Stereophile Recommended Components: 2019 Fall Edition

[Joe P]

https://www.stereophile.com/content/recommended-components-2019-fall-edition

 

[DonH50]

Cool, my speakers are still on the list, and have been for a while now! (Revel Ultima Salon2's -- only thing I have even approaching class A).

I still have a stack of old Audio lists; interesting to leaf through them now and then.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

I just looked at the list. Personally I think it is a bit of a farce. Just looked at TTs with similar class A classifications - the difference between some of those models is absolutely huge and makes no sense being classified together.

Anyway. It is what it is.

 

[bazelio]

The list is good for a chuckle.

 

[JackD201]

I remember the lists being much longer. Is the online posting an abridged one?

 

[NorthStar]

There are no direct link to each recommended component reviews?
That would be something nice.

 

[AJ Soundfield]

Personally I think it is a bit of a farce. Just looked at TTs with similar class A classifications - the difference between some of those models is absolutely huge and makes no sense being classified together.

A wildy different list of purely anecdotal, subjective preferences...is a "farce"??
No Bill, this wasn't a math test result with independent grading.
It was a perfect illustration of "subjectivity". Some folks have either forgotten..or never understood what that entails.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

A wildy different list of purely anecdotal, subjective preferences...is a "farce"??
No Bill, this wasn't a math test result with independent grading.
It was a perfect illustration of "subjectivity". Some folks have either forgotten..or never understood what that entails.

It was a perfect illustration of a load of rubbish I grant you that!

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Actually this list does have a criteria that defines precisely what it means by each classification:

E.g. Class A:

“Best attainable sound for a component of its kind, almost without practical considerations; "the least musical compromise." A Class A system is one for which you don't have to make a leap of faith to believe that you're hearing the real thing.
Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/content...edition-how-use-listings#SHUD1MGHoasO8Saa.99”

Anyway - I will say nothing further on this. I think we all know this.

 

[Al M.]

The list is good for a chuckle.

Yeah, Stereophile's list of "Recommended Components" has been a joke for some time.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Yeah, Stereophile's list of "Recommended Components" has been a joke for some time.

I am glad I am not the only one

 

[ack]

Yeah, Stereophile's list of "Recommended Components" has been a joke for some time.

LOL, indeed. I just took a look at the amplifier section, most are Class A, and then there is this: "Editor's Note: There are no amplifiers listed in Class C and D."

 

[Folsom]

The list is good for a chuckle.

I'm actually impressed that the prices aren't staggered with the classes. But it certainly doesn't represent a very wide range of stuff I think about.

 

[NorthStar]

That list is not the audio bible...it's just a short page taken from an interpretation audio book.
The full book is @ home ... on each living room's coffee table ... the music from the soul and heart of best class A1.

 

[Al M.]

That list is not the audio bible...it's just a short page taken from an interpretation audio book.
The full book is @ home ... on each living room's coffee table ... the music from the soul and heart of best class A1.

Or class A/B .

 

[Joe P]

That list is not the audio bible...it's just a short page taken from an interpretation audio book.
The full book is @ home ... on each living room's coffee table ... the music from the soul and heart of best class A1.

You're right, it's just a list, but I'm happy my Chord Mojo is class A. ;-)

 

[NorthStar]

It's nice to see our face on the first cover page of Time magazine.

 

[the sound of Tao]

I just looked at the list. Personally I think it is a bit of a farce. Just looked at TTs with similar class A classifications - the difference between some of those models is absolutely huge and makes no sense being classified together.

Anyway. It is what it is.

I haven’t looked at this list for many years so I just went in and checked out recommended loudspeakers and I’d swear it’s hardly changed... and that isn’t a good thing as it all seemed a bit tired back then.

It’s really just a bit of a weird list full of many quite odd choices and littered with more than a few also-ran components. The audio world has moved on from quite a slab of the proposed hot picks and then there’s a handful of gear that you’d actually think would be clearly currently worthy of the status. The preamble makes an aaawful lot of noise about process and then you open it up and just wonder about half the selections... much of it more mutton dressed up as lamb!

If I wanted a list to go shopping for speakers and someone gave me that list today I’d probably thank them very kindly (for staying out of touch) and then perhaps politely screw it up and chuck it because so much of it is well, just really kinda OK recommendations maybe?

Reminds me of one of those movies where a rag tag group misfits is haphazardly pulled together at the last minute to help save us all. Awkward.

In reflection it does seem left field and skewed and having many more gaps than good connections. If I were shopping for speakers it would probably be an unhelpful list with some odd misdirects and not an ideal starting point for any serious audio shopper looking for a refined summative hot list of what’s really the best currently available across the spectrum.

Dear editor, not being overly theatrical (but this was your idea) you continue using it regularly (for like forever) as a leader to help attract readership but please ask yourself... is this working still? Are these really your very best and insightful choices for recommendations across the current audio gear spectrum and representative of what is best out there across the market? If so... uhmmm OK (sigh).

 

[KeithR]

Seems hip to take pot shots at Stereophile these days, but I find the list interesting every 6 months.

 

[the sound of Tao]

Seems hip to take pot shots at Stereophile these days, but I find the list interesting every 6 months.

Keith I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of the direction of a good section of the mainstream audio press over the last decade but not sure if it’s that new a trend at all but the explosion of below the line media and publishing since online media took hold hasn’t in my opinion been in the best interests of journalism. It’s great you get value from the list but I just see certain things increasingly in the grip of the commercial realities of publishing these days. Hardly aiming for hip at any rate even though I do rather like the notion of things being hip however usually in audiophile circles the only time hip is ever mentioned is usually in conjunction with the term replacement.

I have kept much of my concern about the trends in publishing for years but I do think it’s more and more imperative now to challenge the standards in the hope of pushing back a bit and not always accepting just the low hanging fruit.