As I studied the axe, I let Vladimir slip under the hypnotic spell of Puente Celeste. For a long time he rocked his head, chewed ribs, listened, didn't speak. Then he pointed at my system, smiled broadly, and raised both thumbs. I drew sketches of the Outlaw and the Stirling…
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I was still meditating on the subject of woofer control when my aging but unusually sturdy Russian neighbor knocked at my door. Vladimir, who speaks very little English, was clutching a Ball jar of home-distilled vodka and a sack of ribs he'd smoked. He wanted to show me the new axe he'd forged. I was down with that.
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state stereo receiver with phono, HD Radio/FM/AM tuner, moving-magnet/moving-coil phono stage, subwoofer outputs, bass management, speaker equalization, tone controls, headphone amplifier with independent volume control. Inputs: 4 line-level (RCA), 1 phono (RCA), 24-bit/192kHz digital, 2 optical, 2 coaxial, 2 USB, 1 Ethernet. Outputs: 2 loudspeaker; ¼" headphone; pre-out variable (RCA); 2 subwoofer. Power output (20Hz–20kHz, <0.05% THD): 110Wpc into 8 ohms, 160Wpc into 4 ohms. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, +0/–0.5dB. Signal/noise: 96dB,…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: AMG Giro G9 turntable & 9W2 tonearm; AMG Teatro, EMT TSD 75 cartridges. Linn Sondek LP12 (Valhalla), SME M2-9 tonearm, Hana EL cartridge.
Digital Sources: Mytek HiFi Manhattan II, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DACs; Integra DPS-7.2 DVD-A/CD player.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 EMT, Bob's Devices CineMag 1131, Lounge Audio Copla step-up transformers; Lounge Audio LCR Mk.III, Parasound Halo JC 3+, Tavish Design Adagio phono preamplifiers; HiFiMan EF1000, Linear Tube Audio MZ2, Pass Laboratories HPA-1, Rogue Audio RH-5, Sony TA-ZH1ES…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Outlaw Audio RR2160 using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). After I'd run the amplifier for an hour with both channels driving 1kHz at one-third power into 8 ohms, its top panel above the internal heatsinks was very hot, at 122°F (50°C). The maximum voltage gain at 1kHz from the speaker terminals into 8 ohms measured 42.1dB for the line inputs. The line inputs preserved absolute polarity (ie, were non-inverting), as did the phono input set to both MM and MC and all the digital inputs. The line-input impedance…
The mice in the walls call summer to close while nets come down and leaves turn dead red, but by the time you see this there'll be holiday music in the air . . . and some generous soul might, just might, sneak a few looks through this issue of Stereophile to see what gifts to buy before the tree goes up and presents are opened—and all will be nice!
And what better way to serve those possible givers of audio gifts—and, at the same time, honor our hobby's most deserving designers and manufacturers—than with our annual Product of the Year awards?
When it's all said and done, some…
Joint Loudspeakers of the Year
DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96 ($12,000/pair; reviewed by Art Dudley & Jim Austin, December 2012, January 2013, September 2017, Vol.35 No.12, Vol.36 No.1, Vol.40 No.9 review)
Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx ($109,000/pair; reviewed by Michael Fremer, May 2017, Vol.40 No.5 review)
Looking for evidence of diversity of opinion among Stereophile's editors? I think you've found it: This year's Loudspeaker of the Year award is shared by an easy-to-drive, two-way stand-mounter and a four-way floorstander that, as JA observed in his measurements, "…
Amplification Component of the Year
Boulder Amplifiers 2150 monoblock power amplifier ($99,000/pair; reviewed by Michael Fremer, February 2017, Vol.40 No.2 review)
A quick spin through the archives at Stereophile.com will show that, for whatever reason, very-high-power solid-state amplifiers don't often take our top honors in this category: the last time that happened was in 2011, when we honored the Classé CT-M600/CA-M600 amps. Yet the Boulder 2150 monoblock isn't just any high-power amplifier: This 220-lb beast delivers 1000W into 8 ohms, and every one of those watts is…
Joint Analog Components of the Year
Sutherland Engineering Duo phono preamplifier ($4000/pair; reviewed by Brian Damkroger, September 2017, Vol.40 No.9 review)
VPI Prime Scout turntable with JMW 9 tonearm ($2199; reviewed by Art Dudley, October 2017, Vol.40 No.10 review)
First place in our Analog Component of the Year competition is a tie between two solid and solidly American audio components, one the upmarket refinement of a well-proven design, the other a product whose perfectionism is tempered with enough thrift that it also tied for second place in the category of Budget…
Joint Digital Components of the Year
Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty Digital Hub D/A processor ($8950; reviewed by John Atkinson, September 2017, Vol.40 No.9 review)
Mytek HiFi Brooklyn D/A headphone amplifier ($1995; reviewed by Jim Austin, Kalman Rubinson, Herb Reichert, November 2016 & May 2017, Vol.39 No.11 & Vol.40 No.5 review)
Our 2017 Digital Component of the Year competition was also a tie—and both winners are the sorts of products that stretch our thinking on what to expect from a digital processor.
More than just a digital source component—a…
Headphone Product of the Year
Pass Labs HPA-1 headphone amplifier ($3500; reviewed by John Atkinson & Herb Reichert, July & December 2016, Vol.39 Nos. 7 & 12 review)
In an era when planar-magnetic headphones are increasingly common, it's fitting that our first Headphone Product of the Year is an amplifier unfazed by difficult loads. Indeed, the Pass Labs HPA-1, which also functions as a two-input, line-level analog preamplifier, is comfortable with loads ranging from 15 to 600 ohms—and, as John Atkinson discovered, this MOSFET-based design plays with authority.
…