• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Stereophile Recommended Components 2024

Surprised to see omission of Revel Be & Kii 3 (speakers) and NAD (amps).

Gear will be omitted if they are no longer the current model.

The NAD Master Series M33 was highly praised in Kal's review and was later chosen as Amplifier of the Year, Component of the Year and Editors' Choice - a unique triple crown I believe. Despite still being NAD's top integrated amplifier, it has been omitted as "not auditioned in a long time". Seems a pretty feeble and inappropriate decision. I'd be interested to hear Kal's comments.
 
Surprised to see omission of Revel Be & Kii 3 (speakers) and NAD (amps).
Me, too. NAD C298,C3050, M10 V2 and M28 are listed. I suspect the others were "aged off" as explained in the headnotes.
 
Sampling bias in selection is unavoidable and applies to every review source that I know of. I'd be curious to know if there is one.

Nope. It is not deceitful because it does not purport to include any product except those we have already reviewed.

I understand what you are asking for and would be happy if they could be implemented by anyone. I do not believe it is economically practical.
Perhaps misleading? ;)

I understand well that it is impossible to sample the “universe”, irrespective of some of the comments above. One way to reduce bias would be to have a selection method actively planned and managed by the magazine and not left to the submissions by vendors. It is still only a sampling but it may be less biased if initiated and controlled by the magazine.

I am glad to read that you did not react defensively, Mr. Rubinson: none of my observations are meant as ad hominem attacks, nor I am implying purposeful collusion when introducing bias.
 
I understand well that it is impossible to sample the “universe”, irrespective of some of the comments above. One way to reduce bias would be to have a selection method actively planned and managed by the magazine and not left to the submissions by vendors. It is still only a sampling but it may be less biased if initiated and controlled by the magazine.
To a great degree, it is managed and not totally dependent on whatever comes in over the transom. It is managed by the Editor but reviewers can suggest and solicit products that they believe are relevant and interesting.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GDK
To a great degree, it is managed and not totally dependent on whatever comes in over the transom. It is managed by the Editor but reviewers can suggest and solicit products that they believe are relevant and interesting.
Excellent! It was not apparently clear to me when I read your comments on post #66: it seemed that it was driven by the submissions without intervention from the editor(s). It is one thing to filter the reviewers biases (it is inevitable), and quite another with an inadvertent sampling selection bias (impossible). ;)
 
Me, too. NAD C298,C3050, M10 V2 and M28 are listed. I suspect the others were "aged off" as explained in the headnotes.
Interesting that the award-winning M33 was aged off" while the Anthem STR that was reviewed over 2 years earlier than the NAD, is still featured. I think we should ask for further digging into the reason the M33 is no longer listed. It's arguably a better amp than many others at comparable prices. OK, I'm biased because I bought the M33 and haven't found anything better at its price point!
 
Interesting that the award-winning M33 was aged off" while the Anthem STR that was reviewed over 2 years earlier than the NAD, is still featured. I think we should ask for further digging into the reason the M33 is no longer listed. It's arguably a better amp than many others at comparable prices. OK, I'm biased because I bought the M33 and haven't found anything better at its price point!
The criterion for being "aged off" can be mitigated if any of the reviewers has continued to actively use a particular device. For example, I own and often use my exaSound and Okto DACs.

Your reaction is not surprising. I imagine NAD feels the same way. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: GDK
Interesting that the award-winning M33 was aged off" while the Anthem STR that was reviewed over 2 years earlier than the NAD, is still featured. I think we should ask for further digging into the reason the M33 is no longer listed. It's arguably a better amp than many others at comparable prices. OK, I'm biased because I bought the M33 and haven't found anything better at its price point!
We all know it's an incredibly competent piece of equipment, whether or not it's listed there doesn't detract one iota from that, and arguably just highlights some editorial compromise.

I am a Stereophile subscriber, but it's not because I expect any publication -even ASR- to be 100% infallible and always consistent. Would be nice, but it'll never happen. Even ChatGPT has editorial bias here and there (arguably more than humans that try hard to be unbiased).
 
Class A Best attainable sound for a component of its kind, almost without practical considerations; the least musical compromise.

vs.

Class C Somewhat lower-fi sound, but far more musically natural than average home-component high fidelity; products in this class are of high quality but still affordable.

So I think what they mean here is, let’s not offend any sponsors or potential sponsors, and make every category sound good.
 
So I think what they mean here is, let’s not offend any sponsors or potential sponsors, and make every category sound good.
In all fairness, that's all around us, and has been for some time. Somebody tell me of publications that see absolutely no redeeming quality in a product and publish the review like that? Chances are every competently managed company makes products with a certain target customer in mind, and as incomprehensible as that choice may be to some of us, there's a need to see that covered by some.

I think we sometimes are naively idealistic with our demands.

The great benefit of a publication like Stereophile is that it strikes a balance between unashamed esoteric equipment porn, practical products, great writing (I value that)... and I don't expect it for free. It costs $ to get that going, and look around you and see how many publications survive solely on subscriptions without any sponsorships. You pay $15k for 20-page Gartner or other industry "overviews" (and they are not totally impartial, they'll give slight nods to those who pay them very generously for yearly subscriptions, which only deep pockets can). Nothing new under the sun here. Just look at the news sources we have available: neither MSNBC nor Fox News will ever cover "the other side" fairly... because they are not paid to, and they'd lose their audience if they did. Both are free to me. But I prefer to pay $100 a year for my Economist subscription, because it is (a) well written and (b) contains multiple points of view.

When it comes to audio, as a rule I cannot stand "free reviews". I question their impartiality as well as the qualifications of the reviewer, and very often the narrative and writing range from horrid to a hallucinatory stream of consciousness with zero informative value. I am not going to waste my time like that. The whole point about reading is to learn - either by admiring beautiful writing for its own sake, or to learn more about a particular subject.

I pay for my ASR subscription as a supporter because I know the quality of the reviews isn't free, and I want to support it to stay just the way it is. So don't be freeloaders! :)
 
Last edited:
Additionally, for those who could afford the recommendations there is no ability to elucidate, other than the steep prices, the benefits of one expensive piece of “jewelry” over another.
I take inspiration from one of your sentences for some general reflections because I notice a tendency that leaves me pensive too often. And that leads me to ask questions to the members of the forum. In the hope of getting answers, I declare from now that nothing is personal or aimed at specific users.

If a person wants to spend 500,000 euros for a system, because he likes it and does not have the problem of measurements, why should it be for you, so much so as to become a judgment?

Why should we have to judge the way of living the audio hobby when it is different from how we live it?

Why should we worry about the clarifications of the benefits of other people's choices when the true and only benefit is to satisfy one's own desires, provided of course that they are legitimate :)!

There are those who desire the absolute purity of sound, those who only want to collect, those who desire pleasing listening and nothing more, those who only love the technique of things, those who are madly in love with a certain brand, those who cannot do without tubes, digital or turntables, and everything you want to put in there. The question arises spontaneously: why should we worry about giving a judgment on the choices of others and expect that these choices necessarily have a justification that must make us happy?

I personally match pieces recommended by Amirm, with pieces that I discovered to be recommended by SP with pieces that I simply like.
And I don't feel the need to have to conform completely to predetermined schools of thought nor to have to prove something or justify choices...
And I think I'm in good company here, given that not everyone has a Benchmark, Benchmark, Su10, Revel system...
which would be the best for measured performance.
I've seen some nice CJs, some Mark Levinsons, I've seen some Altecs, like some nice Marantzs from the 70s, some wonderful turntables or fantastic digital devices, I see DIY and I see systems built that carry with them an engineering that could launch a spacecraft... To each his own, in the end I think what counts is personal satisfaction and not what you want to demonstrate to others...
 
I take inspiration from one of your sentences for some general reflections because I notice a tendency that leaves me pensive too often. And that leads me to ask questions to the members of the forum. In the hope of getting answers, I declare from now that nothing is personal or aimed at specific users.

If a person wants to spend 500,000 euros for a system, because he likes it and does not have the problem of measurements, why should it be for you, so much so as to become a judgment?

Why should we have to judge the way of living the audio hobby when it is different from how we live it?

Why should we worry about the clarifications of the benefits of other people's choices when the true and only benefit is to satisfy one's own desires, provided of course that they are legitimate :)!

There are those who desire the absolute purity of sound, those who only want to collect, those who desire pleasing listening and nothing more, those who only love the technique of things, those who are madly in love with a certain brand, those who cannot do without tubes, digital or turntables, and everything you want to put in there. The question arises spontaneously: why should we worry about giving a judgment on the choices of others and expect that these choices necessarily have a justification that must make us happy?

I personally match pieces recommended by Amirm, with pieces that I discovered to be recommended by SP with pieces that I simply like.
And I don't feel the need to have to conform completely to predetermined schools of thought nor to have to prove something or justify choices...
And I think I'm in good company here, given that not everyone has a Benchmark, Benchmark, Su10, Revel system...
which would be the best for measured performance.
I've seen some nice CJs, some Mark Levinsons, I've seen some Altecs, like some nice Marantzs from the 70s, some wonderful turntables or fantastic digital devices, I see DIY and I see systems built that carry with them an engineering that could launch a spacecraft... To each his own, in the end I think what counts is personal satisfaction and not what you want to demonstrate to others...
There is no judgment in the sentence I wrote. I am indicating that there is little to learn from a list price of products posing as a recommendation (see ”A (FULL RANGE):”). I come to ASR or SP with the goal of learning something from a review besides name, price and a generic “good”. I do not have a problem with measurements: they are a tool and not an end onto themselves. Same with a review. However, a review stating that a piece of equipment is “very musical” without an explanation on what compels that statement shares no knowledge. Platitudes are not informing, they are advertisement.

Cheers. :)
 
I take inspiration from one of your sentences for some general reflections because I notice a tendency that leaves me pensive too often. And that leads me to ask questions to the members of the forum. In the hope of getting answers, I declare from now that nothing is personal or aimed at specific users.

If a person wants to spend 500,000 euros for a system, because he likes it and does not have the problem of measurements, why should it be for you, so much so as to become a judgment?

....

I am 200% there with you. I never judge what others buy for their own enjoyment if that's their preference. If someone's preference is to highlight they can splurge on audio jewelry and just use the room as a showpiece (and seldom or never listen "critically", as a rule)... or the next person wants to brag about their system having a SINAD of 140dB while exclusively listening to curated audiophile track collections, hey, it's no business of mine.

It's only when I am told I am ignorant/inferior/etc because I don't abide by their personal standards or preferences or fetishes that I will speak up.
 
Last edited:
OMA K3: $363,000 including power supply and Schröder SLM tonearm

MF described this idiosyncratically styled, massive, and very expensive turntable as looking “somewhat like the Guggenheim Museum topped by a heliport and a construction crane.” Even so, he was impressed by its performance, with the 11.1" “aluminum girder” Schröder tonearm fitted with Ortofon Anna D, Lyra Etna l Lambda SL, and Lyra Atlas l Lambda SL phono cartridges. He described the K3’s sound as “fast, clean, detailed, highly resolving, super-transparent, effortlessly dynamic, and capable of producing unparalleled transient precision and depth-charge-deep bass ‘wallop’ that’s fully extended yet totally free from overhang.” He concluded, “As with any truly great audio product, regardless of price, the OMA K3 turntable speaks with a singular voice.” Offers 33 1/3, 45, and 78rpm speeds. Dedicated stand costs $40,000

363,000$ for a turntable without one shred of factual evidence to justify the astronomical price tag.
And that is just one of many example. Imagining a person who bought one, listening to that TT on a pair of speaker connected out of phase brings a smile.
ASR or no ASR, how can a price tag of that magnitude make sense to any sane person?
The OMA sways like a rollercoaster.

 
I am indicating that there is little to learn from a list price of products posing as a recommendation

That depends what you’re trying to learn.
Some people do find value in Stereophile reviews. What I really like about the recommended components list is that they come with pertinent sections from the review, suggesting what characteristics the reviewer saw in the gear in question. It’s a nice way to get short form snapshots of the reviews. Sometimes. the snapshot will be intriguing such that I (and likely other readers) seek out the full review. There, you can see the measurements for the gear and correlate that with the impressions from the reviewer if you wish. It might end up being being a piece of gear that you were interested in, even when you end up purchasing and enjoying.

As I keep saying here: communication is a two-way street. Both parties have to be interested in order for anything to be communicated. If one party is just completed dismissive of the other ones message, well, of course you’re not going to get anything from that message.

There is plenty of gear in the Stereophile list that people are actually interested in. (and which will never appear on a website like this) and so Stereophile may be the only source of information. For the reader to make it what he/she will.
 
There is no judgment in the sentence I wrote. I am indicating that there is little to learn from a list price of products posing as a recommendation (see ”A (FULL RANGE):”). I come to ASR or SP with the goal of learning something from a review besides name, price and a generic “good”. I do not have a problem with measurements: they are a tool and not an end onto themselves. Same with a review. However, a review stating that a piece of equipment is “very musical” without an explanation on what compels that statement shares no knowledge. Platitudes are not informing, they are advertisement.

Cheers. :)
yes although it must be said that what you see in the "recommended" are small summaries. You should read the full review to the end and maybe see the instrumental tests that are combined. It would certainly be easier to get an idea of how a statement about a device wants to be explained. I personally don't worry too much if an article is a copy and paste of an explanation made by the manufacturer, if a device is on loan, given as a gift, paid or advertised. I think I have enough critical capacity to get an idea and in any case want to pursue my goals. Otherwise we should worry about everything: cars, food, wine, watches, holidays, airlines, transport, nations...
 
It's only when I am told I am ignorant/inferior/etc because I don't abide by their personal standards or preferences or fetishes that I will speak up
absolutely agree! there are two of us!!!:)
 
That depends what you’re trying to learn.
Some people do find value in Stereophile reviews. What I really like about the recommended components list is that they come with pertinent sections from the review, suggesting what characteristics the reviewer saw in the gear in question. It’s a nice way to get short form snapshots of the reviews. Sometimes. the snapshot will be intriguing such that I (and likely other readers) seek out the full review. There, you can see the measurements for the gear and correlate that with the impressions from the reviewer if you wish. It might end up being being a piece of gear that you were interested in, even when you end up purchasing and enjoying.
ial
As I keep saying here: communication is a two-way street. Both parties have to be interested in order for anything to be communicated. If one party is just completed dismissive of the other ones message, well, of course you’re not going to get anything from that message.
Matt,

Your quote of my message is incomplete as it does not include the exemplar I was providing (a part snapshot is also included below). The full sentence I wrote was:
I am indicating that there is little to learn from a list price of products posing as a recommendation (see ”A (FULL RANGE):”).
Screenshot 2024-09-26 at 5.26.35 PM.png

I do not see value add of this portion of the recommended products over a price list.

Let’s agree to disagree: we are both entitled to our opinions. I understood several postings back that you value SP reviews. I heard you and I said "I am happy for you." I have a different opinion than yours. :)
 
yes although it must be said that what you see in the "recommended" are small summaries. You should read the full review to the end and maybe see the instrumental tests that are combined. It would certainly be easier to get an idea of how a statement about a device wants to be explained. I personally don't worry too much if an article is a copy and paste of an explanation made by the manufacturer, if a device is on loan, given as a gift, paid or advertised. I think I have enough critical capacity to get an idea and in any case want to pursue my goals. Otherwise we should worry about everything: cars, food, wine, watches, holidays, airlines, transport, nations...
Don’t we have to worry about it all? ;):D
 
Don’t we have to worry about it all? ;):D
yes, but life is only one, too short to do everything we like, we must necessarily accept some "small" compromises....
if we had to worry not only about life and the essence of things but also about the explanation and justification of the dynamics of how some things arrive in "our daily reality"

well, I leave that to others!! and I try to enjoy life and the essence of the things in life...
 
Back
Top Bottom