There are six individual categories: Loudspeakers (including subwoofers); Amplification Components (preamplifiers, power amplifiers, etc.); Digital Sources (CD players, transports, processors); Analog Sources (phono cartridges, turntables, tonearms, FM tuners, etc.); Home Theater Components (other than video); and Accessories (everything else).
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Wilson Audio Specialties X-1/Grand SLAMM ($67,500/pair; reviewed by Martin Colloms, Vol.17 No.12, December 1994 Review)
Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Audio Physic Virgo ($4995/pair; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.18 No.9, September 1995 Review)
Cello Stradivari Master ($30,000/pair; reviewed by Lewis Lipnick, Vol.18 No.7, July 1995)
Energy Veritas v2.8 ($6000/pair; reviewed by Thomas J. Norton, Vol.18 Nos.6 & 10, June & October 1995 Review)
Infinity Composition Prelude P-FR ($3000/pair; reviewed by Robert Harley, Vol.18 No.9, and…
Pass Labs Aleph 0 monoblock power amplifier ($7000/pair; reviewed by Dick Olsher, Vol.18 No.3, March 1995)
Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Cary Audio Design CAD-300SEI integrated amplifier ($3395; reviewed by Robert Harley, Vol.18 No.9, September 1995 Review)
Conrad-Johnson Premier Eight monoblock power amplifier ($15,990/pair; reviewed by Jack English, Vol.17 No.12, December 1994)
Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven A power amplifier ($3495; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.18 No.8, August 1995; and John Atkinson, Vol.18 No.9, September 1995…
Spectral SDR-2000 Professional HDCD D/A processor ($8895; reviewed by Robert Harley, Vol.18 No.5, May 1995; and Thomas J. Norton, Vol.18 No.11, November 1995 Review)
Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Audio Alchemy DTIPro ($1295, since replaced by the Audio Alchemy DTIPro 32; reviewed by Robert Harley, Vol.17 No.11, November 1994, and Vol.18 No.3, March 1995 Review)
Krell KPS-20iL CD player/digital control center ($11,000; reviewed by Martin Colloms, Vol.18 No.10, October 1995 Review)
Mark Levinson No.30.5 HDCD D/A processor ($15,950; reviewed…
Graham 1.5-T/C tonearm ($2900; reviewed by Dick Olsher, Vol.14 No.3, March 1991; Thomas J. Norton, Vol.14 No.8, 1991; and Steven Stone, Vol.18 No.6, June 1995 Review)
Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Kuzma Stabi turntable and Stogi tonearm ($3150; reviewed by Guy Lemcoe, Vol.18 No.5, May 1995 Review)
Symphonic Line RG-8 Gold phono cartridge ($5000; reviewed by Dick Olsher, Vol.16 No.2, February 1993; and Jack English and Jonathan Scull, Vol.18 No.2, February 1995)
van den Hul Grasshopper IV phono cartridge ($5000; reviewed by Jonathan Scull,…
Audio Power Industries Power Wedge 112 & 116 AC-line conditioners ($389 & $639, respectively; reviewed by Dick Olsher, Vol.17 No.12, December 1994)
Stax SR-Omega headphones ($4000–$4500 with dedicated tube amplifier; reviewed by Thomas J. Norton, Vol.18 No.3, March 1995)
Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Dynaclear Postman Binding-Post Wrench ($7.95; reviewed by John Atkinson, Vol.17 No.11, November 1994)
Etymotic Research ER-4S headphones ($330; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.18 No.7, July 1995 Review)
HeadRoom Traveler Bag ($129…
Audio Research SDP1 Multichannel Music Processor ($2995; reviewed by J. Gordon Holt and John Atkinson, Vol.18 No.8, August 1995 Review)
Meridian Digital Home Theatre ($16,325–$34,785/system; reviewed by J. Gordon Holt and Thomas J. Norton, Vol.18 No.6, June 1995 Review)
Finalists (in alphabetical order):
B&W Cinema THX loudspeaker system ($7000/system; reviewed by Thomas J. Norton, Vol.17 No.10, October 1994; and Stereophile Guide to Home Theater, Vol.1 No.1, December 1994)
Energy Reference Video Loudspeaker System ($2250/…
Audio Alchemy VAC-in-the-Box phono preamplifier ($259; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.18 No.8, August 1995; and Steven Stone, Vol.18 No.9, September 1995)
Dunlavy Audio Labs SC-I loudspeaker ($995–$1195/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson, Vol.17 No.12, December 1994 Review)
The Parts Connection Assemblage DAC-1 D/A processor ($449; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.18 No.4, April 1995 Review)
Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Audio Alchemy DDE v3.0 HDCD D/A processor ($799; reviewed by Robert Harley, Vol.18 Nos.7 & 9, July &…
Wilson Audio Specialties X-1/Grand SLAMM loudspeaker
Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Conrad-Johnson Premier Eight monoblock power amplifier
Krell KPS-20iL CD player/digital control center
Mark Levinson No.30.5 HDCD D/A processor
Pass Labs Aleph 0 monoblock power amplifier
Sonic Frontiers SFL-2 preamplifier
Spectral SDR-2000 Professional HDCD D/A processor
The Wilson Audio Specialties X-1/Grand SLAMM dominated this category almost as resoundingly as it did the loudspeaker voting. There were some powerful contenders…
Wilson Audio Specialties X-1/Grand SLAMM
Usually this space is reserved for components that have stood the test of time, but this year I wanted to pay my own tribute to what may well be the best loudspeaker currently available.
I have now heard the Wilson X-1s at length in four very different systems and rooms. My first time was at Stereophile's 1994 High-End Hi-Fi Show in Miami. Retailer Peter McGrath's Sound Components was running a shuttle bus from the Doral Resort (where the Show was being held) out to his Coral Gables store, where he had the…