For the longest of time, I've loved Etymotic. In fact, I own their entire XR line up. I even got my son into it and he now refuses to listen to anything else, but I think it's time I re-evaluated my position. You see, not long ago, one of my kids bought the Salnote Zero and I was absolutely floored with the tuning. Then, when my ATH-MSR7 died (finally!) and I had a new excuse to get more audio equipment, I bought the Letshouer S12 Pro. This time I was floored by the apparent technical abilities of the S12, with so much detail being brought forward...

I just wrote a fairly scathing review based on the sound quality. I'm having to rewrite this as I still have fitting issues and this caused my perception of the sound quality to suffer. Update - I've had my ER3XR for over a month now, and unlike almost every other IEM, it just keeps getting better. I'm so impressed with the sound quality that it's making me rethink on how I view IEMs in general. Package Not much at all. 3 pair of tips. 2 triple flanged silicon tips and 1 pair of what are probably the worst quality foam tips I've ever come across...

I've been listening to rubbish my whole life. I should’ve been listening to this instead. That was my first thought when I heard the AZLA Horizon, the definitive proof that South Korea is indeed the best Korea. I’ve always followed the mantra of never listening to anything I couldn’t afford, hence I had to make do with the ATH-LS70 (fun but not good for modern bassy genres), the ATH-E40 (good all rounder but unexciting) and recently, the Fiio F9 Pro (impressive for the price, but with an overdone treble and weak mids). Circumstances lead me to have...

I'm an Audio-Technica fan. In fact, it was my chance encounter with Audio-Technica's IM70 that led me down the wallet busting rabbit hole that high performance audio is. Over the years I've collected various bit of AT gear like the M40x, E40, LS70 and MSR7. Although the MSR7 is a great pair of cans, wearing them in the heat of the Australian summer can certainly strain the relationship. So, off I went to Sydney's premiere headphone store, Minidisc, in search of something more portable, and hopefully, a bit cooler on the ears. I tried the Etymotic...

The Fiio A1 is an insanely small portable amp. It weighs less that a fly’s fart and it uses about as much space. Priced at only AUD $49, it’s probably the cheapest audio equipment I have. So what is it good for? It’s an amp. It increases volume and that’s it. It doesn’t increase audio resolution, tighten bass, massage your feet or make the little man playing music inside your phone keep up with the beat better (no matter what ‘What Hi-Fi?’ Says). All it does is amplify the signal, because it’s an amp and that’s what amps do. So, does it do it well...

I was in love once. Her name was ATH-IM70 and and her honey dripping tones enchanted me. One day, she passed away and I moved on to the ATH-M40x. It was not the same. I flirted with the ATH-LS70is and the MSR7 but none could quite get there (The MSR7 got really close though). Trawling through Addicted To Audio's online store, I found the ATH-E40 on special. I had given the E40 the cold shoulder in favour of the LS70 previously, but it was so cheap that without thinking l bought it. I’m in love again. Packaging: Decent. You get 4 pair of silicone...

I have a love/hate relationship with my Fiio X1ii. On one hand, it introduced me to the world of quality audio, teaching me that not everything is about bass and the importance of clarity an restraint. On the other hand, it's a buggy, slow mess of a player that comes with a huge side order of frustration. After battling with over the last couple of years I gave up and decided to use my phone for music duties. Yeah, phone audio is rubbish, however the interface is great. I decided to go for a DAC/AMP combo and call it a day. Looking around, I saw the...

There comes a time when one realises that sound quality is not about bass quantity, and you start to search for clear, undistorted sound. While my ATH-M40X does a damn good job of providing me with sonic bliss, they are uncomfortable. And by uncomfortable I mean something close to passing a large kidney stone. So out I went into the world and searched for a new soul mate. This is how I met the MSR7. Build quality: Sturdy and refined, the MSR7 is made up mostly of Aluminium and plastic decorated with tasteful colour highlights. It dismisses the...

For a few months I had been using my ATH-M40x as my daily driver. They are really good cans but also large and bulky. I decided to get myself an IEM. After much research and consideration, I decided to get the ATH-E40. So I popped into Minidisc in Sydney and walked out with the ATH-LS70is. So why did I snub such a highly regarded IEM like the E40 in favour of the LS70? Well, the LS70 made quite the impression on me. In fact, it put big stupid grin on my face as I was demoing it. Okay Let me start with the package. Package: Not much to write about...

I don't have golden ears. I can't tell you why something sounds good or why it sounds bad, I can however tell how much enjoyment I'm getting out my headphones. My old IM-70's died (the left cable) and since they were still under warranty, I returned them and got the ATH-M40X (why spend money on a cable when I can have them replaced, right?). Packaging The box is big. Almost like a small moon that happens to be a battle station. Inside you get the headphones (duh) and 2 cables. A straight 3 metre and a nice curly one. Both of them are pretty long...

Review updated for firmware 1.6.2 The DAP And Package Sturdy, slick and well built. These were the first things I thought of when I took my player out of the box for the first time. The Fiio X1ii generation is a delight to touch with it's smooth lines on its all aluminium body. It certainly does not feel like it would break if you were to drop it (mind you, I have not tested this myself). In the package you get some faux carbon fibre body stickers, a mini USB cable to charge and transfer files, some screen protectors and a plastic body...

Coming from a cheap pair of Sony earphones, I was initially fairly impressed by these IEMs. The bass was powerful and the treble was far more detailed than I was accustomed to. However, it wasn't long before the honeymoon period ended and the shortcoming started to show. First, the bass. There's a lot of it. I'm talking basshead level here. At first it sounded impressive, adding some nice, smooth bass to neutral tracks, giving them life and vibrancy where there was none before, however, things took a nosedive with bass heavy songs. Here the bass it's...

Rich, clear and natural sounding, these earphones are a delight to listen to, however, your mileage may vary depending on your hardware and how well this IEM fits you.   When I first tried them on, I was kind of disappointing. It sounded muffled and boomy. Soon I began to experiment with the different tips included in the package. The Comply foam tips are comfortable and secure, but they do muffle the treble and tend to wear out and become soiled quite quickly. The stock silicon tips do a better job with the sound but I found them to be...