disclaimer: The KZ S2 has been much anticipated and having enjoyed the E10, I was interested in seeing how this new model would fare. I was provided the S2 by LinSoul Audio for purposes of this review. The S2 is a bit different from most KZ models as it was crowd-funded and to some degree crowd-sourced as much discussion has gone into what the S2 should be and the specs have shifted considerably since the early discussion with a different bluetooth chipset as well as other changes, so I am interested to see how this product will perform. If you...

Disclaimer: The KBear KB04 was sent for review directly from KBear after a conversation on Facebook about the new model. I have no financial interest in KBear, nor have I received any instruction or compensation for this review beyond the item itself. If you have an interest in KBear products, you can get more information on their facebook, or website and buy their products through their ali express store. Unboxing / Packaging: Those familiar with the typical budget packaging used by KB-ear will recognize the slip-cover style packaging of the...

Headphones/Earphones Wired Over ear Andover PM-50 March 3, 2020 wiljen 122 Views Edit disclaimer: Andover Audio is both a new player in the market, and a long established company which takes a bit more explaining. Rob Mainiero, the GM at Andover, came from Cambridge Soundworks, and recruited team members from Apogee, Acoustic Research, Harman, and a/d/s among others in building the company. Since 2012, Andover has been designing audio solutions for the automotive, telecommunications, and consumer segment for other companies. Recently...

disclaimer: Audiofly is an Australian company that is trying to expand its brand awareness globally. They recently began a review tour on head-fi to help accomplish that goal. The AF1120 Mk2 was provided by Audiofly as part of the review tour on Head-fi. I have received no compensation of any kind for this review and the unit was sent on to another reviewer at the end of my listening. I have no financial interests in Audiofly, For more information on the AF1120 and other models they offer see their website. Unboxing / Packaging: The...

Disclaimer: I own, use, and have reviewed quite a few iFi products and am a fan of several of them. In this case, the Hip DAC was sent to me as part of a review tour so it wasn't a freebie from iFi, and my impressions are limited to 10 days use and I cannot speak to the longevity of the device. I've done my best to compare it to the other generations of iFi products I have in house and a few competitors, but with the limited time, A/B compares are somewhat minimal. I'd like to thank Lawrence and iFi Audio for giving me the opportunity to put...

disclaimer: The HUD100 was sent by Radsone for the purpose of this review. I have no financial interest in Radsone, nor have I received any remuneration for this review. If you have an interest in purchasing the HUD100 or other Radsone products, check out their website. Packaging: The packaging of the HUD100 is deceptive as the picture on the front of the box belies the size of the device. The lift-top style box has the photo on the front and data on the sides of the box. Lifting the cover reveals the instruction booklet on top and then the...

disclaimer: This is my third product from Dudios having recently reviewed their free mini and Shuttle tws in-ears. I was approached via my facebook and asked if I was interested in trying additional models and quickly agreed. The Tic retails at ~$30 and is available through their amazon store. You may also find them marketed by either Dudios or SoundPeats depending on the market you are in. Unboxing / Packaging: The tic arrived packaged very similarly to the previous models in a side opening press board box with the name and photo emblazoned...

disclaimer: The Zen Blue was graciously sent to me by iFi Audio since I have been working on a stream of bluetooth devices. The Blue is one of several models in the Zen line and is a bluetooth streaming device. The other current Zen model is the Zen DAC and while similar in construction, it is strictly a desktop DAC/Amp and does not overlap the bluetooth functionality of the Blue. A big thanks of iFi-Audio. If you are interested in the Zen series or other iFi products, check their website. Unboxing / Packaging: The Zen blue ships in a lift...

disclaimer: The X20 was provided by Xduoo and Xtenik for the purpose of this review. I am a big fan of the X10Tii so seeing what Xduoo has done with the X20 which combines the components of the X10T with a headphone amplifier was certainly of interest to me when Steven offered the X20 for review. Many thanks to Xtenik for sending the unit for testing. To learn more about the X20, see Xduoo's website or Facebook Page. To purchase the X20, see Xtenik's website. Unboxing / Packaging: The X20 ships in an outer transport box with photo of the...

disclaimer: I was sent the Cayin N6ii and YB04 as part of the Cayin North American Review tour. Thank you to Cayin for providing the opportunity and trusting me with their gear. If you have an interest in Cayin products, more details can be found at Cayin’s Website. Cayin products are sold in North America by Musicteck. Unboxing / Packaging: While the asking price is mid-fi, the packaging certainly qualifies as high end. An outer slipcover keeps a book-fold style box closed for transport but is easily removed when needed unlike some that...

disclaimer: I was sent the Cayin N6ii and YB04 as part of the Cayin North American Review tour. Thank you to Cayin for providing the opportunity and trusting me with their gear. If you have an interest in Cayin products, more details can be found at Cayin's Website. Cayin products are sold in North America by Musicteck. Unboxing / Packaging: The N6ii comes in rather fancy packaging as is expected for a near flagship product. An outer silver slipcover has most of the pertinent information on the spine of the cover and an inner book-fold...

disclaimer: The TRN v90 was sent for review. I have reviewed several TRN offerings in the past and have found them quite mixed with some like the v80 having definite potential and others like the X6 showing a bit less upside, so I went in with an open but some what skeptical mind regarding the v90. Unboxing / Packaging: Packaging on the v90 will be familiar to anyone who has bought anything from KZ, TRN, or several of the Chi-fi brandings. White slip-cover package with the line drawing of the earpiece on the front and specs on the...

disclaimer: Having been one of the first reviewers of the Smabat ST-10 when it arrived, I was interested in seeing what the next generation product would produce. Nicehck was nice enough to discount the M1 for me, but aside from that, I have received no incentives or persuasion regarding this review. If you have an interest in the M1 after reading more, it can be found here on NiceHck’s Aliexpress page. Unboxing / Packaging: Unboxing is straight forward with the box showing a line drawing of the earpiece on front and specs on reverse...

disclaimer: I had recently asked for suggestions of Bluetooth in ears in the sub-$100 space that had good sound quality and IKonex stepped up to the plate and asked if I was interested in trying their X7 model. I’ll admit that prior to this introduction on Facebook, I had no knowledge of iKonex or their product line. I looked up the X7 and found a recent indiegogo campaign for the X7 as well as a website for iKonex. Their website shows an eclectic mix of products mostly centered around small consumer electronics. I agreed to review the X7 and...

Xduoo Ta-03S disclaimer: The Ta-03s was provided for the purpose of this review and the tube rolling article by Xtenik Audio. If you have an interest in purchasing any of the Xduoo amplifiers I have recently written about, I suggest you check out Xtenik’s website and follow them on facebook for more information. I have no financial interest in Xtenik, nor did I receive any compensation beyond the product itself for reviewing it. Unboxing / Packaging: The Ta-03s is a fairly heavy unit so is packaged accordingly and the box is much more...

Disclaimer: I was provided the Shozy Form to review by Linsoul Audio. I have no financial interest in Shozy or Linsoul, nor have I received any incentives for this review. If you have an interest in this iem after reading the review, Linsoul Audio has them in-stock and ready to ship. If you have an interest in the Shozy Form you can learn more about it from their website here. Unboxing / Packaging: The Shozy form arrived in a lift top box with a photo of the earpiece on the front along with most of the specs. On the reverse of the box...

Disclaimer: I was provided the GR-i68 to review by Linsoul Audio. I have no financial interest in GuideRay or Linsoul, nor have I received any incentives for this review. If you have an interest in this iem after reading the review, Linsoul Audio has them in-stock and ready to ship. Linsoul can be found at their website, facebook, Ali-express store, or Amazon store. I had not been introduced to Guideray prior to the GR-i but their website shows they have been making audio gear since 2011. Interestingly, some of the products are recognizable...

Unboxing / Packaging: Packing is the standard white box with the line drawing on the front and specs on the reverse. Inner packaging will be familiar as well as the earpieces sit in a foam tray with the manual, warranty card, tips, and cable hidden underneath. Tips are 3 sizes of silicone with the mid size being a slightly different style than the large or small. Overall, it is a kit we are used to from the budget conscious brands but with others in the $50 range stepping up their game, a case might have been appropriate to the mix...

disclaimer: Due to a miscue in communication, I received the KZ ZSX from both HifiGo, and Linsoul Audio. At time of this writing, both vendors have the same pricing for the ZSX and a variety of other models available. I recommend checking out both as I have been well pleased with my purchases from both organizations. These can be purchased directly from hifigo for those interested. Unboxing / Packaging: The ZSX comes in a new style box for KZ, gone is the white slip cover with the graphics on the front, replaced with a book fold box in matte...

disclaimer: First off, a big thank you to Lillian and LinSoul Audio who provided the E10 for review and sent it before the release date. I love it when I can scoop the competition. If you ahve an interest in the E10, visit Linsoul Audio or their Amazon Store. Unboxing / Packaging: The KZ E10 arrived in a new style of packaging from KZ and I must admit mixed emotions. In one respect, I like the understated look, in another, the black on black can make it near impossible to read the writing on the packaging under certain lighting and made...