The FiiO FH5 (MSRP $299) is released following the success of their earlier IEM line but this time changes up the game. FiiO joined the earphone market in 2015 with the release of the EX1 and a budget EM3 in 2016. 2017 saw the expansion of their earphones with their popular F9 Series along with a variety of other earphones. Come mid 2018 with the release of the FH5 and FA7 is when things got really juicy. See the full review at https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fiio-fh5-review.906625/ Link

The Burson Cable+ is a device that acts as an intermediate between your Source DAC output and final amplifier. It is marketed to match the voltages between them so that the two are matched more evenly through using Burson’s custom V5i audio module as a buffer. I wish to thank Burson for offering this to me as a review unit. You can choose to outfit the Cable+ with multiple combinations of input and output termination standards; RCA or 3.5mm are the choices available. This means that three total options are available depending on your needs. All...

Introduction:   The FiiO X5 II is an update to the flagship DAP released almost two years ago.  This time it comes with a PCM 1792 DAC, IPS display, and DSD decoding. The changes may seem small but they are all beneath the hood.   Unboxing:   Taking the X5 II out, I’ve noticed that while they used similar packaging ideals to that of the X5, the new one was much more streamlined in its ability to be removed from the box.  It comes with a screen protector pre-applied, its accessories, soft case, and the device wrapped in a white cover. You can see...

Brainwavz S0 Headphone Review   Introduction: It’s 2014 and Brainwavz is hot off the success of their S5, R3 and S1 IEMs before they have, yet again, introduced another IEM for the world market. This time, it’s a budget unit called the S0! It’s a petite black and red colored earphone that has the sharp looks of the S1 and S5, but at a fraction of their price.   Unboxing Video:       Build and Design: Getting right into the unit, we are met by a heavily downsized unit from what Brainwavz has given us in the past. No longer are we given...

Brainwavz S5 Review:  There are questions, and then there are questions that you get asked constantly. One of the most common requests of knowledge from me are on if unit X is better than unit Y. And commonly enough, Brainwavz is thrown into that loop every so often. This is probably due to how popular their untis are in the price range and the rave reviews they typically get. And so today, I have the new Brainwavz S5 with me, and I’m wondering if there is truly going to be a new answer to the age old question of what unit people should buy...

Nuforce NE-700M Review             Introduction: NuForce has always been one of THE companies in headphone audio that you look for for amps and other such accessories. But their decision to dip into the IEM market has been met by many with curiosity. Can they perform? And at what price? Are the most common questions people ask when a company takes a step in a new direction. Well today, PTR has got itself a hold of Nuforce’s newest revision of the NE 700M. Does it perform at the price tier, and if so, how well? We’ll answer that...

    Review: Astrotec AX-30   Tuesday, April 15th, 2014   by Bowei Zhao & Ethan Wolf     For several years now, Astrotec has been a name familiar to enthusiasts as a manufacturer of value-conscious, yet quality-engineered, balanced armature IEMs. This past year, they began shifting over to hybrid IEMs en masse. As the smaller sibling of their AX-35, the AX-30 stands out, being comparably built for only $70: significantly less than the triple-digit MSRP that its big brother commands. Will it sound anywhere near as good?   Bowei Zhao  ...

Introduction: Fischer Audio unveiled its new triple balanced armature IEM recently and the press’s went wild. FA has been known to be a great value audiophile company for a long time now. So many wondered if the TBA-04 was the same. Their full size studio line came out to glowing reviews, so is this the same? Today, Panda Tech Review, gives you a look at the Fischer Audio TBA-04. Let’s see how it is.     Build (Driver / Cable / Termination): The build is a bit disappointing on the TBA-04. It’s entire body is plastic. Not extremely hard plastic...

Introduction: The Brainwavz HM9 is stylish, sleek, and intimidating. Can those three words even fit together? Notwithstanding this weird combination that embodies the HM9 – and believe me, it fits quite well – it is still passable as fashionable. At $130, the HM9 has some unique features in store. Read on to find out more!     Unit Build: The only term I can think of to describe the HM9 would be ‘tank’. I’m not talking about the main-battle-tanks(MBT) of today, but of a tank somewhere off into the future. The HM9 is surrounded by metal and hard...

Introduction: Multi driver IEM’s are the talk when it comes to linear armature driver based units. But a dynamic driver based IEM having multiple drivers? Well here we are today with Brainwavz’s new dual dynamic driver in ear monitor. Armed with an acoustic and a bass driver, the piston shaped IEM seems ready to either take on the linear armature competition, or take on the competition for the most unique looking IEM. Whatever it is, the R3 is distinctive, new and different. Let’s take a look at how it is today.   Unit Quality: The unit I...

Introduction: FiiO has come a long way in recent years – quickly developing and releasing well-valued products – with its line of amps and DACs. Today, we have one of the newest additions to the FiiO family; the E18 Kunlun. FiiO’s Kunlun is designed as a computer and Android-device USB-DAC and portable-amplifier. At $160, can the E18 perform its duty?   Unit Build: There are a million ways to describe a FiiO – good sounding being a common one – but having a sexy build always is one of the first. The E18 uses the stealthy milled-aluminum look of...

The Colorfly C4 Pro is a solid device for people that want a desktop replacement they can move around or take with them. It boasts up to 96GB’s of storage at the moment and comes with all the bells and whistles you would want from a desktop unit. The unit sounds fantastic, and comes equipped with a simple UI for file navigation. The C4 does fall a bit flat in the areas of build quality, and has a few physical and software usability issues. While these don’t play much into the device considering its desktop niche target, I would still like a $799 DAP...

Introduction: FiiO has been a very popular brand in affordable headphone audio accessories for the past few years. Their line out docks, amplifiers, DAC’s, and plenty of other gadgets have redefined what you can get for your money. FiiO has now launched their first DAP, the X3. This player has been in the works for many years now. It was plagued when it started and went on hiatus until 2012 when it was brought back to life. Now in 2013, The X3 is finally here, and many think it will redefine what a $200 DAP can do. It packs physical and software...

Introduction: Burson had great success with their Soloist discrete amplifier. So following this generation's niche. Let's make it smaller! And so here we have the Soloist SL. Which has one less gain, and input option than the Soloist. It is a discrete class amp. No integrated circuits, just good ole FETs and a discrete power supply. I wish to thank Burson for sending the Soloist SL to me for review and for their wonderful aftersales support which was wonderful.  http://pandatechreview.com/1/post/2013/09/burson-soloist-sl-review.html Build...

Introduction: Here we have MIU Audio’s or Miu Tech’s semi new MRB headphone amplifier. It is in the $100+ USD price range. IT is an intermediate level DIY kit where you put all the parts together. Surface mounts are already done. The op amps just pop in. http://pandatechreview.com/1/post/2013/09/miu-audio-mrb-diy-headphone-amplifier.html Please note that the 5 small image previews before most sections are supposed to fit halfway across the screen for aesthetic and visual organization purposes. Other screen resolutions may not be able to render...

Introduction: FiiO has just unveiled a new headphone amplifier codenamed Rocky. It is a update to the aging E1 and E3 designs. It features a small size but packed with features. It has a built in headphone amplifier, "High SNR" Microphone, bass boost, bypass option, 10 hour battery, inline control compatible with iPhone, metal shielding to better "shield the disturbance"(EMI presumably), and "excellent circuit design". http://pandatechreview.com/1/post/2013/09/fiio-e02i-review.html Build Quality: As expected of FiiO's new builds, it is very...

Introduction: What is P-H? Project-H is a unit that combines the best parts of the audio world at a low price for people. The main project players were Borisu, Mechy, and I. The idea came to build an affordable unit that would have great sound quality. This review is my attempt at reviewing it without bias like I would for my other reviews. Can I buy it?: No. If you could, I wouldn't post a review on it from a product that I was involved in. This is for the people in the group that did buy them to see how it is from my point of view.   Read...

Introduction: The legend has returned. The FiiO E7 is one of the world's most famous budget DAC's and headphone amplifier. It skyrocketed FiiO to fame back when it came out. It was, and still is, on the lips of many new head-fi'ers as they come to look for a budget unit for their new setup. The E7 has aged in these last 2-3 years since it has been out, but now in 2012 and early 2013, the legend itself has returned. Updated and just as sleek and beautiful as the original was. I honestly can not think of another company that has been as major a brand...

Introduction: FiiO is one of the most popular companies in the world of headphone audio. Their products come with unmatched performance for the price. They want to deliver great products that fans will love by listening to them on Head-Fi and other forums and even letting the fans vote on versions. The FiiO Mont Blanc is FiiO’s new flagship portable amplifier. It boasts an amazing amount of power while still being affordable. I would like to thank FiiO for the review sample. Now let’s see if the E12 lives up to the FiiO name. Unboxing Video  ...

Introduction: Brainwavz is quite a popular company in the world for budget audiophiles. Their brand is known for good quality, sound and price and their previous products have not disappointed. Brainwavz churns out a lot of products, and people generally have a wide variety to choose from to fit their needs and the S1 is no exception. Today, we have the new Brainwavz S1 here. I wish to thank Brainwavz for the review sample. Now let's see if the S1 fits the bill.   Read the review at: http://www.pandatechreview.com/brainwavz-s1-review-html/   If...