When Wayne Garcia first proposed that I review Boulder's new $29,000 phono preamp—that's right, phonostage only—I thought, ''Why not?'' But in fact I had a sizeable chip on my shoulder. I've heard many of the so-called best of the ultra-expensive electronics in systems I know well, including my own, and never found them worth the money.

Bruce Van Allen, Boulder's public relations and field rep, requested that I also review the 1012 preamp/DAC ($16,000) and the 1060 stereo power-amp ($19,000). He felt that only in a complete Boulder setup would the designs reveal their full superiority¹. I'll not leave you in suspense.

A survey that includes the 2008 Isolated Phono Preamplifier, 1012 DAC Preamplifier and the 1060 Stereo Power Amplifier