We've already had some discussion over at the main Silver Fox thread, but I wanted to separate this into a dedicated discussion as I feel it deserves consideration on its own. The 9i-806 "Little Silver Fox" is the second headphone amplifier from Cen.Grand which is basically a scaled down...

Matrix Audio has released a good number of products over the years, and nearly every one I've tried has been quite competitive in its price range. But the one thing they had yet to offer - despite me telling them they should, over and over again - was a dedicated transport. They even added...

History Long story short: I've been using a Resonessence Labs Invicta DAC as my reference for over a decade. Thankfully Invicta was more of a platform than an individual DAC (think Schiit Yggdrasil) and thus did not remain stagnant during those years. It started with the original ($3999) and...

Didn't see any discussion around here relating to this amp, so I figured I would start a thread. It's the Musician Audio Andromeda fully balanced headphone amplifier. Sells for $869 and is a wonderful minimalist design that sounds excellent when using balanced headphones. My full review is...

I ran into this once before and it turned out to be my fault for trying to use pics larger than the allowable size (here is the thread on that). Trying to post a review now and it keeps saying my pics are too big. But these pics are the size I always use now which is 3000x2000 and around 3-4MB...

No info about this beast on the forums as far as I can tell, so I'm starting a new thread. I had seen this thing in a few show reports where it looked like Cayin was pairing it with their beautiful HA-300 tube amplifier, but information was scarce and promotion nonexistent. I later learned that...

Perhaps it's been discussed already, but I haven't seen a thread so I'm starting my own. One thing I still miss from the old system is the ability to search through private messages. Many of us who have been around for years and years end up amassing a huge collection of conversations. I've had...

Anyone see this thing yet? It's the P28 from Keces - a $2499 "universal" linear power supply with 6 different adjustable outputs covering all of the common voltages: 5V, 7V, 9V, 12V, 15V, 19V, 24V, including up to 10A output for some of them. Each zone separated/isolated, with one zone being...

Disclaimer: I've had good luck with many of the prior Drop headphones. Specifically the HD6XX, K7XX, Elex, HD58X, TH-X00, and most recently the Panda. All of these, in my opinion, improve upon their original/inspiration models in some way, whether that be price, performance, features (Panda) or...

Over the past few years, I've been steadily divesting myself of my Stax collection. It started with my SR-009 and SR-404LE - two products which I loved but just didn't use all that often. Then came the SR-007mkII which was the best example of that particular model I could find (after trying over...

I spent some time with the SparkoS Labs Aries headphone amp recently, and wanted to get a discussion going since I was highly impressed by the performance. I don't see much info around here so I figured a new thread would be a good idea. The Aries goes for $2499 in "base" form or $2999 for...

I'm using "attach files" like always, then selecting my pics. It uploads them but only rarely does it list the option to insert them as thumbnail or full size. Usually I have to then click on the file which opens the pic in a new tab. Then I copy that link, then back to my post to use "insert...

I've been using these two little gizmos with great results for quite a while now, so I figure it's time for a write up. The items in question are both from iFi Audio. Both are called "iPurifier", and both help clean up noise and other unwanted junk from your audio system. Yet each has a...

Just wanted to get a thread up about the latest from Violectric: the new V590. The front panel tells us it is a "32 bit DAC + 32 bit Resampler + Pre-amp + Balanced Headphone Amp". That's a mouthful but you get the idea. The concept is to take the V281, tweak it for improved performance, add...

Working on a full review as time permits, but I wanted to start a thread to discuss these as well. They start at roughly $185USD and like most customs can get more expensive as you add options. As far as I know, that's pretty much uncharted price territory for a custom IEM from an established...

Unique Melody may not quite have the same widespread name-recognition as JH Audio or Ultimate Ears, but in my view they deserve a place at the table when talking about legendary OG custom IEM makers. It's been roughly a decade since I first tried their original Miracle, but I recall preferring...

I've been using a dedicated network attached storage, aka NAS, device for about 8 years now. I originally wanted one in order to easily share files between several different computers on my home network. Prior to that I had just used an external hard drive attached to my wireless router, but...

Ever spend good money on a new CD player, USB DAC, music streamer, etc, only to find it doesn't make much of an improvement in your system? I know I have, and it isn't fun. Often times the attempted upgrade feels more like a side grade, a minor change that probably isn't worth the effort or...

First off, I want to point to this existing thread which started about 6 months back. The threat began as a sort of preview, and the OP has done a great job of keeping the first post updated as information became available. I'm posting this here so it doesn't get buried in the many existing...

I've been out of the game for a while when it comes to universal IEMs. I normally only listen to customs (due to fit issues with most universals), though I do try to spend time with big releases like the HiFiMAN RE2000 just to gauge performance levels. But for normal listening, it's custom or...

Here's something new to me - a cumulative review of several components together. I've done plenty of shootouts and comparisons, but never a collection of products from different brands all working as one. This stuff just pairs so well together that I figured it made sense to write it up the way...

USB backlash! That's how I'd characterize the sentiment I've heard over the past year or so from a decent number of forum dwellers. Which I find very interesting... because if we go back maybe 5 or 6 years prior, we find people were thrilled about the advent of computer audio made easy. Thanks...

If you follow my ramblings here (and elsewhere), you may have noticed this device pop up in pictures on several recent posts of mine. It's just there in the background, doing its thing without calling much attention to itself. And yet, in many ways, it's the backbone of my reference system. The...

In "traditional" high-end circles, it's not uncommon for amps, preamps, or other components in the $1k-2k range to be considered "budget" gear. I suppose it's a matter of perspective - if your total system cost is 6 figures, anything under $5,000 is relatively small potatoes. In the headphone...

I've historically kept my current rotation on stands for easy access, while putting the rarely-used models in storage. I'm now realizing the drawbacks of this approach - those on active duty get dusty and take up lots of room, while those in storage aren't easily accessed if I do want to use...