Design When I unboxed Rinko, my first thought was how much it resembled the Truthear HEXA. The aluminium faceplates and translucent 3D-printed resin shells share a similar matte black finish and feel. The slim shells are not only aesthetically pleasing but also exceptionally comfortable. However, they offer little passive noise isolation. Rinko features standard 0.78mm 2-pin sockets, aluminium nozzles, and a single vent on the rear side. Included with Rinko is a twisted oxygen-free copper cable. The straight plug and Y-splitter boast a polished...

The Tinhifi C5 is a hybrid dual-driver earphone with a unique driver configuration. It has 1SPD (square planar driver) and 1BA. In this review, I’ll be taking the Tinhifi C5 through its paces. It’s priced at $79. Disclaimer: This sample was provided by HiFiGo for an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product. Specifications Impedance: 9Ω±15%. Driver Configuration: 10*10 SPD Planar Driver+ Customised Balanced Armature Driver. Frequency Response: 5mW. Sensitivity: 101±3dB. Frequency...

In this Moondrop Moonriver 2 review, I’m looking at the brand’s new dongle DAC. The Moonriver 2 features dual CS43198 DAC chips. It has a very impressive dynamic range and extremely low distortion. The price is $189. Disclaimer: This sample was provided by Shenzhen Audio for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product. Moondrop Moonriver 2 Package and Accessories For some reason, Moondrop decided to go with a more mature approach for Moonriver 2’s packaging. There’s...

Earsonics is a French IEM manufacturer with over 20 years of experience in the audio field. In this review, I’m checking out the Earsonics ONYX earphones. The ONYX is a hybrid quad-driver IEM with 1 dynamic driver and three balanced armature drivers. It retails for 490€ (approximately US$533). Disclaimer: This sample was provided by Earsonics for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product. Earsonics ONYX Specifications Sensitivity: 122 dB/mW. Frequency Response: 10 Hz...

In this review, I’m looking at the Shozy Ceres. The Ceres is a hybrid dual-driver IEM with 1 dynamic driver and 1 balanced armature. It retails for $179. Ceres is the goddess of cornflakes. Well, not exactly; Ceres is the goddess of grain crops and harvests in Roman Mythology and the word cereal is derived from her name. Disclaimer: This sample was provided by Linsoul for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product. Shozy Ceres Specifications Driver: 9.2mm dynamic driver +...

Burson Audio V6 Vivid Specifications Op-amp model: V6 Vivid Design: fully discrete Min voltage: ±3.5V/ 7 VDC Max voltage: ± 16.5V / 33VDC Current consumption: Single 7mA | Dual 14mA Unity gain stable: Yes Reverse-voltage protection: Yes Design In terms of size and form, the Burson V6 Vivid is the same as the V6 Classic. That means it’s rather big (12.4mm X 14.5mm X 29mm), something you may need to keep in mind depending on where you plan to use it. For example, when I put the V6 Classic in my Topping DX7 Pro, I discovered I could no longer put...

Operational amplifiers (op-amps) are often referred to as the workhorse of analogue electronics. In this review, I’m testing the Burson Audio V6 Classic op-amp. The V6 Classic is a discrete op-amp and is the result of 12 years of research by Burson Audio. Burson Audio official website: https://www.bursonaudio.com/ Disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product. Burson Audio V6 Classic Op-amp Specifications Op-amp model: V6 Classic...

DUNU is an IEM manufacturer with a great track record when it comes to producing high-quality earphones. They recently launched their Studio series in-ear monitors and in this review, I’m looking at the entry-level model, the DUNU SA3. The SA3 has 3 balanced armature drivers per side, a 2- electronic crossover and gorgeous 3D-printed shells. Let’s see how it performs. DUNU website: https://www.dunu-topsound.com/ This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with...

Auglamour is a Chinese earphone manufacturer that sells products under its own brand name as well as providing OEM services to other companies. In this review, I’m looking at their latest model, the Auglamour RT5. The RT5 is a dual-driver hybrid with one dynamic driver and one balanced armature driver. It has medical-grade resin shells and CNC machined aluminium-magnesium alloy faceplates. Let’s check it out. Disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my...

Gustard is a Chinese electronics manufacturer known for making high-quality DACs (Digital to Analogue Converters) and amplifiers. In this review, I’m checking out the Gustard A18 balanced DAC. The A18 features the latest flagship AK4499EQ DAC chip, Bluetooth connectivity and completely independent power supply plus much more. There are a bunch of impressive specs some of which I’ll cover later but what I’ll be focusing on in this review most is the sound and end-user experience. Let’s begin. Disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of an...

Anew is a relatively recent newcomer to the Chinese IEM scene. Until recently, they had only released a single model, the U1 which received a lot of praise among the community. In this review, I’m looking at their newest earphone the Anew X-One. The X-One has 5 drivers per side (1DD + 4BA) plus a unique tuning system that utilizes interchangeable modules which allow you to adjust the tuning to suit your own preferences. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first but I can confidently say that this system and the earphones themselves have some serious...

Things move rapidly in the audio equipment scene and the rapid adoption of planar magnetic drivers in both in-ear monitors and headphones is an indication of this. With that said, in today's review, I'm testing the Gold Planar GL600 planar magnetic headphones. Coming in at under $200, the GL600 has a premium all-metal construction and proprietary Nano-Membrane 66mm, planar magnetic diaphragm driver. Disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with...

Of all the products I’ve reviewed over the last few years, the Earstudio ES100 Bluetooth receiver has been one of the most popular by far. However, when it comes to desktop use, a compact dedicated USB DAC often makes more sense. Enter the Earstudio HUD100, a DAC that has a tiny footprint but plenty of output power and Hi-Res audio quality. So why do you need an external DAC, instead of just using your laptop or phone’s headphone jack? Well, laptops generally have low-power and low-cost built-in audio solutions. So the default audio quality is not...

Craft Ears is a new custom in-ear monitor manufacturer hailing from Poland. Their target audience is audiophiles and musicians and they work closely with many local artists, providing high-quality stage monitors. In this review, I’m checking out the Craft Ears Craft FOUR, a 4-driver custom in-ear monitor with 4 balanced armature drivers and a 4-way crossover. Let’s get into it. Craft Ears website: https://www.craftears.com/ This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my...

*The full written review was originally posted on my blog. What’s crackin’ PAR fam? In this review, I’m checking out the Phatlab Chimera tube and JFET dual-mode portable headphone amplifier. The Chimera has a bunch of interesting features, in particular, a seamlessly switchable Triode and JFET gain stage. Other features include a 4.4mm balanced output, high output power plus low and high gain modes, making it compatible with sensitive in-ear monitors as well as demanding full-sized headphones. Over the past few years, portable HiFi has continued to...

*This review was originally published on my blog. Itsfit is a relatively new company based in Hanoi, Vietnam that manufacture’s custom in-ear monitors (CIEMs). Despite only recently opening for business, they’re already delivering on a level you’d expect from a well-established brand in terms of product quality and user experience. In today’s review, I’m taking a look at the Itsfit Fusion, a tribrid custom earphone with a magnetostatic driver plus a dynamic, musical and immersive sound. Price $950 Website: https://itsfitlab.com/ This sample was...

*This review was originally posted on my blog. Han Sound Audio is a Taiwan-based company that manufactures high-quality upgrade cables for headphones and in-ear monitors (IEMs). In this review, I’m checking out their most affordable model, the Han Sound Audio Zentoo, a 4-core OCC copper Litz cable with unique spiral T-twisted tech. Zentoo (Zen 2) is the second generation of Han Sound’s Zen cable. Let’s see how it performs. Website: http://www.hansoundaudio.com/default.aspx This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All...

*This review was originally posted on my blog at Prime Audio Reviews. This DAC is built around the AK4497EQ chip, has native DSD512 support and fully balanced outputs. Let’s see how it performs. Singxer website: http://singxer.com This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product. Singxer SDA-2 Review Pros Brawny, expressive presentation Price to performance ratio Input and output options Headphone driving power No external power brick Cons No...

Han Sound Audio is a Taiwan-based company that manufactures high-quality upgrade cables for headphones and in-ear monitors (IEMs). In this review, I’m checking out the Hand Sound Audio Kimera, a 4-core hybrid upgrade cable with an exotic combination of gold, silver and copper wires. Han Sound Audio website: http://www.hansoundaudio.com/ This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own, based on my experience with the product. Prior to testing, the Kimera cable used for this review was...

Han Sound Audio is a Taiwan-based company that manufactures high-quality upgrade cables for headphones and in-ear monitors (IEMs). They started selling the first model, “Magic” in 2011 under the HiSound moniker and then the popular Muse in 2012. But it was in 2017 at CanJam Singapore when I first became familiar with the brand, which had since changed their name to Han Sound Audio. Since that time they’ve become a popular and respected source of IEM cables. Moving forward and today we’re reviewing the Han Sound Audio Agni MK2, the 2nd generation of...