Editors' Choices of 2015
Audiodesksysteme Gläss Vinyl Cleaner ($3995; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Fred Kaplan, and Art Dudley in June 2012, September 2013, and March 2015 Review)
Of the products I wrote about in 2015, one enhanced my enjoyment of recorded music every day: the Audiodesksysteme Gläss Vinyl Cleaner from Germany. This ultrasonic record washer is expensive but not overpriced, and is easily the best-thought-out audio accessory I've ever used. Best of all, the Vinyl Cleaner taught me that a lot of what I took to be record-groove damage is actually record-groove dirt—it can be removed, and the effects of doing so are musically and sonically stunning.—Art Dudley
Ayre Acoustics KX-R Twenty line preamplifier ($27,500)
Reviewing this product marked a moment of satori in my audio life: Here was an active preamplifier, with all that that entails, that sounded better than having no preamplifier in the signal path. I miss it every day.—John Atkinson
Bricasti Design M28 monoblock power amplifier ($30,000/pair)
One of my once-in-a-blue-moon Saturday-afternoon audio get-togethers was enlivened when Bricasti's Brian Zolner and Casey Dowdell arrived with the then-new M28 monoblocks. The assembled company was gobsmacked by the M28s' bass authority, floor-to-ceiling soundstage, and transparency. A friend who was present subsequently bought a pair; he says they are the best audio purchase of his life.—John Marks
DEQX PreMate DAC-preamplifier-equalizer ($5995)
This DAC-preamplifier-equalizer is nearly perfect: A superb DAC and control preamplifier, it's also capable of speaker and room correction, based on independent measurements and filters. Despite its challenging manual and cluttered user interface, the PreMate is easy to use as a control preamp that can make any system sound better. For me, perfection will arrive when they make one with six channels.—Kalman Rubinson
GoldenEar Triton One loudspeaker ($4999.98/pair)
Reasonably priced by high-end standards, the Triton One is a full-range speaker that combines high resolution and high transparency to a degree that invites comparison with far more expensive offerings. I came this close to buying the review pair.—Robert Deutsch GoldenEar Triton One loudspeaker ($4999.98/pair)
I've never listened to the GoldenEar Triton Ones under familiar conditions, but have heard them two or three times at various audio shows, often with familiar program material I brought with me. Their depth, imaging, and balance were hard to criticize, and at $4999.98/pair, the Triton One can hold its own with many speaker designs selling for deep-pocket money. This should be no surprise; GoldenEar's founder, Sandy Gross, has a knack for founding successful speaker companies (Polk, Definitive Technology) that produce exceptional speakers at affordable prices.—Thomas J. Norton
PS Audio Sprout integrated amplifier ($499)
A poll of 20 or so engineers suggests that the Sprout might make the whole "better sound" thing worth considering. They immediately see themselves seamlessly moving devices in and out of the system, like what they hear, and jump to imagining a set of speakers. Wait till they hear it. Congratulations, PS Audio.—Brian Damkroger
Roon music library/file player app ($199/year, $499/lifetime)
Easy choice! the Roon app is so far ahead of other music-library management tools that I don't see why anyone wouldn't want to at least give it a try. Honorable mention: Cambridge Audio's Azur 851D DAC ($1649) deserves a spot for the tremendous value it offers.—Jon Iverson Roon music library/file player app ($199/year, $499/lifetime)
Roon is the killer app we've been waiting for—and it continues to improve. Roon will grow with your library, and the company will continue to improve and expand its metadata to keep pace with musicians' personal info and output, as well as any new associations with stuff in your existing music library.—Michael Lavorgna
Simaudio Moon Evolution 740P line preamplifier ($9500; reviewed by Fred Kaplan in May 2015 Review)
My audio revelation this year sprang from the Simaudio Moon Evolution 740P, which unveiled new layers of detail, transparency, and lifelike musical thereness. I've since heard preamps that are more transparent but also much more expensive. The 740P isn't cheap, but it brings celestial pleasures somewhat down to earth.—Fred Kaplan
Theta Digital Prometheus monoblock power amplifier ($12,000/pair; reviewed by Larry Greenhill in March 2015 Review)
I was sad when I learned that the Theta Digital Prometheus didn't make it to the second round. It is by far the best audio product I've reviewed in a long time. Perhaps it has something to do with its odd exterior.—Larry Greenhill
Vinnie Rossi LIO modular integrated amplifier ($7750 as reviewed; reviewed by Herb Reichert in September 2015 Review)
The Vinnie Rossi LIO is the most iconic, innovative, and musically engaging "integrated amp"—it's so much more than that—since the Naim NAIT. But whereas the NAIT's main goodnesses were its pace and boogie, the LIO delivers grainless liquidity, sparkling LSD colors, spiderweb detail, and fearless jump and drive.—Herb Reichert
Audiodesksysteme Gläss Vinyl Cleaner ($3995; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Fred Kaplan, and Art Dudley in June 2012, September 2013, and March 2015 Review)Of the products I wrote about in 2015, one enhanced my enjoyment of recorded music every day: the Audiodesksysteme Gläss Vinyl Cleaner from Germany. This ultrasonic record washer is expensive but not overpriced, and is easily the best-thought-out audio accessory I've ever used. Best of all, the Vinyl Cleaner taught me that a lot of what I took to be record-groove damage is actually record-groove dirt—it can be removed, and the effects of doing so are musically and sonically stunning.—Art Dudley
Ayre Acoustics KX-R Twenty line preamplifier ($27,500)Reviewing this product marked a moment of satori in my audio life: Here was an active preamplifier, with all that that entails, that sounded better than having no preamplifier in the signal path. I miss it every day.—John Atkinson
Bricasti Design M28 monoblock power amplifier ($30,000/pair)One of my once-in-a-blue-moon Saturday-afternoon audio get-togethers was enlivened when Bricasti's Brian Zolner and Casey Dowdell arrived with the then-new M28 monoblocks. The assembled company was gobsmacked by the M28s' bass authority, floor-to-ceiling soundstage, and transparency. A friend who was present subsequently bought a pair; he says they are the best audio purchase of his life.—John Marks
DEQX PreMate DAC-preamplifier-equalizer ($5995)This DAC-preamplifier-equalizer is nearly perfect: A superb DAC and control preamplifier, it's also capable of speaker and room correction, based on independent measurements and filters. Despite its challenging manual and cluttered user interface, the PreMate is easy to use as a control preamp that can make any system sound better. For me, perfection will arrive when they make one with six channels.—Kalman Rubinson
GoldenEar Triton One loudspeaker ($4999.98/pair)Reasonably priced by high-end standards, the Triton One is a full-range speaker that combines high resolution and high transparency to a degree that invites comparison with far more expensive offerings. I came this close to buying the review pair.—Robert Deutsch GoldenEar Triton One loudspeaker ($4999.98/pair)
I've never listened to the GoldenEar Triton Ones under familiar conditions, but have heard them two or three times at various audio shows, often with familiar program material I brought with me. Their depth, imaging, and balance were hard to criticize, and at $4999.98/pair, the Triton One can hold its own with many speaker designs selling for deep-pocket money. This should be no surprise; GoldenEar's founder, Sandy Gross, has a knack for founding successful speaker companies (Polk, Definitive Technology) that produce exceptional speakers at affordable prices.—Thomas J. Norton
PS Audio Sprout integrated amplifier ($499)A poll of 20 or so engineers suggests that the Sprout might make the whole "better sound" thing worth considering. They immediately see themselves seamlessly moving devices in and out of the system, like what they hear, and jump to imagining a set of speakers. Wait till they hear it. Congratulations, PS Audio.—Brian Damkroger
Roon music library/file player app ($199/year, $499/lifetime)Easy choice! the Roon app is so far ahead of other music-library management tools that I don't see why anyone wouldn't want to at least give it a try. Honorable mention: Cambridge Audio's Azur 851D DAC ($1649) deserves a spot for the tremendous value it offers.—Jon Iverson Roon music library/file player app ($199/year, $499/lifetime)
Roon is the killer app we've been waiting for—and it continues to improve. Roon will grow with your library, and the company will continue to improve and expand its metadata to keep pace with musicians' personal info and output, as well as any new associations with stuff in your existing music library.—Michael Lavorgna
Simaudio Moon Evolution 740P line preamplifier ($9500; reviewed by Fred Kaplan in May 2015 Review)My audio revelation this year sprang from the Simaudio Moon Evolution 740P, which unveiled new layers of detail, transparency, and lifelike musical thereness. I've since heard preamps that are more transparent but also much more expensive. The 740P isn't cheap, but it brings celestial pleasures somewhat down to earth.—Fred Kaplan
Theta Digital Prometheus monoblock power amplifier ($12,000/pair; reviewed by Larry Greenhill in March 2015 Review)I was sad when I learned that the Theta Digital Prometheus didn't make it to the second round. It is by far the best audio product I've reviewed in a long time. Perhaps it has something to do with its odd exterior.—Larry Greenhill
Vinnie Rossi LIO modular integrated amplifier ($7750 as reviewed; reviewed by Herb Reichert in September 2015 Review)The Vinnie Rossi LIO is the most iconic, innovative, and musically engaging "integrated amp"—it's so much more than that—since the Naim NAIT. But whereas the NAIT's main goodnesses were its pace and boogie, the LIO delivers grainless liquidity, sparkling LSD colors, spiderweb detail, and fearless jump and drive.—Herb Reichert
