Components listed here have been formally reviewed in Stereophile and have been found to be among the best available in each of four or five quality classes. Whether a component is listed in Class A or Class E, we highly recommend its purchase.Each listingin alphabetical order within classesis followed by a brief description of the product's sonic characteristics and a code indicating the Stereophile Volume and Issue in which that product's report appeared. Thus the May 2016 issue is indicated as 'Vol.39 No.5.' Some products listed have not yet been reported on; these are marked (NR), for 'Not Reviewed.'
Recommended Components 2009. Recommended Speaker 'Class A' PSB Synchrony One - Tower Speaker. Reviewer: John Atkinson '.surprisingly deep bass for a relatively small speaker; a neutral, uncolored midrange; smooth, grain-free highs; and superbly stable and accurate stereo imaging.' Stereophile Recommended Components: Rare and Collectable! Scratch & Dent: Gift Certificates: Best Selling Artists Create Account Manage Account Order Status Wish List Gift Registry View Basket Estimate Shipping Costs: Sign up for our email newsletter!
We recommend that you read any product's entire review before seriously contemplating a purchase (products without reviews should therefore be treated with more caution)many salient characteristics, peculiarities, and caveats appear in the reviews, but not here. To obtain back issues of the magazine, visit our website: www.stereophile.com. We regret that we cannot supply photocopies or e-mail copies of individual reviews. All full reviews are reprinted in our website 'Archives' section: these are marked 'WWW.' More are added each week, so check the on-line listing.In general, components do not remain listed for more than three years unless at least one of the magazine's writers and editors has had continued experience with them. Discontinuation of a model also precludes its appearance.
In addition, though professional componentsrecorders, amplifiers, monitor speaker systemscan be obtained secondhand and can sometimes offer performance that would otherwise guarantee inclusion, we do not generally do so. Stereophile's 'Recommended Components' listing is almost exclusively concerned with products currently available in the US through the usual hi-fi retail outlets.How recommendations are determinedThe ratings given components included in this listing are based entirely on performance ie, accuracy of reproductionand are biased to an extent by our feeling that things added to reproduced sound ( eg, jitter, distortion, colorations of various kinds) are of more concern to the musically oriented listener than are things subtracted from the sound ( eg, deep bass or extreme treble). On the other hand, components markedly deficient in one or more respects are downrated to the extent that their deficiencies interfere with the full realization of the program material.We try to include in 'Recommended Components' every product that we have found to be truly excellent or that we feel represents good value for money. Bear in mind that many different tastes are represented. The listing is compiled after consultation with Stereophile's reviewing staff and editors, and takes into account continued experience of a product after the formal review has been published.
In particular, we take account of unreliability and defects that show up after extended auditioning. The fact that a product received a favorable review cannot therefore be regarded as a guarantee that it will continue to appear in this listing.The prices indicated are those current at the time the listing was compiled (January 2017). We cannot guarantee that any of these prices will be the same by the time this issue of Stereophile appears in print.There is a near-universal consensus that at some point in the upward climb of component prices, severely diminishing returns (performance versus price) set in. However, there is no agreement as to the exact price level at which that takes place.
Where we have found a product to perform much better than might be expected from its price, we have drawn attention to it with a $$$ next to its listing. We also indicate, with a ★, products that have been on this list in one incarnation or another since the 'Recommended Components' listing in Vol.37 No.4 (April 2014).
Longevity in a hi-fi component is rare enough that we think it worth noting (although it can also indicate that the attention of design engineers has moved elsewhere). We have a special issue available for purchase Stereophile Recommended Components Collector's Issue, which lists every component we have recommended since 2003. This 180-page anthology costs $7.99 and you can find it, where we offering a special deal if you buy it with one or more of our Test CDs.We are not sympathetic toward letters complaining that the Symphonic Bombast A-123 that we recommended heartily two years ago no longer makes it into 'Recommended Components.' Where deletions are made, we endeavor to give reasons (there are always reasons).
But remember: Deletion of a component from this list does not invalidate a buying decision you have made.Individual reviewers mentioned by their initials are: John Atkinson, Jim Austin (JCA), Paul Bolin, Lonnie Brownell, Martin Colloms, Brian Damkroger, Robert Deutsch, Art Dudley, Michael Fremer, Larry Greenhill, Jon Iverson, Fred Kaplan, Michael Lavorgna, Erick Lichte, John Marks, Stephen Mejias, Paul Messenger, Ken Micallef, Thomas J. Norton, Wes Phillips, Herb Reichert, Bob J.
Reina, Kalman Rubinson, Markus Sauer, Jonathan Scull (J-10), Jason Victor Serinus; Chip Stern, and Sam Tellig. Logged this in 2016 for those lists and with no response. The lists have not changed in many ways so sending again.There are some fine choices on the Transports, Digital Processors, Preamp and Amp listings. I am puzzled however at the total lack of mention of any Esoteric Audio product. They are current products well known for their performance and musicality. What criteria being utilized could yield a recommended components lists where at least one of their products (or more) would not make it into the results?
The new Stereophile came out a few days ago and this issue has the recommended components section. Does anyone here pay attention to these things? I have for years since they have the ability to listen to more equipment than I ever could. In fact, they led me to my headphones, the Stax Lambda Pro III which I finally replaced earlier this year with the SR 303. I was actually surprised that about half my stereo is listede as either A or B components. I had never even heard of Ayre before listening to them in the high end shop nearby and wound up taking home their 5xe series amp and pre amp.
It makes me wonder how a lot of the other components sound, even though a lot of them I will never hear. There just isn't time to listen to everything!I tried to put in a never option when I first posted this and it didn't take.
Then I tried to edit it and there is no option for that either.:cry. I tend to read these things with a certain degree of respect for the authors (depending on the publication) but only ever view the reviews as a rough guide.
The old adage that assembling a system from a bunch of 5 star recommended components usually results in disappointment is a good leveller. There's no substitute for building a system on the basis of your own ears but with an eye to reputable design and manufacture.Also Stereophile tend to review components way above my budget.
Just look at their Class A recommended components. Sorry, but thats another world. That's reviews and HiFi magazines all over for you. Like Big Ears said the top lists tend to be equipment way outside the reach of normal pockets.I tend to use the press purely for 'what's in the market and what's new', other than that I stopped believing many years back.There appears to be a sense of 'correct reviewing' at the moment where every component seems to be 'the best under x, or the best in class' etc and little is reported as being 'this is utter garbage' anymore.
Poitical correctness?I have some respect likewise for certain reviewers, but little for the majority.I've never let the press jade what I think is good, bad or indifferent.Like you Monkey boy (ex Dragon Whip and next?) there is so much to be found by just going out and finding out for yourself. Accidents can be great things sometimes. For me reviews rather are one source of suggestions for what stuff could be worth a closer look, but not the only source. In addition, mag reviews seem to have more and more become rather centered on listening impressions, whereas one gets less technical descriptions and measurement results today - and unfortunately I'd be more interested in the latter than in the former, 'cause I can do the listening myself. Hence I hardly buy any audio mags anymore nowadays.
Another reason is that the audio mags over here for my taste have become rather expensive in relation to the actual content, so the money seems to be better spent on something else.Greetings from Munich!Manfred / lini. Back in college I stumbled on 'Abso!ute Sound' in the college library.I had read 'Stereo Review' for years and had been pretty unhappy with the 'non-reviews'. What I heard told me that, no matter what Julian Hirsch said, not all amps sounded the same.The first issues of 'Aso!ute Sound' were a revelation. Here were reviews based on how equipment sounded.
Yes, there were false starts and cul de sacs but it seemed heddy stuff. Finally I had a source of information that helped me put together a better sounding system.'
Abso!ute Sound' and 'Stereophile' are, imho, mere shadows of what they were in the 1970s. I believe they have been swallowed up by their own success in creating the 'High End' market. The new Stereophile came out a few days ago and this issue has the recommended components section. Does anyone here pay attention to these things?I think this type of list tell us more about the reviewers at Stereophile than they do about the actual hardware.Like a few posts on this thread I lament the passing of the in-depth technical review and get a little frustrated when I see a component getting a positive review even though that component may have a serious technical shortcoming. Don’t get me wrong, subjective observations can be useful in telling us about how the component under review performs in the context of a particular reviewers system. However; a subjective only review will not highlight any major deficiencies such as response errors, high amounts of distortion or defects such as DC offsets or high levels of channel imbalance.While it is nice to see a piece of equipment you selected appear in such lists as it kind of vindicates you tastes and some how makes you feel better about your purchase it should never be the final arbiter.
The people who reviewed and rated that product will be using different equipment to you, they are listening in a different environment to you and only you have your ears and tastes. The biggest help you are going to get when selecting hardware is a knowledgeable Specialist HiFi dealer that is familiar with the latest equipment and who has similar tastes to you or at least understands your tastes and what you looking for in a piece of equipment.LPSPinner. I usually receive my copy of Stereophile every month, so I can improve on my English skills 8).
There's some good literature and blooming English prose there I find very appealing. The level of fiction and inventiveness seems pretty high, I dare say, and they all have a secret (?) passion for gear with many zero's, usually on the wrong side. The right one, I mean.I actually miss more pictures, you know, just the opposite to Hi-fi Choice nowadays. They've all gone to stars:roll:!As a rough guide mags are fine. I've got always a big stack in the bathroom, just in case I run out of.:lol:Regards,VinculaPS. Actually I believe that some of the best reviewers can be found here on VE!