Overall Component of 2015
KEF Blade Two loudspeaker
Son of a Blade! This year's Overall Product of the Year is the unabashedly high-tech KEF Blade Two. The rare loudspeaker that employs neither wood nor pulp in its manufacture, the Blade Two's radically shaped enclosure is formed from high-density polyurethane, while the diaphragms of all six of its drive-units are metal. During its time in JA's lab, the Blade Two distinguished itself with "measured performance that is close to the state of the art," and, as KEF's deputy (no jokes!) flagship, this British speaker has impressed the Dickens out of consumers and reviewers alike, me included.
Notes on the Votes: This year saw a very divided vote for Overall Product of the Year. It seems that each finalist had a strong following, and the final tallies were as close as close could be. Notably, the product that got the second-highest number of votes—the PonoPlayer—was the only 2015 product to place in three categories.
Finalists (in alphabetical order
Ayre Acoustics KX-R Twenty preamplifier
Ayre Acoustics MX-R Twenty power amplifier
Bel Canto Design Black amplification system
GoldenEar Triton One loudspeaker
Pono PonoPlayer
Roon music library/file player
Swedish Analog Technologies tonearm
Notes on the Votes: This year saw a very divided vote for Overall Product of the Year. It seems that each finalist had a strong following, and the final tallies were as close as close could be. Notably, the product that got the second-highest number of votes—the PonoPlayer—was the only 2015 product to place in three categories.
Finalists (in alphabetical order
Ayre Acoustics KX-R Twenty preamplifierAyre Acoustics MX-R Twenty power amplifier
Bel Canto Design Black amplification system
GoldenEar Triton One loudspeaker
Pono PonoPlayer
Roon music library/file player
Swedish Analog Technologies tonearm
