Views 60,553 We’re reviewing a music player priced at 1000 USD, named Dethonray DTR1+ and made for those who don’t want no touchscreen, and who want a pure music experience with no distractions. This means that the first competitor it needs to have is QLS QA361 (700 USD), a DAP …
High End is where the effect of diminishing returns kicks in the hardest and you have to spend hundreds or thousand of USD to chase the last few details in music. This is where most of the fun is for enthusiasts, like in every hobby, but it can be a frustrating area, especially if you don’t have a lot of disposable income. The price range starts around 500 USD, and everything above is considered high-end in the audiophile hobby.
You can find my reviews on high end products below, and also the best high end products here: https://amzn.to/3zKGm1F
High End
Astell&Kern A&Ultima SP2000T – Tube & Solid State Blends Musically
Views 101,096 The best part about reviewing a 2500 USD Music Player with Hybrid Tube – Solid State tech inside is that you can compare it to pretty much everything else, and you still know it is going to be a fun trip. Today’s review will focus on a true …
Campfire Mammoth – Supreme Lows Impact
Views 60,722 Campfire Mammoth is the destroyer of their challengers, an IEM set to bass out and outweigh their competition, and priced at 650 USD. They’re a twin brother to the iconic Holocene that I just reviewed on Audiophile-Heaven, and will be compared to the Holocene (650 USD), but also …
Violectric HPA V340 Headphone Amplifier / Preamplifier – German Musicality
Views 66,194 Germany has been the home to many technological wonders, and audio is part of that as well. The Violectric HPA V340 is priced at 1800 EURO, or roughly 2000 USD, and it is a full sized AMP, with PREAMP functions, high damping factor, and will be compared with …
iBasso DX240 – Sing Me The Sweetest Melody
Views 63,512 We’re reviewing the new iBasso DX240 today, a portable music player or Digital Audio Player (DAP), priced at 950 USD, and a iBasso is back on top, and wants to make sure that you can use the AMP modules ecosystem from their DX220, so the new one is …
Astell & Kern SEM2 Module – SE180 DAP – Improving Dynamics
Views 57,977 I liked the original SE180 with its SEM1 Module and the ESS Chip, but the company promised to make more DAC/AMPs for this flagship of a modular DAP, and with a single DAC/AMp module costing 350 USD, and including both a new DAC and a new amplifier circuit, …
HIFIMAN Arya Stealth Magnet Headphones – Exceedingly Musical
Views 74,490 You’re never too young nor too old to know about the truth of Arya, or the “:Noble One:”. Today’s headphone is a rework of the good old trusty Arya that I reviewed a while ago, and today’s 2021 version has the new Stealth Magnets technology from HIFIMAN, and …
Campfire Holocene – Clarity, Details & Musicality
Views 42,199 Campfire Holocene is the latest high-end IEM released by Campfire, and priced in the midrange category, at 650 USD. It uses a Triple Custom Driver Design with a customly designed sonic chamber, and will be compared with Metalure Wave (600 USD), Campfire Vega 2020 (900 USD), and iBasso …
Audeze LCD-XC 2021 Headphones – Art Of Planar Monitors
Views 63,685 It is time to get serious, and LCD-XC is the perfect headphone for this, perfect for music listeners, music producers and an essential tool for music enthusiasts everywhere. The price sets the bar high, as they’re a high-end model priced 1800 USD in the configuration we’re reviewing today. …
Burson Funk Amplifier for Speakers, Headphones & IEMs – Let’s Jazz
Views 60,479 Burson Funk is a high-end amplifier for Stereo and Headphones, with a starting price of 550 USD, and depending on the configuration, able to reach 750 USD. It will be compared to other amplifiers, like Aune S6 PRO, Hagerman Tuba, and Audio-GD Master 19. Introduction I have …
Avantone Planar Pro Headphones – Red Team Is Winning
Views 66,019 Avantone Pro Planar is the latest headphone from Europe, with a Planar technology behind, but without the pocket-emptying price that most of those have. The unit I’m reviewing today is red and ready to fight, and they have to be compared to other headphones costing around 450 USD …
Sendy Audio Peacock – Flagship Of Music
Views 71,781 Sendy Audio Peacock is the latest headphone from Sendy Audio and it is priced at about 1500 USD at the moment of writing this full written review (USA), and 1750 USD (Europe after taxes). The main comparisons will be with Kennerton Thror (3000 USD), Audeze LCD MX4 (3000 …
Palab M1 Mini DAC/AMP – Beats The Chord In Music
Views 43,608 Palab M1 mini is a DAC/AMP made by Palab, and it is no secret that it is a mighty good one, with a price tag of 500 USD, MQA decoding abilities, and a Balanced output. The main comparisons included in today’s review will be with really capable competitors, …
Buchardt S400 Speakers – Music is Everywhere
Views 99,738 Buchardt S400 are a pair of speakers made with ingenious marketing and design, and they are sold for 1800 USD at the moment of writing this review. They will be compared with Aurender S5W, Edifier S1000DB, and Audioengine A5+. For driving the S400, we will have pairings with …
Astell & Kern A&Futura SE180 Music Player – Alpha DAP Incoming
Views 90,469 This one is going to be good, a DAP costing about 1500 USD, with replaceable DAC / AMP modules, and with Astell & Kern software, so today’s review will be a full fledged, full-length one, with comparisons between SE180 and iBasso DX 300 (1200 USD), Lotoo Paw 6000 …
Metalure Wave IEMs – Ultra Basshead Fun
Views 68,321 Those ones are IEMs I never expected to like, even less love as much as I do, but to give you a nice head start, they are basshead, priced at 600 USD, and will be compared with Campfire Vega 2020 (900 USD), NX Ears Baso (550 USD), Audeze …
Crosszone CZ-10 Headphones – Soundstage Excelsior
Views 75,271 CZ-10 is a breath of fresh air, as I’ve only reviewed open-back headphones for most of this year, so having something closed back, or at least semi open is refreshing. This is a proper Japanese headphone, high-end with all the bells and whistles, priced at 900 USD, and …
Keces S3 DAC / Balanced AMP / Preamp – My Favorite Warm Performer
Views 74,271 Keces S3 is a high-end top of the shelf DAC / Balanced Headphone Amplifier made in TAIWAN, and priced at 1300 USD. The comparison list will include Audio Analogue AAdac, Wells Milo, iBasso DX300, and Mytek Brooklyn DAC+. The pairing list will include HIFIMAN Arya, Rosson RAD-0, and …
Shanling M3X Music Player – Refine The Refined
Views 58,161 Shanling M3X is a high-end DAP priced at 340 USD, with one microSD slot, Balanced output, MQA support, and up to 23 hours of battery life from a single charge. The main competition is going to include iBasso DX160, FiiO M11 PRO, Shanling M2X, and iFi xDSD. M3X …
Campfire Vega 2020 – Smooth Basshead Love
Views 53,969 Vega 2020 is the latest edition of a titanic IEM, and it is priced at 900 USD. It has one Full Range Dynamic Driver, with a 10 mm diaphragm, and a ceramic housing + stainless steel bores. The main competitors I’ll be comparing it with will be Campfire …
Zoom H5 Portable Handy Recorder – Beast Of A Mic
Views 38,430 Zoom H5 is a portable handy recorder / microphone, and it is priced at about 280 USD. I’ve been using it for months now, and it has been the source of audio in my videos, before being replaced with a Zoom F6, so today’s review will focus on …
Qualiton APR204 Preamplifier – Rev My Engine
Views 53,566 Qualiton APR204 is a Preamplifier made by a Hunarian company, the country known as Romania’s Best Friend, so I’ll be extra cautious to be perfectly neutral and objective towards it. The APR204 Preamplifier is priced at 2300 EUR, or 2300 USD, and it will get paired with a …
Denon AH-D7200 Dynamic Headphones – Unsupported Flagship
Views 30,431 Denon AH-D7200 is the flagship Dynamic Headphone for Bassheads made by Denon. It is priced at 700 USD, and it will be compared to Beyerdynamic Amiron, Sennheiser HD660S, Dan Clark Aeon Flow, and Harmonic Dyne Zeus. Introduction Despite being extremely popular, large, and in-demand, Denon is the …
FiiO FH5S Hybrid IEMs – Mid Centric Evolution
Views 75,081 FiiO FH5s is an upgrade of the original FH5, and this time around it has two dynamic drivers, and two Balanced armatures. It is priced at 280 and naturally has to be compared to FiiO FH5, FiiO FD5, but also to IEMs like Unique Melody 3DT, Kinera Freya, …
Smyth A16 Realiser Headstand DAC / AMP – 3D Stage For Everyone
Views 75,124 Smyth A16 Realiser is a really unique product that deserves a longer and more complex review than my typical takes. It is priced at around 4000 USD at the moment of writing this full review, it is basically a DAC / AMP / DSP processor for 3D sound. …