Views 36,084 FiiO Q15 is a $399 USD portable DAC or Digital To Analog Converter, and Headphone Amplifier, with two headphone outputs, a smartphone mode, and with a huge driving power, but low noise for IEMs. Today we will review it and compare the new high-performance FiiO unit to other …
MQA
FiiO K9 PRO ESS DAC / AMP – Sound Versatility Unbound
Views 42,418 FiiO K9 PRO ESS is a $849 USD DAC / Headphone Amplifier with a multitude of inputs and outputs, a bulky but cool design, and with enough driving power to deal with most headphones out there. Although the XLR port is covered in most photos, and in most …
High-End Munich 2023 – An Audiophile Heaven For Your Ears
Views 67,242 With 2023 being still fresh, we decided to participate for the first time at a high-end show, and what a trip this has been. In today’s article we will discuss the highlights of High-End Munich 2023, traveling to Germany, and how to get the best of your experience …
HIDIZS XO DAC / AMP – The Gamer Look, Musician Sound
Views 33,863 HIDIZS XO is a DAC / AMP priced at $99 USD, made for smartphones, with a type-c input connector, MQA 16X support, and dual ESS Sabre ES9219C DAC implementation. It will be compared to other entry-level DAC/AMPs, including HIDIZS S9 PRO (119 USD), Shanling UA3 (110 USD), and …
iFi Go Link DAC – Short Tail Links To Music
Views 35,012 iFi Go Link is a $59 USD DAC AMP for mobile devices, or laptops with a type-C USB port, with a super light and portable design, and with a single ended 3.5mm headphone output. Given the price point, today’s review will focus on it and the comparisons with …
Shanling M1s DAP Music Player – The Upside Down Song
Views 34,016 Shanling M1s is a $ 229 USD DAP / Music Player designed with frontal buttons, and which can be used upside down, thanks to a smart setting in the menu. It also has features such as USB DAC, MQA support, Balanced Output and Two-Way Bluetooth. It will be …
HiBy R6 III (Gen 3) Hi-Res Player – Dual Class DAP
Views 37,434 Hiby R6 III (Gen 3) is a $499 USD midrange DAP with a Dual Class design (you can change whether it is currently running in Class A or Class AB), Android 12, Snapdragon 665 CPU, and Balanced Output + Balanced Line Out. It will be the focus of …
Astell&Kern Acro CA1000T Transportable Tube DAP – The Mightiest Music Player
Views 46,446 Astell&Kern Acro CA1000T is a $2299 USD Tube DAP or Digital Audio Player, with a display, microSD slot, insane-level 4 headphone outputs, volume wheel, separate charging and USB Data ports, RCA outputs, 4.4mm Line In, and Optical, Coaxial Input. The only players that really compete are other Astell …
SMSL DO300 Balanced DAC – Perpetual Upgrade Of S.M.S.L
Views 30,067 SMSL DO300 $549 USD is a high-end DAC for desktop systems with ES9039MSPRO DAC Chips from ESS, MQA Hardware Decoding, a Full Function Remote, and with a built-in power supply. It also has Bluetooth 5.0 and 11 high-end Dual OP-AMPs. It will be compared to other high-end desktop …
Shanling M3 Ultra Music Player – DAP To The Max
Views 39,517 Shanling M3 Ultra is a $469 USD DAP / Digital Audio Player, basically a portable music player, with Dual ESS ES9219C DAC Chips, Dual RT6863 AMP Chips, Balanced Output, Super high endurance for the battery, and a lot of driving power. In today’s review, we will explore together …
Khadas Tea DAC / AMP / Bluetooth Receiver – Slim Apple MQA Amplifier
Views 27,706 Khadas Tea is a $209.9 USD DAC / AMP / MQA decoder with LDAC and Bluetooth connection, an ESS ES9281AC PRO DAC, and MagSafe locking mechanism, with a battery that powers it, designed mainly for apple devices, but compatible with everything else as well. It will be compared …
HIDIZS AP80 PRO-X Red Copper Limited Edition – Music Travels Through Metal
Views 19,678 HIDIZS AP80 PRO-X Red Copper is a 250 USD DAP Portable Music Player which is limited to 500 units world wide, and is a special edition of the traditional AP80 PRO-X, and has a superb copper casing, along with very similar design and abilities as its traditional brother. …
HIDIZS AP80 PRO-X DAP Music Player – Mini MQA Versatility
Views 29,038 HIDIZS AP80 PRO-X is a 199 USD Portable Music Player with MQA Playback abilities, a Dual DAC design, LDAC Bluetooth, USB DAC function, and multiple color options. It will be compared to other entry-level DAPs, including Hiby R3 PRO (200 USD), xDuoo X20 (250 USD), and FiiO M9 …
Shanling UP5 Bluetooth Receiver – DAC AMP MQA Power Etiquette
Views 27,537 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 36,172 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 …
SMSL DO200 MKII MQA DAC – Exploring The Upgrade
Views 30,177 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, …
Lotoo PAW S2 Dongle DAC AMP – Equalized Presentation
Views 30,859 The Lotoo PAW S2 is a 279 USD portable DAC AMP with an AKM4377 DAC inside, and up to 150mW at 32 OHMs of power over the 4.4mm Balanced Output. Given the price which is higher than most dongle DAC AMPs, Lotoo PAW S2 will be compared to …
iBasso DC06 Dongle DAC AMP – Square Performance
Views 38,387 iBasso DC06 is a 119 USD Dongle DAC / AMP, with Dual ES9219C DACs, 320mW in 32 OHMs, Balanced output and support for decoding MQA as well as DSD up to 256x. It will be compared to other popular Dongle DAC/AMPs in the price range including ddHIFI TC44C …
iBasso DX320 DAP Music Player – Ultimate Sonics
Views 43,592 Ibasso DX320 is the 1599 USD flagship DAP or Digital Audio Player made by iBasso, with a modular AMP design, two colors available for purchase, and with new ROHM MUS-IC DACs instead of ESS or AK chips. Given the price point, it will be placed against the wall …
iBasso DC05 DAC/AMP Dongle – Power For Androids
Views 60,869 iBasso comes back to the entry-level to help music lovers enjoy their passion, DC05 being a 69 USD Dongle DAC/AMP with a Dual ES9219C DAC, and capable of decoding MQA up to 16X, and 140mW output power. I will also be comparing DC05 to Spectra X2 from Maktar (200 …
Cocktail Audio N25 Streamer – Elegance & Usability Connected
Views 67,099 Coming straight out of the technologized South Korea, N25 is a flagship streamer with DAC functions, and priced at 1400 USD. For this price, it features a Streaming function, network player, Roon point, and MQA decoding, along with a DAC function, so you can connect it straight to …
Maktar Spectra X2 – Power For Apples
Views 40,461 Maktar Spectra x2 is a DAC/AMP made for smartphones, and iPhones (the model we’re reviewing today), and it features a price tag of 200 USD, placing it above, or at least in line with iFi Hip-DAC2 (150 USD), Earmen Sparrow (200 USD), and Lotoo Paw S1 (170 USD), …
iFi Audio hip-dac2 – Late Autumn Colors
Views 60,627 iFi Audio hip-dac2 is the latest DAC/AMP from iFi, and it is priced at 190 USD, and comes with full Balanced output, MQA support, Hi-Res support. It will be compared to other high-quality DAC/AMPs in the price range, including Earmen TR-AMP (250 USD), JDs Labs Atom+ + JDS …
Astell&Kern A&Ultima SP2000T – Tube & Solid State Blends Musically
Views 102,754 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 …
Hilidac Audirect Beam 2 DAC/AMP – MQA Blues Got Me Singing’
Views 41,808 You heard about Hilidac’s Audirect Beam, Whistle, and Atom PRO, now it is time for the second beam of enlightenment, Beam 2, with MQA and Hi-Res support, and priced at 100 USD, and which will be compared to FiiO BTR5 2021 (130 USD), iFi Hip DAC (150 USD), …