2011 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
The 2011 SoundStage! Network Buying Guide features summaries of all stereo and home-theater products reviewed in the calendar year across all of our publications. The Buying Guide is subdivided by product and price, with each article including pricing details, a review summary, a full-review link, and product-award indicators.
All prices are in US dollars.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2011 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2011) Subwoofers
Price: $3299
Website: www.velodyne.com
Kevin said: The Velodyne Digital Driveplus 10 renders professional-quality bass. It’s required listening if you’re in the market, or even just in the neighborhood. Recommended.
Read the SoundStage! Xperience review.
The gist: The company that defined the genre continues to charge ahead.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2011 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2011) Stereo Loudspeakers Up to $4,999
Price: $3695 per pair in black, white, or full white painted finish; $3995/pair in birch, cherry, or walnut real-wood veneers
Website: www.amphion.fi
Philip said: At just under $4000/pair it isn’t cheap, but I’ve heard more expensive speakers that don’t sound nearly as good. While there’s no such thing as a perfect speaker, Amphion’s Argon3L comes as close as I’ve heard to reaching that elusive ideal.
Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.
The gist: Perhaps one of the best small floorstanders under five grand a pair that you can currently buy.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2011 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2011) Stereo Loudspeakers Up to $4,999
Price: $1090 per pair
Website: www.aperionaudio.com
Thom said: In prizefighting, there’s a phrase to describe a boxer who hits like a fighter in a heavier class: "He punches above his weight." That was the case with the Aperion Audio Verus Forte Tower. I found it to be a really fine speaker overall, and a pretty remarkable one for its size. No, it didn’t have the ultimate bass performance; that’s where a subwoofer would come in. But on their own they provided a wide-bandwidth sound with excellent detail and a fine soundstage, and their depth of soundstage was especially good. This is a speaker that can sound great in many environments, though it does need some space behind it to sound its best. Overall, it was attractive and capable -- I recommend it to anyone looking for a really high-value speaker that sounds good and looks just as good.
Read the SoundStage! Access review.
The gist: Aperion's smallest floorstander stands tall in performance.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2011 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2011) Stereo Loudspeakers Up to $4,999
Price: $598 per pair
Website: www.aperionaudio.com
Colin said: Aperion Audio’s Verus Grand Bookshelf reminded me that great things can still come in small packages. The Bookshelf isn’t just a fine-sounding speaker, it’s a refined-sounding speaker that doesn’t offer only a glimpse of high-end performance -- it’ll take you on a full tour and give you a T-shirt at the end. With a beguiling tweeter and a clean, overachieving midrange-woofer, the Verus Grand Bookshelf proves that its name is no oxymoron. It’s a speaker well worth an audition and its asking price. And it looks fabulous.
Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.
The gist: Look at that finish!
- Details
- Parent Category: 2011 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2011) Stereo Loudspeakers Up to $4,999
Price: $1798 per pair
Website: www.aperionaudio.com
Jeff said: Aperion Audio has ticked off all the areas you’d want ticked off by a floorstanding loudspeaker: clean, textured, articulate, full-range sound; solid build quality and a beautiful finish; nice touches such as dual sets of binding posts and magnetically attached grilles; and a price well under $2000/pair.
Read the SoundStage! Access review.
The gist: The new speaker-to-get-under-$2000 class leader.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2011 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2011) Stereo Loudspeakers Up to $4,999
Price: $499 per pair
Website: www.aperionaudio.com
Jeff said: Just do the easy thing: Get some Zonas, plug ’em in, dial ’em in with the remote, then sit back and enjoy the experience. The Zona might not take over the audio world -- such little guys can do only so much heavy lifting -- but they fill a void in the real world consumers live in, and do so while offering more performance, build quality, and features than you might expect for the price. To me, that makes them a solid recommendation. Thumbs up to wireless!
Read the SoundStage! Access review.
The gist: Wireless speakers that actually sound good!
- Details
- Parent Category: 2011 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2011) Stereo Loudspeakers Up to $4,999
Price: $2500 per pair
Website: www.atlantictechnology.com
Ron said: The Atlantic Technology AT-1 is more costly than its closest competitor I’ve yet listened to, the $1995/pair Dynaudio DM 3/7, but the extra $505 buys a whole lot in terms of fit’n’finish and performance. The AT-1 just does more, both on paper and in the listening. Nothing about this speaker annoyed me in the least -- and usually I find something that does. To say that the AT-1 should worry other manufacturers is an understatement. Smart people will buy a pair for $2500; the same smart people would be justified in considering the AT-1 even if it cost two, three, or four times as much.
Read the SoundStage! Access review.
The gist: The standout budget floorstander of 2011.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2011 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2011) Stereo Loudspeakers Up to $4,999
Price: $1999 per pair
Website: www.carnegieacoustics.com
Colin said: If you want deep, natural bass, silky highs, a natural midrange, detail enough to satisfy pickers of the tiniest nits, and a soundstage so natural that a photo of this speaker should appear beside the dictionary definition of the word, the CST-1 is the speaker for you.
Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.
The gist: A standout in a crowded field of sub-$2000 speakers.
- Dynaudio DM 3/7 Loudspeakers
- Focal Chorus 826V Loudspeakers
- Gemme Audio Tonic G5 Loudspeakers
- Gingko Audio ClaraVu 7 MkII Loudspeakers
- Mordaunt-Short Mezzo 8 Loudspeakers
- NHT SuperZero 2.0 Loudspeakers and Super 8 Subwoofer
- Paradigm Atom Monitor v.7 Loudspeakers
- Paradigm Shift A2 Active Loudspeakers
- Paradigm Special Edition SE 1 Loudspeakers
- PSB CS1000 Outdoor/Indoor Loudspeakers
- Selah Audio Verita Loudspeakers
- Thiel Audio SCS4T Loudspeakers
- Triangle Esprit 30th Anniversary Edition Antal Loudspeakers
- UltraLink UFi UCube Compact USB Loudspeakers
- Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grand SE Loudspeakers
- Audio Physic Virgo 25 Loudspeakers
- Magico Q3 Loudspeakers
- PBN Audio Montana Liberty Loudspeakers
- Tidal Piano Cera Loudspeakers
- YG Acoustics Carmel Loudspeakers
- AAD Silver Reference 7 Loudspeakers
- Bowers & Wilkins 803 Diamond Loudspeakers
- Focus Audio Prestige FP88 SE Loudspeakers
- MartinLogan Ethos Loudspeakers
- MartinLogan Spire Loudspeakers
- Silverline Audio Sonatina Mk.IV Loudspeakers
- Volent VL-2 Signature Edition Loudspeakers
- April Music Aura Neo CD Player-DAC
- Arcam Solo rDac Digital-to-Analog Converter
- Audio Research DAC8 Digital-to-Analog Converter
- Auraliti PK100 Music Server
- Ayre Acoustics DX-5 Universal A/V Engine
- Bel Canto Design e.One DAC2.5 Digital-to-Analog Converter
- Blue Circle Audio BC509 Digital-to-Analog Converter
- Bryston BDP-1 Digital Player
- Copland CDA825 CD Player
- Esoteric K-03 SACD/CD Player/DAC
- Eximus DP1 Digital-to-Analog Converter/Preamplifier/Headphone Amplifier
- Furutech Alpha Design Labs GT40 DAC and Headphone Amplifier
- Hegel Music Systems HD10 Digital-to-Analog Converter
- Hegel Music Systems HD2 Digital-to-Analog Converter
- High Resolution Technologies Music Streamer II USB DAC
- M2Tech Young Digital-to-Audio Converter
- MSB Technology Universal Media Transport
- Oppo Digital BDP-93 Blu-ray Player
- Simple Design Sonore Music Server
- Wavelength Audio Proton Digital-to-Analog Converter
- YBA Design WD202 Digital-to-Analog Converter
- Artisan Silver MC Phono Stage
- EAR MC 4 Step-Up Transformer
- Miyajima Laboratory Premium BE Mono Cartridge
- Ortofon Cadenza Mono Phono Cartridge
- Parasound Halo JC 3 Phono Stage
- Thorens TD 309 Turntable
- TW-Acustic Raven 10.5 Tonearm
- Well Tempered Lab Amadeus Turntable
- Vizio VMB070 Portable 7” TV
- Audio Research LS27 Preamplifier
- Audio Research Reference 5 Preamplifier
- Gryphon Audio Designs Mirage Preamplifier
- Herron Audio VTSP-3A Preamplifier
- JE Audio VL10.1 Preamplifier
- Lamm LL2.1 Deluxe Preamplifier
- Marantz Reference Series SC-7S2 Preamplifier
- Purity Audio Design Purity Reference Preamplifier
- Simaudio Moon 350P Preamplifier
- LessLoss Firewall Power Conditioner
- Atma-Sphere Music Amplifier M-60 Mk.3.1 Mono Amplifiers
- Bel Canto e.One REF150S Stereo Amplifier
- Coda Technologies 15.0 Stereo Amplifier
- Gryphon Audio Designs Colosseum Stereo Amplifier
- Hegel Music Systems H20 Stereo Amplifier
- Marantz Reference Series MA-9S2 Mono Amplifiers
- NuForce Reference 18 Mono Amplifiers
- Simaudio Moon 400M Mono Amplifiers
- VAC Phi 200 Stereo Amplifier
- AudioQuest Carbon USB Cable
- Cardas Clear Phono Cable
- Dynamique Audio Cyclone Speaker Cables, Tempest Interconnects
- Nordost Blue Heaven LS Speaker Cables and Interconnects
- Ridge Street Audio Designs Poiema!!! R-v3 USB Digital Master USB Cable
- Siltech 330i Interconnects and 330L Speaker Cables
- Octave Audio V 40 SE Integrated Amplifier
- April Music Aura Groove Integrated Amplifier
- Audia Flight Two Integrated Amplifier
- Audioengine N22 Integrated Amplifier
- Blue Circle Audio Katlas Integrated Amplifier
- Boulder Amplifiers 865 Integrated Amplifier
- Cambridge Audio Azur 350A Integrated Amplifier
- Densen Audio Technologies Beat B-130 Integrated Amplifier
- Devialet D-Premier Integrated Amplifier-DAC
- Leema Electro Acoustics Tucana II Integrated Amplifier
- Magnum Dynalab MD 309 Integrated Amplifier
- Music Culture Elegance MC 701 Integrated Amplifier
- Pathos Acoustics Logos Integrated Amplifier
- Axiom Audio Epic 80-800 Home-Theater Speaker System
- MartinLogan Motion 10 / 8 / 4 / Dynamo 1000 Home-Theater Speaker System
- Polk Audio Blackstone TL350 / DSWpro 550wi Home-Theater Speaker System
- Anthem MRX 500 A/V Receiver
- Anthem MRX 700 A/V Receiver
- Cambridge Audio Azur 650R A/V Receiver
- Integra DTA-70.1 Multichannel Power Amplifier
- Marantz AV7005 A/V Processor
- Audeze LCD-2 Headphones
- Bowers & Wilkins C5 Earphones
- Etymotic Research ER-4PT Earphones
- Etymotic Research hf5 Earphones
- HeadRoom Balanced Ultra Desktop Amplifier
- HiFiMAN HE-500 Headphones
- Logitech Harmony 300 Remote Control
- Logitech S715i Rechargeable Loudspeaker and iPod/iPhone Dock
- Sennheiser HD 800 Headphones
- Smyth Research Realiser A8 Audio Processor
- SoundMagic PL50 and EH11 Earphones
- TEAC SR-100i iPod Dock
- Ultrasone Edition 8 Headphones
- Ultrasone Pro 900 Headphones