Analog Source Component of the Year
Well Tempered Lab Amadeus 254 GT record player
($8750 with tonearm; reviewed by Alex Halberstadt in Vol.47 No.6, June 2024 review) FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
Acoustic Signature Verona NEO turntable
($15,995; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.47 No.6, June 2024 review)
Austin Audio Works Black Swan phono preamplifier
($1649; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.47 No.8, August 2024 review)
EMT 928 II record player
($17,995 with tonearm and phono cartridge; reviewed by Ken Micallef in Vol.47 No.9, September 2024 review)
Lyra Atlas Lambda λ phono cartridge
($13,195; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.47 No.7, July 2024 review)
Mobile Fidelity MasterPhono phono preamplifier
($5999; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.47 No.1, January 2024 review) When Bill Firebaugh introduced his breaking, filament-suspended Well Tempered tonearm in 1985, it received rave reviews in Stereophile. J. Gordon Holt wrote that it did everything better than any other tonearm he knew of, including "effortless (and wow-less) tracking of the most appallingly warped discs." The arm was joined by the Well Tempered turntable in 1987, which, in its various versions, received very favorable reviews from Brian Damkroger and Art Dudley. The relatively affordable Amadeus 254 GT record player is said to represent the most successful implementation to date of Firebaugh's ideas about phonography. AH found that recordings played back through the Well Tempered 'table sounded more alive than he'd experienced them before, drawing his attention to the performances and making him notice musical nuances as opposed to sonic ones. He summed up his time with "this strange and highly original record player" by writing that it was the most musically insightful and emotionally rewarding one he'd lived with. "Living with the Amadeus has been a revelation about the prime importance of musicality, a quality we tend to ignore in favor of sound effects, often to our long-term detriment," he concluded. "I cannot think of a more recommendable component."
Notes on the vote
With four different product types—turntables, tonearms, phono preamps, phono cartridges—included in the Analog Source category, it should come as no surprise that many components—34 in all—vied for this award. However, there was broad agreement among the reviewers that the six products listed above stood out—that they were worthy of being nominated for the final round of voting. In the end, the Well Tempered record player was the clear, deserving winner.
Well Tempered Lab Amadeus 254 GT record player($8750 with tonearm; reviewed by Alex Halberstadt in Vol.47 No.6, June 2024 review) FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
Acoustic Signature Verona NEO turntable
($15,995; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.47 No.6, June 2024 review)
Austin Audio Works Black Swan phono preamplifier
($1649; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.47 No.8, August 2024 review)
EMT 928 II record player
($17,995 with tonearm and phono cartridge; reviewed by Ken Micallef in Vol.47 No.9, September 2024 review)
Lyra Atlas Lambda λ phono cartridge
($13,195; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.47 No.7, July 2024 review)
Mobile Fidelity MasterPhono phono preamplifier
($5999; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.47 No.1, January 2024 review) When Bill Firebaugh introduced his breaking, filament-suspended Well Tempered tonearm in 1985, it received rave reviews in Stereophile. J. Gordon Holt wrote that it did everything better than any other tonearm he knew of, including "effortless (and wow-less) tracking of the most appallingly warped discs." The arm was joined by the Well Tempered turntable in 1987, which, in its various versions, received very favorable reviews from Brian Damkroger and Art Dudley. The relatively affordable Amadeus 254 GT record player is said to represent the most successful implementation to date of Firebaugh's ideas about phonography. AH found that recordings played back through the Well Tempered 'table sounded more alive than he'd experienced them before, drawing his attention to the performances and making him notice musical nuances as opposed to sonic ones. He summed up his time with "this strange and highly original record player" by writing that it was the most musically insightful and emotionally rewarding one he'd lived with. "Living with the Amadeus has been a revelation about the prime importance of musicality, a quality we tend to ignore in favor of sound effects, often to our long-term detriment," he concluded. "I cannot think of a more recommendable component."
With four different product types—turntables, tonearms, phono preamps, phono cartridges—included in the Analog Source category, it should come as no surprise that many components—34 in all—vied for this award. However, there was broad agreement among the reviewers that the six products listed above stood out—that they were worthy of being nominated for the final round of voting. In the end, the Well Tempered record player was the clear, deserving winner.
