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The Rolling Stone Audio Awards 2021
These are the headphones, earbuds, speakers, turntables and home theater systems that earned top marks from our editors this year, based on sound quality, performance and overall design
By
Tim Chan, Brandt Ranj, John Lonsdale, Sage Anderson
April 28, 2021
Adobe Stock
Products featured are independently selected by our editorial team and we may earn a commission from purchases made from our links; the retailer may also receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
There’s no shortage of decent audio gear on the market these days, from Bluetooth headphones (that now double as a work-from-home essential) to wireless subwoofers that promise room-shaking bass. But which devices are actually worth buying? And what new releases actually live up to their hype? After all, your favorite songs and soundtracks will only sound as good as the devices they’re being played on.
Our editors have spent the past year testing out hundreds of headphones, speakers and sound systems to put together the list for our first-ever Rolling Stone Audio Awards. These products earned a place on our list for superior performance, advanced technology, inspired design and utility. From the best wireless earbuds, to headsets for gaming, here’s what caught our eyes (and ears) over the past year.
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Best Preamplifier: Bryston BR-20
Image Credit: Bryston
If you’re looking for the best possible way to hear your digital music, Bryston’s BR-20 should be at the center of your home audio system.
The DAC (digital analog converter) can play high resolution audio at full quality with no conversion or compression necessary. It has four HDMI inputs, two Toslink inputs, a pair of SPDIF inputs, and balanced audio inputs, so you should have no problem hooking up all of your equipment. The BR-20 also has a pair of single ended and analog inputs if you’re into vinyl. The analog and digital inputs have their own power supply to ensure the lowest amount of distortion possible.
You can play music stored on your computer by plugging it directly into this preamp using a USB cable. You can also stream music stored on a server by connecting the BR-20 to your home network with an Ethernet cable, and using Bryston’s custom-built software. We really like that this pre-amp has a lot of HDMI inputs, so you can connect a TV, SACD player or game console to it directly. It’s user-friendly features like this, that make the Bryston BR-20 more inviting for newcomers to high-end audio.
The Bryston BR-20 is a peerless preamplifier that will not only make your music sound incredible, but it’s guaranteed to work with the gear you already have. Whether you’re building a totally new audio system, or looking for a big upgrade, you can’t go wrong.
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Best Karaoke Machine: Singtrix
Image Credit: Singtrix
From the creators of Guitar Hero, the Singtrix Karaoke Machine was been a staple in our house when the pandemic kept up quarantined on a Friday night. Now that things are opening up again, we may still be partial to karaoke nights in, thanks to Singtrix’s Party Bundle, which helps you replicate a full-scale karaoke setup at home.
Unlike some karaoke sets, which promise an “all-in-one” experience but really just include a flimsy mic, Singtrix’s set includes a microphone, cable, mic stand, effects pad and powerful 40-watt speaker with built-in subwoofer.
The speaker alone is worth it for this set, with loud, booming sound that really fills the space. It’s not tinny like other karaoke speakers, and the connection is clean and crisp. The mic is equally impressive, picking up your voice even from a distance, so you don’t have to be pressed right up against it.
The other standout feature: get more than 375+ effects from the included controller, which contains standard modulations based on genre (pop, rock, country, etc.) but also specific voice effects that mimic popular artists and songs. You can also add four-part harmonies to your track, fix your pitch and more.
Singtrix makes it easy to get your karaoke on at home — and makes it easy for anyone to sound like a superstar too.
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