Category: Headphone Amps
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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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Sivga’s Latest Headphone Boasts Elegant Walnut Wood And Beryllium-Plated Dynamic Drivers
Sivga, a company known for producing beautiful natural wood audiophile headphones, has a new flagship semi-open-back dynamic headphone with Walnut wood cups and beryllium plated LCP composite diaphragms. First previewed at High End Munich, Sivga’s $449 SV023 is now available in stores, and the company promises a headphone with a wide soundstage, extraordinary bass dynamics,…
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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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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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Mother’s Day Gift Ideas: 5 Best Audio Gifts For Mom (2022)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, News, Portable Audio, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessHey Folks, Mother’s Day is fast approaching (Sunday, May 8th), but there’s still time to get a nice gift for Mom! We’ve picked out five exceptional gifts between $50 and $250 that will make Mom very happy, including the Philips Fidelio L3 Flagship Over-Ear Wireless Headphones with Active Noise Cancellation Pro+ which is currently on…
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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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1MORE Launches EVO, An Audiophile Wireless Earbud With Hybrid Drivers And LDAC Hi-Res Bluetooth
Bluetooth, Budget, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, WirelessToday, lMORE launched the EVO, a sleek new true wireless earbud with dual hybrid drivers (1 Balanced Armature, 1 Dynamic) and support for the LDAC hi-res wireless codec. As a result, the company promises “incredible clarity, punchy bass, crispy vocals, unrivaled details, and a wide soundstage.” In addition, these earphones have Bluetooth 5.2 for multiple…
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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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Get Groovin’ Right Away With This Budget Audiophile Vinyl Turntable Setup!
Analog, Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Headphone Amps, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessAfter years of decline, playing records has become a fun and interactive way to enjoy old musical favorites and discover new music. I especially love the new colored vinyl pressings, which add interest to your collection. You may think putting together a Budget Audiophile Turntable Setup is difficult. However, the wide variety of powered speaker…
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Audiophile Headphones Buyers Guide (2023)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Videos, WirelessHere’s what you need to know about Audiophile Headphones: Looking to purchase a new pair of audiophile headphones? Get the latest scoop on choosing the right ones with this comprehensive buyer’s guide! There’s a lot to think about when purchasing headphones, including the style of headphone you wish to buy, the driver type, whether it’s…
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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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Hidizs S3 PRO Ultra-Portable Hi-Res DAC/Amp Combo Review: The Best MQA Dac Under $100!
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Portable Audio, Reviews, VideosTL;DR The Hidizs S3 PRO doesn’t have the most power, but what it lacks in power, it makes up in features and refinement. If you like MQA, this is the dongle to buy for less than 100 bucks. Intro Since Apple initiated the move away from smartphone headphone jacks, dongle DAC development has exploded. These…
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The Best Budget Audiophile Headphones (2022)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Portable Audio, WirelessNot too long ago, people laughed at the idea of Budget Audiophile Headphones. To be fair, up until the last few years, headphones retailing for less than $500 were mediocre at best. But now, there are quite a few entry-level hi-fi headphones and critical listening headphones at this price point. If you really want to…
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Create Your Own Personal Nirvana With This Budget Audiophile Headphone Setup!
Here at HI-FI Trends, we believe that high-end audio doesn’t necessarily mean high-priced audio. We say the designation “high-end audio” is an indication of design intent not price. Today, you can find a lot of capable budget components that are designed to satisfy audiophile sensibilities. Also with the current global economies of scale, you can…
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TINHIFI T3 Plus In-Ear Monitor Review: Great Price, But Are They Worth It?
TL;DR The TINHIFI T3 Plus may be a little edgy in the upper mids, but they’re comfortable, and they sound amazing with certain genres. Intro A couple of years ago, I reviewed the T3 IEMs from TINHIFI, and we liked them for the most part. They had a significant hump in the upper mids, which…
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Moondrop Releases Their First Portable DAC/AMP, The $189 Moonriver 2
Budget, DACs, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, News, Portable AudioToday, Moondrop unveiled their first portable USB DAC/Amp combo, the Moondrop Moonriver 2. On paper, it looks well-equipped, with top-notch audio components like dual Cirrus Logic CS43198 premium DAC chips (supports high-resolution 32-Bit/384kHz PCM and native DSD256 decoding) and fully balanced four-channel amp circuitry. This compact device also has dual Headphone ports (3.5mm SE+4.4mm Bal),…
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