HiFiMAN HE400         By now I think most of us are familiar with the history behind the HiFiMAN HE-series headphones. What started with a single model has grown into a full lineup, with prices ranging from $1299 for the flagship HE-6 to just $249 for the entry-level HE-300. Worth noting is that the HE-300 stands apart from the rest by using a “traditional” dynamic driver. Every other model in the HE-series is based on planar magnetic driver technology.   The entry level position among the planar models is held by the HE-400. It...

      I don’t think I need to say much about Heir Audio at this point – in a very short amount of time they went from being an unknown startup to being one of the most highly respected and sought after companies in the business. Their 8.A flagship is one of the best customs available at any price. Their entry level 3.A is well liked, and is actually one of the cheapest 3-way triple driver designs around. And the 4.A, probably their most popular model, seems to hit a sweet spot between performance and value. Yet there is one more offering in...

      The story behind this review is kind of interesting. I was in contact with Meizu about an upcoming portable audio player being released later this year. I asked for a loaner so I could do a review over at InnerFidelity. That device is still a few months out so they don’t have review models yet. During the course of our conversation the Meizu rep asked if I might be interested in covering their latest IEM, the EP-40. A budget IEM selling for around $40? That’s not the type of thing I usually review. But I did some research on it, and...

    Yulong D100 MKII       A few years back I did a fairly extensive evaluation of the Yulong D100. It was my first experience with the brand and I was exceedingly impressed with its performance – so much so that I’ve tried almost all the Yulong products since then. Each has been impressive for its cost: The U100 is a nice compact USB DAC for a low price. The A100 amp complements the D100 nicely and offers extreme clarity and focus; I can’t believe it has not become more popular. And the new Sabre D18/A18 flagship combo is quickly...

    JF Digital HDM-03S         I’ve been using this device as my main source in my primary headphone rig for months. I’ve had the picture posted and a space reserved for review, yet I just haven’t had the time to get to it. Part of the problem is that I’ve been waiting until I had time to fully explore the network features, as well as mess with firmware updates. But with a newborn baby in the house and plenty of reviews on deck I feel like I just need to finish what I started. This will be my attempt at a more streamlined review...

      Lear LCM-2B     (all pictures can be clicked to open full sized version)   Custom IEMs these days come in all shapes and sizes. With literally dozens of manufacturers out there, one can choose from any number of configurations – acrylic or silicone, full shell or canal-sized, armature or dynamic driver (or combination of the two), single driver all the way up to 8 drivers per side, under $200 to well over $1000. And that’s not even counting the appearance options which can be anything from a single solid or translucent color...

        A while back I was contacted by a representative from Korean based Gyrocom asking if I was interested in reviewing their DAC product. Gyrocom? I had never heard of them. Yet the device doesn’t carry the Gyrocom name at all, but rather is branded as Audiotrak. Now that’s a name I am somewhat familiar with: I’ve heard good things about the portable Audiotrak ImAmp as well as the Prodigy line of soundcards. Apparently there is a group of companies working together under the Audiotrak banner, including ESI which was a popular name in...

      A few years back, I recall hearing praise for a little DAC from Grant Fidelity called the TubeDAC-09. It was a compact unit with a good amount of inputs, offering both tube and solid state outputs. It reminded me of the Maverick Audio TubeMagic D1, also a popular unit in its price range, and I believe the two models were somehow related. Fast forward several years later, and Grant Fidelity has a new model: the TubeDAC-11. Rather than building on the original, the 11 is a completely new design. The only thing it shares with the 09 is...

      Pioneer Elite N-50           I’ve been covering media streamers, network audio players, or whatever you want to call them, as often as I can around here. I think HeadFi is a great audience for these types of devices – we are generally younger and more knowledgeable about computers than your average “The Absolute Sound” reader. Or at least that’s my assumption; I could be wrong. But I do see a large percentage of folks around here who completely rely on lossless audio files instead of spinning their original CDs. So I’d say...

        I think it is safe to say that the headphone market is on an upward swing. Headphones are no longer relegated to being niche products, but have become far more mainstream than ever before. We are seeing growth in all categories, ranging from budget models to celebrity endorsed overpriced gear, and even very expensive flagship products. In ear monitors have kept up with their full sized brethren in terms of having more brands making good products than we’ve ever seen. As a subsection of the IEM category, custom molded IEMs have...

      There’s been lots of talk over the past few years, on this forum and many others, concerning the Asus Xonar line of soundcards. The Xonar ST and STX have basically become the standards in terms of reasonably affordable, high quality soundcards for the PC. For just over $200, you can add good sound and vastly improve your audio capabilities in comparison to an onboard audio solution.   Some people wish to take things a bit further with a dedicated external DAC. In most cases this is accomplished by connecting to the computer through...

      Just adding a quick summary based on my time with the prototype version of the HD700. In my opinion this is a very good headphone, yet I know it won't be perfect for everybody. But no headphone ever is!   It basically takes the HD800 sound, reduces the treble energy to some degree, and possibly bumps up the bass impact a tad. Either that or it just seems that way due to the treble balance. Since mine was a prototype version, there is a chance that the final sound will change. Therefore I'll be speaking in generalities. I know for sure...

            When it comes to DACs, many people have the misconception that the actual chip used for D/A conversion is the only thing that really matters. That makes about as much sense as saying the drivers in a speaker are all-important, and the crossover/enclosure don’t matter much. When we put it in those terms it sounds like nonsense. Yet this thinking persists in the realm of D/A conversion. Experience has shown that you can have an excellent sounding DAC using a fairly basic DAC chip. Likewise, you can have a DAC that sounds...

  TEAC WAP-8600         I’d like to thank Teac for loaning me this review unit. I can’t find a local seller that carries this model, but the price on Amazon.de is roughly €400, which currently translates to around $500 USD.   BACKGROUND Younger readers might not know this, but Teac has some serious audio pedigree. Founded in Tokyo circa 1953, the company became well known in the 1960s for their expertise in audio tapes (reel-to-reel and later cassettes). For the next 40+ years Teac continued to have a big impact on the audio...

      I posted a few pictures elsewhere, but now I’m making a dedicated thread about it. The topic is Heir Audio: a newly launched, high-end custom IEM company.   Some of you may recall HeadFi user FullCircle, aka The Wizard, posting pictures of his beautiful custom creations a while back. His real name is Dr. John Moulton and he’s a Doctor of Audiology. His posts around here were just for fun, to show off his beautiful custom work. I contacted him and practically begged him to let me buy his services. He refused at first, and we took...

  NAD C 446     BACKGROUND NAD has been around for a long time – next year marks their 40th anniversary in the audio biz. Many an audiophile got their first taste of “proper hi-fi” through the NAD 3020 amplifier, and there have been literally dozens of highly significant models released since then. Today you can buy a wide range quality gear from NAD, from the $379 C316BEE to the $6,000 M2. And that’s just the integrated category – they also do CD and DVD players, dedicated amplifiers, and other types of gear.   Link to the C 446 on...

A very easy way to add functionality to a traditional audio system without using an actual computer. It can stream music from a computer, SD card, thumbdrive, or a NAS, access thousands of internet radio stations, link with free or premium accounts from Pandora or Aupeo!, and even do standard AM/FM radio. When used with an outboard DAC, it actually sounds very acceptable for such a low priced device.      Link to my full review, embedded in my thread about streaming audio devices:  ...

            INTRO   I was chosen by V-MODA to be part of their “M-80 audio voyage” program. They chose 10 members from the forum and gave each one a free set of their new Crossfade M-80 on ear headphones, complete with custom engraved side panels. With an MSRP of $230 for the headphones plus $20 for the custom engraving, that’s theoretically $2,500 being given away to forum members – quite a generous showing from V-MODA. In return for this, we were asked to participate in a private sub-forum, discussing our impressions, giving...

See complete review here:   http://www.head-fi.org/t/575868/review-octet-matrix-de7-monitor-speakers-a-headfi-exclusive-review   For many people, these will be all the speakers you will ever need. They are clear, transparent, balanced, fast, and not picky about placement or amping. A seriously good value even at twice the price - I can't recommend them highly enough.

My full review:   http://www.head-fi.org/t/574418/review-violectric-v800-dac#post_7799058   In summary, this is one of the best DACs I've ever experienced, which is surprising since it only costs $1300. That's a lot of money, but actually pretty low for a top class DAC, which is what I consider this to be. In my personal experience I rank it below the Resonessense Invicta ($4k), MBL 1511E ($8k), and very very slightly below the now discontinued Anedio D1 ($1230), but above the Audio GD Reference 7 ($1900), Esoteric D70 ($6500), Wavelength...