I love to see well-established audio companies with a solid lineup on offer. Someone like Parasound, Sennheiser, or PSB will almost always have their bases covered with budget, midrange, and fairly expensive models to choose from. That's great because it allows access for all sort of folks, regardless of budget. But you know what I love even more than that? Growth. Seeing a company, new or old, making continual improvements, is just great to see. Think RHA or Philips - neither is firmly established as a market leader at this point, yet...

      Integrated amplifiers. We all know what they are, right? The classic definition involves having a power amplifier and a preamplifier integrated into the same chassis. Hence the name. It used to be very straight forward - you could walk into a brick and mortar store, or browse an audio catalog/website, and easily see the distinction between power amps, preamps, and other devices such as DACs. When grouped together each category had generally the same capabilities and features.   Nowadays things aren't so simple. Many "integrated" amps now...

This review is one of the most difficult I've had in quite some time. Not because the product had flaws, or because I couldn't make sense of what I was hearing (which sometimes happens), but because I struggled to understand the concept behind the design. I'm still not totally convinced that I have a handle on it, but I know some people are waiting to read this so it's time to move forward regardless. The product in question is the CMA800 headphone amplifier from Questyle, which is a new company hoping to take off in a big way. Based on what I've...

        Questyle Audio Engineering has thus far received lots of attention for their CMA800R headphone amplifiers. And rightfully so - those amps are extremely nice, a veritable match made in heaven for the Sennheiser HD800. But Questyle doesn't limit themselves to just headphone amps. No, they are a diverse company with expertise in many other areas. For example - a lossless wireless amplifier system for speakers (available with ICEpower monoblock amplification). That device may not fit the HeadFi demographic but it sure looks unique.... I don't...

        Around these parts, there's not much that needs to be said about Yulong Audio. Quite a few HeadFiers have experienced the neutral D100 series, the warmth of the A18 and D18 models, and of course the DA8 which is just a masterpiece in my opinion. Yet if you browse over to some other audio forums, you might find that Yulong remains virtually unknown. The brand is spreading, but nowhere are they as prominent as right here at HeadFi. Lucky us - Yulong makes some killer gear at reasonable prices.   Under the microscope today is the latest...

    Remember Edifier? The company that now owns Stax? I recently covered their e10 Exclaim desktop speakers and found them rather impressive for just $99. While making a nice budget speaker is certainly noteworthy, part of that equation involves most other speakers in that price being rather poor. Edifier is able to stand out merely by not being terrible. Doing a higher-end design is another matter altogether - in the $300-600 range, competition is fierce, and quality options are plentiful. Could Edifier climb the ladder into this hotly contested...

When a new company called Voxoa contacted me about reviewing their new Bluetooth headphones, I was this close to turning them down. I had no idea who Voxoa was but the very idea of a wireless headphone seemed rather unnecessary to me. When I listen to headphones, I'm usually sitting right next to my audio rack. Or maybe I'm using my iPad or an Android tablet - which is either in my hands or propped up a few feet in front of me. None of these situations involve me needing freedom from a cable. But it's been a while since I tried a wireless headphone...

      A while back I reviewed the CMA800, which was the flagship product from a brand new company called Questyle Audio Engineering. I actually screwed up and listed that review under the CMA800R heading.... I created a proper entry and migrated the original review there, and I'm now replacing this section with the proper content. Anyway, I was absolutely smitten by the CMA800's ultra-transparent presentation - it was easy to recommend for the asking price of $1,500. Since then, many others have gone down the Questyle road and  arrived at...

See my full review HERE. In summary, this is a well rounded, high performance amp that really offers a lot for the price. It's neutral, clear, and balanced - literally speaking and in terms of sound. Not sure why it isn't more well known. 

4C The Noble 4C ($699) is a quad driver design in the same vein as the Heir 4.A, which means a three way crossover, dual low frequency drivers, and separate drivers for mids and highs. I still have my 4.A and still enjoy the heck out of it, as a mostly neutral, but slightly forgiving model with very broad appeal. But I gotta say the Noble 4C is probably better for most people. Those who remember how much I enjoyed the 4.A will know how big of a statement this is.   Why? You may recall some complaint about the 4.A having a rather potent "dip" in...

  8C The Heir Audio 8.A was (and is) one of my all time favorite CIEMs. A flagship design with 8 drivers per side. A pile of 5 star reviews at HeadFi. A coveted spot on the Wall of Fame at InnerFidelity. How do you top something like that? The answer comes in the form of the Noble 8C ($1299). Wizard describes it as having a slight increase in high frequency response, while still maintaining the buttery smooth mids and textured lows of the original Heir 8.A model. I could probably stop right here because that pretty much nails it.   Much (digital)...

I've had the Anedio D2 since it first came out a while back. It replaced my D1 which was a breakthrough product in my humble opinion - staggeringly good for the $1230 asking price. The D1, and later the D2, routinely came out on top when compared to other DACs in the $2,000 to $4,000 range. This is no hyperbole - I can list about a dozen such competitors which I feel are not as good (and I believe I have listed them around here numerous times).    The D2 replaced the D1 and in the process added a bunch of "wishlist" items - balanced outputs, an...

      A few years back I reviewed an interesting little integrated amp called the Lead Audio LA-200. I quite liked it at the time, and looking back I'd say it was somewhat ahead of its time. No ordinary integrated, the LA-200 featured digital inputs and a PWM output scheme, meaning no traditional D/A conversion step was required. Sound familiar? It should, because that sort of thing is popping up more often lately - see NuForce DDA-100, or the M2 and C 390DD units from NAD. When all was said and done I thought the LA-200 was an excellent...

      Not long ago I reviewed the new DAC-100 from NuForce. I was impressed with its dynamic, exciting sound, which focused more on musicality than excruciating detail. Fast forward a few months, I also covered some of the matching Home Series gear over at InnerFidelity. I liked the whole lot of it, which was not something I had anticipated. But I did have a few minor complaints. Specifically, I noted the DAC-100 didn't have the same design aesthetic as the rest of the group. As a higher priced model I guess it made sense to have a standout...

      Effect Audio started in 2009, making aftermarket cables for enthusiasts. They went international in 2011, selling their custom creations via eBay as well as their own website. By 2013 they are one of the more well known options and have amassed a collection of positive reviews around HeadFi and other places. Effect primarily deals with cable upgrades for IEMs but has recently expanded into full size models such as Sennheiser and Audeze. I've been curious about them but never had a chance to work them into my busy schedule. Until now.  ...

            Yulong audio has been steadily building up their portfolio. The D100 was a brilliant DAC that fared well at the time against competitors in the $1K range - but it sold for under $500. The D100 mkII took things up another notch, adding further refinement and helping the D100 stay current against an increasingly tough range of competition. The Sabre D18 was the initial reference DAC, packing the flagship ES9018 Sabre Reference chip at a price - just $699 - far lower than any competitors using that same chip. But the D18 wasn't...

      Not long ago, I covered an obscure DAP out of China called the HiFi ET MA9. As you can read in that review - and I highly recommend you do before proceeding - I found that device to sound exceptional, despite a few minor quirks of the user interface. At around $860 the MA9 is certainly not cheap, but worthy of serious consideration for those looking to own a reference caliber DAP. The sound is just that good.   As a small company, I'm sure the maker realizes that not many people can afford to lay out the better part of a thousand...

        Asus is a well known tech company. They make laptops, desktops, tablets, motherboards, video cards, and a few other odds and ends. Around here, they are most known for their highly regarded Xonar Essence series of sound cards. The Essence ST and STX are likely among the most widely used "entry-level audiophile" products out there - especially when you consider the massive number of PC gamers who eventually become interested in quality sound. John Atkinson covered the ST and STX at Stereophile a few years back and concluded they were...

      The DAC market is clearly exploding. Seems like every week or so we hear of a new model being launched. Many of them look quite nice, with good specs and plenty of features. Some of them come from established brands like Benchmark, NuForce, Parasound, and PS Audio. Others come from relatively new, smaller (but growing!) companies like Matrix, Schiit, Yulong, and Resonessence Labs. Lots and lots of good choices can be had these days, and it's a great time to be in the market for new gear.   These new DACs tend to fall into certain...

DSD is all the rage these days. Despite there not being a whole lot of music available in the format (SACDs aside), DAC makers are jumping on the feature as fast as they can. And I can't blame them - aside from our "regular" music, we all love a little ear candy to show off the capabilities of our system.    Another thing that's quite popular? The ESS Sabre DACs. These Sabre chips show up in more and more products, eclipsing the the competition from Wolfson, Cirrus, Analog Devices, and Texas Instruments in desirability and "buzz" if not sheer...