Category: Reviews
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Best Audiophile Headphones Under $500 (2022)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Reviews, The Best, WirelessAre you looking for the best headphone under $500? We’ve put together a list of our favorite options. Check them out now! Want to learn more about Audiophile Headphones? Check out our Audiophile Headphones Buyers Guide! Here’s our shortlist of the Best Audiophile Headphones Under $500 (2022): The Best Super Cheap Headphones: Koss KPH30iCL ($29.99)…
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Focal Clear Mg Headphone Review: Beauty And Beast!
TD; LR No other headphones at this price point give you a front-row seat at the concert like these do. Intro When purchasing a pair of high-end headphones, you fundamentally want something with a combination of beautiful design and remarkable sound quality. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of expensive headphones that do one or the…
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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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Kef LS50 Meta Review: These Innovative British Monitor Speakers Are (Still) Awe-Inspiring!
TL;DR These remarkably balanced and transparent speakers set a new standard at the price point. Just make sure you pair them with high quality amplification. Intro As a long-time owner (and fan) of Kef’s legendary LS50 mini-monitor, I was intrigued when I heard they were coming out with a sequel. Dubbed the LS50 Meta ($1599.99),…
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HIFIMAN HE-R9 Review: These Dynamic Closed-Back Headphones Provide Sensational Sound On The Move!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Portable Audio, Reviews, WirelessTL;DR These closed-back headphones provide a natural laid-back sound with superb comfort and easy-to-use wireless capabilities. That said, the look won’t be for everyone, and they could use a touch more transparency. Intro In March, I took a look at Hifiman’s Deva Pro, a planar magnetic headphone with a novel feature. That would be its…
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Best Floorstanding Speakers For Audiophiles On A Budget (2022)
Floorstanding or Standmount Speakers? That’s an age-old question for many an audiophile (one which I covered here). In most cases, the size of your listening room will dictate which one to pick. Standard-size rooms will usually get sufficient output from standmount speakers, which provide the added benefit of enhanced image focus. That said, those with…
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Soul Emotion MAX Headphones Review: Great ANC, So-So Sound & Comfort
Bluetooth, Budget, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessGreat noise canceling and a nice mix of features are offset by finicky fit and average sound quality I remember when SOUL Electronics first hit the market as another celebrity-driven headphone brand, a la Beats. That was over ten years ago, and back then, they were known as SOUL by Ludacris, a nod to the…
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Best Wireless Noise-Cancelling (ANC) Headphones For Audiophiles (2022)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Deals, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Music, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessIf you work from home or travel a lot for work or pleasure, then a pair of Wireless Noise-Cancelling (ANC) Headphones is almost a necessity. I know I refuse to go on a trip without having a pair in my bag and judging from the sheer amount of folks I see wearing them on the…
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Philips Fidelio L3 Headphones Review: Premium Build & Superb Noise Canceling
Bluetooth, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessTL;DR The Fidelio L3’s excellent build quality, detailed sound, long battery life, and superb noise canceling are somewhat let down by so-so comfort and touch controls that take some getting used to. Intro Wireless noise-canceling headphones are a dime a dozen at this stage in the game, but very few are marketed to audiophiles. However,…
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Best Audiophile Bluetooth Receiver DACs For Your Stereo
Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessIf you’re looking for the absolute best sound quality and/or optional multi-room capability, Wi-Fi music streamers are the way to go. That said, you may want a music streamer that doesn’t depend on network bandwidth or has an easier setup. In that case, we recommend a Bluetooth Receiver/DAC that will accept higher-bandwidth Bluetooth codecs like…
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Adore Your Vinyl And CD Collections With This Brilliant Budget Audiophile System!
Analog, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, News, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessI get it. Most people stream their music from Tidal, Qobuz, Etc. I do too. (Qobuz for Free) That said, I also have CD and Vinyl collections, and I love the feeling of playing a piece of physical media. I also love looking at the cover art and reading the liner notes. I highly recommend…
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Moondrop CHU Dynamic Driver IEM Review
This $20 wired earphone plays music with surprising naturalness and refinement! When you talk about IEMs nowadays, you have to talk about Moondrop. They know how to crank out reasonably priced earphones with impeccable tonal balance, and the headphone enthusiasts are eating them up. Today we have their latest IEM, the $20 CHU Dynamic Driver…
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Technics EAH-A800 Review: These Are Lowkey The Best ANC Headphones On The Market!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, Videos, WirelessThese amazingly comfortable Wireless ANC Headphones go toe to toe with the best from Sony and Bose! In January, Technics unveiled the $349 EAH-A800 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones, a premium set of Bluetooth earphones that promise industry-leading battery life (up to 50 hours), top-notch active noise canceling, and LDAC Hi-Res wireless audio. Price-wise, they’re in…
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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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Get Groovin’ Right Away With This Budget Audiophile Vinyl Turntable Setup!
Analog, Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Headphone Amps, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessAfter years of decline, playing records has become a fun and interactive way to enjoy old musical favorites and discover new music. I especially love the new colored vinyl pressings, which add interest to your collection. You may think putting together a Budget Audiophile Turntable Setup is difficult. However, the wide variety of powered speaker…
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The Best Home Audio Sales This Easter Weekend: Speakers, Headphones, Electronics!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Deals, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Home Audio, News, Portable Audio, Reviews, Software, Streaming, Videos, WirelessAre you looking for discounts on new audiophile gear this Easter weekend? Look no further; we’ve done the research so you don’t have to! Leading the deals this weekend are the excellent Kanto TUK Powered Bookshelf Speakers (we use them in the office) at $200 off and the Audiolab 6000N Play Wireless Streaming Player (Silver)…
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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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Polk Monitor XT20 Review: These Budget Audiophile Bookshelf Speakers Are Spellbinding!
TL;DR They may not be the prettiest speaker, but the Polk Monitor XT20 provides a solid build and engaging sound quality for a bargain price. Intro There’s no shortage of reviews and evaluations when a super-expensive flagship speaker comes out. But when a $299/pair speaker comes out, you always have to look hard for any…
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