For over two decades, we’ve presented our annual awards for Products of the Year at around this time of year. The 2023 award recipients have been culled from the product reviews written over the past year on SoundStage! Hi-Fi, SoundStage! Access, SoundStage! Ultra, SoundStage! Simplifi, and SoundStage Solo. (SoundStage! Australia announced its own awards for Products of the Year on December 6.) Our product awards are divided into three main categories: Distinction (formerly called Individual Awards), Outstanding Performance, and Exceptional Value.

This year, the Distinction awards are further subdivided into three subcategories: Hall of Fame, to recognize a product that’s either been on the market for a very long time or is the current generation of a storied product; Aesthetics and Sound, which recognizes a product that both sounds and looks outstanding; and Innovation in Design, to recognize a novel technology or design approach taken to create a product that has sterling sound. In previous years, we’ve also presented an award for Pioneering Design Achievement, but this year, no product fit that particular bill. Since we take these awards seriously and don’t simply slot in a product to fill a spot, no award for that subcategory was given.

Read the complete article: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1843