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Pass Laboratories XP-22 preamplifier ($9500; reviewed by Jim Austin, June 2019, Vol.42 No.6 Review)

Things have changed since the era when audio perfectionists regarded the preamplifier as the true heart of their system: a time when the Audio Research SP-10, Conrad-Johnson Premier Three, Spectral DMC-10, and Klyne SK-5 ruled the Earth. These days, we tend to publish more reviews of power amps than preamps, and our POTY lists have reflected that (im)balance. So some of us were especially pleased to see 2019's top amplification honors go to…

Sutherland Engineering Little Loco phono preamplifier ($3800; reviewed by Brian Damkroger, October 2019, Vol.42 No.10 Review)

Although phono preamps that work on the current-amplification (as opposed to voltage-amplification) principle still account for a small minority of the market, that technology took a big step forward in 2019 with the Sutherland Engineering Little Loco, itself a less expensive version of the company's recent Phono Loco. The Little Loco is designed for moving-coil cartridges only, and even then not every make or model of…

Mytek Brooklyn Bridge streaming D/A processor ($2995; reviewed by Jim Austin, September 2019, Vol.42 No.9 Review)

Brooklyn-based Mytek is no stranger to the POTY winner's circle. Indeed, this year's Digital Component of the Year, the Brooklyn Bridge streaming D/A processor, is based upon Mytek's Brooklyn DAC, which was our Joint Digital Component of the Year for 2017. As JCA pointed out, "The Brooklyn Bridge retains all the main features" of the Mytek Brooklyn, from full MQA decoding to analog line-level and phono inputs, and adds streaming and…

HiFiMan Shangri-La Jr electrostatic headphones ($8000 With Amplifier/Energizer; reviewed by Herb Reichert, June 2019, Vol.42 No.6 Review)

"Call me when you make a cheaper, trickled-down [version]."

That's what Herb Reichert said to Dr. Fang Bian, HiFiMan's CEO and super- brain, upon being offered the chance to review the company's Shangri-La electrostatic headphones and 300B-powered amplifier/energizer, a combination that marked the first time Herb heard electrostats that were completely free of the breed's characteristic colorations—…

Isoacoustics Gaia and Orea Isolation Feet ($59 and up); reviewed by Robert Deutsch & Art Dudley, October 2017, February 2018, & June 2019, Vol.40 No.10, Vol.41 No.2. & Vol.42 No.6 Review and Review)

IsoAcoustics' Orea isolation feet combine rigid metal elements with pliable internal couplers and can be placed in sets of three or four, under a variety of products. Their Gaia footers work the same way, yet, instead of being designed to simply slide into place beneath the product to be isolated from vibrations, they're built to accept…

Magnepan LRS loudspeaker ($650/pair; reviewed by Herb Reichert, August 2019, Vol.42 No.8 Review)
PSB Alpha P5 loudspeaker ($349/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson, October 2019, Vol.42 No.10 Review)

When it comes to Budget Component of the Year, 2019 appears to have been a very good year for loudspeakers. It also appears to have been a very good year for following the advice of Herb Reichert, who reviewed five of the six products mentioned here, and whose judgment was endorsed by so many of his colleagues.

Topping the list this…

Mytek Brooklyn Bridge streaming D/A processor ($2995; reviewed by Jim Austin, September 2019, Vol.42 No.9 Review)
Revel Performa F228Be loudspeaker ($10,000/pair; reviewed by Kal Rubinson, February 2019, Vol.42 No.2 Review)

Let's take a moment to savor something nice: One of our two Components of the Year, the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge streaming DAC, costs under $3000—less than the price of a bespoke suit from a Savile Row tailor. And while our other Component of the Year, the Revel Performa F228Be, has a five-figure price, it is so by…

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.…

“The…