Press and Awards
What the experts hear
For more than 40 years, we have been developing products in Mülheim an der Ruhr that let music sound more natural. Whether that works is not revealed by a data sheet, but by listening.
Here you will find what independent magazines from Europe, the USA, Asia and Australia experienced with SteinMusic in their own listening rooms.
Awards
Recognition from the editors
The Absolute Sound: Golden Ear 2017 and 2018 as well as Editors' Choice 2019 and 2021 for the H2 Harmonizer System, Top Picks Under $1,000 (2024) for the Perfect Interface Carbon Signature
lite Magazin: Best Picks 2025, Open Baffle Loudspeaker of the Year for the TopLine Bob M, rating 100+ Luxury Class (2024), Reference Class for HighLine Bobby S and Bobby M (2018)
Positive Feedback: Writers' Choice Awards 2025 for Acoustic Discs, InLine Speaker Signature Silver and Schumann Generator S1, Brutus Award 2012 for the Harmonizer System
Enjoy the Music: Best of 2011 for the H2 Harmonizer
HIGH END Vienna 2026: Best Sound of the Show in two demo rooms with SteinMusic components
Selected voices
“Anyone who streams and values the highest quality cannot overlook the InLine Gold LAN Isolator from Stein Music.” (translated from German)
Hörerlebnis, Marco Kolks · InLine Gold LAN Isolator
“I heard a better sense of focus, clarity, and control, with an easily audible reduction in splashiness and groove noise.”
Stereophile, Alex Halberstadt · Acoustic Discs
“…adding more air and space to the soundstage, smoothness to timbres, and bloom and dimensionality to images, while also just generally better disappearing my loudspeakers.”
The Absolute Sound, Jonathan Valin · H2 Harmonizer System
“…produced an increased transparency, blacker backgrounds but especially transient precision that was easy to hear.”
Analog Planet, Michael Fremer · Perfect Interface
“I have never heard a cartridge I would prefer to it.”
Enjoy the Music, Wayne Donnelly · Aventurin 6
Featured in
The magazines
Archive
All reviews at a glance
Sorted by product area, each with a link to the full review where it is available online. Quotes from German reviews have been translated.
Room acoustics
“…adding more air and space to the soundstage, smoothness to timbres, and bloom and dimensionality to images.”
Editors’ Choice Award
“Don’t consider them a tweak, but a necessary component for your system.”
“In my opinion, there is nothing on the market even close to the importance and usefulness of the Harmonizers.”
“The best piece of equipment I’ve reviewed this year is actually … the Stein H2 Harmonizers.”
Best of 2011
“…the ability to achieve a glorious-sounding listening room without the need for those big ugly traps and diffusers cinches the deal!”
“I can’t imagine any system, no matter how good, that would not be significantly improved by them.”
“…my room took on a new sense of dimension and life.”
“The H2, in my opinion, is nothing short of breathtaking.”
“…the Steinmusic devices have the power to transform the listening space to the point you’ve never dared to dream of.”
“Influence on sound … is obvious and undoubtedly positive.”
In summary: the listening room feels like a protected zone, the sound clearer, more direct and better organised in space.
In summary: the principle of operation is not proven, but in the author’s view the system is worth every cent.
“The stage opens up and the listening room feels like it’s been atmospherically cleaned.”
“If these are areas you seek to refine in your system, the E-Pads Plus are certainly worth exploring.”
“I heard a better sense of focus, clarity, and control, with an easily audible reduction in splashiness and groove noise.”
In summary: six discs tune the entire listening room. More definition and transparency, without colouring the frequency response.
Writers’ Choice Award 2025
Turntables and analogue
“…produced an increased transparency, blacker backgrounds but especially transient precision that was easy to hear.”
“…makes those bits and pieces seem more like interrelated parts of a sonic whole.”
Top Picks Under $1,000, 2024
“It didn’t seem to matter what genre of music; the Perfect Interface wrought a real step forward.”
“This thing has a sense of bringing the music out of the record to a whole new level.”
“Rather, the result is a finely balanced system that does not dampen, but brings order.” (translated from German)
“It offers flexibility and sound quality rarely found at this price point.”
“This phono preamplifier has a warm sound texture, without any harshness or irritation.”
“After two rounds of comparison, the Ametrin was the undeniable and comprehensive victor.”
In summary: compared with two Origin Live record mats, a more intimate and pleasant listening experience, especially with jazz.
“…the π [pi] CD Mat did seem to enhance the expressiveness of the music.”
“The Stateline Phono 2 impresses with its warm tonal color and remarkable ability to reproduce spatial sound.”
“Top-end extension was fully extended, approaching the ‘crystalline’ yet still natural, and the bottom end was generous and impactful.”
“I have never heard a cartridge I would prefer to it.”
“In short, this cart offered a very rich, highly enjoyable performance.”
“The Aventurin 6 is the best MC yet in every parameter that my ears know.”
Grounding and power
In summary: the noise floor drops, and the change is audible within seconds.
Schumann Generator S1: Writers’ Choice Award 2025
“In practice, however, it does a lot.”
“Producing only sonic benefits with no downside whatsoever.”
Writers’ Choice Award 2025
In summary: the most neutral effect among several grounding concepts compared. More depth, without sounding harder.
Video review on how audible a grounding box is in your own system.
“Its effects are readily apparent, discernible to anyone, not just those with ‘golden ears’.”
“The Powerbar 6 embodies Stein Music’s consistent sound aesthetic.”
“I’ve decided to keep Q1, Q2, and Q3 in my system until they are recalled.”
In summary: the power strip clearly surpasses the author’s long-standing reference.
Network and signal
“Anyone who streams and values the highest quality cannot overlook the InLine Gold LAN Isolator from Stein Music.” (translated from German)
“InLine is a tuning accessory worth exploring.”
“The Matrix Silver speaker cables could be an excellent starting point.”
“What the Stateline Basic II NF delivers is not mere hi-fi sonic attributes, but rather musicality.”
In summary: a calmer sound, more defined low end and a more coherent presentation.
Honoured in the Writers’ Choice Awards 2025.
In summary: an accessory with an effect close to 100 percent; rarely has an accessory upgraded a system this much.
Loudspeakers and portraits
“The new SteinMusic TopLine Bob M impresses in every discipline.” (translated from German)
100+ Luxury Class · Best Picks 2025
“It allows you to easily and deeply enter the musical mood and enjoy the emotion brought by music.”
“The Bobby S Ultimate spoke with one voice!”
In summary: a modular horn loudspeaker whose presentation draws the listener into the music.
Rating 1.0 · Reference Class
“High end can also be affordable.” (translated from German)
Rating 1.0 · Reference Class
“The TopLine L plays in an exceptionally balanced, gentle and pleasant way.” (translated from German)
Portrait of the company founder and listening report on the SP 1.1 full-range speaker without a crossover.
SteinMusic as part of a complete system with Gold Note, Unison, Living Voice, Kondo and Auditorium 23.
Best Sound of the Show for the demo rooms of Absolare (Robert Harley) and Clarisys Audio (Tom Martin), each with SteinMusic components. SteinMusic was present in four demo rooms.
Best Sound of the Show
For editors
Review samples and press material
Would you like to listen to a SteinMusic product at your own pace in your own system, or do you need images and technical data? We provide review samples and answer questions about our developments personally.