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Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Signature preamplifier ($4950; reviewed by Jack English, Vol.15 No.12, December 1992 Review)

The mighty C.A.T. preamplifier typifies all that is good about the High End: inspired design, attention to detail, tube circuitry, and magnificent sound. It also, perhaps, typifies some of the problems of the High End: limited production, limited availability, tube circuitry, and a high price. But it's the sound that matters; in Jack English's words, "stunning timbral realism...superb rendition of dynamic shadings...[low]…

C.E.C. TL 1 CD transport ($4650; reviewed by Robert Harley, Vol.16 No.7, July 1993 Review)
Mark Levinson No.31 CD transport ($8495; reviewed by Robert Harley, Vol.16 No.6, June 1993 Review)

I had reorganized the voting strategy this year to minimize the possibility of a tie. Yet in this category, the Mark Levinson and C.E.C. transports remained continually nose-to-nose as the ballots trickled back from the writers. But with hindsight, how could it have been any different? Though each transport sounds quite different from the other, both stand…

Basis Ovation turntable ($4395; reviewed by Dick Olsher, Vol.16 No.7, July 1993 Review)

If you don't live in New York or Los Angeles and you've mislaid the July '93 Stereophile, which featured Guy Lemcoe's survey of mail-order LP sources, vinyl must have been pretty thin on the ground in 1993. Yet Stereophile ended up reviewing more LP playback components this year than we'd ever expected. The Basis Ovation turntable may have got the lion's share of the writers' votes, but the other analog nominees were close on its heels. Nevertheless, with the Ovation…

Lexicon CP-3 THX surround-sound processor ($2995; reviewed by J. Gordon Holt, Vol.15 No.12, December 1992)

This is the most heterogeneous group of products featured. The Combak Harmonix "magic dots" actually got the highest number of nominating votes, but when it came time for the writers to cast their votes for real, the CP-3 became the well-deserved winner. It could be argued that the Lexicon more properly belongs in the "Amplification" category, due to its preamplifier-like nature, or in the "Digital Source" category, as it performs its Dolby Pro-Logic…

Sumiko Blue Point Special phono cartridge

The voting was very close; all five products are bargain-basement winners. The Comet and AMC, in particular, are shoo-in recommendations to non-audiophiles who might be tempted by high-end sound quality. But it was Sumiko's Blue Point Special phono cartridge that nosed ahead in the voting. There were some early doubts over its manufacturing consistency, but this high-performance, bodiless, high-output MC has turned out to be a safe recommendation to anyone with a yen for better sound from vinyl. "Open, dynamic,…

Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Signature preamplifier

1993 was a strong year for both innovation and good sound. Every contender was unbelievably strong. Yet it was the mighty C.A.T. preamp that nosed ahead of the others to get the ultimate crown. Kudos to its designer, Ken Stevens. We can't wait to hear his long-awaited power amplifier.

Runners-Up (in alphabetical order)

C.E.C. TL 1 CD transport
Jadis Defy-7 Mk.II power amplifier
Mark Levinson No.31 CD transport
Thiel CS3.6 loudspeaker
Symphonic-Line RG-8 cartridge…

One day I got a letter from right here in Austin, from a 15-year-old audiophile named Chris. Chris sounded like a good li'l guy, so I called him up and suggested we go grab a burger…

Linn Sondek LP12 turntable ($1395–$2745 depending on finish and power-supply option; reviewed by Larry Greenhill, Vol.7 No.2, Spring 1984; Martin Colloms, Vol.13 No.3, March 1990; John Atkinson, Vol.14 No.1, January 1991, & Vol.16 No.11, November 1993; and Corey Greenberg, Vol.16 No.12, December 1993 Review)

I first heard the Linn Sondek in the fall of 1976, having recently given up my musician career (it's probably more accurate to say that it gave me up) and exchanged my Fender bass for a typewriter and the lowly position of copy/news editor at…

Description: MASH single-bit 4x-oversampling CD player. Frequency response: 5Hz–20kHz ±0.5dB. S/N ratio: 106dB. Separation: >100dB. Output level: 2V RMS. Output impedance: 120 ohms.
Dimensions: 16.5" (420mm) W by 3.3" (84mm) H by 9.8" (250mm) D. Weight: 11.6 lbs (5.25kg).
Price: $299 (1992); no longer available (2017). Approximate number of dealers: 300.
Manufacturer: NAD Electronics International, 633 Granite Court, Pickering, Ontario L1W 3K1, Canada (2017). Tel: (905) 831-6555. Fax: (905) 831-6936. Web: www.nadelectronics.com.

Just about the only change I've made to my system has been replacing VTL's Compact 160 monoblocks with their larger KT90-version Deluxe 225s; I need more juice than the 160s were able to swing, and the triode-wired Deluxe 225s are just the ticket. The new 225s extend the virtues of the Compact 160s (triode mode only for these amps) further in nearly every direction, with even clearer midrange textures and Amazing Space. And as the new VTLs are too big to fit on the books I had the 160s sitting on, I've got the 225s up on sky-blue plastic milk crates…