Tag: tidal mqa
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Lenbrook MQA Acquisition: What Does It Mean for Consumers?
Lenbrook MQA Acquisition: Lenbrook’s purchase of MQA, a leading hi-res audio technology company, is a significant development for the audio industry. Is it a new era for hi-res audio? The reports of MQA’s death, it seems, have been greatly exaggerated. Lenbrook Corp., a Canadian enterprise specializing in brand development, technology, and distribution in the audio…
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How To Get Tidal Hi-Res FLAC
Learn how to get hi-res FLAC on Tidal, a music streaming service that offers lossless audio. Available with Tidal HiFi Plus. Tidal is a music streaming service that offers a variety of audio quality options, including a new option as of this month, high-resolution FLAC (up to 24-bit, 192 kHz). FLAC is a lossless audio…
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Shanling M1s Adds Tidal Integration With Latest Upgrade
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Downloads, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, News, Portable Audio, Streaming, VideosThe latest upgrade for the Shanling M1s brings exciting new features, including Tidal integration. Enjoy seamless access to your favorite music streaming service on this portable audio player. The Shanling M1s is a compact and competent music player we loved when we reviewed it earlier this year. It’s a speedy player with good sound and…
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MQair: MQA Codec Gets Hi-Res Audio Wireless Certification
With the new MQair MQA codec, they say you’ll be able to enjoy high-fidelity audio wherever you go. So is it time to upgrade your headphones? Today, it was announced that the international audio research organization, Japan Audio Society (JAS), has certified MQair (SCL6), MQA Ltd’s new scalable wireless audio codec, to be used with…
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Audirect Atom2 Lightning MQA Dac Amp Combo Review: Don’t Listen To Apple Music Lossless Without It!
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, VideosThe Low Down The Audirect Atom2 Lightning is a lightweight DAC/Amp combo with a lightning connector for iPhones. It connects directly to the bottom of the phone so you can avoid floppy dongles, and it has decent power for driving full-sized headphones. For a $79 DAC/Amp the sound is extraordinarily smooth, detailed and expansive. If…
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Lightning DACs and Camera Adapters: How To Get The Best Sound From Apple Music Lossless
Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, Portable Audio, Streaming, VideosLast 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 its own lossless audio compression technology called Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC). In addition to AAC, the entire Apple Music…
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iFi iDSD Diablo Review: The Best Portable Dac/Amp Combo?
DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, VideosIFi’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, and build quality is unmatched at their price points. They always seem to give you more for your money. The…
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Now That’s A Good Question…What’s A Good DAC/Amp For The Hifiman Sundara?
Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessChoosing 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 not purchased either item but I’d like to do so as soon as today. I’ve been unable to confirm what…
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Khadas Tone 2 Pro Review: This Revolutionary DAC Amp Will Make Your Headphones Sing!
Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Preamps, Reviews, Videos, WirelessI’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 upgrade a smartphone or laptop’s sound while on the go. Recently, I was really wowed by the $99 HELM Audio…
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Now That’s A Good Question…Bluetooth vs. Wi-Fi Music Streaming?
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!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Speakers, Streaming, Uncategorized, Videos, WirelessRemarkable 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!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, DACs, Deals, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, News, Streaming, Uncategorized, WirelessCambridge 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!
DACs, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, VideosThis 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!
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, Uncategorized, VideosHelm 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!
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!
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
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessIt’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!
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!
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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