In those days, I was more inclined to rail against obvious snake oil (footnote 2) than to defend subjective listening. I even participated in a number of spirited online debates with major industry figures, such as the late, great Charley…
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In my early years of writing about audio (footnote 1), I was known—to the extent that I was known at all—as something of an objectivist. I was, after all, working as an editor at a leading science journal at the time, just a few years out from a brief career as an actual scientist, still in recovery from the physics PhD I'd earned a decade or so before.
Warren Wolf: Christmas Vibes
Warren Wolf, vibraphone, piano, Fender Rhodes, wind chimes, tambourine, Logic Pro X digital audio workstation; Jeff Reed, acoustic and electric bass; Carroll "CV" Dashiell III, drums; Christie Dashiell, Allison Bordlemay, Micah Smith, vocals.
Mack Avenue MAC1183 (CD, also available as download). 2020. Warren Wolf, prod.; Jeff Gruber, eng.
Performance ****
Sonics ****
Warren Wolf, vibraphone, piano, Fender Rhodes, wind chimes, tambourine, Logic Pro X digital audio workstation; Jeff Reed, acoustic and electric bass; Carroll "CV" Dashiell III, drums; Christie Dashiell, Allison Bordlemay, Micah Smith, vocals.
Mack Avenue MAC1183 (CD, also available as download). 2020. Warren Wolf, prod.; Jeff Gruber, eng.
Performance ****
Sonics ****
Only 12 albums a year get to be Recordings of the Month in Stereophile, and only a few are jazz.
Typically, they are "big" records by major jazz artists.
Christmas…
This is Stereophile's 29th Product of the Year issue; the first appeared in 1992. That was the year I finished grad school. It seems like a long time ago.
That year, the Loudspeaker of the Year was the $14,000/pair Sonus Faber Extrema. The winning digital source was the legendary Mark Levinson No.30 DAC—also approximately $14,000. JA later bought one, upgraded to 30.5, then to 30.6 status. He still has it (footnote 1).
The finalists in the Overall category included that Sonus Faber speaker and the Jeff Rowland Design Group Consummate preamplifier, which cost just shy of $9000. (…
Amplification 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 power amplifier ($20,000; reviewed by Jim Austin, February 2020, Vol.43 No.2 Review)
Benchmark LA4 preamplifier ($2599; reviewed by Kal Rubinson, January 2020, Vol.43 No.1 Review)
Classé Delta Mono monoblock power amplifier ($21,998/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson, July 2020, Vol.43 No.7 Review)
Krell K-300i integrated amplifier ($7000, plus $1000 for DAC Board…
Analog Component of the Year
PS Audio Stellar Phono phono preamplifier ($2499; reviewed by Michael Fremer, January 2020, Vol.43 No.1 Review)
Finalists (in alphabetical order)
AMG Viella Forte Engraved Turntable ($25,000; reviewed by Michael Fremer, September 2020, Vol.43 No.9 Review)
Lyra Atlas Lambda SL phono cartridge ($12,995; reviewed by Michael Fremer, April 2020, Vol.43 No.4 Review)
Rega P10 turntable ($5695; reviewed by Michael Fremer, March 2020, Vol.43 No.3 Review)
Sutherland Engineering Phono Loco phono preamplifier ($8200; reviewed by Michael…
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)
…
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,…
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…
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…
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…