If you scroll to the bottom of this review, you'll see the TL;DR version, but if you'd like to see my take on what may be the most capable and natural-sounding combo desktop unit out there, dig in below! The Chain: MacBook Pro > Conductor 3XR > HE6, PS1000, PS2000e, Mayflower v1 Test Songs (all FLAC either 16/44 or 24/28): "Dad Gone Thing" by Gregory Porter - All Rise "Strasbourg/St. Denis" by The Roy Hargrove Quintet - Earfood "Grown Folks" by Snarky Puppy - Culcha Vulcha "Tom Sawyer" by Rush - Moving Pictures (2011 remaster) "I Will Sing Jesus"...

ampsandsound has made quite a name for itself in the last few years. I remember the first time I saw pictures of Justin's classic designs and honestly, based on looks alone, assumed they'd never be in my realm of affordability (and in seeing some of his more recent releases, still aren't lol). I however, am very happy to say that I've recently been able to purchase one of Justin's personal units and I'll just say it... I'm out head-fi! Read on to see why this guy ticks every box for me. The Breakdown: The Chain: MacBook Pro > Hugo 2 > Kenzie >...

From my R2R-11 review, "I'll be very honest. One of my favorite sub-hobbies in the grand scheme of head-fi is auditioning and discovering giant-killing gear. To me it's pretty fun putting much less expensive gear up against bigger, fancier kits to see how well the David compares to the Goliath." I'm quoting the above because the Soloist MkII from Burson is another piece of giant-killing gear. It's a diminutive solid state amplifier that offers the sound quality, build quality, and smart design that in a lot of places, costs much more money! Instead...

I'll be very honest. One of my favorite sub-hobbies in the grand scheme of head-fi is auditioning and discovering giant-killing gear. To me it's pretty fun putting much less expensive gear up against bigger, fancier kits to see how well the David compares to the Goliath. For those that like to skim, here's the TL;DR. The R2R 11 from AGD is a giant killer in every sense of the word. I can't think of a more versatile device for a computer based head-fier on a budget. Instead of the normal breakdown - bass, :, treble, soundstage - I'm going to go...

(This is my first time writing a review on the site's new look, so bear with me...) Ah, the Neko. A DAC that's been around for a little while now, but only recently have I heard about, much less owned it. Stumbled across it online while looking for a new DAC, and after reading reviews and a little back and forth with Wesley, the designer, I decided to pull the trigger, and well, I'm very glad I did! My rig: MBP running JRMC > Singxer F-1 > Neko > MAD Ear+ HD. I've also got the Auralic Vega/Taurus stack, but that's an apples to oranges comparison...

I've owned and auditioned quite a bit of gear in the few years I've enjoyed head-fi. From my humble beginnings with the Koss PortaPro and the way up to the Audeze LCD3's with plenty in between, I've gotten to hear a lot of quality headphones and gear. I've gotten off the merry-go-round for the headphone circuit (with my PS1000s and ZMF Ori's), and now, thanks to the Woo Audio WA8 Eclipse, I see the end of the tunnel for upstream gear as well.   The Breakdown:   The Chain: MBP running JRMC21 > Woo WA8 > PS1000, Ori, 64 Audio U8   Zebra Ori's...

Here we go...   Gear used: Macbook Pro running JRMC21 > S6 or Cuinas DAC/WA6 > PS1000s and ZMF Ori   Test tracks:   "Strasbourg/St. Denis" by The Roy Hargrove Quintet - Earfood "Grown Folks" by Snarky Puppy - Culcha Vulcha "Gold" by Chet Faker - Built on Glass "Best for Last" by Adele - 19 "We are Free" by Planetshakers - Endless Praise: Live "Jupiter, from The Planets" per Sir Adrian Boult and the LSO   From the bottom up...   Bass: Full and tight. Definitely not as plump as the all-tube WA6, but not as bass-light as a lot of...

I'll admit Teac is a brand that flown relatively under my radar since I began my head-fi journey. Seeing as how their gear rarely get's dedicated appreciation threads, major reviews on the usual head-fi websites, or a dedicated fan club, I'll admit I assume the gear they produce was just so-so. Let me tell you... I couldn't have been more wrong.   The Breakdown:   The Chain: MBP running JRMC21 > W4S Recovery > UD-503 > Project Ember > Alpha Prime, PS1000, HD800S (loaner)   Test Songs (all ALAC either 16/44 or 24/96):     "Happiness" by...

The Emotiva DC-1 Stealth DAC is frankly, an incredible value. The only other products I can think of that offers such a complete and capable skill set for such a low cost are the Koss KSC75, SennGrado, Chord Mojo, and Cavalli Liquid Carbon. Here's why:   The Breakdown:   The Chain: MBP running JRMC21 > DC-1 > Cavalli Liquid Crimson > GH1, GS2000e, Alpha Prime   *other gear used for review: Mojo, Liquid Carbon, PS1000, Tralucent 1+2   Test Songs (all ALAC either 16/44 or 24/96):   "Limit to Your Love" - James Blake - James Blake "Grown...

The BLU-200 from Brainwavz is an update to their first foray into Bluetooth listening, the BLU-100. The 200 features a new tuning, some welcome ergonomic upgrades, and as per usual, a healthy accessory package.     The Breakdown    Test Songs:   "Light Up the Sky" - The Afters - Light Up the Sky "Attaboy" - Yo Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, & Chris Thile - The Goat Rodeo Sessions "Love Yourself" - Justin Bieber - Purpose "Washed by the Water" - NEEDTOBREATHE - The Heat "A Good Name" - Shad - TSOL     Source: iPhone 5C running...

The AK100ii is a DAP I've had my eye on for quite some time. At first glance, it's obvious that it's a premium piece of kit, with it's clean efficient lines, quality touch screen, minimal physical interruptions, and compact size. Reading up on it's specs and the fact that it keeps (and improves) on it's previous iteration leads one to believe that for the asking price, this should be a one stop product, where a bunch of tweaking, additional cables, outboard DACs or amps shouldn't be necessary.   And ya know what? It lives up to the hype.   The...

Until I saw one posted in the classifieds a few weeks ago, I'd never heard of the Bladelius brand. From my reading, they are more known for things like power amps and media servers - two things I have no use for. I saw another B-DAC online earlier last week and figured I'd make an offer as most of the write-ups I'd seen about their first foray into the mid-fi DAC world was positive. Let me just tell you... I'm very glad I did!   The Breakdown:     Test Songs (all FLAC, ALAC, or AIFF either 16/44 or 24/96): "You Give Me Something" - James Blake...

So Grado's newest headphone, the limited edition GH1? Well, the total of it all is that it's the best sub $1000 offering from Grado yet. It marries several of the best qualities of the RS, PS, and GS series in one gorgeous maple package. Read on to see why!   From my 325e review, "I've listened to a lot of headphones. A lot a lot. More than anyone should. And as such, I've developed some preferences. To keep this from dragging on... Grado is where it's at if you want lifelike reproduction. Back when I reviewed my RS1i, I mentioned that it was the...

While any avid head-fier is likely to know of at least one, if not multiple versions of a modified Fostex T50rp, knowing which versions are likely to fit one's personal preference is a whole other story. If you like rich mids and a little heft down south, Mad Dogs are likely to please. A more neutral tuning? LFF is your guy. Somewhere in between has largely been filled by the excellent ZMF Master Model.    However, there is a newcomer who's made quite a name for himself as far as I'm concerned. He's a head-fier and he goes by PETEREK. His modified...

It's been a while since I felt compelled to write an IEM review that I purchased on my own. With the steady influx of new 'budget-king' or 'mid-fi champion' IEMs, it's become a little hard separate the cream from the crop. Well, luckily for this head-fier, I found a pair of these touted hybrids on eBay for a steal and decided to pull the trigger. After several hours both at home and in the car, I'm happy to report that these are living up to their hype. Read on for why!     The Breakdown    Test Songs (all FLAC either 16/44 or 24/96):   The...

[Disclaimer: Pandora from Brainwavz reached out to me for a review. I'm in no way affiliated with the company and frankly, I'm quite humbled that I was asked to post my thoughts!]   Short Review The S3 is yet another sub-$100 offering from Brainwavz (this time with inline controls) that, like its siblings, yields quite a bit of bang for your buck. It has what I'd call 'a conservative' sound signature that is pretty good at most things, but not really great at any.   Here's the breakdown:   Packaging/Accessories/Build Quality   Well...

Ah, the WA7 "Fireflies" from Woo Audio. As stunning to behold as it is to hear! This is my first piece of amp/DAC kit that retails for over $1k and well, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I think you people who spend that kind of dough on these things are only slighly less crazy.  Here's why:   The Breakdown:     Test Songs (all ALAC either 16/44 or 24/96):   Limit to Your Love - James Blake - James Blake What About Me, Kite, Lingus - Snarky Puppy - We Like It Here Rich Girl, I Want You Back - Lake Street Dive - Fun Machine The Twilight...

This is my first product made by Audioengine and you can color me impressed. It's the third USB stick-style amp/DAC I've used (others are Dragonfly v.1 and GO1000), and honestly I think I like it best. It's got power for days, a tiny footprint, and it's plug-and-play!    As for the sound? Well, just read on...   The Breakdown:     Test Songs (all ALAC either 16/44 or 24/96):   Limit to Your Love - James Blake - James Blake Something - Snarky Puppy - Family Dinner, Vol. 1 What About Me - Lake Street Dive - Bad Self-Portraits Prelude from...

The HM5 Angled Pads are an affordable, versatile, and comfortable pad for the Brainwavz HM5 and most large circumaural headphones. I was offered a review sample from Brainwavz and have the following to say regarding these and their stock counterparts:   1. Comfort: Both the pleather and velour pads are exceptionally comfortable. The memory foam is very soft and pliable and distributes weight very well. Even though the Brainwavz HM5 is a bit of a clamper, the lightweight and soft design of the pads alleviates most of the discomfort making these...

The H10 from Gustard is the best solid state amplifier I've heard that retails for under $500. It's better than most that retail for under $1000. This thing deserves a quality review so here it is!   The Breakdown:     Test Songs (all ALAC either 16/44 or 24/96):   Limit to Your Love - James Blake - James Blake What About Me, Kite, Lingus - Snarky Puppy - We Like It Here Faith, I Want You Back - Lake Street Dive - Fun Machine Prelude from Cello Suite #4 - Yo Yo Ma Hot for Teacher - Van Halen - 1984 The Table - Chris Tomlin - Love Ran Red...