Category: News
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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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Roon 1.6 Is Here with Roon Radio, Qobuz, and New Design
Roon, the audiophile music player, and music management software from Roon Labs, is starting off the new year with a new design, plus a couple new features. The new features, part of the Roon 1.6 update, include Qobuz integration, which will allow users to blend their own personal music libraries with uncompressed Hi-Res music (up…
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Grado Releases Next Generation Of Their $99 Earbuds, The iGe3
Grado Labs iconic on-ear headphones have made them a household name amongst audiophiles, a legacy jumpstarted by their sub-$100 SR-60 headphones that wowed the writers of Stereophile Magazine back in the 90’s with high-end sound at a very low price. I have owned several pairs of the SR-60’s since they came out and they still…
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Status Audio Introduces BT ONE Headphone, Get Free IEMs With Pre-Order
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Deals, First Impressions, Headphones, Hi-Fi, News, Portable Audio, Streaming, WirelessStatus Audio is a company that shuns the use of flashy models and celebrities to promote their products, instead relying on word of mouth regarding their value pricing and quality products to propel their sales. For example, their $69 CB-1 Studio Monitor Headphones got rave reviews all over the internet for their great sound and…
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PSB Speakers Updates Low-Cost Alpha Series
The following is a press release provided by PSB Speakers. CES, Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas, NV January 7, 2019 – PSB Speakers, long renowned for affordable excellence in loudspeaker design, launched an all-new range of Alpha speakers that, like their predecessors, deliver remarkable value and performance. Four models in all, the new Alpha Series is…
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Technics Releases Two Premium Headphones with apt-X HD and LDAC Bluetooth
Bluetooth, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Streaming, WirelessAt CES 2019 in Las Vegas, Technics released two premium over-ear wireless headphones, the EAH-F70N and EAH-F50B. Both models are aiming for audiophile sound quality, incorporating high-resolution Bluetooth codecs (both apt-x HD and LDAC) along with custom 40mm diaphragms. The F70N model adds active Noise Cancelling with an Ambient Awareness feature that will allow you to…
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TIDAL Making MQA Audiophile Format Available To All Android Smartphones
UPDATE: Check out my post on How to get the best sound quality from the TIDAL app and MQA! TIDAL Masters MQA is now available on iOS as well! Check out our post about it here. TIDAL announced today that it will be making TIDAL Masters, their implementation of MQA high-resolution streaming, available to all…
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Optoma NuForce and Massdrop Unveil New Wireless Earphones for Audiophiles
Bluetooth, Budget, Deals, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Streaming, WirelessThe following is courtesy of Optoma Technology: FREMONT, Calif., Jan. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Optoma NuForce, a world-leading manufacturer of audio products, today unveiled the new Massdrop x NuForce STRIDE Bluetooth® In-ear Monitors (IEMs), the latest product innovation stemming from the company’s collaboration with Massdrop, the popular community-driven commerce platform. The versatile lifestyle earphones mark Massdrop’s entry into the Bluetooth wireless…
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1MORE Receives CES Award For New Flagship Penta Driver In-Ear Headphones
Bluetooth, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Music, News, Portable Audio, Streaming, Wireless1MORE just announced a new flagship in-ear headphone at CES for which they have earned the CES 2019 Innovation Honoree Award. The new neckband-style Penta Driver In-Ear Headphones feature 5 balanced armatures per side, and have the option of either wireless listening via Bluetooth or wired via an included adapter. They also support the Apt-X…
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The 10 Best Sounding Albums of 2018…That You Haven’t Heard Yet.
As an Audiophile, good music is one thing, but good sonics is just as important. I not only want my music to induce toe-tapping but it should also be well recorded so it can make all the electronics, speakers or headphones that I constantly obsess over shine. Here’s my list of great music from 2018…
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The Best (Or Basically My Favorite) Jazz Albums of 2018
As far as I’m concerned, 2018 was a very good year for Jazz music, with so many great albums covering so many different styles. While there were many like the Mark Ward Trio and Dr. Lonnie Smith that followed the traditional paths set by the Jazz forefathers, there were others like Tigran Hamasyan or Mammal Hands…
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USB Audio Player PRO Adds MQA Support
Bluetooth, DACs, Downloads, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Power Amps, WirelessUSB Audio Player Pro, the popular music playback app from eXtream software, now supports MQA decoding, but you will have to pay a little extra for the option. The upgrade comes in the form of an in-app purchase which costs $3.99. Once purchased, it unlocks the ability for UAPP to function as an MQA core…
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2018 Budget Hi-Fi Holiday Gift Guide
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Power Amps, SpeakersLast-Minute Gifts for the Audiophile/Music Junkie in your life! Christmas is approaching fast, and if you are ordering online, then the time to order your gifts and have them delivered in time is approaching even faster! Here are some last minute gifts for the Audiophile in your life that won’t break the bank! 1MORE Triple…
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R.I.P. Nancy Wilson (1937-2018)
Nancy Wilson, one of my all-time favorite Jazz Vocalists, and probably the one who is responsible for my enduring love of Jazz Vocal music, passed away last night at the age of 85. She is responsible for some of the greatest Jazz Recordings of all time, but her album with another Jazz Great, Cannonball Adderley,…
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1MORE Releases New True Wireless, ANC Earphones
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, News, Portable Audio, Streaming, UncategorizedI’m a big fan of 1MORE earphones and headphones, especially the Triple Driver Over Ear headphone, which I use with my LG V40 smartphone on a daily basis. So whenever they release a new product, I get very excited. In this case they have two new products, one being their first true wireless model, the…
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Brainwavz Audio Alara Planar Magnetic Headphone Now Available For Pre-Order
Once a brand known for inexpensive, high-value IEMs like the Delta, Brainwavz Audio has beefed up their lineup over the last year or so, adding several premium products to their offerings, including several balanced armature IEMs and a new studio monitor headphone. In August, they announced their most ambitious and most expensive model to date,…
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2018 Black Friday & Cyber Monday Hi-Fi Audio Deals! (Check Back for Updates)
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Home Audio, News, Portable Audio, Power Amps, UncategorizedBlack Friday is almost upon us, and hi-fi audio brands like Fiio and Q Acoustics are looking to get in on the action. We have scoured the internet for these deals so you don’t have to! So be sure to check back here as we constantly update this page with new Black Friday and Cyber…
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Music You Need To Hear: Nas – “illmatic: Live From The Kennedy Center”
Man, when I first heard this crazy dude named Nasty Nas jump all over the track on Main Source’s “Live At The Barbeque”, I just knew this cat was something special. A few years later, when his debut album “illmatic” hit the streets, my notion was confirmed. The beats, the concepts, the storytelling, were something…
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Q Acoustics Improves a Winning Formula With New 3000i Series Speakers
When a product has already been called “The Best Bookshelf Speaker for Most Stereos” you would think not much improvement is needed. But in a competitive racket like budget loudspeaker design, resting on your laurels is not advised. This is most likely the reason for Q Acoustic’s release of the new 3000i series, with the…
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AXPONA 2018: Some More Cool Stuff From The Show! (Cambridge Audio, Monitor Audio, Schiit, PS Audio)
Bluetooth, First Impressions, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Shows, Speakers, StreamingOne of my missions during this year’s AXPONA was to finally get to hear Cambridge Audio’s new high-end Edge line, so it was the second room I hit once I got there. First was Andrew Jones’ Debut 2.0 demo room which I couldn’t resist since there was such a buzz around it. First thing I…
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