Analog Gear News

Every year, EISA, the Expert Imaging and Sound Association, gives out awards for the very best gear on the market in a wide range of product categories, as voted upon by their Expert Group members. Of special interest to us here at AP is what won the EISA 2024-2025 Turntable and AV Furniture awards. We were also impressed by the winners in analog-adjacent categories as selected by the HT Audio Expert Group, such as the enthusiasts amplifier, integrated amplifier, AV receiver, floorstanding loudspeakers, high-end loudspeakers, and premium loudspeakers.

We’ll get to the specific analog-centric winners in a moment — but first, some background about the processes and procedures via EISA’s own phraseology. EISA is an organization representing 56 of the most respected special interest publications and websites from 27 countries that cover Hi-Fi, Home Theater Video, Home Theater Audio, Photography, Mobile Devices, and In-Car Electronics. Every year EISA’s Expert Group members — including editors from a number of our sister publications under the umbrella of our parent company, AVTech Media — test a very wide range of new products from their field of expertise before comparing results and voting to decide on the cream of every product category.

To win an EISA award, all products undergo a comprehensive multi-step judging process, and many still fall by the wayside. EISA’s product evaluation begins in the first few months of the year and runs right through to early July, with EISA’s webinar program putting brands and their latest technologies in front of the Association’s expert editorial audience. Over 50 brand webinars were hosted by EISA this year and over 100 new — often very new — products were shipped between member countries. In-depth testing and judging extended over many months, fueling lengthy and highly informed discussions. Finally, after all the testing, EISA’s democratic voting process establishes a consensus of excellence that ultimately determines the winning products.

To find out more about EISA and to see all of the 2024-2025 award winners, go to www.eisa.eu.

And now, to the major EISA analog awards!

EISA TURNTABLE 2024-2025
Pro-Ject XA B

There’s something magical about seeing your vinyl records spinning above the clear acrylic plinth of the XA B. Fielding multiple Pro-Ject technologies and built in Europe, this is a striking turntable — and a very capable one. The XA B’s inert chassis houses clean power circuits, an electronic speed control and a sub-platter with extremely tight bearing tolerances, all enabling smooth, reliable performance. A high-quality Pick it Pro Balanced cartridge is pre-mounted on a 10in tonearm for ease of use, resulting in engaging sonics without setup anxiety. And with the cartridge and the mini-XLR (balanced) output providing an upgrade path, the XA B is an excellent choice for vinyl lovers now and for the future. SRP: $1,499

For more about the Pro-Ject XA B turntable, go here.

EISA AV FURNITURE 2024-2025
Blok Stax 2G

Often overlooked, AV furniture has a crucial role to play in obtaining the best sonic performance from an audio system, be it stereo or multichannel. This is ably demonstrated by the second generation of Blok’s Stax, which combines a smart and functional design with isolation and resonance-controlling technologies, housing your system components in the best possible way. The modular approach of Stax 2G makes it easy to build an equipment rack exactly suited to your requirements, while cable management is equally effortless. Adjustable feet mean the often-arduous task of levelling your AV furniture is also a breeze. Available in multiple finishes, Blok’s Stax 2G sets the stage for your system’s finest performance. SRP: £275 to £1,050 and up; also customizable

For more about the Blok Stax 2G, go here.