The Journal of Affordable High-End Audio – Budget Hi Fi Magazine, Audiophile News, Budget Audiophile, Home Stereo System, Best Headphones
Last week Apple rolled out thousands of Lossless Audio and Hi-Res Lossless audio tracks on their Apple Music platform, bringing with them the promise of Audiophile-Quality playback. Here’s how Apple explains it: Apple has developed
When I reviewed iFi Audio’s original Zen DAC back in 2019, I couldn’t believe the massive value provided by the $130 desktop DAC Headphone Amp combo. It was compatible with all digital audio formats, including
On the same day Apple announced their $9.99 Hi-Res Audio streaming Tier for Apple Music, Amazon made their own blockbuster announcement regarding their High-Resolution Music streaming Service. Starting today, Amazon Music HD, which features millions
Today, media and hardware giant Apple announced some big changes coming to their Apple Music streaming service. According to the company, starting in June, they will make their catalog of 75 million songs available in
Despite already having two of the best High-Res audiophile music streamers on the market, Bluesound has revealed new and improved versions of their best-selling NODE and POWERNODE devices. Both models now get upgraded (read: faster)
Today, via their official Twitter account, iFi Audio unveiled a new version of its super-popular ZEN DAC USB DAC/ Headphone Amp, called the ZEN DAC V2. The new model improves upon the original with a
DAC’s or Digital to Analog converters have become an easy and inexpensive way to improve the sound coming from your laptop or smartphone. The easiest to use and most affordable is the portable DAC, which
Summary Cambridge Audio’s DacMagic DACs have long provided solid functionality and impressive performance for the money. Their latest DacMagic product, the DacMagic 200M, is their most admirable effort yet. The 200M supports the highest bit
Overview The portable DAC/Amp market is a crowded one. I’ve reviewed a bunch of them, and I have a couple on deck waiting for evaluation. To make noise in this product category, you have to
IFi’s Latest Portable Dac/Amp Combo Has Unrivaled Power And Refinement At Its Price! It’s no secret that I have a bit of a soft spot for iFi products. Their combination of innovative design, thoughtful features,
Choosing a DAC Amp for the Best Value Headphone under $500! A Reader Writes: I’m wondering if you can give me your recommendation for pairing up a DAC for the Hifiman Sundara headphones. I have
I’ve reviewed quite a few dongle style DAC/Headphone Amps over the last year or so, and I must say I dig them. Their compact size coupled with their affordability makes them an ideal way to
A 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.
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
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
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
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
This 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
The 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
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,”
On 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
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)
While 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
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
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