Polaris – that’s the name of Campfire Audio’s newest IEMs priced at 599 USD. How do these hybrids (dynamic+BA drivers with dedicated sound chambers) perform? Polaris are the second hybrid IEMs in Campfire Audio’s portfolio, but first featuring dedicated sound chamber for a dynamic driver. Angular shells made from anodized CNCed aluminum are already well-known, but these babies come with innovative faceplates with Cerakote coating too. Polaris is the second cheapest model (after Orion) in the company’s lineup, but it’s about to offer engaging tuning...

N3 is Cayin’s newest and cheapest DAC. Its specs seem very promising: AKM 4490EN DAC and two-way Bluetooth 4.0 chip with aptX codec support. Nowadays the category of DAPs for advanced users mainly consists of expensive and big devices with touchscreens and streaming feature. Cayin N3 is all different – it’s a smaller, more classic piece of gear with a non-touch screen. Nevertheless, it still offers plenty options like USB DAC, Bluetooth transmitter+receiver, DSD-decoding and USB Type C input. The price is also fair – 149 USD. Accessories The...

Alien+ is Shozy’s newest DAP. The Asian brand focuses on sound quality, therefore the device in focus is powered by AKM AK4495SEQ DAC. Shozy is known for its ‘displayless’ DAPs. Alien+ is the first unit to break this trend – it has screen and operating system installed. Nowadays there are many multifunctional devices with touchscreens and advanced OSs, while Alien+ offers just a set of basic features. The manufacturer focuses on the sound – Alien+ is said to compete with other flagship DAPs, but it costs merely 439 USD. Accessories I received just...

Third generation of FiiO X5 offers plenty of features. It utilizes dual AKM AK4490 DAC, quad-core SoC, a 4-inch touchscreen and runs on Android OS. Third revision of X5 brings a lot novelties. Rotary dial has been replaced by a touchscreen and it comes with a single-band Wi-Fi module added. Moreover, streaming is supported and there’s a Bluetooth transmitter with aptX codec support. New X5 version is powered by dual Asahi Kasei DAC and the Chinese company decided to restore the internal memory (32 GB), which can be further expanded via 2 microSD...