Category: Reviews
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Spin CDs and Stream To Your Heart’s Content With This Brilliant Affordable Audiophile Setup!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessWhile streaming is probably the audiophile’s primary music source nowadays, I know many like to spin CDs as well. (I personally like to head out to the local Goodwill on the weekend, find some 99-cent gems in the used CD section, then play them at home on my system.) To truly enjoy a well-recorded CD,…
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Best USB DAC Amp Combos For Audiophiles On A Budget (2022)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessGive your Budget Audiophile Setup a boost without spending a ton of cash! In today’s digital audio world, you need a good digital to analog converter or DAC to get the best out of your hi-fi setup. The DAC takes the digital audio signal produced by your source (most likely a laptop or smartphone) and…
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Austrian Audio Hi-X65 Headphones Review: Are These The Best Portable Open-Back Headphones?
Best Buys, Budget, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Portable Audio, Reviews, VideosTD;LR The Austrian Audio Hi-X65 should please anyone looking for well-built open-back portable headphones with a neutral sound signature. Intro In 2016, pro audio mainstay AKG moved their headquarters to California, shuttering their Vienna facilities. Subsequently, a group of former AKG engineers in Austria formed Austrian Audio. They developed their line of pro audio gear…
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HIFIMAN Edition XS Review: Now This Changes Things! (Incl. Ananda And Sundara Comps.)
Best Buys, Budget, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Portable Audio, Reviews, VideosI’ve been around long enough to remember when getting a Planar Magnetic headphone under $1000 was unheard of. Now, Hifiman has more models than you can count, especially if you include the Drop variants. I’m a big fan of several of them, including the $350 Sundara, which I considered to be the best planar headphone…
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Best Powered Bookshelf Speakers Under $1000! (2022)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessBuying a pair of Powered Bookshelf Speakers is a quick and easy way to start an affordable hi-fi system. With these speakers, a good portion of the work has been done for you, as the amplification is provided and matched to the speakers, plus in some cases, matched sources are provided as well. All you…
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Philips Fidelio T1 True Wireless Earbuds Review: Luxury Build, Audiophile Chops, Acceptable Noise Cancelling
Bluetooth, Downloads, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Music, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, Software, Videos, WirelessThe True Wireless Earbud market is a highly competitive one. It takes a unique product to cut through the armada of earphones constantly launched at consumers, and Philips, with their new $299 Fidelio T1 High-Quality True Wireless Headphones, promises just that. With the T1, they have pulled out all the stops from a features standpoint,…
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Best Budget Hi-Fi Speakers (2022)
Best Buys, Budget, Hi-Fi, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, Power Amps, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, VideosWhen you build a hi-fi system, the speakers are probably the most important and the most difficult component to select. At the end of the day, it’s the speakers that allow the rest of the system to shine, and they also have the biggest impact on the overall character of the system. If you’re working…
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METERS OV-1-B-Connect Noise-Canceling Wireless Headphones Review: Eye-Catching Looks, Middling Sound & Comfort
Bluetooth, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Music, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, WirelessTL;DR The OV-1-B-CONNECT’s fabulous looks and detailed sound are somewhat let down by so-so comfort and heavy-handed tuning. Intro For most audiophiles, wireless headphones usually compromise sonic fidelity for convenience. However, with the $269 Meters OV-1-B-CONNECT, Ashdown Engineering promises new ANC wireless headphones that are stylish with their functional VU meters and provide world-class audio…
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How To Build A Brilliant Budget Audiophile System In 5 Steps!
Analog, Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Deals, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Speakers, VideosYou CAN build a wonderful budget audiophile setup! If you’re reading this, then that means you most likely care about music. Not just music, but high-quality reproduction of music. That’s basically what Hi-fi (short for high fidelity) is all about. It’s about putting together a group of audio components to make a recorded piece of…
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Andover Audio SpinDeck MAX Review: This User-Friendly, Fully Automatic Belt-Drive Turntable Delivers!
TL;DR If you’re planning to buy Andover’s excellent SpinBase turntable speaker system, and you’re looking for a capable, fun, user-friendly turntable to match, the SpinDeck MAX is precisely what you’re looking for. Intro If you’re a regular reader of Hifitrends, then you know we’re big fans of the gear coming out of Andover Audio. They…
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iFi Audio xDSD Gryphon Portable DAC Amp Review: This May Be The Last Digital To Analog Converter You Need To Buy!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, WirelessIntro Back in 2018, when iFi Audio introduced the xDSD, the first model in its x-series line of portable DAC/Amps, it was groundbreaking, both in terms of design and feature set. The xDSD DAC/amp was shortly followed by the second model in the line, the xCAN, which was equally innovative with its powerful amp section…
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Linsoul Audio/HarmonicDyne Poseidon Review: These Handsome Headphones Know How To Get Down!
Intro The Linsoul Audio/HarmonicDyne Poseidon ($439.00) is third in the line of wood cup HarmonicDyne headphones, each named after a Greek god. The first one was Helios, followed by Zeus. The Zeus headphones featured drivers with a Beryllium coating, which reduced distortion and added clarity. The Poseidon picks up where Zeus left off, including the…
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Dilvpoetry DT-1 Tube Headphone AMP DAC Review: Lavish Your Headphones With Warm Tubey Goodness!
Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Reviews, Streaming, WirelessTL;DR The Dilvpoetry DT-1 combines a decent DAC, powerful headphone amp section, and effective tube input stage in a single box for convenience plus musicality. Intro Tube-based headphone amps can offer listeners a different sound profile to solid-state models. Fans of tube amps crave their tendency towards an “organic” sound that is both warm and…
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Cambridge Audio AXR100 Stereo Receiver/AXC35 CD Player Review: This Affordable Hifi System Is Sensational!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessWondering what a hi-fi system is? Here’s your answer! Cambridge Audio has been making affordable yet robust amps and receivers for a long time now. My first proper high-end component, a modestly priced Azur 540A V2 integrated, was from them, and it held a special place in my hi-fi rack for a long time. That’s…
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Tin HiFi P1 Plus Planar-Magnetic IEM Review: These Attractive Earphones Are Impressive!
Best Buys, Budget, Deals, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Portable Audio, Reviews, VideosI’m a big fan of planar magnetic headphones. They give you presence and detail not possible with most dynamic driver models. Usually, this does come at the expense of some bottom-end punch, but for someone like me, who puts more value into overall balance than visceral thump, this suits me fine. Because of this, I’ve…
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Technics’ New EAH-A800 Noise Cancelling Wireless Over-Ear Headphones Boast High-Resolution Audio With 50 Hours Of Playback!
Bluetooth, First Impressions, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, Uncategorized, Videos, WirelessToday, Technics unveiled the $349 EAH-A800 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones, a new premium set of Bluetooth earphones that promise industry-leading battery life (up to 50 hours), class-leading active noise canceling, and LDAC Hi-Res wireless audio. Price-wise they’re in direct competition with the current top-selling ANC headphones from Sony, so it will be interesting to see…
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Product Of The Year Awards 2021: Best Digital To Analog Converters, Best Music Streamers
Hey folks! Well…we’ve made it through another year! It’s been a tough one with Covid-19 ravaging the planet once again, but that hasn’t stopped us from checking out some of the best affordable high-end audio. As the year wraps up, this is the time when we look back at the best stuff we’ve come across…
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Product Of The Year Awards 2021: Best Headphones, Headphone Amps, & Portable Audio
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessHey folks! Well…we’ve made it through another year! It’s been a tough one with Covid-19 ravaging the planet once again, but that hasn’t stopped us from checking out some of the best affordable high-end audio. As the year wraps up, this is the time when we look back at the best stuff we’ve come across…
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Technics EAH-AZ60 Review: These Brilliant Wireless Earbuds With LDAC Bluetooth Are The Real Deal!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Headphones, Hi-Res Music, Music, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Reviews, Software, Videos, WirelessTL;DR The Technics’ EAH-AZ60’s strong ANC, call clarity, and detailed yet easy-going sound signature put them amongst the best True Wireless Earbuds on the market. The Bass can come on a little strong at times, but for the most part, it adds a nice weight to the music. Intro Technics is mainly known for its…
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Awesome! Cambridge Audio Celebrates The 10th Anniversary of StreamMagic!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, DACs, Deals, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessToday, Cambridge Audio officially celebrates the 10th Anniversary of their Streammagic streaming platform, a combination of hardware and software that allows the playback of digital music from their network audio components. As a long-time user of their gear, I have followed the development of StreamMagic for a while, and I think the current incarnation of…
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