My priority when i am buying a audio gear is value for money and Fidue A73 comes in the insane value category,although it is still early to tell if it's the best inear at the price because i just got this earphone.Although what the Fidue lacks in features and some minor hiccups,it more than makes up in audio quality,in my last review i praised the vsonic vsd 5 for it's incredible performance for the money the fidue is almost double the price and even before it's burned in i can say that it easily justifies the price.Will go into more detail in the final review,here are impressions of some of the songs i tested with the Fidue A73
Played with Jriver media center with wasapi output,Schiit modi DAC and fiio E11 set at two and a half quarter in volume dial.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Victory song(320 kbps)-Ensiferum
What better song to test the limits of a earphone than a folk metal song,to me if any earphone can play this song even moderately good they are worth buying,my ath m40x absolutely destroyed this song because it sound so compressed,i enjoyed listening to this song with vsonic vsd 5,it had good sound stage enough to tell where tell the instruments in the song apart and trust me that is greatest compliment i could give it to vsd5,if you have heard this song you will know what i mean.Fidue A73 is on another level compared to vsd 5 any hint of harshness is completely disappeared,instrument seperation is wider,the sub bass is also present but not enough to interfere with the rest of frequency range.Overall i am very impressed with Fidues performance,can't think of even one negative thing to say after hearing the song with the Fidue.
 
 
Lonely Boy(320kbps)-The Black Keys
Once again can't find anything negative to say,absolutely wonderful soundstage,vocals are not recessed at all,crystal clear highs,maybe a hint of sibilance but can't say for sure,bass is punchy.I can see the benifit of dual drivers if you listen carefully you can tell the audio is coming from 2 drivers but it just add to the immersion
 
 
 
MAYDAY!!(320kbps)-Flobots
At this point i can't concentrate writing this post when i am busy headbobbing to this rock/hip hop song.I can clearly tell where each and every instrument is placed,where the vocals are coming from,the violin is clearly heard from the right doesn't even remotely interfere with the vocals or drums.Think i am going to listen to the entire Flobots album after this post
 
 
 
I am only Joking(320kbps)-KONGOS
Absolutely love this band,they only have a few songs to their name by my knowledge but they kick ass.We can clearly tell apart the unique mix of drums and vocals.I am busy head bobbing to complete this so..if you get this earphone you should hear this song.
 
 
 

There is only so much that you can expect from a amplifer that is priced 20$,as long as you don't compare the sound to a 400$ integrated amplifier this little amplifier actually sounds good for the price you pay.Make sure you use a 12 v 5 A powersupply if you want to get the most out of this amplifier.Get a set of micca mb42x and lepai amp and you have a kickass hifi speaker that you can give it to your kid or something.

 
This is my first "real amplifier",before this my only experience was with locally made amplifiers and t-amps,i got the used marantz amplifier in a insane deal from a guy who has a audio gear that will make any budget audiophile drool.I experienced my first true 7.1 surround system in my life with 150 inch projector that literally blown me away.Before i stray away from the review lets come back to the marantz amplifier,the first thing i noticed about the amp is that it's big one look at the amplifier and i immediately knew that this thing is no joke.The guy who sold me demoed this amplifier to me with a 300w tower speakers and i was surprised to see that it was able to drive it at quarter of volume dial up.I immediately purchased it for 200$ which i think is a good deal considering it was only used for 50 hours and he purchased it for near 500$.
 

 
Build Quality
 

The only thing i can complain about the build is that the volume knob and input selector knob doesn't inspire confidence it feels plasticky but still not a deal breaker considering the price.In the front there is the bass,treble and balance dial,speaker A-B select button,loudness,source direct button.There is also the power switch and headphone out which i will discuss later.In the back there is phono,tuner,cd,aux inputs which is more than enough for my needs.The amp is also very heavy looking inside i can tell that the Marantz people has done a lot of attention in detail in building the amp.Remote control is available with the amplifier,it's remarkable that attention to detail is given to the remote of this budget amplifier.

 

 

Performance

 

As i said earlier i don't have much experience with the premium amplifier,this is my first integrated amplifier and only amplifiers i have for comparison is a lepai amplifier which for 20$ is good enough for most  purposes but Marantz is a completely different beast it more than justify it's size  with sound quality that is infintely better than lepai,it's hard to believe that the spec sheet says it has only 35 wpc because when i connected the amp to polk tsx 110 bookshelf(review coming soon) at quarter of the volume drives it can drive polk easily.Now to actual soundquality the sound can be described as weighty,almost fluidic with wide soundstage,detailed,with clear punchy bass that really makes the woofer work to it's full potential.I think this amplifier can drive the polk to it's 100% full potential which is something.I used this amplifier with Schiit Modi DAC which seemed puny in comparison to Marantz.

 

 
Inception soundtrack-Mombasa (MP3 320)

This track composed by Hans zimmer is absolutely amazing to hear with the Marantz amplifier the bass is powerful,i had no idea this speaker is even capable of producing this powerful bass.Every instrument has sufficient seperation so we can hear every instrument can be heard clearly.

 

 

Lorde-Royals(FLAC)

Lordes vocals can be heard clearly over the instruments,sound is neutral with every frequency has enough detail that make us question why this amplifier is priced so low.

 

 

Ludovico Einaudi-Divenire(FLAC)

My M Audio monitors can't even be compared to the polk and marantz combo,individual piano notes can be clearly heard with the music is fluidic and there is no harsh treble with marantz polk combo that is present in m audio which makes it way more enjoyable.Soundstage is wider as well

 

 

Movies(Imitation Game DTS Bluray)

For movies i used a diologue heavy movie,Benedicts voice is beautifully presented with the Marantz it was able to convey every emotion that is not even possible with most of the amplifiers i have heard including M audio,music is also amazing in the movie.Overall very enjoyable experience.

 

Conclusion

Marantz PM 5004 is one of the best amplifer that you can get for your money,you can get similarly priced Yamaha amplifiers with 100w power,but just do a A-B comparison and you will get it that wattage doesn't really equate to soundquality.For the money you can't get an amplifier with similar soundquality and for those wondering if it's good enough to replace your t-amps.I can guarantee you this amp is much much better sounding than any t-amps in the market today.

 

My website:www.krish-tech.com
 
Before i first used Takstar Hi 2050 headphone i thought as the price increases the audio quality also increases.In my earlier review of ATH M40 X headphone i praised it for it's amazing soundquality and said you can't get a better headphone under 100$ and boy,i was wrong the Takstar headphone simply blows them away in comfort,audio quality,soundstage and the fact that it is 60$ less than ATH M40X makes me think why on earth are we paying more than 100$ on a headphone.
Read below to know more about this headphone.
 
 
Comfort&Build Quality
Let me start by saying i have never even imagined getting a headphone for 40$ that has better audio quality and comfort than even half of the 200$ headphones out there.So first the comfort,this headphone is a open headphone,meaning if you live in a noisy environment like near a railway track or your family is a loud one obviously this headphone is not for you,better to buy a closed headphone in that type of environment.But if you are like me and have access to a silent environment you are in for a treat.Most of the headphone i owned even ATH M40x,i felt the need to mod the ear cushions because it got uncomfortable in just a hour but in this headphone ear cushions are so comfortable you can use it for hours without any discomfort at all.Ear cushions are made of a material you will find in old sofas it may not look good but it's so comfortable that you don't feel like taking these headphones off even if there is no music playing.
Build quality is also a as good or even better than M40x there is actual metal in this headphone on this headphone like that of Beyerdynamic dt  770,it looks so much alike that you wonder if you see it from far you may mistake it for a dt 770.I don't have any complaints in the build department.Overall for 40$ it has blown me away.
 
 
AudioQuality
This is the best part of this headphone,there is only a few products that made me think they are selling for a loss one is lepai amp which is just amazing piece of equipment i can't live without then there is this headphone,with my schiit modi DAC and fiio amp the sound is simply mindblowing.Fiio amp slightly limits the soundstage of this headphone after i get the amp smsl sapII headphone amplifier i ordered i can test this headphone to it's full potential,not that there is anything wrong with fiio.The sound is detailed with amazing mids,good treble,bass is also punchy,wide soundstage,A video reviewer in youtube said the sound is as good as the 200$ headphone i can't say that for a fact because i don't own any headphone above 100$.
 
Music test
All music played with Jriver with Wasapi
Ludovico Einaudi Divenire(Flac),Una Mattina-Both the songs bring out the best of this headphone which help to really appreciate the talent of Einaudi.Divenite is spectacular with each piano note clearly heard and the instrument seperation is simply unheard at the price.The sound is roughly equal to that of heard from M Audio BX5 D2 studio monitors.
 
The Cranberries-Zombies,Linger,Dreams(Flac)-You already know what i am going to say this headphone really bring out female vocalists without any loss in detail,i just intended to play only the Zombies for the audio test but then i played one more song then ended up playing the entire album which i wouldn't have done if i was testing in ATH M40X.
 
Lacuna Coil-Our Truth(Flac)-One area where most bands fail are with metal songs,if you are testing a new headphone in a shop just play some metal songs and you will immediately know if you want it or not.And if you tested this headphone along with couple of headphones that cost 200$,with your eyes closed and played this song.I bet that you won't be able to recognize the cheaper one and yeah it is that good.Bass is the only region that could have been punchier,but if the bass is more then the highs and mids might suffer which is not a good thing.

Gaming and Movies
Playing Dead Space 2 with this headphone was a terrifying and thrilling experience,this headphone create a surround sound experience that you constantly turn around to see if there is one of that things behind you.This headphone really helps to bring out all the sound effects in the game that literally makes you jump out of your seat something  ATH M40x wasn't been able to do.Attach a mod mic to this headphone and voila,you got a gaming headphone better than 300$ gaming headphones out there.
 
I watched Predestination and Begin Again movie,both of them are soundtrack heavy movies and was a fantastic experience.
 
Conclusion 
So far i haven't been able to find one single thing wrong with this headphone which means it is the new value for money leader out there.For 20 dollar more i heard you can get a monitor version of Takkstar that apparently sounds better,please let me know how it sound if you happen to buy them.
Thank god for Chinese,if it wasn't for them we wouldn't be using these amazing amplifiers and headphones at prices that we spend on a dinner in a restaurant.They could have price them at 100$ for these headphone and i still would have given all the praise,selling these at 40$ show that the people who made this headphone actually care that we get best performance for our money,that alone make me buy this headphone again if by any chance my current one broke.
 
 
 

My website:www.krish-tech.com
 
 

This is my second review of M Audio BX5 D2 and is the proper review of the studio monitors,in my last review of the BX5 D2 i was using a Asus xonar U7 soundcard which had a very low soundquality compared to Schiit Modi DAC that i use right now.Comparing the soundquality between the Schiit Modi and Xonar U7 with the speaker is night and day,if i was to put a woolen cloth in front of the speakers that is the sound with the U7,with Modi sound signature is so much different it's like using a new speaker.The soundstage is wider,bass is punchier,midrange is clear,highs are accurate with no added coloration like that of U7 which is mainly designed for gaming speakers and headphone which the BX5 D2 is not.It is a studio monitor designed for studio use.Although i used to play a few games and boy i was blown away more on that later.
 
 
 
Build Quality & Design

I am not qualified to say anything about inner build quality of the BX5 D2,but after using it for 6 months now i will try my best to give you an idea of the buildquality and design of the studio monitors.The design is not going to win them any awards it doesn't look as good as the Audio engine A5+ or KRK Rockit 5s,but it doesn't look bad either it is intended to just sit on your desk and functionality is given more importance than visual eyecandiness.The problem with studio monitor speakers is that it doesn't have many features compared to consumer oriented AudioEngine A5s it doesn't have any rca ports on back which is deal breaker for most people,it has only XLR and TRS inputs(6.5mm).I use a Hosa rca to quarter inch adaptor cable which works great but if you have the budget buy better cables.The main frustrating part of these speaker is that it has individual volume dial on each speaker and the fact that it is located on back doesn't help either,after tinkering with volume dial and carefully placing them at 2 o'clock position i don't usually touch the dial,i use the computer to change volume.At 45% the volume is loud enough with Schiit modi.
The BX5 D2 has a 5 inch kevlar woofer and 1 inch silk dome tweeter it has a rear port for moving air out of speaker.It is also magnetically shield so no problem placing it next to monitor.
 
 
AudioQuality
A speaker is good only if it sounds good,and boy the BX5 D2 sound seriously good considering it's price.To get the best performance don't connect directly to a pc,mac or a low end soundcard from creative or Asus.Get a cheap amazing sounding DAC like Schiit modi or similar DAC to get the best sound.The sound of BX 5 D2 can be described as accurate which means you can hear both good and bad part of the recording.Playing low quality youtube videos and mp3 will sound compressed and horrible through the speaker which will make you double check if there is something wrong with them.Flac files and high quality mp3 will sound amazing,provided you have a good DAC.Sound is exactly as described in the box accurate,if you are looking for playing bass heavy  EDM tracks,games and movies buy the Audio engine speakers because it got more bass and tuned with consumers in mind.I prefer accurate sounding though and the BX5 D2 delivers it has good instrument seperation,detail in mids and highs,playing a live concert dvd is amazing we can hear every instrument playing and vocals are clear and precise.Bass is one area that could improve,bass is punchy but compared to other 5 inch speakers out there low frequencies sound a bit weak but i have never felt the need for a subwoofer,i recommend buying a subwoofer because it will take the sound to another level and definitely worth your money and space.
 
 
Music
Ludovico Einaudi-Divenire,Primavera(Flac) These 2 songs are amazing,Einaudi piano notes are so clear and precise which makes them mesmerizing to listen to,you want to hear it again and again.I can't put the music played by him into words because i can't convey the detail and precision you won't hear from low quality creative speakers.
 
Evanescence-My Immortal(Flac) This is the first song i play whenever i test a speaker or headphone that i use it for the first time.Amy Lee vocals is amazing that if any headphone or speaker can't produce clearly it doesn't have very good midrange,In BX5 D2 her vocals come to life without losing any detail of the instruments playing.Overall i am impressed.

The Cranberries-Linger,Zombies(Flac) The Cranberries is an Irish rock band that i really love,their songs are special and make me stop whatever i am doing and makes me listen no matter how many time i have listened to them.Vocals of Dolores are clearly heard with drums and guitar clearly heard with the vocals.
 
 
Hans Zimmer-Dark Knight Soudtrack(320kbps)-This is the track i use to test the bass of headphone and stereo that i have.The speaker doesn't have any problem playing them as Hans Zimmer intended with the drums jumping from right to left to right monitors seamlessley creating the illusion that the orchestra is conducted right before you.I didn't expect this level of sound from a set of speaker i got for 230 dollars.
 
Movie
 
My first test was to watch couple of youtube movie trailers to know if it was affected by low bitrate audio of videos
 
 
Star Wars Episode 7 teaser trailer(EPIC!) If you are not excited for this movie you have not idea what you are missing,but this isn't about the movie but about audio.I have never enjoyed a teaser more in my life than this teaser the sound is just mindblowing with the sound really give a workout for the speaker,the dialogue really is menancing and the hearing the light saber really brings back my excitement when i watched the original trilogy.Finally the soundtrack i have only one word to describe EPIC!!!
 
 
Captain America Winter Soldier(DTS)-I played the dts bluray of Winter Soldier and watched the amazing fight scene between Cap and the Bucky,the sound really makes a difference and is way more enjoyable than watching it with headphones because we can feel every punch ferocity and strength of the charecters that an headphone can't really show unless you are using a 500 dollar headphone,i recommend watching it with speakers,5.1 if you can afford it.You can defenitely live without a subwoofer with this level of bass.
 
Conclusion
This is a good value for money studio monitors that you can buy,this is clearly made for people who love to hear the music as accurately as possible,BX5 D2 can also be used as a desktop speakers but please be aware of the limitations before you do so,if you play the music all day long heat sink heats up and it will be too hot to touch in the back so please don't turn it on for days might be bad for the speaker.If you only listen to dance music go for AudioEngine or KRK ROKIT,if you watch more movies than hear music i also recommend Audio Engine A5+ for others like me M Audio BX5 D2 is a fantastic studio monitor for the money.