search
Stereophile's Product of the Year Awards were first published in 1992 (footnote 1). I decided at that time that, in contrast to other publications' awards schemes, we would keep the number of categories to a minimum. That way, we would avoid what the late Art Dudley once described as the "every child in the class gets a prize" syndrome. This decision led to some interesting contests. In Loudspeakers, for example, high-value minimonitors would compete with cost-no-object floorstanders. In Analog Products, turntables would compete with tonearms, phono cartridges, and phono preamplifiers. And in…
Alma Music and Audio of San Diego, California, and Sterling, Virginia, showed two well-appointed systems at CAF including several US debuts.
In room 849, the US debut was the Luphonic H2 turntable ($4995), which was running a Hana ML cartridge ($1200). The Hana was helped by an SPL Phonos phono stage ($2500). On the digital source side was an XACT S1 EVO music server ($18,500).
Further downstream were an SPL Director Mk2 preamp with DAC ($4700) and an SPL Performer s900 stereo amplifier ($5500), the s900 powered another US debut, the gorgeous Basel Acoustics Concept…
Mark Sossa of Well Pleased AV always puts together solid, good-sounding rooms, often featuring Merason DACs and Qln loudspeakers. At this show Sossa's system, fortified by Alma Music & Audio, reached new levels of transparency, quiet, and soundstaging, wowing and entrancing me.
Sossa presented the US debuts of the Merason DAC2 ($12,500) and Qln Prestige 3 G2 loudspeakers ($12,500/pair). Also in the system was an XACT S1 EVO Music Server ($18,600), an Audio Hungary Qualiton 300B Integrated Amplifier ($11,000), and a GigaWatt PC-4 power conditioner ($16,000). Cables from Kubala-Sosna…
The preshow buzz was palpable. Is Altec Lansing really back? With a new planar loudspeaker?
The "equipment list from source to ear" did exactly that, laying out the system in detail: Infigo Audio IS-1 Octacore Cryogen ($7000) and Altec Lansing Simbolo ($7000) streamers; an Infigo Audio Method 4 DAC ($35,000); an Infigo Audio Method 7 preamplifier ($20,000); and Infigo Audio Method 3 monoblock amps ($55,000/pair). Those amplifiers drove the new Altec Lansing speakers, called Ribbonacci Reference ($89,000/pair). These were assisted by two Altec Lansing Ripole Subwoofers with 1000W DSP…
Joint Budget Products of the Year
Buckeye Eigentakt 1ET9040BA monoblock amplifier
($2390/pair; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson in Vol.48 Nos.1 & 6, January & June 2025 review)
Hana SL MkII phono cartridge
($850; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.47 No.11, November 2024 review)
Schiit Audio Stjarna phono preamplifier
($1699; reviewed by Herb Reichert in Vol.48 Nos.8 & 9, August & September 2025 review)
FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
Cambridge Audio EXN-100 D/A processor
($1799; reviewed by Tom Fine in…
Digital Source Component of the Year
.
dCS Varèse D/A processor
($267,500; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus in Vol.48 No.5, May 2025 review)
FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
Bricasti M21 D/A processor
($16,500; reviewed by Sasha Matson in Vol.48 No.10, October 2025 review)
Cambridge Audio EXN-100 D/A processor
($1799; reviewed by Tom Fine in Vol.48 No.4, April 2025 review)
CH Precision C10 D/A processor
($95,000; $104,000 as auditioned; reviewed by Jim Austin in Vol.48 No.10, October 2025 review)
Innuos Nazaré server/…
Loudspeaker of the Year
Magico S5 2024
($74,500/pair–$83,000/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson in Vol.48 No.8, August 2025 review)
FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
AudioNote AN-E/SPx Ltd. Field Coil
($65,000/pair incl. power supplies; reviewed by Ken Micallef in Vol.48 No.7, July 2025 review)
Avantgarde Duo SD iTRON 3
($81,500/pair; reviewed by Brian Damkroger in Vol.47 No.11, November 2024 review)
Grimm Audio LS1c
($30,300/pair; SB1 subwoofers add $14,600/pair; reviewed by Rogier van Bakel in Vol.48 No.4, April 2025 review)
…
Analog Source Component of the Year
J.Sikora Standard Max Supreme turntable with KV9 Max Zirconium tonearm
($41,250 in standard finish; reviewed by Ken Micallef in Vol.48 No.4, April 2025 review)
FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
Belleson Brilliance phono preamplifier
($8500; reviewed by Tom Fine in Vol.48 No.9, September 2025 review)
Kuzma Safir 9 tonearm
($23,751–$24,297; reviewed by Michael Trei in Vol.48 Nos.2 & 9, February & September 2025 review)
Kuzma Stabi M turntable
($28,755; $30,441 as tested; reviewed by Michael…
Amplification Component of the Year
CH Precision L1 preamplifier
($34,500; optional X1 supply costs $21,500; reviewed by Jim Austin in Vol.47 No.11, November 2024 review)
FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
Air Tight ATM-1 2024 Edition power amplifier
($14,975; reviewed by Ken Micallef in Vol.47 No.12, December 2024 review)
Boulder 1151 monoblock power amplifier
($47,000/pair; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus in Vol.48 No.6, June 2025 review)
Quad 303 power amplifier
($1599; reviewed by Martin Colloms in Vol.48 No.7, July 2025 review…
Joint Overall Products of the Year
dCS Varèse D/A processor
($267,500; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus in Vol.48 No.5, May 2025 review)
Magico S5 2024 loudspeaker
($74,500/pair–$83,000/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson in Vol.48 No.8, August 2025 review)
FINALISTS (in alphabetical order)
Ampsandsound Red October & Red October XL headphone amplifiers
($14,000 & $18,000; reviewed by Alex Halberstadt in Vol.47 No.11, November 2024 review)
Boulder 1151 monoblock power amplifier
($47,000/pair; reviewed by Jason Victor…