I’ve been waiting to chime in with my modest purchases in audio this year. I’m not going to count the VPI Prime Scout turntable - that was a gift from my wife, and would rank as my favorite.
I’m also not going to count wires. Even though the new speaker wires look better than the old ones. And patch cords. Need to connect things, and I’m sure not going to list a “Yukon” interconnect as a favorite.
That brings me to 3 audio purchases this year.
Bedphones for $59
iFi xDSD DAC (yes there will be a review coming) $399
STAX SRM-T1S tube headphone amplifier, This is an old model, but it was brought up to snuff and modified by @spritzer who is Mjölnir Audio. About $1400
and the winner is . . .
Hands down, the STAX amp. It’s brought joy again to my old Stax headphones, and has been wonderful to listen to in an audio chain from my Mac Mini. I have yet to move it downstairs into the main audio system, because I have too frickin’ much stuff in the cabinet and going through the rats-nest of patch cords so I can listen to it streaming AND in analog path is going to be a nightmare. That cabinet has the TV, a Sonos Connect, a power conditioner, the VPI Scout, a pre-amp, a Rotel CD player, a TEAC DAC, and the Wyred4Sound integrated amp. And the soundbar, the Blu-Ray player, the Comcast doohickey, and probably something else. I think I unplugged the Cassette deck.
Hey, I found my vintage 2005 Canon Power-Shot 7.1 megapixel camera the other day, so I might even take some pictures.