Tag: best mqa dac
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Now That’s A Good Question…Bluetooth vs. Wi-Fi Music Streaming?
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in Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Software, Streaming, Videos, WirelessA reader writes: Would a music streamer, like Andover’s Audio Songbird Music Streamer, be necessary for a system with a PS Audio Sprout since the Sprout has Bluetooth? Thanks M.B. Hello M.B, Not necessarily. If you’re happy with the sound from Bluetooth, then you may not need a Wi-Fi streamer like the Songbird. However,…
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Shanling BA1 Desktop Hi-Fi Bluetooth Receiver Review: Exquisite Bluetooth DAC For Headphones And Speakers!
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Remarkable Wireless Sound For The Money! It wasn’t long ago, the phrase “Hi-Fi Bluetooth Receiver” would’ve been considered something of an oxymoron. Even a couple of years back, the sound quality of Bluetooth was pretty poor, and most audiophiles would’ve scoffed at the idea of “Hi-Fi Bluetooth.” But in the last year or so, new…
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Check Out Cambridge Audio’s First MQA DAC/Headphone Amp, The Remarkable DacMagic 200M!
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Cambridge Audio’s First MQA DAC Amp Has Some Serious Specs! Today, venerated British hi-fi brand Cambridge Audio announced their first MQA compatible product, the top of the line DacMagic 200M DAC/Headphone Amp. This will be their new flagship standalone DAC (a step above the current DacMagic Plus), boasting dual ESS Sabre DACs (one per channel…
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Red Hot! Take A Look At iFi’s Dazzling New iDSD Diablo DAC/Amp!
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This Pocket-Sized DAC/AMP Promises Reference-Quality Sound! iFi Audio is starting the new year off right with an impressive-looking new DAC/Headphone Amp. Called the iDSD Diablo, it’s positioned at the top of iFi’s considerable transportable DAC lineup and designed to provide reference quality sound for headphones and stereo systems. This new battery-powered product comes in a sexy…
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HELM Audio BOLT DAC/Amp Review: A Brilliant Headphone Amp/Accessory For Your Phone or Laptop!
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Helm Audio has been on a tear lately, producing an uninterrupted run of innovative portable audio gear for the last two years. They constantly seem to get the features/performance/price mix of their products right, making them attractive. A couple of months back, I took a look at their $199 HELM Audio DB12 AAAMP Mobile Headphone…
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ICYMI: The Khadas Tone Pro 2 Is The Stunning Ultra-Slim Desktop Headphone DAC Amp You Need To See!
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in Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Deals, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessThis Week Hifigo.com announced pre-order availability of the Tone 2 Pro from Khadas, a super-slim desktop DAC/Headphone Amp that packs a lot into a small package. Made from Aircraft-Grade Aluminum, the Tone 2 Pro incorporates a high-end 32-bit ES9038Q2M DAC chip which allows processing of PCM audio files up to 32/384, DSD files up to…
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iFi NEO iDSD Review: A Headphone Amp/DAC Combo With Captivating Sound!
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in Bluetooth, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Streaming, Videos, WirelessThe NEO iDSD is iFi’s latest DAC/Amp Combo, and as usual, they have come up with a well-built, well-designed piece of gear. It combines a fully-balanced headphone amp section with a USB and S/PDIF DAC that handles all the hi-res formats (PCM768, DSD512, Full MQA Unfold). BTW, it also acts as a high-quality Bluetooth receiver,…
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HI-FI Trends Product Of The Year Awards 2020: Best DAC, Headphone Amps, Portable Music Players
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It’s that time again! This is when we look back at some of the best gear we’ve come across this year. The mission of HI-FI Trends is “Helping audiophiles to build affordable high-end audio systems,” and to that end, we’ve picked some of the best affordable high-end gear available right now. You can use these…
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iFi’s Jazzy New Desktop Dac Amp Is A Hi-Res Audio Powerhouse!
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in Bluetooth, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Streaming, Videos, WirelessOn Friday, iFi released their latest Desktop DAC/Amp, a sleek device called the NEO iDSD. It’s a mid-level model that sits between their entry-level ZEN DAC (a device we’ve reviewed here on the site) and their flagship Pro iDSD. It’s a 3-in-1 device that can be used as a DAC/Preamp for a pair of Active…
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HELM Audio DB12 AAAMP Mobile Headphone Amp Review: An Amazing Mini-Powerhouse!
A while back, something a little different arrived on my doorstep. It’s called the HELM Audio DB12 AAAMP Mobile Headphone Amplifier ($199), and it’s an in-line analog amp built around THX’s acclaimed AAA (Achromatic Audio Amplifier) technology. The “Achromatic” in Achromatic Audio Amplifier means “without color.” That speaks to the amp circuit’s promised lack of distortion…
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Best Buys: 5 Marvelous MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) DACs…$99 to $799!
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in Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Preamps, Reviews, Streaming, Uncategorized, Videos, WirelessWhile there’s been a bit of controversy around MQA Audio (read more about it here) and its contribution to hi-fi, we here at Hifitrends believe there’s no question this technology is a positive development for music lovers. MQA packs studio master sound quality in a file format small enough to download and stream over most networks…
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IFi’s ZEN CAN Adds A Tempting New Option To The Headphone Amp Game!
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This $149 Desktop Headphone Amplifier brings quality power to the masses Late last year, iFi introduced the ZEN Series, an ultra-affordable line of desktop audio components that won over many with their modern design and excellent value. We reviewed both of the first two products, the ZEN DAC headphone DAC/Amp and the ZEN Blue Bluetooth…
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Zorloo Ztella Integrated USB DAC Amp Cable Review: Tantalizing Audiophile Sound For Your Smartphone (MQA Version!)
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A couple of months back, I wrote a review of the extraordinary Zorloo Ztella, a tiny dongle DAC/AMP that had impressive sound and power. That review covered the $69 Ztella Standard version, which I liked a lot. But at the same time, I knew I had to check out the $99 Ztella MQA version at some…
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These Innovative HD Concert Videos With Hi-Res MQA Audio Will Blow Your Mind!
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in DACs, Downloads, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Streaming, VideosNot being able to go out and enjoy live music sucks. Usually, one of my favorite things to do is hit up a jazz club and watch the band cook up something marvelous. Well, during this time of “stay at home” or “safer at home” or whatever they call it in your state, that’s ceased…
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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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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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iFi Hip-Dac Headphone Amp/DAC: Check Out iFi’s New Pocket-Size Powerhouse!
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iFi audio is back again with another high-value, high-performance portable headphone amp/DAC. It’s called the hip-dac, and unlike the ZEN DAC they shook the world with last year, it’s meant to be used on the go. The hip-dac has a very slim form factor that’s pocketable (102x70x14mm) while still maintaining the first-rate performance of some…
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You Have Less Than 48 Hours To Get The Ultimate Portable Headphone DAC/Amp On Sale! $200 Off!
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in DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Music, News, Portable Audio, VideosThere are less than 48 hours left to get the Chord Mojo at $399. (Which is the lowest price ever!) The Mojo is widely considered to one of the best portable headphone DAC/ Amps money can buy at full price. (Which is $599 BTW) For its current sale price of $399, it’s a steal! The sale…
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Product Of The Year 2019: Desktop Components- The Wondrous iFi ZEN DAC Amp Combo Review!
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in Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Power Amps, ReviewsThe 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 find to have extraordinary value within its category. Also, since we cover low-cost,…
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Fiio K5 Pro Headphone Amplifier Review: This Impressive Budget DAC Amp Will Excite You!
It wasn’t long ago that I would call a $150 desktop headphone amp with great sound and decent power a steal. So then what should I call a desktop headphone amp with excellent sound, decent power, and a quality USB DAC built-in? I would call it the K5 Pro. The Fiio K5 Pro ($149.99 on…