Zen & the art of Fine Audio

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

- Ram Dass -

THE ZEN OF MUSIC

Music is meditation, surrendering and being moved by experience and emotion that passes words and takes you to the moment that is itself enough. That expression, that musical breath of life, is what Harry and Michael want to share in the smallest of subtleties. The magic is the love of music that musicians and fans want to share. Music can be healing and liberating in that sense. Rhapsody therefore wants to take time with friends and stakeholders for that music experience and for each other. Pure pleasure. With full attention.

The current place is another fine meeting place where music lovers and audio connoisseurs can meet, feel at home and share their passion. Experiencing and sharing the beauty and comfort that music offers. That is what Harry and Michel are all about. Pleasure and attention for each other, with heart and soul, that is the zen of being, the zen of music. Zen & the art of fine audio!


WELCOME

You are always welcome for a chat, coffee, music, tips, advice, appliances, and more. Call us and make an appointment.

Our EXCLUSIVE BRANDS for the NETHERLANDS and the BENELUX:

OUR OTHER BRANDS:

SHOWS/NEWS:

Why Rhapsody?

Rhapsody is no ordinary store but a bustling meeting place where music lovers and audio connoisseurs love to come and feel at home. A place where eager and greedy knowledge, news, visions and opinions are exchanged.

We are often called the most fun high-end musical candy store in the Netherlands. For us, then, the central focus is a informal method with great pleasure, passion for audio engineering and love of music.

That way it can't really be called work anymore.... 


FINE AUDIO

The prerequisites for ultimate music experience and reproduction are becoming increasingly detailed and subtle. The superior qualities of devices designed with love and dedication come fully into their own at Rhapsody, even in the tuning with other components. The range consists of unique brands that only Rhapsody carries because they represent the very highest achievement in the quest for ultimate musical enjoyment. Far from average, down to earth and without snobbery.


THE CRAFT

Translating your customers' wishes into a selection and combination of components and going through the selection process together in an informal way is the pre-eminent expertise of the Rhapsody team. With, of course, the know-how and the always informal and cheerful touch of Harry and Michael ensuring that fun, quality and professionalism coincide.


 There are always unprecedented and unheard of products in the store. Call for an appointment and come listen. You are welcome!

The tastemakers:

Harry

Michael

Rhapsody today:

HISTORY

Harry & CessaroHarry van Dalen stood at the cradle of high-end audio in the 1970s. He put several high-end stores on the map, and in 1988 he started Rhapsody. Soon the store was a household name at home and abroad.

Rhapsody distinguished itself in putting together and tuning audio systems. Harry discovered the "2c3d" principle. In other words: 2 channel with a 3 dimensional sound image, creating a natural stage image. Leading high-end manufacturers adopted this and perfected it technically. Brands such as Spectral, MIT and Avalon led the way in this.

Harry, in his constant search for more knowledge and experience, also immersed himself in acoustics, recording techniques and sound direction. Thus, he started Bert van der Wolf, one of the best sound directors for recording classical music, the renowned audiophile label Turtle Records.
And for 5 years, Harry and Michael have been with recording engineer Frans de Rond Rhapsody Audiophile Recordings (RAR) started. This label specializes in audiophile recordings and carriers (SACD, vinyl, tape). Worldwide, there is great interest in the albums that appear on this label.

WHEN HARRY WITH MICHAEL...

Since 1996, Michael joined Harry. Over time, they grew closer, eventually joining as yin & yang become attuned to each other.

Michael is originally a bassist (with Jaco Pastorius as his great example) and recording engineer/producer. Mechanically and electronically he is a genius and is respected by many important manufacturers at home and abroad. Turntables and tape decks are his favorite "toys".

Together they are always shaping their experience and knowledge into ultimate sounding high-end systems for the living room.

They have assembled, installed and tuned by far the most large high-end audio systems in the Netherlands with their incomparable practical experience. Installing top systems is complex and therefore requires more attention and precision than simply an evening of shuffling speakers. They accompany every project both electronically and acoustically, tailored to the client's wishes.

The music knowledge of both of them is also unique. They are musical wolverines and delight in their search for the finest recordings in a great many styles of music, ranging from baroque and avant garde to jazz, country and rock, etc. Harry is a vinyl freak and over the years has built up an exquisite collection and regularly organizes listening evenings.

Rhapsody pand

THE NEW RHAPSODY
Rhapsody HQ

THE STUDIO Rhapsody

THE STUDIO
listening studio 1

THE CLUB RHAPSODY

THE CLUB
listening studio 2

ANNO NOW:

After 35 intense years, Rhapsody has become the most prominent leading high-end store in the Netherlands. In mid-2023, the familiar 'villa Rhapsody' in Hilversum was bid farewell and a new phase was launched. A beautiful hushed building in the serene Brabant floodplain landscape is now the heart from which team Rhapsody operates. The guiding principle is obviously to remain leading, but differently. Better. More selective. And more exclusive.

H&M-groot-entree-092-Rhapsody-Overlangel---officiele-eerste-foto's

Rhapsody Audiophile Recordings

Rhapsody Analog recordingsRhapsody launches Rhapsody Audiophile Recordings or RAR for short. This record label releases audiophile and analog recordings. It is a collaboration of Michael van Polen, Frans de Rond (www.fransderond.nl) and Harry van Dalen based on their shared passion for sound, tone and music.

 

A number of albums have since been released as records and tapes. They are live-to-two-track-recordings which captures the moment when music is made directly and purely.

For our releases: RAR releases.

 

Click onward to: www.RhapsodyAnalogRecordings.com.