2006 Stereophile Editor's Choice......

lonewolfny42 · « **on:** 10 Dec 2006, 10:34 pm »

And the winner is......Slim Devices Squeezebox.......I guess their "catching on"......

Imperial · « **Reply #1 on:** 11 Dec 2006, 02:02 am »

This calls for a bottle of the good stuff!.

Imperial

Imperial · « **Reply #2 on:** 11 Dec 2006, 02:48 am »

Now lets see how long it takes before the Sonos media server makes it to their lair.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #3 on:** 11 Dec 2006, 02:55 am »

Quote from: Imperial on 11 Dec 2006, 02:48 am

Now lets see how long it takes before the Sonos media server makes it to their lair.

That might take awhile....they may discover next that the SB can be "modded"......and made to "sound" even better....

Gordy · « **Reply #4 on:** 11 Dec 2006, 02:59 am »

Actually, JA has mentioned both Vinnie and Wayne as modders for the SB's in his E-mail newsletter

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 Dec 2006, 03:01 am »

Quote from: Gordy on 11 Dec 2006, 02:59 am

Actually, JA has mentioned both Vinnie and Wayne as modders for the SB's in his E-mail newsletter

Oh.....

.....well, I hope they try a modded SB.

James Romeyn · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 Dec 2006, 03:46 am »

Quote from: Imperial on 11 Dec 2006, 02:48 am

Now lets see how long it takes before the Sonos media server makes it to their lair.

Sonos is the 10/06 cover article, full reveiw w/ bench test & specs by JA. He loved it & it's a Class B Recommended Component. Ahead of the SB I believe, but don't quote this last part. It struck me as odd that he lamented that the Sonos wasn't a high-end brand. Why should he care? Boutique brands are busy selling $10k-$30k CDP's in his very own magazine. The best use for silver discs may now be to upload them, upload a backup, & toss 'em, sell 'em, or store them in the attic. It's miserable trying to keep track of them. The people who sell storage cases for optical media must be sweatin'!

I was shocked that the stock Olive sounded so good, at least in an A-B with only one song. But it was in my system.

Imperial · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 Dec 2006, 05:04 am »

High-end manufacturers better include high-end usb outputs on their drives.
The top High-end dacs better soon get usb inputs...

The Sonos was testet on a forum in norway and found to equal an X series Teac esoteric player as a digital drive.
One should take note.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #8 on:** 11 Dec 2006, 07:53 am »

I don't pay much attention to Stereophile but it's nice to see products like that getting some ink. Perhaps the rags aren't completely out of touch with reality after all.

nunhgrader · « **Reply #9 on:** 12 Dec 2006, 10:01 am »

I love Stereophile (and 6moons, Positive Feedback, The Absolute Sound, list goes on) and think they are utilizing their web site to check with the public to see possible new directions. Their weekly poll and forums appear to be a measurement of interest, popularity, and public opinion (including but, not limited to, audiophile opinion).

shep · « **Reply #10 on:** 12 Dec 2006, 10:35 am »

As much as I enjoy this forum, a lot of people could find it intimidating, confusing, chaotic and too agitated
(for want of a better word). I know I did at first. You can't just sit down and have a good old read! I wish some people would stop being so smug and trashing Stereophile. For years it and TAS where the ones carrying our habit/hobby and pushing its boundaries further than anyone thought possible. I'm not even sure hi-end would have come this far without them and of course the effect has trickled down, making room for more and more great equipment that is affordable. Sure, over time economics and complacency has made them sloppy. Maybe they've lost their edge but it's pretty amazing how long they've held up. Harry Pearson was one of the most thoughtful, adventurous and serious reviewers ever, period. It really annoys me reading the cheap potshots that keep re-appearing. If those clever ones had been around in those early years or bothered to have some knowledge of the history of two-channel stereo reproduction; of what and who it took to get this far, they would be a bit more respectful. Yeah so shoot me down, I'm just a sentimental old fart pissing in the wind.

nunhgrader · « **Reply #11 on:** 12 Dec 2006, 10:50 am »

Hi shep!

Not to bash AC or any other forum (especially since I am a newcomer) but, I never did understand why someone cannot love Stereophile, The Absolute Sound, 6moons, Affordable Audio, Positive Feedback etc. regardless of the different editorial styles. Plus, the respect bit as well. Just think if outsiders criticized your job and sometimes trashed your work for the world to see (ouch).

Since I love music and I love audio (hifi, equipment, mags, fans, audiophiles), I love it all. Even the writers whose opinions differ from mine teach, entertain, and enlighten me.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #12 on:** 12 Dec 2006, 11:03 am »

Quote from: nunhgrader on 12 Dec 2006, 10:50 am

Hi shep!

Not to bash AC or any other forum (especially since I am a newcomer) but, I never did understand why someone cannot love Stereophile, The Absolute Sound, 6moons, Affordable Audio, Positive Feedback etc. regardless of the different editorial styles. Plus, the respect bit as well. Just think if outsiders criticized your job and sometimes trashed your work for the world to see (ouch).

Since I love music and I love audio (hifi, equipment, mags, fans, audiophiles), I love it all. Even the writers whose opinions differ from mine teach, entertain, and enlighten me.

I think you lump together some apples and some oranges. The reason the rags (eg Stereophile, TAS, etc) get "dissed" is partly because they tend to stick to the mainstream companies that advertise in their magazines. Think about it for a second- look at the "manufacturers circles" here and compare that to the companies that advertise in the Mainstream Mags (and, "coincidentally", get reviewed there

). Is there any overlap? Not much. The perception here is that the rags only discuss/shill the brands that pay them for it. Yeah, it's cynical, but them's the breaks.

The flipside of that- look at all the wonderful products that are roundly ignored by the rags. You'd think companies like VMPS, Salk, GR Research, SP Tech, Modwright, etc didn't even exist! Which seques nicely into this point: web-only mags like 6Moons, Bound4Sound, etc are held in much higher esteem here. If Marty or Srajaen actually post here they get a lot higher level of "street cred" than the guys in the Ivory Towers that won't deign to dirty their hands carousing with "the rabble" in places like AC.

But if HP wants to drop by, I'm down wit' it!

shep · « **Reply #13 on:** 12 Dec 2006, 11:20 am »

I get the point and obviously by sounding off here, I'm showing my preferences. I also think the ability of manufacure's and clients to speak directly, on an open site, is a huge step forward. This forum, like others, has made me aware of products, opinions, directions I never would have encountered. In fact (God help me) it's made me take stock of my audio knowledge and risk going into whole new directions
. <I'm chomping at the bit waiting for my T-amp from Michael Mardis> So what's the point? just showing my age!

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #14 on:** 12 Dec 2006, 11:38 am »

Don't worry, Shep- I'm a borderline geezer myself.

And I wouldn't understand or appreciate the sea change if it wasn't for a couple of sites like AC, AH & AK. The rags still have their place, but they're always gonna be a step behind places like AC & SixMoons for cutting edge stuff that you don't have to sell your kids into slavery to buy.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #15 on:** 12 Dec 2006, 11:42 am »

Quote from: Rob Babcock on 12 Dec 2006, 11:38 am

Don't worry, Shep- I'm a borderline geezer myself. And I wouldn't understand or appreciate the sea change if it wasn't for a couple of sites like AC, AH & AK. The rags still have their place, but they're always gonna be a step behind places like AC & SixMoons for cutting edge stuff that you don't have to sell your kids into slavery to buy.

Yep....you put it well Rob....this IS the cutting edge - one step beyond...new products and innovation....not the same old thing.

shep · « **Reply #16 on:** 12 Dec 2006, 12:31 pm »

The trouble with selling your kids into slavery is you can only do it once! and you really can't explain on AudiogoN that you have to sell all that stuff to buy them back (used). (politically incorrect? sorry I live in France) I wonder if HP is closet member of this forum, hiding under an assumed name..be funny.

reddmadder · « **Reply #17 on:** 12 Dec 2006, 12:55 pm »

In my system my stock OLIVE Musica sounded just as good as the Ack!Dac 2.0 hi-rez...I know hard to believe,but that was my impression as well as a few other people.The only difference was an ever so slight lowering of the noise floor but I'm talking very,very subtle.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #18 on:** 12 Dec 2006, 12:58 pm »

If HP frequents AC he must surely be keeping on "the downlow."

Tirade · « **Reply #19 on:** 12 Dec 2006, 01:20 pm »

Well to think that 2 years ago I came to Wayne and said hey "I picked up this new fangled device called a Squeezebox for my brother and I want to know if there is anything you can do with it". He agreed to see if any mods could be done to it and the rest is history. Wayne kindness really paid off and I hope he continues to enjoy his success.

Tim