Views 25,858 IKKo Zerda ITM02 is a $59 USD DAC/AMP with the smallest design I’ve seen so far, up to December 2022. It will be compared to other super affordable DAC/AMPs, including TempoTec Sonata Hd V (70 USD), FiiO KA1 (49 USD), Periodic Audio Rhodium (49 USD), and IKKO’s own …
Depth
KLH Model Five – Acoustic Suspension 5 Hifi Stereo Speakers
Views 59,737 KLH Model Five is a 2499 USD Per Pair / 1249 USD Each Hifi Stereo Speaker setup with huge 10-Inch Bass Drivers, 3-Way Design, and superb 3/4″ MDF enclosure. They will be compared with other speakers I reviewed, including NHT C3 Bookshelf HIFI Speakers (1250 USD), Buchardt S400 …
Feliks Audio Echo 2 Tube Amplifier – Lamp Refinement
Views 59,781 Feliks Audio Echo 2 is a 799 EURO Tube / Lamp Amplifier handmade in Poland, Europe. It is a unique product running on 4 Tubes, with a high 350mW power output, designed to drive high impedance headphones, with 1 pair of power tubes, and 1 pair of driver …
Shanling UP5 Bluetooth Receiver – DAC AMP MQA Power Etiquette
Views 26,210 Shanling UP5 is a 179 USD, flagship Portable Bluetooth Amplifier / DAC, with Dual DACs, MQA decoding, and up to 240mW / 32 OHMs of power. It will be compared to other DAC/AMPs and Bluetooth Receivers, including FiiO BTR5 (110 USD), Earstudio ES100 MKII (90 USD), Questyle M15 …
Hiby RS2 Darwin Player – Musicality Focused DAP
Views 34,225 Hiby RS2 Darwin is a 479 USD DAP with a beautiful aesthetic design, a minimalistic and practical OS design, and full Hiby Support, including R2R DAC and a 256-Tap FIR Filter that’s adjustable. Given the price point, it will be compared to other popular midrange DAPs, including iBasso …
Westone Mach 60 IEMs – Triple Plan – Bass, Mids, and Treble
Views 37,215 Westone Mach 60 are a pair of IEMs priced at 1100 USD, currently found on sale for 879 USD, with 6 Balanced Armature Drivers, and a unique sound to match the super ergonomic design. They will be compared to other high-end and flagship IEMs, including Ambient Acoustics MAD16 …
SMSL DO200 MKII MQA DAC – Exploring The Upgrade
Views 29,058 SMSL DO200 MKII is a 469 USD DAC, fully upgraded version of the original SMSL DO200 DAC that I reviewed previously on Audiophile-Heaven. A big part of today’s review will focus on what’s been changed from the original DO200, especially as the release dates are only months apart, …
Dethonray SG1 Pegasus Bluetooth DAC/AMP – High Resolution Bass Receiver
Views 30,728 Dethonray SG1 Pegasus is a 400 USD Bluetooth DAC/AMPlifier, with DPPU (Desktop Plus Power Unit), support for LDAC, aptX HD, aptX LL, aptX, and a large 3000mAh battery. It will be compared to other DAC/AMPs, including iFi xDSD (400 USD), iBasso DX160 (400 USD), Palab M1 Mini (500 …
Westone Audio Mach 40 IEMs – The Golden Age BA Party
Views 44,144 Westone Mach 40 is a 600 USD IEM or In-Ear Monitor, in the truthful sense of the word, being designed for actors, singers and musicians, having superior passive noise isolation from what you typically see out there, and a totally unique design. They will be compared to other …
Sports & Outdo Mifo S ANC TWS Earphones – Edgy Music
Views 25,346 Sports & Outdo Mifo S is a 169 USD pair of TWS or True Wireless IEMs, with ANC or active noise canceling, with a really edgy design, long battery life, and super lightweight construction. They will be compared to other TWS IEMs around the price point, including, 1More …
Astell & Kern SEM2 Module – SE180 DAP – Improving Dynamics
Views 57,934 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 74,297 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 …
Smyth A16 Realiser Headstand DAC / AMP – 3D Stage For Everyone
Views 74,984 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. …
Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband – Adapted For Music
Views 60,295 Today they finally convinced me to review a neckband in writing, so we’ll start with a Shanling. The price for the MW200 is 120 USD, and it is maid to be paired with IEMs based on the MMCX connector. This means that I’ll be pairing it with Final …
Victorious Machine – Earmen TR-AMP DAC/AMP Review
Views 57,118 Earmen TR-AMP is a really well-priced DAC/AMP for those who need a ton of power, but also great sonic performance on the go. It is currently priced at 250 USD, which makes it a direct competitor to iFi xDSD, which is priced at 400 USD, FiiO Q5s, which …
Majestic Express – iBasso DX160 DAP Review
Views 28,356 iBasso DX160 is the latest DAP from iBasso, and it comes to tell us once again that they can outdo their own previous work, which was the DX150. With a price tag of 400 USD, it is 20 USD Cheaper than FiiO’s M11, which will be one of …
Two Hands, Two Great – Brainwavz HM100 & BLU-300
Views 35,228 Brainwavz HM100 is a dynamic headphone, priced at 140 USD, while BLU-300 is priced at 40 USD. They will be compared with 1More Triple Driver, ESS 422H, and with AIWA ARC-1, all of which are pretty close in price to HM100. There aren’t many BT IEMS in the …
The partabile – FiiO M11 DAP Player Review
Views 83,366 Priced at about 420 USD, FiiO M11 is the next DAP from FiiO, made to compete fiercely in the midrange DAP market, having iBasso DX160, Hiby R6 and FiiO’s own X5-3 as direct competitors. This being said, M11 comes with Roon, Tidal and full streaming support, so this …
iBasso DX220 – Ultimate Versatility – (AMP7, AMP8, AMP9, AMP1 MKII)
Views 96,018 Priced at about 900 USD for the basic configuration, and with a large number of subsequent AMP modules on the market, iBasso DX220 makes one of the most interesting DAPs (Digital Audio Players) to look at right now, and has to fare well against harsh competition that includes …
Music At Its Finest – Wells Milo Headphone Amplifier Review
Views 41,242 Wells Milo is a high-end Headphone Amplifier, meant to fight with the best, and it will be compared against the Mytek Brooklyn DAC+, paired with the Young MK III from M2Tech, and also compared with iBasso DX220 + AMP7, and the Luxman P-750U Headphone Amplifier. Introduction Wells …
The Gentle Flagship Performer – QLS QA361 Music Player
Views 33,429 The QA361 DAP is the first Player I will be reviewing from QLS, a Chinese company known for delivering some of the best sound quality on the market. They are also known for going for minimalistic features, and for achieving some of the best sound signatures in the …
Pocket Fun – Audirect Beam DAC/AMP Review
Views 21,616 The tiny Audirect Beam has seen a lot of attention lately, and for a good reason, it has Hi-Res decoding, a good amount of driving power, and a warm sound, all in a device that’s no bigger than a tiny USB Stick. I’ll be testing it out, and …
Magic Wand – NextDrive SpectraX Portable DAC/AMP Review
Views 30,105 NextDrive SpectraX is a new DAC/AMP designed and created for smartphones, the unit of today being the Type-C version, compatible with any smartphone that relies on this standard, but also with computers and laptops that have a Type-C port. Introduction NextDrive is a rather new company, from …
Feliks Echo – Resounding Success
Views 71,703 Handcrafted in Poland, Feliks Echo is made by one of the most interesting Amplifier design companies I’ve had the chance to talk with, namely Feliks Audio. Introduction Handcrafted in Poland, Feliks Echo is made by one of the most interesting Amplifier design companies I’ve had the …
Final E5000 – Thick Sound Delight
Views 30,698 Final E5000 is the current upper midrange model from Final Audio, a IEM that promises to sound incredibly natural and fun, statements which we’re going to put to test in this review, as well as comparing them to other similarly priced IEMs. Introduction Final Audio is a huge …