Greetings! Today we're checking out the hip-dac from iFi. Since 2012 iFi has been delivering a wide variety of hifi products to the audio world from their headquarters in Southport, UK. DACs, amps, DAC/Amps, power purifiers, impedance adapters, speakers, and various other products and devices have come from the brand. I've been lucky enough to review the Pro iCAN, one of their flagship headphone amplifiers, and the iEMatch which enables you to use very sensitive iems with otherwise poorly matched sources. The hip-dac is their newest and most...

Greetings! Today we're checking out the Form 1.1, an affordable hybrid earphone from Shozy. Last month I reviewed Shozy's newest mid-range offering, the Form 1.4. At 199.00 USD it is a seriously impressive earphone bringing with it a classy, comfortable design and a hybrid driver setup that is bassy without sacrificing the midrange or treble quality or quantity. It has a wonderful sound stage, is strong in terms of its technical ability, and it has good timbre and tonality. To my ears, it makes for one of the most entertaining listens I've heard in...

Greetings! Today we're checking out one of FiiO's newest Bluetooth amp modules, the BTR3K. Along with Type-C dongles and true wireless earphones, wireless amp modules are a segment that seem to have seen a huge surge in popularity the last couple years. Back in 2018 FiiO sent over their very wallet friendly module, the uBTR. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of sound coming from that sleek, compact device, giving me high hopes that BTR3K would offer up a similar experience in a more technically capable and feature rich device, albeit at a...

Greetings! Today we're checking out a new budget offering from FiiO, the FH1s. After building up a great reputation for quality DAPs, DAC/AMPs, and other like devices, FiiO introduced earphones into their lineup and haven't turned back. From their humble beginnings with the EX1 in 2015, basically a Dunu Titan 1 rebrand, FiiO has continued to expand and improve their lineup which now features seven iems (with more on the way), a couple earbuds, and the EH3NC headphones. The FH1s that we're checking out today is built upon the foundation laid by the...

Greetings, If you've been following my content over the years you'll know that Knowledge Zenith (KZ) has played a big part in my journey from total newb to whatever I am now. I was around for their early models like the ANV, Micro Ring, and R3, and saw them finally break into the mainstream to set things alight with affordable hybrid iems like the ZST and ZS5. You also might have noticed my lack of coverage of their most recent generation of earphones as a result. The reason being? The lack of forward momentum just wasn't there and everything ended...

Greetings, Today we’re tackling another unit in the growing dongle army, this time from Cozoy, the Takt C. Cozoy was founded in 2014, making a name for themselves through the offering of distinctively designed products with performance that matched their bold look. The Takt lineup has actually been around for a couple years now and was initially composed of the Apple Lightning equipped Takt, and more universal Takt Pro. The Takt C is the newest member of the family, sharing its DNA/specifications with the Takt Pro, but for the Takt C Cozoy replaced...

Greetings! Today we're checking out Radsone's newest DAC/amp, the HUD100. 2018 saw the release of the ES100 which was an outstanding Bluetooth receiver that took portable audio forums by storm. It offered up a mind boggling feature list along with sound quality and wireless performance at a price the competition simply couldn't match. From what I've been seeing, they're only now beginning to catch up. The HUD100 isn't a replacement for the ES100, instead taking on the growing USB dongle DAC/amp segment. With strong specs, outstanding file format...

Greetings! Today we're checking out one of Shozy's newest, the Form 1.4. The Form 1.4 builds on the Form 1.1 released last year (which I'll be reviewing in a couple weeks time), adding an additional three balanced armatures to the hybrid configuration. Inside are five drivers, one dynamic driver and four balanced armatures (hence 1.4), as well as a three-way crossover to keep it all in check. I've really enjoyed a number of past products from the Shozy brand, like the Hibiki (both versions), and Shozy & Neo CP, so my expectations for the Form 1.4...

Greetings! Today we're checking out the TR-Amp from EarMen. EarMen is a relatively young brand with an established history, coming out the gates as the more affordable arm of the Auris Audio brand. These products have been designed and engineered by Miki Trosic, the founder of Auris Audio, and as such have a strong foundation on which their principles are grown. EarMen is “...on a quest to deliver the highest quality audio experience while granting you the freedom to enjoy your music without limitations...” with the TR-Amp leading the charge. It...

Greetings! Today we're checking out the VSonic VSD 3P. VSonic used to be a household name in the forums thanks to legendary models like the GR07. They were one of the earliest major players in the Chinese earphone industry offering killer sound at an affordable price. Along with Fidue, Astrotec, Dunu, Havi and a small handful of other “giant slayers” that have languished over the years, VSonic made a name for the Chinese brands we know and love today. Well, I'm doing a disservice to Dunu and Astrotec. They've made great strides to stay relevant and...

Greetings! Today we’re checking out the AF1120 MK2 from Audiofly. Based out of Australia, Audiofly has been in the business of portable audio since 2012. They embrace the concepts of technological innovation, musician empowerment, and quality sound on all levels. They have worked to achieve this through products that cover a wider range of prices and purposes, from affordable Bluetooth to high end studio monitoring. Recently Audiofly revamped their lineup, updating many of their more popular models with MK2 variants, one of which we are checking...

Greetings! Today we’re checking out the Model 3 BA2 from ADV. Four years ago (has it really been that long!!??), ADV released the Model 3, a 6mm micro driver equipped earphone with MMCX removable cables. It had a stylish, low profile shell similar in style to products from Weston and Shure. Depending on which version you ordered (Live or Mobile) it came with either a silver-plated cable, or a standard cable as well as a Bluetooth module. It sounded fantastic in either configuration and didn’t cost all that much coming in under 100 USD. Enter the...

Greetings! Today we're checking out Kinera's entry into the competitive micro-driver segment, the Tyr. Kinera has been around for quite a while now and is no stranger to the Chinese hifi scene. Unlike a number of other brands, they aren't prone to pumping out release after release, instead taking their time to craft something unique and interesting every time. Maybe not something that appeals to a wide variety of people, but that's where more budget oriented gear like the Sif and Tyr come in. Like the Sif, the Tyr ditches the ever popular hybrid...

Greetings! Today we're checking out the Kinera Sif, the Yang to Kinera's Yin (SEED). Back in 2018 Kinera released the SEED (Yin), one of a two part iems series (Yin and Yang). It was a budget friendly hybrid earphone originally intended to be a replacement for the BD005, though they had completely different signatures and seemed to coexist for a while. I liked the SEED for it's detailed, midrange heavy sound and comfortable, attractive shell. It was fairly priced too coming in at a hair under 50 USD. The Sif (Yang) finally came to fruition midway...

Greetings, Today we're checking out one of Moondrop's more recent releases, the Starfield. Moondrop is a Chinese company out of Chengdu and has rapidly risen to fame within the audiophile community. They are known for earphones and earbuds that follow the Harman tuning curve, but with a spin here and there to give each product a unique sound, at an affordable price and with stellar build quality and interesting designs. My time with the Starfield has showed these qualities to ring true, and I have been seriously impressed with the performance on...

Greetings, Today we're checking out the XQ-50, an affordable Bluetooth 5.0, aptX equipped receiver from xDuoo. xDuoo is a brand full of variety, from dacs to amps to earphones, and Bluetooth receivers like the XQ-50. While in the past xDuoo has mostly disappointed me, the last couple products I've checked out have been winners, and the XQ-50 is no exception. Let's take a closer look, shall we? What I Hear While it somewhat defeats the point of a wireless receiver, the majority of my testing was completed with headphones simply to make it as...

Greetings! Today we're checking out one of Dunu's most recent releases, the DM-480. Dunu is far from new to the audio world, having been an OEM/ODM prior to firing up their own earphone brand in 2006. Around the time I was jumping feet first into the hobby, they were delivering some pretty groundbreaking products like the Titan 1, 3, 5, and the DN-2000. The Titan 1 started my love affair with the brand and it still finds its way into my listening rotation today. It was also my first real step up from the hyper budget gear I spent most of my time...

Greetings, Today we're checking out the Diamond from KBEAR. KBEAR is fairly new to the scene but has already established themselves as a major player in the crowded sea of Chinese brands that have swarmed the market in recent years. Competitive pricing, quality designs, and reliable tuning are the name of the game for this brand with most of their releases being well-received within the community. The Diamond is somewhat unique in that it's tuning was the result of feedback from a prominent tuner of products from TRN, as well as a...

Greetings! Today we're checking out the Link from xDuoo, a type-C USB amp/dac intended for use with mobile devices and PCs As the number of phones with headphone jacks decrease, the options to replace it increase. Dongles are an unfortunate way of life for many consumers in this harsh, modern climate, but we'll get by. Products like the Link help ease the pain. However, in the past easing pain was not necessarily something xDuoo did for me. Don't get me wrong, things started off great with the the X3 and it's wonky button layout that worked...

Greetings! Today we're checking out an older release from Hifiman, the RE600s. While this brand is probably still best known for their planar headphones, their iem lineup has received it's fair share of accolades over the years. The RE600s is one of them, though it has largely become overlooked in what is a shockingly fast moving industry. New releases are forgotten within the month, and older gems might as well not exist given how little attention they get. When the updated RE600s was released in 2017, it was already far from being a new product...