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AWARDS YEAR 2024 AWARDS ACCORDING TO “HIGH FIDELITY”
Once a year we summarize our tests from the past twelve months, looking for the best, most interesting devices. That's why we publish their list in “High Fidelity” every December, giving them Awards of the Year. Our dream is for this list to be a guide for you, suggesting how your systems could be developed. You’re welcome to read it! |
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AWARDS
text WOJCIECH PACUŁA, MAREK DYBA |
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No 248 January 1, 2025 |
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LIKE EVERY YEAR, WE HAVE DIVIDED the list of awarded products into four categories. First, there is the SPECIAL AWARD. We’ve awarded it to two products this year. One goes to a Polish company and their designers, the other one to Japan. We're talking about the MORE AUDIO company making its debut with the CS-100 integrated amplifier, and the JIBUN DUMMY HEAD version of the Final ZE8000. The next category is the STATEMENT AWARD – these are awarded to the “best of the best” products. This year we’ve given it to five products, including four (!) from Poland. We are very proud of it! We have witnessed the best Polish manufacturers become part of the world audio stage – and they are important players, not just curiosities. The largest group of products has been awarded the BEST SOUND award. Just like last year, we’ve tested and presented over a hundred products: electronics, speakers, cables and accessories, from which we’ve selected what we think is a representative group. It’s been divided by product type and the devices are listed in alphabetical order in each subgroup. Finally, there’s a category for recordings which have received the BEST RECORDING award. Our heartiest congratulations to all the awarded companies! We are proud to have been able to host your products at our homes! We hereby invite our readers to familiarize themselves with the ranking, to look into the tests again, to compare products and draw their own conclusions. Thank you for your trust – without it, no test, no description and no award makes any sense. THANK YOU, once again!!! 
MORE AUDIO • CS100 ⸜ TEST: № 248 • 1 December 2024, read → HERE The MORE AUDIO amplifier is perfect. No “buts”, no “except that”, it simply sounds perfect. The device has a balanced bandwidth. It is open, but at the same time “dark” – not in the usual sense of the word, but as an image of a lack of brightness, as an indication that it is wonderfully capable of expressing silence as well, not just loud music. The CS-100 is not afraid of strong rock, electronic music, club music, or blues, which is a real challenge, not to mention jazz. It is very versatile and open to music. It does not leave listeners indifferent, drawing them into the musical world. However, it does so not by force, but in a gentle, engaging way. A great debut of another Polish brand, already offering mature beautiful sound.
FINAL ZE8000 JIBUN DUMMY HEAD ⸜ COLUMN: № 243 • 16th July 2024, read → HERE This wasn't an ordinary test, but rather a story about how FINAL's wireless in-ear headphones belonging to the top “8000” series, model ZE8000, turned into my personal headphones, not only in the sense that I became their owner, but that they were personalized specifically for me. And it's not at all about aesthetics, appearance or accessories. This was an opportunity to experience what high-end service looks like. Since then, I have not parted with the Final headphones. 
GIGAWATT Powermaster 25th Anniversary Limited Edition ⸜ TEST: № 248 • 1st December 2024, read → HERE This is GIGAWATT's best product to date, and one of the best products of its kind in the world. The most important thing for me was that timbre with the conditioner in the system was as good as with the Acoustic Revive reference strip - i.e., evened out and ordered, while the bandwidth is very stretched. Energy was also superb, coupled with resolution, or alertness to information, yielding spectacular sound./p> As I have already written, no wonder Gigawatt conditioners can be found in top-of-the-range audio systems, not only at exhibitions, but also in the real world. The 25th Anniversary version is even more phenomenal in this respect. It's simply top high-end that doesn't need any accolades to shine and sparkle, and we don't want to multiply awards (the basic Powermaster version has received enough of them).
J.SIKORA Standard Max Supreme 15th Anniversary ⸜ TEST: № 245 • 1st September 2024, read → HERE If I were to summarize what I heard with the J.SIKORA Standard Max Supreme 15th Anniversary turntable with one word, that would be “calm”. This is in a way counter to the excellent dynamics and powerful bass that this turntable is characterized by, but that's how I perceive it. It's a design that delivers music in such an unbelievably “laid back” way that it's hard to sit through. A paradox, but that's what music is like. The sound of this turntable is, in fact, warm, dense and low. This is top high-end, with which you can forget about the system and focus on buying more CDs. And it doesn't matter what kind of music they feature, how they were pressed and in what condition they are. This is because the music shines through the mechanics without any obstacles. For me, it's a great example of sound that can be read from LPs.
AUDIO PHONIQUE Desire ⸜ TEST: № 248 • 1st December 2024, read → HERE The AUDIO PHONIQUE Desire is an excellent top-of-the-range cable. It offers superb resolution, dynamics and space. Its timbre goes close to being warm, but it doesn't get there. It can be said of it that it is not “expressive”, because it does not promote sound attack, but its filling. However, all the details, all the small sounds were not just legible, because that's obvious, but they were a natural extension of the music. It's a cable that has its tonal balance set low, and thus plays with strong and saturated bass. It goes deep and is energetic almost to the very bottom, where it is gently extended. However, this does not blur the edges but adds weight to the whole. It’s a cable that is perfect for listening to music in a fully calm manner and a good mood – there’s a lot to be admired, indeed.
DIVINE ACOUSTICS Cassini ⸜ TEST: № 243 • 16th July 2024, read → HERE The DIVINE ACOUSTICS Cassini anti-vibration platform is the best product of its kind that I have listened to, not only in the sense that it is most technically advanced, most well-made and most beautiful, but simply the best. The changes that it introduces to sound are important in every respect. That is why the Cassini platform will be one of the best supplements to your audio system that you can afford. I think it is underpriced, similarly to feet, and if it cost twice as much, I would write the same thing. It is also very functional, because you can tune it (tune its intrinsic resonances) to the devices you have, try different ways of grounding, because this element also changes sound.
CARBIDE AUDIO Base Diamond ⸜ TEST: № 239 • 1st March 2024, read → HERE The Carbide Base footers are a wonderful product. These are the best anti-vibration feet I have ever heard. These are feet designed for the best systems, bringing warmth, softness and fullness to them. And they will add a lot of energy in the bass, which will be useful for many systems. The footers do this without “buzzing”, because it's not about a shelving filter, if I may say so, but about filling this range with information in a better way. In general, they are an outstanding audio product. That is why we have decided to leave them in our system, two sets right away – one under the Ayon Audio Spheris III preamp and the other one under the preamp’s power supply unit. 
˻ SYSTEM ˼
DANIEL HERTZ Maria 800 + Chiara ⸜ TEST: № 247, 1st November 2024, read → HERE The DANIEL HERTZ Maria 800 + Chiara system is for people who do not seek “hi-fi” in music. It doesn't show isolated flavors or exude low bottom and “golden” treble. In fact, it is difficult to find “sounds” in its sound. It is possible to analyze it, as it is ultimately an audio system. I just don't know if it makes sense, as the Chiaras with Maria 800 provoke longer listening sessions and relaxed being with the music. The system doesn't emphasize details, or surprise us with a strong lower range, bells at the back of the stage, or sounds behind our head that make us turn and be disappointed to find out that it's “only” an illusion. At the same time, it's all THERE. And perhaps that's the most important thing in all of this, presenting music in a way that is real, on the one hand, and fairy-tale like, on the other hand. 
˻ ANALOG SOURCE ˼
DS AUDIO DS Master 3 ⸜ TEST: № 248, 16th December 2024, read → HERE To put a long story short, it is one of the best analog phono cartridge + phono stage setups that I have ever listened to. It is extremely natural and musical, but derives these qualities from its superb resolution, perfect balance between fill and saturation, and transparency and clarity. It also offers excellent musical energy transfer and perfect PRAT, creating a mesmerizing musical spectacle in a convincing space, which one cannot stop being immersed in. Importantly, to achieve this, it does not at all require only the best recordings and releases. MD
MIYAJIMA LABORATORY Shilabe (2024) ⸜ TEST: № 247, 16th November 2024, read → HERE The MIYAJIMA LABORATORY Shilabe cartridge in its new version sounds perfect. It retains a lot of the features of its predecessor, but also modifies the direction in which we are going. Now it is more open, stronger in attack, offering a more selective musical message than before. There seems to be more energy, but this is not the case, as all other cartridges from this manufacturer are very good in this respect. However, the impression remains, and this is also part of the cartridge's own characteristics. This cartridge transfers very little groove noise and it is not particularly sensitive to crackling, either. With a high-end turntable (as you can see, it doesn't have to be expensive, it just must be good) the new Shilabe cartridge will give us plenty of time spent with music that has both “spirit” and “body”, i.e., is both “emotional” and “technical” at once.
MUARAH MT-3 + MY-1/9 ⸜ TEST: № 239, 1st March 2024, read → HERE The MUARAH MT-3 turntable with the MY-1/9 arm is, on the one hand, very neutral in what it does and solid in music presentation. On the other hand, it's a machine that brings out emotions in recordings, letting you experience their feeling. The sound of the turntable neither tires the listener, nor puts them to sleep. It has a somewhat limited frequency response, from the bottom and top, its macrodynamics also has its limitations. But that's normal, as it's just a “machine to measure the vibrations of an LP groove” and as such is subject to limitations. What we get is so cool, so “spine-tingling,” that it would have been hard for me not to have awarded this system, the MT-3 turntable with the MY-1/9 arm, the RED Fingerprint award, and now the 2024 Year Award. 
˻ DIGITAL SOURCE ˼
ANCIENT AUDIO Lektor Joy ⸜ TEST: № 239, 1st March 2024, read → HERE The ANCIENT AUDIO Lektor Joy Compact Disc player gracefully transcends all the conventional categories: timbre, dynamics, soundstage, etc., and allows the listener to experience music and to discuss musical content, even if we do it in the context of audio, as in this case. Therefore, as we have written, the Polish device plays in the highest league. It builds solid, three-dimensional sound images, saturates them and shows them in a believable space. It's a resolving device with superbly balanced sound.
AURENDER A1000 ⸜ TEST: № 248, 1st December 2024, read → HERE
GOLD NOTE CD-5 ⸜ TEST: № 247, 1st November 2024, read → HERE On the one hand, the CD-5 plays in a rather warm way, but on the other hand it has open higher midrange that causes the sound not to be closed. It's a perfectly dynamic musical message, mainly when it comes to microdynamics and the events in the performance of a particular sound source. I like this player very much – do not be deceived by its size. The Italian CD-5 demonstrates that the digital technology has gone a long way and constitutes a sound source which is equal to LPs and still better than file players.
LUMIN P1 Mini ⸜ TEST: № 242, 16th June 2024, read → HERE The P1 MINI is a versatile, nice, very well-built device with sound that will surprise most people who have had no previous contact with good audio. However, it will also surprise audiophiles, especially when you connect the player directly to a power amplifier or active speakers, as you will get dense, full, warm sound with an open midrange and high dynamics. The bass will go very low and have a lot of mass, and the treble will be sonorous, although rather on the warm side of the force. A very good, successful device for “the people”.
NORMA AUDIO Revo CDP-2 ⸜ TEST: № 240, 16th April 2024, read → HERE ⸜ AWARD: ˻ RED FINGERPRINT ˺ The way the Norma CD plays is consistent with what I consider good and proper. It's sound that no longer needs to be artificially “tweaked” to be open and detailed. The CDP-2 plays with flair. The sound of this player is on the one hand warm and dark, and on the other hand it is also open and dynamic, and above all – communicative. It's a perfect combination of what we consider to be the best in digital technology with what analog technology used to give us before, and what seemed “untranslatable” to digital. Excellent, absolutely excellent sound for extremely reasonable money.
SFORZATO DSP-07EX ⸜ TEST: № 246, 1st October 2024, read → HERE Listening to this device and recalling my conversations with Mr. Kiyoshi, I can't help getting the impression that the products he offers are extremely “in tune” with himself. It's as if something of his personality has been enclosed in their aluminum housings, as if they were clocked by the beating of his heart. The class of this sound, finally coming from my Harbeths, surprised me. The device goes inside the recordings, “watches” them from the inside, and then, using this knowledge, presents them to us. It does so in a perfectly balanced way, but with dynamics and bandwidth extension that may come as a surprise to many, and that's because file players shouldn't sound like this. So well, I mean.
S.M.S.L PL200 ⸜ TEST: № 240, 1st April 2024, read → HERE For me, the PL200 is one of the biggest discoveries and surprises of recent months. For a ridiculous amount of money, you get a top transport and top transducers in an excellent enclosure and with high-end components and subassemblies. Its sound is big, dense and low. It is also superbly dynamic, both on the RCA and on the headphone outputs. And the PL200 shows what can be done given the means, knowledge and musical sense, which the creators of this player do not lack. You can even feel their passion and commitment when you put in another disc, press it down and close with a cover by pressing the 'Play' button. Then the magic happens. |
˻ AMPLIFICATION ˼
SUGDEN AUDIO Masterclass IA-4 ⸜ TEST: № 248, 1st December 2024, read → HERE The most important feature of the tested device is that it plays music in an extremely pleasant way. With small ensembles you will get an almost magical musical message. This is because the tested amplifier creates the atmosphere of the recordings. This is not a “wire with amplification”, oh no! The device has an agenda. And this is the agenda that many people, listening to music with a blush, have been searching for all their lives. It's almost tangible sound, overflowing lazily in our hands. Its dynamics is high, it's not boring at all. Hats off to it.
AURA AV-40 Rebirth ⸜ TEST: № 246, 1st October 2024, read → HERE The AURA VA-40 REBIRTH is a unique device. On the one hand, it is open to information from the source, while on the other hand it organizes and categorizes it, selecting the pieces that are needed to build a satisfying, pleasant, but also emotional musical message. It does this by slightly warming the sound, emphasizing the low midrange and smoothing the high treble. It's no coincidence that these (or similar) terms are used when testing successful tube amplifiers. This is a real “gem” in the audio world.
AIR TIGHT ATM-2 Plus ⸜ TEST: № 241, 1st May 2024, read → HERE The AIR TIGHT is one of the most interesting Japanese manufacturers. Its products are superbly crafted and sound great. Not surprisingly, the ATM-2 Plus played wonderfully, thanks to its control over the speakers combined with natural tones. This is neither warmed up nor bright sound – it is natural. The amplifier wonderfully energizes the listening room through full, dense and saturated playing of music. The bass is excellent with it, both in terms of clarity and mass, as are the highs. This is a very cool amplifier, extremely pleasant to listen to, with an excellent mechanical and electrical design.
MARTON Opusculum Omni v1.0 ⸜ TEST: № 239, 16th March 2024, read → HERE Although it's one of the smallest of Mr. Marek Knaga's amplifiers (i.e., those already available, as work on the monoblocks and preamplifier is still in progress), for many people it will be as excellent a choice as the OPUSCULUM REFERENCE 3. It's a little smaller, a little lighter and has slightly less power, but unless you have an oversized listening room or super-hard-to-drive speakers, you may not even notice the difference. That's how good this Marton “baby” is. It is a wonderfully neutral, transparent, clear and resolving, but also natural, musical and saturated amplifier belonging to the same class as the best transistors of world-famous brands. And since it was developed and manufactured in Poland, it definitely deserves the “High Fidelity” magazine's award of the year!
DAN D'AGOSTINO Momentum S250 MxV ⸜ TEST: № 238, 16th February 2024, read → HERE Part of the Momentum series, the DAN D'AGOSTINO S250 MxV amplifier brings perfectly controlled “wide” sound.Wide in the sense in which the term is used by musicians and studio people, i.e., with panache, both in terms of dynamics and panorama, or the sense of dealing with a real event that almost “crushes” us. The device is incredibly resolving and conveys a lot of details. At the same time, it seems to play in a warm way. The device perfectly controlled the Harbeth speakers, which are difficult in this respect. It keeps the bass under control, regardless of how it is generated and released. This is high high-end for those who listen to music actively and who would like to know as much as possible about it. A great example of top engineering. 
˻ SPEAKERS ˼
VIENNA ACOUSTICS Mozart SE Signature ⸜ TEST: № 247, 16th November 2024, read → HERE ⸜ AWARD: ˻ RED FINGERPRINT ˺ The VIENNA ACOUSTICS Mozart SE Signature speakers go low on bass and are very “creamy” in their timbre and dynamics. They have perfectly “set” tonal balance and are extremely consistent in what they do.They are not warmed, yet do not allow overexposure, even when the sound material points in that direction. They are also remarkably spatial – with the Mozarts, stereoscopic effects will be consistent and smooth, without holes. Their sound is focused on the sound sources, which, however, they do not expose by cutting out, but by saturation. It turns out that these are very versatile and beautiful speakers which are also exquisitely made and small. Simply wonderful.
DYNAUDIO Contour Legacy ⸜ TEST: № 248, 1st December 2024, read → HERE The DYNAUDIO Contour Legacy are extraordinarily internally ordered designs. They are versatile and it doesn't matter what kind of music we play with them, although they are speakers producing open, accurate and selective sound. They build a powerful stage and space, and the bigger the room you put them in, the bigger it will be. At the same time, they don't irritate us with an exaggerated attack or unnaturally isolated sounds. Dynamically, they are a firecracker, similarly when it comes to bass. Their high efficiency makes them an ideal companion for tube amplifiers. Simply put, they are excellent “packages”.
PYLON AUDIO Zirkon 20 ⸜ TEST: № 245, 16th September 2024, read → HERE The PYLON AUDIO Zirkon 20 loudspeakers are designs that show signal with extraordinary resolution and selectivity. Their sound is incredibly free and fantastically stereoscopic. Space is built deep into the stage and, when necessary, extends along their sides and even behind us. The freedom I'm talking about always accompanies us. The large enclosure has been used here precisely for this purpose: to free the drivers from dynamic constraints.This is extremely fast and open sound, in which filling has as important a role to play as the sound attack. The main features of the speakers are equalization, speed, selectivity, resolution, spatiality and freedom. They are truly unique.
AUDIOPHASE Viola ⸜ TEST: № 244, 16th August 2024, read → HERE The AUDIOPHASE Viola speakers are very friendly to the listener. They are, quite simply, speakers that encourage you to listen to music. They do not tire or attack you. They have excellent range ratios and are outstandingly spacious. The filled out low midrange gives you the impression of dealing with real vocals and instruments, and does not unnecessarily overload the musical message. The bass is soft and deep, but the bass-reflex does not pump air just for effect. It’s a really excellent, classy product for people who like different types of music, because the tested speakers perfectly differentiate recordings, without punishing them for mistakes. Recommended.
PMC Twenty 5.22i ⸜ TEST: № 244, 16th August 2024, read → HERE I liked the PCM Twenty 5.22i speakers very much. Knowing that all they need is a nice source with volume control, either a CD (SACD) or file player, or even a turntable with a phono stage equipped with a suitable knob, makes them to be taken very seriously, as with them you can set up a minimalist system playing as if you had sizable floorstanding speakers driven by a very nice tube amplifier.
ATC SCM20 SL ⸜ TEST: № 240, 16th April 2024, read → HERE The ATC SCM20 SLs are loudspeakers with a balanced and precise way of playing music.They transfer energy from recordings to our room in an excellent way, which gives us both high resolution and the feeling of participating in a live event. Therefore, if you care about truth served in a very pleasant way, then the ATCs will be a one-way ticket. For this money, it's hard to find a design as transparently performing from a company with audiophile roots. At the same time, the sound will never be too bright or unpleasant, and that's because there's a great midrange – saturated yet selective – and excellent stereophony. These are beautifully made speakers with an excellent design and outstandingly transparent sound for “home” professionals. 
˻ CABLING ˼
ESPRIT Eterna RCA G9 + SPK G9 ⸜ TEST: № 247, 16th November 2024, read → HERE As we wrote in our test of the ESPIRT Eterna RCA G9 and SPK G9 cables, they deliver an open musical message with excellent energy and show a great deal of information. However, they do it in an elegant, sublime way. That is, the open treble is not bright, but catchy, the clear midrange is not flashy, but energetic and powerful. And I'm not smuggling anything between the lines – it sounds exactly like that. One would like to say: “French elegance”, because these are very cool cables. And let it stay this way – chic, style and being laid-back are three terms that fit them best.
TiGLON MS-DR20R ⸜ TEST: № 246, 1st October 2024, read → HERE The TIGLON MS-DR20R is an interconnect that plays any kind of music in a friendly way. It enlarges the foreground a bit, smooths out unpleasant edges, but is also open and has a fast, energetic attack. Its mid-bass is also slightly emphasized, making the volume of sound large. It won’t leave us indifferent to what we are listening to, either. The Tiglon integrates sounds and spices them up, making the musical message simply interesting, good and enjoyable, while we still get plenty of information about instruments, vocals and techniques. That's why the MS-DR20R is such a good product for not really much money.
SILTECH Royal Single Crown ⸜ TEST: № 237, 1st January 2024, read → HERE The SILTECH Royal Single Crown is a cable with very high dynamics and excellent timbre. It has a warm character and generally shows the foreground more strongly. The energy of the musical message is very high with it, but it is not the energy that catches our attention, but the timbre. As you can see, a better conductor in the new configuration has gone in the direction we usually associate with conductors with added gold, either made of silver or gold-plated copper. But this one has added precision and resolution. The Siltech Royal Single Crown is thus a beautiful cable that is not only much, much better than the previous Signature version, but comes dangerously close to the earlier Double Crown version. Yes, it is that successful. That's why it's part of our reference system. 
˻ VIBRATION CONTROL ˼
FRANC AUDIO ACCESSORIES Ceramic Disc Hybrid ⸜ TEST: № 245, 16th September 2024, read → HERE FRANC AUDIO ACCESSORIES' anniversary Ceramic Disc Hybrid footers are, in my opinion, its best product of this kind. They are not “slightly better,” but simply better. They are also among the best footers I have heard so far. The sound you get with them will be saturated and have low, meaty bass. Their timbre is dark, as it is in high-end products, while being very resolving. There is room for detail, but only in the context of the whole, not for separate entities. At the same time, they are footers that will enrich any given system. You will find the differences between them and others I use above; I will not repeat that. It's amazing that we put products from Poland and the world in one line, with the former being superior in many ways. A fantastic product from a man who knows what he is doing, does it well and loves what he does well.
PRO AUDIO BONO PAB Peek 7060 SN ⸜ TEST: № 243, 1st July 2024, read → HERE The new feet from PRO AUDIO BONO, model PAB Peek 7060 SN, can be placed next to almost any other design available on the market, and they may not be noticeably better, I haven't heard that, but at least as good. In some respects, such as resolution and dynamics, they will outperform products of the competition sold at a similar or even much higher price. The feet play in a lively “forward” manner, yet remain somewhat pastel. In their test, I invoked a comparison to a turntable. It's a way of showing the musical message that is beautiful, satisfying and enjoyable. Simply perfect. 
ABBA
Polar Music International AB/Universal Music LLC UICY-80520/1 ⸜ REVIEW: “High Fidelity NEWS” HERE
ART FARMER
» AC Records 031 ⸜ REVIEW: “High Fidelity NEWS”, 22nd November 2024, read → HERE
JEAN BAPTISTE LOEILLETT
» Prelude Classics PCL2400701 ⸜ REVIEW: “High Fidelity NEWS”, 1st November 2024, read → HERE
MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO
„Jazz The New Chapter” ⸜ REVIEW: “High Fidelity” № 245, 16th September 2024, read → HERE
ESTHER OFARIM
» ATR Audio/ATR Audio Trade GmbH 001 ⸜ REVIEW: “High Fidelity NEWS”, 6th September 2024, read → HERE
SŁAWEK JASKUŁKE
» Sea Label/Core Port RPOZ-10091 ⸜ REVIEW: “High Fidelity” № 244, 16th August 2024, read → HERE
ANTON BRUCKNER
» TACET Musikproduktion 235 ⸜ REVIEW: “High Fidelity NEWS”, 3rd June 2024, read → HERE
SHABAKA
» Impulse!/Universal Music LLC UCCI-1061 ⸜ REVIEW: “High Fidelity NEWS”, 3rd June 2024, read → HERE
BREAKOUT
„Polskie Nagrania Catalogue Selections” ⸜ REVIEW: “High Fidelity NEWS”, 27th September 2024, read → HERE |
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