Introduction:   It can be hard to find the right portable player for your needs – there’s an absolute sea of them, and most audiophile manufacturers try their hand at making a DAP (Digital Audio Player) or two.   You have people swearing by Fiio’s products, others by Aune’s, yet others by Shanling, Ibasso, Astell & Kern, Shozy… the list goes on. When everyone shouts that their player is the best, how do you figure out which one really fits the bill?   You can, of course, go to a megastore and demo them all – but such stores that include DAP’s...

Introduction:   HiFiMan has been in the scene for a long time – primarily known for their open-back headphones, much of their product line has been both highly praised and widely popular. Their recent HE-350 model is the most affordable open-back headphone on the market, while their HE-1000 is the cream of the crop, and highly regarded as one of the best headphones available.   But one thing they were not known for was closed, portable headphones. In that market, it’s very difficult to make a premium product that sounds significantly better than...

Introduction: There’s a certain thrill I get when I see the term “flagship”. The best a company has to offer, its very own premium, crème de la crème product. When it comes to sound quality, it’s the place we want to go to satisfy the perfectionist side of us all. …But there’s also the feeling of “I can’t possibly afford this.” For some, that isn’t an issue – they have the finances to buy whatever they want. But what about the rest of us though? Luckily, in recent years, there have been some outstanding products that joined the audio...

Introduction: Noble Audio is one of those companies that don’t mess around. The company, as well as the names of the members themselves, are famous in Head-fi circles – they’ve done amazing work not only creating products that sound good, but also bring something new to the table. Custom and Universal models? Check. 10 driver flagship IEM? Yep, and a whole host of other driver amounts too. You want the shell made out of exotic wood? How about honeycomb? Carbon glass? Pinecone design? Almost every cool design you can think of, Noble has up for...

  Packaging:   The HM2's packaging is standard for Brainwavz - which is to say, very good. It comes in a stylish box, which has information and specifications on the side and back of the box. It also includes a summary on the other side, giving insight as to the mission Brainwavz set out for this headphone. Inside you have a first look at the case, which sports the headphone and its accessories.     Accessories:   The HM2’s accessories are actually one of its strong points. Ever since their S0 model, I understood how much effort Brainwavz...

Introduction:   Most of you reading this review know of DUNU’s products already, so I’ll keep this short. DUNU has been making IEM’s (in ear monitors – basically in ear headphones) for a while, and their products have been absolutely fantastic every time. While the word “fantastic” and “great” have been overused in many reviews (even when the product is just alright), DUNU separates itself from the rest of the crowd with the sound quality and ease of use of the headphones they provide.   The last two of DUNU’s headphones I reviewed, the Titan 1...

Introduction:   Most of you reading this review know of DUNU’s products already, so I’ll keep this short. DUNU has been making IEM’s (in ear monitors – basically in ear headphones) for a while, and their products have been absolutely fantastic every time. While the word “fantastic” and “great” have been overused in many reviews (even when the product is just alright), DUNU separates itself from the rest of the crowd with the sound quality and ease of use of the headphones they provide.   The last two of DUNU’s headphones I reviewed, the Titan 1...

Introduction:   Brainwavz has been a strong contender in the IEM market for a while, they don’t need any introduction. However, some of you may not be familiar with their “S”-type line: So far they come out with the S0 (which I had the pleasure of reviewing), the S1, and the S5. As you may have guessed, the higher the number, the better the product gets, and with it the price tag too. However, Brainwavz has stayed truthful to its intended market range, and even the S5 is extremely affordable compared to other company offerings.   So the S3 is a...

Introduction:         Packaging (Pictures):     Build Quality, Design, and Features:   The build is solid, there’s not much to talk about here. The metal seems to be about half an inch thick, which not only makes it more solid than the competition, but reduces heat as well. It has a solid feel to it, and while it is a bit on the heftier side, it’s actually quite light for the amount of metal in this device. The volume knob is also nicely built, and is of a lighter metal than the case. Despite doubling as a button (and being made to...

  The Kidwavz KV100 is a new child-oriented headphone. Just like any other product that has kids in mind, the KV100 is a safer, more comfortable, and more durable alternative to other headphones in this price range. I myself have a ten year old sister, and after hearing about this product, I jumped at the opportunity to review these – most headphones don’t fit my sister’s head well, and the ones that do either get tangled easily or sound horrible.   Another thing to keep in mind is that many children like listening to music loudly – I have plenty...

  Introduction:   Aune Audio has been making affordable audiophile products for quite a while now – They have a number of desktop DACs and amplifiers, and recently made an entry into the portable world with their new Aune B1, which has received incredible praise on its sound quality, among other things.   The Aune X1S is not the product of a guessing game, as many new products are nowadays – the Aune X1 family has seen 4 generations since 2008, and the X1S is the 5th. Rather than jump around new products and hope one is good, Aune has persisted...

  Introduction:   Master & Dynamic has hit the market with a headphone that is as luxurious as a Lamborghini or Ferrari – not only in looks, but product quality as well. Some of us have been through headphones in the $400 price bracket, but mostly have experienced open-back cans. The MH40 is not – leading it to be top of the line in terms of closed-back quality.   Closed back and at $400? Why would I spend so much on a portable headphone?   Well, the same reason you’d get a Lamborghini, if you could afford one. Producing a headphone is not...

I was actually going to do a quick summary on a thread about this, but now that I see it has its own section, I'll do a quick review.   *Please forgive the quality of the pictures. I did not have my regular camera at the time, and these were the best I could get of the substitute camera. Also, the Hengja under review was provided to me by Pandora of Brainwavz. I would like to thank her for the sample, and congratulate the engineers behind this. The Hengja is truly a job well done.*   Packaging:   The Hengja came in a small package, and didn't...

Introduction: HiFiMAN needs no introduction. As everyone knows, they’ve been one of the most active companies in the audio market, and have introduced some solid products, including (but not limited to) their acclaimed flagship, the HE-1000. This HE400S model, however, needs a little preface. HiFiMAN produced the HE-400 in 2012, and many Head-fi’ers enjoyed its sound. Not stopping there, they released another model in the series, the HE-400i, in early 2014, and many praised its sound quality as well. However, price tags for the HE-400i...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction & Design:   Aiaiai isn’t a company often mentioned on Head-fi, and may strike you as one that doesn’t have enough sound to hold its own in the massive competition of the headphone world.   …Not exactly, though. Although there are more companies in the audio world than I can count, Aiaiai actually brings something incredibly new to the table. I’m not talking about a new look, a bass mod, or a new driver...

  Introduction:   Westone is definitely not new in the audiophile world; they have a large range of quality IEM’s that have been praised time and time again. Among these are the W40, a quad (balanced armature) driver IEM with a 3 way crossover. For anyone new to the concept of multi-driver in ear monitors, each driver focuses on a specific part of the frequency range. A triple-driver IEM might have one driver (speaker) for the bass frequency, one for the mids, and one for the highs. More drivers generally mean that each one can focus more...

Introduction: If you're part of this site, you've heard of open-back headphones. Well, today I learned that over-ear headphones aren’t the only cans with different “open” designs; some IEM’s, less frequently, also feature a somewhat open shell - the DUNU Titan 1’s have a half-open, and half in-ear design. So what's the benefit? Think about a semi-open IEM the same way you would regard a semi-open headphone – An open design allows for a more spacious, larger sound (more "3D", binaural, etc.) while sacrificing isolation. If there was a choice...

Introduction: IEM’s have always been the little brother to full-sized headphones. Always have, and many believe always will be. But many companies are taking strides to close that gap, or at the very least providing something truly unique to the IEM market. DUNU is on the forefront of those companies; their DN-2000 and Titan 1’s have been widely praised on the IEM market for their build quality, and more importantly, their sound. IEM companies have to struggle with not only the sound tuning, but also with the small size allotted to them as...

PreIntroduction: I am in no way affiliated or work for Brainwavz. For this review, I’ve received the S0 as a review sample courtesy of Audrey from Brainwavz. Introduction: I remember when I got my first $30 IEM; this was before I was fully invested in sound quality and high end audio. Rather than going to head-fi to check which ones are valued for the price, I went to Amazon instead and looked for the highest rated IEM’s at the time. So I bought one. Wasn’t too impressed. Bought another one, and it broke; etc. Pretty much every time I tried...

        Introduction:   There haven’t, erhm, been too many Class A portable amplifiers on the market, so introducing this as part of a group is quite difficult. The Lear FSM-2 V2 may be one of the only other ones I’ve heard of, and even then only fleetingly, and at more than double the price point of the B1. In terms of power, though, there has been a few budget amps that pack a punch, including but not limited to the Fiio E12 we all love at its price point.   So, the point? That Aune’s B1 is quite interesting before we even start...