NOTE: Based on feedback, this Rn6 review has been updated to be a direct comparison to its twin Xe6. They are both the same build using the same parts but have different tuning as outlined in this update. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Fir Audio was listening to some of the Xe6 reviews of critics requesting a more treble-forward audiophile sound over the luxurious creamy Xe6 sound. Now both preferences are met with the introduction of the Rn6. The Xenon 6 (Xe6) is Fir Audio’s next generation of their extremely popular M5, one of the best in-ears of all time...

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Holly hell…that is a big sound!!! The Xenon 6 (Xe6) is Fir Audio’s next generation of their extremely popular M5, one of the best in-ears of all time when it was launched. However, listening to both side-by-side, there is little similarity between the two signatures other than both reaching exotic performance that puts them above the top-tier. I will undoubtedly keep both to offer two different signatures to enjoy my music library – the Xe6 is more euphonic and 3D with the M5 being more transparent and traditional sounding. The...

The PHöNIX is Vision Ears' replacement for their extremely popular Erlkönig, arguably the best in-ear of all time when it was launched. For the Erlkönig, Vision Ears went all out with a pure silver design with interchangeable magnetic faceplates that hid a four-way switch within each unit to offer variability in sound. This was an all-BA 13 driver design that enjoy a top-of-class, best-of-the-best rating for quite a while. But the reign had to come to an end eventually and it was discontinued last year to the disappointment of many. From the ashes...

When Sennheiser created the HD800 audiophile headphone in Jan. 2009, it not only created the best-sounding mass-produced consumer headphone of its day – it also created a cult following and ultimately ignited a new genre of cost-no-limit audiophile headphones going forward. Even more importantly, the HD800 was unique as it became a platform for tweaking and hacks called “Mods”. While this is an HD820 review, there is history here that needs to be considered, so we will be taking that detour first before discussing how glorious the HD820 sounds. 😊...

To be clear, the VE EXT is not just an upgraded Elysium, it is at a whole new level with a different overall signature. It is now supporting two dynamic drivers which should be of interest to anyone that enjoys full-sized audiophile bass. The best-in-call mids that the Elysium offers are still there, but it is not the focus of the EXT. Those mids/vocals are still forward and intimate but are now accompanied by the dual lead guitars over the vocalist’s shoulders, gobs of venue ambiance, and full-sized bass that you can feel all around while...

**UPDATE 07/30/21** After listening to my custom FIR M5 for a year now, I had to come back and update my review to give the M5 the full credit that it deserves. The FIR M5 is absolutely my “If I could only have one” CIEM. After a little background, I will break down why I feel this way. BACKGROUND: Those that know me know that I have had access to most of the top-tier universal and custom IEMs from the top global manufacturers in the industry for over the last decade through the tours I manage and the reviews that I write. My personal collection of...

Burson has created another winning product with their new Conductor 3 Reference product. No...that’s not good enough - consider my mind blown. I tried all Burson products from the bottom up and Burson never fails to blow me away with sound quality. Just when you think they have reached a pinnacle, they do it again. This takes everything good that I have already said about the Fun, Play, and the Playmate – my current personal favorite – and takes it all to another level. Redefining the Audio Term “Reference” There is a lot of jargon thrown around in...

The Most Fun CIEM Ever! For those that don’t know me, I have been hosting numerous TOTL CIEM and cable tours on Head-Fi in the US for the last several years now including most of the top manufacturers ranging from moderately expensive to very expensive options. This has allowed me and my tour participants access to hear some of the most incredible mobile audiophile equipment in existence. Even in the few years that I have been managing these tours, I have seen significant advances in technologies and performance to the point that it is rare to...

Having reviewed a number of Burson products, it comes a no surprise that the Playmate is another top-notch product offering great value and hits well above its price level. Burson just seems to have a golden touch that exudes quality and performance. Therefore, I don’t really need to tell you how good it is as you probably already know that. However, looking at their site, there is a lot of overlap between products making it confusing to know what best suits your needs. My use case and the basis of this review is to drive my headphones consisting of...

The ELYSIUM is my kind of signature – Full-sized sound, great at everything important, and excels at mids with a natural, intimate performance. As a tribrid design – BA, dynamic, EST mix – it is among the new generation that is quickly taking over the performance audiophile market reaching new levels of performance. However, the new engine that has kicked up performance in detail retrieval and layering – the EST driver – has also been the Achilles heel among the new EST offerings, acting as the attention dominator. Not so with the ELYSIUM. Vision...

Fearless Audio snuck up on me. I somehow missed the conversation. Then when introduced, I found that they had a fully fleshed out lineup with 12 models: Wow, how did I miss that? I was then introduced to Fearless Audio by @ironpeg at HeadFi.org. Having managed a number of HeadFi.org tours, I offered to manage a full lineup Fearless Audio 2019 US tour – selfishly, to be able to hear the lineup myself. For this, @ironpeg introduced me to Iconic Music who is the host of our tour. When I received the tour kit, what I found is that these are very...

The xDuoo EP1 is a 10mm dynamic driver IEM for $30 at XTENIK Audio that is an easy recommendation for a general duty IEM. While I have a large collection of multi-thousand-dollar custom IEMs that are clearly better for fine listening, these lower-cost IEMs are more than good enough for most situations and are garnering far more ear time than my expensive customs. Use Case While my expensive customs are securely stored away in nice cases to protect them, my xDuoo is setting conveniently on my desk attached to my audio out for private listening to...

As a big Burson fan, I have been doing a lot of reviews and enjoying everything that I have used from the Cable + to the Play to the Fun. However, I have never gone down the upgrade path that makes Burson so much fun – both the Play and the Fun were "Basic" editions. However, after watching this guy’s awesome Burson Play upgrade review video: I became very interested in trying his suggested V6 Vivid and Classic opamp upgrade setup. As mentioned in the video, there are three dual slots and two single slots for these upgraded opamps. His suggestion...

Having just reviewed the Burson Play, I knew I was in for a treat with the FUN and was not disappointed. The sound quality is superb and I personally don’t know how to match it at this price. It is very true to its source as a very transparent amp offering girth and size to the note that makes the music “FUN”. If the detail is there, the FUN scales it to allow listeners to hear more into the music. This is true audiophile listening for those that have champagne taste and a beer budget. Now, this begs the question, if Burson can do this for the Fun...

Empire Ears is a custom in-ear boutique powerhouse that cannot seem to do anything wrong. Having listened through Jack’s lineup on multiple occasions, I always leave feeling that his team has raised the bar yet again. The short of it is that EE has a vast array of flagship level IEMs at all price levels and signatures with three at the very top including: the Zeus, the Phantom, and of course the subject of this review – the Legend X. While they are all classically top tier audiophile, they cover the signature range from the Zeus which is the most...

To be honest, at a price point of $299 compared to my $2700 Chord Hugo 2, I wasn’t expecting much. I was just expecting to beat my computer’s ASUS motherboard built-in upgraded audio which is lackluster at best and to be more convenient as a permanent attachment to my computer. Mission accomplished! However, I am finding the PLAY to be way more capable than that and has opened my eyes to new possibilities. What I didn’t expect was that the PLAY standalone through USB is driving my LCD2.2, my HD800s, and my extensive collection of CIEMs to their full...

My Brief Impressions Having hosted a number of TOP TIER CIEM tours and having access to others through HeadFi and the RMAF events, I have a pretty good understanding of what is out there in the CIEM options. Some impress immediately as different such as the EE LX with its dual subwoofers, and some others like the 64 Audio A18 grow on you over time sounding good at first, but then bringing tears to your eyes after you listen to it long enough to "get it". The Mason falls into the latter category as it took some listening through my library and playing...

A Little Background As an audiophile or audio enthusiast, it was the love of music that began my journey. First, it was my loud bedroom teenage home stereo boombox or stack system with buddies, then a high fidelity car system as I got older, then an immersive high-end home speaker system that evolved into some real money. Then I had kids and could no longer play my speakers when I wanted nor at the volume level I did before, nor the selections that I previously listened. My dual high-end subwoofers went silent. That took me to headphones and...

An audiophile confession – “I often use my iPhone as a source in my audiophile setup.” I know, I know, not ideal, but my wife often leads the DJ responsibilities and her music is on her iPhone or iPod. The Spotify application on her iPhone is our go to source for all day streaming music throughout the house. What can I say, I like to please my wife – and if I don’t, the music often gets turned off or is ruined by loud complaints. Yes, there are ways to extract digital signals from the apple products but that comes with issues too such as not being...

The reason that I wanted to be part of managing this tour was to be able to compare the brand new Hugo2 with my Calyx M and Sony WM1A DAPs to know that I was getting the most performance possible out of my CIEMs. Well…….the Hugo2 squashed them like bugs. Side by side, the SQ comparison wasn’t even close……… darn it. Now I have to rethink my mobile listening strategy. As a point of reference, I was luke warm on the first Hugo a couple years ago when auditioning it for a week. I found it interesting, but only good SQ and not great enough to justify the...