The BEST hi-fi products of 2023/24 according to EISA
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- Опубліковано 15 сер 2023
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EISA Awards 2023-24
📖 darko.audio/2023/08/eisa-hi-f...
Andrew Jones on the MoFi Sourcepoint 8
📺 darko.audio/2023/04/mofi-read...
Bowers & Wilkins 703 S3
📺 darko.audio/2023/05/bowers-wi...
KEF LSX II
📺 darko.audio/2022/11/kef-lsx-i...
Dynaudio Focus 30
📺 darko.audio/2022/08/dynaudio-...
Meze 109 Pro
🎧 darko.audio/2022/11/podcast-m...
Ferrum Wandla
📖 darko.audio/2023/06/ferrum-wa...
Hegel Viking
📺 darko.audio/2023/08/hegel-vik...
NAD C 3050
📺 darko.audio/2022/12/nad-c-305...
Bluesound Powernode EDGE
📺 darko.audio/2022/09/a-short-f...
iFi Audio GO pod
📖 darko.audio/2023/06/true-wire...
Klipsch The Sevens
📺 darko.audio/2023/07/klipsch-t...
#EISA #hifi #awards
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I'm from Canadia and I approve of this video...🙂
John, really appreciate your candor and humility about how you do your job. Thanks for a peak inside to how the EISA hi-fi group works!
Canadia is just a funny way to say Canada.
Coming from a photography background, any time I hear EISA awards, I just raise my eyebrows, because with photography, there are a silly amount of overlapping awards they pretty much feel meaningless because everyone gets an award.
Whilst I enjoy audio, am not an experts, so have no idea, how good the awards for audio are. But certainly, I agree with your sentiment about contacting other people in your profession and speaking to them as it is a great way of getting different opinions and seeing how someone goes about thinking of a stuff.
Those KEF LSX II bookshelf speakers are $1,200+ I guess the word "affordable" is also subjective.... Sucks being poor.
I can not afford most of these products. I wonder if EISA would include a Super Budget Awards for the pool folks.
the best sounding appliances are the ones i like. everyone has their own opinion. for me ,it doesnt matter how profesional some one is ,telling me this is the best stuff out there.i can see and hear for myself. isnt it that easy..
Hi John. I really love your channel.
I hate that I’m doing this but I’m letting you know that you misspoke in this video. The high end speaker of the year is the Alexia “Vee” not the “ Five”. The “Vee” stands for the new material they are using for their speaker cabinets. Again, I really hated doing this.
Keep up the good work that you do.
Canadia? Lol. A new word! John’s got us Canadian’s politely laughing (at him). No offence.
I was wondering how long it take for this to be picked up. John is cool, and seems like most of the time it's unscripted, so kudos for being natural, that's the hardest thind. Still funny, though...Canadia :)
Its wrong but weirdly sounds right.
Dont you know? Its Canadia from now on. Trudeau already approved
Another other Canadiaian having a light chuckle. 🍻🇨🇦
3:46 OMG
Hi from Chennai, India. Been running a WiiM Mini for the last year. IMHO I don't need anything higher. I listen to Spotify exclusively. So happy with the device and the constant updates. Brilliant!
Hi John,
On the HDMI eARC topic, actually the biggest benefit is auto lip-sync correction. Although some TV’s offer manual delay adjustments for digital output, not all DAC’s processing is fast enough to integrate the sound with the picture.
Great work with this channel!
Thanks, John - that was a good, fun to watch, new video. As you say, (*and* I'm paraphrasing - 'If you don't agree w/ the choices; then feel free to make your own 'best of's list' for each Award"). Cheers, John. (Glad to see your allergy has calmed down considerably). all the very best from Japan. G.
Now, this is a great video, with great products, and a really nice a group of people to talk with. Thanks a lot. Greetings from Colombia
Great video. That’s interesting that you speak to Randy . Both of you are in my top five. Cheers!
Glad to see your interacting with other you tube channels and personalities as well as the professional standard ones. You would have to be living in a box not to these days . Thanks!
Canadia
German immersion 😉
Love it!
Thank you! Fantastic video as always. Keep up the great work!
Hi John, I really enjoy the channel and your experience of hifi and music. In this video you mention the apple TV and Streaming Dacs that don't have HDMI eARC and the possibility of using an S/PIDIF connection. This is exactly what I do, but I'd like to point out that it's possible to program the Apple TV remote to control the volume of most amplifiers or preamplifiers, or indeed any external device controlling volume (I do this with an audiolab 6000a). This option can be found in the "control TV and receivers" option in Apple TV settings. It's not a "one remote" solution but almost.
Just a slight correction needed. The iFi NEO Stream has analogue outputs (RCA and Balanced), that’s why it was in the Streamer category. If it was digital output only then it would have gone in the Digital Player category, like the Volumio Rivo.
I had a couple of friends that where in to hifi but now i am alone they sold it all, the hifi store where i go they call me the die hard still going after 35 years into hifi .....
One category for stand mount speakers(regardless of price) … 38 categories for various streaming devices…? Did I miss something? Seems like extra awards were created to include more streamers. Like your channel btw, and the variety of products you cover! Rock on!
It seems correct. Ultimately the awards for every year are changing and they go along the actual hi-fi trends. When you take a look at the past 10 year awards, you would clearly see when new hi-fi awards were created, like for example active loudspeakers. It's actually cool to see how the trends on gear, speakers, consitent brands are developing and behaving through the years.
As always John, you’re a class act! And yes, a wink and a smile goes along with awards in general but it is helpful and entertaining to hear the EISA tally. Thanks!
Hi John. Thanks for an excellent review. I own an iFi NEO DAC that I'm very pleased with. I know it isn't the Stream but I thought I'd mention it anyway. Much of the rest of the equipment you mentioned was new to me.
One of the things that I learned years ago, that you can take top rated equipment and put them together, and they might sound terrible, not because they are terrible, but may lack synergy. System matching can be a bitch, I’ve gone through so many amps, and preamps just to find the right balance for a pair of Vandersteen 5a.
I ended up with an aesthetic, preamp, and a VTL Power amp with some tube rolling. 😅
10:48 on my Apple TV, I can program the remote to use the IR frequency of the preamp. You would think anything with IR controls would work similarly.
Dear Mr Dario, thanks for your interesting comments on audio that is somewhat affordable to me. PS I believe the most important part of an audio system is the recording process from the artists to the engineers. The stuff we play with is just the icing on the cake.
Great video John. It's very interesting content. Great editing too!
Loved the video John. Great commentary. Cheers Tony
Hey John. You can use the Apple TV remote to control volume on another device assuming it has IR. The options are under Remotes and Devices - Home Theater Control under the settings in the Apple TV. I use it to control volume/mute on NAD M33.
As always, a highly enjoyable listen. I am curious (hopeful?) to hear your thoughts on the KEF R3 Metas vs the Buchards S400Mkii… hopefully you can still grab a pair
eARC isn't just about laziness. Our stereo room is also our main entertainment room with 2 kids and a wife that aren't nearly as nerded out by this stuff as yours truly. Ease of use is clutch and without eARC, I am constantly being asked to raise or lower the volume through the Node 2i. And regarding toslink... we still have an unresolved lip sync issue that appears unresolvable. Love the Node, hate Bluesound's refusal to assist on what is a known problem. Wouldn't have such an issue with eARC, correct?
It would be nice to see EISA add a budget category. Any chance you'll get your hands on the Yamaha R-N2000A stereo receiver?
I am extremely interested in high end headphones. Please keep reviewing them.
Great vid John ! May i ask what model is your Thorens TT ?
Seems like potentially, the gear that most reviewers are able to get their hands on and seems ‘good’ gets the win. So really it seems like a substantial portion of the judging comes from a manufacturer’s budget and acumen with respect to getting reviews. There is likely better equipment but reviewers don’t get it and/or there isn’t a buzz around it, so when it comes time to aggregate industry publication reviews it skews towards what is popular but not necessarily the ‘best’. These results tell me that all of these products are probably ‘good’.
You get a sub just for the Bad Seed sliders alone!!
(I should have a long time ago anyways)
Are the brands that are in the running 17:55 from across the Globe? For instance was a company like Zu or Buchardt considered in the speakers? Thank you for all you do, Darko. Love your channel.
Hi Darko, have u ever consider to test speakers from my fav Brand Cabasse (like Pearl Akoya or Pearl?) or even the Older MC170 Antigua? Will u test something from Nubert (a Big Player in GER) or from my Hometown a Speaker from Phonar? =)
Excellent review as usual
Hi John. I really enjoy watching your videos and it's great to see that you collaborate with other hifi reviewers on their thoughts. The EISA awards help us who struggle to know what to consider buying, to choose carefully. It's great to know that you are part of that voting process.
CANAEDIA?
🤣
Always love tour reviews!
Would you share the make and model of the glasses you are currently wearing? Cheers!
Oh, and cool The THE t-shirt
Just wanted to say I would love to see more hi-fi headphones on the channel.
Ha ha, on the eArc, however….I use my “hi-fi” system for TV as well, and unfortunately a number of TVs don’t do “PCM or stereo” output through optical very well. For certain streaming services it’s a no go, and…I like using a DAC I spent money on for everything I can. I went with the Node X after your review and others that said the same thing….”I’ll use this without an external DAC”. It’s a piece of gear I’ll never need to get rid of even if/when I get La Scalas ha.
Is not laziness, is convenience. Also, bandwidth when it comes to multi channel audio. eArc.
I’m still waiting for a system of Powered Speakers that connect to one central speaker with dsp engine via Cat5/6.
Canadia (3:46)?
Well done John. Thank you.
Wow. Ifi Neo Stream has been around for a while now. And...we need that dCS Lina review, bro. I'm curious with that one.
Greetings from Canadia!
I'm awarding you my John (who reviews audio gear) of the year award for 2023-24, we'll see how you do next year.
John, I can only afford low fi but I do spend more on iems and dap. So please now and again keep that content coming
Great video, I always enjoy your videos and work! About headphones.... I like headphones, just not wireless. If you could do high-end wired headphones, like top line Sony, earbuds too!
Way back, I had one two colleagues they were interested in HiFi now with my wife. I listen alone she is only interested if she likes a specific song, but that happens seldom
Hey John! Maybe a cool topic to cover on your UA-cam or your podcast would be Cable lengths? Speaker vs Interconnect length, how does it affect the sound etc. just a thought!
This sounds terribly boring. Let some other nerd cover this topic and free him up to use his fun personality in another area.
Looking forward to the R3 meta review!
So the Dynaudio Focus 50 won from the Kef LS60? Mmm might wanne second guess my future purchase 😅
I listen alone well unless you count the cat who appears out of nowhere when I put music on and sits on the arm of the sofa next to me 😁
Thoose B&W in the background look beautiful!
Hi John, I absolutely love your UA-cam videos! You’re my favorite streamer in the audio world. Just a little fact check, the Ifly near streamer does indeed have an internal deck. Keep up the great work.❤
This was a great episode. Will they be updating the Hegel h390
Now the fact that you chat to other reviewers does interest me, especially as I tune in to their channels as well. It is important, I feel, as you get greater balance across everything. It goes for whichever field you work in. Did I hear you say CANADIA 😊😊? I must say that I love some of the ones from this year, that I've heard.
About your bubble… would be nice to learn more about your listening room. How you’ve treated it for acoustics etc.
Not sure about the ifi getting best portable dac as only works with iems and only a selected few would an amp get best in class if only works with bookshelf speakers ?
he means the iFi Go Blue or Bar which is a portable bluetooth/wired DAC, not the Go Pods which are for IEMS.
The MSRPs would be useful info.
Thank you
Entertaining video👍🏼. Are you still going to share your thoughts on tidal, on the website?
Eventually, when I find the time...
And also Apple AirPlay 2. Previously you’ve alluded to analysis that it’s not lossless as claimed by Apple. 🙏
Ok..I have to say I'm watching the video now and I really like the way those Zu DWX look. Damn they are pretty!
Ever consider getting in touch with Jesco Lohan of @AcousticsInsider? I know Terry has chatted to him about room treatment, and I think you and we, the audience, could benefit greatly from such a collaboration. You are one of the few people who take acoustic treatment seriously, and perhaps the only one who talks about adapting it to a purely listening environment. Treatment is nothing new, but seems to be mostly the purview of sound engineers, rather than audiophiles. You're the only one I know who's attempting to make it accessible, so I know I'd personally love to see you go further down the rabbit hole.
Jesco and I are pals. We had dinner just last weekend. There's a video interview with him on this channel but I wanna do another with him at some point.
Solitary Pursuit for myself Also. My reason for this is because I work so many hours. When I am off it is Paramount that I am in my Quiet space. Work is stressful, and so when I have time to myself I need this time to decompress.
"Canadia?" Is that German for Canada?
Please test the Yamaha R-N2000A and compare it to the Powernode and other streaming amps.
The iFi NEO has a built in DAC and it is excellent
Thank you for considering “party listening.” Music is a social medium!
You have a great network of bubble people!
Hey John, i don't totally agree about your hypothesis, that the consumer sympathy for HDMI ARC products is about laziness. For myself it is, i love the comfort. but more important it remove a barrier for my family to use the hifi in thier daily life. Otherwise they would just use the inbuilt tv-speakers because they don't want to learn how to turn on the amp after the tv, then switch to the right input and adjust the volume. They find it way too complicated, just for wathing tv.
Awards are fine but I'm still more interested in products that John can actually hear and review. 🙂
Ahh the great country of Cannadiya ! : )
John probably doesn't say aluminum correctly either - lol
Strange you call it 2023/24 when, in fact, it is products from 2022/23 ?!
The idea is that all the awarded product should/must be on the market from 15h August 2023 until 15th August 2024.
He didn't name the award; he just voted for it.
Dates represents the timeframe review(s) are valid.
Great fun!
What is the app / software putting that nice album art and music on the TV screen? Looks better than the Spotify app on my TV.
It’s a Samsung Frame TV
It’s Roon Remote, a third party app for Apple TV that interfaces with Roon running on a separate server.
we need more podcasts🙇🏻♂️
Except for my speakers my gear is all factory closeout/refurbished.
Love that you called Canada, Canadia. I dot that too. And Hungary should be Hungaria, while we are about it 😂
Luv Canadia
Almost as much as Hungaria
Canadia 🇨🇦
-------------------
The secret state between Narnia and Canada. To get there, you must stand in an old cupboard and say sorry three times and then eat Maple Syrup and Turkish Delight and you will get teleported there.
😆
Great video. I would like to see video about bargains to buy in some price points. For example you can buy now Cinema or HiFi equipment from the past in half price or less. I would say these are much better spend money vs some new devices. For example. Marantz Melody 612 - around 350 pounds, great little stereo system which can drive plenty of speakers. Denon DHT-716H Soundbar, B&W Formation Soundbar - half price for one of the best soundbars for music and also TV. Speakers, Elac Uni-Fi, Traingle EZ, AudioPro A48, AE 100mk2 or 300 and many many more. All in one unit like Naim Muso 2 or fantastic headphones like Denon D5200 or D7200 which we can get discounted.
We are living now in very good times for any music or movie enthusiast.
Peace!
Dawid
why you asking for second hand reviews from a channel that focus on current releases? It's sounds like going to McDonalds and asking for KFC chicken... weird
there are plenty of such channels available or you can start your own :)
In one of your other videos you said that you don’t review speakers north of 20k. How do you give your own vote for the best high end speaker if you don’t cover them. I don’t even want to know which one you voted but I’m intrigued by the process as there can be members that do not cover lower price point speakers.
Anyone else think Wilson audio speakers actually sound really bad to mid..... I haven't heard one that's decent yet....
Totally agree, plus the impedance curve is absurd.
I just don't trust these awards, of course it's not the end of the word, it's just my opinion.
Why do those Yamaha YH-5000SE headphones look a lot like Sennheiser HD800S headphones...? 🧐
I could never ever listen while having a progress bar or "time left" showing anywhere in sight like you have in the intro.
Canadia 😂
I usually say I am from Québec but this time around, I will allow the great country of KHANADIA !!! 🦄🇨🇦🦄 😎
CANADIA!!! Where the Canadians come from!!! Otherwise, top marks John.
yeah do the dcs Lina pls
Someone needs to develop a pair of hook-on Bluetooth 5.3 IEM DAC/amps, like the iFi GO Pods, that connect to (from under the ear) & have the power output to run Audeze LCDi3/4 planar IEMs.
subwoofer?
Hello John, viewer from Canadia/Soviet Canuckistan/British North America here. I'm curious if you've found that there tends to be more European brands considered for EISA awards or if it swings across the pond some years? Also do you find (as one might expect) that most of the products that get voted on tend to come from established name brands with extensive dealer networks, or if direct-to-consumer brands get a fair shake too? I reckon for the latter it would probably take something spectacular enough to generate significant word -of-mouth buzz?
I find it a bit weird there’s no further vinyl exploration that 2 different price points for different turntable implementations. No weird, and/or interesting phono stages, no DS Audio (where would that fit!?), no weird, and/or interesting / excessive carts, arms, wires, etc…
I like the idea of an aggregated review standardisation system (count me among the yay-sayers), but what’s lacking seems … weird.
Terrific video and a lot of fun!
I didn’t realise that EISA awards are only products from the last 12 months. The most worthy current components might have been launched over a year ago on the market but are therefore ineligible for consideration. Not ideal if you are making a shortlist of gear to look at.