TL;DR With improvements in its detail and separation, the iFi hip dac2 is a worthy upgrade to the original. Intro Back in January of 2020, iFi dropped a new battery-powered portable amp that was slimmer and lighter than anything they had released to date. It was called the hip-dac, named as such because the design resembled a hip flask. I felt the design was ingenious because the flask shape was a tried and tested concept of pocketability, plus it looked pretty slick. In my review, I raved about its ability to drive full-size headphones with...

The Low Down While the good looks, quality build, and reasonable price may get them in the door, the Sivga SV021's ($149) sensational comfort plus detailed and expansive presentation keep them hanging around. These nice closed-back dynamic headphones have a naturally open sound that makes them a joy to listen to, and the plush earpads will make sure you feel good while doing so. They’re also very sensitive, so you can drive them with any device. That said, they do scale up well with a quality DAC/Amp combo like the Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt...

Summary Shanling Audio has done some good stuff when it comes to DAC/Headphone Amp combos, both portable and desktop. Their BA1 Bluetooth Desktop DAC Amp scored high marks when we reviewed it earlier this year, providing a nice balanced sound for both headphones and hi-fi. They also have the $45 UA1 portable DAC/Amp, a budget audiophile favorite due to its clean, detailed sound and relatively robust amp section. Both of those are built around the ESS ES9218P combo Dac/Amplifier chip, but today we’re looking at the new step-up from the UA1, the $85...

Summary Yes, the Dongle DAC/Amp market is super crowded right now, but that hasn’t stopped Periodic Audio from dropping their own branded dongle DAC at a reasonable price of $49. It’s called the Periodic Audio Rhodium DAC, and it has 32bit/384kHz high-res PCM decoding, along with 30 mW of power to boost their earphones. Periodic is all about mobile hi-fi, so they made Rhodium extra light and slim for use on the go, but that also means it doesn’t have as much juice as its competitors. That’s said, I love the streamlined design for use with a...

Giving You The Low Down On The Best True Wireless Earbuds Under $200! About a year and a half ago, UK-based Cambridge Audio introduced its first True Wireless Earbuds, the Melomania 1. They are still amongst the best TWS earphones under $100, as chronicled in our story, “Best Buys: Our Picks For The Best Wireless Earbuds Under $100!” As we said in that post, the Melomania 1 offers a substantial amount of detail and musicality for the price, and they’re comfortable to boot. However, they miss some of the latest features offered in True Wireless...

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 them attractive. A couple of months back, I took a look at their $199 HELM Audio DB12 AAAMP Mobile Headphone Amp, an analog-only portable amplifier that was one of the most powerful and transparent I’ve ever heard. This time, I’m looking at their $99 BOLT DAC/Amp, an MQA compatible dongle DAC with THX-Certifed headphone amp...

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 poor, and most audiophiles would’ve scoffed at the idea of "Hi-Fi Bluetooth." But in the last year or so, new Bluetooth versions like BT 5.0 along with upgraded BT codecs like LDAC and aptX HD have changed all that. High fidelity Bluetooth connections are now a possibility, and audio manufacturers are coming up with myriad ways to...

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 come up with something special. Enter THX and their new THX Onyx, a $199 DAC/Amp that happens to be their first foray into Consumer Hardware. They came out swinging with the Onyx, a sleek device with massive power and tremendously clean sound due to their impressive THX AAA amplifier technology. Add to that a flagship ESS DAC chip with MQA decoding, and...

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 rates ever decoded in a DacMagic DAC (32-bit/768kHz), handles DSD and MQA, plus has built-in aptX Bluetooth (previous models needed an adapter). There’s also a powerful Class A/B headphone amp that will drive just about any headphones out there. The sound is super detailed and natural, with an amazing amount of...

Summary The $255 SIVGA Phoenix is an affordable open-back, over-ear dynamic driver headphone with a beautiful design and crisp, rich sound. The polished zebra wood cups, protein leather, chrome accents, and black lacquer metal frame combine for a luxurious-looking package. They’re lightweight and comfortable so that you can wear them for long listening sessions, but they just fit larger heads. The 50mm Polycarbonate film driver provides nice air up top without being edgy, natural midrange, and just enough lift on the bottom end to keep things...

The Beyerdynamic T5 is a legendary closed-back model in the headphones world, well known for its musicality and wide soundstage. It sits at the top of their wired hi-fi headphone range and contains the best technology Beyerdynamic has to offer, including their special Tesla dynamic transducer. Today I'm looking at the newest version of the T5, the $999 Beyerdynamic T5 High-end Tesla Headphones (3rd Generation). It’s advertised as having a “more natural reproduction” of high-mid range frequencies than the 2nd generation model. The 3rd generation’s...

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 upgrade a smartphone or laptop's sound while on the go. Recently, I was really wowed by the $99 HELM Audio Bolt DAC/AMP, which offers amazing THX Certified sound and MQA/DSD compatibility in a ridiculously small package. However, these dongle or USB Stick (think AudioQuest Dragonfly) style DAC/Amps do have their limitations. For example, If you need a line...

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, and build quality is unmatched at their price points. They always seem to give you more for your money. The previously reviewed iFi Hip Dac was a beautiful sounding DAC with tons of nice features for $149. The iFi NEO iDSD Desktop Dac/Amp ($799), which we also reviewed, was equally good with its beautiful design and reference sound quality...

This review orginally posted at hifitrends.com http://hifitrends.com/2019/03/28/dyplay-urban-traveller-active-noise-cancelling-headphones/ The Dyplay Urban Traveller Bluetooth Active Noise Cancelling Headphones are wireless over the ear noise canceling headphones that as of this writing, sell for $79.99 on Amazon. Just looking at the specs I really didn’t expect much, but once I got them in my hand, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of sound and construction. The sample I have was sent to me by the manufacturer in exchange for an honest...

this review originally posted at www.hifitrends.com Amazing soundstage and imaging put you in your own private concert. My first experience with Brainwavz was a few years back when I read a glowing review about their Delta earbuds, a product considered by some to be the best sounding earphones under $50. The Delta, with its combination of well thought out features and generous accessory package, all for about $25, represents their strategy of providing a lot for a little. The B200 Dual Balanced Armature IEM ($120), which came out in 2017, and the...

this review originally posted at www.hifitrends.com Amazing soundstage and imaging put you in your own private concert. My first experience with Brainwavz was a few years back when I read a glowing review about their Delta earbuds, a product considered by some to be the best sounding earphones under $50. The Delta, with its combination of well thought out features and generous accessory package, all for about $25, represents their strategy of providing a lot for a little. The B200 Dual Balanced Armature IEM ($120), which came out in 2017, and the...

A refined taste of high-end sound SIMGOT has distinguished itself amongst headphone manufacturers by making beautiful products with refined sound and attention to detail. Their flagship EN700 IEM in all its variants epitomizes this with a solid aluminum build and striking grill design. It has garnered them much praise, and today I am excited to review their entry-level piece, the EM1. To the company’s credit, the EM1 shares some components with their TOTL earphone, most notably, the 10mm titanium-plated driver, which is remarkable since the EN700...

This was originally posted at www.hifitrends.com. Judging from my research and general discussion about the xCAN, it seems like people are really confused about what it actually is. I guess part of it is the existence of the xDSD, a portable headphone amp/DAC that is more along the lines of what people have come to expect from iFi Audio. I mean the xCAN and xDSD look so dang similar. They both have the same wavy metal exterior with the gray cap on the end, which actually looks pretty stylish. I would have no problem pulling either one of them out...

Like many young and broke budding audiophiles, my interactions with Koss headphones back in the early 2000s was my first opportunity to hear what decent headphones sounded like. At that time, the KSC75 ear clip phones were considered to be the gateway drug of the headphone hobby, and after plugging them into my portable CD player (I know I’m dating myself) and hearing the rich layers of sound, I was hooked. To this day, I keep a pair in my desk drawer, mainly for nostalgia since I have moved on to more capable (and more expensive) models. Over the...

This review was originally posted on hifitrends.com If you say you have never heard of M&O Electronics before, I would surely understand, because I am just making their acquaintance myself. I first heard about the MOOH-BE00BT Beryllium Acoustic Bluetooth Headphone in the Head-Fi forums, and they sounded interesting, so I requested a pair to review. M&O graciously offered to send me a pair to check out, in exchange for a fair-minded review. That is what follows. The MOOH-BE00BT sells for $129 on Amazon, and its claim to fame is a 45mm diaphragm...