Schiit Freya + Class A in Stereophile

Stereophile needs to do this to drive and create interest in the low end market. The better your gear is the less interest you have regarding reviews,opinions or snake oil nonsense, you become your own reviewer!

I don't blame Steeophile for producing the Recommended Components, but they are dealing with a minefield of comparisons, approximations, and expectations in doing so.  It should be read as a field guide, not a bible.  Hopefully, all of us have been around the block enough to know you can't just buy the cheapest item in the same grade of each category and automatically expect great sound.

What I appreciate about Stereophile is that:

1. They do both an extensive subjective & objective analysis of the reviewed equipment.

2. The subjective testing generally includes direct comparisons to both reference & competitively priced gear.

3. Most pieces end up having more than one reviewer weigh in on the sound, as the measurement guys will also give their subjective assessment, as well as trying to correlate the subjective findings with the objective measurements.

4. The same reviewers are there for many years, giving the reader a chance to get to know their sound systems, choice of music, & listening preferences.  Reviews by someone that you're often in agreement with on familiar gear are far more compelling on kit that is new to you.

It's my understanding that the issues that contain the Recommended Components section sell off the newstand in much higher numbers than the other issues.  They're bought by people looking for a quick fix and have decided to take a step up from Consumer Reports.

I’d like to compare one to my PA Audio BHK pre. 

They do not have enough categories (ABCD) to get a ranking.  Its an A recommendation, not a ranking.