Pragmatic Products Picks 2024

2024 was a remarkable year for audio enthusiasts. With so many innovative and competitively priced products on the market, choosing standout performers was no small feat. All the products I’ve picked below were reviewed by me in the past 12 months and released within this same timeframe. I’ve focused on categories where I feel I had enough breadth and depth of experience to make a fair recommendation. For that reason, this year you won’t see a “Streamer of the Year” ( though WiiM Ultra would be my choice - detailed review almost ready) or “Speaker of the Year” category, as I simply did not evaluate enough variations of models to offer a definitive choice in those areas.

But read on for my favorite audio products of 2024 in categories ranging with retro-futuristic turntables to cutting-edge personal audio gear.

Retro Product of the Year

Winner: FiiO TT13

While there were several attempts this year at blending retro aesthetics with modern technology, the FiiO TT13 stood out. It’s a fully functioning turntable with modern conveniences, including digital output options, that remains true to its analog roots. This perfect balance makes it the ideal fusion of old and new. And its very cool.

Honorable Mentions:

• While the FiiO CP13 got lots of attention I did not review it, but I did try it and while it is a cool device, I cannot really recommend “tapes” in 2024 in the same way I could recommend a turntable. But alternatively the
• FiiO DM13 ( Review to be published very soon) offers perfect sound quality with some nods to retro style, but lacks the same ‘retro ceremony’ of putting on some vinyl and watching it play.
• The Moondrop Golden Ages and Kiwiears Allegro also used retro styling, but their modern internals felt out of sync with the vintage appearance.

Desktop Amplifier of the Year

Winner: Aiyima A70

The Aiyima A70 took the top pragmatic spot for its excellent build, PFFB circuity, efficient cooling, and the triggered input feature that made integration into my desktop setup effortless. It paired beautifully with the WiiM Ultra and powered my Kef LS50 Metas without getting overly warm, impressive for its size and price.

Honorable Mentions:

• Fosi Audio ZA3: A solid all-rounder but the PFFB based amplifiers that appeared later in the year meant it is sort of out of date now.
• Fosi Audio V3 and V3 Monos: Both are very impressive Amps for their compact size and power, but I felt the better internal cooling design of the A70 slightly swung it for the A70.

Overall Headphone of the Year

Since Open back, Closed back and ANC headphones are so different I thought it would be good to have a few different sub-categories for Headphone of the Year, but the overall winner is:

Winner: FiiO FT1

A game-changer at $150, the FiiO FT1 proved that FiiO can truly shine in the headphone market. Its closed-back design offers exceptional comfort and well-balanced sound, resetting expectations at its price point.

Open Back Headphone of the Year

Winner: Sennheiser HD490 Pro

Simply an amazing new headphone from Sennheiser in tradition of the HD600 but with a great new chassis and 2 excellent unique sound signatures from the 2 different ear pads. My “Desert Island” headphone and the one headphone I brought with my on my summer holidays.

Honorable Mentions:

• Aune AR5000: A amazing all round headphone with fantastic build quality, comfort and great sound.
• FiiO FT1 Pro: A strong open-back planar sibling to the FT1.

Closed Back Headphone of the Year

Winner: FiiO FT1

Nothing more to be said - for its price point it is amazing.

Honorable Mentions:

• Sony MDR-M1: A fantastic sounding studio reference closed back
• Aune AR7000: A quality closed back that has everything, gorgeous to look at, some clever internal technology, very comfortable and most importantly has great sound quality.

ANC Headphone of the Year

Winner: Edifier W830NB

A Comfortable budget friendly ANC headphone with great customizable sound quality with actual PEQ filters, I hope this capability will appear in other ANC headphones at this price point but the Edifier is the first one and therefore deserves this award.

Honorable Mentions:

• Sennheiser Accentum Plus: A flagship quality ANC headphone, with excellent tuning, only let down slightly in the comfort category.
• Earfun Wave Pro: Top quality ANC headphone for very little money, sound great with some EQ tweaks.

IEM of the Year

Winner: Meze Alba

The Meze Alba captured my heart with its ergonomic shell, lush sound signature, and the distinctive “Meze-inspired” tuning that balances warmth and detail perfectly.

Honorable Mentions:

• FiiO FD15: Amazing sound, build quality and accessories, a fantastic midrange forward IEM.
• Kiwiears KE4: A “New Meta” tuning for very little money, though for me personally it has slightly too much bass.
• Aful Explorer: Excellent performing from earlier in the year and a sign of the future with its slightly recessed treble.

TWS of the Year

Winner: Apple AirPods 4 with ANC

The Apple AirPods 4 surprised me by delivering effective active noise cancellation and a balanced sound signature despite their open-earbud design. They offer a seamless user experience that’s hard to match if you are already in the Apple Ecosystem.

Honorable Mentions:

• Earfun Air Pro 4: Very good ANC and sound quality, but can’t quite match Apple’s overall polish.
• Moondrop Space Travel: Solid tuning and style, but the AirPods 4’s integration and comfort win out.

Headphone Amplifier of the Year

Winner: FiiO K11

The FiiO K11 stood out for offering tremendous power, versatility, and clean sound quality at a very competitive price. Its balanced output drives virtually any headphone with ease.

Honorable Mentions:

• FiiO K11 R2R: A fascinating variant with a distinct sonic flavor, yet slightly overshadowed by the regular K11’s value proposition. But a great way to experience R2R DAC’s at very little cost.
• FX Audio R07Plus: A simple, reliable headphone amp with good performance, but not as feature-packed as the K11.

Portable Headphone DAC Amplifier of the Year

Winner: FiiO KA15

The FiiO KA15 excels in portable scenarios, blending PEQ (Parametric EQ) control, a convenient display, and a compact form factor. Its “desktop mode” adds extra power for demanding headphones, making it a true all-rounder.

Honorable Mentions:

• Fosi Audio DS2: Strong performance, but lacking the KA15’s feature set.
• iBasso Macaron: Cute and capable, my definite favourite in the sub $50 market especially for Android users with its excellent companion app.

Innovative Product of the Year

Some products deserve mention in this review but don’t really fit into other categories because they are trying to do something new and innovative.

Winner: Ikko ActiveBuds

The IkkO ActiveBuds are such a crazy new idea I thought they deserve this price. Anyone that uses a TWS will have that case in the pocket so IkkO thought lets make that case as smart as possible with some amazing features, it is almost unbelievable what features it contains, including ChatGPT.

Honorable Mentions:

• Vera-Fi Veralink Amp: Clever idea to turn your passive speakers into active ones with 2 tiny class D Monoblocks that are small enough to be stuck on and be hidden on the back of most speakers. With decent bluetooth connectivity.
• Moondrop FreeDSP Cable: While controversal and not without issues, but this cable which can really make a difference to your audio experience and is a sign of the future.

Conclusion:
2024 proved to be a year of innovation and refinement. From retro turntables that blend analog charm with digital convenience to affordable headphones that punch well above their weight, these picks represent some of the most impressive products I’ve encountered. If you’re in the market for quality audio equipment, any of the winners or honorable mentions here would be a sensible, pragmatic choice.