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Stereophile's Products of 2020 Digital Component of the Year

Digital Component of the Year

HoloAudio May (Level 3) D/A processor ($4998; reviewed by Herb Reichert & John Atkinson, August & September 2020, Vol.43 Nos.8 & 9 Review)

Finalists (in alphabetical order)
AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt D/A processor/headphone amplifier ($299.95; reviewed by John Atkinson, December 2019, Vol.42 No.12 Review)
Chord Hugo M Scaler Signal Processor ($4795; reviewed by John Atkinson, March 2020, Vol.43 No.3 Review)
T+A MP 3100 HD SACD player–D/A processor ($21,000; reviewed by Jim Austin, June 2020, Vol.43 No.6 Review)
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Stereophile's Products of 2020 Headphone Product of the Year

Headphone Product of the Year

Focal Stellia headphones ($2990; reviewed by Herb Reichert, October 2020, Vol.43 No.10 Review)
RAAL-Requisite SR1a headphones ($3200; reviewed by Herb Reichert, January 2020, Vol.43 No.1 Review)

Finalists (in alphabetical order)
Abyss Ab-1266 Phi Tc headphones ($4999–$7995; reviewed by Herb Reichert, July 2020, Vol.43 No.7 Review)
AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt D/A processor/headphone amplifier ($299.95; reviewed by John Atkinson, December 2019, Vol.42 No.12 Review)
Grado GS3000e headphones ($1799; reviewed by Herb Reichert,…

Stereophile's Products of 2020 Accessory of the Year

Accessory of the Year

CAD Ground Control Grounding Boxes ($1999–$4500; reviewed by Michael Fremer, July 2020, Vol.43 No.7 Review)

Finalists (in alphabetical order)
DS Audio Vinyl Ionizer-001 ($1795; reviewed by Michael Fremer, July 2020, Vol.43 No.7 Review)
Grand Prix Audio Monza Equipment Supports ($19,000 as equipped; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus, November 2019, Vol.42 No.11 Review)
Ifi Audio Intona Nano Igalvanic3.0 USB Galvanic Isolator ($379; reviewed by Herb Reichert, August 2020, Vol.43 No.8 Review)
Stylustimer ($19.95; reviewed by Michael…

Stereophile's Products of 2020 Loudspeaker of the Year

Loudspeaker of the Year

Magico M2 ($56,000/pair plus $7500 for MPod bases; reviewed by John Atkinson, February 2020, Vol.43 No.2 Review)

Finalists (in alphabetical order)
Vimberg Mino ($31,000/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson, April 2020, Vol.43 No.4 Review)
Vivid Kaya 45 ($18,000/pair; reviewed by Kal Rubinson, February 2020, Vol.43 No.2 Review)
Volti Audio Razz ($5999/pair, reviewed by Tom Gibbs, August 2020, Vol.43 No.8 Review)
Von Schweikert Ultra 55 ($100,000/pair, reviewed by Michael Fremer, July 2020, Vol.43 No.7 Review)
Wilson Audio Sasha DAW…

Stereophile's Products of 2020 Budget Component of the Year

Budget Component of the Year

AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt USB D/A headphone amplifier ($299.95, reviewed by John Atkinson, December 2019, Vol.42 No.12 Review)

Finalists (in alphabetical order)
Denafrips Ares II D/A processor ($768, reviewed by Herb Reichert & John Atkinson, September & November 2020, Vol.43 Nos.9 & 11 Review)
Elac Carina BS243.4 loudspeaker ($1199/pair; reviewed by Herb Reichert, January 2020, Vol.43 No.1 Review)
GoldenEar BRX loudspeaker ($1599/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson and Herb Reichert, September& December 2020, Vol.43…

Stereophile's Products of 2020 Component of the Year

Component of the Year

NAD M33 integrated amplifier ($4999; reviewed by Kal Rubinson, October 2020, Vol.43 No.10 Review)

Finalists (in alphabetical order)
Audio Research Reference 160S stereo power amplifier ($20,000; reviewed by Jim Austin, February 2020, Vol.43 No.2 Review)
HoloAudio May (Level 3) D/A processor ($4998; reviewed by Herb Reichert & John Atkinson, August & September 2020, Vol.43 Nos.8 & 9 Review)
Krell K-300i integrated amplifier ($7000 plus $1000 for DAC option; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus, December 2019, Vol.42 No.12 Review)…

Stereophile's Products of 2020 Editors' Choice

Editors' Choice

Holoaudio May (Level 3) D/A processor
Back in the digital Dark Ages of the 1980s, R-2R "ladder" DACs acquired a bad reputation due to their poor linearity at low recorded levels. The advent of sigma-delta DAC chips in the early 1990s, which didn't suffer from this problem, seemed a godsend, though ladder-DAC lovers continued their advocacy on sound-quality grounds. I was a sigma-delta guy until I heard the ladder-DAC HoloAudio May (Level 3), which, with its combination of superb measured performance and sound quality that, as Herb Reichert wrote, "makes every…

Something's Coming

So, what's "this thing of ours"? I'm only half-kidding. High-end audio is deadly serious for many passionate audiophiles. Some measurement types defend their turf without thought—without mercy—and often deride subjectivists, like me, who believe if you like what you hear, then that's what counts, enjoy. Objectivists say if you can't measure it, then it doesn't exist. Well, goes the retort, you don't know what to measure, your instruments aren't refined enough, and on and on.

The struggle continues to this day for some reason, and boy-howdy is it ferocious, especially regarding cables.…

Bowers & Wilkins 705 Signature loudspeaker

Back in June 1994, I reviewed the Bowers & Wilkins John Bowers Silver Signature standmounted loudspeaker. This speaker cost a breathtaking $8000/pair at that time, and I subsequently bought the review samples and their matching slate stands. It was the best-sounding speaker I had used in my Santa Fe listening room: When the company's then-owner, Robert Trunz, visited me a couple of years later, he told me that he hadn't realized how good the Silver Signatures could sound. But after I moved to Brooklyn, in 2000, the Silver Signature never worked as well in my new listening room. I still…

Bowers & Wilkins 705 Signature loudspeaker Page 2

With their ports open, the 705 Signatures reproduced the 1/3-octave warble tones on Editor's Choice with good power down to the 63Hz band. While the 50Hz tone was quieter, the 40Hz and 32Hz tones had reasonable weight, the latter aided by the lowest-frequency mode in my room. The 25Hz and 20Hz warbles were inaudible, but there was no audible "chuffing" from the port with these tones. With the ports blocked, the 63Hz tone still had effective weight, but the 50Hz and lower-frequency tones were suppressed. Opening the ports again, the half-step–spaced low-frequency tonebursts on Editor's…