CA Readers Choice Awards 2017

[beautiful music]

3 hours ago, bobfa said:

I am rebuilding my music systems this year and the things that have brought the most amazement to me are as follows:

 

Hardware:

1. Hubbell hospital grade outlet.  Best $18 I have spent on hardware.

2. Mytek Brooklyn DAC: new to me in 2017 but what a great sounding “Swiss army knife”

 

Software:

1. Roon 1.3 software upgrade.  The Best free software update I have ever gotten.

2. Sonic orbiter 2.5 software; really a software update improved sonic quality....  Great $20

3. Audirvana 3.1 software update: MQA for my desktop system and much more.

 

Something I have spent many hours listening to but did not buy yet. (I used to work at a high end audio store that closed in September so I got the listen to a LOT of gear)

 

Neat Acoustics Iota Alpha speakers !!  Get them placed right and wow. 

 

I have a bunch of hardware on order that I hope will take things further but since it is not here and setup I can only “Hope for now” and will report back in 2018!

 

May I know the effect of Hubble hospital grade outlet

[The Computer Audiophile]

40 minutes ago, beautiful music said:

May I know the effect of Hubble hospital grade outlet

That’s off topic for this thread. Please open a new thread for this discussion. 

[JeffSal]

Roon

Sonore Ultra Rendu

Sonic Transport I5

 

Files sound natural while dynamic!

[mav52]

MrSpeakers Aeon Flow Closed-Back

[beerandmusic]

So many entries for hardware that barely make a difference!

Here are some truly great additions this year!

 

Mcintosh MA5300 (Mcintosh added an upgradeable DAC module...now if they will get an ENET port added to that digital module they will be in business)!

 

Focal Sopra N2 Speakers (came out at end of 2016, but didnt see reviews or deserved attention until 2017)

 

Nativ Vita - Possibly if i can get my hands on one....if the SOTM and Sonore are on the list, this should be too....network roon endpoint same as sotm & sonore, but also includes stylish touch screen for less money!

 

OPPO 205  - so many reviews suggest it is the best bang for the buck!

 

LUMIN D2 - Network player AND DAC with great reviews for $2K....sets the benchmark imho....who can do better for less?!

 

Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital  - another great bargain.  More hardware needs to be included in the list for best bang for the buck.  A dual mono-mono dac design with ES9038 chips for under $500 w/DSD 512 & MQA!  This should not be overlooked.

 

Class D amps are getting better and better and cheaper and hard to beat.

 

Mytek Brooklyn DAC, probably best DSD dac under $2k.

 

 

 

[asdf1000]

Just to add to my previous votes:

 

- Playback Designs Merlot DAC. I don't own it (sadly) but have demo'ed it - sounds incredible.

 

 

 

[mikicasellas]

PMC Twenty5.26

 

[ClothEars]

SOtM sMS-200 Ultra

[i.deklein]

1 MQA

2 ROON

3 SOTM 200 ultra

[AmusedToD]

1. dCS Network Bridge

2. Roon

3. SOtM sMS-200 Ultra

[Boomboy]

1 - SOtM sMs-200Ultra

2 - SOtM sCLK-EX 

3 - RuneAudio

[thyname]

1 - Roon

 

2 - Wireworld Cables 

 

3 - Lumin products, especially T1

[Jonny S]

So I am a newbie to this forum (and not a robot, at least the last time I looked), but out of all the gear i've bought this year (ATC speakers, Chord DAC, Bryston amp) the SOtM Ultra line of products (sMS-200ultra, tX-USBultra, sPS-500) are the most impressive.

 

Still pretty shocked that SOtM might be creating fake accounts mind you. 

[ciccio1112]

Hi, for me:

 

1. SOtM sMS-200

2. Tx USB Ultra

3. SOtM SPS-500

[greenleo]

1. Chord Blu2

2. tx-USBultra with Master clock input connector

3. Muted Ref 10

[lmitche]

11 minutes ago, Jonny S said:

Still pretty shocked that SOtM might be creating fake accounts mind you. 

May Park of SOTM sent an email early this morning asking that recipients vote for SOTM products in this thread. It included a suggested list of the top three sotm products.

 

I have asked her to remove my address from her mailing list.

[sukyung]

1. schiit FREYA, vidar

2. JohnSwenson - jssg, jsgt

3. Airlink Transformers

[Jonny S]

10 minutes ago, lmitche said:

May Park of SOTM sent an email early this morning asking that recipients vote for SOTM products in this thread. It included a suggested list of the top three sotm products.

 

I have asked her to remove my address from her mailing list.

 

There's a pretty big difference between 'getting the vote out' and rigging an election. 

[Matias]

12 minutes ago, lmitche said:

May Park of SOTM sent an email early this morning asking that recipients vote for SOTM products in this thread. It included a suggested list of the top three sotm products.

 

I have asked her to remove my address from her mailing list.

 

So did Sonore on Dec 12th for their Rendus products. I have no problem with it.

[lmitche]

11 minutes ago, Jonny S said:

 

There's a pretty big difference between 'getting the vote out' and rigging an election. 

Of course, in normal times, but after getting caught in fraudulent voting it is insulting to CA members to follow with such a request.  An apology would have been more in order.

[Forehaven]

1 hour ago, lmitche said:

Of course, in normal times, but after getting caught in fraudulent voting it is insulting to CA members to follow with such a request.  An apology would have been more in order.

Absolutely Larry!  Emails asking for endorsements??  Stunning lack of character imo.  

[The Computer Audiophile]

I'm totally cool with asking people to get the vote out. In fact I think it's kind of smart.

 

I totally understand that there are many happy customers who would vote for products if they knew this thread existed. 

[Cebolla]

Deezer HiFi

[Jonny S]

6 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I'm totally cool with asking people to get the vote out. In fact I think it's kind of smart.

 

I totally understand that there are many happy customers who would vote for products if they knew this thread existed. 

 

I wouldn't have found out about this poll or website without it (excellent it is too!)

[Samuel T Cogley]

If, as it appears, SOtM is creating accounts here just to "vote" for their products, that would completely turn me off to the company.  That's unethical IMHO, and a company that can justify this kind of behavior may be able to justify more malevolent actions.  Best to avoid them completely I think.