I was listening to music through the Peak yesterday.  And it was such a thrilling listening session.  However, I did something unusual: I stopped.   I hit the pause button after a particularly great song, and took off the headphones.  I held my breath for a moment, and closed my eyes.  I wanted to remember this moment.  Just in case it never sounded this good again.   "That was it," I said to myself.  The place I've been trying to find for a few years now. Then, as I recalled the long and expensive journey that got me here, I became a...

After reading some glowing reviews, I decided to give the HDP a go.  I needed a compact and hassle-free solution for my work rig, and one that could drive any headphones I decided to bring to work with me (including the difficult-to-dive 600 ohm beyerdynamic cans).   After receiving the HDP, I was impressed with its looks and build quality.  Even the packaging and branding were pretty sleek.   However, it was upon powering up the device when my impressions started to turn for the worse.  The HDP is, to my ears, a pretty nice source paired with a...

Just throwing my two cents in...    These headphones are terrific.  And having come from some of the older flagship headphones (K702, DT880, etc.), I can say these are clearly a more reference quality headphone.   The sound is revealing yet never harsh.  The treble response, to my ears, is sweet and very slightly rolled off.  It is part of the reason why these are not fatiguing headphones.  And the midrange?  Boy oh boy...  It's the most resolving midrange I've ever heard.  Voices and instruments not only sound fantastic, they sound more real...

Just trying to pull the average up. can't believe someone would give reference headphones of this quality a 1.5 star rating overall. but, that, i suppose is the love/hate nature of the k701/k702.   personally, i feel they are wonderful headphones.  and, at $260 street price at time of this posting, you'd be hard pressed to find a better sounding pair for the money.   they are a little light in bass impact, and a little strong in the upper mid (female vocal range).  harmony vocals can get a little shouty sometimes.    but, what they do well is...

the woo wa6 is the single-chassis smaller sibling of the wa6se.  but don't think for a moment that listening to the wa6 you'll be "slumming it".  not at all.  because, the wa6 is, quite simply, a wonderful amp.    from the tank-like build quality, to the sexy anodized brushed aluminum finish, to the amp topology, everything is top notch.  and the sound is great in all areas.   frankly, i can't believe i'm the first to jot down a review of this popular amp.  i'm sure others will follow.  

The caliente is a really solid entry in its price range for a solid state headphone amp. I would venture to say it performs a bit above its station, at $399 Canadian.   The sound is smooth yet powerful, and the volume knob is just perfectly tuned with the amp.  There's plenty of power on supply, and the amp drives 600 ohm cans without stress.   The Caliente is the "warm" sounding sister amp to the standard K.I.C.A.S. model (stands for "keep it clean and simple").  And i can detect just a hint more warmth and bass impact than perhaps would...

i bought the ef2a as a dac/amp for my work rig, hoping it would represent a nice step up from the portable dac/amp i was using at the time - the ibasso d4.   immediately out of the box, i was struck by its looks.  its an attractive little unit.   however, after a couple weeks of use, the dac/amp really started revealing its weaknesses.    first, the dac section of this unit is nothing special.  comparing it with the d4, the d4 is superior, providing more instrument separation, more clarity, and less congestion in the lower mids and upper...

The Fischer Audio FA-004 is an enigma wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in an enigma.   This Russian headphone has just garnered attention recently in the Western world.  And, with a selling price of $67 at Bugden Audio, it should hopefully take off as a really viable option for someone looking for a portable, nice sounding set of closed cans at a budget price.   So, what does this cheapy set of cans sound like?  Well, that's the enigma.  They are smallish, barely-circumaural cans.  And, as a result, they simply aren't able to convey the nuances...

wow!  am i really the first to write a review for the venerable portapro??    the portapro is an age old design, but has held up over the years, despite newer portable cans coming along.  and perhaps it is the very age of the design that keeps people coming back to it.  what with its alnico magnets and paper diaphrams.  and it's weird retro look.  and its mega fun sound!!!   yep, the sound is fun.  the portapros have a nice, punchy sound.  and great bass for a small supra-aural set of phones.  they are great for pop, rock, hip/hop and the like...

the hd595 were my first nice set of nice cans. and, as a result they will always have a special place in my heart.   at $190 street price (as of this review), though, there are just so many other cans out there right now that will give you much more excitement for your dollar. thing is, the hd595 borders on boring, in my opinion.   yes, they are fairly neutral, have a pretty respectable amount of detail retrieval, and are very comfortable to wear and listen to for hours.  sure, part of the whole "forget you are wearing them" thing is the...

the m50 was released a few years ago by audio technica as the flagship of their "m" studio monitor line.  and, like all audio technicas, it is colored in one way or another. this particular headphone definitely has more bass than a strictly neutral set of cans should.  but, the bass is quite impressive for a phone of this caliber and price range.  using the "heartbeat" test track from the "Open Your Ears" headphone test album, the m50 produces more low frequency rumble than any headhpones i own or have heard.  (bear in mind i have not heard...

Beyerdynamic's headphones, in order of popularity, probably goes something like this:  T1, DT880/600 ohm, and maybe then DT990/600 ohm.  Heck, some would put DT48, T50p, or others ahead of the DT990...   So the DT990 is somewhat under-appreciated.  However, a recent surge of interest at Head-Fi, possibly the result of outstanding prices at several vendors, led me to purchase these.  And boy am I ever glad I did.   So, this is my first review of any product at Head-Fi, and what better headphones to review for me than the DT990? Of all the...