Available online
                hi-fi+ Products of the Year Awards 2000
                hi-fi+ Products of the Year Awards 2001
                hi-fi+ Products of the Year Awards 2002
                hi-fi+ Products of the Year Awards 2004 introduction
                hi-fi+ Products of the Year Awards 2005 introduction
                hi-fi+ Products of the Year Awards 2006 introduction
                hi-fi+ Products of the Year Awards 2007 introduction

Available in print only
                hi-fi+ Awards 2003
                hi-fi+ Awards 2004
                hi-fi+ Awards 2005
                hi-fi+ Awards 2006
                hi-fi+ Awards 2007

Available in issue 43

Hi-Fi+ 2005 Awards

The 2005 awards Select Roy Gregory foreword about the awards Sound/Mirror Studios

It’s that time of year again… and once again we’ll indulge ourselves by revisiting and drawing your attention to those products or performances that have crossed our paths this year, impressed and continued to impress us. No democracy or pseudoscientific meritocracy here; no attempt to give proceedings mock gravitas. This is a simple straw poll, an arbitrary listing of those products that have got us and kept us excited.

They’re easy to choose because they keep cropping up in conversation between reviewers, pushing their way to the front of our collective awareness. This is after all, a collective rather than a competitive exercise (although you’d struggle to realise that given the way a few of our compatriots carry on) and you advance understanding by pooling knowledge. Along the way, certain ideas and products don’t just bubble to the surface, they float there waving at you. Well, these are they and each in its own way has something special to offer.

Having said that, products appeal for different reasons, besides and beyond simple audio performance. There are the record labels and engineers behind the discs we listen too and enjoy. There are companies with a long and established record of producing not just one great product but consistent musical excellence across the years, supported by longterm servicing and back-up. It’s a very real difference buying a product from a company like this (with guaranteed consistency, serviceability and secondhand value) rather than from the latest star, hurtling across the audio firmament. As magazines we are as guilty (perhaps more so) as anybody else of seeking out excitement in novelty. Of course, every company starts somewhere and today’s establishment were yesterday’s revolutionaries, but identifying the companies that will survive and prosper from those that will flare and die is notoriously uncertain and has little or nothing to do with the sonic attributes of their products.

So, with this in mind I have further sub-divided the awards structure, with four different categories. These are explained opposite and it’s important that you appreciate the nature of each award. None (save the Legacy award) is inherently superior to the others, but they are distinct from one another and that distinction is important: Read carefully and digest.

Then stop taking things so seriously and enjoy. Each of these products or companies should be able to show you something new or exciting. Seek them out and appreciate their efforts because, irrespective of price, they’ve all taught us a thing or two, and they can probably do the same for you.

Product Of The Year
As outlined on the previous page, these are the solid products that have that little bit extra, that certain something that elevates their performance above (in some cases way above) the norm. Each will be special in its own way but each must also be treated with respect if you are to understand and appreciate just why it excited us in the first place. Reading the original review will give you an idea of what you should be looking for, but also the context in which you are likely to find it. Just remember that it is a lot easier to make any product sound bad than to extract the last ounce of its potential.

Discovery
This designation rewards exceptional performance in products from emergent companies. Whilst the sonic rewards should never be in doubt, you need to be aware of the vulnerability of start-up enterprises. A little research into the background behind the designer/manufacturer as well as an appreciation of second party service-ability will reap dividends, especially where these products are exotic or expensive. So, approach with the appropriate caution, but do approach: advice that applies to just about any piece of hi-fi now that I think about it!

Recording
In the course of the year we come across many discs that excite our admiration or maybe just our musical juices. Sometimes it's simply the music; sometimes it’s the process or people behind the recording, pressing or mastering that have released that music from the shackles of the storage medium. This is a catch-all category that rewards special achievements when it comes to software. It might be awarded to a single disc, an entire label or catalogue – or as is the case this year, a mastering house. Our software awards are few in number, which makes them all the more precious. The projects they reward will in turn reward your attention.

Legacy
The Legacy award recognises not just the excellence of an individual product, but also the consistent performance and longevity of the company behind it. In many ways this two-tier commendation is the nearest thing we can give to a blanket endorsement. Normal caveats regarding equipment and system matching apply, but these products come with the imprimatur of an excellent company reputation and proven record of support behind them. It’s no trivial consideration, contributing directly to the likelihood of you realising the best, long-term performance from the unit as well as the best return should you decide to sell it. These are products you can consider with confidence.

Roy Gregory