Stereophile's Products of 2016 Analog Component of the Year

Analog Component of the Year

Lyra Etna SL phono cartridge ($9995; reviewed by Michael Fremer, July 2016, Vol.39 No.7) There are revolutionary products and there are evolutionary products, and this year's Analog Product of the Year would seem to be one of the latter: the Lyra Etna SL cartridge is, as of now, the culmination of designer Jonathan Carr's multi-decade effort to advance the art of phono transduction. Essentially a low-output (0.25mV) version of the already well-regarded Etna, the SL is wound with fewer turns of wire, resulting in lower moving mass and contributing to what Michael Fremer described as offering greater helpings of "the small shifts that make music breathe and come to life." The use of very high-quality pre-preamplification is virtually mandatory—not a problem, one assumes, for those for whom a $9995 cartridge is within reach. That said, the Lyra Etna SL is hardly the most expensive phono cartridge on the market—but it is, in Mikey's words, "Carr's best work yet."

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Notes on the vote: The Lyra cartridge and this year's second-place winner—VPI's Scout Jr. turntable and tonearm (an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge is included)—received the same number of votes, the distinction being that all of the Lyra's votes accorded it either first- or second-place status, while the VPI's votes were split between first and third place. Third place went to the Parasound Halo JC 3+ phono preamp, which received only one less point than the VPI 'table.

Finalists (in alphabetical order)

Abis SA1.2 tonearm ($1775; reviewed by Herb Reichert, April 2016, Vol.39 No.4 Review)
Audio-Technica AT-ART1000 phono cartridge ($4999; reviewed by Michael Fremer, October 2016, Vol.39 No.10)
Dynavector DV-20X2L phono cartridge ($995; reviewed by Herb Reichert, June 2016, Vol.39 No.6 Review)
Luxman EQ-500 phono preamplifier ($7490; reviewed by Art Dudley, May 2016, Vol.39 No.5 Review)
Music Hall MMF-7.3 turntable & tonearm ($1595 with Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge; reviewed by Ken Micallef, September 2016, Vol.39 No.9 Review)
Oracle Delphi Mk.VI Second Generation turntable ($7850; reviewed by Art Dudley, February 2016, Vol.39 No.2 Review)
Parasound Halo JC 3+ phono preamplifier ($2995; reviewed by Herb Reichert, June 2016, Vol.39 No.6 Review)
Roksan Radius 7 turntable & Nima tonearm ($3500; reviewed by Herb Reichert, October 2016, Vol.39 No.10 Review)
SME Model 15 turntable & 309 SPD tonearm ($9299; reviewed by Michael Fremer, January 2016, Vol.39 No.1)
TechDAS Air Force One turntable ($105,000; reviewed by Michael Fremer, April 2016, Vol.39 No.4)
VPI Scout Jr. turntable & tonearm ($1600 with Ortofon 2M Red cartridge; reviewed by Herb Reichert, February 2016, Vol.39 No.2 Review)

COMMENTS
Staxguy's picture

While the Devialet Expert 1000 (1000 watts at 6 ohms) didn't hit my mind while thinking huh to ...

"The Mark Levinson No.585 integrated stereo amplifier's 200Wpc into 8 ohms—more powerful than any integrated amp other than the 300Wpc Bel Canto Black"

Jeff Rowlands Daemon (1500 watts at 8 ohms) Integrated Amplifier certainly did.

http://jeffrowlandgroup.com/us/daemon-integrated.html

Looking, I see that indeed Stereophile has covered it (I seem to remember it)...

http://www.stereophile.com/content/trade-day%C2%97lets-go-show#FKRbtL4Shc8PJS5K.97

200 watts is certainly power-amp power-amp territory, and no slouch, but is not knocking on the Analogue Domain Apollo (4000 watt at 8 ohms) power amplifier territory, or the mind-numbing 160,000 watts of Pievetta Opera Only, which one could consider an integrated amplifier.

http://newatlas.com/pivetta-opera-only/29824/

Or Music-in-The-Round (Kal) amplifier at least.

It's nice to see a number of excellent products this year.

Did you try driving loudspeakers (high efficiency) with the AudioQuest Dragonfly Red's headphone out?

Many headphone enthusiasts use the Devialet Expert 1000's speaker outputs to drive their headphones, as an aside. :)

Love to see coverage of the Daemon.

Lucidear's picture

@Staxguy,

A little shortsightedness, on the part of staff perhaps, in copying Larry Greenfield's actual comments from his review of the 585:

"...Mark Levinson's No.585 is the most expensive integrated amplifier I have reviewed. At 200Wpc, it's more powerful than all but one of the integrateds listed in our "Recommended Components"—the Bel Canto Black."
---
Read more at http://www.stereophile.com/content/mark-levinson-no585-integrated-amplifier-page-2#ecOjReEIsHSm19Su.99

And I think as of his writting's date the Musical fidelity 800, with a tad more power, was not on the RC list yet...
***Now if someone could comment whether this (the 585 or even the MF800) has enough juice to drive a pair of larger Maggies ie 3.7i or 20.7, it'd be much appreciated...

tonykaz's picture

I have to hand it to you lads, well done!!!

Seems like $5,000 builds a pretty darn good system ( digital, of course ).

Back in 1985 it would've taken well over $10,000, if I remember correctly.

Conrad-Johnson MV-45a & Electrocompaniet Ampliwire ( 50 watts ) were my all time favorite Amps, I no longer own either. Maybe I should arrange for a First Watt. You lads are part of a large group that love these Amps.

It seems, after 30 years of digital we have a tiny little device ( $200 ) to replace our record players, hmm. ----- Of course, it's not as good as a $10,000 Phono cart., $10,000 VPI, $??,??? Arm plus cabling and a "proper Pre-amp with a nice RIAA"

Nice cheap speakers ( costing less than LS3/5a in 1980 dollars ), get-outa-here. more hmmmmmms. And Wilsons for less than the price of a KIA Soul? get-outa-here sum-more

I love your work, OK, I'll subscribe to the print version ( if you still have one ).

Tony in Michigan

John Atkinson's picture
tonykaz wrote:
I have to hand it to you lads, well done!!!

Thank you.

tonykaz wrote:
OK, I'll subscribe to the print version ( if you still have one).

Yes we do!

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

tonykaz's picture

About $13, seems a bargain.

Tony in Michigan

AaronGarrett's picture

Just subscribed as well. Had lapsed for quite a few years. This has become a lot more than a hifi mag. It's clear that the love of music is what really drives Stereophile and its reviewers.

dalethorn's picture

I've found some interesting music through the reviews here - music I would have otherwise missed.

jporter's picture

Dale, I finally agree with you on something...Cheers!

dalethorn's picture

You may occasionally read where I say that I agree with what someone said, but you won't read where I say that "I agree with you."

Allen Fant's picture

The ML No. 585 integrated amp is on my short-list as well.

Atlet's picture

My impressions of the latest magazin review of the new PL300 II was Deutsch new reference. Shouldn't that make the PL300 II loudspeaker of the year and not the Wilson Sabrina?
Just confused..

rschryer's picture

Products for POTY consideration had to have been "covered in our November 2015 through October 2016 issues". The PL300 appeared in November's edition.

Atlet's picture

I guess the PL300 II would have become the winner if it had been reviewed before November if I have red and understood the review in the latest(Nov) issued Stereophile magazine..

rschryer's picture

Perhaps the more pertinent question is: How will the PL300 fare in 2017's POTY? *insert suspenseful music*

rschryer's picture

Keep in mind: The POTY system is consensus-based. RD's is but one opinion, as trustworthy as it may be.

mrvco's picture

Thank you for validating my recent J2 purchase. LOL. It's a great pairing w/ my single-driver Omegas. And yes, I'm a print subscriber. Can I get a badge?

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