My TOP 5 hi-fi products of 2022

[@aeromaniac13]

Thanks for all the content you've produced. I hope your health gets better and you enjoy your winter break. I always look forward to your content!

[@spete5k]

Thanks for all the content this year! One of my favorite channels - keep it up! I will continue to watch.

[@utubeaccount5842]

you're so enjoyable to listen to and informative. You have a unique ability to connect with viewers that keeps you entertained and always wanting more, thankyou

[@scotiaguy]

One of the best on-line audiophile channels! Thanks and Happy New Year.

[@samuelbeniuga9116]

I’m glad you’ve included the cayin ru6 on this list. I dont think it gets the attention it deserves. I’ve got it and i love it so much. I was listening to it a lot more than the chord mojo 2, until i decided that i decided to sell the mojo and keep this one. Don’t get me wrong, but i’ve come a long way in my journey with dacs and some things are just nice to haves. Enjoy the gear you already have, the audio world is like a rabbit hole

[@justinwalsh5521]

I love the diversity of your favorite products! As always bang on with the video. I love that you included music with the products so that people don’t miss the point of what the hifi gear is for

[@tigertiger1699]

Thanks Darko team🙏🙏🙏 Happy 23

[@attaboyabhi]

bought the Cayin RU6 and loved the DAC ! superb sound

[@ChrisWhittenMusic]

Seasons greetings and all the best for 2023 🎄

[@peterlundskow4061]

I wanted to thank you for being my favorite audio Tuber! I made the choice of buying a NAD M10 after your videos. I have been very happy with it! The other thing I really like is learning about new music for me from your recommendations. Listened to a lot of Steffi's works today & had heard of Flaming Lips but, never really listened, thanks for those & everything else you did in 2022!

[@stijnvanderlooy5311]

I agree with you, John, these Dynaudio are something special

[@vikdaddy]

Not even a major audiophile but I really like your channel's approach.

[@dilbyjones]

Another amazing album rec. Kudos sir.

[@thedelegate8727]

Happy Christmas. Always good to see an even balance in your reviews for example that is shown in active loudspeakers and passive loudspeakers and the same can be said in the other product reviews. Always look forward to this annual Top 5 hi-fi Products Of 20..

[@paulreid944]

Really enjoying your candour, style, attitude and comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter. You have relit the fire in my audiophile belly. Thank you

[@kia4335]

It's amazing for Cayin RU6 to be on top of your list. I recently order one and waiting for it to arrive.

[@rickp6731]

All new T+A Solitaire S530 Line Source Speakers : Live Events in your Room is Priceless !

[@blahoslavjbart497]

I bought a Wiim Mini and a Topping DX3 Pro+ based on your videos this year ... but I consider your glasses today to be the most beautiful product of 2022 🤓

[@steve_rode]

Thank You John and Olaf for another excellent video production 😊 Thank You for sharing your knowledge and assistance during 2022. Take Care, and my Best Wishes for 2023 👍

[@lawrencewakeham3810]

Cheers John. My hifi has hit a sweet spot this year so no hardware purchases. However the Red Hunter recommendation is a vinyl I’m going to order. Also a shout to that McCluskey does Dallas LP on the floor. What a record and band. The best gig I’ve ever been too bar none. Riotous

[@alandeanda]

Thank you John for another great video. There´s no one in the audiophile community with your eloquence and the way you have to transform in words, something so intangible as the hearing experience. My best wishes for you, Olaf and all your team in 2023.

[@spud1300]

Love it, love your thought process on these, love the album recommendations in here as well.

[@jazzonvinyl7909]

Like every time during the last years, I really enjoy your contents! Meze 109 is also my HiFi Buy of the year, great headphones. Your music selection, talking about music is always appreciated, a good Hi-Fi system without good music has no importance. All the best for 2023!

[@thehoff]

Great content and has gotten me dipping my toes into the entry level stuff as you take all the daunting aspects out of it entirely!

[@charlesdavis5542]

"You're not going to wear these in public...unless you're a MONSTER!" Another reason why you are a favorite reviewer. Those "throwaway " lines... Happy New Year to you and yours from NY.

[@christopherwright8179]

Thanks so much John, and Happy New Year to you. Absolutely loved your top Hi-Fi products of 2022 and music. I was going to get the Sennheiser 6xx, but now getting Meze 109 Pro’s.

[@SuperBicycleRepairMan]

Great tunes as always, really great. Enjoy your show and opinions too. All the best with it!

[@ARAMP1]

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots! Love the 6 disc reissue, love the 5.1 surround mix, love the original from when I bought it back in the day. A classic for sure.

[@toddhudson9653]

Those Monitor Audio speakers are just to die for. They look absolutely fantastic and would improve most any aesthetics that one may have in their living space. Thanks John for another informative video. Happy Holidays to you and yours!

[@gaetancharbonneau3902]

Can't wait for this Thorens TT review John... tx for all these great reviews!

[@buzzmachinemedia]

Great video. Your review of the MA 100 7G finalized my decision to audition and get a pair. Needed an up-to-date set of speakers that fit in my (our) living space that could produce a full range of sound without being overly-large in size, (but still large in sound). The MAs foot the bill perfectly. Love your approach in your videos, your rationale, and your style!

[@shahidyt]

Great to see a favourite of rather than a best of, that way the selection is personal to you and others can’t dispute your choices.

[@luked5041]

Love the music recommendations!

[@kojoJamal]

we listen to a lot of your talk from the podcast.. it will be great to see more of the products in your videos here while you explain and do the reviews.

[@gunarstreikals2099]

Always appreciate your music suggestions. Thank you so much for them ) happy holidays and new year John and the team )

[@chrispowell3682]

Just came back to this, thanks John, great video.

[@paulreid944]

P.S. thanks for the Flaming Lips recommendation, listening to it now on Tidal

[@spooner1]

I heard and admired those Dynos but I cannot open my envelope enough in splurging for them. I wish I could. Thnx for the music recommendations. You have opened my ears to a new world of musical enjoyment.

[@chewingcheung]

I owned a pair of Grado GS2000e really loved the sound. Open earphones are no fun with family and kids around. Really for a man cave. But man I missed that sound.

[@Akstergrind]

Ooh, I just noticed that you’re using the turntable I’m currently saving up for! I haven’t been watching much KZbin recently, so I was surprised you’d switched to Thorens from the Technics I believe used to be your go-to record player. Anyway, thanks for another excellent video, sir!

[@whizzer8507]

Thank you for all the advice and knowledge. What amp are you using for the 700g's? Great vid 👍

[@TheJonnySegment]

Could you please do some videos just about music recommendations, I always love the tracks you put in your videos and I’ve never heard of any of them

[@runningin533]

Happy Christmas John and the team and have great new year.

[@jonathanmoore8886]

Yoshimi is such a good album. I've heard flaming lips is the Pink Floyd of this generation.

[@feelgeorge]

Thank you for the excellent content and reviews. Have a lovely Christmas

[@ch33psk8]

Happy Christmas John. Thank you for hangin' in there. May the fudge be with you

[@bryanpaulgilbert7308]

Happy Holidays to you and your lovely production team, John. I appreciate the quality and thoughtfulness of your content✨

[@syanhc]

I really enjoyed this video. Not only the diversity of products mentioned but also the albums. I’ve learned and got into a lot of music I wouldn’t have listened to if I did not watch John’s videos. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

[@step0251]

The Meze 109 Pro do not "destroy" the Focal Bathys and the Mark Levinsons. The Meze 109 Pro is an open back headphone. It is naturally going to sound more spacious, and have a bit more instrument separation. It also has a beautifully natural sound. The Focal and Mark Levinson are closed back, so the sound is naturally more closed in, so a comparison isn't really fair. I did compare Mark Levinson with the 109 Pro. In terms of clarity, articulation and detail, the Levinson beats the 109 Pro. The fact that it is also bluetooth, has noise cancelling, and you can go take a dump without worrying about tangled wires is pretty impressive.

[@olegariomartinez6807]

Merry Christmas to one of the best reviewers on YT. I truly enjoy your channel and look forward to your reviews.

[@LeetTreet]

Happy holidays, John & Olaf! I have been learning a lot from your videos. I love your presentation style.

[@kungula]

You have chosen the right product of the year 22.

[@mikemuller6686]

Many thx for this informative video. Which brand is the white speaker stand from the MA silver audio 100 7g lim.????

[@citytianyu]

Look forward to an m23 review!

[@mkemp01]

Very enjoyable video. All the best for 2023.

[@michaellichnovsky8397]

Damn, John, that was a fantastic video. Perfectly balanced and paced, great info, loved the variety of music, and nice to see new gear involved - not the typical rehashing we too often see elsewhere. Wonderful stuff.

[@TorToroPorco]

I really like my Cayin RU6 as well. When I first got it I wondered what the fuss was about but once I played some decently recorded and mastered songs it began to grow on me. It’s not ostentatious or shouty but where I find it really shines is in vocals. Because of its relaxed nature it’s also good for long listening sessions, perfect for a long train or plane ride. I’ve also come to prefer hardware volume buttons. I’ve almost blown out my ear drums on occasion as some dongle DACs don’t interface well with the volume controls on my phone or tablet. Having the volume level confirmation on the OLED display on the RU6 is very useful for me.

[@yukichi99]

Oh, Flaming Lips' Yoshimi! Great album!

[@Bogdan0zaurus]

Your reviews are exceptional, a big thank you for everything. I wish you a Happy New Year!

[@Qupva]

So what happened to the Buchard A700? I was really looking forward to your review of them, and you speak of them like you've reviewed them, but I can't find your take on them posted anywhere on YT

[@michaelhastie7324]

John/Everyone Merry Christ-Mas and a Happy New Year ! John; is there any chance that you could do a "6 Moons - Blue Moon selection of hi-fi products that you have come across over the last 5 years?

[@Skye_the_toller]

It is like that every new product of the year is the best… I would like to see somebody keep an eye on »on going » best products… if a new product is not better than a previous one, it can be part of the list as a best!

[@markcarrington8565]

Hey John, I’m totally biased as a Monitor Audio fan, but I’d pick them over Missions or Kefs for looks every time 😊

[@papacita]

Fantastic

[@purrloftruth]

thanks for doing what you do, and hope you have a great holiday and looking forward to the year ahead

[@PH-gm2qe]

Nice video as usual. Please, what are those speaker stands you use for Monitors?

[@AP14141]

As per usual.. brilliant advice carefully delivered and as you remind us .. subjective. A very merry Christmas 🎄 to you ,family and your production family too!🎉

[@scottengh1175]

Agree with favorite vs best, clever. Loved "unless you are a monster, " referring to open back headphones in public. Wanted to ask why you didn't try... that's not even me. Must be reading too many comments! Happy New Year.

[@thestr8jacket1]

Steffi album was great thanks for the recommendation... very much original Detroit Techno (Kevin Saunderson, etc). More music recommendations please 🙏

[@yolobaggins631]

Thanks for all the content, top quality and a Merry Christmas.

[@brucemibus9523]

Lucky enough to have Yoshimi as DVD-A, amazing all round for musical development. Will have to find the cd set to explore it even better! Thanks for the review, cheers from Oz.

[@Kay_EL]

Hi John, thank you for the review. Is it possible for you to do a review of the Canton Vento 30 and the Canton Reference 9K bookshelf speakers? I would really like to hear your views on them. Thanks from RSA.

[@BeyondResolution]

Thank you John for another great video. You have hammered out so many good reviews and videos this year. Hope your Christmas and new years is great and i look forward to many more in 2023(after your vacation to warmer weather) :)

[@hifidelitie9411]

That in one, CLEAN black hoodie. Love the vibe of that space behind you as well.

[@felipedantas4666]

Just to thank you and the team for producing high quality content throughout the year. Best wishes. Felipe

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

THANKS JOHN ,🤗 for sharing your favorites and your music 🎶 choices😎👍💚💚💚

[@stuartneil8682]

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year John.

[@kenjames246]

Thanks for the excellent reviews. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year John. Happy to see you're doing well. All the best.

[@Captain-Donut]

Can’t get away from your excitement…… perfect Love from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@6rimR3ap3r]

First of all: please keep your ad break inserts - so much more comfortable than any other KZbin creators I watch :-D Regarding the video topic: The Meze Audio 109 Pro are super interesting. Until now I've mostly heard praise and combined with a sub-1000€ price tag it looks like a homerun. Usually that price category is good but not great, or is really good but doesn't look the par. The Meze seems to stand out in the crowd.

[@LillyAugusta]

Hey, I was hooked on 109 pro after this video... but after seeing another reviewer's video... I am keen to pass 109 Pro and buy either Verum 1 or, most probably, Moondrop Venus... what do you think about those two? Cheers!

[@Big-J-8579]

Thanks again. I enjoy looking at the gear, so it has to look good to my eyes. Merry Christmas!

[@wladers39]

rambunctious.... love it

[@stevenhoward3358]

I fully expected the Monitor Audio speakers to be in your best looking hifi of 2022. Muted green and gold, visually 'nice'

[@cmfuen]

Thanks for the intro to Steffi!

[@asan1050]

Darko Audio Thanks Much ! and Merry Christmas!

[@robmaxwell3678]

I almost got the Cayin RU6 but went with the Lotoo Paw S2 dongle DAC for about $280 US instead. WoW! They really bring out what my Drop 6XX; Final E5000; and UE 5 CSX phones can do. What an improvement. Suddenly, there are some really great dongle DACs that can make great sound anywhere for a really reasonable price, and for $500-$600 for phones and DAC sound as good in some ways as a multiple thousand dollar hifi system. I'll bet that Cayin and the Meze 109 Pro sound awesome together.

[@gustoaudio8711]

Does the Naim Atom pair well with the MA Silver 100 7G’s? I love the look of those speakers

[@keithwalker8090]

Class D amp, all-in-one speaker. As Bob Dylan sang the times are a changing. Hope your health improves dramatically.

[@hulskof]

Should I read this that you liked the Dynaudio's better than de Buchardt A700's? Will we see a review of those?

[@crespojosef]

Thank you for your wonderful channel, I have a question, what is the best way to listen to music, ie.itunes on a an android, I have an sr22 ultra.

[@richarddeluen5973]

Great video. But also, I want your hoodie. Where'd you get it from?

[@MrAyrit]

+1 for the RU6

[@somrules]

Thanks, you helped me pick up first audiophile system. I picked up dynaudio focus 60s, love them. Great reviews. I understand that’s difficult to go back and give reasonable comparison with other products, i am curious if you think its a good idea to keep a running list of 5 top gears per category and then every time you review something new, discuss in last couple of mins if its good enough to displace anything in top 5. I think being able to refer something like this will be very helpful.

[@freaknoutful]

Many many thanks for the great videos this year. Merry Xmas and Happy NY from NZ!

[@johnsimmons5056]

Hi John, great video as always. I have seen you with a Rega RP8 and now a Thorens TD 1500. How come you never review all these tables or really speak of them ?

[@anthonylearmonth961]

Nice to see the old Logitech Squeezebox 'repurposed and retired', and living on as a clock. I have one sitting in my rack acting the same role. :)

[@microteche]

Trustworthy reviews thanks John for another great year in HiFi gear reviews.

[@strngbns1370]

Any plan on reviewing RME adi 2/4 pro?

[@hornox4life]

Wow those are some attractive speakers.

[@RedSinter]

The Monitor Audios are my pick for Form and Function... The DAC RU6 and the Meze are also...my Favs...though I haven't gotten those two yet...I have them in My 2 Get this year as the Meze had me at Hello given yes they are totally comfortable as my Noir are easily forgettable in wareing....

[@onepieceatatime]

Would it be possible for you to someday make a video where you pair specific headphones with albums that work particularly well together? Is that maybe *too* audiophile?