I’ve had the HD650 for years. The HD600 are equally great. Just with a slightly different sound signature.

Listening to the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets with my fresh new set of Meze 99 Noirs. Pretty impressive! A definite step up from the Sivga Robin. They’re bassy and full but not over the top. Overall the Hifiman Edition XS still rules supreme in my stable but the 99 Noir is going to be great as a...

The current CEO places no value on design. He put an operations manager in charge of Apple’s design efforts and hired the guy who invented the E-Trade baby to put in charge of Apple’s ad campaigns. Design has been completely devalued at Apple and the result is these lifeless, featureless and...

No doubt. It’s Apple’s doing. But in the last decade or so Apple has really lost a lot of their design edge. They’ve fallen back on iteration and shied away from anything that pushes the boundaries. It’s similar to what happened to the DSLR market. Canon and Nikon pro DSLR cameras all look like...

I kinda hate how the tech companies dumb the designs of these down so much. They look like featureless marshmallows.

Six reviews. How long has this been out? I guess I only just spotted it.

7hz is really sleeping on the Timeless II. They better make it exceptionally good. Competition is heating up in the planar space again: TINHIFI P1 MAX II 14.2mm Planar Driver https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOGmanY

But it’s $12. On a price to performance level there isn’t a better deal in all of hi-fi.

I’ve seen it go on crazy sale for under $400 from time to time but those moments haven’t synched up with my budget yet.

HipDAC is always lurking on my list. The xDSD Gryphon is at the top but I often consider springing for the HD 3 as an interim solution for full sized phones.

As already noted, just sign up for their newsletter. And I agree that a note to their contact email will probably result in them sending you the specific Voltage code once you’re signed up. Penon has excellent customer service.

I’m glad to see the Neo3 continuing to have fans. I reach for mine more than I anticipated. I still like the Neo5 better but the 3 is a really good and unique set. Those planar highs are very smooth.

The BTR 7 is a very good BT receiver. I find it works especially well for me when I use an AptX HD transmitter with my iPhone, so I imagine that devices with native AptX probably work even better. For wired I strongly recommend the HiBy FC 4. It has both single ended and balanced output and it...

So I got out my HD 598, 598 cs and 650 for the first time in a long time. The 598 is exactly as I remember it. The 598 cs’s pads had disintegrated and needed to be replaced. After spending time with all three I now agree with you. The 598 and 598 cs are pretty much equal. The closed cs variant...

Good to know. The Oriole was a potential as well. It’s weird how few closed back sets there are these days.

That’s how I feel about the NiceHCK NX7 MK4. I like it a lot but I doubt I’d toss it out as a general recommendation.

After handling and listening to the 99 Classic some time ago I finally decided to grab a set of the 99 Noir. I like the utilitarian design of the phones and the sound profile is exactly what I’m looking for in a closed back. Currently I’m using the Sivga Robin as my closed back set and they’re...

I just came off of several long sessions with my old friend the Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250 ohm. Now I’m listening to the Hifiman Edition XS.

That blood red resin is very attractive looking.

Thanks to the AliExpress sale I picked up a fresh pair of Deva Pros for only $164. Two years ago or so I bought the Deva Pro as open box and wired only at the Hifiman site. I’d intended to buy a Bluemini R2R to go with it but Hifiman charges over $250 for it as a stand alone device and the...

Listening to mine a bit today and yeah, that’s dead on. The R1 has plenty of sub-bass but the emphasis is on the mid.

The ARTTI R1 really should have generated more hype. It’s a great set.

They’re a real world beater set when it comes to beautiful musicality. I need to get mine out again.

Popping in to note that I’m playing the FiiO FF3 today for the first time in a while and they continue to blow me away. Superb buds.

Judging by what 7hz says about it they’ve developed a new planar driver from the ground up. Who knows how much of that is true, but that’s their official line.