TEAM HiFi PiG BRINGS YOU OUR PICK OF 2024 AWARDS

HiFi PiG brings you a roundup of what our review team considered the pick of what they have heard and reviewed in their own systems. There’s everything from budget audio kit to high-end gear, loudspeakers, valve amplifiers, cables, streamers, headphones, headphone amplifiers, DACs, and more…and also our pick of the HiFi Shows of the year.

JANINE ELLIOT

Choosing the best product of the year was not an easy task and so I’m so glad I get to pick a number of products that really pushed my buttons… so to speak. So much this year was good. 

TELLURIUM Q ULTRA SILVER II CABLES

Tellurium Q’s Ultra Silver ii cables were excellent with me saying “With phase distortion being dealt with by the cables there was more time to take in the pure music.”  Overall the TQ Ultra Silver IIs gave a very clean and neutral performance adding nothing to the original sound, which is what you want from a cable.

Read the full review of the Tellurium Q Silver II cables here.

QUAD 33/303 PREAMPLIFIER AND POWER AMPLIFIER

The new QUAD 33/303 is a real blast from the past brought bang up to date in a wonderfully cool package that delivers not only on looks but also on sound. I found that frequencies from the lowest to the highest were craftily integrated giving a musical and fulfilling sound. Peter Walker would be very proud if he could hear just how good the sound and excellent value this new QUAD pairing are!

Read the full review of the QUAD 33/303 here.

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO CXA81ii AMPLIFIER AND CXN100 NETWORK PLAYER

Given the price and performance of these two products from Cambridge Audio, it would be remiss of me not to include them on this list. For just under £1900 for the pair, this makes an easy choice for the newbie audiophile or anyone who wants almost everything but doesn’t want to pay lots for it. They have great onboard facilities and excellent musicality at such good prices. The N100 is a particularly excellent!

Read the full review of the Cambridge Audio CXA81ii amp and CXN100 Network Player here.

CYRUS 40 CD PLAYER

The new Cyrus CD player also makes this list of picks. When most others have given up on this media, Cyrus still realise how much you can get out of 16bit/44.1kHz. From the ground-up they have redesigned the looks and rather than take an awful PC CD transport and insert it in their box, they have designed their very own and the electronics, based on the earlier Cdi-XR, and included the clever Servo Evolution technology to get more out of the silver disc. Not only this, but when so much of British Audio is now manufactured outside of the UK, they have made sure it fully retains its “Made in Britain” credentials, even appearing with a flag on the display on start-up. At under a fiver under £3000 this is also an amazingly built and sounding product. 

Read the full review of the Cyrus 40 CD Player here.

OSCAR STEWART

SOUNDZ AVANT CUSTOM IN EARS

Soundz’s flagship custom in-ear monitor really brings you closer to the music. They are engaging, sonically balanced, and expressive. Every time I use them, I forget about what I’m listening on and focus on what I’m listening to. 

Read the full review of the Soundz Avant In-Ears here

KECES S4 PRE-AMPLIFIER AND S300+ POWER AMPLIFIER

This setup has tons of scale, exceptional resolution, and a built-in DS optical phono stage. The perfect pre/power combo for those who, once again, want kit that gets out of the way of the music.

Read the full review of the Keces S4 Pre-Amplifier / S300+ Power-Amplifier here.

FELIKS AUDIO ENVY PERFORMANCE EDITION HEADPHONE AMP

This is a bucket list headphone amp, a real aspirational bit of kit that just sounds so natural and effortless, no matter how hard to drive your headphones are. One for those who really want the best of the best.

Read the full review of the Feliks Audio Envy Performance headphone amplifier here.

MEZE ALBA

One of the cheaper earphones out there yet, Meze nails the fundamentals in this sub £200 model. A very enjoyable sound signature that gets the tonal balance just right, alongside a comfortable fit means they come highly recommended. 

Read the full review of the Meze Alba earphones here.

DAN CLARK AUDIO NOIRE X HEADPHONES 

One of the last reviews I did in 2024 and as such they only just made it in time for this series of awards with me saying “They are great at picking apart complex mixes, yet deliver songs in a coherent way that makes you want to listen to the music. From a technical perspective, the NOIRE X offer a lot of sound for the money! They are clear, detailed and snappy, with excellent transient response. ” An obvious choice for one of my picks of 2024

Read the full review of the Dan Clark Noire headphones here.

IAN RINGSTEAD

OPHIDIAN FFION LOUDSPEAKERS

The Ffions answer a lot of enthusiasts’ wishes; elegant, versatile and not too fussy about room placement. They blend in easily producing a controlled, confident sound that is tireless but palpable in its spaciousness and dynamic grip.

Read the full review of the Ophidian Ffions here.

MOOR 4 AMPS

Understated in design but exceptional in performance, the Moor Angel Pre and Angel 4 Power Amplifier deliver on their promise of high-quality sound at a realistic price. Moor Amps have crafted an elegant solution that balances power and finesse, making the Angel Pre and Angel 4 a compelling choice for discerning audiophiles.

Read the full review of the Moor Amps Angel pre and power amplifier here.

MICHAEL FAIRBAIRN

MASTERSOUND ICONA AMPLIFIER

I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with the MastersounD Icona amplifier.  Aside from the natural and harmonic sounds it produces; it is also quite something of a looker. The design and engineering are exceptional. This amp ticked all the boxes for me, as a lover of the warmth from tubes and the wonderful aesthetics. The best compliment I can give is that I still really miss having it in my setup, several months after reluctantly giving it back. 

Read the full review of the MasterSound Icona Amplifier here.

DALI RUBIKORE II LOUDSPEAKERS

The DALI RUBIKORE 2 sound absolutely filled my listening space, which tends to be better suited to floor-standers. There was very little compromise in low-end response and I could live with this profusion of bass. They were lively, super clear, and didn’t force any kind of their own personality on the music.

Read the full review of the DALI RUBIKORE 2 loudspeakers here.

CHRIS BAILLIE

CHORD ELECTRONICS BerTTi POWER AMPLIFIER

Musically, it was never less than enjoyable, and you would have to make compromises elsewhere to beat it, not least financially. I was impressed at how fast, uncluttered and dynamic the music sounded, without any unwanted brightness or forwardness. A valve or Class A amp may sound sweeter and organic, but you are unlikely to get the same kind of power, dynamic range, or bass control for similar money without other compromises.

Read the full review of the Chord Electronics BerTTi power amplifier here.

ENGLISH ELECTRIC EE1 ETHERNET FILTER

As my results show, even with a good network switch in the system, the EE1 was able to improve my streaming experience considerably. Users with high-end setups will benefit from improved streaming cables. Still at £250, the EE1 and C-Stream improved my setup beyond what I expected, so it could prove more beneficial than spending similar amounts on component upgrades elsewhere in your system. 

Read the full review of the English Electric EE1 here.

ETUDE 5 FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS

The Etude 5 gives you the speed and transient response of a small speaker but with the power and scale of a large speaker. The Etude 5 images in my room are better than anything, other than, perhaps, the Totem Element Fire V2, although these two are very different-sounding transducers.

Read the full review of the Etude 5 speakers here.

JOHN SCOTT

STACK AUDIO AUVA SPEAKER ISOLATORS

While I loved the Stack Audio AUVA speaker isolators, I was fairly sceptical that the EQ equipment isolators would bring the same, or indeed any, kind of improvement. Quite simply, I was wrong. The EQs not only brought a further improvement to my system, but did so at a price point that offers ridiculous value for money.

Read the full review of the Stack Audio AUVA speaker isolators here.

ALAN MCINTOSH

2024 has been an incredibly exciting year for reel to reel fans with not only the release of some seminal works both classic (in the chronological sense)  and modern but the leftfield and sensational news that Revox were releasing not only their limited edition B77 MkII Yello Edition but, and I can hardly believe I’m even writing this, a fully new build release of a B77 Mk III. This news somewhat overshadowed what I think has been the best release of 2024 – Yello’s Stella, 2 Track, 15ips tape on Horch House label (now acquired by Revox). Not only is this a stunning album with some of Yello’s best work but it is a sublime recording, taken direct from Boris Blank’s own master tapes and brought back to all analogue life by the mastering genius of Jϋrg Schopper using a Studer and Telefunken chain. Sonically, it’s a dream to listen to, musically it’s brilliant – and it wins my tape review of the year.

Read the full review and a chat with Boris Blank here.

STUART SMITH

It’s always a very difficult thing to isolate your favourite product from a given year because there are many different kinds of products (speakers, amps, turntables, cartridges etc.) and so my selection of what stood out for me in 2024 will highlight a good few products and one that really did it for me. 

SILENT POUND CHALLENGER II LOUDSPEAKERS

The first product that caught my attention were the Silent Pound Challenger II Loudspeakers from Lithuania. These are a very interesting and part open baffle design that just worked so well in our space. They were a gnat’s todger away from getting my Editors Choice award. 

Read the full review of the Silent Pound Challenger II loudspeakers here.

ESPRIT AUDIO ETERNA CABLES

Moving to France the Esprit Audio Eterna Cables were very pleasing and easy on the ear whilst losing nothing in the detail. 

Read the full review of the Esprit Audio Eterna Cables here.

METRONOME AQWO 2 HYBRID DAC, SACD/CD PLAYER & STREAMER

Staying in `France the Metronome AQWO 2 DAC/SACD Player & Streamer would have been a product I’d have happily paid good money for had I needed another CD player and streamer, though the conversation between Lin and I did go along the lines of “It would be great as part of the “final” system”.

Read the full review of the Metronome AQWO 2 DAC/SACD/CD player here.

AURALIC VEGA S1 STREAMING DAC AND PSU

Staying with streamers, the AURALiC VEGA S1 Streaming DAC and PSU was another product I’d have happily kept hold of had a separate DAC and streamer not been a prerequisite for our review system.

Read the full review of the AURALIC VEGA S1 streaming DAC and PSU here.

REVIVAL AUDIO SPRINT 3 LOUDSPEAKERS

Yet another French product that caught my ear was the Revival Audio Sprint 3 Loudspeakers that come in at less than £1000 but punch well above that price point and deserve a place on this list given their performance to price.

Read the full review of the Revival Audio Sprint 3 speakers here.

TELLURIUM Q AND BARTEK SZYMANSKI

Not a product but one of the things that really caught my eye whilst at the Warsaw Show was the excellent branding by Polish distributor Bartek Szymański for Tellurium Q. A great distributor who goes above and beyond can add a great deal of value to a brand and their presence in a market and Bartek did just this at the show with excellent in-room branding plus a superb animated (and huge) banner at the National Stadium.

HANA UMAMI BLUE CARTRIDGE

I’ve chosen the Hana Umami Blue Cartridge because it offers a good deal of what our reference Hana Umami Red cartridge brings to the (turn) table but costs a good deal less. Here’s what I said about it:  “The HANA UMAMI BLUE moving coil cartridge looks very similar to the company’s RED cartridge only it’s blue and has a less exotic finish. The BLUE has the Alnico magnet-based generator from the HANA ML as opposed to the Samarium Cobalt magnet on the RED on the inside which leads to a slightly muted top end performance when compared to the RED. Otherwise, the BLUE offers a good deal of the performance of the RED with a saving of £1250.”

Read the full review of the Hana Umami Blue phono cartridge here.

BORRESEN X6 LOUDSPEAKERS

Now, the Børresen X6 Loudspeakers were fantastic, in fact they are still sat in our main listening space waiting to be picked up, though I’m not complaining at that! Here’s what I had to say about them: “The Børresen X6 from Audio Group Denmark is a large but slim floorstanding loudspeaker with a claimed frequency response down to 30Hz (which I do not dispute) and cost £20K. Their 3 way design puts the listener in the best seats of the house with the right music and creates a sense of scale uncommon in speakers at this price. If you can live with black or white speakers (the only colours they are available in) and you have both the space and solid amplification, then I would suggest these speakers offer a very attractive proposition. I’d have them in a heartbeat!”

Read the full review of the Børresen X6 Loudspeakers here.

LINETTE SMITH

LIN’S PICK OF THE HIFI SHOWS 2024

During 2024, HiFi PiG covered many HiFi Shows and dealer and launch events worldwide. 

They are so varied. From the enormous custom install spectacle of ISE in Barcelona to the perfectly bijoux Audio Show Deluxe at Whittlebury, from AXPONA in Chicago to Warsaw and Hong Kong, we have reported on the shows and events that we felt would be the most interesting and exciting for our readers to enjoy. There are an extraordinary number of shows worldwide and we can’t cover them all, so we choose the ones that we feel give our readers the best insight into the world of HiFi, with plenty of global and national premieres included at the shows we cover.

TEAM HIFI PIG

We are very fortunate to have Gyula Weeber on the ground in Asia, and his insight into what is happening in HiFi and Headfi on that continent has been brilliant to read about. 

Myself and Stu have reported from the UK, Europe, USA and Asia too. This year Oscar, with photographic assistance from Kelly, has covered both HiFi and Headfi shows for us in the UK and Europe…and they will be heading further afield for us in 2025. 

Janine has brought us reports from shows and some fabulous launch events for the likes of PMC and dCS and Eric, over in Germany has been snoofling around vinyl events and joined us in Munich. We also had a really excellent guest report from Joseph Greenham who reported from the Florida Show for us.

Of course, some shows like Bristol, Audio Show Deluxe, High End Munich, and North West Audio Show at Cranage, are real meeting places where we get together with our team and lots and lots of our readers and followers. HiFi Shows are about more than impressive systems and new products, they are the social hub of our industry, and it is always a pleasure to catch up with friends old and new wherever we are in the world.

HiFi SHOWS 2024

2024 HiFi Shows kicked off at the end of January with ISE in Barcelona, then in February the Florida International Audio Expo closely followed by the Bristol HiFi Show in the UK. March was the Oslo HiFi Show and Audio Show Deluxe at Whittlebury. April was AXPONA and then of course May saw us head to High End Munich. June was the North West Audio Show in Cheshire; UK and July was CanJam London.  August saw us head to the Hong Kong AV Show and Taiwan for the TAA Hi End Show. In September we covered the Hi End Asia Singapore show and The UK HiFi Show Live at Ascot, UK. In October we were in Eindhoven for the Dutch Audio Event; followed by Malaysia for the Kuala Lumpur Show and Warsaw for the Polish Audio Video Show. In November we were at the Finest Audio Show Vienna and the TPAF Headphone show in Taiwan. Finally, December sees our last show of the year TECA in Taipei (report to follow soon)

HiFi PiG”S HiFi SHOW PICK OF THE YEAR 2024

So which of all of these HiFi Shows is my Pick of The Year? It has to be the Finest Audio Show Vienna 2024. This may be a bit of a surprise, however, with the news that Munich will move to Vienna in 2026, we saw the last FAS Vienna before that happens as the perfect opportunity to check out the new venue and city.

We think that the amazing High End Munich will become even better with the move to Vienna, the venue is ideally located and has a more up-to-date feel than the MOC, while we will be sad to see Munich off the roster of places we visit for HiFi Shows we think that the move to Vienna can only benefit the show and the industry. There is plenty of time for the High End Society to iron out any issues with the venue and we can’t wait to go back there for High End Vienna 2026. We applaud the High End Society for their vision and for what Vienna will become, as the focus of the industry shifts there in 2026.

See, you all at a HiFi Show in 2025, we are very much looking forward to it!