Head Gear Reviews by tassardar

    Hifiman Mega Mini Review   Some disclaimer: This set is provided to me by HifiMan for review as part of the tour in Singapore. Thanks to AVOne for arranging this :D   Little box of happiness.   In the age of monster players that cost >500 USD, here comes this little box of happiness by HifiMan, The MegaMini Player.    This little player is similar sized to a AK Jr, and like it, the only purpose is to output great music to whatever portable headphones or IEM you have. Lets go through part by part on the player.   Physical      ...

The Abyss AB 1266. Some call it the Medieval Torture Device. I call it audio heaven.     I shall not mince my words: Abyss is butt ugly. On first impression, I doubt anyone will even figure how the heck to put it on to your head. Followed by its weight, its one of the heaviest in the 640g range. It is on first sight highly unadjustable and uncomfortable. How can something like this sound good? Add on the initial price tag of more then 5K, maybe JPS Labs went mad or something.   But the truth is actually far from it. Price has fallen to 4k +...

I bought the Hugo TT from my local retailer AVOne. Their service is fantastic. The set I purchased is an all black set.   The TT is not the brother of Hugo, its Hugo that grew up and went for some weight training!   The short summary: Hugo grew up with a larger box and a much more capable amp stage. The same boy that built up some mass to wrestle the harder to drive headphones.   Now for the full review:   Hugo TT is the table top (TT) incarnation of the Hugo. It comes now in a much bigger box, with it a remote to control it and a much larger...

AK Angie Universal   The AK Angie is the universal fit of the JH Angie by JH Audio. Sold by Astell & Kern, it sits below the the bigger brothers Layla and Roxxane. In the upcoming refresh “Full Metal Jacket”, the younger sister Rosie will be introduced. For now I am reviewing the original version of the AK Angie.   Packaging   The Angie comes in a hard box. Within it are 5 different tips, a mini screwdriver, a brush and wire for clearing the tips, a metal case and 2 cables (1 standard, 1 balanced). The metal case is really nice, bright red and...

Shures KSE1500       The KSE1500 is world first In Ear Isolated Electrostat. Its not the first portable or earphone electrostat but definitely the first isolated one. Coming in at USD$2999, it cost a lot for in-ear monitor. The biggest question is: IS IT WORTH IT?   Packaging:   The KSE1500 comes with everything and the kitchen sink.  The main unit and earphones, 5 Cables, wall charger, cleaning cloth, case  for both the amp/dac unit and the earphones. Theres really nothing to complain about what is given except Shures should have just...

The Chord Mojo is the newest product launch just this Mid October by Chord Electronics. Mojo, the short form of Mobile Joy, is the 3rd battery powered DAC by Chord and also the smallest and most affordable of the series at just SGD$899. Hugo(SGD$2800) and the Hugo TT(SGD$6500) before it are many times the size and price yet provide the performance that almost any audiophile will rave about. Will Mojo rise up to the standards of its predecessors?  In short, totally! Design   The Mojo is the size of a park of card and maybe a little thicker...

  The WA22 is my third Desktop Amp and second tube amp. I got it through AV One, a local retailer here, after 2 rounds of testing and I was impressed enough to purchase it.   Built like a tank and weighed more then 10KG, the WA22 is one of the nicest looking amp that gives a the buyer confidence. The volume knob has stops built in. Personally I prefer a smooth knob with good tension but the one on the WA22 is really smooth and the volume increase usually hits the amount I need to so no complaints. The only amp I that felt better using is the...

  After years of not getting anything new, the Lyra was my first earphones that I would classify as high end. I got it before my CDM and one thing really lead to another.   Made by Campfire Audio, a spin off by ALO Audio, the Lyra is a single Beryllium dynamic driver IEM encased in a Ceremic casing which looks really pretty and well made. The cables provided were the tinsel from ALO audio which I didnt like (see below) and all this is packed together in a nice brown leather case with wool in it.   The Lyra is really light and small, as such it...

This is my first tube amp so what i describe is in relation to all the stuff I heard before.   I am a sceptic of portable Amps/Dacs. Most of them gave very marginal improvement over a decent player and even lesser to a good DAP released in the last two years. With the purchase of the AK Jr and Sony ZX2, I got my IEMs covered but needed something for my Headphones.   Enter the ALO Continental Dual Mono.     I shall not talk about the specs since they can be gotten of ALO site here. A Wolfson 8741 DAC running through a Balance Tube setup. All...