The last time I visited Head-Fi, the newest DAPs I can remember were the iBasso DX80 and FiiO X7. I am completely out of the current loop and overwhelmed by new options, to say the least. I am looking to buy a new DAP to use as a source for my home theater stereo and on-the-go listening. I need...

My 18-year-old daughter wants a new pair of IEMs for music, TV, etc. She's not an audiophile but would like something nicer than her standard Skull Candy fare. At that price range, the last killer earbud I know of is the HiFiMan RE-400 Waterline. Are there other recommendations I wouldn't have...

My original pair of FLC8S had a defect that caused me to return them. Instead of being smart and just exchanging them I jumped on the ZhiYin QT5 hype train, which derailed immediately after I'd pulled the plug and bought them from AliExpress. I returned them to HCK for a refund but I can't get...

Over the past week or two I've found that both my DUNU Titan 1s and Zero Audio DWX-10 Duozas have developed shorts in the terminals that cause the signal to drop out of one channel when the wires are nudged while in use. I cannot fix this myself, nor can I afford to pay for replacements. I'm...

I know these two IEMs are fairly new on the scene, or at the very least under-represented here at Head-Fi, but I’m really hoping someone out there has had the chance to listen to both and can offer some in-depth reflection on how they compare.  Given the degree of customizability each set...

Sorry for dropping a post for this, but I need to ask someone in authority a question about posting rules and I'm not sure who's in charge around here. Please PM me if you're able to field an important question. Thank you.

As the title says, I've never heard planars before and I'm really curious about them. I'd like to ensure that within my limited budget (≤ $500 USD) the first pair I buy will be a knockout. I've read lots of reviews of the Oppo PM-3 and HiFiMan HE-400/500, but beyond that I'm not sure what they...

Yesterday was my birthday. My wife is an amazing, amazing woman and she really did my wish list justice.     That's a Pioneer SP-SB03 TV sound pedestal for our bedroom PS4 and pairs of DUNU Titan 1s and Havi B3 Pro 1 IEMs. Given our income range I really couldn't possibly have hoped for...

So better input equals better output, theoretically, right?  If so, what happens if you, say, amp your FiiO X1 through a Topping NX1 and then run the headphone out of the NX1 into your Objective 2 before feeding that to your headphones?   Is this even feasible?  Will it damage my equipment...

My wife gave me a pair of HiFiMan RE-400s for Christmas but they arrived on the 27th.  Since then I've listened to them or left them burning in more or less constantly, albeit never at a volume that could damage them.  I've treated them like they're made of glass and never exposed them to...

I'm planning on buying a pair of $200-250 IEMs in the near future and after having read multiple reviews of these models I can't quite tell what might work best for me.  I listen to a lot of rock and metal—everything from lo-fi black metal recordings to pristinely recorded prog—but I'm also into...

Listen to a song (or as much of it as possible) posted by the person before you and review the track in exactly two haiku.  Then post a song for the next person to critique.  Be creative, witty, whatever—as long as you remember that the goal is for everyone to have fun.  Hopefully, more often...

I have my entire music library stored in ALAC format—700+ albums at 232.25 GB.  I've recently read comparisons online between lossless (e.g., ALAC, FLAC) and uncompressed codecs such as WAV and AIFF in which people state the uncompressed files sound superior. I hadn't anticipated as an...

I've been researching the DX50 extensively for the past few days and since everyone is seems to be drooling over firmware 1.2.8's sound quality and (relative?) stability, I'd made my decision to buy it.  Then, in the middle of my elation I stumbled into a forum post saying the RE-400s are a poor...

I've been looking at the possibility of replacing my iPod Classic, which has started wigging out on me lately.  It's a 2005 model so I think it's about time for an upgrade.  There are three DAPs I'm considering in the same general price range, all of which I'd be listening to through my HiFiMan...

It took me a while to figure it out, but I troubleshot my own problem.  Apparently my iPod's 3.5mm jack just went bad and it's making anything connected to it sound like total garbage.  I guess it's time to return my brand-new FiiO e11 and pick up an X5 DAP.  ;)   Thanks for reading and sorry...