Greetings! Today we're checking out Astrotec's newest flagship earphone, the Phoenix 6. The original Phoenix was one of my 2020 sleeper hits, eschewing a balanced sound for some of the most visceral sub-bass I have experienced to date. With a hand-crafted rosewood shell with aluminum and titanium face plate accents, it certainly looked the part of a flagship. With the new Phoenix 6, Astrotec has stepped up their game in a big way. Instead of “just” two electrostatic tweeters and a single dynamic, the 6 ups it to four electrostats, one balanced...

Greetings! Today we're checking out both forms of Astrotec's newest budget model, the Vesna. Astrotec is probably best known for their premium earbuds, as they're one of the few brands still producing products in that niche segment. While they've certainly dabbled in more affordable, sub-100 USD products, the Vesna is their most affordable that I'm aware of. At 19.90 USD for the standard Vesna, and 34.90 USD for the EVO, they're tackling a busy, popular segment that is often full of hype, strong marketing promises, and plenty of solid offerings...

Greetings! Today we're looking at the Legacy 2 from ThieAudio. ThieAudio is Linsoul Audio's in-house brand. Created in 2019, it quickly gained steam as a reliable brand producing competitive, high performance earphones. Their lineup has expanded greatly since their arrival on the scene, and include three main product types; tribrids, hybrids, and BA-only earphones. Of course they also offer a variety of accessories. The Legacy 2 we're checking out today is a 99 USD 1+1 hybrid utilizing a Knowles ED29689 balanced armature and 10mm beryllium coated...

Greetings! Today we're checking out one of Campfire Audio's newer mid-fi entries in the versatile Mammoth. With a v-shaped tune, the Mammoth is not alone among it's family of Campfire Audio hybrids. What sets it apart and makes it one of the best they've released to date (in my opinion of course) is the relative restraint they took when tuning bass quantity, and the newfound emphasis on mids. It is certainly more even and versatile than other hybrids in the lineup, without making any drastic sacrifices to detail, clarity, aggression, etc. I've...

Greetings! Today we're checking out one of Campfire Audio's newer mid-range offerings, the triple armature Holocene. While the colour scheme is reminiscent of their original flagship, the Jupiter, the sound tuning is inspired by the limited edition c/2019 Q4. Inside each shell are three balanced armatures per side, housed within Campfire Audio's now ubiquitous 3D printed acoustic chamber. Unique to the Holocene and release mate, Mammoth, the shell, cable, and carrying case contain glow-in-the-dark elements that lighten the mood somewhat...

Greetings! Today we're checking out Earsonics' new top of the line offering, the Grace Platinum. If you've been following the high end portable audio market for a while now, you're likely familiar with Earsonics. The French outfit founded by Franck Lopez in 2005 has been catering to professional and enthusiast markets alike for over a decade. They currently offer a variety of universal and custom-fit earphones featuring both hybrid and pure armature setups. Like the Corsa I reviewed not too long ago, the Grace Platinum we're checking out today is...

Greetings! Today we're checking out Astrotec's latest entry into their S lineup of true wireless (TWS) earphones, the S70. My first introduction to Astrotec's true wireless earphones was the S60, a very compact, fairly affordable product that utilized balanced armatures instead of the much more common dynamic drivers found in pretty much everything from their competitors. The S60 5.0 (revised version) is still one of, if not, my favourite TWS earphone thanks to it's size, balanced signature, and reliable connection quality. Next up was the S80...

Greetings, Today we’re taking a quick look at the Odyssey HD from Venture Electronics. Unfortunately this review is coming later than intended (sorry Lee, anxiety and depression are harsh b****es) but the Odyssey HD was recently announced to be discontinued so I wanted to get something out before it was gone for good. Like much of VE’s gear, the Odyssey HD arrived in a simple branded plastic resealable bag. Inside is of course the dongle itself, but also a Type-C to Type-A USB adapter. And that’s it. Given the mere 10 USD price tag, this is...

Greetings! Today we're checking out one of Venture Electronics' most affordable earbuds, the Monk Lite. The original Monk received critical acclaim thanks to its low price and a level of sound quality that almost nothing at the time could touch. While that has changed over the years, the Monk remains a very strong offering. One issue many had with it resulted from the ergonomics of the Sennheiser MX500-styled shell. It's not particularly friendly to small ears and could cause hot spots and discomfort over time. The Monk Lite aims to rectify this...

Greetings! Today we're checking out the triple armature Corsa from Earsonics. If you've been following the high end portable audio market for a while now, you're likely familiar with Earsonics. The French outfit founded by Franck Lopez in 2005 has been catering to professional and enthusiast markets alike for over a decade. They currently offer a variety of universal and custom-fit earphones featuring both hybrid and pure armature setups. The Corsa that we're looking at today is a universal fit model containing three proprietary balanced armatures...

Greetings! Today we're checking out Venture Electronics' (VE) latest budget earphone release, the Bonus IE (BIE). While probably best known for their extensive earbud lineup which includes the legendary Monk, in-ears are something VE hasn't dabbled nearly as much in, though I can think of at least four different models; The Duke, Monk IE Biggie and Smalls, and the Grand Duke which is their current flagship iem. Being a new budget model makes the BIE all the more exciting for me since the same principles that were applied to the legendary Monk...

Greetings! Today we're checking out a discontinued model from AKG, the K121 Studio. I'm no stranger to AKG having spent ample time with a number of their products, like the K512 mkII, K701, and my favourite, the K553 Pro, among others. I recently added the K121 Studio to my collection having found a roughed up copy at the local thrift shop for a whopping 3.99 CAD. The elastics that support the headband had completely deteriorated, the pads were falling apart and the tuning foam covering the drivers was shredded and disintegrating into tiny...

Greetings! Today we're checking out Moondrop's newest sub-100 USD release, the completely revamped Aria. The original Aria came out in 2018 and featured a more traditional barrel shaped housing. The shells were brass with an attractive chrome coating and housed dynamic drivers with carbon nanotube diaphragms. The cable looked to be the same as that on the Spaceship, affixed to the earpieces with durable metal hardware. The 2021 Aria drops all but the name and some of the accessories from the original incarnation. The new shell strongly pulls from...

Greetings! Today we're checking out TinHiFi's newest entry into their ever popular T-Series of earphones. TinHiFi's claim to fame is the original T2, a reference quality dual-dynamic earphone that didn't break the bank. Since it's release in 2017 put them on the map, TinHiFi's lineup has been fleshed out with a wide variety of products, some great like the T2+, some lacking like the true wireless T2000. When the T5 was announced, I was pumped for the gorgeous new shell design, the move to a 2-pin system, and the inclusion of super stiff DOC single...

Greetings! Today we're checking out the Summer from fan favourite, BQEYZ. I was first introduced to the brand with the KC2, an affordable 2+2 hybrid that is still quite popular three years after it's release. Such staying power is a rarity in what has become a very fast-paced consumer space. Next up was the Spring II, a tribrid earphone that very successfully combined dynamic, balanced armature, and piezoelectric drivers into a coherent, capable earphone. It was one of my favourite releases of 2020 and the earphone that, in my experience, best...

Greetings! Today we’re checking out the Honeydew, one of two brand new products from Campfire Audio. Hailing from Portland, Oregon where their products are designed and hand-assembled, Campfire Audio has been bringing high end in-ear-monitors to the public since 2015. It all started with the Jupiter, Orion, and Lyra. Since then their lineup has been expanded and refined with popular releases like the Andromeda and Atlas. The Andromeda in particular has become a staple recommendation for audiophiles looking to step up into the realm of TOTL...

Greetings! Today we’re checking out the Satsuma, one of two brand new products from Campfire Audio. Hailing from Portland, Oregon where their products are designed and hand-assembled, Campfire Audio has been bringing high end in-ear-monitors to the public since 2015. It all started with the Jupiter, Orion, and Lyra. Since then their lineup has been expanded and refined with popular releases like the Andromeda and Atlas. The Andromeda in particular has become a staple recommendation for audiophiles looking to step up into the realm of TOTL...

Greetings! Today we're checking out Astrotec's newest premium earbud, the Lyra Nature Limited Edition (LE). The lack of isolation, fitment oddities, bass presentation, and negative reputation built by crappy pack in earbuds that come with various electronics have left them as a niche product, though one that has its die hard fans. Just visit the Earbuds Anonymous group on Facebook, or earbud thread on Head-fi.org and you'll be amazed at just how much people love this style of earphone, going so far as to heavily customize and personalize existing...

Greetings! Today we're checking out the BD005 Pro, Kinera's update to one of their most popular models from years past. Kinera is one of those brands that seems to be very hit or miss within the community. They always look great, but their tuning choices often clash in a way that leads to mixed opinions. A love it or hate it affair you could say. More recently, starting with products like the Idun and Tyr, I've noticed a positive shift as Kinera refines their tuning while continuing to build upon their already top tier design choices. The new BD005...

Greetings! Today we're checking out the ZEN, Dunu's entry into what has become a very competitive, upper mid-range market. Like Dunu's flagship Luna, the ZEN moves away from the hybrid and armature-only configurations that have become quite popular in recent years. This doesn't mean it's a simple product. The 13.5mm dynamic used in the ZEN utilizes technology derived from the Luna. The wide, cone-shaped dome of the ZEN's diaphragm is made from pressed aluminum-magnesium alloy with the addition of an amorphous carbon coating to fill in any...