Here in the office, it hasn't been much better. Debunkers of all shapes, sizes, and levels of amazingness are, at this very moment…
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Well, ladies and gents, it's been a long year. As I write this, on an unusually humid and hazy October morning, I'm still feeling the lingering effects of my beloved Mets' sudden and tragic collapse from the top of the National League East. I sat there, at Flushing Meadows' Shea Stadium, covered in peanut shells and with tears in my hazel eyes as the scoreboard went cruelly blank and Coldplay's "The Scientist" wept over the stadium loudspeakers. It was brutal.
2007 Joint Loudspeakers
Dynaudio Confidence C4 ($18,000/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson & Wes Phillips, Vol.26 No.3 & Vol.30 No.3, March 2003 & March 2007 review)
Wilson Audio Specialties WATT/Puppy 8 ($27,900/pair; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.30 No.6, June 2007 review)
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
Focal Electra 1037 Be ($10,995/pair; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.30 No.7, July 2007 review)
Harbeth HL-P3ES2 ($1895/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson, Vol.30 No.4, April 2007 review)
JL Audio Fathom f113 subwoofer ($3400; reviewed by…
2007 Digital Source Component
Chord Choral Blu CD transport & Choral DAC64 D/A processor ($15,400; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.30 No.8, August 2007 review)
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
Esoteric SA60 SACD player ($4600; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.30 No.10, October 2007 review)
Logitech Slim Devices Transporter WiFi D/A processor ($1999; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.30 No.2, February 2007 review)
Marantz SA8001 SACD player ($1000; reviewed by Jim Austin, Vol.30 No.10, October 2007 review)
Muse Polyhymnia universal player ($7150;…
2007 Analog Source Component
Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Keel modifications ($7870; reviewed by Art Dudley, Vol.30 No.10, October 2007 review)
Lyra Skala phono cartridge ($3200; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.30 No.3, March 2007 review)
Kuzma Stabi XL turntable ($18,975; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.30 No.4, April 2007 review)
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
Air Tight PC-1 phono cartridge ($5500; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.30 No.6, June 2007)
Koetsu Black phono cartridge ($1600; reviewed by Art Dudley, Vol.30 No.7, July 2007 review)
…
2007 Amplification Component
Ayre Acoustics MX-R monoblock power amplifier ($16,500/pair; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.30 No.4, April 2007 review)
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
Ars-Sonum Filarmona integrated amplifier ($4000; reviewed by John Marks, Vol.30 No.10, October 2007 review)
Audio Research Reference 3 preamplifier ($9995; reviewed by Paul Bolin & Robert J. Reina, Vol.29 No.12 & Vol.30 No.6, December 2006 & June 2007 review)
Audio Research Reference 110 power amplifier ($9995; reviewed by Robert J. Reina, Vol.30 No.8, August 2007…
2007 Joint Multichannel Music Components
Audio Research MP1 multichannel preamplifier ($7495; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.30 No.9, September 2007 review)
Cary Audio Design Cinema 11 preamplifier-processor ($3000; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.30 No.7, July 2007 review)
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
Bel Canto Design e.One Ref1000 and S300 power amplifiers (Ref1000, $3990/pair; S300, $1495; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.29 No.11, November 2006 review)
Classé Audio CA-3200 3-channel power amplifier ($6000; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.30…
2007 Accessory
RealTraps MondoTraps (MondoTrap, $300; Corner MondoTrap, $350; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson & Jim Austin, Vol.29 No.11 & Vol.30 No.8, November 2006 & August 2007 review)
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
Audyssey Sound Equalizer ($2500; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.30 No.3, March 2007 review)
Ayre Acoustics L-5xe Power Filter ($1500; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.30 No.7, July 2007)
Cayin Audio HA-1A headphone amplifier ($795; reviewed by Sam Tellig & Wes Phillips, Vol.29 Nos.6 & 11, June & November 2006)
Furutech…
2007 Editor's Choice
Linn Records & Music Giants DRM-Free, High-Resolution Downloads
A very different product category for my personal award of 2007! When I want the highest sound quality, I still reach for a physical disc: LP, CD, SACD, or DVD. But these days almost all of my more casual listening—when I'm writing, for example, or working on the Stereophile website—depends on a WiFi music player accessing my iTunes library. I began with the inexpensive Squeezebox from Slim Devices (now owned by Logitech), which was my 2006 "Editor's Choice," but following Wes Phillips'…
2007 Budget Product of the Year
PSB Alpha B1 loudspeaker
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
Aperion Audio Intimus 533-T loudspeaker ($750/pair; reviewed by Robert J. Reina, Vol.30 No.4, April 2007 review)
Benz-Micro MC20E2-L phono cartridge ($199; reviewed by Art Dudley, Vol.30 No.9, September 2007 review)
Harbeth HL-P3ES2 loudspeaker
HeadRoom Desktop D/A headphone amplifier ($1895; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.29 Nos.4 & 11, April & November 2006 review)
K&K Electronics MC step-up transformer ($275; reviewed by Art Dudley, Vol.30 Nos.9 & 10,…
2007 Product of the Year
Ayre Acoustics MX-R monoblock power amplifier
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
Chord Choral Blu CD transport & Choral DAC64 D/A processor
Focal Electra 1037 Be loudspeaker
JL Audio Fathom f113 subwoofer
Krell Evolution 600 monoblock amplifier
Logitech Slim Devices Transporter WiFi D/A processor
Pioneer S-1EX loudspeaker
Shindo Masseto preamplifier
Simaudio Moon Evolution P-8 preamplifier
Simaudio Moon Evolution SuperNova CD player
Sonus Faber Guarneri memento loudspeaker
Wilson Audio Specialties WATT/…