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Stereophile's Products of 2024 Accessory of the Year

Accessory of the Year

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…

Stereophile's Products of 2024 Loudspeaker of the Year

Loudspeaker of the Year

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…

Stereophile's Products of 2024 Budget Product of the Year

Budget Product of the Year

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…

Stereophile's Products of 2024 Overall Product of the Year

Overall Product of the Year

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)
…

Stereophile's Products of 2024 Editors' Choice Awards

Editors' Choice Awards

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 Acoustics, Bel Canto, Cardas Cables

YG Acoustics speakers have always had a distinct look, but the massive aluminum towers in room 806 were unmissable, even if you only glanced into the room. These were the Colorado-based manufacturer’s state-of-the-art Sonja 3.3 loudspeakers.

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.

…

Revinylization #60: The Butthole Surfers Wipe Out

Music's lunatic fringe drifts further out every hour. As it should. In this century, with computers playing an ever-larger role, music continues to fragment and become infinitely more varied. This splintering is either the essence of what keeps it relevant as an art form or something profoundly disturbing, to be hated and feared.

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…

Border Patrol, Living Voice, Triode Wire Labs

Gary Dewes and Pete Grzybowski, the minds behind Border Patrol Audio and Triode Wire Labs, respectively, conjured a sonic space that wasn't merely heard, but felt. A room where sound didn't just exist, but seized the listener, demanding attention.

Said setup included an Innuos Statement Music Server with Next-Gen Power Supply (4TB SSD–$26,200), Gary’s BorderPatrol S20EXD power amplifier (from $22,500) and BorderPatrol DAC SE-i (USB, from $1650). These drove the Living Voice R80 IBX Oak loudspeakers ($42,750–$54,250/pair, depending on finish), a two-way, ported, MTM loudspeaker with 92dB/…

Robyatt Audio: Quad, VPI, Thai-Scandinavian Engineering, Tzar, April Sound, Java HiFi, Sonore, and Finley Audio

Robin Wyatt always gives great room, and this year’s CAF appearance was no exception. Prancing like a jolly bartender offering beautiful audio reproduction in place of libations, Wyatt’s room creates anticipation and soon enough, audio ecstasy.

Wyatt’s curated audio assemblage included a bespoke VPI HW-RA DD turntable ($17,995), with a Tzar DST V1 stereo phono cartridge ($10,000) mounted on a hai-Scandinavian Engineering Bird of Prey tonearm ($15,950). Amplification included the April Sound Pre head amp ($1875), into the popular Java HiFi Double Shot integrated amplifier ($15,995),…

Popori Acoustics and UniQue Home Audio with Applied Physics, VAC, Roon, Rythmik, Snake River Audio, Solid Steel, ASC, ViaBlue

At the risk of giving these social media upstarts more attention, my old friend Jason Messina (aka The Audiophile Junky) could be found in the Popori/UniQue room, which is a funny thing. The only time I’ve seen Jason even close to being immobile—i.e., not making videos, which he does, hitting the ground running (I’ve seen it)—is at a show!

Jason demonstrated the Theoretica Applied Physics Bacch-SP adio Stereo Purifier with DAC ($30,000) for me, and I was duly impressed, if a bit spooked. Who knew there was so much audio action happening behind my head?

Also in the room, a Roon…