by Neil Gader 

Simaudio Moon Equinox SE CD Player
$2800
simaudio.com
The original Equinox CD player never had the distinction of being the Blue Plate Special or the flagship model in the Simuaudio lineup. Now in its final version as the SE (Signature Edition), it exemplifies everything that I’ve admired about this company’s products since I reviewed its first integrated amplifier in the 90s.

The SE’s sonics have improved with harmonic subtleties and greater contrasts that delve deeper into the recesses of the soundstage. And thanks to construction quality that verges on bunker-building, Simaudio continues to break ground in the areas of resonance and isolation control—innovations that can be clearly heard in a lower noise floor, greater sensitivity to microdynamics, and cleaner, smoother transients.

Simaudio also has a firm handle on developing software that works. Its players react to user inputs with electrifying speed; track selections are instantaneous; and the drawer mechanism obeys commands as if it had a fighter pilot at the controls. Long-term reliability has been flawless. With the CD format entering its golden years, the Equinox couldn’t be more worthy of this Golden
Ear. (Reviewed in Issue 149)
 

SOTA Cosmos Series III turntable
$6665 with vacuum ($5555 w/o vacuum)
sotaturntables.com
There is a lot to be said for the current wave of advancements in analog playback. It’s undeniable that turntables, tonearms, and cartridges have never been better designed or more exquisitely manufactured than they are today. However, the Sota Cosmos, a pre-millennial product now in Series III plumage, remains a “relic� to be reckoned with.

It’s a ’table that addresses isolation and resonance control like few affordable turntables do today. Featuring a floating subchassis (thanks to hanging suspension), sophisticated armboard laminate, and progressive vacuum hold-down, the Cosmos frees the stylus/tonearm to communicate with a piece of vinyl like only a handful of other turntables. Setup is a breeze. Some consider its signature a darker one; I’d describe it as rich, sweet, and smooth as crème brulée, extended and naturalistic—a warm sound that, as we all know, can be further tuned with shrewd cartridge selection.

In a city like Los Angeles—famously prone to seismic “events�—I’ve personally witnessed the Cosmos go toe-to-toe with nature, as the needle on Caltech’s seismometer skipped across the graph paper. Even as my heart jumped there was hardly a shudder from the tonearm. I’d like to see one of the current highmass, suspension-less designs tolerate that. A truly enduring design worthy of a second look. (Reviewed in Issue 145)  

 

ATC SCM 20-2 loudspeaker
$6600
atc.gb.net
The ATC SCM20-2 is the passive (unamplified) version of ATC’s purpose-designed active studio monitor. Pro speakers and their ilk generally don’t fare well with audiophiles, so what’s this one doing wearing a Golden Ear? Simple—this heavily-built two-way compact caters to my listening biases like few speakers I’ve encountered.

It fits my small room like a Gucci loafer and plays back vocals and solo instruments with a sonic truthfulness that turns heads in appreciation. Much of the credit belongs to a coherence and lack of coloration that permit it to speak with one glorious voice regardless of pitch or dynamic. Perfect? Not quite. There’s no bottom octave, and thus orchestral material is downsized in scale and impact.

Its 83dB sensitivity (or shall I say lack of sensitivity) excludes amplifiers that are power-challenged. When driven with 200+ watts of power, however, the SCM20-2—an acoustic-suspension design—will provide surprising extension and pitch-perfect midbass that most ported compacts cannot measure up to. Whether used as a tool for critical analysis or for pure pleasure, it performs to levels that most speakers only hint at. (Reviewed in Issue 154)