Records to Die For
This month as in every February issue, Stereophile’s editors and writers add to the list of records they consider timeless, indispensable, and worthy of saving from fire or flood.

Hi-Fi in Pictures
Jim Austin reviews a coffee-table book for high-end audio enthusiasts..

Gryphon Ethos CD player – D/A converter
by Jason Victor Serinus

Benchmark LA4 preamplifier
by Kalman Rubinson

Q Acoustics Concept 300 loudspeaker
by John Atkinson

Still Calling After All These Years - The Clash’s London Calling is now 40 years old. Phil Brett still trusts it.

Stereophile’s 2019 Product of the Year Awards - Our reviewers name the year’s best products in seven categories, and vote for the best overall.

darTZeel NHB-468 monoblock amplifier
by Michael Fremer

Vandersteen Audio Quatro CT Wood
loudspeaker and M5-HPA amplifier
by John Atkinson

JBL Stage A170 loudspeaker
by Herb Reichert

181 Record Reviews
October’s “Recording of the Month” is the new 10-disc
Woodstock set. Our music critics also listen to new
releases from Creedence, Tycho, Savoy Brown (turns out
it’s from New Jersey), Brahms, (Richard) Strauss, John
Zorn—plus old recordings from Dr. John and João Gilberto
(RIP) and a vinyl reissue from Joe Henderson.

Manufacturers’ Comments
Feedback from Audio Musikraft, Cary, Schiit, dCS,
Sutherland, and Accustic Arts.

Klipsch Klipschorn AK6 loudspeaker
by Art Dudley

TechDAS V turntable
by Michael Fremer

Wharfedale Linton Heritage loudspeaker
by Herb Reichert

Giant Step Arts
Jazz photographer-turned-sound-engineer Jimmy
Katz is making studio-quality recordings of live jazz
on his nonprofit Giant Step Arts label—article by
Thomas Conrad.

Mark Levinson No.5805 integrated
amplifier
by Jim Austin

Vanatoo Transparent One Encore
powered loudspeaker
by Jason Victor Serinus

Pass Laboratories XP-22
line preamplifier
by Jim Austin

Balanced Audio Technology
VK-56SE power amplifier
by Herb Reichert

KEF LSX wireless loudspeaker system
by Herb Reichert

Wilson Audio Yvette loudspeaker
by Brian Damkroger

Emotiva Airmotiv T2 loudspeaker
by Thomas J. Norton

dCS Rossini SACD transport
by John Atkinson

Klipsch RP-600M loudspeaker
by Herb Reichert

Naim ND5 XS 2 media player
by Art Dudley

DeVore Fidelity Gibbon X loudspeaker
by Jim Austin

Spendor Audio Systems A7 loudspeaker
by Ken Micallef

Ayre Acoustics EX-8 “Integrated Hub”
integrated amplifier
by John Atkinson

CH Precision I1 Universal integrated
amplifier
by Jason Victor Serinus

Cary Audio CAD-805RS monoblock
power amplifier
by Art Dudley

Cambridge Audio Edge A integrated
amplifier
by Ken Micallef

Stereophile’s Products of 2018
Our 27th Annual Product of the Year Awards.

Snake Oil: A Short History
Jim Austin discovers that real snake oil was actually
an effective medicine!

Power According to Pass
Arguments in favor of improving AC power seem
compelling—but are they valid? Jim Austin puts that
question to Nelson Pass.

The EISA 2018 Hi-Fi Citations
The winners in 19 categories, selected by the editors
of the world’s leading audio magazines.

Recommended Components
Often copied, never equaled, the new edition of
Stereophile’s longest-running feature, with capsule
reviews of more than 500 audio products.

New York Tenor Central
Four virtuosos on the tenor saxophone, J.D. Allen,
María Grand, Jeff Lederer, and Noah Preminger, talk
to Ken Micallef.

BorderPatrol Digital to
Analogue Converter SE
by Herb Reichert

Esoteric N-01 network music player
by Jason Victor Serinus

Dynaudio Special 40 loudspeaker
by John Atkinson

Apple HomePod smart speaker
by Jim Austin

Merrill-Williams R.E.A.L. 101.3 turntable
by Art Dudley

Pass Laboratories XA200.8 monoblock
power amplifier
by Jason Victor Serinus

Wilson Audio Alexia Series 2 loudspeaker
by John Atkinson

Akitika GT-102 power amplifier
by Herb Reichert

Rega Apollo CD player
by Art Dudley

Egglestonworks Viginti loudspeaker
by Michael Fremer

Bryston BP173 line preamplifier
by Larry Greenhill

Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 loudspeaker
by Kalman Rubinson

NAD Masters Series M32 integrated
amplifier
by John Atkinson

HoloAudio Spring Kitsuné Tuned Edition
Level 3 D/A processor
by Herb Reichert

Bel Canto Black ACI 600 integrated
amplifier
by Jason Victor Serinus

Ypsilon Hyperion monoblock power
amplifier
by Michael Fremer

Constellation Inspiration Stereo 1.0
power amplifier
by Larry Greenhil

Naim Uniti Nova integrated amplifier–
media player–D/A processor
by Ken Micallef

Ayre Acoustics KX-5 Twenty preamplifier
by Art Dudley

MrSpeakers Æon closed-back headphones
by John Atkinson

MBL Noble Line N31 CD player-DAC
by John Atkinson

A VM Ovation MP 8.2 CD/media player
by Art Dudley

T AD Micro Evolution One loudspeaker
by Thomas J. Norton

GoldenEar Triton Reference loudspeaker
by John Atkinson

V ivid Giya G1 Spirit loudspeaker
by Jon Iverson

T otem Signature One loudspeaker
by Herb Reichert

Alta Audio Hestia Titanium loudspeaker
by Jim Austin

Outlaw Audio RR2160 two-channel receiver
by Herb Reichert

Pass Labs XA60.8 monoblock power amplifier
by Jim Austin

Heed Quasar phono preamplifier
by Ken Micallef

NAD M50.2 server/renderer
by John Atkinson

Devialet Diary
Jim Austin spends a musical month in Paris with Devialet’s
Phantom Gold wireless speaker system.

Sympathy for the Devil
Robert Baird reviews the reissue of the Rolling Stones’ most controversial album, Their Satanic Majesties Request.

VPI’S MADE-IN-AMERICA RECORD PLAYER -  THE PRIME SCOUT.

36 PAGES OF AUDIO REVIEWS.

500 GREAT-SOUNDING COMPONENTS RECOMMENDED.

VERY BRITISH SPEAKERS FROM KEF, WHARFEDALE..

PS AUDIO REINVENTS - THE DISC PLAYER.

AMPLIFIERS OF ALL KINDS FROM DAN D’AGOSTINO, REGA, LINEAR TUBE AUDIO .

NIGEL LIVES AGAIN - MURRAY HEAD’S FORGOTTEN MASTERPIECE REISSUED..

MYTEK’S MQA-CAPABLE DAC-PREAMP-HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER  -  “FIRST WE TAKE [THE] MANHATTAN...”

ULTIMATE DIGITAL FROM AYRE & PLAYBACK DESIGNS.

POWERFUL AMPLIFIERS FROM BEL CANTO & OCTAVE.

PERSUASIVE PREAMPS FROM SHINDO & SUTHERLAND.

Kii’S GROUND-BREAKING, DIGITALLY CORRECTED SPEAKER.

January 2020

December 2019

November 2019

October 2019

September 2019

August 2019

July 2019

June 2019

May 2019

April 2019

March 2019

February 2019

January 2019

December 2018

November 2018

Every month Stereophile magazine offers authoritative reviews, informed recommendations, helpful advice, and controversial opinions, all stemming from the revolutionary idea that audio components should be judged on how they reproduce music.

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Stereophile - February 2020

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