Analog Source Component of the Year
J.Sikora Standard Max Supreme turntable with KV9 Max Zirconium tonearm
($41,250 in standard finish; reviewed by Ken Micallef in Vol.48 No.4, April 2025 review) FINALISTS (in alphabetical order) Belleson Brilliance phono preamplifier
($8500; reviewed by Tom Fine in Vol.48 No.9, September 2025 review) Kuzma Safir 9 tonearm
($23,751–$24,297; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.48 Nos.2 & 9, February & September 2025 review) Kuzma Stabi M turntable
($28,755; $30,441 as tested; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.48 No.9, September 2025 review) Lyra Delos phono cartridge
($2195; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.48 Nos.5 & 7, May & July 2025 review) PrimaLuna EVO 100 phono preamplifier
($4195; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.47 No.12, December 2024 review) Rega Naia turntable
($12,995 w/tonearm; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.48 No.1, January 2025 review) The belt-drive Standard Max Supreme is an upgraded version of J.Sikora's Standard Max. According to Robert Sikora, "In the turntable suspension, aluminum elements of the Standard Max turntable have been replaced with brass. The separating layers at the base of the platter are now made of steel and solid brass plates. The motor housings, as in the [J.Sikora] Reference turntable, are made of one centimeter–thick stainless steel, with improved internal damping. The bases of the motor housings are made of a two centimeter–thick layer of brass." Ken Micallef described the Standard Max Supreme as being "built like a heavy-metal layer cake, each massive section supporting another, from its oversized isolation platform to its 40lb Delrin platter and its massive [6lb] record weight." The KV9 Max Zirconium Series 9" Tonearm is a silicone-damped unipivot design featuring a Kevlar-fiber armtube damped with J.Sikora's special foam. Fitted first with a MoFi Electronics UltraGold MC cartridge then with an Aidas Tru-Stone Gold Web MC cartridge, the J.Sikora turntable and tonearm took KM places previously unexplored with each record he played. "My attention shifted away from even the most important details—tone, texture, separation—and toward the delicate spaces between notes, the interplay of musicians, the palpable air pressure in the recording space, the distances between performers in the studio." He concluded that the J.Sikora Standard Max Supreme's price may be high, but the profound musicality it delivers renders the price justifiable.
Notes on the vote
The contenders in this category cover a broad spectrum of product types—phono cartridges, phono preamplifiers, step-up transformers, tonearms, and turntables. But there was never any question about the outcome: The J.Sikora turntable got almost twice as many votes as its closest rival, the Rega Naia.
J.Sikora Standard Max Supreme turntable with KV9 Max Zirconium tonearm($41,250 in standard finish; reviewed by Ken Micallef in Vol.48 No.4, April 2025 review) FINALISTS (in alphabetical order) Belleson Brilliance phono preamplifier
($8500; reviewed by Tom Fine in Vol.48 No.9, September 2025 review) Kuzma Safir 9 tonearm
($23,751–$24,297; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.48 Nos.2 & 9, February & September 2025 review) Kuzma Stabi M turntable
($28,755; $30,441 as tested; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.48 No.9, September 2025 review) Lyra Delos phono cartridge
($2195; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.48 Nos.5 & 7, May & July 2025 review) PrimaLuna EVO 100 phono preamplifier
($4195; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.47 No.12, December 2024 review) Rega Naia turntable
($12,995 w/tonearm; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.48 No.1, January 2025 review) The belt-drive Standard Max Supreme is an upgraded version of J.Sikora's Standard Max. According to Robert Sikora, "In the turntable suspension, aluminum elements of the Standard Max turntable have been replaced with brass. The separating layers at the base of the platter are now made of steel and solid brass plates. The motor housings, as in the [J.Sikora] Reference turntable, are made of one centimeter–thick stainless steel, with improved internal damping. The bases of the motor housings are made of a two centimeter–thick layer of brass." Ken Micallef described the Standard Max Supreme as being "built like a heavy-metal layer cake, each massive section supporting another, from its oversized isolation platform to its 40lb Delrin platter and its massive [6lb] record weight." The KV9 Max Zirconium Series 9" Tonearm is a silicone-damped unipivot design featuring a Kevlar-fiber armtube damped with J.Sikora's special foam. Fitted first with a MoFi Electronics UltraGold MC cartridge then with an Aidas Tru-Stone Gold Web MC cartridge, the J.Sikora turntable and tonearm took KM places previously unexplored with each record he played. "My attention shifted away from even the most important details—tone, texture, separation—and toward the delicate spaces between notes, the interplay of musicians, the palpable air pressure in the recording space, the distances between performers in the studio." He concluded that the J.Sikora Standard Max Supreme's price may be high, but the profound musicality it delivers renders the price justifiable.
The contenders in this category cover a broad spectrum of product types—phono cartridges, phono preamplifiers, step-up transformers, tonearms, and turntables. But there was never any question about the outcome: The J.Sikora turntable got almost twice as many votes as its closest rival, the Rega Naia.
