Category: News
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Must See: World’s Smallest MQA Hi Res Audio USB DAC/Headphone Amp Launches On Kickstarter Today
Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, StreamingZorloo’s Ztella, the World’s Smallest MQA DAC/Headphone Amp, is launching on Kickstarter today. I covered its introduction last month on the site, and the specs are jaw-dropping, to say the least. The biggest selling point is its ability to act as an MQA renderer, much like the Dragonfly DAC/AMP from Audioquest, but with dimensions not…
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Album Of The Week: Roberto Fonseca- “Yesun”
This week’s Album Of The Week is a new Latin Jazz project from Cuban Jazz Pianist Roberto Fonseca. He’s a former member of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club, and this is his ninth solo album. The project is called “Yesun,” and it features a trio comprised of Fonseca on Piano, Raúl Herrera on Drums, and…
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iFi’s New $129 ZEN DAC: The Specs Are Tremendous!
iFi Audio just released the full info on their new budget desktop DAC/Headphone Amp, and the feature list is impressive. The ZEN DAC will sell for $129 in the U.S., and unlike the similarly-priced portable DAC/Amps they’ve put out in the past, (see iFi Audio Nano iDSD LE) this product doesn’t have a rechargeable battery.…
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Upgrade Your Sound: These Enchanting Hi Res Audiophile Earphones Are Now Less Than $35!
Best Buys, Budget, Deals, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Portable AudioThe Final Audio Design E2000 High-Resolution Headphone in Black is now only $33.97 on Amazon, which is $11 off or almost 25% off the list price of $45. This earphone is a favorite of many audiophiles, including myself, because they are lightweight, comfortable, and have a rich mid-centric sound. If you listen to a lot of…
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France’s Triangle Just Unveiled Their New Budget Speakers…And They’re Alluring!
French speaker manufacturer Triangle isn’t really known for their budget offerings, even though they have products at all price points. But their new line, called Borea, looks to change that by raising the bar for entry-level performance. From the press release: Affordable loudspeakers with no compromise, the Borea range delivers a clear vocal and midrange…
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Zorloo Ztella: The Tantalizing Specs On This Tiny MQA-Enabled DAC Will Entice You
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, News, Portable AudioAlmost two years after the launch of their well-received Zorloo Zuperdac-S, Zorloo has announced a new, MQA high-resolution audio-enabled USB DAC. It’s called Ztella, and it’s the smallest MQA DAC released thus far, not much bigger than a standard USB-C dongle. From the press release: Zorloo is pleased to introduce Ztella, the smallest USB-DAC with high-end audio…
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iFi ZEN Blue: A Bluetooth Receiver Crafted For Audiophiles
Our full review of the iFi ZEN Blue is up! Check it out here. iFi is bringing High-Resolution Audio via Bluetooth to a desktop near you. The $129 iFi ZEN Blue is their new desktop-sized Bluetooth Reciever that leverages hi-res Bluetooth codecs like LDAC and aptX HD to convey 24-bit “better than CD quality”…
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HiBy Packs A Bunch Of Tech In Their New $59 Bluetooth Headphone Amp
Bluetooth, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, News, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Streaming, WirelessHiBy’s new Bluetooth Reciever/Headphone Amp, the W3, packs a bunch of features in a compact and inexpensive package. From the announcement: The W3 is packed with powerful hardware, utilizing a CSR8675 Bluetooth 5.0 receiver and a separate AK4377 DAC+amp chip to bring you audiophile quality wirelessly. It is compatible with our patented Ultra Audio Transmission…
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Deal: Bowers & Wilkins PX Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones: Best-In-Class Sound-$120 Off!
Bluetooth, Deals, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Uncategorized, WirelessIf you’re looking for a nice pair of active 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 personally own a pair. While the Sony and Bose…
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NAD, DALI, Bluesound Among The First To Embrace Amazon Music HD
If you haven’t heard, Amazon has finally added a lossless music tier to their Amazon Music streaming service. It’s called Amazon Music HD, and manufacturers are already integrating it into their products. One of the first is Lenbrook, who announced today they have added support for the service to their BluOS wireless multi-room streaming platform.…
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Bowers & Wilkins Unveils Formation Flex, A Smaller Take On Their Wireless Audio Tech
Bowers & Wilkins has expanded their wireless Formation Series with the new Formation Flex. The Flex is the smallest speaker in the range (Height: 8.5 in, Width: 5.1 in, Depth: 5.1 in), which as the name suggests, allows flexibility in use and placement. As stated in the press release: The Formation Flex features the same…
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Rocky Mountain Audio Fest Report Part 3: Affordable Hi Fi Roundup, Including A Sneak Peek At The New Elac Debut Reference!
Budget, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Shows, Speakers, Streaming, WirelessHifitrends.com is all about low-cost, high-performance audio gear, so it was great to see so much affordable hi-fi at the show! First of all, RMAF 2019 had three rooms dedicated to “entry-level” gear, and while that designation irks me (maybe I’ll write a post on that someday), I love the idea behind it. Rooms were divided…
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Rocky Mountain Audio Fest Report Part 2: Polk Audio Makes A Splash With Legend Series, Plus Sony’s New SA-Z1 Signature Speaker!
First Impressions, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, News, Shows, Speakers, UncategorizedMan where to start! There was so much going on this weekend at RMAF, including two major product launches from Polk Audio and Sony. Discovering The Polk Legend Series It’s been a while since Polk Audio released new speakers for the specialty audio market. But all that changed at RMAF. At the show, they launched…
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Rocky Mountain Audio Fest Report: Cambridge Audio Intros New CX Series Integrated Amps
Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, News, Power Amps, Preamps, ShowsI always make it a point to stop at the Cambridge Audio room when I hit a show and even more so this time because I hoped to hear both the relatively new AX Series budget amps and the brand new CX Series 2 Integrated Amps. Dubbed the CXA81 ($1299) and CXA61 ($999), they offer…
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Rocky Mountain Audio Fest Preview: KLH Is Back!
KLH, the once-revered audio company that was all but left for dead, has made a resurgence on the audio scene! Their new headphone and speaker line have garnered critical acclaim from the audio press, and now you have a chance to hear them for yourself. The company will have several pieces on display at the…
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Audio-Technica Drops New Truly Wireless Earbuds: ATH-CKS5TW and ATH-CK3TW
Bluetooth, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Streaming, WirelessToday, Audio-Technica announced two new models of Truly Wireless Earphones, both scheduled for release later this fall. The ATH-CKS5TW ($149) and ATH-CK3TW ($99) both offer Auto-On/Off, Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX, Qualcomm Clear Voice technology, and IPX2 water resistance. The 3TW is rated for up to six hours of battery life per charge, and has 5.8mm dynamic drivers.…
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Rocky Mountain Audiofest Preview: Qobuz Returns As Official Streaming Service
Hi-Res music streaming and download service Qobuz will return to RMAF this year as the show’s official streaming service. As part of the festivities, David Solomon, Chief Hi-Res Evangelist at Qobuz, will be presenting an introduction seminar, along with flash DJ sets using the Qobuz service. Qobuz is a French company that formed back in…
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Shanling Audio Unveils New M6 Android DAP, 5 Driver IEM, and Bluetooth Headphone Amp
Bluetooth, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Software, Streaming, WirelessAfter several days of product teases via their Social Media accounts, Shanling Audio unveiled several new products yesterday, including their very first android based digital audio player, the M6. Along with the M6, they also took the wraps off the UP4 Balanced Bluetooth Headphone amp and the ME700 In-Ear Monitor which features five drivers per side.…
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Rocky Mountain Audio Fest Preview: Kanto Audio To Demo TUK, A New High-End Active Speaker
Bluetooth, DACs, Headphone Amps, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, News, Shows, Speakers, WirelessKanto Audio is bringing their new flagship powered speaker called TUK to RMAF (Denver/Aurora, CO Sep. 6-8) this year. The $799 TUK is the company’s first powered speaker to sell above $400, (their Budget YU Series has received a lot of love) it is also their first to use an AMT (Air Motion Transformer) tweeter…
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Beyerdynamic To Showcase High-End Wireless Audio At Rocky Mountain Audio Fest
Beyerdynamic is planning to make a splash at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest with some impressive new headphones. The longtime manufacturer of premium audio products will showcase two high-end Bluetooth headphones with their well-respected Tesla driver technology. One is the brand-new $799 Amiron Wireless Copper, a large around-ear headphone made for at-home listening, and the other is the $379 Aventho…
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