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In the category of modern source components AURALiC's Vega got three thumbs way up—that means three different writers on our team—whilst former contributor Michael Lavorgna added a fourth for AudioStream.com and Polish contributor Wojciech Pacula a fifth for his publication.
Korea's SOtM retaliated with a power-cycling 24/7 battery version which can truly double as a preamp with analog inputs and analog-domain volume. And again Michael Lavorgna agreed to add a Greatest Bits award from AudioStream.
In the power delivery category we have an Italian device which addresses not just AC filtering but also DC hitching a free ride on your utility power to remind us that overlooking this area of system building is to the detriment of overall performance.
Relatedly there's the topic of what happens on your ground plane. Here Dutch Akiko Audio offer strange solutions which somehow lower ground-related noise as our contribution to the weird but efficacious 'voodoo' category, i.e. this year's acoustic resonators or photon cannons which work without us understanding exactly how or why.
No cables no sound is an obvious nod at Bob Marley's 'no woman no cry'. To stress just how important the USB cable has become for a modern computer-fi system, our only cable contribution of the year is just such a leash.
Which gets us to our Realsization awards for which 2013 netted three fittingly across the source, integrated amp and speaker categories where you could build a complete system from these components (though to be realistic, our speakers here should likely want more power than our integrated delivers). We start with a fully balanced D/A converter with headfi/preamp facility from Taiwanese IT giant ASUS who demonstrate what vast resources applied intelligently can do for $599...
... continue with a super-effective Hong Kong take on the gainclone phenom that's built like a brick outhouse for dwarves but sounds far more advanced than size and $529 price would suggest...
... and close out with an overachieving $999/ea. loudspeaker from a US company previously specialized in subwoofers.
Congratulations to these companies from all around the world and their fabulous products. If you shop resourcefully, it doesn't take very deep pockets to arrive at happiness from a satisfying sound system...
