Each one of us likes to get presents. For my children this is the main point for Christmas. I have to confess, that I like it too, and this is why, each year, I always impatiently look forward towards December. Unanimously with my wife we decided, that we are also children, and we also need presents. Years ago we have created a procedure, that guarantees us to receive what we want, while still keeping an element of surprise in it. It is simply brilliant in its simplicity. We write a list of desired presents – each of us can make it as long as he or she wishes – and then we decide on the amount we will spend buying them. It is important, that the list contains more entries, that can be bought for the set amount of money. This results in us getting something from it, but never knowing, what it would be. We love this system!!! So this list has a very positive meaning for us. This is also the reason, that each year, I compose another list, a special list for “High Fidelity” - a list of products we award with the Product of the Year prize. Those are presents, in a certain way, but earned, in some way imposed on us by the products themselves. When something is good, then we have to point to that, and although this is a gesture made by the editorial house, the “reason” for it are the devices.

So I made the list, helped by Krzysztof Kalinkowski, where I put the products, discs, etc, that made a lasting impression on us. It is so, that in “High Fidelity” we mostly reviewhi-end products, brands completely unknown in Poland, sometimes even not available on the market. It seems, that the distributors and manufacturers found out, that they can present their precious gear on our pages, without worrying, that we’ll harm those in some way… Despite that among the awarded products are some inexpensive ones, and this is – for me – a special recognition.

According to our policy we did not divide the products into any artificial price categories, device categories, etc, as this would end up in filling-in empty places, and omitting products in some of them, that would be already occupied. I divided them in product subgroups after they were issued, just to make searching easier, but this was not a rigid division. For the first time we have also given Statement Awards – a new category in our magazine. This distinction will be given to products regardless of the time those were tested, with only one condition being met: that the product is a master, a reference at a given time, that its construction and used solutions give significant input into the audio knowledge. Those will mostly be hi-end devices, but this is not a must.

Like I said, everyone likes to receive presents. We would like the awards to be something like that: a gratuitous gesture from us, addressed to the manufacturers and products and recordings prepared by them. It is worth to show things that are good, while leaving bad things far behind us. It is also worth remembering, that an Product of the Year award does not mean, that a given device will sound equally well in all systems – the rules of configuration and synergy apply here as well. It just means, that being successful is easier with those. It can also be a sign, that when it sounds bad, then maybe there is something wrong with our system…

Congratulations to all prize winners!!