Editors' Choices of 2016
Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Renaissance Black Path Edition preamplifier ($9990; reviewed by Robert Deutsch, December 2015, Vol.38 No.12 Review)
The Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Signature preamp was Stereophile's Product of the Year in 1993. Now, 23 years later, when I consider possible candidates for this honor, I can't think of a better choice than the latest version of the SL-1. How's that for longevity?—Robert Deutsch
DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93 loudspeaker ($8400/pair)
For every piece of gear I review, the final proving…
Editor's Choices of 2019
PSB Alpha P5 loudspeaker
I have reviewed many cost-no-object loudspeakers over the years. But as I wrote in my review of this little gem: "While any competent engineer can design a superb loudspeaker if allowed an unlimited bill of materials, the true test is being able to produce a great- sounding, budget-priced speaker out of parts that cost a mere handful of dollars." Yes, there are many speakers that offer greater bass extension, dynamic range, and imaging precision, but at prices that range from five to 500 times as expensive as the Alpha P5.…
This month's music feature, by Mike Mettler, is an interview with John Doe, best known as cofounder, in 1977, of the legendary punk band X. During X's long recording career, Doe's urgent voice has offset the starkly contrasting voice of co–lead vocalist (and songwriting partner) Exene Cervenka, who was Doe's girlfriend before she joined the band; it's one of the most recognizable sounds in punk. Over 45 years, X has continued to record (sparingly) and to evolve, from the literate punk of Los Angeles—to me one of the great albums ever, in any genre—through Wild Gift, which leans toward country…
Regarding the Centaur II 500's reproduction of low frequencies, even when the speaker had relatively limited extension—such as the Dynaudio Special Forty stand-mount I reviewed in September 2018—there was a surprisingly satisfying combination of weight and control. For example, when Jaco Pastorius drops down to a detuned low F and C at the start of "Overture—Cotton Avenue," from Joni Mitchell's Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (AIFF file, 24-bit/192kHz needle drop from LP, Asylum K63003), I didn't feel I was missing too much music with the Dynaudios. (And yes, I know—no one but a reviewer is…
Editors' Choice
Holoaudio May (Level 3) D/A processor
Back in the digital Dark Ages of the 1980s, R-2R "ladder" DACs acquired a bad reputation due to their poor linearity at low recorded levels. The advent of sigma-delta DAC chips in the early 1990s, which didn't suffer from this problem, seemed a godsend, though ladder-DAC lovers continued their advocacy on sound-quality grounds. I was a sigma-delta guy until I heard the ladder-DAC HoloAudio May (Level 3), which, with its combination of superb measured performance and sound quality that, as Herb Reichert wrote, "makes every…
Every product listed here has been reviewed in Stereophile. Everything on the list, regardless of rating, is genuinely recommendable.
Within each category, products are listed by class; within each class, they're in alphabetical order, followed by their price, a review synopsis, and a note indicating the issues in which the review, and any subsequent follow-up reports, appeared. "Vol.44 No.9" indicates our September 2021 issue, for example. "WWW" means the review is also posted online.
Stereophile's Recommended Components list is concerned mainly with products available in the US…
Every product listed here has been reviewed in Stereophile. Everything on the list, regardless of rating, is genuinely recommendable.
Within each category, products are listed by class; within each class, they're in alphabetical order, followed by their price, a review synopsis, and a note indicating the issues in which the review, and any subsequent follow-up reports, appeared. "Vol.45 No.6" indicates our June 2022 issue, for example. "WWW" means the review is also posted online.
Stereophile's Recommended Components list is concerned mainly with products available in the US…
In scouting the lay of the land for the last day of RMAF, my fellow expedition members told me I must hear the demo Nordost was presenting. Late on Sunday afternoon I finally caught up with the Nordost team in the Humboldt Peak room at the Denver Marriott. As at the Munich Show last May, Nordost chose RMAF to showcase their new Supreme Reference Range Odin 2 cabling.
Nordost really had their act together, offering a very interesting and convincing A/B demo in their room, and then referring listeners to their downstairs booth where irresistible show pricing was offered on the spot. Heck—…
See that huge line? It's a small indication of the huge, multi-national, multi-industry group of CES attendees whose numbers—170,000, if the former CEA (Consumer Electronics Association), now CTA (Consumer Technology Association) counts accurately—set new attendance records.
There's just one thing. That line was not at the Venetian Hotel, where all but a few of what CES dubs the "high-performance audio" exhibits were staged. Instead, it was at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Just about everyone you see had no idea that the High End of the audio industry was holding forth on floors 29,…
There's something happening here, and what it is is exactly clear. It's a revolution of sorts—a new paradigm for the High End. Despite pessimistic proclamations of the impending death of high-end audio, an unprecedented number of new high-end consumer shows have emerged in North America. Filling the gap left by the demise of Stereophile's Home Entertainment Show in 2007, these seven (!) shows—two new in 2011, two in expanded versions following successful launches in 2010—are reaching out to people of all ages, sexes, and format preferences (footnote 1).
The High End has been crying for…
