Methodology · how we rate gear
How we rate gear
We do not run a listening room or take hands-on photos; every score is built from published specs and aggregated owner reviews, and we say so. Our reviews are research- and spec-synthesis-led, built on a protocol we apply the same way every time.
- 01
Pull the published figures
Every review starts from the manufacturer’s stated specs — wow-and-flutter, rumble, cartridge output, phono gain, speaker sensitivity and impedance, amplifier power. These go on the same sheet each time so an entry-tier preamp and a premium preamp are judged on what they actually do.
- 02
Work the setup
For anything with a stylus, the numbers only mean something once it’s dialed in: tracking force set by gauge, anti-skate matched, azimuth and VTA checked, the plinth leveled. Owner reports tell us how forgiving or fussy each deck is to set up right.
- 03
Match the chain, not the box
We evaluate gear in context: cartridge output against phono gain, speaker sensitivity against amplifier power and room size, tonearm mass against cartridge compliance. A pricier cartridge on a weak deck is backwards, and we say so.
- 04
Weigh it against owner reality
Spec sheets don’t catch a tonearm that can’t track what a pricier stylus resolves. We cross-reference long-term owner reports from forums, r/vinyl and retailer feedback to catch the gap between the bench and the living room.
- 05
Rank on axes, and revisit
Picks are ranked on repeatable measures, not vibes, and re-checked as prices move and new gear lands. The matcher and the system builds show no prices — each part links to its current retailer listing; the budget lanes that choose the parts are never shown as prices.
Where we earn a commission and how independence is protected is spelled out in our editorial standards. See the protocol in action across the ranked lanes.