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Well Tempered Lab Amadeus 254 GT record player
($8750 with tonearm; reviewed by Alex Halberstadt in Vol.47 No.6, June 2024 review)

FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
Acoustic Signature Verona NEO turntable
($15,995; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.47 No.6, June 2024 review)
Austin Audio Works Black Swan phono preamplifier
($1649; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.47 No.8, August 2024 review)
EMT 928 II record player
($17,995 with tonearm and phono cartridge; reviewed by Ken Micallef in Vol.47 No.9, September…

Grimm MU2 streaming preamplifier
($17,500; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson in Vol.47 No.8, August 2024 review)

Weiss Engineering Helios D/A processor
($21,995; reviewed by John Atkinson in Vol.47 No.3, March 2024 review)

FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
Cambridge Audio MXN10 streaming D/A processor
($499; reviewed by Tom Fine in Vol.47 No.5, May 2024 review)
dCS Lina D/A processor
($13,500; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.47 No.5, May 2024 review)
TEAC VRDS-701T CD transport
($2699.…

Audeze LCD-5 headphones
($4500; reviewed by Julie Mullins in Vol.46 No.12, December 2023 review)

FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
dCS Lina headphone amplifier
($9750; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.47 No.3, March 2024 review)
Feliks Envy Performance Edition headphone amplifier
($8795; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.47 No.2, February 2024 review)
Focal Bathys wired/wireless headphones
($699; reviewed by Rogier van Bakel in Vol.47 No.2, February 2024 review)
Meze Audio 109 Pro headphones
($799; reviewed…

Degritter Mark II record cleaning machine
($3280; reviewed by Alex Halberstadt in Vol.47 No.5, May 2024 review)

FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
AudioQuest Yosemite tonearm cable
($549/1.2m pair; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.47 No.8, August 2024 review)
Collaro Cloth Turntable Mat
(£99; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.46 No.11, November 2023 review)
Ikigai Audio Kangai-level loudspeaker cable
($9400/2m pair; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.47 No.3, March 2024 review)
Silent Angel Bonn NX network switch
($3999…

Wilson Audio Specialties Sasha V
($51,000/pair; reviewed by Sasha Matson in Vol.47 No.2, February 2024 review)

FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/baby
($5700/pair; reviewed by Ken Micallef in Vol.46 No.12, December 2023 review)
Focal Maestro Utopia EVO
($76,000/pair; reviewed by Rogier van Bakel in Vol.46 No.11, November 2023 review)
Klipsch The Nines
($1499/pair; reviewed by Tom Fine in Vol.47 No.2, February 2024 review)
Voxativ Ampeggio 2024
($13,900/pair; reviewed by Ken Micallef in…

Musical Fidelity A1 integrated amplifier
($1779; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.47 No.10, October 2024 review)

FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
Austin Audio Works Black Swan phono preamplifier
($1649; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.47 No.8, August 2024 review)
Eversolo DMP-A8 digital processor
($1980; reviewed by Rogier van Bakel in Vol.47 No.7, July 2024 review)
Rega Planar 3 50th Anniversary Edition record player
($1695; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.46 No.11, November 2023 review)
Technics SL-1200GR2…

Wilson Audio Specialties Sasha V loudspeaker
($51,000/pair; reviewed by Sasha Matson in Vol.47 No.2, February 2024 review)

FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
Accuphase A-300 monoblock power amplifier
($49,950/pair; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus in Vol.46 No.12, December 2023 review)
Dan D'Agostino Relentless preamplifier
($149,500; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus in Vol.47 No.9, September 2024 review)
Grimm MU2 streaming preamplifier
($17,500; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson in Vol.47 No.8, August 2024 review)
…

Parasound JCA100 Tribute monoblock power amplifier
I reviewed some impressive-sounding products in this year's qualifying issues—the Weiss Helios D/A processor, the Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Signature, and GoldenEar T66 loudspeakers come to mind—but when it came down to the deadline, I had no hesitation in naming Parasound's JCA100 Tribute monoblock amplifier as my Editor's Choice. Intended to honor legendary engineer John Curl, who has been Parasound's amplifier designer for decades, each JCA100 starts life as a Parasound Halo JC 1+, which is then…

YG’s latest creations push the envelope for technical innovation—not to mention total heft. The three dual-layer cabinets of each speaker, machined in-house from aerospace-grade aluminum billet, have a total weight of 495 lb. And yes, they are as expensive as you might imagine: $146,800 a pair. YG also machines the aluminum drivers in-house.

In the mid-1980s, few bands were as loved, despised, and misunderstood as the Butthole Surfers. The impulse to tread in unexplored borderlands of noise, studio blathery, live excess, indulgent nonsensicalness, and the urge to reconnoiter unheard sonics were all…