“Since the advent of the CD, listeners have been deprived of the full experience of listening.” - Neil Young PonoPlayers...
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Headphones
KingRex UD-1 Pro DAC and HQ-1 Headphone Amplifier
Wojciech Pacuła has posted a review of the KingRex UD-1 Pro DAC (€269) and HQ-1 headphone amplifier (€590) at High Fidelity. His conclusions: Both the devices are fully worth their price and more. The headphone amplifier needs some more activity, but it can also be upgraded with a battery power supply SLAP!, also offered...
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Review:Stax SR-007 Omega Reference Series II Earspeakers
Roy Gregory, former Editor of Hi-Fi+ and currently Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Nordost, has posted a review of the Stax SR-007 Omega Reference Series II Earspeakers (£3295) at AVGuide. His conclusions: Right about now the naysayers and “everything should be free on the internet” brigade will be spluttering their outrage at...
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Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom In-Ear Monitors
Steven Rochlin has posted a review of the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom in-ear monitors ($1350/pair). His conclusions: What has won me over as my now preference for the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom over the JH Audio JH13 Pros is the touch of extra bass and a slightly better fit due to using...
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C.E.C. DA53N USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier
Wojciech Pacuła has posted a review of the Review: C.E.C. DA53N USB DAC and headphone amplifier (~€1250) at High Fidelity. His conclusions: Returning to well recorded material with only a handful of instruments showed, that the CEC handles that best. It will be good with rock and similar music, better than with comparable players...
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Eddie Current Balancing Act Linestage Headphone Amp
Srajan Ebaen has posted a review of the Eddie Current Balancing Act linestage and headphone amplifier ($3995) at 6moons. His conclusions: Craig Uthus' direct-heated triode machine is headphone amp first, preamp second. That's not slighting its performance in the second application. It's simply a reflection on equivalent—similar if not identical—results being possible with rather...
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Benchmark DAC-1 HDR DAC, Preamplifier and Headphone Amplifier
Jeff Dorgay has posted a review of the Benchmark DAC-1HDR linestage, DAC and headphone amplifier ($1895) at TONEAudio. His conclusions: If you break it down, the Benchmark DAC-1 HDR is essentially a $700 linestage, a $700 DAC and a $500 headphone amplifier. The sound quality and resolution of each stage compares favorably, comparing each...
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Ultrasone Edition 8 Headphones
S. Andrea Sundaram has posted a review of the Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones ($1499) at Ultra Audio. His conclusions: The Ultrasone Edition 8s combine the traditional advantages of a sealed design — superb isolation and extraordinary bass extension — with the flat frequency response and articulation of the best open designs. They deliver an...
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Burson Audio HA-160 Headphone Amplifier
Chris Martens has posted a review of the Burson Audio HA-160 headphone amplifier ($695) at Playback. His conclusions: Burson’s Audio’s HA-160 is a superb-sounding and incredibly well made headphone amplifier that is more than reasonably priced at $695. For headphone enthusiasts serious about pursuing top-tier sound, the search can begin right here—and for many,...
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Westone TrueFit 4 Universal-Fit In-Ear Headphones
Chris Martens has posted a review of the Westone TrueFit 4 Universal-Fit In-Ear Headphones ($449) at Playback. His conclusions: Westone’s TrueFit 4 is very well balanced performer that does most things extremely well, and whose few performance compromises take the form of relatively minor sins of omission. This is without a doubt one of...
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CEntrance DACPort USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier
Aaron Marshall has posted a review of the CEntrance DACPort USB DAC and headphone amplifier ($399) at Audio Ideas Guide. His conclusions: At $399 the DACport is something of a no-brainer. It’s easy to use, sounds like it should be far, far more expensive, can drive difficult headphones with relative ease, is portable enough...
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Audio-Technica ATH-W1000X Headphones
Sebastian Eilzer has posted a review of the Audio-Technica ATH-W1000X headphones (€748) at 6moons. His conclusions: The W1000X is the latest evolutionary installment of the ATH-W wood series which for me finally cashes in fully on Audio-Technica’s established house sound. Versus the predecessors bass power has been significantly increased and particularly the midband has...
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Musical Fidelity USB DACs and Headphone Amplifiers
Chris Connaker has posted reviews of the Musical Fidelity M1DAC ($699), M1HPA headphone amplifier ($799), and V-Link Async USB converter ($169) at The Computer Audiophile. His conclusions: It has been nearly six years since I enjoyed a Musical Fidelity system as much as the M1DAC ($699), M1HPA ($799), and V-Link ($169). My old X-v3...
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NuForce uDAC-2 USB DAC/Headphone Amplifier
Tom Martin has posted a review of the NuForce uDAC-2 USB DAC/headphone amplifier ($129) at AVGuide. Some of his observations: The uDAC-2 supplies an example of this when we start to describe its bass performance, and area where the uDAC-2 could reasonably be characterized as sounding somewhat tight (as in well controlled, but perhaps...
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Audez'e LCD-2 Planar Magnetic Headphones
John Crossett has posted a review of the Audez’e LCD-2 planar magnetic headphones ($945) at The Audio Beat. His conclusions: lCearly, the Audez'e LCD-2s pushed all the right sonic buttons for me. Those planar drivers produced a relaxed yet detailed and natural sound that just seemed to unite my ears and brain. The LCD-2s...
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HiFiMan HE-6 Planar Dynamic Headphones
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Chris Martens has posted a review of the HiFiMan HE-6 planar dynamic headphones ($1199) at Playback. His conclusions: The HE-6 invites direct comparison with best headphones you can find, regardless of price or technology—including electrostatic headphones. Vis-à-vis electrostats, I do think the HE-6’s offer two compelling advantages. First, the HiFiMAN ‘phones handle large scale...
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Ultimate Ears 18 Pro In-Ear Headphones
John Atkinson has posted a review of the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro in-ear headphones ($1350 plus custom earmold fee) at Stereophile. His conclusions: By contrast, the 18 Pro, even with twice as many LF units, didn't sound as fat as the 5c. However, it sounded cleaner in the bass, with better extension and definition....
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Schiit Vahalla Headphone Amplifier
Srajan Ebaen has posted a review of the Schiit Asgard headphone amplifier ($349) at 6moons. His conclusions: Those not reared on an instrument tend to hone in on the human voice as a familiar real-life reference. They should thus notice this presence effect—our short hand for 'layering', focus, image lock, crispness—particularly on vocals. It's...
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Alpha Design Labs GT40 USB DAC/Phonostage/Headphone Amplifier
Neil Underwood has posted a review of the Alpha Design Labs GT40 USB DAC with Phono Stage ($495) at Canada Hi-Fi. Some of his observations: Playing digital music files through the GT40 was like discovering the songs all over again. Suddenly the midrange offered a substantially cleaner presentation and was filled with details that...
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Schiit Asgard Headphone Amplifier
Srajan Ebaen has posted a review of the Schiit Asgard headphone amplifier ($249) at 6moons. His conclusions: The Asgard's general character recalls single-ended transistor efforts in the FirstWatt stable - highly resolved, grainless, fast, microdynamically responsive, well controlled in the bass but not fat or maximally profound, direct, well separated, capable of fine incision...
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Woo Audio WA22 Headphone Amplifier
Robert Youman has posted a review of the Woo Audio WA22 headphone amplifier ($2150) auditioned with the Sennheiser HD800 headphones ($1399) at 6moons. His conclusions: The Sennheiser HD800 headphones and the Woo Audio WA22 integrated headphone amp configured in fully balanced configuration is one of the best audio systems I have heard. Tremble and...
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Sennheiser HD800 Headphones with Cardas Audio Cable
Phil Gold has posted a review of the Sennheiser HD800 headphones ($1399) with Cardas audio cable ($298) at Superior Audio. His conclusions: Like all the very best components, the HD800 doesn’t favor one type of music over another. It excels in solo piano, pop, jazz, folk, chamber music, opera, spoken voice. In fact the...
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Smyth Research Realiser A8 Headphone System
Kal Rubinson has posted an extensive review of the Smyth Research Realiser A8 Headphone System ($3360) in his regular Music in the Round column at Stereophile. His conclusions: Even more remarkable was the Realiser's ability to create a two-channel soundstage from two-channel sources. No longer was the CSO clustered inside my head, but arrayed...
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NuForce Icon HDP Headphone Amp/DAC/Preamp
Tom Martin has posted a review of the NuForce Icon HDP Headphone Amp/DAC/Preamp ($449) at Playback Magazine. His conclusions: As always, we should remind our gentle readers of the standard caveat that value is a function of your budget and your needs. That said, it is hard to imagine a logic that would find...
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