Category: DACs
-
Audiolab M-DAC nano Mobile Wireless DAC Amp Review: This Sweet Sounding Headphone Amp Will Astonish You!
—
by
Last week I reviewed the $69 Zorloo Ztella, a “dongle” DAC/Headphone Amp that improves upon the sound from your cellphone or laptop by plugging into the USB port and using it as a digital output. It then passes that signal to a built-in audiophile-grade DAC (digital to analog converter), then a built-in amp, and then…
-
Cambridge Audio CXN V2 Audiophile Music Streamer In The House: First Impressions And Unboxing Pics!
—
by
in DACs, First Impressions, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Streaming, Videos, WirelessThere are a couple of budget (around $500) Audiophile Music Streamers I recommend. The first is the Audiolab 6000N Play, which I consider to be the best sounding streamer in that price range. The second is the Bluesound Node 2i, which I believe to be a notch below the 6000N in sound quality. Still, it…
-
Ztella Integrated USB DAC Amp Cable Review: Tantalizing Audiophile Sound For Your Smartphone!
—
by
in Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, VideosLast week I found out Samsung will be the latest to pull the headphone jack from their flagship smartphones. That means if you want to listen to music on their latest and greatest devices, you’ll have to choose between Bluetooth headphones, USB-C wired headphones or a USB-C adapter (also known as a dongle) with a…
-
Cambridge Audio Adds Spectacular Roon Technology To Their Top Music Streamers
Cambridge Audio’s flagship EDGE NQ and CXN (V2) network audio streamers are now Roon Ready via a new software update. Upon completion of the update, Roon will be able to discover them on your network, optimize audio delivered to the streamer, and allow volume control directly from Roon without a complicated configuration. If you’re not…
-
Awesome! The Best Integrated Amplifiers Around $1000 (2021)
—
by
Check out our latest list: Best Buys: Best Budget Amplifiers For Audiophiles (2022) If you’re looking to build an affordable high-performance hi-fi system, then you should be looking at a quality integrated amp to be the heart of it. The Integrated Amplifier, a combination of pre-amp and amplifier, will play traffic cop for your sources…
-
Review: iFi Audio’s Hip-Dac Is The First-Class Portable Dac-Amp You’ve Been Waiting For!
—
by
in Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Reviews, VideosLet me say this. I’ve always loved the way iFi’s portable DAC/Amps sound. I still have an iFi nano iDSD LE (currently $139 on Amazon) that I purchased eons ago, and I have heard just about every one they have put out since then, including the nano iDSD Black Label, and the xDSD. My only…
-
The Phenomenal Denon PMA-1600NE Stereo Integrated Amplifier In The House: First Impressions And Unboxing Pics!
—
by
Check out our full review of the Denon PMA-1600NE Stereo Integrated Amplifier here! As I said in my post about the Polk Audio Legend L100 speakers, I first came across the $1599 Denon PMA-1600NE Stereo Integrated Amplifier at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. It was the amp they used to support the L100 demo, and it…
-
HIFIMAN Ananda-BT Bluetooth Over-Ear Planar Magnetic Review: Mind-Blowing Sound From These Amazing Wireless Headphones!
—
by
in Bluetooth, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, Videos, WirelessThe $999 HIFIMAN Ananda-BT Bluetooth Over-Ear Planar Magnetic Headphone is something of a unicorn in the wireless headphone world. There aren’t too many wireless open-back audiophile headphones out there, especially full-blown Planar Magnetic models. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of any others. If you know of another one, feel free to drop…
-
Grab One Of The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones At An Unbeatable Price!
—
by
If you’re looking for an excellent deal on one of the best noise-canceling headphones, then your search should stop right here. The Bowers & Wilkins PX Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones have best in class sound, with better sound than Sony or Bose noise-canceling headphones, and that’s why I own a pair. While the latest…
-
iFi Hip-Dac Headphone Amp/DAC: Check Out iFi’s New Pocket-Size Powerhouse!
—
by
iFi audio is back again with another high-value, high-performance portable headphone amp/DAC. It’s called the hip-dac, and unlike the ZEN DAC they shook the world with last year, it’s meant to be used on the go. The hip-dac has a very slim form factor that’s pocketable (102x70x14mm) while still maintaining the first-rate performance of some…
-
You Have Less Than 48 Hours To Get The Ultimate Portable Headphone DAC/Amp On Sale! $200 Off!
—
by
in DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Music, News, Portable Audio, VideosThere are less than 48 hours left to get the Chord Mojo at $399. (Which is the lowest price ever!) The Mojo is widely considered to one of the best portable headphone DAC/ Amps money can buy at full price. (Which is $599 BTW) For its current sale price of $399, it’s a steal! The sale…
-
FiiO M11 Pro Android Lossless Digital Music Player Review: Phenomenal High End Performance Without The High End Price Tag!
—
by
in Bluetooth, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessFiiO is on fire! Last year was a big one for the manufacturer of portable audio equipment, as they released several great products, including several IEMs, Headphone Amps, their First Over-Ear NC Headphone, Android DAPs, and much more. As far I’m concerned, the crown jewel of these new releases was the product I’m reviewing today,…
-
Product Of The Year 2019-Amps/Preamps: Cambridge Audio’s Jaw-Dropping CXA81 Integrated Stereo Amplifier!
—
by
in Best Buys, Bluetooth, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessThe Hifitrends.com Product Of The Year is an award given to an exceptional product that has passed across our desk– or through our listening room– this past year. It’s not a “Best Of” award, it’s just us giving recognition to gear we found to have extraordinary value and performance within its category. Also, since we…
-
Product Of The Year 2019-DAC/Streamers: The Tremendous Audiolab 6000N Play Wi-Fi Audio Streaming Player!
The Hifitrends.com Product Of The Year is an award given to an exceptional product that has passed across our desk– or through our listening room– this past year. It’s not a “Best Of” award, it’s just us giving recognition to gear we found to have extraordinary value and performance within its category. Also, since we…
-
Product Of The Year 2019-All-In-One Systems: The Wonderful SVS Prime Wireless Powered Speaker System!
—
by
in Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Speakers, Streaming, WirelessThe Hifitrends.com Product Of The Year is an award given to an exceptional product that has passed across our desk– or through our listening room– this past year. It’s not a “Best Of” award, it’s just us giving recognition to gear we found to have extraordinary value and performance within its category. Also, since we…
-
Money-Saving Last Chance After Christmas Sales For Audiophiles/Music Lovers!
—
by
Looking for ways to spend your holiday cash or Christmas Gift Cards? Well, we’ve found a bunch of Money-saving Last Chance After Christmas Sales on gear for Audiophiles and Music Lovers. Most of them will end on 12/31, so if you see something you like, I suggest you grab it quick! 1.) Crazy prices on a…
-
Product Of The Year 2019: Desktop Components- The Wondrous iFi ZEN DAC Amp Combo Review!
—
by
in Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Power Amps, ReviewsThe Hifitrends.com Product Of The Year is an award given to an exceptional product that has passed across our desk– or through our listening room– this past year. It’s not a “Best Of” award, it’s just us giving recognition to gear we find to have extraordinary value within its category. Also, since we cover low-cost,…
-
The Thrilling HIFIMAN Ananda-BT Bluetooth Planar Magnetic Wireless Headphone In The House: First Impressions And Unboxing Pics!
—
by
The Full Ananda-BT Review is up!…check it out here. There aren’t too many $1000 Bluetooth headphones out there. Some may ask, do we need one? Well, with it’s $999 Ananda-BT High-Resolution Bluetooth Planar Magnetic Headphone, HIFIMAN hopes you’ll answer that question in the affirmative. You may ask, why ARE they the priciest Bluetooth headphones on…
-
Audiophile Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Super Saturday Shopping/Audio Deals/Last-Minute Christmas Gifts!
—
by
Hey folks, we’re coming down the home stretch, Christmas is right around the corner, so I thought I would drop another post with the best deals on last-minute Christmas gifts! Most of these deals will disappear after the holidays, so if you’re looking for the lowest prices on some great audio gear, this is the…
-
Beauty And The Beast! This Retro-Styled Portable Music Player Has Some Eye-Opening Specs!
—
by
in Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, News, Portable Audio, Streaming, Videos, WirelessShanling Audio’s new Q1 Portable Music Player may have throwback styling, but its specs are far from old-fashioned. The Q1 takes design cues from old 50s appliances, with rounded corners, pastel colors, and chrome accents. The look is reminiscent of an old TV set. Despite the retro look, the Q1 has a state of the…