At Hifi Gear we have been positively excited. If you are wondering as to why, you’ll be glad to know that the results of the EISA (European Imaging and Sound Association) Awards have recently been revealed across several dedicated Hi-Fi and Home Cinema publications. To put it into perspective, these awards are the audio and visual equivalents of the Olympic Games.

 

With the awards being handed out to some superb and innovative designs, we are glad to share the manufacturers’ success by selling their products at appealing prices to Hi-Fi beginners and experts alike. With many entries receiving rewards for their superb design and astonishing performance, it’s time to have a look at the category winners in all of their glory.

 

Let’s begin by looking at the winners in the Hi-Fi arena:

 

Best Loudspeaker 2012-2013

 

KEF LS50 BookShelf Speakers

 

Is it any surprise that this little gem has won against the bigger counterparts on the market?

 

It maybe small, a bookshelf speaker and something that looks highly different from the norm, but KEF has struck gold in this award for delivering a superb speaker which is at home in either the studio or the avid music lovers’ listening room.

 

With KEF’s 50th anniversary in mind, the engineers at the British firm decided to haul all of their knowledge from now and previous speakers, just to build these stunning monitors. And, as a result of 50 year’s initiative and experience, KEF delivered the gorgeous looking and sensuous sounding LS50 speakers. A lot of the ethos behind this design has come from KEF’s early days of mastering monitors for the BBC. If the results were good enough for demanding engineers, of whom required precise imagery and depth, the technology contained in these beauties is still going to deliver today.

 

The components caught the eyes of the judging board at the EISA due to assembly of the two-way ‘Uni-Q’ units, which give a sense of natural direction and imagery, whilst blending sound from all frequency spectrums to be audible together in unison. Along with the technology, EISA praised the design of the cabinets which allow sounds to roll-off naturally, instead of bouncing from hard edges on other speakers.

 

If what’s on the inside counts as beauty too, the LS50 is no exception. This is because the design of the cabinet allows air to move efficiently, giving a tighter bass response. With the cautiously bass port on the rear, placing the LS50 against the wall will help to give further depth.

 

In conclusion, these LS50s are something to celebrate. Yet again, KEF has delivered another phenomenon to the Hi-Fi world. And, as a result, this little warrior easily sees the bigger competition off into the horizon. Well done KEF!

 

Best Digital to Analogue Converter 2012-2013

Audiolab M-DAC

 

As far as success goes, Audiolab have a lot to rave about; especially as they have taken the most awards this year of any audio manufacturer from the majority of Hi-Fi related publications within theUK. But, this success has come from hard work and dedication to the world of all things Hi-Fi. EISA’s favourite Audiolab product is the M-DAC at this moment in time.

 

Music is now being stored on people’s computers to save on space and for accessible convenience. But as a result, quality has sadly taken second place over the usual Hi-Fi credentials. People are now turning to the likes of MP3 formats to keep their music, rendering CDs a second choice format when purchasing music. And, if you didn’t already know, CD quality blows the socks off MP3: fact! Thankfully, Audiolab’s M-DAC arrived on the scene to re-ignite the passion of digital quality by providing converter which refines and emphasises lower quality digital formats. By doing its thing, the M-DAC makes gives compressed audio a better chance, with greater depth and clarity as a result. If you use the M-DAC with a CD player, still expect to receive an improvement!

 

Ideal for computer users with quality in mind, or for Hi-Fi or music lovers wanting that extra dimension from their collection, the M-DAC has the EISA’s seal of approval – something that is a declaration of quality and performance within itself.

 

 

Best Turntable 2012-2013

 

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon

 

Vinyl faded in the early nineties from mainstream existence. However, as new releases become available on vinyl and the sound characteristics are re-discovered, vinyl has made a permanent comeback.

 

Pro-Ject’s Debut Carbon is a testament of high-end Hi-Fi coupled to affordable, reachable consumer prices. The latest generation of the Debut features a range of seven gloss colours, revised motors and a new carbon-fibre tonearm – the 9cc. This means that the quality of this highly-desired turntable has been exceeded once again.

Ideal for beginners or collectors, this turntable will bring the warmth and soul of music back to the listener’s ears; a sensation which is something to behold.

 

Best Streaming Product 2012-2013

 

Pioneer N-50

 

Music streaming has become a new dimension in the world of Hi-Fi. This is primarily because people are seeking a combination of convenience and instant access to their digitally-stored tunes.

 

Although MP3 isn’t an ideal Hi-Fi format, Pioneer recognised that their N-50 must suit both avid MP3 users and audiophiles alike. The N-50 does this superbly by helping enthusiasts of Hi-Fi to see that streaming doesn’t have to suggest low quality. The N-50 allows for 24-bit streaming and 192 kHz media to be streamed with no issues. A range of digital formats are supported, and tunes can be accessed from a dedicated computer for your music collection. For accessibility the N-50 can be accessed through wired Ethernet, or through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when using Pioneer’s optional adaptors.

 

Best Headphones 2012-2013

 

Sennheiser HD-700

 

It’s a rare occasion when elegance meets audible excellence. However, on this occasion it does uniquely. EISA has rightly awarded Sennheiser for the ultimate in headphone engineering. The comfort of the HD-700s is simply superb, making these light to work with, although Sennheiser hasn’t been cheap on the manufacturing quality or workmanship – rendering these as a candidate both in professional and consumer scenarios.

 

For sound quality which makes personal audio personal again, look no further than the Sennheiser HD-700s.

 

Best HT Subwoofer 2012-2013

 

B&W PV1-D

 

B&W’s PV-1 looks the business, but its design helps deliver the brut which is required from a subwoofer. The internal 400w Class D amplifier provides the punch for both drivers, ensuring that the sound of your home cinema is felt as well as heard. Complete with protection circuits, the B&W PV1-D is ideal for matching to other-branded components or any existing B&W Home Cinema system.

 

In the Home Cinema arena:

 

Best HT Solution 2012-2013

 

Loewe Connect ID 46 + Home Cinema Set 5.1

 

Loewe, meaning ‘lion’ in German, is the ideal way of describing Loewe’s performance. If you are seeking clean-cut design and premium performance, look no further than the brilliance of Loewe’s quality and superb technological designs. Suited to the EISA award-winning Home Cinema set, this Loewe combination will make all your television programmes stand out, regardless of their nature.

 

Loewe has pounced to the podium to take their award for the best HT solution of this year – and rightly so!