Category: Reviews
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Ztella Integrated USB DAC Amp Cable Review: Tantalizing Audiophile Sound For Your Smartphone!
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in Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, VideosLast week I found out Samsung will be the latest to pull the headphone jack from their flagship smartphones. That means if you want to listen to music on their latest and greatest devices, you’ll have to choose between Bluetooth headphones, USB-C wired headphones or a USB-C adapter (also known as a dongle) with a…
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World Premiere! The Enchanting Audio By Van Alstine SET 120 Integrated Amplifier-First Impressions And Unboxing
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While many Audiophiles, including myself, enjoy whiz-bang mass-market Hi-Fi, we should never forget the essence of this hobby lies in gear produced by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. These (usually) small scale manufacturers pour over every detail, not to meet a price point or marketing strategy, but to obtain the best possible sound for the money. One…
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Awesome! The Best Integrated Amplifiers Around $1000 (2021)
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Check out our latest list: Best Buys: Best Budget Amplifiers For Audiophiles (2022) If you’re looking to build an affordable high-performance hi-fi system, then you should be looking at a quality integrated amp to be the heart of it. The Integrated Amplifier, a combination of pre-amp and amplifier, will play traffic cop for your sources…
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Triangle Esprit Titus EZ Bookshelf Speaker Review: Their Breathtaking Natural Sound Will Astonish You!
Triangle is hot right now. The French speaker manufacturer’s new budget Borea range has been a huge hit, with tons of audio reviewers singing its praises. We made the Borea BR-03 bookshelf our 2019 Product Of The Year, and What Hi-Fi? just gave it a five-star review. Today, I’m looking at a bookshelf from the…
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Review: iFi Audio’s Hip-Dac Is The First-Class Portable Dac-Amp You’ve Been Waiting For!
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in Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Reviews, VideosLet me say this. I’ve always loved the way iFi’s portable DAC/Amps sound. I still have an iFi nano iDSD LE (currently $139 on Amazon) that I purchased eons ago, and I have heard just about every one they have put out since then, including the nano iDSD Black Label, and the xDSD. My only…
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Save A Fortune On These “Award-Winning” Bookshelf Speakers-$40 off w/ Coupon!
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in Best Buys, Budget, Deals, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, Reviews, Speakers, VideosWe recently named the PSB Alpha P5 Bookshelf Speaker “The best bookshelf speaker under $500”, and Stereophile awarded them “2019 Product Of The Year”, just two accolades they have received since dropping early last year. Their sweet highs, coupled with the engaging mids and weighty bass, draw you in, making for a smooth sounding speaker that…
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The Phenomenal Denon PMA-1600NE Stereo Integrated Amplifier In The House: First Impressions And Unboxing Pics!
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Check out our full review of the Denon PMA-1600NE Stereo Integrated Amplifier here! As I said in my post about the Polk Audio Legend L100 speakers, I first came across the $1599 Denon PMA-1600NE Stereo Integrated Amplifier at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. It was the amp they used to support the L100 demo, and it…
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Outstanding! The Best Bookshelf Speakers Under $500 (2021)
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If you’re just getting into hi-fi, or you’re on a tight budget, it’s a great time to be alive. Affordable audio gear has never been better, especially when it comes to speakers. Current technology allows master speaker designers like ELAC’s Andrew Jones and PSB Audio’s Paul Barton to wring amazingly great sound out of lower-cost…
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HIFIMAN Ananda-BT Bluetooth Over-Ear Planar Magnetic Review: Mind-Blowing Sound From These Amazing Wireless Headphones!
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in Bluetooth, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, Videos, WirelessThe $999 HIFIMAN Ananda-BT Bluetooth Over-Ear Planar Magnetic Headphone is something of a unicorn in the wireless headphone world. There aren’t too many wireless open-back audiophile headphones out there, especially full-blown Planar Magnetic models. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of any others. If you know of another one, feel free to drop…
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The Extraordinary Polk Audio LEGEND L100 Premium Bookshelf Speaker In The House: First Impressions And Unboxing Pics!
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Check out our full review of the Polk LEGEND L100 and DENON PMA-1600NE! Last Fall, at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest outside of Denver, Colorado, I had the good fortune to be there when Polk Audio unveiled their new flagship speaker line called the Legend Series. The star of the show was their new L800 “True…
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The Intoxicating Kef LS50 Bookshelf Speaker Is Back Down To Its Lowest Price Ever!
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in Best Buys, Deals, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, Power Amps, Reviews, Speakers, WirelessRight now, the Kef LS50 Mini-Monitor is back down to the lowest price ever on Amazon. It’s THE bookshelf speaker to get if you value beautiful midrange, big soundstage, and accurate presentation above all else. These speakers are prized amongst audio reviewers (including myself) who refuse to part with them despite having access to just…
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Klipsch RP-600M Reference Premiere Bookshelf Speaker Review: We’re Delighted By These Tremendous Performers!
The Klipsch RP-600M Reference Premiere Bookshelf Speaker is a loudspeaker that has achieved cult status amongst audiophiles (especially value-minded ones). Just a cursory glance at the clean, contoured baffle and gleaming copper woofer gives you some sense as to why. It is a product with a striking profile. The clean aesthetic is continued on through…
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Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC Traveller Review: Their Marvelous Noise Cancelling Is Impressive!
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For a long time, Beyerdynamic has made superb headphones for studio pros and the like, focusing on a precise sound that engineers could depend on to make mixes. But as of late, they have also undergone a rebrand of sorts, making stylish lifestyle-oriented gear for the masses. Of course, the acclaimed Beyerdynamic sound is still…
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FiiO M11 Pro Android Lossless Digital Music Player Review: Phenomenal High End Performance Without The High End Price Tag!
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in Bluetooth, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessFiiO is on fire! Last year was a big one for the manufacturer of portable audio equipment, as they released several great products, including several IEMs, Headphone Amps, their First Over-Ear NC Headphone, Android DAPs, and much more. As far I’m concerned, the crown jewel of these new releases was the product I’m reviewing today,…
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AUKEY Key Series T10 Premium True Wireless Earbuds Review: Forget The Raycon Earbuds…These Phenomenal Earphones Are Far Superior!
AUKEY is a company that makes a bunch of computer, power, and audio accessories like phone chargers, hubs, etc. They also make highly regarded True Wireless Earbuds that regularly get four and five-star reviews on Amazon. Recently, a representative from AUKEY reached out to me and asked me if I would check out one of…
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SVS Prime Tower Floorstanding Speaker Review: This Astonishing Loudspeaker Knocked Our Socks Off!
Big speakers are cool. They move a lot of air, meaning they can shake the room or the whole house for that matter. Even though I’m usually partial to mini-monitors, It’s always fun to check out a speaker that makes you feel the music as well as hear the intricacies of a song. That’s what…
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Awesome! Q Acoustics Drops Bigger And Badder 3030i Bookshelf Speaker With A Bass Upgrade!
Britain’s Q Acoustics Limited just announced a new addition to their critically acclaimed 3000i loudspeaker lineup, one that promises some excitement in the low end. The new speaker is called the 3030i standmount, and it will fit in between the smaller 3020i standmount (which we loved by the way) and the 3050i floorstanding speaker. The…
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SIMGOT EK3 In-Ear Monitor Headphones Review: These Superb IEMs Will Captivate You!
I’m in love. Yes, I’m in love with a pair of in-ear monitors. I know I need to get out more but stick with me. When I reviewed SIMGOT’s entry-level EM1 IEM last year, I was astounded by their design and remarkable refinement soundwise, especially at the $80 price point. (They sell for $55 bucks…
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Product Of The Year 2019-Loudspeakers: The Marvelous TRIANGLE BOREA BR03 Bookshelf Speakers Review!
The Hifitrends.com Product Of The Year is an award given to an exceptional product that has passed across our desk– or through our listening room– this past year. It’s not a “Best Of” award, it’s just us giving recognition to gear we found to have extraordinary value and performance within its category. Also, since we…
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Product Of The Year 2019-Amps/Preamps: Cambridge Audio’s Jaw-Dropping CXA81 Integrated Stereo Amplifier!
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in Best Buys, Bluetooth, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessThe Hifitrends.com Product Of The Year is an award given to an exceptional product that has passed across our desk– or through our listening room– this past year. It’s not a “Best Of” award, it’s just us giving recognition to gear we found to have extraordinary value and performance within its category. Also, since we…