Category: MQA
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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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#NewMusicFriday June 10th, 2022: 10 Albums You Need To Hear This Weekend! (Feat. Bobby Oroza)
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, we 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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KEF Previews LSX II Wireless Speaker With HDMI, USB-C, And Chromecast Support
Today, June 9, KEF announced the $1400 LSX II, an upgraded version of their award-winning LSX Wireless Speaker system. The company promises more than a simple upgrade to the original, as it uses a whole new wireless platform. That would be the same W2 wireless platform utilized in the more expensive LS50 Wireless II and…
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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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#NewMusicFriday May 27th, 2022: 10 Albums You Need To Hear This Weekend! (Feat. Wilco)
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, we 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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#New Music Friday May 20th, 2022: 10 Albums You Need To Hear This Weekend! (Feat. Joey Alexander)
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, we 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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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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#New Music Friday May 13th 2022: 10 Albums You Need To Hear This Weekend! (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, we 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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#New Music Friday May 6th 2022: 10 Albums You Need To Hear This Weekend!
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, we 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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#NewMusicFriday April 29th 2022: 10 Albums You Need To Hear This Weekend!
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, we 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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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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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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#NewMusicFriday April 15th 2022: 10 Albums You Need To Hear This Weekend!
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, we 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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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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#NewMusicFriday April 8th, 2022: 10 Albums You Need To Hear This Weekend!
Check Out This Week’s Best Sounding New Music Releases! Every #NewMusicFriday, we 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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Stereo Integrated Amplifier Buyers Guide (2023)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessWhen building an affordable hi-fi system, we usually recommend putting a quality integrated stereo amp at its heart. They typically provide the best mix of power and fidelity for the money. The Integrated Amplifier, a combination of pre-amp and amplifier, will play traffic cop for your sources (Streamer, CD Player, Turntable, etc.), boost the signal…
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