The Computer Audiophile Product of the Year is an award I started giving out in 2011. The first winner was WideaLab's Aurender S10 music server. The award is one way to give credit where credit is due. I don't have ten different categories with ten runners up in each category as that's a copout for those unwilling to make difficult decisions. This year I will select a hardware and software product of the year. Both products must have been reviewed or used extensively by me in 2012. The software selection was much easier for me than the hardware selection. This year my hardware selection came down to two very different products. One product is the best DAC I had heard in my system and costs $15,500. The other product is the best value I can ever remember and costs $250. The former product sounds lightyears better than the later but this award doesn't focus on sound quality only. A CA product of the year has to be much more than good souding. Groundbreaking and innovative certainly don't hurt. Neither does a product's ability to bring excellent sound quality to the masses.
Envelope please … And the winner of the 2012 Computer Audiophile Product of the Year is …[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
HARDWARE
The 2012 Computer Audiophile Product of the Year is the AudioQuest DragonFly. The DragonFly broke new ground this year with its very reasonable $250 price tag and terrific performance. It's small form factor is great for traveling. I even bring the DF with me when visiting friends because it's so easy to carry in a pocket and enables me to expose more people to high quality sound than any previous product. At $250 the DragonFly is less expensive than most products audiophiles will ever purchase and is even less expensive than some Beats headphones purchased by the masses.
Full review available here -> Link
The 2012 Computer Audiophile Product of the Year Runner up is the Emm Labs DAC2X. This $15,500 DAC blew me away with its wonderful sonics. At the time of review it was the best DAC I'd ever heard in my sysytem. The DAC2X isn't cheap, but I believe it's a good value. Putting a price on the best sound one has ever heard is tough.
Full review available here -> Link
SOFTWARE
The 2012 Computer Audiophile Product of the Year is JRemote ($10). This iOS app has changed the way many of us listen to music. Available for both iPhone and iPad JRemote has enabled computer audiophiles to move away from other platforms such as Mac and Linux. These platforms no longer have the edge when it comes to remote control. Once a music server is setup the user only interfaces with his music collection via the remote application. These apps are critical to the continued adoption of computer based music and the increased enjoyment for those of us who have already taken the CA plunge.
Full review available here -> Link
Recommended Comments