Stereophile's Products of 2007
Product of the Year: Ayre Acoustics MX-R monoblock power amplifier (review)
Budget Product of the Year: PSB Alpha B1 loudspeaker (review)
Joint Loudspeakers:
Dynaudio Confidence C4 (review)
Wilson Audio Specialties WATT/Puppy 8 (review)
Amplification Component: Ayre Acoustics MX-R monoblock power amplifier (review)
Digital Source: Chord Choral Blu CD transport & Choral DAC64 D/A processor (review)
Joint Analog Sources:
Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Keel modifications (review)
Lyra…
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Previous Awards, 1992–2007:
Larry Greenhill reviewed the BP-173's phono & DAC modules in June 2019 (Vol.42 No.6):
After reviewing Bryston's BP-173 line preamplifier ($3995) in June 2018, I returned the review sample to Bryston to have its optional DAC and moving-magnet phono modules installed ($750 each). I was curious to hear if these options would maintain the high standard set by this component, which is included in Stereophile's "Recommended Components."
When the BP-173 returned, it looked unchanged. But when I removed its top plate, I saw that two new daughterboards had been installed above the…
When I began writing for Stereophile, I heard people whispering:
"Herb is one of those triode-horn guys."
Wrong. Most of my life, I've favored solid-state integrated amplifiers driving small, British-made speakers.
"I'm sure he hates digital."
Wrong again. I sold all my LPs some 12 years ago, and since then I've been filling my days with CDs and high-resolution downloads. (However, I am starting to collect vinyl again, because my vintage DNA still remembers how to worship at the Altar of Black Discs.)
"Reichert? He's a mono guy. He's not into imaging."…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I performed a full set of measurements on one of the two FMJ P49 samples I was sent (serial no. FPA4901087_14_52), using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). As the P49 is specified as having a maximum power output of 200Wpc into 8 ohms, I preconditioned it before the measurements by running both channels at one-third that power, 67W, with a 1kHz signal into 8 ohms, for one hour. Following that period, the top panel was warm, at 109.8°F (43.3°C), though the vents covering the internal heatsinks were hotter, at 134.1°F (56.8°C).…
When Carolyn Counnas, co-founder of Zesto Audio, contacted editor John Atkinson to ask about getting the Leto, the company's tubed line stage preamplifier ($7500), reviewed in Stereophile, JA suggested that I do the job. I'd recently reviewed competing designs from Nagra and VTL (see reviews in April 2013 and June 2013, respectively) and I was thrilled—I always look forward to hearing a tube preamp from a company I'm unfamiliar with, and besides, I'd seen pictures of the drop-dead-gorgeous Leto. After nearly 30 years of reviewing all sizes and pedigrees of preamps, power amps, and…
Sam Tellig wrote about the Croft Phono in May 2014 (Vol.37 No.5):
Art Dudley was the first at Stereophile to discover this little gem, which he reviewed in the October 2013 issue. I was intrigued because: a) Artie loves it, and b) John Atkinson does not. After measuring it, JA snorted: "To me, it seems, at best, inadequately engineered, and at its worst . . . just plain inadequate."
You have been warned: If you listen to test tones, you can probably hear distortion. JA: "[T]he phono stage suffers from a severe rolloff in the treble. . . ."
JA measured the output impedance…
Mobile Fidelity's president and founder, Brad Miller, got hooked on trains as a kid, and when his father bought one of the first home tape recorders, Brad started borrowing it. He soon became hooked on recording too, switching first to stereo, then to 4-channel sound as each offered an improvement in his ability to record trains the way they actually sound. Offering some of his recordings for public sale just seemed the next logical thing to do, and it subsidized his hobby. (He also organized a Muzak-style orchestra called "Mystic Moods," and issued some recordings in which he mixed music…
Stephen Mejias wrote about the LS50 in June 2014 (Vol.37 No.6):
In December 2013, the KEF LS50 loudspeaker ($1499.99/pair) was named Stereophile's Budget Product and Overall Component of the Year, marking the first time in 22 years of voting that any component had earned this strange double distinction. Consider the achievement: The former award is typically granted to products that provide outstanding value but may nevertheless exhibit some obvious, albeit carefully considered, compromise(s); the latter, loftier award is often won by cost-no-object, flagship designs that shun even the…
Kudos must be paid to Gandy, Bateman, and the Rega Research team. When almost every contemporary hi-fi manufacturer outfits its integrated amplifiers with DACs, VU meters, Wi-Fi, video processing, Bluetooth capability, and myriad digital inputs—to some, the equivalent of sonic whammy bars—the Brio's skill set is simple and minimalist.
"lt's kind of Roy's philosophy," Bateman explained. "The Brio is the amplifier equivalent of a Planar 3 turntable, which is no-frills. Digital would get in the way. It's like the old amplifiers of 40 years ago: the Creek CAS4040, Arcam A60, or the Sugden…
SVS's Merlin—a portion of the company's website that offers loudspeaker-specific recommendations on SVS subwoofers and settings—recommends low-pass filter settings of 60Hz (high-pass) and 40Hz, 12dB/octave (low-pass). Because the CR-1 couldn't use different slopes for high- and low-pass filters, I set its high-pass filter at 60Hz, 24dB/octave for the Quad ESL-989s, and the SB16-Ultra's internal low pass filter to 40Hz, 12dB/octave. I then used the SVS app's parametric equalizer to reduce peak room modes at 43 and 160Hz, and played the same recordings as before. The integration of the sub's…