Category: DACs
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ICYMI: FiiO Intros BTR7 Bluetooth DAC/Amp, A Flagship Device With Dual THX Amplification And CD-Quality Wireless!
Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, News, Portable Audio, Streaming, WirelessAbout a week ago, FiiO held their summer launch event where they announced a bunch of new products. One of the most intriguing is the new BTR7 Bluetooth DAC/Amp, their new flagship portable DAC that includes both dual THX AAA-28 amp chips and dual ES9219C Dual DAC chipsets. This allows true balanced output through the…
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SMSL DO100/HO100 Review: This Affordable DAC/Amp Combo Is A Budget Audiophile Dream!
TD; LR The SMSL DO100 + HO100 stack is an excellent entryway into DAC/Amp separates. They’re well built and provide exceptional detail, depth, and soundstage. Intro: While I like the simplicity, affordability, and utility of all-in-one desktop DAC/Amp combos, matching DAC and Headphone Amp separates or “stacks” have become all the rage right now, as…
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CanJam Chicago 2022 Highlights: A Quick Tour Of The Best Headphones, DACs, and Headphone Amps
DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Shows, Streaming, WirelessWhile it wasn’t the biggest show, CanJam Chicago 2022 definitely showcased the value of quality over quantity. If you were looking to sample some of the best hi-fi headphone gear available today, then it was worth stopping by. This was the first time in about 10 years that Head-Fi, the enthusiast website behind the show,…
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The Best Budget Audiophile Gear Of 2022 (So Far): Speakers, Headphones, Etc.
Analog, Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessIf you’re putting together an audio system on a budget, it’s an excellent time to be alive. Affordable hi-fi gear has never been better made or better sounding, so you get more system for your money. The first six months of 2022 have produced some innovative products, like iFi Audio’s Go Bar, an ultra-portable DAC…
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10 Father’s Day Gift Ideas (For The Audiophile Dad)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, News, Portable Audio, Speakers, Streaming, WirelessFather’s Day (June 19th) is coming soon! Have you bought Dad a gift yet? Is he a music lover? Is he still listening to his tunes on a beat-up old stereo system or headphones purchased before you were born? Well, Fathers’ Day is the perfect time to help him upgrade his hi-fi rig! Below is…
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“Level Up” With This Simple, Yet Awe-Inspiring, Budget Audiophile System!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Deals, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, News, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessYou don’t need tons of money and “know-how” to build a top-notch hi-fi sound system! There’s a misconception that you need to be some kind of “guru” or expert to put together an affordable high-end hi-fi system. But with the new class of audiophile streaming amplifiers, building a capable system has never been easier! A…
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iFi Audio Go bar Review: The Best Ultra-Portable DAC Amp Combo. Period.
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Preamps, Reviews, VideosTL;DR If you’re looking for the most capable ultra-portable DAC/Amp combo, look no further. Intro I’m a big fan of iFi Audio’s DAC/Amp combos. It’s hard to beat their combination of power, build quality, and affordability. However, they’ve been missing one thing: an ultra-portable combo that could go toe to toe with something like AudioQuest’s…
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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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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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The Best Memorial Day Home Audio Sales: Speakers, Headphones And Electronics!
Analog, Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, News, SpeakersAre you looking for discounts on new audiophile gear this Memorial Day Weekend? Look no further; we’ve done the research, so you don’t have to! Leading the deals are the excellent Focal Chora 806 2-Way bass Reflex Bookshelf Speakers at $200 off and the HIFIMAN Arya Stealth Magnet Version Planar Magnetic Headphone at an incredible…
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Ifi Audio’s New GO Bar Ultraportable DAC Features Detachable Cables, Balanced Output, And Full MQA Decoding
Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Deals, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, News, ShowsThis weekend, at the High End Audio Show in Munich, Ifi Audio is unveiling its latest DAC/Amp combo, the ultraportable Go Bar. This new compact DAC/Amp will provide much of the functionality of its larger siblings like the iFi hip-dac 2 and xDSD Gryphon while being a fraction of the size (65x22x13mm). It’s said to…
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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 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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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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AXPONA 2022 Friday Recap: Highlights From The Big Rooms! Focal, ATC, Luxman
DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Shows, Speakers, StreamingOne of my favorite parts of going to an audio show are the big rooms or ballroom/meeting rooms. Big rooms usually mean large systems, with six-foot-tall speakers and mini fridge-sized power amps. Sometimes they don’t sound as good as the smaller rooms because it’s hard to dial in a system in the middle of a…
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AXPONA 2022: Coolest Stuff From Day One At The Biggest Hi-Fi Show!
DACs, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, News, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Preamps, Shows, Speakers, VideosOne of the best things about going to an audio show like AXPONA is coming across extraordinary or unconventional stuff. A big part of designing hi-fi is coming up with new ways of doing things, and as a result, you often see some cool stuff. Here’s a list of the coolest stuff I saw on…
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The Ultimate Guide To Affordable Home Stereo Systems
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, News, Reviews, Software, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessWhen you talk about Home Stereo or Hi-Fi systems, they can come in many different forms. It can range from a single powered speaker with a pair of drivers set in a stereo configuration (like the Andover Audio Spinbase), all the way to pre-power separates (like the PS Audio Stellar line) with a massive set…
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The Best (Our Favorite) Budget Audiophile Gear Right Now: Headphones, Speakers, Amps, DACs, Etc.
Analog, Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessWe’re fortunate to have a lot of affordable high-end audio or budget audiophile gear pass through our doors regularly. Out of that group, there are some components that we fall in love with instantly. Usually, this is because they sound extraordinarily musical or they’re remarkably practical. Or both. We call these items our “Favorites.” Here’s…
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Cambridge Audio Grabs Two Red Dot Design Awards 2022 For The Evo Integrated Amp And Melomania 1+ TWS Earbuds
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, News, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, VideosToday, Cambridge Audio announced the receipt of two Red Dot Awards for Product Design 2022, picking up one each for their Evo all-in-one system (Evo 75 and Evo 150) and Melomania 1+ true wireless headphones. The Red Dot Design Award is a huge worldwide design competition that evaluates the best design concepts in a particular…
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