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Audio Research VT150 monoblock power amplifier ($11,990/pair; reviewed by Robert Harley, Vol.17 No.8, August 1994)

Another very strong group of nominees, the contenders for the amplification crown ranged from the delightful little HeadRoom Supreme headphone amplifier, which has brought me hours of musical pleasure on the move, to the latest assaults on the state of the amplifier art from those long-time bastions of high-end electronics, Krell, Mark Levinson, Conrad-Johnson, and Audio Research.

The Vendetta is the odd man out, no longer…

Sonic Frontiers SFD-2 D/A processor ($4695; reviewed by Robert Harley, Vol.16 No.12, December 1993, & Vol.17 No.1, January 1994; and Jonathan Scull, Vol.17 No.4, April 1994 Review)

"From the sublime to the ridiculous," I thought as I counted the votes in this category, the nominees ranging from the $259 Audio Alchemy DAC-in-the-Box to the mighty Mark Levinson No.30.5 at a hair under $16,000. (I've used both in my system; yes, the '30.5 does sound better—a lot better!) But it was the new Canadian kid on the digital block, Sonic Frontiers' SFD-2 D/A…

Linn Sondek LP12/Lingo turntable ($2645–$2745; reviewed by John Atkinson, Vol.14 No.1, January 1991, & Vol.16 No.11, November 1993; Corey Greenberg, Vol.16 No.12, December 1993; Robert Deutsch, Vol.17 No.5, May 1994 Review)

"Analog Source" pits tuners against turntables, with the superbly engineered Arcam Delta 100 cassette deck getting a look in. But when push came to vote, the 23-year-old Linn Sondek edged out the other nominees, even the various incarnations of the megabux Forsell turntable from Sweden. Of course, the Linn in its current Lingo'd,…

Proceed PAV audio/video preamplifier ($4195; reviewed by Thomas J. Norton, Vol.17 No.9, September 1994 Review)

It took a while for high-end audio companies to wake up to the opportunities offered by the marriage of audio and video. But when they did, serious butt was kicked. B&W, McIntosh, and Fosgate/Audionics all produced some excellent THX-specification Home Theater speaker systems in the last year, but the Home Theater product that impressed every Stereophile staffer who heard it was the remote-control Proceed PAV audio/video surround-…

The most varied group to be voted on, there was very little spread in the balloting—with one exception: Grado's remarkable $69 headphones. Both Corey Greenberg and Sam Tellig raved about the SR60s in print. Pretty much every other writer who tried them voted for them. Detailed without sounding fatiguingly bright, with excellent bass and silky-smooth highs that let you listen to music for hours without fatigue, these inexpensive cans not only sound…

Grado SR60 headphones

Boy, this was a tight-fought battle, all five contenders offering more than a glimpse of high-end sound at prices almost anyone could afford. (The now-discontinued Optimus CD player was recently seen on sale at just $89.95!) But having scooped up the "Accessory of the Year" award, the all-conquering Grados just swept all before them. If only they weren't so uncomfortable!

Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Audio Alchemy DAC-in-the-Box D/A processor
HeadRoom Supreme headphone amplifier
NHT SuperZero loudspeaker…

Dunlavy Audio Labs SC-IV loudspeaker

As the votes trickled in on my fax machine, every one of these components was at one point in the lead for the High End's most prestigious award. But it was the superb Dunlavy SC-IV that edged ahead at the final post. A well-deserved winner in my humble view, in that it really does redefine what audiophiles should expect from a loudspeaker at the $5000/pair price point.

Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Audio Research VT150 monoblock power amplifier
Mark Levinson No.30.5 D/A processor
Accuphase…

Rogers/Harbeth/Spendor/KEF BBC LS3/5a loudspeaker ($896/pair–$1199/pair; reviewed by J. Gordon Holt, Vol.3 No.12, Spring 1977, & Vol.4 No.1, December 1977; Dick Olsher, Vol.7 No.4, June 1984; John Atkinson, Vol.11 Nos.2 & 3, February & March 1988, Vol.14 No.10, October 1990, Vol.16 No.12, December 1993; Corey Greenberg, Vol.17 No.1, January 1994 Review)

Back in the early '70s, the BBC needed a physically unobtrusive nearfield monitor loudspeaker for use in mobile broadcast studios. Accordingly, they instructed their design department, which at that…