Introduction I’m a basshead. I say that loudly and proudly, even though some folks believe basshead and audiophile are mutually exclusive. Obviously, I’m not in that camp. But sometimes, I break away from audiophile listening and just want to crank up the bass and listen to some phat beats (don’t worry, I felt just as bad typing that as you did reading it). So recently, when I was in search of the biggest, most powerful bass I could get for the buck, I ended up getting the Audio-Technica Pro700MK2 after reading several impressions that mentioned...

Introduction First, I’d like to thank the folks at HiSoundAudio for sending me a sample of the Wooduo 2 in ear monitors for review.   HiSoundAudio is a Chinese based headphone and earphone brand I came across on Head-Fi, much like HiFiMan and VSONIC. After reading up on the company and its offerings, I was quite intrigued when I came across the Wooduo 2 IEMs, which were described by some as “true basshead IEMs”. Being the self-professed basshead I am, I was admittedly excited to give these a whirl. Upon receiving them, I couldn’t help but notice...

                        Introduction   VSONIC is a well-known name in audiophile circles, with rave reviews coming from their GR07 monitors, which have recently seen an upgraded Mark II version and, the version I’ll be covering today, the Bass Edition. As a natural basshead, I was intrigued when I saw the GR07 Bass Edition earphones on sale a couple months ago and my curiosity got the better of me and I purchased a pair. Prior to these, I’ve never heard a VSONIC product but I’d heard virtually nothing but good things about them pretty...

  Accessories: These ship with a leather drawstring carrying bag and that’s it.   Design and Build Quality: The lightweight plastic construction of the headphones themselves is more durable than one might expect when picking them up but they fold flat for storage and the dual entry cable is thicker than many competitors I’ve tested and seems capable of dealing with day to day usage.   Comfort and Isolation: The WS55 is a supra-aural (on ear) headphone with decently padded earpads that are reasonably comfortable but I’d much prefer if they...

  First, I’d like to thank the folks at RHA for sending me a pair of the MA-350 to review.   RHA is a name I’ll admit I’m not immediately familiar with, so when an email fell into my inbox, offering me a chance to review their MA-350 model IEM, I admit I was a bit skeptical. But nonetheless, I accepted the offer and a couple days later the package arrived in my mailbox. So, does this upstart have what it takes to box with the best in the budget class? Read on to find out.   Packaging and Accessories: Comes in a simple paper/plastic box with...

  Thanks to the folks at HiFiMan for sending me a sample of their latest IEM to review. Introduction Around here, HiFiMan needs no introduction. I first learned of them in early 2010, back when they were known as Head-Direct (which is still the name of their web store) and I purchased the RE0 after my faithful V-Moda Bass-Freq IEMs gave up the ghost and reading impressions on Head-Fi. Since then I’ve been a fan and I’ve reviewed a few of their products over the past three years. So, when the RE-400 was released, I was pretty excited to give them...

  Full disclosure: I received these for free from Topdogheadphones after my review won a DUNU Tai-Chi review contest. I was offered a prize valued at £35 and I chose the Telefunken TH-140 and was asked if I could review them as well and I accepted. Introduction Telefunken isn’t a name I’ve often heard in the headphone business. In fact, before receiving these, I hadn’t heard it at all. Well, not associated with the headphone market, that is. I’ve certainly heard the Telefunken name before, a German company known for their televisions and vacuum...

  The JDS Labs O2 + ODAC combo (and just about every other version) is built into a simple metal enclosure (mine is black) and all of the inputs and outputs, save for the USB input are located on the front of the device. Aesthetically, I don’t love that design decision but I understand it’s one that was likely made due to the O2 being designed originally as a portable (sort of) amplifier, not a dedicated desktop amp.   So the aesthetics aren’t that great but functionally; I don’t take issue with it. In fact, I’m more than pleased with its...

  First off, I'd like to thank the folks at DUNU-TopSound for providing me with samples to review   Up for review today are a pair of balanced armature based IEMs. Priced solidly within the bracket I would consider “mid-range”, these have a great deal of competition right out of the gate and one has to wonder whether or not DUNU’s newcomers can stand up to that competition. For my full review, read on past the break.         Packaging and Accessories   Both IEMs are packaged almost identically to the Trident, which is a very good...

  First off, I'd like to thank the folks at DUNU-TopSound for providing me with samples to review   Up for review today are a pair of balanced armature based IEMs. Priced solidly within the bracket I would consider “mid-range”, these have a great deal of competition right out of the gate and one has to wonder whether or not DUNU’s newcomers can stand up to that competition. For my full review, read on past the break.         Packaging and Accessories   Both IEMs are packaged almost identically to the Trident, which is a very good...

First, I’d like to thank the folks at DUNU-TopSound once again for providing samples for review.   As DUNU’s current flagship IEM, the Hephaes has a lot to live up to. Competition in the sub $100 price bracket is stronger than ever, with strong entries from several companies such as HiFiMan, MEElectronics, Spider Cable, Eymotic, among others. So, does the Hephaes have what it takes to compete in this heavily contested group? Read on to find out.   Packaging and Accessories I’ve already gushed about DUNU’s excellent packaging in previous...

Introduction First, I’d like to thank Fang at Head-Direct once again for generously providing me with a RE-262 review sample.   HiFiMan has come a long way in just a few short years. Priding themselves on offering exceptional sound quality for a relatively low price, Their RE line of in ear monitors has been a perennial favorite at forums such as Head-Fi for their very high price to performance ratio. The RE0 was my first entry into the world of higher end audio and has remained one of my favorite IEMs in the time I’ve owned it, even after...

  Introduction First, allow me to thank the great folks at MEElectronics for sending me a sample of the newly released M11P+ IEMs for review.   Prior to sometime in early February, I wasn’t aware that MEElectronics existed. It wasn’t until I came across a review of their M9 IEMs on Head-Fi that I decided to check them out and the rest is history. MEElectronics IEMs have been some of the best I’ve used in their respective price brackets and I’ve grown a great deal of respect for the company, as they have delivered a large number of highly...

Introduction First and foremost, a big thank you goes out to Fang at Head-Direct for sending me a sample of the RE-ZERO IEMs for review.   If you’ve been keeping up with Musical Musings, you’re probably well aware of my current love affair with the HiFiMan RE0 IEMs. They are the current crown jewel in my IEM/headphone collection and hardly a day goes by in which I don’t pop them into my ears for a listen.  With that in mind, when the HiFiMan RE-ZERO (yes, that is their name) IEMs were announced this year prior to the 2010 CanJam Head-Fi event...

Prelude Apple’s stock earbuds that have been shipped with every iPod since its inception are quite possibly the most prolific and widely distributed tech accessory of all time. It’s hard to go anywhere without seeing a pair of these things dangling from someone’s ears. Casual listeners are bound to be satisfied by the decent performance of the earbuds but what about audiophiles? It’s hard to imagine that many audiophiles would be impressed with those earbuds and, not to mention, they just aren’t comfortable at all for long periods of use. So, what’s...

  Before I go on, I’d like to thank the folks at Woodees for sending me a sample of the Woodees IESW101B in ear monitors for review. Prelude Wood has long been used in the manufacturing of musical instruments because of its acoustic properties. One application of wood that has failed to really take off is in the world of in ear monitors. Sure, there are a few well known IEMs that have been crafted out of wood but the IEM market is thoroughly dominated by plastics and metal.   A Canadian firm by the name of iConnects is looking to change that...

  Browsing on Amazon earlier this week, I came across the Pyle Wood-Bud in ear monitors for $5.30, marked down from $20 or so. Against my better judgment, I bought them, the grand total coming to $10.88 after the $5.58 shipping costs. You’d think I would’ve realized something was up when I saw the incredibly low price but also when the shipping costs totaled more than the price of the IEMs themselves but nope. I ordered them anyway. Well they arrived yesterday and after listening to them for about five minutes over two days…I want my money back.  ...

Prelude   I admit it; I’m something of a bass-head. I love a pair of headphones, earbuds or in ear monitors that can produce deep, powerful, rich and well-textured bass tones and when I come across something that’s reasonably priced and produces the kind of bass that I’m looking for, I have to give it a try. The item in question this time is a pair of Altec Lansing Backbeat Plus in ear monitors. These are advertised as featuring “extra bass power” and “balanced mids and highs”, which is fairly standard marketing jargon for such a product. I...

Introduction   I found these portable headphones by chance at Target one day and saw that they were on clearance, marked down to about $15 from the MSRP of $60. Seeing the relatively high retail price, I thought these were practically a steal at one quarter of the MSRP so I promptly purchased them, thinking that I’d done pretty well for myself. After owning these for six months or so and using them on and off during that time, I’ve decided to review these, as there are only a few reviews out there on these portable headphones.   Design and Build...

Introduction   Shortly after I received my RE0s, I happened to be browsing eBay for a new pair of Bass-Freq earbuds because as much as I liked my RE0s, I wanted to replace my outgoing Bass-Freq earbuds because I liked their bass response when listening to certain music. During that time, I came across an auction for a pair of V-Moda Vibe IEMs for $30 (open-box) and I jokingly asked my father if he’d like to split the price with me. To my surprise, he said yes and I went ahead and ordered them. Having prior experience with V-Moda’s products, I was...