Category: Hi-Fi
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How To Get The Best MQA Audio With TIDAL and Your iPhone (Plus A Word Regarding Android)
DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Software, Streaming, WirelessSince TIDAL added universal MQA (Tidal Masters) support to their iOS app, there has been some confusion on how to get the highest quality hi-res MQA audio stream out to your headphones or audio system. John Darko jumped right on this with an excellent explanation of why getting hi-res audio out of an iPhone can…
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Best Affordable/Budget Audiophile Headphones (2019)
With Affordable/Budget Audiophile headphones, one usually can’t expect world-class sonics, but nowadays, you can get several models that get you pretty darn close. With the HD58X Jubilee, Sennheiser and Massdrop have changed the game, providing the best sound ever in a $150 headphone, and AKG has furthered their dominance of the budget headphone market with…
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TRIANGLE ELARA LN01A Active Bookshelf Speaker In The House!
Powered, or Active Speakers are becoming a big thing in the 2-Channel audio world. For those who are turned off by the prospect of matching an amp to a set of speakers, or even hooking up stereo equipment, active speakers are a simple way to get into audio with a minimum amount of fuss. There…
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#NewMusicFriday feat. David Byrne & Dwight Trible
Every Friday, I pick five of the best sounding new albums to wake up your Hi-Fi rig…here are my picks for this week, including an amazing Vocal Jazz project from the incomparable Dwight Trible, and a cool recording from the Talking Heads’ David Byrne…(Click on the album covers for the TIDAL streams) 1. Dwight Trible-Mothership…
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#MusicMonday Playlist feat. The Coathangers and Van Morrison
Here’s a #MusicMonday playlist of some more great sounding songs for your hi-fi rig, including new music from Garage Rock Band The Coathangers…enjoy! P. CashI’m an audio writer who started as a young audio salesman/consumer electronics professional back in the late 90s. That’s where I discovered the magic of 2-Channel sound. My thirst for great…
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TIDAL Now Supports MQA on iOS App
UPDATE: Check out my post on How to get the best sound quality from the TIDAL app and MQA! As of today, TIDAL supports the MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) Hi-Res audio format on their iOS app, bringing better than CD-Quality streaming to Apple devices like the iPhone. The following is courtesy of TIDAL & MQA:…
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Brainwavz B400 Quad Balanced Armature Earphones Review
Amazing soundstage and imaging put you in your own private concert. My first experience with Brainwavz was a few years back when I read a glowing review about their Delta earbuds, a product considered by some to be the best sounding earphones under $50. The Delta, with its combination of well thought out features and…
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#NewMusicFriday: Feat. Leo Bud Welch & Patty Griffin
Here are some great-sounding new albums you need to hear this week including a great new project from the late Blues singer Leo “Bud” Welch, released posthumously with the help of Dan Auerbach from “The Black Keys”…Streams Below…happy listening! 1. Leo “Bud” Welch- The Angels In Heaven Done Sign My Name (Blues) 2. The Coathangers-The…
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HiBy W5 Audiophile Bluetooth Amp Hits Kickstarter
Much to the chagrin of Audiophile purists, Bluetooth has firmly taken root within hi-fi, and HiBy is seizing upon the trend with a new portable Audiophile Bluetooth amplifier for headphones. It’s called the HiBy W5 and it launched today on Kickstarter with a Super Early Bird price of $59. (As of this writing, the $59…
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10 Building Blocks for Your Budget/Affordable 2-Channel Audiophile System! (2019)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, DACs, Deals, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, Wireless(Check out our new post on this topic: How To Build A Mind-Blowing Affordable Hifi System In 5 Steps!) While I spend a lot of time covering headphones, earphones, and headphone DAC/Amps, 2-channel audio systems are my first love. While headphones can create a wonderful listening experience, they can’t re-create the sound of a well-matched…
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SVS Prime Wireless Speakers Get Sexy New Gloss White Finish
The following is courtesy of SVS: SVS Prime Wireless Speakers Shine with Piano Gloss White Makeover Stunning new finish adds lighter, lifestyle-friendly option for the two-channel wireless speaker system sporting connectivity via WiFi and Bluetooth, 200-watt amplifier, digital crossover, 192KHz/24-bit DAC, DTS Play-Fi, Alexa voice control, versatile connectivity options and more. Youngstown, Ohio – March 1,…
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#MusicMonday: J.S. Ondara-Tales Of America
This week’s #MusicMonday selection is a great sounding album from J.S. Ondara called Tales Of America. This young man from Minnesota by way of Nairobi, Kenya, came to love Bob Dylan’s music back in his homeland and memorized a good portion of it. From that base, he developed a deep love for American Folk music…
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Shanling Audio Intros M2x DAP With TIDAL Streaming, DLNA, Airplay, & Two-Way Bluetooth (Updated)
Shanling Audio is releasing a new version of their M2 Digital Audio Player, called the M2x, with new wireless capabilities as the hook. This will put it in competition with the HiBy R3 and Fiio M6, which sell for $199 and $149 respectively. There is no word on the M2x price right now, but the…
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#New Music Friday: Feat. Julian Lage & Our Native Daughters
TGIF! Here’s another list of this weeks best sounding new recordings…Just click on the covers for the Tidal stream! Happy Listening! 1. Julian Lage-Love Hurts (Jazz) 2. Alicia Olatuja-Intuition: Songs from the Minds of Women (Soul/R&B) 3. Our Native Daughters-Songs of Our Native Daughters (Folk) 4. Cochemea-All My Relations (Jazz) P. CashI’m an audio writer who…
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SIMGOT EM1 IEM Review
A refined taste of high-end sound SIMGOT has distinguished itself amongst headphone manufacturers by making beautiful products with refined sound and attention to detail. Their flagship EN700 IEM in all its variants epitomizes this with a solid aluminum build and striking grill design. It has garnered them much praise, and today I am excited to…
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iFi xCAN Portable Headphone Amp Review
Powerful Portable Audiophile Amp with Excellent Wireless Sound Judging from my research and general discussion about the xCAN, it seems like people are really confused about what it actually is. I guess part of the confusion is the existence of the xDSD, a portable headphone amp/DAC that is more along the lines of what people…
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Q Acoustics 3020i Bookshelf Speaker Review
Great building block for your Budget Hi-Fi/Audiophile System! The Q Acoustics 3020i is the new “improved” sequel to the very well regarded 3020 budget bookshelf speaker. The original was known for its natural, warm, presentation which won a lot of fans in the press. However, the budget bookshelf market is cutthroat, and one can’t afford…
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HiBy R3 Digital Audio Player Review
Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, WirelessGreat sound, Build Quality and Tons of Useful Features Makes This Player An Excellent Value. When the HiBy R3 campaign landed on Kickstarter early last year, it was leaps and bounds ahead of any audiophile music player in terms of features at the $200 price point. While they may have overshot the mark a bit,…
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Music Monday: 2019 Jazz Grammy Playlist For Your Streaming Pleasure
The 61st Annual Grammy Awards, otherwise known as “Music’s biggest night”, will be airing this Sunday, Feb. 10th on CBS. Being the Jazz lover I am, I always like to check out the nominees in the Jazz Category and catch up on any albums I may have missed. Here’s a Tidal playlist made up of…
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Deivvox High Performance In-Ear Earphones Review
Great sounding budget earphones for your everyday carry. If you search for “in-ear headphones” on Amazon, the number of models that pop up are mind boggling. Many of those earphones are from companies that are definitely not household names, hence the reason why customer reviews, accurate or not, hold so much weight when selecting a…
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