Author: Paul Cash
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Buchardt Audio Upgrades A Classic With The S400 MKII Bookshelf Speaker
Today, Buchardt Audio announced a new version of their highly-touted S400 Bookshelf Speaker called the S400 MKII. The first S400 was a big hit with audio reviewers and it was the “it” speaker for some time despite only being sold directly from the manufacturer in Denmark. While this new speaker looks a lot like the…
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Sivga SV021 (Robin) Headphone Review: These $149 Cans Are the Best Closed-Back Headphones For Audiophiles On A Budget!
Best Buys, Budget, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, VideosThe Low Down While the good looks, quality build, and reasonable price may get them in the door, the Sivga SV021’s ($149) sensational comfort plus detailed and expansive presentation keep them hanging around. These nice closed-back dynamic headphones have a naturally open sound that makes them a joy to listen to, and the plush earpads…
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Audirect Atom2 Lightning MQA Dac Amp Combo Review: Don’t Listen To Apple Music Lossless Without It!
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, VideosThe Low Down The Audirect Atom2 Lightning is a lightweight DAC/Amp combo with a lightning connector for iPhones. It connects directly to the bottom of the phone so you can avoid floppy dongles, and it has decent power for driving full-sized headphones. For a $79 DAC/Amp the sound is extraordinarily smooth, detailed and expansive. If…
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Wharfedale EVO4.2 Review: (Was) The Best Bookshelf Speaker Under $1000!
The Low Down: (Ed. Note: The price of this speaker has gone up–now $1,199.00– since we wrote this review…thank the pandemic and inflation for that…by the way, it’s still an excellent value at the current price.) For listeners who value sharp imaging and immersive depth, you probably can’t do better than the Wharfedale EVO4.2 at…
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PaMu Quiet Mini Noise-Cancelling True Wireless Earbuds Review: A Quality, Affordable, AirPods Pro Alternative!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Deals, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Music, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessThe Low Down: Clearly modeled after Apple’s AirPods Pro earphones, Padmate’s $99 PaMu Quiet Mini (currently on sale for $79) has a comparably comfortable fit and many of the same features for roughly 1/3 of the price. We’re talking Bluetooth 5.2, Auto-Sensing Playback, Individual use of each earbud, and wireless charging, plus ANC that’s almost…
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#NewMusicFriday July 2nd: 10 New Music Releases You Need To Hear!
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, I 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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Andover Audio SpinSub Review: The BEST Powered Subwoofer For Your Spinbase!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Deals, Headphone Amps, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, Uncategorized, Videos, WirelessThe Low Down Andover Audio’s $299 SpinSub is a brilliant addition to their equally brilliant Spin System, comprised of their SpinBase Turntable Speaker System, SpinDeck Turntable, and SpinStand Record Stand. In my review, I’ve already sung the praises of that stylish and compact Spin System, but the Dual 6.5-inch woofer SpinSub takes it to the…
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EarMen Eagle Portable USB DAC and Headphone Amp Review: This Dac Amp Combo Gives You Champagne Sound For Beer Money!
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, VideosThe Low Down For folks who want to improve the sound coming from their smartphones (and laptops) while on the go, a high-quality compact USB DAC can be a godsend. A good one will give you clean, noise-free output along with additional detail and depth, all without weighing you down. To that end, the $129…
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Lightning DACs and Camera Adapters: How To Get The Best Sound From Apple Music Lossless
Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, Portable Audio, Streaming, VideosLast week Apple rolled out thousands of Lossless Audio and Hi-Res Lossless audio tracks on their Apple Music platform, bringing with them the promise of Audiophile-Quality playback. Here’s how Apple explains it: Apple has developed its own lossless audio compression technology called Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC). In addition to AAC, the entire Apple Music…
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FIIL T1XS True Wireless Earbuds Review: Bargain Buds With Tons Of Flagship Features!
The Low-Down The $49 FIIL T1X “S” version sports a slimline charging case, USB-C fast-charging capability, quality dual-mic noise cancellation (for phone calls), plus slick app control for customization of just about every function. They’re sweat-resistant, comfortable to wear, and the intuitive touch controls are responsive. You get low-latency modes for games or videos without…
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IFi Audio Zen DAC V2 Review: A Remarkable Dac Amp Combo Gets Even Better!
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessWhen I reviewed iFi Audio’s original Zen DAC back in 2019, I couldn’t believe the massive value provided by the $130 desktop DAC Headphone Amp combo. It was compatible with all digital audio formats, including high-resolution formats like MQA and Native DSD, plus it had decent power, especially via the balanced output. Most importantly, it…
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#NewMusicFriday May 28th: New Music Releases You Need To Hear!
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, I 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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Cambridge Audio EVO 150 First Look Review: This All-In-One Integrated Amplifier and Music Streamer Is A Knockout!
Bluetooth, DACs, Downloads, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessCambridge Audio has manufactured class-leading streamers and integrated amps for some time now, so it was only a matter of time before they put both in one box. That time is now. I just got my hands on one of their latest creations, the $3000 Cambridge Audio Evo 150 Integrated Amplifier with Wi-Fi Streaming, Bluetooth,…
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Shanling Audio UA2 Portable USB DAC AMP Review: This $85 Dac Amp Combo Has Jaw-Dropping Power and Sound!
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, UncategorizedSummary Shanling Audio has done some good stuff when it comes to DAC/Headphone Amp combos, both portable and desktop. Their BA1 Bluetooth Desktop DAC Amp scored high marks when we reviewed it earlier this year, providing a nice balanced sound for both headphones and hi-fi. They also have the $45 UA1 portable DAC/Amp, a budget…
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5 Sensational Audio Accessories To Upgrade Your Hi-Fi System!
Sometimes it’s the little things that really count. When it comes to upgrading your system, I know it’s sexier to talk about new speakers or a new streamer. But, if you don’t have quality speaker stands or good isolation for your turntable, then you may not be hearing your current components at their best. Check…
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The Best Speaker, Headphone, And Electronics Sales We’ve Found This Week: Definitive Technology, KLH, Klipsch, Meze Audio
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Preamps, Speakers, Streaming, Uncategorized, Videos, WirelessCheck Out Our List for the Best Buys in Audio & Hi-Fi! Looking for the best values in Audio and Hi-Fi? Then look no further. We’ve rounded up the best audio and hi-fi from around the internet! There are great buys on excellent speakers, amps, and turntables, along with some amazing specials on headphones! Don’t…
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Periodic Audio Rhodium DAC Amp Review: Best Budget Dac Amp Combo?
Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, Uncategorized, VideosSummary Yes, the Dongle DAC/Amp market is super crowded right now, but that hasn’t stopped Periodic Audio from dropping their own branded dongle DAC at a reasonable price of $49. It’s called the Periodic Audio Rhodium DAC, and it has 32bit/384kHz high-res PCM decoding, along with 30 mW of power to boost their earphones. Periodic…
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PS Audio Stellar Strata Integrated Amplifier Review: An Astounding Powerhouse!
DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, Uncategorized, Videos, WirelessSummary The PS Audio Stellar Strata Integrated Amplifier ($2999) is the “all-in-one” incarnation of their value-priced Stellar line, long known as an affordable entry point to high-end hi-fi separates. It’s their first one-box solution that leverages their well-received DAC, Preamp, and Hybrid Class A/Class D amp technology (with sweet-sounding MOSFET input stage), then layers a…
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SIVGA Phoenix Headphone Review: One Of The Best Budget (Under $500) Audiophile Headphones!
Best Buys, Budget, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Portable Audio, Reviews, VideosSummary The $255 SIVGA Phoenix is an affordable open-back, over-ear dynamic driver headphone with a beautiful design and crisp, rich sound. The polished zebra wood cups, protein leather, chrome accents, and black lacquer metal frame combine for a luxurious-looking package. They’re lightweight and comfortable so that you can wear them for long listening sessions, but…
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Best Buys: The Best Portable USB DAC Amps Under $500!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Reviews, Software, Streaming, Uncategorized, VideosDAC’s or Digital to Analog converters have become an easy and inexpensive way to improve the sound coming from your laptop or smartphone. The easiest to use and most affordable is the portable DAC, which usually incorporates a headphone amp, hence the name DAC Amp. They also obtain the digital audio signal via a USB…
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