Introduction to the Audeze LCD-5 Review Audeze is one of those companies that you simply cannot dislike. Together with HiFiMAN they revolutionised the high-end headphones market marking the comeback of planar magnetic technology. Ever since releasing the LCD-2 and LCD-3, they have been one of the most popular and beloved headphones manufacturers in the market. Known for their wonderful house sound, take-no-prisoners build quality, and excellent customer service, they gained a lot of fans and customers throughout the years. After the huge success of...

Introduction to the Fir Audio E12 Review The first time I came across Fir Audio was a few years ago – before I started reviewing gear – when I was looking for some cheapo wired in-ears, frustrated with faulty TWS solutions I had the misfortune of coming across. Of course, I watched some videos and read some reviews by my favorite reviewers out there, and while consuming some of their content, I stumbled across the venerable Fir M5s – back then I thought to myself: “2799 USD?! Who would pay that much for IEMs?!”. Ahh, old days. Now, a few years and a...

Campfire Audio Fathom The Campfire Audio Fathom is the newest release from the American IEM legend. It uses 6 balanced-armature drivers and it's priced at $1049. Introduction to the Campfire Audio Fathom Review Campfire Audio is one of those companies that have been featured on Ear Fidelity the most throughout the years. Because of that, I believe that this company doesn’t need any introduction in this review. Let me just focus on the most essential aspects here. Campfire Audio was founded in 2015 by Ken Ball. They gained enormous recognition ever...

HEDDphone Two The HEDDphone TWO is a successor to a highly popular HEDDphone ONE. It uses a full-range AMT driver and it's priced at $1999. Introduction to the HEDDphone Two Review HEDD Audio is a German company that specializes in manufacturing studio monitors, and more recently – also headphones. After releasing their HEDDphone One model they gained some well-deserved recognition among headphones audiophiles. This was by no means a perfect product, but it was like a breeze of fresh air among flagship headphones in recent years. Most of the...

Introduction to the Sineaptic SE-1 review The SE-1 is clearly Sineaptic’s main focus, as it’s the only thing that’s showcased on their Instagram, as well as their webpage. Coincidentally, it is the first time I have come in contact with a device designed by Sineaptic, and throughout my encounter with the SE-1, I have been surprised more than once, and said surprises were varying in nature. The first one came when I unboxed the thing – the box in which those headphones come in is of gargantuan proportions compared to the headphones themselves. When...

Erzetich Charybdis The Erzetich Charybdis is a flagship, open-back, planar-magnetic driver headphone by the company Erzetich. It's priced at 3000 Euro. Introduction to the Erzetich Charybdis Review The company Erzetich might ring some bells for many of you, but it’s definitely not the most popular brand in the market right now. Even though they’ve been manufacturing audio products for years now, they never truly got significantly important or popular, regardless of the quality of their work. However, this can definitely change in the near future...

Introduction to the Schiit Audio Midgard review First of all, I absolutely refuse to do Schiit jokes. All-in-all it is a proud German name, host to a long line of audio engineers. We should show some respect. Also, it is kind of cliché at this point. Maybe next time. I’ll admit, I can’t recall the last time I was so excited about a review. Yes, we do play with the coolest toys on the market, but hear me out. It’s a $219 amplifier made in the US of A. Metal enclosure, discrete circuit, pre-out. I’ve seen dudes spend more on strippers. Duh, I’ve seen a...

Fiio M15S The M15S by FiiO promises to be the middle-ground DAP for portable and stationary use. Is extra power and some cool features enough to secure it a place on the market? Let’s see how much we can extract from the newest DAP in FiiO's portfolio coming at $999. Introduction to the FiiO M15S review I had the FiiO M11 Plus ESS (which I reviewed) some time ago and I loved it. Then, I wanted to try something else and swapped it for the Chord Mojo 2. Worst decision ever, to be honest. Got rid of it quicker, than you can say “but why, it’s...

Introduction to the Review of Effect Audio Fusion 1 The brand Effect Audio has been reviewed a few times already at Ear Fidelity, and the brand itself needs no introduction. They are one of the leading manufacturers of IEM aftermarket cables, dating back to 2009. Their lineup now consists of IEM cables, headphones cables, as well as IEMs (we’ve reviewed their Axiom here). What sets Effect Audio apart from the competition is their conX and termX connectors, but I will explain those later in this review. The subject of today’s review, the Fusion 1 is...

Introduction to the SMSL DO300EX review Another SMSL review here at Ear Fidelity. After reviewing the DO300 in March 2023, I was quite surprised to see the new SMSL DO300EX being released and reviewed this quickly. However, while the name might be misleading, the DO300EX is not really a successor to the DO300 to begin with. Instead of going for an ESS DAC chip again, SMSL went with a new AK4191+AK4499EX chip to achieve the best possible performance. Also, while the DO300 was just a DAC, the SMSL DO300EX now has a headphone output built-in as well...

Introduction to the Questyle M15 review Questyle is a Chinese company that has been on the market for quite some time now. Unlike their other counterparts at the time, they always aimed at the premium market. Quality and performance, over low prices. One of the first purely Chinese companies that actually threw a challenge in the face of more established companies on the market. That is something to admire, as it was in complete opposition to what their competition was doing. There also is a more personal story that I have with Questyle. I can...

Introduction to the Final Audio ZE8000 review Final Audio is one of the most respected headphones/IEM manufacturers in the market. It is a Japanese company that is known for its impressive lineup of different kinds of products. Even though their high-end models, such as the legendary A8000 and D8000 Pro are widely appreciated, Final Audio also offers a lot of more affordable options. The entire E series has been selling like hotcakes for years. Final also offers a range of wireless products, such as the ZE3000 (review here) or the UX3000. It was...

Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon is the newest IEM by the American manufacturer. It uses a single dynamic driver and three balanced armatures. It's their new approach to the high-end market, as the new Solaris comes at $2670. Introduction to the Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon review Campfire Audio is now one of the most covered brands here at Ear Fidelity. We started covering them from their Dorado 2020 and Vega 2022, and throughout the years we’ve reviewed most of their lineup. What’s also worth noting at the beginning, is that...

TWS is a hot topic, every manufacturer wants to get on the hype train. HiFiMan decided they want it too. So they made an R2R, balanced TWS system called Svanar Wireless and put a $499 price tag on them. Curious about the first TWS with an R2R DAC? Me too. Let’s see what’s up. Introduction to the HiFiMAN Svanar Wireless review HiFiMan is known as one of the leading manufacturers of headphones. Their top products like Susvara or Shangri-La are considered TOTL by many. The HE400se and Sundara mark the first steps for beginners. Their lineup is...

The JDS Labs Atom Amp+ Hevi is a cool entry-level headphone amp, proudly made in the USA. It's got a bit more weight than its predecessor. You can snag it for just $114. Introduction to the JDS Labs Atom Amp+ Hevi review Hi-Fi audio gear is getting better and cheaper through the years. Stuff that was ultra high-end like 10 years ago, now has really strong competition at a fraction of the price. This competition comes particularly from China, but there are also a couple of companies from other parts of the world, and JDS Labs is one from the USA...

Campfire Audio Andromeda Emerald Sea A new iteration of a legendary IEM. Is 5 BAs still a viable option, among all of the hybrid competition? Let's see, how reviewed Campfire Audio Andromeda Emerald Sea holds at 1450 USD. Introduction to the Campfire Audio Andromeda Emerald Sea review Campfire Audio Andromeda might be one of the most known IEMs in history. Started by the OG Andromeda back in 2016, the Andromeda family was always a steamy, hot dream for audiophiles. Full BA design, that focused on smooth, coherent sound. Unlike others, when tuning...

Feliks Audio Euforia Evo is a High-End OTL Tube Amplifier. Its price starts from €2699 and in this review, we will check if it’s worth it. Introduction to the Feliks Audio Euforia Evo review Some time ago I visited Paweł’s place when he was preparing a review of the Feliks Audio Envy. I used to listen to the amp for a while and my only reaction was “PAWEŁ I WANT IT”, unfortunately, he wanted it even more. Later on, I had an opportunity to listen to Feliks Echo 2 and I was impressed that such a cheap (regarding its handcrafted in the EU, €899 isn’t...

Fir Audio Radon 6 is a limited flagship-level IEM by the American manufacturer. It uses a single Kinetic Bass DD driver, 4 balanced armatures, and a single electrostatic driver. It's priced at $3299. Introduction to the Fir Audio Radon 6 review Fir Audio has quickly become my favorite IEM manufacturer in the world. While reviewing their previous flagship, the M5, I said that they’re really close to getting to the IEM Summit-Fi, and they achieved it with their next line. When I reviewed their Xenon 6 it quickly became my favorite IEM to date, and I...

HiFiMAN Arya Organic HiFiMan Arya Organic is the latest version of the widely appreciated Arya. It uses all of the best technologies HiFiMAN has to offer, and it actually comes at a reduced price of $1299. Introduction to the HiFiMAN Arya Organic Review There are some companies, that you really had to live under a rock not to know them. This makes this part of our reviews a bit repeatable, as it's hard to write the same thing over and over again. Guess if HiFiMan belongs to this group. Yes, it does… They make tons of great headphones at various...

EarMen Staccato is the third and final part of the EISA award-winning EarMen stack. It is a streamer and it comes at $999. Introduction to the EarMen Staccato review Welcome to a yet another EarMen review at Ear Fidelity. This is one of few companies that never disappoints when it comes to the quality of their products, and today we’re taking a look at their streamer Staccato, which is a part of the Eisa award-winning stack consisting of the Staccato, Tradutto and the CH-Amp. This is a big step for EarMen, since they only released DACs, Amps, and...