Head Gear Reviews by Tofub00b

My Mandopop Headphone I will preface this writeup by saying this will not be the most technical review, if you can even call it that. Instead it will just be the experience of one person, experiencing a new headphone with bias. This bias is impossible to hide, with the HD620S sharing the same store shelve as the HD600. For as much as possible, I will avoid comparing to the HD600. I won't leave the important bits to the end, and will come out and say it. The HD620S is an easy win in my book, as a ballad centric headphone, piano loving headphone and...

Key specs: open back: 45mm neodymium drivers 5Hz-40kHz frequency response detachable dual sided 2.5mm cable, terminates in 3.5mm cable w/6.3mm adapter 98dB sensitivity 470ohms 210g replaceable earpads R70x Revival There is some renewed interest in the R70x with the APOS edition being released recently in end-2024. From what I understand, it is merely an earpad depth change, some added warmth and color. It is already sold out, but it would be tragic if people gave the original a miss simply because they couldn't get the gold APOS edition. Power...

FatFreq x HBB Deuce Listening info Listening was done on a FiiO JA11 and BTR3K to simulate use as a commuter. NO EQ. Wide bore Clarion eartips (M) were used for all listening. This is a familiar set that most IEM lovers should be familair with, and is the set that FatFreq themselves use on most of their IEMs from the Maestro SE all the way to their musician series. Default blood cable in 3.5mm was used for all listening. No mods. I now have the set at home and am in the process of using it with a desktop setup. FiiO K7 and ifi Zen DAC v1. Most...

Pairing Gear Used: FiiO K7 FiiO BTR3K ifi Zen Air Blue > ifi Zen Air Can VE Megatron ifi Zen Dac v1 HD600 for comparison Winning Tracks: Bad Day (feat. Millyz) - Chris Webby (YT Link) Ex-Men (feat. Tory Lanez) - Chris Webby (YT Link) My Favorite Clothes - Rini (YT Link) Losing Tracks: Reason to Hate You Mahogany Session - Rhys Lewis (YT Link) 邱鋒澤QIU FENG ZE- 分開的學問 The Art Of Letting Go (YT Link) Context: I impulse bought this 2nd hand Sony MDR-Z7 about a month ago. It hasn't left my head since because it is one enjoyable headphone. This is also...

Adds excellent versatility to speaker systems, but limited ironically, by cables I love ifi. To me, they parrallel FiiO in providing products across segments for budget, mid-fi all the way to the high end. Here are some of the newer releases, all of which look promising. Brand & Segment ifi FiiO Dongle Go link, Go bar KA5, KA13 Portable DAC/amp Hip Dac 2 Q Desktop DAC/amp Zen DAC, CAN and Blue FiiO K7 Bluetooth IEM module Go Pod UTWS5 Bluetooth dongle Go Blu BTR3, BTR5 High end DAC/amp iDSD2 K9 Pro ESS By and large most of these...

[2025 Update]: I have since fully converted to using the VE Megatron with impedance adapters as my desktop DAC/amp combo to power IEMs and headphones. I have sidelined the ifi Zen DAC to laptop duty to power my cinema setup. I think it is pretty amazing how a $50 product on its own, with some minor tweaks using Peace EQ and the FiiO KB1, can replace much more expensive gear like the FiiO K7, Zen DAC + Zen CAN etc. [Revised] Venture Electronics Megatron I've made some changes to the VE Megatron review that I previously had on here. The previous...

The Definition of: Good Enough I stumbled on these by accident, receiving them as a Christmas gift a year and a half back. I promptly handed them over to a family member who had no TWS or earpieces and never thought about them again. Until I found myself without a earpiece while overseas and needed to make a call in a noisy city. I borrowed these again, and less than an hour later I ordered another set online for myself. I love these. No, there is nothing special about them. Except price. These cost less than a dongle, and they have lasted me the...

Zen Air Can Review: The Good Clean, clean power, with no EMI noise or hum when 5V USB cable used with a phone charger/power bank. USB hum with certain laptops and PCs. Zero static or crackle when turning volume knob The cheapest way to get a 4.4 headphone out, even if it is not truly balanced like the OG Zen Can Lowest cost headphone amp, even against Chinese competition like the Topping DX1 or SMSL SH-6. Easy to stack, and stays out of the way in your PC setup USD $95 price, Zen Air Dac and Zen Air Can stack: USD $200. Closest competition in the...

Preamble for this review: With how much hype this IEM has, alongside new entries like the Shuoer S12, 7Hz Timeless & Eternal, this review will focus more on the long-term use as an EDC IEM rather than an exhaustive take on it's sound characteristics. This review will also come from a standpoint of a person who primarily uses headphones. *update on Sept 2023: Cable has exposed wiring near the 2-pin connector on the left. Had to replace it with a cheap thinner cable from elsewhere. Aside from that, cable has served me well for a few months aside...

I first heard this headphone in an audiophile shop when I was fresh in my first job. I wanted to reward myself after a hard year of barely staying afloat at work, and only wanted a small upgrade IEM from the terrible RHA MA750 I was using at the time. I eventually settled for a FiiO K3 and Final Audio E4000 which has followed me to 4 years of work. At the time the HD600 felt like too expensive an investment for me, but I wanted to try it all the same. It looked so angular and tastefully designed. So I auditioned it in store. I was blown away...

Acoustune HS1300SS Review: What this IEM does right: Vocal and instrument presentation is accurate enough, some boost in bass helps add warmth to male vocals. Small tweak in the "magic 2k" region and 5k region, help this IEM sound quite attractive as far as DD goes. Soundstage is small, which makes this a very situationally good IEM. If you like stuff like Tiny Desk concert, this IEM will do well with that type of music. I found that guitars and individual singers were presented musically and made for an entertaining listen. What this IEM does...

2023 Update: Battery puffed up and broke the case. This is a junk product and I'd steer clear if any of the company's other offerings have this level of QC. Not recommended. Preamble on portable DAC/amps: Portable sources like the Qudelix 5K, BTR 5 and ifi Hip DAC are becoming increasingly portable as audiophiles tote their IEMs to work or on their commutes. Desktop rigs are great and all, but it's not exactly feasible to bring around a full sized Topping A90 or even a smaller A50S. Some office spaces are small, and some of us work out of a laptop...

Intro To preface this review, I'll provide any reader looking for a budget headphone with this TL;DR. What this headphone is: The Creative Aurvana Live! is my sub-100 dollar recommendation for anyone looking for a cheap, usable headphone with good-enough sound quality. And nothing more. No amp, no DAC, no fancy balanced cable. Nada. Not even a mic. This thing is a great, bare-bones headphone. And you shouldn't go lower than this standard because frankly, you deserve better. Anything below this can often be a frustrating exercise in wasted money...