CA Readers Choice Awards 2017

[Les Habitants]

15 hours ago, miguelito said:

2- microRendu and it's variants

 

14 hours ago, davide256 said:

1. Sonore MicroRendu and its variants

 

The microRendu was a 2106 product.

Maybe with regard to the variants, the 1.4 HW revision, or the ultraRendu are the ones up for consideration in 2017.

[left channel]

Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital

Mytek Brooklyn II

Schiit Magni 3

Schiit Loki Mini

Sonore ultraRendu

UpTone Audio ISO REGEN

 

[Johnseye]

1. SOtM sCLK-EX 

2. Roon

3. Paradigm Persona 

4. Audio Research LS28 / Ref6

5. Fleet Foxes Crack Up

http://tidal.com/album/74777930

6. Dead & Company tour

 

[BigAlMc]

1. Roon. 

2. Uptone ISO Regen

for a couple hundred bucks this is a great bit of kit. 

3. Lush USB cable from Phasure.

Not sure how PeterSt works his magic into it but magic it is! 

4. PS Audio Directstream DAC. 

OK not a 2017 product but neither is runaway winner Roon! But this DAC is going from strength to strength with continued firmware updates. The last one Huron moved it to the top echelons of Darkos DAC index (competing with 20k DACs!) . And the latest, released on Friday takes it higher still. Throw in the fact they just added the full MQA unfold from Roon in the Bridge II and PS Audio deserve great plaudits in my book for the amazing levels of support to their existing customers rather than just chasing new business. 

[matthias]

1. ECM Records (for entering the streaming market)

2. Qobuz (for HQ streaming without MQA)

3. Audirvana Plus (for new DLNA streaming capabilities)

 

Matt

[manisandher]

1 hour ago, BigAlMc said:

3. Lush USB cable from Phasure.

Not sure how PeterSt works his magic into it but magic it is! 

 

+1

 

The first time USB audio has sounded analogue to me. Couldn't live without it now.

 

Mani.

[Summit]

1 Audeze iSINE – Audeze’s open and full sound in an In-Ear Headphone

2 Sonore UltraRendu - All the goodies of the MicroRendu enhanced

3 Wurth Electronic Ferrites – A bang for the buck product

4 Lush USB cable from Phasure – A digital cable with an full and “analogue sound”

[Yoga]

Kii Three.

 

They have to be heard before they can be believed. The multiple innovations in this unit make it standout (exact phase, active wave focusing, cardioid bass, ability to sound mazing in normal rooms etc). Just won Sterophile's POTY 2017 also.

 

World class sound from a single USB connection.

 

Best money I've ever spent. High end headphone rig sounds like a toy in comparison (Moon 600i amp, Lumin A1 and various headphones; Audeze, Abyss etc).

[yamamoto2002]

iFi nano iGalvanic 3.0

[exdmd]

1. Sennheiser HD 800 S

2. Mytek Brooklyn DAC+

3. Ampsandsound Kenzie headphone amp

4. Schiit Eitr

5. Tidal

[beetlemania]

My newest purchase is an Ayre AX-5 Twenty integrated amp. I can hardly believe I own a piece of this quality.

[One and a half]

For the Wooden Spoon : AmarraX

[left channel]

1 hour ago, exdmd said:

1. Sennheiser HD 800 S

2. Mytek Brooklyn DAC+

3. Ampsandsound Kenzie headphone amp

4. Schiit Eitr

5. Tidal

 

I forgot about the Eitr! I'll second that nomination. I may not need one right now, but it's been very popular, very backordered, and very quickly copied by competitors.

[Siltech817]

1. UpTone Audio USPCB

 

2. JSGT shunt for SMPS (ok not a commercial product but transformational anyway)

[Walcascar]

1 - MQA

2 - Roon

3 - Tidal

[exdmd]

3 hours ago, exdmd said:

1. Sennheiser HD 800 S

2. Mytek Brooklyn DAC+

3. Ampsandsound Kenzie headphone amp

4. Schiit Eitr

5. Tidal

 

Forgot to add 6. MQA

Probably should have listed number five as "5. Tidal HiFi MQA"

[Ralf11]

Maggie 20.7 speakers intro'd this year - that pretty much kills it for SQ/$$

[Melvin]

Ahmad Jamal's latest album “Marseille” is my pick for jazz recording.

 

The Schiit Loki Mini is my pick in the cheap & cheerful hardware category (if there is in fact a cheap & cheerful category).

 

[WAM]

My favorite 2017 albums:

 

1. the last album I bought ...

2. Kamasi Washington - Harmony of Difference

3.  Anouar Brahem - Blue Maqams

4. North Mississippi All Stars - Prayer for Peace

 

Fav gear bought in 2017:

1. Moon 260D (my old and trusted Rega Planet (used as a transport) passed away on Black Friday, so I had to look for a replacement). Great sound, great built quality.

2. Feliks Elise. A good match with my woodies.

3. Denon AH-D7200. 

[Lebouwsky]

1. Schiit eitr

2. Sotm sps 500 (50 quality watts for 500 euro)

3. USPCB

 

[Wiley]

1). Lampizator Atlantic DAC (basic).

2). Trenner and Friedl Art loudspeakers

[left channel]

On 12/9/2017 at 9:03 PM, left channel said:

Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital

Mytek Brooklyn II

Schiit Magni 3

Schiit Loki Mini

Sonore ultraRendu

UpTone Audio ISO REGEN

 

 

On 12/10/2017 at 10:20 AM, left channel said:

 

I forgot about the Eitr! I'll second that nomination. I may not need one right now, but it's been very popular, very backordered, and very quickly copied by competitors.

 

Sorry for not numbering! It was late/early. Or something.

Hope your don't mind if I do that now, and integrate the Eitr.

 

1. Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital

2. Mytek Brooklyn II

3. Schiit Eitr

4. Sonore ultraRendu

5. UpTone Audio ISO REGEN

6. Schiit Loki Mini

7. Schiit Magni 3

 

 

[hicr49]

1) SOtM sCLK-EX gears

2) ROON

[tims]

1/  SOtM sCLK-EX clock board

2/ Spatial Audio X1 speakers

[punit]

1. Roon

2. Tidal

3. Sonore Microrendu