Tag: headphone amp review
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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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Kinera Freya Review: These Dazzling In Ear Monitors Have Impressive Sound!
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in DACs, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Reviews, VideosAs the story goes, “Freya” was the goddess of love & beauty in Norse Mythology. I won’t go into the complete legend here (it’s quite lengthy), but the gist of it is, she was both tough and beautiful, plus she wept tears of gold. Hence the elaborate design of the $249 Kinera Freya earphones from…
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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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BLON BL05 In-Ear Earphone Review: An Earbud Best Buy With Breathtaking Sound!
The $59 BLON BL05 IEM is a follow-up/upgrade to the $39 BLON BL03, a budget earphone we thoroughly enjoyed in our recent review. The 03 was a smash hit amongst value-conscious audiophiles, with its rich chrome finish and crisp, warm, sound. Now we have the BL05, which aims to add more refinement by using a…
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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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HELM Audio Launches A New Wireless Headphone With Some Tantalizing Specs!
The HELM SPORTSBAND HD should make gym-bound audiophiles very happy. HELM Audio has released a flurry of portable audio products over the last couple of years, and all of them have scored high marks here at Hifitrends. Their latest creation, the fitness-oriented HELM SPORTSBAND HD, is a $129 neckband style wireless headphone with triple drivers…
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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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It Looks Like Another Hit! BLON Launches The Tantalizing BL-05 Budget Earbuds
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Last year, a company I never heard of named BLON shook up the headphone enthusiast scene with a cheap IEM called the BL-03. For an earphone that cost less than $30 bucks, it was fancy enough and sounded good enough to capture the attention of everyone in the headphone forums. Many compared its sound to…
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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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These Affordable True Wireless Earbuds Are Cheaper Than Ever!
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If you’re looking for an affordable pair of True Wireless Earbuds that are well built, easy to use, and sound good, then the $39 Tranya T3 Sports Wireless Headphones should be on your list! Their rich sound rivals a decent pair of wired earbuds, and they also have an IPX5 Water Proof rating which makes them great…
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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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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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These Inexpensive Five-Star Rated Earphones Are Now Even More Of A Bargain!
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The BQEYZ KC2 is a Quad-Driver (two balanced armature and two dynamic speakers in each ear) all-metal earphone known for its silky highs, detailed mids, and deep bass. They are already a bargain at their usual price of $59, but for a limited time, you can scoop up the Black model with mic/remote for $37.27…
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Incredible! JVC Brings Their Stunning Audiophile Earphones To The U.S.
You may be familiar with the cheap and colorful earphones that JVC sells at your local drugstore, but what you probably didn’t know is they manufacture headphones for the Audiophile market as well. (I’m quite familiar, because I used to work there many moons ago.) If you didn’t know, you would be forgiven, because they…
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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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One Of The Best True Wireless Earbuds–31% Off With This Money-Saving Promocode!
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in Best Buys, Bluetooth, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, Videos, WirelessWhen I reviewed the HELM True Wireless Bluetooth 5.0 Headphones earlier this year, I called it an exceptional product with great looks, comfortable fit, and fun sound. The HELM earphones made pretty much any music I listened to sound great, whether it was Hip-Hop, Jazz, or anything in between. I loved them so much, they became…
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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…