January 2015

Enjoy the Music.com's Top 20 Best Gear Of 2014
Our top picks of the best gear in 2014.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin

  There is no doubt that 2014 has been an amazing year for everyone within the high-end audio industry! Our enthusiastic niche within the consumer electronics industry is flourishing as companies are achieving record sales volume. Speaking of records, the LP is once again showing incredible resilience alongside this modern world of 192kHz/24-bit digitized audio. The high fidelity audio industry is filled with genius craftspeople, artists, and engineers who put their immense passion, experience, and talent together to achieve a common goal. And that goal is to further our enjoyment of music.

In 2014, Enjoy the Music.com also brought the industry's first, and still only, live streaming of shows to enthusiasts all around the world. Now everyone around the globe with an Internet connection can learn about the many incredible products launched at these events. Furthermore, there is live chat and Twitter integration so someone in England, China, Italy... or the Fiji Islands can ask questions about the products we are featuring within our live broadcast. In 2015 we plan to live stream CES, AXPONA, T.H.E. Show Newport Beach, RMAF, CAS and perhaps two or three others. With swiftness of speed and mobility, it only takes a few days to form an agreement and then setup our mobile studio to live broadcast an luxury goods or music concert anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. Our nearly spur-of-the-moment agreement with all-around great guy Chad Kassem of Acoustic Sounds solidifies this point as we delivered their first broadcast of the incredible Blues Masters at the Crossroads concert. Of course a live stream is still not a perfect substitute to actually being there, yet it brings live worldwide events right into the comfort of your home, office, or anywhere you may be given one's constantly busy schedule.

To celebrate the past year, we want to showcase our 20 fave reviews from 2014. There is no doubt it has been an astounding year here at Enjoy the Music.com and i'd like to personally thank you, our remarkable readers, plus the many marvelous manufacturers and of course our flourishing family of reviewers. We can all hold our proverbial glass up high and toast to both the year past and to a prosperous and abundant 2015. Below is our list of top 20 best gear picks from 2014. As always, in the end what really matters is that you...

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

Enjoy the Music.com's Top 20 Best Gear Of  2014

Oracle Audio Delphi MK VI Turntable With SME V Tonearm
A first-class turntable and tonearm with incredibly advanced power supplies.
Review By Tom Lyle

VPI Industries Nomad Turntable
An excellent, and inexpensive, high-end vinyl LP turntable with phonostage and headphone output.
Review By Heather Baird, Cailyn Baird and Steven R. Rochlin

McIntosh MHA100 Headphone, DAC, And Integrated Stereo Amplifier
Immense speed and precision to enjoy music through headphones or speakers.
Review By Michael Liang And Michael Mercer

Bryston BHA-1 Headphone Amplifier
The Bryston BHA-1 is one heckova high-end Class A headphone amplifier.
Review By Ron Nagle

Astell&Kern AK240 Portable Media Player
Perhaps the world's best PMP for home and portable use.
Review By Steven R. Rochlin

Oppo PM-1 Planar Magnetic Headphones
Not only a great planar magnetic headphone, but a great headphone, period.
Review By Tom Lyle

MrSpeakers Alpha Dog Headphones
Having fun while exploring the MrSpeakers Alpha Dog headphones.
Review By Phil Gold

Gryphon Audio Designs Kalliope DAC
A cost-no-object 32-bit-384kHz and DSD512 DAC for those who desire the very best in music reproduction.
Review By Steven R. Rochlin

AURALiC VEGA Digital Audio Processor And MERAK Monoblock Power Amplifier
Incredible performance from this dynamic duo!
Review By Tom Lyle

Allnic H-1201 Vacuum Tube Phonostage
A fine tubed phono amplifier for analog enthusiasts.
Review By David McCallum

LKV Research Line One Preamplifier
LKV Research's Line One sounds more like music than a piece of audio equipment.
Review By Tom Lyle

PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium Preamplifier
One of the best things PrimaLuna has ever done.
Review By Dick Olsher

Aaron Let's Rock! Stereo Integrated Amplifier
Skullish style and sensational substance sounds off.
Review By Wojciech Pacula

Benchmark Media AHB2 Stereo Power Amplifier
This little unit will change the way you look and listen to amplifiers.
Review And Images By Greg Weaver

Pass Laboratories XA30.8 Power Amplifier
This 30 Watt Class A amp conveys an involving musical intimacy.
Review By Ron Nagle

Franco Serblin Accordo Grey Stand-Mounted Loudspeaker
Highly refined execution of every little detail.
Review By Matej Isak

SoulSonic Impact LE Speakers
An interesting value among $90,000 loudspeakers.
Review By Matej Isak

Sound Lab Majestic 845PX Electrostatic Speaker
The heart of a music system that should last you forever.
Review By Dr. Jules L. Coleman

Axiom Audio M100 Floorstanding Speakers
One helluva lot of speaker for the money!
Review By Phil Gold

Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) 683 S2 Floorstanding Speakers
For present and future audiophiles.
Review By Rick Jensen