Recommended Components 2020 Edition Headphones

Headphones & Headphone Accessories

Editor's Note: We strongly recommend those interested in headphone listening visit our sister website, www.InnerFidelity.com, which is edited by Rafe Arnott.

A+

Focal Utopia Reference: $3999
The fully open-backed, circumaural Focal Utopias are designed around proprietary beryllium-dome full-range drivers that, uniquely, have no voice-coil formers: each coil is fastened directly to its dome, in a crease near its surround. The yokes are made of carbon fiber, and the earcups and headband are covered with lambskin. HR described the Utopias as capable of producing "a gut-level realism that is rare in high-end audio," adding that the Focals are "lightning-fast, extremely open, and profoundly uncolored." (Vol.39 No.10, Vol.41 No.6 WWW)

HiFiMan Susvara headphones: $6000
The HiFiMan Susvaras are over-the-ear headphones with planar-magnetic drivers, built around gold-coated Nanometer Grade diaphragms—their thinnest ever, the company claims. The drivers also use HiFiMan's Stealth Magnet grids, the individual magnetic strips of which have rounded edges to reduce interference with sound output. The Susvaras weigh 15.9oz, and offer an impedance of 60 ohms and a sensitivity of only 83dB. (Vol.40 No.12 WWW)

JPS Labs Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC: $4995–$7995
For those who regard the JPS Abyss AB-1266 Phi headphones as prohibitively expensive, HR offers perspective by suggesting that they, like such "notorious legacy products" as the Wilson Audio WAMM loudspeaker of 1983 and the Audio Note Ongaku amplifier of 1993, "exist in categories of price and performance all their own." The Abyss 'phones are built into black-anodized aluminum frames, and use single-magnet planar-magnetic drivers, separated from the wearer by rotatable lambskin earpads held in place with magnets. Specs include an 88dB sensitivity and an impedance of 42 ohms. After listening to a Schoenberg piece through the Abysses driven by the Woo WA5 headphone amp, HR observed: "I scribbled the phrase perfectly natural several times. I never felt more kindred or connected to Schoenberg." He also suggested that the Abysses "delivered detail and soundstage images with an uncannily visual—nay, infinite—depth of field." (Vol.40 No.8 WWW)

Raal-requisite SR-1a: $3499
Described by HR as headphones that will satisfy "headphone connoisseurs and stubborn contrarians" alike, the off-the-ear RAAL-Requisite SR1a's have a physical design that prevents them from covering or putting pressure on your pinnae: Their sound character is not determined in any way by a padded acoustical chamber around the listener's ears. Electrically, the SR1a's are built using open-baffle ribbon drivers, the very low impedance of which force the need for an impedance-matching box (included) and a 50–150Wpc loudspeaker amplifier (not included). Herb had his best results driving the RAAL-Requisite 'phones with solid-state amps, and said of the SR1a/Pass XA25 amp combo, "No matter what hi-fi you have, it's unlikely to dig deeper and find more beauty in your recordings." (Vo.43 No.1 WWW)

ZMF Auteur LTD: $1699.99
See HR's review in this issue.

ZMF Pendant: $1999.99
See HR's review in this issue.

ZMF Vérité Closed: $2499.99
See HR's review in this issue.

A

Audeze LCD-X: $1699
These large, luxurious, circumaural headphones have planar-magnetic drive-units with a thin-film diaphragm energized by arrays of powerful neodymium magnets on both sides. They employ Audeze-patented Fazor elements, claimed to guide and manage the flow of sound in the headphone. The circular drivers are housed in polished, black-anodized aluminum earpieces cushioned with generously sized foam pads covered in lambskin or leather-free microsuede. Adjustment is via notched, chromed metal rods attached to each earpiece, which fit into the sprung, leather-clad headband. The LCD-Xes produced a seductive, compelling overall sound, with precise imaging, rich mids, smooth highs, and clean bass, said JA. Compared to his longtime reference Sennheiser HD650s, the LCD-Xes resolved more detail, produced the more convincing sense of recorded ambience, and provided deeper bass. "Highly recommended!" JA concluded. "Creator Special" edition (without travel case) costs $1199. (Vol.37 No.3, Vol.41 No.6 WWW)

Audeze LCDi4: $2495
Essentially a cost-no-object version of Audeze's iSine in-ear headphones, the LCDi4 uses planar-magnetic drivers: ultrathin, 30mm diaphragms bonded to the company's patented Uniforce voice-coils (in which a slow-deposited metal layer is micro-etched to form the signal coil) suspended within the field of a Fluxor magnet array. Each driver is enclosed in a roughly hexagonal magnesium casing and coupled to the user's ear by means of a tapered tube, the end of which is fitted with an interchangeable eartip; spare eartips of different sizes are supplied, prompting Audeze to claim for the LCDi4 a "universal fit." The impedance is 35 ohms, and a 105dB sensitivity is claimed. Used with the Pass Laboratories HPA-1 headphone amplifier, the LCDi4s impressed JA with a combination of low-frequency clarity and bass extension "unexpected for in-ear headphones"—and when driven by an Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty DAC, the Audezes offered spatial realism from binaural recordings and further impressed with their "lack of mid-treble aggression." Also lacking was any useful degree of isolation from external sounds, making the LCDi4s unsuitable for private listening in public spaces. (Vol.40 No.12 WWW)

Feliks Audio Euforia: $2599 $$$
Built in Poland, the Euforia Mark II is an output transformer-less (OTL) headphone amp that uses 6AS7G dual-triodes as output tubes and 6SN7 dual-triodes as small-signal tubes. The Euforia has a single pair of (RCA) inputs and a single 0.25" output jack. The amp is specified by its manufacturer as offering 0.13Wpc into 32 ohms and 0.2Wpc into 100 ohms. Herb said the Euforia Mark II made the Grado GS3000e headphones sound "more transparent and satisfying" than the other headphone amps he had on hand; he further observed that "the Euforia's radiant liquidity enhanced [the Focal Clears'] sense of flow and resolve." (Vol.42 No.12 WWW)

Focal Clear: $1499
Described by HR as "Focal's newest, handsomest, most comfortable, and, perhaps, most musically satisfying headphones," the Clears are dynamic, circumaural, and open-backed, built on a solid aluminum yoke with a soft leather headband. They use the same 40mm aluminum-magnesium domes and formerless voice-coils as the 33%-less-expensive Focal Elears, yet here those coils are pure copper rather than copper-clad aluminum; their impedance is 55 ohms, their sensitivity 104dB—clearly drivable by an iPhone. Three cords are included: one with an XLR for balanced use, one with a 1/4" plug, and one with a 3.5mm plug. According to HR, with the Clears, "large-scale dynamics operated in marvelous ways," and they avoided the occasional glare experienced with Focal's flagship 'phones, the Utopias. For pure listening pleasure, the "absolutely comfortable, museum-quality-beautiful" Clears are Herb's "real-world reference." "Springy cord is a hassle to manage," notes JI. (Vol.41 No.6 WWW)

Grado GS3000e: $1799 $$$
Grado's flagship "Statement Series" headphones, the made-in-Brooklyn GS3000e, feature 50mm Mylar drivers built with neodymium magnets and present the driving amplifier with an impedance of 32 ohms and a sensitivity of 99.8dB. According to HR, when driven with a complementary amplifier, the Grados impress with their "swaggering rock'n'roll boogie factor," but they can also sound "elegant and refined." As a bonus, the Grados "look and feel more expensive than [their] price would suggest." (Vol.42 No.12 WWW)

HifiMan Shangri-La Jr: $8000 with energizer
For less than one-sixth the price of HiFiMan's flagship electrostatic headphone set, the Shangri-La ($50,000, including amplifier/energizer), you can own the Shangri-La Jr, whose companion amp/energizer uses a quartet of 6SN7 dual-triode tubes and provides two output ports for shared listening. HR praised the Jr for presenting and preserving vocal tones and textures, and noted its uncanny way with subtle details: "I heard the full Doppler effect of cars shifting gears as they passed [the recording venue]," he wrote, declaring that "this level of vibrant resolution makes the Shangri-La Jrs' $8000 price seem reasonable." The headphones are available separately for $4000, the amp/energizer for $5000. (Vol.42 No.6 WWW)

Sennheiser HD 650: $499.95
The HD 650s are an evolution of Sennheiser's very successful HD 600 open-back dynamic headphones, claimed to provide superior results due to hand-selected parts with closer tolerances and the use of a specially developed acoustic silk for the driver diaphragms. Compared to the Grado SR325i, the Sennheisers sounded richer but slightly darker. JM found that their very effective seal created a resonant cavity that produced "bass that is both quite deep and a trifle indistinct." JA's new reference cans. Compared to the Audeze LCD-Xes, the HD650s had a similar overall sound, but lacked bass control, detail resolution, and ambience retrieval, said JA. (Vol.28 No.6, Vol.31 No.9, Vol.37 No.3 WWW)

Shure KSE1200SYS electrostatic in-ear headphone system: $1999
A less-expensive alternative to Shure's KSE1500 in-ear headphone system ($2999—see elsewhere in "Recommended Components"), the KSE1200SYS uses the same electrostatic transducers, driven by an amplifier/power supply with only a single (analog) input. Acoustic output is coupled to the user's ear via a small tube, covered with a detachable Soft Flex rubber sleeve to seal the ear canal. (A supplied Fit Kit provides pairs of sleeves in different sizes—something for everyone!) The accompanying amplifier is about the size of a deck of cards, and sports a 3.5mm analog input jack, a volume control, and a Lemo connector for the Kevlar-shielded cable, which carries the transducers' polarizing voltage alongside the high-voltage (±200V) audio signal. JA praised the pocketability of the new system's slightly smaller amp, not to mention the comfort of those Soft Flex sleeves. More important, he noted the "superb clarity" of the Shure system's midrange and its "extended, weighty low frequencies," adding that the KSE1500s' slightly bright balance was nowhere to be heard from the KSE1200SYS. JA's conclusion: "a must-hear product." (Vol.42 No.3 WWW)

Sony Signature MDR-Z1R: $1999.99
An example of the sort of very-low-distortion headphone design that HR calls the studio sound aesthetic, the MDR-Z1Rs are part of Sony's new Signature line, alongside their Signature TA-ZH1ES DACheadphone amp (also profiled in this edition of "Recommended Components"). They include Sony's latest 70mm drive-unit, which features a 30μm-thick magnesium dome surrounded by an edge-ringlet of aluminum-coated, liquid-crystal polymer. (Impedance is 64 ohms.) These are built into earpieces comprising outer domes of chromium-plated stainless-steel mesh and inner domes of "breathable" Japanese paper, the latter said to act as an acoustic filter to damp the drivers' back waves. Leather and sheepskin respectively cover the headband and earpads, and two cables are provided: a 3m single-ended cable fitted with a 3.5mm plug, and a 1m balanced cable with the special 4.4mm plug that mates with the Signature TA-ZH1ES, which HR used for "about a third of" his listening. Herb praised the MDR-Z1Rs as being not only "the most natural-fitting, fatigue-free" headphones he's ever used, but also, "by far, the most naturally transparent and open-sounding of any closed-back headphones I know." (Vol.40 No.6 WWW)

Sony Signature TA-ZH1ES: $2199.99
Inside the Signature TA-ZH1ES headphone amplifier is a DAC whose performance stretches all the way to 32-bit/768kHz PCM, plus native DSD up to 22.4MHz. But it's the Sony's outside—specifically, its front panel—that most shoppers will notice first: a row of six outputs, including three balanced (XLR4, 4.4mm JEITA, and separate left- and right-channel 3.5mm jacks) and two single-ended (6.3mm and 3.5mm). In his listening tests, HR found that the TA-ZH1ES "excelled at bass drive, boogie, and bounce," and sounded "darker but no less transparent than either the Linear Tube Audio microZOTL2.0 or Pass Labs HPA-1 headphone amps." He also praised the Sony for a "hypnotizing, deep-sea, looking-into-the-abyss spatial perspective that got darker and denser as it descended (or ascended) into infinite space." (Vol.40 No.6 WWW)

Woo Audio WA5 (2nd Gen): $5899
Described as a line-level integrated amplifier for headphones and loudspeakers (the latter must be able to get by on just 10Wpc into 8 ohms), the Woo WA5 uses, per channel, one 300B triode tube running in single-ended mode and driven by one 6SN7 dual-triode tube; a pair of 5U4G rectifier tubes straighten out the AC in this two-chassis, dual-mono, hand-wired design. Switches abound: for selecting between high and low output power, high- and low-impedance headphones, and headphones and loudspeakers. After harnessing the Woo to a variety of loads, HR declared it "a Darwinian step toward a new renaissance of audio humanism." It also sounds good—especially with less-sensitive, higher-impedance headphones such as Audeze's LCD-4s, which, according to Herb, the Woo drove "in a more satisfying fashion than any other headphone amplifier I've heard." After measuring the WA5, JA expressed reservations about its suitability as a driver of loudspeakers, but conceded that, for a single-ended amplifier, the Woo "performed better than I expected." (Vol.40 No.1 WWW)

B

AudioQuest DragonFly Red: $199.95 $$$
AudioQuest DragonFly Black: $99.95 $$$
AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt: $299.95
In 2016, AudioQuest replaced their original DragonFly USB D/A processor-headphone amplifier with two new models—the DragonFly Black and DragonFly Red. Like their popular forebear, both models were designed by computer-audio pioneer Gordon Rankin, and both offer 24 bit/96kHz resolution. AD wrote of preferring the DragonFly Black's "superior musical incisiveness" compared to the original 'Fly of 2012; for its part, the Red, which has higher output voltage than the Black, offered "surer reproduction of pitches and timing." But he felt that, for headphone listening with an iPhone, there's no sense opting for the twice-as-expensive Red if that's all the consumer has in mind. The new (2019) DragonFly Cobalt boasts a faster microcontroller and a newer processor chip (the ESS ES9038Q2M), plus improved power-supply filtering. When used in his home system, the Cobalt impressed JA with better bass extension and control than the Red, which also sounded "slightly 'harder' in the highs"—although he also noted that the distinctions between the two tiny DACs were "relatively small." JA the Measurer, who in 2016 noted that neither the Red nor the Black were at the head of the class in terms of jitter rejection, observed "excellent rejection of word-clock jitter" from the Cobalt, which he praised for "[performing] well on the test bench." JA adds some remarkable praise for a $300 DAC: except for its limited ability to drive low impedances, the Cobalt would be Class A. (Vol.39 No.9, Vol.42 No.12 WWW)

AudioQuest NightOwl Carbon: $399.95
According to HR, at the opposite end of the spectrum from Sony's MDR-Z1R headphones and their Apollonian studio sound aesthetic are AudioQuest's more Dionysian NightOwl Carbons, which use the same drivers as AQ's NightHawks, but in aperiodically vented rather than semi-open earpieces. (That driver is a 50mm biocellulose dome with a rubber surround.) The 99dB-sensitive, 25 ohm NightOwls also have the same "liquid wood" earcups, although here they sport not a faux-burled wood finish but dark-gray metalflake paint. How do the $699.99 NightOwl Carbons stack up against the $499.99 NightHawks? According to HR, "If you're one of those who thought the original NightHawks sounded too dark, you can now rejoice: properly broken-in, the NightOwls beguilingly straddled the lines between dark and light, hard and soft." Herb's conclusion: "If I were now forced to live with just one set of headphones, they would be AudioQuest's NightOwl Carbons." (Vol.40 No.6 WWW)

Dan Clark Audio Æon: $799.99
Formerly branded Mr.=Speakers, the Æons are closed-back headphones built around planar-magnetic drivers with pleated diaphragms, which the company says improves pistonic motion. These drivers are contained within padded, teardrop-shaped earpieces sealed with carbon-fiber backs. The skeletal headband comprises a leather strap and two hoops of nitinol, which sounds like a sleep aid but is actually a "memory alloy" that, after being deformed, returns to its original shape when reheated. Sensitivity is 93dB and impedance is stated as 13 ohms—the latter spec confirmed in measurements by JA, who noted the need for a headphone amp "capable of delivering enough current into such a load." When using the Æons with the headphone jack of his Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty DAC, JA heard some mid-treble emphasis but found the sound "otherwise smooth, with an uncolored midrange." He also noted that, after installing in their earcups the two thin foam pads supplied with the Æons for that purpose, "low frequencies were in better balance with the midrange." JA's conclusion: "the Æons have opened my ears to what can be achieved with closed-back headphones." (Vol.41 No.3 WWW)

HifiMan Jade 2: $2499 with energizer
A successor to the Jade—HiFiMan's first electrostatic headphone set—the Jade II weighs just 12.9oz (365gm) and comes with a solid-state amplifier/energizer. HR found the Jade II's sound to be "cool, clean, and well sorted" but lacking in the bass depth, grainlessness, and clarity of the company's more expensive electrostatic headphone set, the Shangri-La Jr. Using the Shangri-La Jr's tubed amp/energizer to drive the Jade IIs restored some, but not all, of the charms of the higher-priced set, HR noted. The Jade II headphones are available separately for $1399, their solid-state amp/energizer for $1599. (Vol.42 No.6 WWW)

iFi Audio Pro iDSD 4.4 D/A processor/headphone amplifier: $2749
See "Digital Preocessors."

ifi Pro iCAN: $1799
Despite being burdened with "switchy doodads" such as a switch that allows the user to select between Solid-State, Tube, and Tube+ sounds, an analog-domain bass-correction system, and a choice of three different 3D Holographic Matrix circuits, the fully solid-state iFi Pro iCAN headphone amplifier had some features that HR did like, including three different levels of gain and choices of single-ended or balanced inputs and outputs. Better still, Herb found that "the Pro iCAN played recordings in an unusually appealing manner." In fact, he found that with every associated D/A processor he tried, "the Pro iCAN was never sonically outclassed, and never the weak link." That said, as good as it is, the iFi headphone amp did not impress HR as offering the ultimate in value. (Vol.40 No.6 WWW)

C

Grado SR60e: $79 $$$ ★
The original SR60 offered a rather dark-toned balance, with a full bass and excellent resolution of detail. A more forward midrange, however. Uncomfortable. Upgrades from the original SR60 include a new driver and improved cables. While maintaining the original's freedom from obvious colorations and resonances, the SR60i went a bit deeper in the bass and had a slightly more vivid midrange for a more involving overall sound. "The SR60i is modestly better than the original, and remains one of audio's great bargains," said JCA. (Vol.17 Nos.6 & 10 WWW, original, Vol.33 No.4 WWW)

Hagerman Audio Labs Tuba: $649
See HR's review in this issue.

Koss PortaPro: $49.99 $$$
Imagine 60-ohm, 101dB-sensitive, perfectionist-quality 'phones that fold up small, clip together, and fit in your pocket. Imagine silver-dollar-size earpieces with easily replaceable foam earpads that rest gently on your pinnae. Imagine flying down a hill on your bike while grooving—and I do mean grooving—to your favorite music. Imagine that the ca-1979 Koss Porta Pro headphones are back again and sell for only $49.95 per pair. As it happens, and as HR reported in the June 2018 Stereophile, it's all true. (Vol.41 No.6 WWW)

Meze Audio 99 Classic: $309
The Romanian-engineered, Chinese-made Meze 99 Classics are closed-back, circumaural headphones that feature Mylar-cone drivers, machined-walnut earcups, synthetic leather-covered earpads and headband, and a clever frame design that KM found comfortable. Standard accessories include a 4' remote-equipped cable for travel, a 9' cable for home use, and a resealable faux-velvet pouch. KM praised their "slightly buttoned-down sound," which he found to be more neutral than that of the AudioQuest NightHawks, although the latter provided a more "immersive" experience. JA measured the Mezes and found their impedance to be "relatively low" and thus needful of a current-capable amplifier—and after listening to the 99 Classics, he suggested that their low-frequency balance was "somewhat exaggerated." (Vol.42 No.6 WWW)

No Class Distinction

Shure Bluetooth 5.0 Earphone Communication Cable: $119
Intended as a convenience accessory for Shure in-ear headphones, the company's Bluetooth 5.0 Earphone Communication Cable plugs into the two earpieces, replacing their original cable, and dangles down to approximately mid-sternum, where it terminates in a Bluetooth receiver/DAC that's roughly the size of a USB flash drive, and that opens to reveal a USB-B Micro jack for charging. (Estimated playing time: up to 10 hours.) AptX, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, AAC, and SBC codecs are all supported. Used with a pair of Shure SE535 in-ear headphones, the Bluetooth 5.0 cable impressed JA with AAC-encoded sound that was "[not] as inferior as I'd expected" on classical music, with only slight congestion that, much of the time, "wasn't an issue." Hard-driving rock fared slightly less well. (Vol.42 No.3 WWW)

K

Dan Clark Voce electrostatic, Linear Tube Audio Z10e, Stax SR-009S, Stax SR-L700.

Deletions
Focal Elear discontinued; Master & Dynamic MH40, new versions available, not yet reviewed; Audeze LCD-4, Ayre Codex, Chord Mojo, Hifi Man HE1000, Koss ESP/950, Linear Tube Audio MZ2, Moon by Simaudio 230HAD, Pass Labs HPA-1, Shure KSE1500, not auditioned in a long time; Thinksound ON2, company has ceased operations.

COMMENTS
Bogolu Haranath's picture

Time for Stereophile to review the Denafrips flagship Terminator DAC (under $5k) :-) ........

Kempff's picture

Audioquest Nightowl Carbon (and its Nighthawk sibling) have been discontinued.

There's a new version of the Chord Mojo? Do you know something no one else does?

Bogolu Haranath's picture

AQ NightOwl Carbon is listed under Class-B headphones :-) .......

Kempff's picture

That’s my point. Discontinued items aren’t supposed to be listed.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

May be the people who worked on the list are dis-connected :-) ........

Jim Austin's picture

When we contacted companies about changes in their product lines, as we do before every Recommended Components issue, we were told by AudioQuest that the NightHawk and the NightOwl were still current products.

As for the Mojo, the reason given for its deletion from the list is in error--my error. It is the Hugo, not the Mojo, that has been replaced. The Mojo was deleted because it was last auditioned by a Stereophile writer in the February issue, 2016. Unless awarded a star, components typically "age out" after about three years.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

Kempff's picture

I guess one hand doesn't know what the other is doing at AQ. They sent out a letter to dealers over a year ago announcing that they were "leaving the headphone category," and they stopped producing the nightbirds at that time. But their website still features them as if they're current.

I'm not sure I understand about the Mojo, though. There are quite a few things on the RC list that were reviewed before the Mojo and don't have stars -- the Audeze LCD-X and Senn HD-650, to pick a couple from the same page. Besides, the Mojo surely deserves a star if anything does: it's a classic, sounds fantastic, and has no competition at its price point. It was the RC listing and JA's review that convinced me to take the plunge, and I've loved it ever since.

Jim Austin's picture

Thanks for your note. Well, the HD-650 should have a star, and I'm going to give it one; there aren't many headphones (HD-600 to name one) that have been around as long and still perform well. In any case, I own a pair, and I think JA1 does, too. As you can read in the intro to the section, we keep things on the list if a reviewer has recent experience and still finds the product worthy. The LCD-X is an example of that: JA owns a pair and uses them often.

That's the general case: Products that were reviewed longer ago than the Mojo but still on the list are there because they are in some reviewer's system.

I've never heard the Mojo, but based on its reputation, I certainly respect it. Whether it's a "classic" is of course a judgment call; smart people can disagree.

Best Wishes,

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

tonykaz's picture

to "excellent" ?

Are some reviewers assigning the Excellent designation but not quite meaning it unless the "truly" adverb precedes the critical adjective? Is this a "secret" writers code word for some reason ?

Why do people feel the need to crutch support their declarations with clumsy adverbs?, seems like it dilutes the most important concepts and fosters mistrust of the Writers intentions.

Those dam Brits have taken to say'n "to be honest" or "if I'm honest" . ( We don't see it here, thank you. )
Feels like the Brit leading off with "If I'm honest" is someone I shouldn't be listening to. ( especially if it's coming from a Religious Minister that buys a series of my Sunday performance Sermons ).

My Audio Importing, Manufacturing & Retailing experiences reveal these Recommended Component Issues to have critical influence in the buying decisions of Audiophiles. Your gifted "fiancé of audio adventures" ( Mr.HR ) is probably the most influential man of letters in this here entire Industry. Mr.Steve G. is souring into Cassey Neistat territory with his Audio related YouTube dailies, big hair & colorful shirts. ( he only needs an electric scooter to ride the now-Empty Streets of Manhattan ) The NEW Steve G. is makning 33.3 look like its soooooo Old-School tired. Of course, I approve.

Tony in Venice

Tony in Sunny Venice

ps .. by the way, Audiologists are still using Astell & Kern players.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

To be honest, I think these recommended component lists are very excellent :-) .......

Bogolu Haranath's picture

BTW ....... Tom Brady is gonna play in a town near you :-) .......

tonykaz's picture

and...

Who cares ?

Tony in Venice

Bogolu Haranath's picture

You don't know the record holder, 6 times Super Bowl winner? :-) .......

tonykaz's picture

I have a super bowl that holds 5 cups of cereal.

Tony in Venice

ps. I'm probably not a proper American

Tromatic's picture

Oddly enough I can believe someone who praises the Chinese government does not know who Brady is, although I do agree with "who cares".

tonykaz's picture

Who? I don't know anyone like this .

Tony in Venice

Tromatic's picture

In one of your voluminous screeds about how racist the US is if IRC.
I was going to post something about how the typical Uighur would disagree with you but that would have been off-topic. I'll look for it if you wish, but it may take some time.

I can see how you would forget.

tonykaz's picture

You might have the wrong fellow. I'm contending that China has been an Industrial Quality Leader for the last 5 Centuries ( with the recent decades being the exception )

I do not approve of my GMCorp. going to Asia to take free Labor while abandoning our local legacy Labor.

What is IRC ?

Graham Luke's picture

We must wean ourselves off this curse.
Well, we wouldn't buy stuff from Kim Jong Un so why are we buying it from the PRC....?

misterc59's picture

Sorry, don't know how this ended up under this comment, plus the body of my post went AWOL. I think I'll wait until the posting gods have (hopefully) fixed the problem...

Bogolu Haranath's picture

$400 Project Pre Box S2 is listed in Class-A digital processors ........ To be honest, I think that is very excellent :-) ........

Indydan's picture

To be honest. You should listen to more music, and post less.

tonykaz's picture

"to be honest" is the actual writer saying that he is not normally an honest reporter.

So, I ask, are you being facetious ? I think yes as your comments are typically concise.

Tony in Venice

ps. I'm not here for Music, I'm here for the Literary ( editorial ) Content. I can select Audio Gear without reviewer guidance. I have an Audiologist & Psychiatrist to help me synchronize my personal hearing curves, tastes and synapse tunings. I seem to prefer Class A and still haven't been able to tune-in Class D amplification as satisfactorily as the Norther Europeans have achieved.

Ortofan's picture

... the Pro-Ject Amp Box RS, which combines Hypex class D power amp modules with a vacuum tube input buffer stage.
You could buy one with your $1,200 UBI and still have some change left over.
It's even available at those Best Buy stores with a Magnolia department.

https://www.pro-jectusa.com/en-us/products/pro-ject-box-designs/amplifiers/rs-line/amp-box-rs

Bogolu Haranath's picture

HR could review the Amp Box RS :-) ........

tonykaz's picture

I can't thank you.

Of course you proffer dam good advice, as usual.

I'm something of a Maverick Brand Ambassador for Schiit & PS Audio ( although either Company would & should say that I'm strictly out-on-my-own and not part of their operations ) I think that Mr.s Stoddard and McGowan are both men of high integrity ( maybe even including M.Moffat who might be a horrible smart ass and proud of it )

I was once a Dealer for PS Audio ( 1980s ) and Tyll introduced me to Schiit back in 2011. Both outfits manufacture in the USA, service their products, answer customers, make A+ level products and price sensibly. What's not to like except for Schiit's dam Name and their stupid rear mounted power switches.

As far as those UBIs are concerned, the Corporate worshiping donkeys may not allow we civilians the same life saving financial treatment being lavished on their sponsoring donor Class. Boeing to accept $60 Billion after ruining their financials with the 787 and 737 mismanagements.

Fingers crossed on those $1,200 ea. with $5,000 per family, I'll be investing in Color changing LED Lighting.

Tony in Venice

Ortofan's picture

... Maverick Brand Ambassador for Schiit Audio - and since Messrs. Stoddard and Moffat seem to know their way around tubes, as well as transistors - perhaps you could suggest to them that they design a variation of the Vidar power amp with a vacuum tube front end. It could effectively be a budget version of the PS Audio BHK amp.

tonykaz's picture

I'm certain that Mr.Stoddard would entertain your own personal inquiry far more than they would value my nudging suggestions which typically get tossed ( like my standard insistant demand for ALLLLL dam power switching be located on the dam FRONT panel AND! Dammit, change the Brand Name to Stoddard & Moffat like any respectable Company would normally do!!!

I love your idea for Product Development Improvements. ( go ahead and nominate yourself to Schiit's advisory board, I'll second it)

Are you sure about Moffat and tubes ? I wonder if he's cooking up a nice tube DAC?

Tony in Venice

tonykaz's picture

I'm certain that Mr.Stoddard would entertain your own personal inquiry far more than they would value my nudging suggestions which typically get tossed ( like my standard insistant demand for ALLLLL dam power switching be located on the dam FRONT panel AND! Dammit, change the Brand Name to Stoddard & Moffat like any respectable Company would normally do!!!

I love your idea for Product Development Improvements. ( go ahead and nominate yourself to Schiit's advisory board, I'll second it)

Are you sure about Moffat and tubes ? I wonder if he's cooking up a nice tube DAC?

Tony in Venice

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Your idea of a tube DAC is a smart idea for S. Audio ........ They could offer that DAC with a choice of tube or transistor output ......... They could also offer a choice of multiple digital reconstruction filters for that DAC :-) ........

tonykaz's picture

Why does it need multiple reconstruction?

I suspect that we are already past the point where DACs feature discernible sound quality differences, although professionals like Bob Katz carefully choose converters and can hear details beyond "normal" amateur listeners.

But...

... for the sake of outlandish Pricing, Schiit could offer a DAC made up of ONLY Tubes, much like the very first IBM Computer needing a very large room. Price it at, say..., 3 Million Dollars. Lets give em sumpt'n to talk about.

Tony in Venice

Bogolu Haranath's picture

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tonykaz's picture

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Bogolu Haranath's picture

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tonykaz's picture

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Bogolu Haranath's picture

Almost all of the DACs which offer multiple filters, also offer the standard linear phase 'brick-wall' filter ...... Some listeners choose other types of filters because, they say that, those filters sound more 'analog like' .......... Those other filters are available with a push of a button ....... Similarly, tube or transistor output could be chosen with a push of a button :-) .........

Bogolu Haranath's picture

When Mr.Tony and Mr.Ortofan become the board members of S. Audio, they could make the suggestion about the above mentioned tube DAC :-) .......

tonykaz's picture

Sir Ortofan is leagues beyond me in logical expressions, I would never be welcomed to that exclusive Board of Directors ( BOD ).

Can Orto fandom be explained?

Tony in Venice

tonykaz's picture

Sir Ortofan is leagues beyond me in logical expressions, I would never be welcomed to that exclusive Board of Directors ( BOD ).

Can Orto fandom be explained?

Tony in Venice

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Mr.Ortofan got a 'face tat' which says 'I got the power' :-) ........

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Or ..... May be the tattoo says 'Better at 70' :-) .......

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Mr.Indydan ........ To be honest, you should listen to more music and read less posts or, better yet, read no posts at all :-) .......

tonykaz's picture

looks like a $1,200 UBI per person with a married cap ( possibly $2,500 )

Tony in Venice

enrique majluf's picture

Dear Misters. of Stereophile, it seems to me that they have made a mistake in removing the DAC Bryston from the list, since Larry Greenhill has them within his teams for his reviews, as well as other components of Bryston. His last review was on February 27, 2020. You can't say you haven't been auditioned in a long time.

jay.levine's picture

Just curious how that decision is made? I have a VTA 120 from Bob Latino and it too can be purchased fully assembled--great amp for the money (along with his mono-blocks)--surely they along with a couple of other similar amps deserve attention.

davemill's picture

I am wondering why the B&W 702 S2 are considered “Full Range” while their specifications don’t go to 20 Hz. Stereophile’s review measurements also don’t support this categorization. If these really aren’t “Restricted Extreme LF”, the same should apply to the Revel Performa F228Be.

davemill's picture

I am wondering why the B&W 702 S2 are considered “Full Range” while their specifications don’t go to 20 Hz. Stereophile’s review measurements also don’t support this categorization. If these really aren’t “Restricted Extreme LF”, the same should apply to the Revel Performa F228Be. Perhaps this rule only applies to Class A, I may have just answered my own question. This seems arbitrary to even have Restricted Extreme LF categorization for the other classes unless there are different requirements for them?.

brams's picture

It is not very clear (at least to me) how items rated in one class are subjectively considered to be superior performers to those in the class below. To clarify this it would be helpful in each case to include a small blurb in the comments for each item not considered to be in class A as to why they were not included in the class above. For example the comment for an item in class B would say " Misses class A because in all systems tested it lacked the ultimate resolution of the lowest ranked item currently considered to be in class A" or "Is slightly too sweet or bright to be considered neutral".

In some cases the reasoning can be gleaned by careful reading of the reviews (and perhaps that is Stereophile's intent), but in many cases it is simply not clear.

As a case in point, consider the case of the Kef Reference 5. It is rated as class B while the LS50 is rated as class A LF. However a reading of the Reference 5 review specifically with comparison to other speakers (eg. Magico) currently listed as class A provides no clue to the reason for the ranking especially relative to the ranking of the LS50. Yes, the Reference 5 appears to be slightly sweeter than other class A speakers, but we are also told that its high end performance is similar to the class A Magico.

Now I have heard both the LS50 and Reference 5 in various systems. I also own the little brother to the Reference 5, the Reference 1. It is my opinion that there is no sane person who after hearing all three who could realistically make the case that the LS50 is anywhere near the performance of either Reference speaker. This opinion appears to be supported by any objective testing I have seen. How then does Stereophile explain this discrepancy?

Stereophile owes it to its readers to explain such anomalies as it risks casting doubt on the legitimacy of the Recommended Components list. Perhaps there is a valid reason in the example provided. If so, I would like to hear it. Your general comments in the "How We Do It" section does not appear to cover this.

Alan Marcy's picture

Hi! Stirful & other text addicts. I wandered into good sound visiting a surviving friend who ran off to Paris, France after he got his PHD at the University of Minnesota to teach Romance Languages at the Sorbonne. We are both offline (Text-talk for too old for anyone to care that he is now (Class
D) a dread illegal alien in France) after running Sorbonne until they demanded he retire. He has since married his lover in this US of A, is free of her homeland, China. They had visited her family in China and were happy to get their marriage approved. Families are perhaps as picky as loyal readers of this fine publication, even online.I HAVE UTFERED
i have ordered, om the comments om Vlass===]]]

ckassf Vkass S,

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