Jaap's Top 5
Contents
This one is very tricky this year, because your I’ve written about 50 reviews, with a lot of multitests. So honestly, I don’t know how many products I tested in 2022. It must have been more than 70. The plug-in filters, amplifiers and speaker cables are ticking up nicely, as you will understand.
These multi tests are particularly interesting, though, because you can immediately hear the different interpretations of manufacturers. All pursue musicality. But how they do it is very different. Fascinating.
TAD Evolution 2
Alpha Audio’s new reference speakers. Of course I can’t skip those! The TAD Evolution 2 plays exceptionally smooth and layered over the entire range. It’s insightful but never tiresome. And as a bonus, this set plays well on a lot of amplifiers. That makes it a remarkably forgiving speaker AND an ideal reference speaker! Yes: rightfully a competition killer….
By the way, we had the TAD E2 together with the PMC Fact.12 and Perlisten S7T in a livestream. Three monstrously good speakers. And still, hats off to the brand new Perlisten. This brand could compete with the two giants with ease.
Shunyata Venom X
What an unprecedented speaker cable this is! Wow… this cable has managed to finish unanimously in the Top 3 as well as leaving all competitors behind on the measuring bench. Shunyata has shown that they take research seriously and through research can put a rock solid cable on the market. That is impressive…
The speaker cable test was the first test where we started combining measurements with blind listening. We liked the concept so much that we continued with it after that.
Auralic Aries G1.1
We haven’t had a whole lot of devices from Auralic in our hands. Funny, because Alpha Audio really focuses on streaming audio AND Auralic is one of the bigger players in this field.
Fortunately, we got the chance to put the Aries G1.1 through its paces. Because what a wonderful device this is! At first it all seems a bit ordinary, but after a while the device gets under your skin…. everything is just right. And so it should. Beautiful streaming bridge!
Rega Elicit MK5
This Brit stood out for me while testing the integrated amplifiers. The energy with which this Rega Elicit MK5 plays is unparalleled. Up-beat, airy, rhythmic…. boy. What a party animal this is. Be a little careful with the speaker you combine with it, because it can really get too much. But with the right match, you have a system that really brings a lot of fun!
Sonnet Pasithea
Regular readers know that the Sonnet Pasithea is a regular part of the Alpha Audio reference system. And for good reason: it’s a ridiculously good d/a converter. NOS, ultra-high resolution, completely linear and dead quiet. Know that this dac knows how to pick every bit out of the stream, but does so without sounding analytical or cool. Just the way I like it!
A big advantage of the Pasithea is that it also has a volume control. Lossless. In other words, it is also a preamplifier!
Rounding
Now it is unprecedentedly difficult to choose just five things. In fact, impossible. After all, what about the Atoll IN100? Or those wacky Diptyque speakers or Advance Paris amplifiers? Or the surely very nice M23 from NAD? And our new Pass Labs X150.8?
You read it… It is (almost) impossible to make a definitive choice. But these are without a doubt products that have stuck around. And in some cases have been included in Alpha Audio’s reference system.