The Phiaton Chord is a stylish and functional full-size on-ear headphone that features both Bluetooth connectivity and Active Noise Cancelling.   Build/Design - Phiaton has, for the most part, a great design team. The Chord is quite stylish and attractive in design. The headphones are made of a few different materials, including aluminum, plastic, and rubber. The headband and cups are made out of plastic. This plastic feels pretty dense and not prone to breaking, cracking, nor spontaneously combusting. I don't advocate for dropping pieces of...

The XS is the direct successor to V-Moda's famed Crossfade M80. This successor stays true to the root of the word, and is a massive success of both a headphone and a product.        The build quality of the XS is beyond almost every other portable headphone that I've used, except for other V-Moda models, which it is on par with, naturally. XS is built using a lot of high quality stainless steel and some rock-solid plastics. The folding mechanism is extremely rugged as well, and should promise a very long lifespan.  This durability doesn't...

The M80 is a famed headphone for being exceptionally good despite its very small stature.    Well, it's true.    The M80 follows V-Moda's classic styling, but smaller.    V-Moda has a reputation for building extremely durable on-ear and over-ear headphones that utilize a variety of high quality and rugged materials. The M80 features a stainless steel frame that's sure to last. Some outer parts are made of a gloss-finished plastic that also feels solidly built.  The headband also has a metal frame, and is covered with a soft fabric, on...

The M100 is V-Moda's top of the line over ear headphone for just about everyone, from DJs, to audiophiles, to casual listeners.   Accessories - Clamshell case, 6.3mm adapter, V-Moda Crossfade advertisement, owner's manual, extra headphone jack cover, and 2 cables- one orange with mic and single-button, one black with a headphone splitter for shared music listening. Both sleeved in Kevlar.    One thing I must say, though. V-Moda has made the best cases that I've seen so far that come with a headphone. Not only do they look absolutely fantastic in...

The Bridge is a headphone that combines the epitome of elegant design, comfort of kings, and an exquisite sound that you can get by just plugging into a smartphone. It is a pure audiophile headphone.    Accessories - Soft leather pouch, 6.3mm adapter, two cables (one with single button remote and mic).  The cables are covered with fabric, and are pretty thick. They're both teriminated with a 90 degree 3.5 jack.   Packaging - The Bridge comes in the largest box that I've ever seen for a headphone package. It's got Phiaton's trademark color...

The ZTONE from I-Mego is an interesting headphone that attempts to combine the style of custom in-ears with the fit of pre-made silicone.  It was an incredibly valiant effort, but it just doesn't seem to work well.    Build/Design - Well, probably the best part of the ZTONE is its build. It's got an excellent braided silver-plated copper cable that I've not seen on anything this cheap before.  Also, the memory wire near the shells is also quite nice, as is the strain relief that comes from the shell.    The housings themselves have a gunmetal...

The MS430 Fusion is part of Phiaton's new line of headphones, sporting an impressive build, style, and sound, like many other models from the company.      Accessories - 3.5mm cable, carrying pouch The cable features an in-line microphone with universal remote and volume control. I personally would prefer a version that has this and a separate version just for Apple devices, but that's just me.  The cable is terminated with a 90° angle jack    The carrying pouch is pretty rugged on the outside, with a very soft red faux-velvet inner lining...

The WS-99 are Audio-Technica's top of the line headphones in the Solid Bass line- and rightfully so.  These headphones are among the best that I've heard.           Build - The WS-99 shares a lot of its overall design with the the mid-level WS-77. However, the parts and quality of the WS-99's build are much, much above that of the 77's.  The outer circles of the cups are much more high-quality. The ridges are more deep and give the headphones an even better look when hit by light at any angle. The ridges are actually quite sharp. They're...

The R-DJ is part of Rock-It's new lineup of headphones, complete with the signature Rock-It styling excellence.   Accessories - Straight cable, coiled cable   Simplicity aside, these cables are, without a doubt, the sturdiest and thickest detachables that I've ever felt. Not to mention, they literally "fit" perfectly with the headphone's design.    Build/Design - As always, Rock-It a Sounds has nailed the styling of yet another headphone. The R-DJ features a matte black finish with some glossy orange parts that make it truly unique. The...

The Skullcandy Crusher is a consumer-oriented headphone that has highly impressed me with both its sound and features.       Accessories - Carrying pouch, 1x AA Battery The carrying pouch is a bit thin, in my opinion. It is quite stretchy due to that, and I'm a bit scared that it might rip after a decent amount of use. On the front of the pouch is the Skullcandy logo. Build/Design - The Crusher is all plastic, but it doesn't feel flimsy. The cups are made of a gloss-finished plastic, while the headband and adjusting frame is made out...

The VOXOA V33X HD Wireless headphones are VOXOA's first foray into the audio world. These portable headphones feature Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, which brings about oodles of features.   Package - The V33X comes in a nice box. Inside, are the headphones, which are between a few pieces of plastic to keep them in place, and a smaller box that contains the pouch and cables. The presentation is rather simplistic, but it maintains a hint of elegance to it, with its black and white color scheme.      Accessories - Carrying pouch, USB to Mini USB...

The BA100 from HiSoundAudio is a single balanced armature in-ear headphone that has ups and downs.   Big thanks to Jack at HiSoundAudio for the review unit!   Accessories - Hard carrying case, 3 pairs of tips (S,M,L), and 'fish' cable winder.  To be honest, I never found a use for the fish. It doesn't fit into the case, and I always keep the headphones in their case when not in use. The best use I got from it was showing it to a friend and telling them that I have a dead fish.      Build - The BA100 has an interesting design. Unlike most...

The Radical headphones from PopClik have never been spoken of before on Head-Fi, to my knowledge. These headphones are a consumer-oriented pair of headphones that I was honestly impressed by.     Accessories- Hard carrying case   The carrying case is pretty good for a stock headphone accessory. It feels much more well made than some of the cases I've come across (I.E. Klipsch). It's no V-Moda case, that's for sure, but, overall, I would say it is better than average in terms of build. It's also got a clip that allows for easy attachment to a...

The Rockit R-Studio headphones are among the best headphones that I've used under $100. I see an extremely high amount of potential in these headphones. The R-Studio is made of mostly plastic with a matte finish. The sides that hold the cups are made out of aluminum alloy, which does feel very sturdy. The 'back' of the cups, where the Rockit Logo is, is covered with pleather. The headband is quite plush. Very nice to the touch. The R-Studio features a standard 3.5 to 3.5 detachable cable. The earspace is immense. Easily the second largest amount...

The Jabra Vox is Jabra's current flagship IEM. It has impressed me in many ways, but has its shortcomings. But for being only $100 MSRP, these are a definite competitor on the current market.    Package - The Vox comes in a hard-plastic container with a yellow silicone stripe down the middle, with the word, 'Vox' written on it. It feels well made, and is aesthetically pleasing to my eyes.     Accessories - Carrying pouch, 3 pairs of tips, two sets of single flange tips (M, L), and one pair of bi-flange tips, SnagIt magnets. For a simple...

The iFi iDAC provides a flawless sonic experience that is truly high-end. Big thanks to Avatar Acoustics for the review sample! The iDAC comes with a very nice USB cable and RCA cable for line-out.        This DAC has, by far, surpassed my expectations. It provides the finest of audio experiences. Everything sounds super-transparent and life-like, like most ESS Sabre DACs. What is truly impressive about this DAC is the full 24/192 support.   Headphones that I tested with the iDAC Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro Takstar Hi2050 Audio Technica...

These headphones are a tremendous value for lovers of full range sound with a neutral signature.   Big thanks to Frank Doris at Audio Technica for the review sample! Great guy :)       The ATH-A700x is an efficient headphone that I've found to be great with practically every genre. However, these do rock incredibly well for me. I can honestly say that I can fully immerse myself in rock music with these headphones. I even prefer them over my DT770 Pro to an extent for rock.  These headphones don't need an amplifier in my opinion. I can...

The WS77 is a bassy headphone that does practically everything well. Before I begin, big thanks to Audio-Technica for the review sample!       Build - The WS77 honestly feels a bit flimsy to the touch. I don't personally think that reflects on the durability though. Most of the build is plastic, but the adjusting frame and the back of the ear cups are aluminum. The back of the cups are also made of aluminum. The aluminum has a circular pattern which gives it a cool effect when light hits it. Reminds me of the volume knob on many amps that...

Here we have the MEElectronics NS63, a headphone in MEElec's new lineup of products. At first glance of these headphones, they look pretty similar to some other 'fashion' headphones on the market, but rest assured, these sound much better. The NS63 is a good sounding headphone that has good passive isolation, but was designed to provide noise cancellation when needed most. MEElectronics, as always, supplied a good amount of accessories with this product, which includes a clamshell case and two different cables- one standard cable with...

Sometimes, we as audio enthusiasts want new gear to power our favorite headphones, but can't afford to spend too much. Enter Bravo Ocean  This hybrid tube amplifier is a gem for anyone on a budget that wants the renowned sound that a tube can bring. At $130, the Bravo Ocean is truly spectacular. I normally find myself using this amp to power my Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro and Takstar Hi2050. Usually, I find the Hi2050 to be a bit cold and boring, but with the Bravo Ocean amp powering it, the sweet tube sound gives them the warmth that I feel they...