Products of the Year

First Watt J2 power amplifier ($4000; reviewed by Herb Reichert, October 2016, Vol.39 No.10 Review) This is the first time in memory that a distinctly low-power (25Wpc) amplifier has taken top honors, or even placed, in our Product of the Year voting. That the amp in question is also solid-state makes the choice all the more remarkable; and that it sells for a reasonable price—relative, that is, to the prices of most similarly distinguished, perfectionist-quality power amplifiers—is cause for jubilation. Designed by Nelson Pass and produced by the side-project company he founded in 1999, the First Watt J2 is a single-ended (and thus class-A), two-stage, two-channel amplifier with both balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA) inputs. The J2's performance was summed up by Herb Reichert with characteristic eloquence: "Every day, it made me and my favorite loudspeakers extremely happy."

Notes on the vote: Not much density in this competition: The First Watt J2 won more votes and more points than any other product in the Amplification category. Second place went to the excellent VTL TL6.5 Series II Signature preamplifier, while third place was a four-way (!) tie among Benchmark's AHB2 power amplifier, the distinctively engineered Vandersteen M7-HPA mono amp, PS Audio's BHK Signature 300 monoblock, and Pass Labs' HPA-1 headphone amp. Although also manufactured by a Nelson Pass–directed company, the HPA-1 was designed by Jam Somasundram; that said, it's still remarkable to see more than a single product from the same individual place in the same category.

Finalists (in alphabetical order)

Balanced Audio Technology Rex II preamplifier ($25,000; reviewed by Fred Kaplan, January 2016, Vol.39 No.1 Review)
Benchmark AHB2 power amplifier ($2995; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, November 2015, Vol.38 No.11 Review)
Line Magnetic LM-518IA integrated amplifier ($4450; reviewed by Herb Reichert, October 2016, Vol.39 No.10 Review)
Parasound Halo Integrated integrated amplifier ($2495; reviewed by Herb Reichert, November 2015, Vol.38 No.11 Review)
Pass Labs HPA-1 headphone amplifier ($3500; reviewed by John Atkinson & Herb Reichert, July & September 2016, Vol.39 Nos. 7 & 9 Review)
PS Audio BHK Signature 300 monoblock power amplifier ($14,998/pair; reviewed by Michael Fremer, February 2016, Vol.39 No.2 Review)
SAE 2HP-D power amplifier ($19,995; reviewed by Michael Fremer, October 2016, Vol.39 No.10 Review)
Theta Dreadnaught D multichannel power amplifier (from $6149.95, depending on number of channels; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, March & May 2016, Vol.39 Nos. 3 & 5 Review)
Vandersteen M7-HPA monoblock power amplifier ($52,000/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson, May 2016, Vol.39 No.5 Review)
VTL TL6.5 Series II Signature preamplifier ($15,000; reviewed by Fred Kaplan, August 2016, Vol.39 No.8 Review)