Author: Paul Cash
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Watch: PSB Speakers Commemorates Its 50th Anniversary With A New Documentary
If you’ve been around hi-fi for any time, you’ve probably come across one of Paul Barton’s speakers or headphones. He’s the founder and chief designer of PSB Speakers, a company known for affordable loudspeakers with a legendary sound born from a blend of art and science. I’ve had the honor of talking to Paul about…
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Best Headphone Amps For Audiophiles On A Budget (2022)
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Home Audio, MQA, Portable Audio, Reviews, VideosBuilding an Audiophile Headphone system can be a rewarding and economical way to enjoy high-fidelity music reproduction. For example, when I was younger and couldn’t afford a super-expensive 2-channel hi-fi system (I also didn’t have much room for one), I was able to piece together my personal hi-fi nirvana using a tube headphone amp and…
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Kef LS50 Meta Review: These Innovative British Monitor Speakers Are (Still) Awe-Inspiring!
TL;DR These remarkably balanced and transparent speakers set a new standard at the price point. Just make sure you pair them with high quality amplification. Intro As a long-time owner (and fan) of Kef’s legendary LS50 mini-monitor, I was intrigued when I heard they were coming out with a sequel. Dubbed the LS50 Meta ($1599.99),…
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HIFIMAN HE-R9 Review: These Dynamic Closed-Back Headphones Provide Sensational Sound On The Move!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Portable Audio, Reviews, WirelessTL;DR These closed-back headphones provide a natural laid-back sound with superb comfort and easy-to-use wireless capabilities. That said, the look won’t be for everyone, and they could use a touch more transparency. Intro In March, I took a look at Hifiman’s Deva Pro, a planar magnetic headphone with a novel feature. That would be its…
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#NewMusicFriday May 27th, 2022: 10 Albums You Need To Hear This Weekend! (Feat. Wilco)
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, we pick a bunch of the best-sounding new albums so you can get your audiophile music fix!… As usual, it’s a very eclectic mix (Albums are arranged with more traditional audiophile genres like Jazz and Blues at the top and the non-traditional audiophile stuff towards…
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Best Floorstanding Speakers For Audiophiles On A Budget (2022)
Floorstanding or Standmount Speakers? That’s an age-old question for many an audiophile (one which I covered here). In most cases, the size of your listening room will dictate which one to pick. Standard-size rooms will usually get sufficient output from standmount speakers, which provide the added benefit of enhanced image focus. That said, those with…
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#New Music Friday May 20th, 2022: 10 Albums You Need To Hear This Weekend! (Feat. Joey Alexander)
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, we pick a bunch of the best-sounding new albums so you can get your audiophile music fix!… As usual, it’s a very eclectic mix (Albums are arranged with more traditional audiophile genres like Jazz and Blues at the top and the non-traditional audiophile stuff towards…
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Soul Emotion MAX Headphones Review: Great ANC, So-So Sound & Comfort
Bluetooth, Budget, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessGreat noise canceling and a nice mix of features are offset by finicky fit and average sound quality I remember when SOUL Electronics first hit the market as another celebrity-driven headphone brand, a la Beats. That was over ten years ago, and back then, they were known as SOUL by Ludacris, a nod to the…
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NAD Reveals C 389 HybridDigital DAC Amplifier, A $1499 Integrated With 130W Per Channel, ESS DAC, And Optional BluOS Streaming
Bluetooth, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Streaming, Videos, WirelessAs a preview to the Munich High End audio show this weekend, NAD Electronics has announced a new integrated amp, the C 389 HybridDigital DAC amplifier. The C389 features NAD’s well-received HybridDigital UcD amplifier design and the same ESS Sabre DAC chip (32-bit/384kHz) used in their step-up Masters Series amplifiers. Conservatively rated at 130 Watts…
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Best Wireless Noise-Cancelling (ANC) Headphones For Audiophiles (2022)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Deals, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Music, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessIf you work from home or travel a lot for work or pleasure, then a pair of Wireless Noise-Cancelling (ANC) Headphones is almost a necessity. I know I refuse to go on a trip without having a pair in my bag and judging from the sheer amount of folks I see wearing them on the…
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Premium Audio Company, LLC Confirms Commitment To Onkyo Brand Following Outside Bankruptcy Filing
Today, Premium Audio Company, LLC (PAC) put out a statement clarifying its commitment to and future plans for the Onkyo (and Integra) Brands following reports of Onkyo Home Entertainment’s (OHE) Bankruptcy Filing in Japan. In addition, they also wanted to combat suggestions by some outlets that the filing would somehow spell the end of Onkyo…
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PSB Speakers To Celebrate Their 50 Year Anniversary With A Live Virtual Event
I’ve always been a big fan of PSB Speakers. Their speakers always provide tremendous insight and warmth, no matter the price point. My favorite PSB Speakers product of all time is the Imagine Mini, a speaker that defies belief when you hear the clarity and scale coming from such a minuscule enclosure. A little while…
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#New Music Friday May 13th 2022: 10 Albums You Need To Hear This Weekend! (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, we pick a bunch of the best-sounding new albums so you can get your audiophile music fix!… As usual, it’s a very eclectic mix (Albums are arranged with more traditional audiophile genres like Jazz and Blues at the top and the non-traditional audiophile stuff towards…
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Philips Fidelio L3 Headphones Review: Premium Build & Superb Noise Canceling
Bluetooth, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessTL;DR The Fidelio L3’s excellent build quality, detailed sound, long battery life, and superb noise canceling are somewhat let down by so-so comfort and touch controls that take some getting used to. Intro Wireless noise-canceling headphones are a dime a dozen at this stage in the game, but very few are marketed to audiophiles. However,…
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Best Audiophile Bluetooth Receiver DACs For Your Stereo
Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessIf you’re looking for the absolute best sound quality and/or optional multi-room capability, Wi-Fi music streamers are the way to go. That said, you may want a music streamer that doesn’t depend on network bandwidth or has an easier setup. In that case, we recommend a Bluetooth Receiver/DAC that will accept higher-bandwidth Bluetooth codecs like…
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Adore Your Vinyl And CD Collections With This Brilliant Budget Audiophile System!
Analog, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, News, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessI get it. Most people stream their music from Tidal, Qobuz, Etc. I do too. (Qobuz for Free) That said, I also have CD and Vinyl collections, and I love the feeling of playing a piece of physical media. I also love looking at the cover art and reading the liner notes. I highly recommend…
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Moondrop CHU Dynamic Driver IEM Review
This $20 wired earphone plays music with surprising naturalness and refinement! When you talk about IEMs nowadays, you have to talk about Moondrop. They know how to crank out reasonably priced earphones with impeccable tonal balance, and the headphone enthusiasts are eating them up. Today we have their latest IEM, the $20 CHU Dynamic Driver…
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#NewMusicFriday April 29th 2022: 10 Albums You Need To Hear This Weekend!
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, we pick a bunch of the best-sounding new albums so you can get your audiophile music fix!… As usual, it’s a very eclectic mix (Albums are arranged with more traditional audiophile genres like Jazz and Blues at the top and the non-traditional audiophile stuff towards…
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AXPONA 2022: The Show In Pictures
Analog, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Shows, SpeakersWell, it’s time to wrap up our Axpona 2022 coverage, but before we do, we just wanted to share some additional pics from the show! While the show was scaled back a bit, it was well organized as usual, and there was still a lot to see! There were also many people there the two…
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AXPONA 2022 Saturday Recap: The Best (Our Favorite) Hifi Systems From America’s Biggest Audio Show!
Analog, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Preamps, Shows, Software, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessThe coolest stuff from Hifiman, Polk Audio, Kef, Cambridge Audio and more! This past Saturday was my last day at Axpona 2022, and while there were fewer attendees (and exhibitors, for that matter), it still seemed like a successful show, with plenty to see and do. It was terrific to get out again and hear…
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