The Rocky Mountain International HiFi Press Awards 2018.
Date: Friday, October 5th, 2018
Location: Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, Aurora, Colorado
The Rocky Mountain International HiFi Press Awards (RIHPA) are the high-end audio industry's first worldwide press awards honoring high-end audio manufacturers. The Oscars of the audio industry. RIHPA nominees and winners will be selected via anonymous ballot by the world's leading high-end audio publications.
With publications from the Americas, Europe, Asia and beyond participating, RIHPA will be completely independent of country, region or publication. The nominations for the award categories and the subsequent winners will be chosen solely by an anonymous ballot of the world's leading HiFi press publications.
The awards will be an impartial and unbiased declaration of the world's state-of-the art in 30+ specific high-end audio categories.
:: The Award Winners
Digital
CD Player/Transport
- ESOTERIC K-05X
- Chord Electronics Ltd. Blu Mk. 2
- dCS Vivaldi One
- Kalista DreamPlay ONE
- Wadax Atlantis Transport
DAC
- Chord Electronics Ltd. DAVE
- Benchmark DAC3 HGC
- iFi Audio Pro iDSD DAC
- T+A DAC 8 DSD
- Wadax Atlantis DAC
Digital Control Unit
- AURALiC ARIES G2
- CH Precision C1
- dCS Network Bridge
- LUMIN X1
- Trinnov Amethyst
Computer Audio Server
- Roon Nucleus
- Burmester 150 Network Player
- Elac Discovery
- Innuos ZENith SE Mk.II Std
- NAD Electronics M50.2
Mobile Player under 1,000 EUR
- Astell&Kern KANN
- Acoustic Research AR-M2
- FiiO X7 Mk II
- LG V30™
- Sony NW-ZX300
Mobile Player over 1,000 EUR
- Astell&Kern A&ultima SP1000
- COWON PLENUE 2
- Lotoo PAW Gold
- Sony NW-WM1Z
- Questyle QP2R
Analogue
Turntable under 1,500 EUR
- MoFi UltraDeck
- Pro-Ject Essential III
- Rega Planar 3
- Reloop HiFi TURN5
- VPI Cliffwood
Turntable over 1,500 EUR
- Technics SL-1000R
- Continuum Audio Labs Obsidian
- Grand Prix Audio Monaco 2.0
- TechDAS Air Force III Premium
- VPI Avenger
Tonearm
- Swedish Analog Technologies - SAT CF-09
- Audio-Creative GrooveMaster II
- Kuzma 4Point 9
- Thales STATEMENT
- ViV Laboratory Rigid Float/Ha
Pickup Cartridge
- Hana SL
- Audio-Technica AT-ART1000
- DS Audio Master 1
- Miyajima Kansui Blackwood Stereo
- Shure M97xE High-Performance Magnetic Phono Cartridge
Phonostage
- CH Precision P1
- Einstein The Phono Preamplifier
- Grandinote Celio Mk IV
- VTL TP-2.5i
- Wyred 4 Sound PH-1
Amplification
Integrated Amplifier
- Hegel H590
- Devialet Expert 220 Pro
- Gold Note IS-1000
- Jeff Rowland Design Group Daemon
- Thrax ENYO
Preamplifier
- McIntosh C2600
- Audio Research REF 6
- Boulder 1110
- Nagra HD PREAMP
- Schiit Freya
Stereo Power Amplifier
- VTL S-400 Series II
- Anthem STR
- Audia Flight Strumento No.4
- Audio Research VT80
- Ubiq Audio Lab Model One
Mono Power Amplifier
- Audio Research Reference 160M
- CH Precision M1
- Engström ERIC
- PS Audio Stellar M700
- VTL Siegfried Series II
Desktop Headphone Amp and/or DAC Combo
- Chord Electronics Ltd. Hugo TT 2
- Benchmark DAC3 HGC
- iFi Audio Pro iDSD
- Questyle Audio CMA600i
- Schiit Audio Lyr 3
Portable Headphone Amp and/or DAC Combo
- AudioQuest DragonFly Red
- Chord Electronics Ltd. Hugo 2
- FiiO Q5
- iFi Audio micro iDSD Black Label
- Questyle Audio CMA600i
Speakers Active/Passive
Bookshelf Speakers
- Dynaudio Special Forty
- Elac Adante AS-61
- Harbeth Monitor 30.2
- Stenheim Alumine 2
- Wilson Audio TuneTot
Floor Standing Speakers under 15,000 EUR
- Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2
- AUDIO ALTO AA R101 FR
- KEF R500
- Monitor Audio Silver 300
- Paradigm Persona 5F
Floor Standing Speakers over 15,000 EUR
- Wilson Audio Alexia Series-2
- MartinLogan Expression ESL 13A
- Piega Coax 711
- Stenheim Alumine FIVE
- YG Acoustics Hailey 1.2
Loudspeakers over 100,000 EUR
- Wilson Audio WAMM Master Chronosonic
- Magico M6
- Raidho Acoustics D-4.1
- Tidal Audio Akira
- YG Acoustics Sonja XV
Subwoofer
- SVS SB16-Ultra
- Eclipse TD725SWMK2
- GoldenEar Technologies Supersub XXL
- REL 212/SE
- Wilson Benesch Torus
Headphones
Over-Ear/On-Ear Headphone under 500 EUR
- Sennheiser HD 660 S
- beyerdynamic DT 1770
- final SONOROUS III
- HiFiMAN SUNDARA
- Shure SRH940
Over-Ear/On-Ear Headphone over 500 EUR
- HiFiMAN SUSVARA
- Audeze LCD-4
- FOCAL UTOPIA
- MrSpeakers VOCE
- Sennheiser HD 820
In-Ear Headphone under 500 EUR
- Campfire Audio Comet
- 1MORE QUAD DRIVER
- Audeze iSINE LX
- Optoma HEM Dynamic
- RHA MA750i
In-Ear Headphone over 500 EUR
- Audeze LCDi4
- 64 Audio tia Fourté™
- AKG N5005
- Campfire Audio Andromeda
- Fender IEM Thirteen-6
Wireless Headphone
- Sennheiser MOMENTUM wireless
- beyerdynamic Amiron
- Bowers & Wilkins PX
- Sony WH-1000XM3
- PSB M4U 8
System Infrastructure
AC Cable
- IsoTek EVO3 Ascension
- AudioQuest Dragon
- Crystal Cable THE ULTIMATE DREAM
- Nordost Odin 2
- Shunyata Research DELTA NR
Signal Cable
- Nordost Odin 2
- Audience Au24 SE
- AudioQuest Wild Blue Yonder
- Crystal Cable THE ULTIMATE DREAM
- Siltech Triple Crown
Racks & Supports
- Subbase Audio Shambala TSS
- Franc Audio Accessories Modular
- HRS RXR Audio Stand
- IsoAcoustics OREA Audio Equipment Isolators
- Stillpoints ESS Rack
AC Distribution and Conditioners
- AudioQuest Niagara 7000
- IsoTek EVO3 Genesis One
- LAB 12 Gordian
- Shunyata Research DENALI D6000
- Synergistic Research PowerCell 12 UEF
Accessories
System and Software Enhancers
- Roon
- Critical Mass Systems CenterStage2
- Dirac Live®
- FURUTECH destat III
- Harmonix Million Series
Set-up Aids and Tools
- Acoustical Systems SMARTractor
- AnalogMagik
- bFly-audio Little Fwend
- Dayton OmniMic V2
- Feickert Adjust+ Speed Control App
Best Audiophile Recording
Digital
- Rafael Kubelik: 'Beethoven's 9th Symphony', PENTATONE
- Camille Thurman: 'Waiting For The Sunrise'
- Radka Toneff and Steve Dobrogosz: 'Fairytales' (Original Master Edition MQA)
- Robert Silverman: 'Chopin's Last Waltz'
- Yosi Horikawa: 'Wandering EP'
Analogue
- Gillian Welch: 'Soul Journey', Acony Reissue
- Arctic Monkeys: 'Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino'
- Buffalo Springfield: 'What's That Sound?', Atco/Rhino Reissue
- Joe Jackson: 'Summer In The City', Intervention Records
- Matthew Sweet: 'Altered Beast', Intervention Records
General
Innovation
- Kii Three loudspeaker
- Chord Electronics Ltd. Hugo M Scaler
- Hypex Electronics Ncore® Class-D Amplifier
- The nuraphone
- TIDAL Audio La Assoluta
Value for money
- Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2
- Acoustic Solid 113 Wood Bubinga
- Akitika GT-102 Power Amplifier
- BRIK AP-24H (DAC/Headphone Amp)
- Sony WH-1000XM3
Lifetime Achievement
- Charley Hansen
- Bruno Putzeys
- Dan D'Agostino
- Luke Manley
- Peter Suchy
:: Panel of Judges
