The i4 is, without a doubt, the most unique earphone I have reviewed till date – and admittedly, the reason it took a while to write up. The unique properties of its planar driver, open back design, and various adjustment options set it apart from contemporary iems, resulting in a unique listening experience, combined with some practical constraints. In a way, the i4 is almost equal parts high-end in-ear, and high-tech gadget.
Apos Audio is proud to add the Kinera Freya IEM Earphone to its collection of Kinera products. The Freya IEM set is available now on Apos for $249.99.
Secret Garden 3 has a nice balance of transparency, details and musicality which is a bit inclined towards accuracy and precision. Go for the SG3 if you are in the market looking for an earphone that fits nicely, has a nice cable, looks good and sounds detailed and engaging while having a bit of analytical touch.
Meze have proven that you don’t need lambskin leather, stainless steel accents or chromed chamfers to create an appealing design, nor do you need complex folding mechanisms to achieve portability and a reliable fit... Meze set out to recapture the magic of the 99 Classics at a cheaper price, within a more contemporary shell and that’s just what they’ve achieved with the 99 Neo.
SMSL M200 ... definitely punched way above its price point offering great dynamics, good fluidity and lots of smiles while listening to it. It is one of those DACs that makes you add another album to your playlist, lean back and relax for a few hours. I don’t want to sound like a fanboy, because I’m far from one, but at this price point, I really don’t know another source that will offer you the same number of inputs and output, the same electronics and the same balanced sound signature with close to zero flaws.
Topping took their best DAC, they upgraded its USB interface with the latest XMOS chip, they added a full MQA decoder and charged only an extra $100 for that...Topping D90 MQA feels like a love letter to music lovers and streaming heads around the world. At $799, Topping (again) raised the bar and proved that high-end sonics could be achieved even at less than $1000, grumpy audiophiles this one is for you. If you are a streaming nut as I am, there isn’t a better unit than this one.
Topping E30 is such an overachiever in every possible way that I can’t tell you enough how awesome it is at such an attractive price point. Putting my objective opinions behind, I can tell you that I liked it more than some pricier digital sources (DACs and DAPs) from the land of the red dragon. E30 is small, cute and really cheap but once you connect it to a serious system, it starts blooming and showing all its awesome skills.
MrSpeakers’ ETHER 2 epitomises reference-grade; uncoloured, undramatised and pristine in all respects. In an era where wow factor reigns supreme, Dan Clarke and co. have crafted a headphone with a stunningly clear voice – one that lets the music do the talking. Despite how innately it belongs in the professional’s toolbox, the ETHER 2 is compelling for audiophiles as well. Its low-end is one of the most defined, resolved and balanced I’ve heard; as mesmerising to listen to on kick drum stems as they are on Top 40 bass drops. The midrange offers a peak inside the vocal booth with zero fluff. And, the treble is as refined as the intricately-layered soundscape it occupies.