Joel Scilley of AUDIOWOOD. Options will include a speaker stand only, or a dual sub + speaker combo stand - both made from bamboo. Awesome, and soon to be available, see photos below.

CRL Labs will provide speaker cables and component connections in both rooms. Excellent stuff. Hope to see you at the show!

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What, a new GLOW subwoofer?

No ... just a creative application of our great sounding GLOW Sub One. Not wanting to hide the sub away, the designer of this custom installation in California removed the brass feet and inverted the sub, with the passive radiator facing upward. The grills were painted white, to match the rest of the audio system. See how the installation turned out at the GLOW Gallery page, HERE.

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January 2010 - Happy New Year to all Glowbies out there. Hope you are ringing in the new year with some of that great GLOW sound.

GLOW is showing at T.H.E. Show in Las Vegas this January. T.H.E. Show is one of the premiere audio trade shows that takes place concurrent with the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Vegas.

We are demonstrating in Vegas for the first time our new GLOW Amp One Tetro, sharing the spotlight with loudspeaker designer Randy Bankert's new SONIST Recital 3 loudspeakers and CRL cables and interconnects. What is the Amp One Tetro ? It is a variant of the acclaimed GLOW Amp One, utilizing a single 832 dual envelope tetrode transmitter tube in place of the two EL84 power tubes. Different driver tubes are also utilized. There are some other minor changes to accomodate the rather sci-fi looking 832 tube, including a slightly longer chassis. The 832 certainly looks like nothing you've seen before, and we've pulled some great sound out of it that has to be heard to be believed.

The sound is phenomenal, but don't take our word for it; we will post reviews and photos from Vegas as they become available. The GLOW Amp One Tetro will be a dealer only offering, will retail for well under $1,000 and will be available by mid year.

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November-December 2009 - GLOW audio is gearing up for several new product introductions in 2010. Check back here for more details.

Seems like lots of folks thought GLOW would make a gift to remember this holiday season. International sales have been particularly strong, perhaps due to the favorable exchange rate, with audiophiles in some countries proving to be very fond of the GLOW sound. Lots of new Glowbies in Australia, Switzerland, and Canada in November and December, for sure.

We've been offering FREE SHIPPING on domestic sales and Half Price overseas shipping since early summer, but alas, all good things must come to an end. We anticipate charging our normal shipping rates starting in mid January 2010. GLOW is still a darn good deal for audiophile grade equipment, by any measure.

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September-October 2009 - We were at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest this past October. GLOW exhibited with SONIST and CRL cables, as we did in 2008. Given the uncertain economy, no one knew what to expect, but this year RMAF hosted 470 exhibitors in 150+ rooms. Perhaps because of our reasonable pricing, the GLOW/SONIST/CRL room was a very busy place, with folks returning throughout the show to comment on just how good the sound was relative to some of the other, pricier offerings. Over and over we kept hearing that our combo was the most musical, most listenable, the most natural sounding and the least fatiguing system at the show.

As one might expect, many listeners were befuddled and confused to see a $20,000 plus system driven by a small, $648 amplifier! More than a few asked, "Is this a gimmick?" No gimmick .... Randy Bankert of SONIST simply believes the GLOW amp outperforms many of the higher priced amps, and matches up particularly well with his SONIST loudspeakers. We have to agree with Randy, the sound was awesome!

The mighty Amp One perched atop a mountain of expensive component gear.

Note the Sonist floor standing speakers, and CRL cables and inter-connects.

Close up of the source components at the GLOW/SONIST/CRL room, RMAF 2009

And in the corner, an all black GLOW Amp One hooked up to a tiny netbook and a pair of Grado headphones. Just goes to show great music can be heard anywhere, regardless of space constraints.

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August 2009 - About 25% of our sales are to customers in Europe. Our products can be used in all countries with 210-240 voltage and are CE certified and RoHS compliant [(Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2008 (the “RoHS Regulations”)] for sale in the EU market.

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July 2009 - The GLOW System Two - "Highly Recommended" in a new POSITIVE FEEDBACK review.

POSITIVE FEEDBACK Issue 44 includes an extensive review of a Ferrari Red GLOW System Two (Amp One, Sub One and Voice One speakers). In their six page review, Dean Seislove and Hunnie Nguyen have a lot of nice things to say about the look of our little system. Regarding the pair of red Voice One speakers, Ms. Nguyen had this to say: "...So cute! Aesthetically, will always look good even when you're not using them..." Mr. Seislove commented that the system "turned heads" and that "it's one of those products that grabs you at first sight..... the amplifer sports classic art deco architecture lines ... it's small, but of substantial weight and sturdiness."

But what of the sound?

Ms. Nguyen noted simply that the system sounds "really nice, really smooth." Seislove opined that the system "...opts for a presentation that is designed for long-term listening without fatigue...." and that the speakers are "made for listening" and offer a "surprisingly extended frequency range." He further commented that the GLOW System Two "...could play everything in my collection and not leave me wanting more... it delivered a marvelously warm, balanced, and yes, "tube" sound on a variety of recordings... though the system is relatively small, you never feel like you're missing anything important, and the sound you get is thoroughly enjoyable." Of the Sub One subwoofer, Mr. Seislove had this to say: "... in a room proportionate to its size, it is agile, tuneful and substantive."

Mr. Seislove also liked the use of recycled wood for the speaker enclosures, stating that "...the material selection only reinforces the in-vogue vibe of the GLOW System Two." Mr. Seislove and Ms. Nguyen concluded their review by stating that the GLOW System Two earns a "Highly Recommended" rating. Click on the POSITIVE FEEDBACK icon below to read the full review:

POSITIVE FEEDBACK - Issue 44

audioDISCOURSE

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July already? Not to worry ... yet. We've decided to continue the offer of Free Shipping in the continental USA and half price shipping outside the continental USA until further notice. But this won't last forever !

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June 2009 - Announcing our new GLOW Accessories page: Prices for speaker cables can border on the absurd. We are now offering two speaker cable packages at an exceptional value, see our new GLOW Accesories page for details.

From time to time we will post information on Special Offers that may be of interest to you. For instance, we recently acquired a limited number of GRIFFIN Tunecenter iPod docks that have been discontinued by the manufacturer. This sleek looking unit will charge your iPod while it is playing through your amp, and allow for remote control of your iPod. The unit also allows streaming of internet radio directly to your GLOW Amp One. Originally retailing at $149, we are offering these units to GLOW customers while they last for $38, plus shipping and handling. A nice looking way to integrate your iPod into your music system and increase your system's functionality. See the GLOW Accessories page for details.

Our long awaited Voice One loudspeakers are in stock .... all the back orders have been shipped. Thank you for your patience. They are beautiful!

For the natural wood speakers we couldn't decide between the light, blond finish or the darker, mahogany finish, so we are offering both.

We are low on inventory of the GLOW Amp One in red. Therefore, we are not accepting orders for single amps in red; remaining stock is reserved for customers who order GLOW amp and speaker systems in red.

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May 2009 - End of the month... and summer is just around the corner. A lot of folks are putting off vacations and spending more time at home this summer... why not enhance your summer experience with the cool look and great sound of a GLOW AUDIO music system?

If you pre-ordered the GLOW Voice One loudspeakers, you should have received an email update, but in case you missed it, YES.... as of May 16th the speakers have shipped from China and are due in our warehouse first week in June. We'll expedite shipping to you, and thanks for your patience.

Reminder, we are offering free shipping on all GLOW products in the continental USA through the end of June.

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Who Knew? When we developed the GLOW Sub One subwoofer, the thinking was that sales would probably be limited to GLOW Voice One loudspeaker owners. But the GLOW Sub One has proven to be a big seller in its own right. Seems word is getting around that the Sub One is a little monster, providing outstanding performance that belies its small size. We are receiving orders from many folks with bookshelf speakers who want the additional bass without boom that the Sub One can provide. And folks really like its stunning good looks.

Check out the review of the Voice One by AUDIOWOOD's Joel Scilley on our Loudspeaker page.

Current economic conditions have affected all of us in one way or another. Given this reality, we are extending our popular FREE SHIPPING offer on all orders in the continental USA, and half price shipping outside the USA, until the end of June.

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APRIL 2009 - For GLOW customers who have back ordered the new Voice One loudspeakers, there will be delay of up to three weeks for delivery. These are hand made items, and the construction and painting of the enclosures takes a long time.

We are doing everything possible to get the project completed and your orders shipped. The delay is attributable to the paint used on the speaker enclosures. We use a type of paint that is not toxic for the environment, but it takes a long time to cure, and multiple layers have to be applied to create the piano grade gloss. We need to make sure the enclosures are fully cured before the components are assembled and the finished loudspeakers are placed in packaging for shipment. Otherwise, the piano grade finishes might be marred, a risk we don't want to take.

We apologize for the delay, but guarantee your satisfaction when you see and hear these extaordinary speakers.

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MARCH 2009 - Many customers have asked if we can extend our free shipping offer to allow them additional time to save up for their GLOW system. So we've decided to extend FREE SHIPPING in the continental USA, with half price shipping everywhere else, until the end of April.

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The March 14 AUDIO EXHIBIT at Oakland's FiveTen Studio, featuring Joel Scilley's AUDIOWOOD turntables and our very own GLOW amps and speakers, turned out to be quite an event, more party than serious audio show. Complete with tequila bar and a DJ spinning classic old Blue Note and soul albums, it may not have been the best environment to do critical listening, but it sure was fun!

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San Francisco Bay Area Glowbies..... an AUDIO EXHIBIT featuring GLOW AUDIO will take place at Fiveten Design Studio in beautiful Historic Old Oakland on Saturday, March 14 from 4-8 pm, click HERE for details.

The Exhibit will feature custom and designer audio components by AUDIOWOOD's Joel Scilley, who is also a retailer of GLOW Audio at FiveTen Design Studio. There will be wine, food, vinyl, music (lots of music) and fun for all.... in a beautiful art gallery setting. This may be the most fun you can have auditioning audio!

Drop in and talk to GLOW AUDIO representatives, meet AUDIOWOOD's Joel Scilley and audiophiles from all over the Bay Area. Hear for yourself why the GLOW Audio Systems 1 and 2 are serious audiophile contenders, despite the modest price tags.

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Srajan Ebaen at 6Moons.com has announced the new GLOW systems, see HERE and stay tuned for a full review from 6Moons in the coming weeks.

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Another GLOWING review for our 2009 GLOW Amp One, this one from the March/April issue of IMAGE HIFI magazine in Germany. Click HERE to view.

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February 2009 - February 24th update-The '09 Amps and Subs are in our new California warehouse facility and we are busy filling all those back orders..... THANK YOU to all our new GLOW customers.... once you hear what you've been waiting so patiently for, you won't be disappointed!

For those who have made advance orders of the '09 Amp One or our new Sub One subwoofer: Most of you received your shipment tracking info on Saturday, February 21 or Monday, February 23. The rest of you will receive your shipment tracking info on Tuesday, February 24. Again, thank you for your patience, and we truly hope you enjoy your new GLOW products.

If you haven't seen it already, photos of the new GLOW Sub One subwoofer can be seen HERE.

For those of you who are interested in GLOW but haven't placed your orders, please keep in mind that free shipping (continental USA) and half price shipping (outside USA) has been extended to the end of February...... that's right around the corner.

GLOW Voice One loudspeaker update: We are still expecting to receive our innovative and much anticipated Voice One speakers by the end of March. Stay tuned, this is one speaker system that has to be seen and heard to be believed!

February 15th update - (see above for latest update.... ) The GLOW Voice One speakers won't arrive until after March.... and here's why. Our QC inspectors noticed that some of the finished enclosures with the piano grade finish developed fine cracks along the seems where the wood blocks are joined. Although these cracks are very tiny and hard to see, it is enough for us to step back and have the affected enclosures remade. This has resulted in delay for our customers and additional cost to us, but we feel strongly that it is the right thing to do. We want our products to be durable, last for years to come, and LOOK good for as long as you own them.

We're extending our free shipping offer (continental USA, reduced shipping rates outside continental USA) until the end of February. We thank you for your continuing interest in GLOW !

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January 2009 - Despite the economy, interest in our new products has been high, and we've received many pre-orders for our new 2009 products. Unfortunately, we are experiencing an unanticipated delay in the delivery of our new stuff, and that's the bad news.

Our hope was that we could ship all of our new products (amps, speakers and subwoofers) from our overseas manufacturing facilities to our warehouse in the USA together in one shipment. But a delay in obtaining the finished enclosures for our GLOW Voice One speakers has resulted in the entire shipment being delayed.

The completed 2009 amps and subwoofers are on a ship heading to our warehouse... without the speakers. The speakers will be shipped separately. We sincerely apologize for the delay, and hope that once you hear the GLOW sound it will be worth your wait. We'll take delivery of amps and subwoofers the first week in February. Speaker delivery has been delayed until after March. We'll expedite shipment of your pre-ordered goods as soon as they arrive in our warehouse. Thanks for your understanding....

We are extending our FREE SHIPPING offer on new products an additional 30 days as a result of the delay, so that any products pre-ordered by customers within the continental USA by January 31, 2009 will receive FREE SHIPPING (half price shipping for customers outside the continental USA).

HAPPY NEW YEAR from GLOW AUDIO.

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December 2008 - Despite (or maybe because of) the recent economic downturn, interest in our reasonably priced designer audio gear remains high. As of December 26th we are completely sold out of the acclaimed 2008 GLOW Amp One. They're gone...... but we are taking advance orders on our new and improved 2009 Amp One.

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November 2008 - The prestigious Bay Area Audio Society (BAAS) selected the GLOW amp/SONIST loudspeaker combination as one of the BEST SYSTEMS heard at the 2008 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF). See here.

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October 2008 - We are now taking advance orders for our NEW '09 Amp One, as well as our NEW Sub One subwoofer and Voice One loudspeakers.

Denver's Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) was a blast, and GLOW was there. We were pleased to be featured by both Audio-Magus (www.audio-magus.com) and Sonist Loudspeakers (www.sonist.com). Audio-Magus has been carrying our GLOW Amp One since spring of this year, and had the honors of unveiling our GLOW speakers and subwoofer at RMAF.

Our new Voice One speaker featuring a proprietary hemp/bamboo 3" driver was a show stopper... many listeners could not believe the amount of bass the little speakers pump out. Another quality folks commented on was the imaging and big sound stage... certainly more sound than anyone expected from a small speaker. Our sub was also on display, although not utilized much.... the small speakers with the big bass output seemed to draw more than enough attention, even without the sub.

Mike Wyatt and Brian Johnson of Audio-Magus exhibited their new floor standers... absolutely fabulous build quality with in-laid mother of pearl and beautiful joint work on bamboo cabinets. The full range hemp drivers delivered..... WOW! Easily the best large single driver loudspeakers we heard at the show, with a top-to-bottom smoothness that is sometimes lacking from full rangers of this size. Great detail and texture in the sound and very coherent.... anyone looking for that full range magic definitely needs to hear these loudspeakers. And they look incredible (I wish I had a close up photo of the cabinetry).

Above, the new GLOW gear along with other products displayed by Audio-Magus at their stylish exhibit at RMAF.

And down the hall from Audio-Magus, Randy Bankert, designer and builder of Sonist Loudspeakers, was exhibiting a little GLOW as well. Randy alternated between a single ended triode 300B and the little GLOW Amp One to power his amazing loudspeakers. Many listeners chose the tighter sound of the GLOW Amp One over the sound of the more expensive (about 5 times more expensive) 300B unit, although we couldn't find fault with either unit with the way Randy's speakers performed.

Randy has a winner with his Sonist loudspeakers. They were possibly the best monitor speakers at the show, regardless of price. Most noticeable was how remarkably non-fatiguing they sounded being driven with the low power tube amplifiers... we could listen to these speakers for hours and never tire of them. What a musical speaker! The box just disappeared, all we heard was the music. Somehow someway, Randy got the ribbon tweeter integrated just right with the bass driver.... I think his choice of a 1st order crossover has a lot to do with it... and there is no hint of cabinet resonance... the sound is superb on every kind of music we threw at them. It is clear that Randy spent a lot of time getting the sound right. This guy sweats the details. Great stuff.

The Sonist Concerto 3 in the foreground, and the GLOW amp in the background.

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September 2008 - We've received an award that we're rightly proud of. In the September 2008 issue, the audiophile review site Enjoy the Music bestowed upon the GLOW Amp One a Blue Note "Best Audiophile Component of 2008 Award".

The staff of over twenty writers, selecting from approximately 150 products tested and reviewed this year, chose 20 products that stand out from the rest to earn coveted Blue Note Equipment Awards.

How could the under $500 GLOW Amp One possibly merit serious consideration, competing head-to-head against the best and most expensive audiophile components available (including $7,000 turntables, $5,000 CD players and $10,000 loudspeakers)? The following is from the Enjoy the Music awards page:

Best Audiophile Components Of 2008

"What do I like about the Glow Amp One? Pretty much everything! I like the way it looks, I like the design. What else? Well, I like the amp's build quality, I like the USB input and I like the guys... and the price. But perhaps most importantly, I like the sound. What I like so much about the sound of the Glow Amp One is its eminently listenable nature. On older recordings, to quote one of my favorite hi-fi clichés, there was simply more 'there,' 'there.' Why? I imagine it has to do with the sheer simplicity of the amp. Oh yeah, one more thing. With the right speakers, this baby can rock with the best." — Jeff Rabin

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August 2008 - UPDATE: The FREE iPod dock offer has expired ... we thank all our GLOW customers who purchased amplifiers and received GLOW iPod docks!!

In recognition of the almost magical results one can get when using an iPod as a source for the GLOW Amp One, for a limited time we are providing with any purchase of the GLOW Amp One a FREE iPod dock. Includes a handy remote control. See our new "GLOW Specials" page for details.

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JULY 2008 - There is a lot of "chatter" on a number of blog sites about our initial offering, the GLOW Amp One. Devotees on one site have even taken to calling themselves "Glowbies".

We are ever closer to providing new GLOW products, including a subwoofer and speakers. Our subwoofer is now in production, and looks like this:

The GLOW Sub One is roughly 9" square. But it definitely packs a punch. To avoid the bass "thud" so typical of subwoofers in its price range, we utilize a passive radiator along with the 6.5" bass driver. Great bass extension, no unnatural bass bump common to many ported subs. With its gently curving bamboo side panels and its metal grill with oversized holes, it is a "looker", too. Expect to see it available within the next 6 to 8 weeks.

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JUNE 2008 - A busy month for all of us at GLOW. We've been filling orders for our GLOW Amp One, and working out the details for our soon-to-be-released GLOW Sub One subwoofer and GLOW Voice One speakers. The Sub One looks and sounds gorgeous, the question is whether you will need one, because the Voice One speakers put out an impressive amount of bass for such small speakers.

On top of all that, we have been gearing up for yet another production run of the GLOW Amp One.... same minimalist appearance, same versatility, same high build quality, same value for your money, but with some subtle improvements to the unit's overall performance.

We enjoy hearing from our customers and from folks who are simply interested in what we are doing.... keep your emails coming!

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MAY 2008 - We received kind mention in an ENJOYTHEMUSIC.COM report on the AUDIOMAGUS display at the Montreal Audio Festival held in early April, click on the link below for a peek (and yes, the reference to use of EL34s tubes is incorrect, we use the EL84 power tube).

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APRIL 2008 - We are proud to announce that Audiomagus (www.audio-magus.com) has begun carrying our Amp One, so if you are in the KINGSTON, WASHINGTON area please drop by their show room and give the GLOW Amp One a listen.

The Audiomagus store hours are M-W 10 am to 5 pm and F-Sa 12 pm to 7 pm. 26343 Bond Rd. NE, Suite 102, Kingston, WA 9836 (5 minutes from the Kingston ferry terminal). Audiomagus is also expanding to provide service in Canada. A Victoria BC showroom will be opening soon!

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NEW REVIEW:

click on link above for full review

A review of our GLOW Amp One has been issued in the April online edition of EnjoytheMusic.com. Dr. Jeff Rabin's lengthy review includes the following statements:

"I could hear all that single ended detail and that certain clarity...."

On his reaction to hearing a Johnny Cash song on the radio with the GLOW Amp: "I have to say I felt as if Mr. Cash was speaking directly to me, in the same room as me."

With some of his favorite full range speakers and listening to some classic recordings, Dr. Rabin had this to say: "...there was more 'there' there ... recording after recording I felt I was only really hearing for the first time...."

"...glorious, absolutely non-fatiguing sound... the GLOW Amp One, to me anyway, seems like a fine example of having your cake and eating it too."

We're happy to get such a positive review from EnjoytheMusic, right on the heels of an equally positive review from 6moons.com. But we are even more pleased when we get positive comments from our customers... please see the "GLOW Community" section of our website to see what happy GLOW customers have to say about the GLOW Amp One.

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We'll be on display at the Montreal 2008 Festival Son & Image, April 4, 5 and 6. Stop by and check us out, compliments of our sponsor, Audiomagus, in Room 1015.

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MARCH 2008 - The GLOW Amp One received a fantastic review this month from Srajan Ebaen, editor of the popular online audio review site 6 Moons: 6moons.com/audioreviews/glow/one_2.html Check it out when you have a moment.

Srajan makes a point of identifying a good audio value when one comes along, and for this he has created an award category he smartly calls "REALSIZATION". To win such an award, a product must represent not only an "extreme value", but both "uncompromised build quality and excellent performance have to coincide." Our GLOW Amp One has earned a place on the REALSIZATION AWARDS list, see it at: 6moons.com/archivelibrary/realsization.html

I am in front of my computer, typing the March News. I have a yellow Amp One hooked up to my computer and I am listening to a jazz station from Toronto as I type. That is the wonderful thing about modern technology... anyone can stream radio stations from around the world! It would be unfortunate to limit this capability by listening to the music on cheap computer speakers via the computer's poor quality sound card. What better way to enjoy this amazing capability than to hear the music recreated by a superior sounding stereo tube amplifier with a built in USB and high quality 16 bit DAC (digital to analog converter).

Amp One is out of stock in silver, and our inventory is getting low in several other colors. The need to ramp up production of Amp One sooner than anticipated has delayed the start of production for Amp Two.

With the US dollar losing value against most major currencies, we are unable to continue offering the GLOW Amp One at the introductory price of $480. The good news is that we are only making a small adjustment to our introductory price, to $488. However, the reality is that we are unlikely to be able to hold that price point for very long.

Good news for international customers.... we have managed to reduce our shipping and handling charges for overseas customers outside North America from $150 to $120 USD.

We try to offer you the lowest price possible, because part of our mission is to provide audio gear that not only sounds great and looks great, but that is reasonably priced.

While labor costs are lower in China, we don't use "cheap" labor... these are hand crafted amplifiers and it takes skill and experience to put them together properly.

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FEBRUARY 2008 - We are behind in our monthly update, primarily because we have been so busy fielding questions and filling orders. We received a lot of orders this month! In the process, we experienced two cases of minor damage as a result of shipping, despite our sturdy packaging, so we have gone to DOUBLE BOXING the amps to assure that they arrive in perfect working order.

We are gratified by the response to our introductory product, and would like to thank all of you who have expressed interest and asked questions. We try to answer your emails within 1 day.... we have received a number of thoughtful comments and some very good questions. We chose to start this business because we LIKE talking about audio, so keep your questions and comments coming! info@glow-audio.com

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JANUARY 2008 - Maybe because of the favorable exchange rate, maybe because tubes are widely acccepted among audiophiles in asia and europe, but we've received a lot of interest from overseas. We do take overseas orders, so don't despair.... go to the "GET GLOW" page and simply add the appropriate flat rate shipping charge to your purchase by clicking on the Shopping Cart button that corresponds with your location. If you have any questions regarding your location, contact us at orders@glow-audio.com for information on how to have your overseas order expedited.

Although we have spent virtually nothing on advertising or promotion, we seem to be getting some attention out in the audio world. Here is an article that recently appeared in the well respected on-line audio site 6 Moons: www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/glow/glow.html

Comments regarding the GLOW Amp One from Srajan Ebaen, Publisher of 6Moons, include the following:

"Occasionally, one comes across a product so cute and cool that one thinks nothing of writing a quasi 'infomercial' for it, all entirely unprompted and unpaid for. Consider this such a case."

"What this product does is obvious. It appeals to the iPod nation, the PC-tied home office worker, the college dormer... but only to those within that demographic who listen with their ears."

"If such a device can additionally teach "regular" music lovers to trust their ears --- why else would you buy tubes --- then GLOW Audio are doing a fine job of spreading the gospel of high-end hifi to "the masses". And that is a swell thing no matter how you turn it."

-Srajan Ebaen, Publisher - 6Moons.com - January, 2008

We are happy to answer any questions you might have, don't hesitate to contact us at info@glow-audio.com

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DECEMBER 2007 - Following several years of intensive product development, in early 2007 we began offering the GLOW Amp One in select markets. Despite spending no money on advertising or marketing, word is getting around.... and we have received nothing but positive responses to our introductory offering.

Most people who have heard our amplifier are astounded that it can sound so different from what they are used to, and that we can offer this amplifier at such a low cost, relative to our competition.

The other thing people comment on is that, in a time when audio is dominated by multi-channel home theater systems of increasing complexity, we come along to offer such a simple alternative. We believe that the complexity of modern equipment is driven by marketing, and not by necessity. We ask, why should anyone have to suffer through figuring out how to set up and operate the behemoths shown below? (And by the way, these are typical of modern home theater receivers.)

Here is an interesting thing to keep in mind... with all the inputs and outputs on the back of modern day equipment, there is usually one thing missing - a simple USB connection for your computer - a standard feature on ALL our little amplifiers.

With big dinosaurs like the ones shown above, once you've figured out which cables go where, you have to deal with how to get all the cables to all the components and all the speakers. What often happens is, living rooms are taken over by complex components that, despite all the expense and hassle, too often end up failing to deliver the level of audio realism sought.

Most people who simply want to listen to music find out the hard way that a home theater system is actually not very good for that purpose. Most audio enthusiasts will tell you that multi-channel surround sound may be good for action movies, but makes music sound less, and not more, realistic.

So keep your home theater system if you must, but when you are ready to get back to listening to the music the way it was intended to be heard, remember us. We have a better way to get high fidelity sound in your home. ..... without making your life miserable in the process. Today's reality - most people want their rooms filled with music, not equipment.

After what you have seen in the above photos, doesn't the following make a lot more sense?

GLOW. Making it simple. Making it right.

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We will update you with GLOW news on a regular basis, please check back often.

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The mighty Amp One perched atop a mountain of expensive component gear.

Note the Sonist floor standing speakers, and CRL cables and inter-connects.

Close up of the source components at the GLOW/SONIST/CRL room, RMAF 2009

And in the corner, an all black GLOW Amp One hooked up to a tiny netbook and a pair of Grado headphones. Just goes to show great music can be heard anywhere, regardless of space constraints.

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July 2009 - The GLOW System Two - "Highly Recommended" in a new POSITIVE FEEDBACK review.

But what of the sound?

POSITIVE FEEDBACK - Issue 44

audioDISCOURSE

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Our long awaited Voice One loudspeakers are in stock .... all the back orders have been shipped. Thank you for your patience. They are beautiful!

For the natural wood speakers we couldn't decide between the light, blond finish or the darker, mahogany finish, so we are offering both.

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Check out the review of the Voice One by AUDIOWOOD's Joel Scilley on our Loudspeaker page.

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We apologize for the delay, but guarantee your satisfaction when you see and hear these extaordinary speakers.

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Srajan Ebaen at 6Moons.com has announced the new GLOW systems, see HERE and stay tuned for a full review from 6Moons in the coming weeks.

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Another GLOWING review for our 2009 GLOW Amp One, this one from the March/April issue of IMAGE HIFI magazine in Germany. Click HERE to view.

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For current GLOW NEWS click HERE