Disclaimer : The FiiO M7 was sent to us free of charge in exchange for our honest review. We thank FiiO for that! FiiO redesigned their entire line of portable DAPs and M7 is first from this newborn series. At first inspection I realized that M7 is completely different from other DAPs rooted in X series of portable players, it’s surely a product destined and carefully mastered not only for audiophiles but for simple users as well. Due to newest Bluetooth technologies such as Aptx-HD and ultra-performing LDAC codec, incorporation of a FM Radio receptor and of a much simpler to use Android 7 OS, M7 becomes an interesting device for anybody that has a minimal interest in sound quality. All the changes went into the right direction and I predict it will be a successful portable DAP.
FiiO never ceases to amaze me, few months ago I was testing their new flagship IEM: the F9, a few months later their new F9 PRO flagship and now they done it again with the FH5. I would not be shocked if at this very moment they are already tinkering with a new flagship IEM, FiiO is on fire and I like that. FH5 sets apart from the other IEMs they done in the past, from the moment you unpack them you start to understand they are surely in the big boy category with this one. Unboxing experience was like a much higher priced IEM, I’m glad they are making time into thinking better ways to carefully pack a premium product.
To our customers, readers in the community, and fellow audiophiles, we unfortunately have some bad news regarding the high-end Japanese chipmaker Asahi Kasei Microsystems, or as we all know them, “AKM.” On October 20, a fire began at the AKM manufacturing facility in Japan and grew out of control, ultimately burning for 82 hours before it was extinguished on October 23. The fire was devastating and the entire semiconductor facility is now shut down and all AKM production has come to a halt. To simply say that this is bad news for the audiophile community would be putting it mildly. AKM is one of the most popular chips used in many high-end DACs and Amps, many of which Apos sells. This news is par for the course when it comes to calamitous events in 2020, but we are glad to hear that there were no reported fatalities from the approximate 400 employees who were working inside the AKM facility at the time the fire broke out.
Audeze is a company that values incremental progress. Rather than flooding the market with new models quarter after quarter, the California-based company makes technical improvements to their existing models, bettering them over time. Because of this, the Audeze LCD-X of 2013 is not the same headphone as the LCD-X of today. If anything, its fandom has only grown.
What do the FiiO Q3, Abraham Lincoln, and Diana Ross have in common? They’re middle children. Middle children are dealmakers and negotiators. Often finding themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place (siblings, for instance), they learn to compromise and forge ahead. Although we don’t expect the Q3 to have quite the historical legacy as Lincoln or Ross, we love how it navigates technical challenges and user expectations with a middle child’s approach.
The popularity of our SMSL SU-9 Compendium made us decide to go through the existing reviews for our most popular products and do the same thing. Below you will find a collection reviewing the TOPPING A90 Amp. While many of you have already read these reviews in their entirety already, we've combined and collated the material all in one spot for you to easily go back and find the highlights to help you make a purchase decision. If there's another product out there that you would like us to do a compendium on, feel free to let us know! In the meantime, enjoy the compendium on the TOPPING A90 Amp!
With the K5 PRO, FiiO continues their path of wanton disruption in the audio industry, obliging us to reassess how much a DSD512 amp should properly cost. $149?! If you say so, FiiO!
Pros – Well-balanced signature, Comfortable, Very coherent imaging, Nice build quality Cons – Mediocre sub-bass extension Verdict – The Sundara provides a natural, tonally excellent presentation and one of the most accurate midrange timbres in its price range. Buyers would do well to choose the Sundara. ... Introduction – Hifiman are one of the original Chi-Fi hits, shocking users with their cost-effective designs and sound signatures usually only found on considerably more expensive audio products. No doubt, those following the hobby for the last decade would have heard of their legendary RE in-ears that have evolved through various incarnations over the years and honed the same neutral-orientated tunning. And with their headphones, Hifiman achieved similar renown, the HE line becoming high and frequent recommendations for their excellent value.
Disclaimer: Jade II was sent to us as a loaner unit and will be returned to HifiMan in about one week. We thank team HifiMan for this opportunity! 10 years and some have passed since first generation of HifiMan Jade seen the light of the day. Many owners called them Liquid HD800, some called them baby HE90, others considered them the best electrostatic ear-speakers to date. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the pleasure of listening to them, but I am very glad HifiMan Jade II made safely my way and I started my listening as soon as I have unpacked them. Unboxing Experience HifiMan Jade II Electrostatic system came quadruple boxed: one box for the headphone, one for the headphone amplifier (energizer) and two separate boxes for extra protection. It is clear to me Hifiman walked an extra mile to make sure every Jade II set will arrive safe and sound to the new owners.
Doing reviews for good sounding headphones is easy-peasy they said, just hype them as much as you can and all will be good they said, roses are red violets are blue they said. What a bunch on non-sense! Actually, doing reviews for expensive and top-notch headphones is much, much harder to do since you need to carefully pick your words, not to mention excessive amounts of listening tests, comparisons, measurements and leaving plain subjective opinions. The moment Hifiman Arya arrived at my door my mood was really low, spirits were not kind to me this past few days, don’t know why. I started casually listening to them with a slight headache and sincerely I was so low on inspiration that my expectance level was even lower, I didn’t think they can surpass my all-time-favorite Quad Era-1 headphones. About 5 minutes passed and I already started doubting my thoughts, another 5 minutes passed and I was already sweating, 5 more and I was angry that they just might sound better. I started bargaining and added more music to my playlist. After a painful one hour of switching back and forth my depression left me and I accepted the fact that Arya is just in completely another league. Yes, my friends they are sounding better on almost all aspects, all of that in due time.