The Best of The Buyers Guide 2021
[Editor’s note: Welcome to the Part-Time Audiophile Buyers Guide for 2021! This year we decided to mix it up a little by breaking up the Buyers Guide into sections, which makes it a far more manageable read. And oh, we know what you’re thinking–the best hi-fi components? Hard no! Everyone’s ears are different, and the components we love can be a very personal thing! Let’s clear this up: these are the best hi-fi components that we, the PTA team, have heard.]
It’s a wrap!
Thirteen articles, 20,000 words, 200+ products covered, and one hive opinion. Below are the highlights from the Buyers Guide 2021 with links to the full article for each product category. Enjoy!
The Best Bookshelf Speakers
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- Triangle Borea BR 03 ($550 pr USD)
- Sonner Audio Legato Unum ($4,750 pr USD)
- Vimberg Amea (from $15,000 pr USD)
- TAD Compact Evolution One (from $24,000 pr USD)
The Best Floorstanding Speakers
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- Sonus faber Lumina III ($2,199 pr USD)
- Qln Prestige Three (from $10,000 pr USD)
- Acora Acoustics SRC-2 ($37,000 pr USD)
- Von Schweikert Audio VS-55 Aktive ($60,000 pr USD)
The Best Turntables
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO ($499 USD)
- Thorens TD-1601 ($3,500 USD)
- Dr. Feickert Analogue Firebird ($12,490 USD)
- SME 30/2 ($41,900 USD)
The Best Phono Preamplifiers
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- Musical Surroundings Nova III w/Linear Power Supply ($1,500 USD)
- Pass Labs XP-17 ($4,300 USD)
- Modwright PH150 ($7,895 USD)
- Dan D’Agostino Momentum Phono ($28,000 USD)
The Best Tonearms and Phono Cartridges
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- The Wand Master Series Tonearm (from $2,500 USD)
- Thales Simplicity II Tonearm ($9,450 USD)
- ZYX Bloom 3 Cartridge ($1,100 USD)
- Soundsmith Hyperion II Cartridge ($7,999.95 USD)
The Best Reel-to-Reel and Cassette
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- TEAC W-1200 Cassette ($499 USD)
- United Home Audio Reel-to-Reel (from $6,500 USD)
- Ballfinger M 063 H5 Reel-to-Reel (starting at $11,400 USD)
- Doshi Audio EVO Series Tape Head Preamplifier ($18,995 USD)
The Best DACs, Servers, Streamers, and Disc Spinners
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- BorderPatrol SE-i DAC (from $995 USD)
- Wolf Audio Systems (from $3,600 USD)
- McIntosh MCD600 ($6,000 USD)
- LampizatOr Pacific DAC (from $25,535 USD)
The Best Preamplifiers
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- Luminous Audio Axiom II w/ Walker Mod ($499 USD)
- Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL Preamplifier ($4,450 USD)
- BorderPatrol Control Unit EXT-1 ($12,250 USD)
- TIDAL Audio Prisma ($40,000 USD)
The Best Amplifiers
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- McGary Audio SA-1 ($3,985 USD)
- Audio Hungary Qualiton APX 200 ($4,700 USD)
- McIntosh MC2152 ($15,000 USD)
- Tidal Audio Impulse stereo amplifier ($33,000 USD)
The Best Integrated Amplifiers
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- Audio by Van Alstine SET 120 ($1,199 USD)
- Naim Uniti Atom ($3,295 USD)
- Vinnie Rossi L2i (from $12,995 USD)
- VAC Statement 450i iQ ($150,000 USD)
The Best Headphones, IEMs, and Headphone Amplifiers
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- Cardas A8 30th Anniversary IEM ($349 USD)
- LSA HP-2 Ultra Headphone ($799 USD)
- Focal Stellia Headphone ($2,990 USD)
- Chord Hugo TT 2 DAC/Amp ($5,495 USD)
The Best Cable, Power, and Racks
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- AudioQuest NRG ($49-249 USD)
- Triode Wire Labs ($399-$1,399 USD)
- Cardas Audio Clear Light, Clear and Clear Beyond (Prices Vary)
- Purist Audio Design ($2,000 USD)
The Best Audio Accessories, Tweaks, and Voodoo
To see the full buyers guide, click the title link above.
- Qobuz Music Streaming (plans start at $14.99 USD per month)
- Okki Nokki Record Cleaning Machine ($449 USD)
- AnalogMagik All In One Cartridge Set Up Software and Test LPs ($750 USD)
- Wilson Audio Pedestals ($775 USD each, set of 3 for $2,225 USD)
Looking for even more? Check out our product of the year, and “Best Of” awards in our year-end roundup on The Occasional Podcast. Now streaming on iTunes and all podcast platforms. We also offer educational and informative breakdowns for digital audio, getting into turntables and mastering in this year’s episodes.
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