Stereophile Recommended Components 2020 Edition

[Kal Rubinson]

Besides the listening which is off course a personal thing .

Freudian slip?

 

[andromedaaudio]

Freudian slip?

No just bad english ,lol.
Its not my native language and i m often too lazy for spelling control

 

[Kal Rubinson]

No just bad english ,lol.
Its not my native language and i m often too lazy for spelling control

Too bad. I thought it witty.

 

[Hear Here]

Well , stereophile is one of the best out there .
At Least JA takes the time and effort to measure all the gear .

When was the last time a horn got reviewed in the US? Valin reviewed Avantgardes 5 years ago, or something like that. (ART Dudley may have reviewed something that no ones or ever heard. But how is that helpful?) Most of the stuff these guys have selected as the best has a very intellectual sound.

But once in a while one finds gems, and I try...

The garbage and the shenanigans needs to be called out because sunlight is the best disinfectant and for others searching - to save them time, money, and aggravation.

Well, I bought my first Avantgarde horn speakers (Unos) largely on the excellent Sept 2000 Stereophile review by Robert Deutsch. These speakers went on to be awarded Joint Speaker of the Year and Robert was impressed enough that he bought them for his own use. 10 pages of very accurate and descriptive review followed by 5 pages of JA's measurements. They were totally different from the ATC 50 Actives that they replaced - no regret for a second. The Unos were replaced last year for slightly younger Duos, with the anticipation of changing to Duo Mezzos if and when a good pair turns up. I'm ignoring the recent Hi-Fi News review of the AG Primo XD (4 pages in total) as it's not a sensible speaker (and pig ugly!) and not reviewed under sensible conditions

I would not have considered these Avantgarde horns had it not been for RD's review. You see these crazy-looking speakers at hi-fi shows and just walk past - big mistake.

Not all reviews are anywhere near as helpful though. I've bought amplifiers (notably Benchmark) following rave reviews and been desperately disappointed - similarly Martin Logan 13As, though this is more likely due to my difficult room shape. Peter.

 

[tima]

When was the last time a horn got reviewed in the US?

Would that be September 2019? Klipschorn. Stereophile.

I get that you like to be controversial and provoke. I suggest doing a little of your own research before ranting might reduce their predictability.

 

[MasterChief]

I have passion for the hobby. I buy a lot of gear, so I stumble on a lot of drek in my search.

The successful products in this hobby are the product of influence techniques, not objective criteria, as I mentioned before. So many excellent products get drowned out.

Also, there is very little diversity at places like Stereophile and TAS. (I don't mean superficial diversity, but deep diversity of tastes and preferences that actually makes people's lives better.) The US tastes lean toward sterile neutrality vs. emotional expressiveness and aliveness of music. When was the last time a horn got reviewed in the US? Valin reviewed Avantgardes 5 years ago, or something like that. (ART Dudley may have reviewed something that no ones or ever heard. But how is that helpful?) Most of the stuff these guys have selected as the best has a very intellectual sound.

But once in a while one finds gems, and I try...

The garbage and the shenanigans needs to be called out because sunlight is the best disinfectant and for others searching - to save them time, money, and aggravation.

Strange, I did not know that magazines on a free market had to fight for every little manufacturer out there. Of course, they will cover the products from the most popular brands more often than from an esoteric, and never heard of, brand. As every magazine in every genre. Your characterization of the magazine is way to narrow.

With that said I think Stereophile are doing a great job covering a lot of different brands, and that with excellent quality. The reviews consist of:

• Usually some facts about the company. Always fun to learn more about the company and the people behind.
• Technical description combined with personal reflections.
• Some thoughts about the setup.
• Listening sessions. I will never ever read this like an objective truth. But it gives me a hunch about the character of the product. And also some tips for great music and recordings. Often very well written and enjoyable to read.
• Specifications. Nice to have everything in one place.
• Associated equipments.
• Measurements, a lot of them and with personal notes.

I mean, that is a lot of information about one single product. I have learned a great deal about audio reading these magazines for 20 years, and sometimes they inspire me to test some of the gear. But mostly, it is a source for learning, and that from far more experienced and knowledgeable people than me. And then there a lot more than just products, they also cover music and many are the records I have bought that was recommended by the magazine.

And the icing on the cake is an excellent webpage packed with FREE material. The historical pages are a gold mine.

But I guess some people are hard to please.

 

[JimAustin]

Hmmm. No Soulution gear. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any Soulution ads in Stereophile either. I think 1 + 1 still equals 2 so kind of makes me want to revisit the math.

I'll be generous and assume you're not suggesting that ad contracts buy reviews, because to reach that conclusion, you'd have had to either fail to do your research or ignore the obvious exceptions to your "math."

Stereophile reviews many products from companies that do not advertise in the magazine, and there are at least several advertisers whose products we have not reviewed and many others we have not reviewed lately. I will not list either here, because I'm not inclined to do your homework for you; it's easy enough to find examples of either, for anyone so inclined.

I will add that the Soulution 710 power amplifier was reviewed by Michael Fremer in Vol.34 No.8--that's the August 2011 issue--quite a while ago. "The Soulution offered unparalleled transparency, startling transient clarity, and impressive soundstaging, but lacked some harmonic richness and bass impact," Fremer wrote. "A technical and sonic achievement not to be denied." It measured extremely well. It was placed in Class A of Recommended Components, where it stayed until our Fall 2015 Recommended Components issue, when it was deleted because it had, as I put it, "aged out": Most components are removed from the list after no more than four years, because our reviewers have had no recent exposure, and because there's simply not enough pages to list everything recommendable.

As for the history of Soulution as an advertiser, I really have no idea: Have they ever advertised in Stereophile? You tell me. During the short time I've been editor of Stereophile (~ 1 year), they have not. Because of my high opinion of the company's previous products, and given the amount of time that has passed since our last review, I'd be eager to review any new product they release--especially an amplifier--assuming it seems sufficiently new and interesting.

Please keep in mind that Stereophile has room to cover about 100 products per year--substantially fewer full reviews, just 60-70--across all product categories and prices. We can't cover everything, or even everything that seems good.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

 

[JimAustin]

Also, there is very little diversity at places like Stereophile and TAS. (I don't mean superficial diversity, but deep diversity of tastes and preferences that actually makes people's lives better.) The US tastes lean toward sterile neutrality vs. emotional expressiveness and aliveness of music. When was the last time a horn got reviewed in the US?

I can't speak for the other magazine(s), but Stereophile, has, over the last few years, reviewed: the Auditorium 23 Hommage Cinema and the new Klipschorn--and several other speakers with horn elements, like the Zu Soul Supreme, the Volti Rival, and the Klipsch Forte III. I'm in the process of setting up a review of speaker from a well-known horn company that I will not name.

As for your claim about diversity, I find it absurd. It's hard to imagine a more diverse group of audio reviewers (in the "superficial" sense). Art Dudley prefers high-sensitivity speakers and low-powered tube amps, with an explicit preference for--to quote you--"the expressiveness and aliveness of music." Herb Reichert, a respected tube-amp designer, shares this characteristic with Art, but more readily embraces modern components in his search, while rejecting measured neutrality as a criterion to a greater extent than Art. As for horns--just read his recent commentary on the "Salt Cellar System." Michael Fremer is the quintessential audiophile, except perhaps in his historic rejection of (especially early) digital sound. Strictly middle of the road when it comes to the balance between technical performance and musicality (if it is indeed such a balance). Kal Rubinson has a preference for multichannel music and a more or less objective mindset. John Atkinson is probably the best-educated among us in the theory of audio and the most mainstream in his acceptance of the classic model of what makes for good audio--but, despite his unmatched measurements, he is nevertheless every bit a committed subjectivist audiophile. And Jason ... .

If one were to average across the characteristics of Stereophile's reviewers, we would be, on average, slightly inclined toward analog sources--although Jason doesn't have a turntable, and JA rarely uses his--with a slight preference for tubes and high-sensitivity designs and a slight disdain for measurements. That would be the average, but it's a very wide distribution.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

 

[JimAustin]

Strange, I think Stereophile are doing a great job covering a lot of different brands, and that with excellent quality. The reviews consist of:

• Usually some facts about the company. Always fun to learn more about the company and the people behind.
• Technical description combined with personal reflections.
• Some thoughts about the setup.
• Listening sessions. I will never ever read this like an objective truth. But it gives me a hunch about the character of the product. And also some tips for great music and recordings. Often very well written and enjoyable to read.
• Specifications. Nice to have everything in one place.
• Associated equipments.
• Measurements, a lot of them and with personal notes.

I mean, that is a lot of information about one single product. I have learned a great deal about audio reading these magazines for 20 years, and sometimes they inspire me to test some of the gear. But mostly, it is a source for learning, and that from far more experienced and knowledgeable people than me. And then there a lot more than just products, they also cover music and many are the records I have bought that was recommended by the magazine.

And the icing on the cake is an excellent webpage packed with FREE material. The historical pages are a gold mine.

But I guess some people are hard to please.

Thanks for the kind words. We aim to please.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

 

[Leif S]

Thanks for the kind words. We aim to please.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

Thanks for the kind words. We aim to please.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

Nice to see you here Jim!
Hope you and the family are well.

 

[caesar]

I can't speak for the other magazine(s), but Stereophile, has, over the last few years, reviewed: the Auditorium 23 Hommage Cinema and the new Klipschorn--and several other speakers with horn elements, like the Zu Soul Supreme, the Volti Rival, and the Klipsch Forte III. I'm in the process of setting up a review of speaker from a well-known horn company that I will not name.

As for your claim about diversity, I find it absurd. It's hard to imagine a more diverse group of audio reviewers (in the "superficial" sense). Art Dudley prefers high-sensitivity speakers and low-powered tube amps, with an explicit preference for--to quote you--"the expressiveness and aliveness of music." Herb Reichert, a respected tube-amp designer, shares this characteristic with Art, but more readily embraces modern components in his search, while rejecting measured neutrality as a criterion to a greater extent than Art. As for horns--just read his recent commentary on the "Salt Cellar System." Michael Fremer is the quintessential audiophile, except perhaps in his historic rejection of (especially early) digital sound. Strictly middle of the road when it comes to the balance between technical performance and musicality (if it is indeed such a balance). Kal Rubinson has a preference for multichannel music and a more or less objective mindset. John Atkinson is probably the best-educated among us in the theory of audio and the most mainstream in his acceptance of the classic model of what makes for good audio--but, despite his unmatched measurements, he is nevertheless every bit a committed subjectivist audiophile. And Jason ... .

If one were to average across the characteristics of Stereophile's reviewers, we would be, on average, slightly inclined toward analog sources--although Jason doesn't have a turntable, and JA rarely uses his--with a slight preference for tubes and high-sensitivity designs and a slight disdain for measurements. That would be the average, but it's a very wide distribution.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

Dearl Sir,
welcome to the site!

I appreciate your perspective. As I mentioned above, I don’t take in your magazine as a whole. but I come across your content when I research what I buy.

Also, as I mentioned above, the “audiophile “ guys are very Wilson focused. They like that Wilson sound with big ss and dcs. (And occasional audio research). I know it’s a popular taste. And I would recommend publishing that content to sell issues and get clicks. you gotta do that. But it frequently sounds analytical and those guys aren’t even aware.

And judging all other gear from that context/ personal taste/ preference hurts other excellent Manufacturers and hurts the industry because of herd behavior in these types of luxury, experiential industries like ours , and confused people looking to authority figures to figure out their way in the mess Of all the products out there.

finally, if you’re taking requests , would liek your high efficiency guys to review more of modern and prevalent gear that people actually sell ( cessaro, avantgarde, amps that go with it, etc). I usually have no idea what art Dudley is talking about as I can’t find it or relate it.

thank you for engaging . I hope you contribute more here.
Stay Healthy!!

PS. Why did you get rid of devotes in favor of revels?

 

[caesar]

Would that be September 2019? Klipschorn. Stereophile.

I get that you like to be controversial and provoke. I suggest doing a little of your own research before ranting might reduce their predictability.

Gentlemen,

if you like the status quo, good for you . enjoy. I personally think this industry is a cesspool. So Please put me on ignore!

stay healthy!

 

[marty]

I'll be generous and assume you're not suggesting that ad contracts buy reviews, because to reach that conclusion, you'd have had to either fail to do your research or ignore the obvious exceptions to your "math."

Stereophile reviews many products from companies that do not advertise in the magazine, and there are at least several advertisers whose products we have not reviewed and many others we have not reviewed lately. I will not list either here, because I'm not inclined to do your homework for you; it's easy enough to find examples of either, for anyone so inclined.

I will add that the Soulution 710 power amplifier was reviewed by Michael Fremer in Vol.34 No.8--that's the August 2011 issue--quite a while ago. "The Soulution offered unparalleled transparency, startling transient clarity, and impressive soundstaging, but lacked some harmonic richness and bass impact," Fremer wrote. "A technical and sonic achievement not to be denied." It measured extremely well. It was placed in Class A of Recommended Components, where it stayed until our Fall 2015 Recommended Components issue, when it was deleted because it had, as I put it, "aged out": Most components are removed from the list after no more than four years, because our reviewers have had no recent exposure, and because there's simply not enough pages to list everything recommendable.

As for the history of Soulution as an advertiser, I really have no idea: Have they ever advertised in Stereophile? You tell me. During the short time I've been editor of Stereophile (~ 1 year), they have not. Because of my high opinion of the company's previous products, and given the amount of time that has passed since our last review, I'd be eager to review any new product they release--especially an amplifier--assuming it seems sufficiently new and interesting.

Please keep in mind that Stereophile has room to cover about 100 products per year--substantially fewer full reviews, just 60-70--across all product categories and prices. We can't cover everything, or even everything that seems good.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

Jim, you have the disadvantage of not being a regular on this forum which may make it a bit harder to distinguish mild sarcasm from serious posts at times. I regret I have obviously offended your sensibilities which prompted your comments. I appreciate your thoughtful reply but really it was not necessary as my tongue-in-cheek remarks were hardly worth your time to respond. You guys do an excellent job and I have been a subscriber for decades (perhaps even longer than you!). On the other hand, Stereophile staff has biases that are distinctly different from those of staff members of other industry publications. That is neither a surprising observation or a negative one. But it is indeed true. And furthermore, it is welcome. Different perspectives help hobbyists like me grow and learn. Carry on, please.
Marty

 

[Audio_Dog]

nice to see LINN still in the game