So what's the deal with this thing?
At a first glance, we have another small, shiny hip-flask-esque-DAC/amp-thingy from prolific British manufacturer iFi, hot on the heels of their absurdly-talented and identical-looking xDSD DAC/Amp.



A casual observer could be forgiven for not spotting the difference between the xCAN and the xDSD, and also for failing to understand why both devices need to exist in the same universe. Coming in at $299 USD versus the $399 of the xDSD, it's not intended to replace its (slightly) older stablemate, which begs the question - what's this thing for?

The obvious differences between the two aren't a fair indicator of the intended role that the xCAN is designed to fulfil. Having said that, let's take a look at what sets apart the xCAN compared to the xDSD.

• No wired/USB DAC functionality
• USB-C charging (instead of USB-micro)
• 2.5mm balanced headphone-out in a addition to a 3.5mm single-ended headphone-out
• 2.5mm balanced + 3.5mm single-ended analogue-in
• Similar ‘3D+’ and ‘XBass II’ switches on the front, plus additional ‘Bass’ ‘Presence’ and ‘Bass + Presence’ toggles on the back
• Similar Bluetooth connectivity and able to connect via Qualcomm's higher-performing Aptx codex (in addition to AAC)

So while you might think it's an xDSD minus the DAC functionality, you'd actually be missing the "pitch" of the xCAN: its talents lay (mainly) in the analogue domain - it's a headphone amp. An amp, just a tiny one, and a bloody powerful one at that - up to 1 watt (balanced-only) @ 32 ohms. It’s best to think of Bluetooth as a nice-to-have "party trick". But in fact, the xCAN has so much more versatility by virtue of having it. Imagine (for example) if your Magni 3, or Bottlehead Crack came Bluetooth connectivity (how handy would that be!)?

I was keen to put the xCAN to the test, and answer two main questions I had going into this review:

1. Is it worth choosing the xCAN over its xDSD stablemate?
2. Can a portable amplifier replace a dedicated desktop one, by virtue of its versatility?

Anyhow let’s have a run-through a few ins and outs of the new xCAN, and see how it stacks-up after it spent time performing both home and away duties with a number of different headphones and IEMs.


How’s it put together?
Identically to the xDSD, to give you the short version. A deck-of-cards-sized, premium-feeling little unit that’ll happily sit in a shirt pocket, jeans pocket, or just about anywhere really. It’s polished-chrome finish is extremely prone to smudging and fingerprints (making it a right P.I.T.A to photograph…), but overall gives off a vibe of well-engineered, quality manufacturing. Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder - I don’t particularly find it to be as well-designed as the Chord Mojo (IMHO), but neither do I find the xCAN to be awful to look at. Let’s just say it looks ‘purposeful’, and feels built to last. It's the sound that counts...right?



How’s the user experience?
Those of you who aren’t fans of leafing-through instructions manuals (including yours truly) will probably get stumped figuring-out the nuances of how to make this thing ‘go’. The rotary volume-dial (more on this later) is also the on/off switch; and also responsible for switching between Bluetooth and analogue modes. Holding it down will result with it lighting-up with either a blue (wireless), or green (wired) hue - hold down for another couple of seconds and it’ll switch from one mode to the next.

The colours on the volume-dial also change colour according the volume-level. There wheel spins infinitely rather than having a ‘low’ or ‘high’ point, and because I wasn’t really able to remember what volume equaled what approximate level, I was sometime *slightly* nervous about what sound-pressure level when switching-on. It’s best (as always) to apply caution and lower when changing sources or headphones.

iFi claims a battery-life of up to 18 hours on a single charge in analogue-mode, and 12 when using Bluetooth. I used the xCAN on a couple of flights and extended business trips without recharging, and although I wasn’t setting-out to measure battery life, I never once got around to actually exhausting it (only once did I manage to make the battery indicator on the back turn red = low). So iFi’s claims are probably well-grounded.


Bluetooth
When Bluetooth mode is selected the volume-pot light will blink until it’s paired with a source. I had the xCAN connected to my Samsung Galaxy S9+ in a matter of seconds, with developer-mode confirming that the xCAN was indeed receiving Aptx-quality 1’s and 0’s being fed from a mix of Tidal and on-board FLAC files. The xCAN quickly become my public transport / commuter ‘go-to’ choice - the convenience of having no wires going into my phone meant I was able to keep it handy while the xCAN sat in my pocket. Plus, the transparent-sounding (to my ears) quality of the sound meant there are virtually no compromises while listening on-the-go via Aptx Bluetooth with the xCAN.

The convenience of Bluetooth with the xCAN proved to be so useful, that I often found myself leaving the xCAN switched-on long after arriving at work, or back at home rather than opting for my more ‘permanent’ desktop options at either end.

Being a high quality Bluetooth ‘receiver’ I also spent a quite a bit of time using the xCAN for watching films and TV. The xCAN paired easily with my LG TV, so I was able to enjoy some killer wireless sound while my partner was asleep. Watching Blade Runner 2049 - or, should I say *listening* to the incredible sound mix plus Hans Zimmer’s score with the Sennheiser HD800s plus the xCAN from the comfort of my couch was pretty bloody awesome.

To my surprise I found that I actually logged most time with the xCAN gaming with my XBOX One. Rather than plugging wired headphones into my two-channel receiver to use while gaming, I paired the xCAN with Sennheiser’s BTT100 Bluetooth transmitter, which uses low-latency Aptx for a (near) lag-free experience. Being able to receive virtual Dolby 7.1, and game with my favourite audiophile headphones (my Grado GH1’s with the G-Cush pads are terrific for long gaming-sessions) was yet another ‘TICK’ on the growing list of uses for the increasingly-versatile xCAN.



Wired
In analogue-mode, it’s a much shorter story. Plug a line-level source into the back of the xCAN - either 2.5mm balanced, or 3.5mm single-ended, and off you go. The xCAN tangoed with a number of sources I had at my disposal, including my Nakamichi MB8 CD player, phone, laptop, and fittingly - with its more digitally-adept brother - behold the xCAN/xDSD stack!



With the xDSD performing wired DAC-duties, the xCAN then took over the amplification stage, giving a bit more of a ‘nudge’ to my 300-ohm ZMF Eikons and Sennheiser HD580s. I will point-out that while it’s great the iFi have moved with the times since the xDSD was launched and decided to give the xCAN USB-c over micro-USB (as featured on the xDSD), having to use a mix of both charging peripherals was a bit of a hassle.

Stacking with DAPs is a fairly straightforward affair - link either the supplied 2.5mm or 3.5mm short cable to your player of choice, and voila. My “DAP” happens to be a 2004-vintage Gen 4 iPod photo (I still can’t believe that an iPod can be considered “vintage”…) that I’ve pimped with a new battery and 400gb micro-SD card for storage. While not the most svelte of mobile solutions, it’s still a fairly convenient way of accessing a ton of lossless music on-the-go, and with the (still) unbeatable UI of that classic iPod click-wheel.



Being a true analogue amplifier, I put the xCAN through its paces on the most analogue (and, dare I say, “best”) of sources: vinyl. A simple-case of connecting the xCAN to the RCA-outs on my Schiit Audio Mani phono pre-amplifier meant that this little portable wonder spent a lot more time than I would have anticipated parked on my table top while I spun LP after LP on my Rega Planar 2. Not something that the xDSD, Mojo, or many other options in this category or price-range are able to do. Bravo.



That flush volume-wheel does have a couple of draw-backs. Its ‘teeth’ are liable to catching on fabric or clothing, meaning it can unexpectedly change volume while on the go. Similarly, when sitting flat on a surface, it can have a bit of ‘friction’ on the surface below it, so doesn’t spin as easily or accurately as I’d prefer in a standalone desktop unit with a nice, tactile volume pot. Aside from this minor quibble, it otherwise performs near flawlessly as a desktop unit - its four rubber feet give reasonable grip on most surfaces, and only the heaviest of headphone cables (*COUGH* Grado *COUGH*) will drag it around.

So how does it perform?
Power. The raison d ‘être for the xCAN is to power adequately what other things cannot: Your phone. Your DAP. Your laptop. You catch my drift. And iFi gave the xCAN a healthy does of it - a claimed 1000 milliwatts per channel at 32 ohms when running balanced from a dual-mono ‘Cyberdrive’ amplifier-stage. iFi claim it’s suitable for headphones between 32 ohms and 600 ohms. I tested the xCAN with a whole range of cans from the 13 ohm Mr Speakers Aeon Flow (Open), right up to the 600 ohm Beyerdynamic DT880. I also paired it with:

• Grado GH1
• Sennheiser HD580 + HD650 (via 2.5mm balanced)
• ZMF Eikon
• Meze 99 Classic
• Beyerdynamic DT1770
• Beyerdynamic DT880
• Sennheiser HD800s

I wanted to understand whether this diminutive device could comfortably power full-sized cans, and in doing so - answer whether a xCAN could theoretically be the only headphone amplifier you might ever need.

So how did it go? It never broke a sweat.

A solid-state headphone amplifier needs to do two things well, in my opinion, to do its job properly: 1) adequately power a transducer, and 2) do so without changing the frequency response of the transducer, or adding distortion. The little xCAN managed to power everything I threw at it with ease, and with a comfortably-low output impedance (< 1 ohm) there was no funny-business when it came to bass reproduction in the lower-Z headphones; and the HD650’s were able to reproduce bass with authority, and detailed treble without a ‘veil’ that some feel can creep-in without adequate juice.

In anticipation of this review, I found an affordable Sennheiser HD6XX-compatible 2.5mm cable which was a treat to use with the xCAN. iFi haven't published the exact output @ 300-ohms for the balanced output, but I'm guessing it's somewhere between 90mW (@600 ohm) and 800mW (@64 ohm). Being able to take my (fairly) hard-to-drive HD580 and HD650s along with me to work, knowing I'd be able to extract maximum performance out of them without having to lug a tube-amp with me was nice!



EQ + effects
But wait-up a second…how about all those other little buttons and lights? A combination of button-presses can add a combination of 3 x sound “tweaks” into the equation:

• “3d+ opens up your music to give you the spaciousness of a live-concert atmosphere.” - I’m not entirely sure exactly what happens from a technical standpoint when this mode is selected, but on some tracks, with some headphones, I could hear a slight change in regards to imaging in the treble. I think it might be enabling some kind of cross-feed blending the L/R stereo feed into the other channel slightly), but I could be wrong. All the same, I left it off for the most part.
• “XBass Ⅱ® analogue bass correction system corrects headphone/speaker bass response to deliver a more natural sound to the midrange frequencies.” - this setting felt like it added a 4-5db boost around the 80-150Hz mark, more noticeable on some headphones than others - on the DT1770’s it seemed to have a more pronounced effect, adding a more visceral punch to the lower couple of octaves, but at the cost of some slight muddiness. Again, I tended to not use it too much aside from testing it.
• Lastly, when “XBass II” is selected, the user can opt to engage ‘Bass’, ‘Presence’, or ‘Bass and Presence’. ‘Bass’ appears to be the default setting, and ‘Presence’ adds a very noticeable lift in the upper mid-range frequency. On more forward-sounding cans (like the Grado GH1) it can come across about ‘honky’ or tinny-sounding; but on darker, or more relaxed-sounding cans like the Aeon Flow, it did add a bit more energy and emphasis on vocals and guitars.

So while they’re not the most precise EQ tools, the fact that they’re offered at all on a small amplifier at all is a nice feature - and no doubt some users will find the ability to fiddle with the frequency-response of their headphones useful and enjoyable.



So what's the verdict?
The tough question is whether to choose the xCAN, or the xDSD. If you plan on using a lot of wired listening and need a brilliant portable DAC with respectable amplifier performance, get the xDSD. If you already have a DAC, are comfortable with using Bluetooth as a primary source, or need a serious wallop of power for your hard-to-drive cans, get the xCAN.

As someone who had both devices on-hand during this review period, I tended to reach for the xCAN more. The added flexibility of 2.5mm balanced, and the fact that it could easily drive every pair of headphones at my disposal meant that there were fewer compromises in the end. I also believe that the convenience of Bluetooth in non-critical listening environments (like commuting, or in the workplace) outweighs the nearly non-audible benefits of a wired DAC.

So, would I go and sell my desktop units? Well, not really. Sure, the xCAN can do a lot of things well with the added-bonus of rocking a portable footprint, but at the end of the day it doesn’t have the same usability of a desktop unit. But…if you’re looking for a versatile and affordable first amplifier, or a portable amplifier that’ll easily come along for the trip and do a sterling job of powering just about any set of headphones on the planet at the other end, you won’t be disappointed with the iFi xCAN.

“I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.” - Ron Burgundy



One of the most basic tests I ask myself when reviewing a pair of headphones is this: “Will this set of cans make me want to enjoy music as often as possible?”. Sure, it can be fun to approach hifi from a measurement, gear and science point-of-view, but at the end of the day if it doesn’t transport you somewhere else and make you forget you have something perched on-top of your head, then there’s something missing in my books.

There’s a few different ‘philosophies’ that can help achieve maximum music enjoyment, for me at least. Let’s start with the Sennheiser HD650, for example. It’s a pretty unremarkable piece of design - a utilitarian, grey, plastic-affair with all the artistic-flair of a late-90’s microwave. But, when fed well-recorded and amplified music, it delivers a syrup-y, emotional musical experience in spades - it’s most definitely a case of function > form, but it makes you want to listen more, and it makes it a difficult proposition to want to take them off your head…despite the plastic aesthetic and the need to connect to a relatively high-powered source to have the pleasure of listening.

Next, there’s sheer convenience and form-factor. Can I be anywhere, anytime, and simply fire-up any tune I want in a matter of seconds? Cue my Aventho Wireless, from Beyerdynamic (for example). They'll never win a head-to-head with any other full-size set of audiophile cans, but they’ll stow themselves inconspicuously in my work-bag, and I can have them hooked-up to my smartphone via AptX Bluetooth in seconds, streaming any tune that pops into my head that I just have to hear that instant via Tidal, Google Play, or locally-stored files.

So there’s sound a) sound quality, b) convenience, and that leaves c) - something else a little more intangible that can make headphone listening a little bit more of a…ceremony. An experience that’s a bit more considered, and memorable. You’ll probably hear the same arguments thrown around by those who cling to vinyl as a format despite the cost and inconvenience. Or those who enjoy the reward and pleasure in restoring and driving a vintage car - it just makes you want to enjoy your hobby more, rather than it being something that gets you from “A to B”.



Cutting to the chase, I went and bought myself a pair of Grado Labs RS2e’s. Now, I already own several capable pairs of headphones - some much more expensive, and some more ‘technically’ adept. But there’s something about the combination of mahogany, leather, and a more than a bit of the Grado family’s philosophy in the end-product that make listening feel remarkable.

So why did I choose the RS2e? There’s more than a few headphones to pick from in the Grado Labs range, starting with the relatively simple plastic-affair that is the $119AUD SR60e that opens the ‘Prestige’ series; and ending with the polished chrome of the $3,499AUD PS2000e from the ‘Professional’ series. Every set of Grado cans is hand-made in their Brooklyn NY factory, and I suspect not a great deal has changed around there technology-wise since they started building several decades ago. And it’s the hand-crafted charm of the wooden ‘Reference’ series that sits in the middle of the Grado range that for me, sums them up best. Carved out of single pieces of Mahogany, the cups of the RS1e and RS2e look like they could equally live on your mantlepiece, in addition to the top of your noggin.



Halfway through the production-run of this current run of ‘Reference’ series, Grado swapped-out the black leather headband for a light tan-coloured one, and when I saw pictures of them online, I knew I had to audition them. And when I finally hand the chance to pick them up, articulate the wooden cups on the gimbals, admire the unique colourations of those particular pieces of mahogany, and smell the leather of the headband, it was a ‘done deal’.

Now, I’m not writing this article from the perspective of a massive Grado-phile, getting into the minutiae of the nuances and differences between the different models - there’s plenty of deep, dark forum posts elsewhere online that get into all that. I'm writing this more for someone who likes the idea of listening to music with more intent, and getting the most out of their experience with it - and is wondering about different approaches to audiophile headphones.



Having said that, I’ll just briefly say that I preferred the sound of the RS2e to the RS1e, and the fact that it’s $250AUD cheaper was very nice indeed. I’ll spend that $250 on music, a night out with friends, or good beer (and just about anything else) any day of the week, over worrying-about whether or not I’m listening to a ‘better’ set of cans.

So, getting to the point I was starting to make - I listen to music a LOT (at least 5 + albums a day), but I’m listening to music every possible chance I can get with these cans - I just love getting these headphones out of their box, and firing-up tunes that immediately put a smile on my face. They look beautiful, and sound exciting.


Packaging and presentation

Grado headphones are ubiquitously well-known for their spartan packaging, affectionately (or non-affectionately…) known as the ‘Pizza Box’. It’s a cardboard box with a foam insert, and in terms of accessories, there’s a 3.5mm > 6.3mm stereo adapter. That’s it.



Some headphones come with luxurious, protective and considerate boxing and accessories (my ZMF Eikon Pelican case is perhaps at the opposite end of the spectrum…), but Grado have obstinately chosen to stick with this minimalist approach. Would more comprehensive packaging drive-up costs? Absolutely. Would I prefer a better case? Absolutely. Would I prefer a manufacturer focus on giving the best product, at the best price? Absolutely. So in that case, you’re looking at an after-market case if you’re planing on taking your Grados anywhere.


Build, comfort, liveability

Lift them out of the box, and the first thing you notice is that they’re almost impossibly light. Weighing next-to-nothing, they’re not going to give you any fatigue in the slightest, versus, say, the Audeze LCD range, ZMF, etc. The beautifully carved, engraved and stained mahogany cups are the only real thing that say ‘premium’ about the RS2e’s - aside from a leather headband, the simple plastic gimbal, rod-block and swivel mechanism comes straight from the SR60e. It’s a minimalist build-approach, but manages to work just fine on my head. Clamp-force is perfect, but easily adjustable by simply bending the thin metal band that sits sandwiched between the two layers of leather in the headband.



And then there’s the cable.

I’m not the first person to talk about the Grado cable, and I won’t be the last. Starting at the earcups, there’s two permanently attached plastic-coated wires that join together in a pretty hefty plastic Y-splitter about 12 inches below, which then form into a cable that’s at least as thick and non-pliable as a kettle power-cord. It literally feels like it weighs more than the headphones themselves. It’s about 4 feet in length total, terminating in a 3.5mm cord. To me, it’s a bit of a compromise in every regard: it’s not quite long-enough for proper home hifi listening, and too cumbersome for more transportable listening. The fact that they’ve gone with a 3.5mm connector is a ‘nod’ to the sign-of-the-times that more people are looking for more convenient, mobile listening, but given it’s a completely open-back design, it’s certainly not going to be the best public transport option. Looking at it ‘glass-half-full’, it’s certainly not going to break or strain in a hurry. One can surmise that the Grado family have opted for quality-first, over compromise. Sure, it’s be great if there were detachable 2.5/3.5mm connectors at each ear cup (which is one of the first things that many do in the Grado aftermarket/DIY field), but you also can’t help but think this would make the RS2e’s feel a little bit less…Grado-y.



Besides having to wrangle the cable every now and again, wearing them is a breeze thanks to their light construction. The stock L-Cushions sit just around my (admittedly smallish) ears, and I’m able to wear them for several hours before getting slight pressure on my ears. My fiancé can’t last that long - she’s able to manage an hour at best before having to take a break. Swap-out to the G-Cush that comes standard on the GS1000/2000e and PS1000/2000e, and comfort is improved several-fold. Being far wider in circumference, that fully envelope the ear and distribute the weight even more evenly. There’s some sonic trade-off, which I’ll touch on later.


Driving + amplification

At 99.8 dB sensitivity (SPL 1mW) and 32 ohms impedance, the RS2e’s are easily driven by just-about anything. They’re not at all picky about source or amplification, meaning that you’re not faced with having to invest in exorbitantly powerful, expensive, or specced equipment to get the most out of them.



I’ll happily use them plugged directly into my Samsung Galaxy S9+, but given I have decent equipment at work (Audioquest Dragonfly Black); home (Emotiva BasX A100) and on-the-go (Chord Mojo + Poly), I tend to power to RS2e’s with them to get the most out of my source material. One match I quite enjoy is with my NAD C356BEE integrated stereo receiver which I have my vinyl chain plugged into, and also with my NAD D3020 digital hybrid amp, which is set-up in my bedroom (playing Tidal via Chromecast Audio into the optical-in).

Long-story short, they’ll easily pair with almost any source, without worrying about whether you’re “missing out” on anything.



Sound quality

reference
ˈrɛf(ə)r(ə)ns/

“the use of a source of information in order to ascertain something.”

The RS2e’s are not a neutral, ‘reference’ pair of headphones (despite their moniker), nor are they a bass-heavy set of cans. Their voicing is definitely coloured towards the Grado ‘house sound’ - forward and energetic mids; clear, dry ‘spicey’ highs; and taut, articulate bass that rolls-off quickly, and is more ‘musical’ than ‘slam’. They’ll tell you the truth alright, but it’ll be a very enthusiastic version of the truth.

If you’re a Grado-lover (like I am), then you’ll appreciate the immediacy and intimacy in the mids - acoustic guitars and male voices in particular are incredibly lifelike. I’ve never heard a more enjoyable version of Radiohead’s “Jigsaw Falling into Place” (from “In Rainbows”) than through the RS2e’s.



Grado’s are swiftly-recommended for rock music, and with good reason - they make it ‘come alive’. Their speed (ability to move from one distinct note to the next while dealing with the decay from the former) is remarkable, and that mid-forward focus makes snares and distorted guitars have incredible attack. “Hummer” (from “Siamese Dream) by The Smashing Pumpkins is a treat on the Grados, with several layers of guitar tracked over one another, which the RS2e’s present with an energetic snarl.



And then there’s Jazz - these present the most realistic saxophone and live jazz sound I’ve ever heard. John Coltrane’s “Like Someone in Love” (from “Lush Life”), sounds liquid, and right in front of you.



Switching-out the L-Cush to the G-Cush, and they become an altogether different pair of headphones. That 1-5K mid peak takes a back seat, becoming almost laid-back - John Coltrane takes three steps backwards, but the soundscape ‘opens-up’. The RS2e’s don’t have a very wide soundstage (more of an intimate ‘headstone’), but the G-Cush give it a more ‘atmospheric effect’. The sub-bass impact becomes increased, and the highs are cooled slightly by around 2-3dB according to my ears. While the G-Cush seems to take-away what makes the RS2e ‘special’, it is remarkable that you have an almost altogether different set of headphones on your hands when you pad-roll. For me, I’ll stick to the L-Cush for more detail-oriented and energetic music; but for more relaxed sessions, gaming and hip-hop I’ll pop-on the G-Cush.

Yes, I did say gaming in that last sentence. I’m sure the last thing the Grado family expected was for their handmade audiophile headphones to be used in online First Person Shooters, but for me, their light weight and excellent imaging make for a great set of gaming cans!


Final thoughts

At the $650-mark (Australian), there’s some pretty serious competition from other manufacturers, as well as Grado’s cheaper offerings as well. I’ve owned most of the Sennheiser HD series, almost every type of Beyerdynamic and several Audeze as well. And I’ve traded, sold, or passed-on most of them with little emotion. Yet I think these little RS2e’s are somehow going to end-up getting passed-down to my kids, or grandkids (if I can bring myself to let go of them!). Not only are they a detailed and energetic listen, but they’re a work of craftsmanship, and steeped in tradition. And sometimes, it’s the feeling as much as the statistics that count. They’re not perfect, but sometimes ‘perfect’ can get a little boring.



At this price, for what they deliver sonically and visually, I think they’re a steal. When you start thinking about ‘cost per wear’, in a couple of years time, we’re talking about a buck a day. And in 10 years time, we’re talking about 17c a day. But enjoying your favourite music, day-in, day-out, well that's something else altogether. I think the folks at MasterCard had a word for it…?

iFi are on a veritable roll in the mobile DAC+amp stakes. Having cornered the market between the stupendously-powerful Micro Black Label, and recently landing a more budget-conscious win with the Mojo-challenging Nano Black Label, they’ve slotted the xDSD squarely between those two products, splitting the difference price-wise and performance-wise, while adding Bluetooth and an all-new form-factor in the equation.




iFi kindly arranged a head-fi tour for users to give feedback and reviews of their latest device, which happily included Australia and New Zealand - so I gladly took the opportunity to spend a week with the xDSD, and see how it performed in both desktop, and on-the-go duties.

What’s the pitch?
It’s a $589.95 (current Australian retail price) portable headphone DAC & amp, which includes some pretty impressive features. I won’t copy & paste the entire warts-and-all specs of the device (I’m more than confident you can manage to find these on their website if you’re interested), but the parts that interested me included:

• Connectivity: USB; Optical (a step-up from the Nano Black Label and something I do genuinely try to use where possible); and proper aptX (great for me as an Android user) / AAC (great for you, if you’re an iOS user) Bluetooth
• File-handling: up to 22.57MHz* DSD and 768kHz/32Bit* PCM (I can count the number of 192kHz albums I own on one finger, but this sounds impressive)
• Power: 500mW @ 16 ohms, 48mW @ 300 ohms (a relevant figure for Sennheiser HD 580/600/650/800 users out there).
• Line-out mode: for use a a stand-alone DAC (I do like to use portable DACs in conjunction with my two-channel set-up)

…and a few features that weren’t really of much interest to me, but of course, might be to you:

• Full MQA compatibility: (I won’t really dwell on this, aside from saying that it’s a solution for a problem I don’t really think exists and creates proprietary hardware + software problems)
• ‘Listen’ & ‘Measure’ filters: I certainly don’t plan on doing any ‘measuring’ for pleasure, nor do I plan on critically trying to split them apart (spoiler altert: I tried briefly, and couldn’t)
• Balanced 3.5mm headphone out: I don’t own any balanced cables or gear, and can’t really say I need it.
• ‘3D+ Matrix’ & ‘XBass+’: I figure that using hardware to change the signature of your headphones is a very expensive way of EQ-ing them. I don’t really tend to EQ, but have occasionally dabbled in Roon parametrically.

What’s in the box?
The same paraphernalia as the Nano BL, actually:

• A nice velour carrying-case (cosmetic, certainly not drop-proof)
• A rather-long full-sized USB 2.0 cable for data transfer
• A couple of obscure-looking and irrelevant USB adapters (which I suspect would be of far less use that including Lightning / USB-C OTG cables…)
• A TOSLINK optical adapter
• Some 3M ‘Command’ strips for connecting to phones/DAPs

Mobile users might be left scratching their heads as to why some kind of on-the-go cable isn’t included, but given the likely audience split between Lightning/USB-C/USB-Micro connectivity, iFi leaves that up to you. So be warned, if you don’t have one of these you won’t be playing it straight away (wired, anyway).


How’s it put together?
Well for starters, if you tried walking into a sporting stadium carrying the xDSD a security guard might be forgiven for thinking you were trying to smuggle-in a hip-flask of booze! The polished chrome finish and shape certainly gives-off that impression, and the centrally-located round volume pot certainly adds to it. It looks super-cool and premium…but touch it once and it tarnishes immediately with fingerprint smudges. It needs a serious polish with a cloth to buff-out (making it a bitch to photograph!), so if you plan on using it in its intended use as a portable device, you’ll know exactly what I mean.




Have you held a Chord Mojo before? Well it’s about the same size.




It’s a nicely-built device, in keeping with it’s iFi stable-mates, and has a nice ‘heft’ to it that gives you the assurance of quality craftsmanship. It’s theoretically pocket-able, but when stacked with a smartphone it creates quite the ‘sandwich’ which does mean you’ll be forced to carry it in one hand.


On the desktop
I did use the xDSD for all my desktop listening-duties during my week spent with it, and did find it frankly a little tricky to use as a desktop device - the volume-pot is a ‘wheel’ rather than a ‘knob’. This is great for on-the-go use, as it prevents inadvertently wild (and potentially dangerous) fluctuations in volume; but it’s slightly less user friendly on a desktop. Not a deal-breaker, but I just found the Nano Black Label a little easier to use when stationary.


Also, being a pretty light-weight device the size, heft and tension of the supplied USB cord tended to make the xDSD slide around on my desk at work. It has four little rubberised ‘feet’ which keep the shiny finish from scraping on desktops, but doesn’t provide too much friction otherwise.


On-the-go: Stacking vs streaming
During my time with the xDSD I found I spent most time with it powering IEMs via aptX Bluetooth-mode (connected wirelessly to my Samsung Galaxy S9+), with the xDSD sitting in my jacket inside pocket. I did try stacking but found the convenience of Bluetooth easily outweighed the marginal loss in sound-quality. Add to that the ’surface noise’ of life that comes with commuting and general life outdoors, and Bluetooth easily came out on top in terms of pros and cons. I must add that I did find a couple of instances where I simply couldn't get the xDSD to pair to either of my Android devices - I had to 'forget' them and restart the device to get it to work.




Actually, I found myself using Bluetooth at home more often that not with full-size cans - it’s just too damn convenient for non-critical listening.




I also used it plugged straight into my two-channel system as a source via aptX Bluetooth, controlling via my Galaxy Tab A from the couch, to good effect. A quick A/B between the 44.1 FLAC via the xDSD and vinyl versions of Radiohead’s “A Moon Shaped Pool” did have some slight digital ‘glare’, but otherwise super-enjoyable.




User interface & controls
Like any new ‘toy’, I took the xDSD straight out of the box and started to mash buttons to make it work. Without reading the instructions, naturally. I like to see how things perform intuitively, plus, instructions schminschtructions…right? Anyhow, I didn’t know that I received the xDSD in ‘line-out’ mode from the previous user, meaning that it was set to ‘LOUD’ immediately for headphone use (luckily, I wasn’t wearing the headphones at the time). Switching between regular-mode, line-out mode, and wired/bluetooth mode requires a slight learning-curve in order to figure-out which isn’t immediately intuitive, but easily learnt with practice.

The volume-pot gives a nice ‘glow’ to indicate volume-level + file-type. Like other devices (looking at you, Mojo), you do work out eventually what colour represents which volume-level…which does change volume-level depending on the impedance + sensitivity of your cans. So like all audio devices, practice caution and sensibility.

The ’Measure’ and ‘Listen’ filters proved to be indistinguishable to me. That’s all I can really add about that.




‘Bass-boost’ switches were intoxicating to me as a kid. Flicking a switch to be rewarded with +10dB of instantly-audible, distorted flab was my idea of a “good time”. It took me a good decade or two to wean myself off that cat-nip, so I treated the ‘3D+ Matrix’ & ‘XBass+’ switches with caution. When I did tinker with them, I had to seriously concentrate to find any pronounced difference, if anything at all. I did find that it differed wildly depending on what music I was listening to. On Van Halen’s “Panama” (MQA via Tidal desktop app), the 3D+ switch made the cymbals noticeably ‘tizzier’ and wider in terms of spacial-perception, for example.


Power & headphone matching
It handled everything I through at it from IEMs to 300-ohm Sennheiser HD580/650’s with aplomb. There’s plenty of power in this little device to drive pretty much anything to deafening levels. It’s powerful.

More specifically, I spent my time listening with the xDSD paired to:

IEMs:

• Grado GR10
• Sennheiser IE800S

Full-size cans:

• Grado GH1
• Meze 99 Classics
• Sennheiser HD580/650
• Campfire Cascade (briefly)
• Focal Clear (briefly)

Listening & sound quality
I’m not going to give you a bass/mids/treble/soundstage run-down because I don’t think a good solid-state amplifier should impart any of those characteristics onto headphone transducers, (unless it’s either under powering them; or has dampening/impedance mismatches). Instead, I’ll give you every surety that this device decodes and plays music with absolute transparency and clarity. The Burr-Brown multibit DSD1793 DAC sounds predictably perfect (like a good DAC should), and has ample power for most headphones.

I will give you a few examples of some musical and gear pairings I tried-out and enjoyed with the iFI xDSD, because music’s there to be enjoyed, not analysed.

1. Ryan Adams “Prisoner” (MQA via Tidal desktop app) with Sennheiser HD580 Precisions
This album is one of the most heartfelt ‘breakup’ records ever written, it’s raw, personal, and incredibly powerful. It’s also incredibly well-produced and recorded, and it’s a great test for vocals and guitars, which the 580’s excel at. Amazing separation and “air”.

2. A Perfect Circle “Eat the Elephant” (aptX via Samsung S9+) with Sennheiser IE800s
APC’s first album in well over a decade, and if I’m honest a little disappointing on my first listen. The IE800s are so incredibly linear and transparent that it was if anything, a little too ‘smooth’ and didn’t really impart the dynamics I would have liked, but that’s hardly the fault of the xDSD. The bass and impact on my favourite track on the album, ‘Hourglass’ was pretty impressive and nicely textured. I had to play this album via loudspeakers to really enjoy it.

3. Snail Mail “Lush” (aptX via Samsung Galaxy Tab A) with Grado GH1
Easily one of my favourite records released in 2018 thus far, and being guitar/vocal-driven rock sounds incredible over the Grados. The Grados also happen to be less-than-forgiving on poor source material and can have a harsh/fatiguing top-end. I forgot that I was listening via Bluetooth to this record, which is full-praise for how the xDSD acquitted itself on the wireless-front.

4. Father John Misty “God’s Favourite Customer” (FLAC via Roon) with Sennheiser HD650’s
Ok, this one’s definitely my favourite record released this year. Mr Tillman has one of the clearest voices in the business, combined with a rapier-wit and brash turn-of-phrase. The 650’s have a pronounced ‘relaxed’ voicing, and the top-end can taper-off when underpowered especially. I couldn’t fault this listening session at all, just brilliant.


So who’s it for?
If you have 600 dollarydoos to spend on a DAC/amp, you’re pretty much looking at this or the Chord Mojo. The Mojo pips it for wired connectivity (USB, optical + coax), but loses-out on aptX Bluetooth. On the other-hand, it can have a ‘Poly’ grafted onto it which does do SD-card playback; DLNA; MLP; Bluetooth (albeit it non aptX/AAC), but at a significant premium.

So then, is it worth twice the price of entry over iFi’s Nano Black Label? If you seriously plan on using it for its Bluetooth capabilities, then it’s a genuinely exciting proposition for transparent, powerful and tether-less performance with IEMs and hard-to-drive full-size cans alike.

iFi have managed to squeeze just about every plausible feature under the sun into this shiny little gadget - it was certainly an ambitious undertaking and to their credit they’ve executed it brilliantly. It’s a genuine Jack-of-all-trades, and at the end of the day will have you enjoying your music in more circumstances, in more places than any other device I can think of. Which is a ‘win’ in my books. Cheers!

My hand shot-up when I saw that iFi had arranged a global head-fi tour of their new addition to their range of bewilderingly-named (seriously, keeping-up with which acronym is which is tough…) small headphone DAC/amp combos – the iFi Nano iDSD Black Label. There’s been nothing but praise for the Micro - the, err, slightly “less small” portable DAC/amp from iFi that’s been swaying would-be Chord Mojo users, and blowing people away with its head-melting ability to pump a whole four watts into 16 ohms, plus super-talented DAC that can handle just about any file type thrown its way. For me, the Micro was not quite ‘micro’ enough for me to want to comfortably stack on-the-go, and perhaps slightly more than I wanted to spend at the time.



But at $200, the Nano BL is a pretty appealing proposition on paper alone:



Features/Specifications:

General
Input(rear): USB2.0 type A “OTG” Socket (with iPurifier® technology built-in)
Output(rear)； 1 x Audio fixed line out L+R 3.5mm
Digital Filter: 2 positions, 2 filters
Outputs(front): 2 x Headphone Audio 3.5mm one direct and one with iFi iEMatch® integrated

DAC
DAC: DSD, DXD, PCM DAC by Burr Brown Bit-Perfect DSD processing, Bit-Perfect DXD processing
Clock: Low-jitter crystal clock
Audio Formats: DSD 256/128/64/12.4/11.2/6.2/5.6/3.1/2.8
DXD 384/352.8kHz
PCM 384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1kHz
MQA 88.2/96/176.4/192kHz filters
Filter–PCM: Listen(transient optimised minimum phase)
Measure(frequency response optmised)
–DSD: Listen(extended bandwidth transient optimised)
Measure (narrow bandwidth, low output band noise optimised)
–DXD: Fixed Bit-Perfect Processing
–MQA: Fixed MQA Filter

Headphone Amplifier
Amplifier: Dual Mono 2 x 285mW Direct Drive, coupling capacitor free circuit for highest fidelity
Volume Control: 3.5mm TRRS with Balanced compatible wiring
Dynamic Range(including DAC): > 109dB(A) @ 3v (Direct)
> 107dB(A) @ 0.5V (iEMatch®)
THD &N (@ 125mW/30R): < 0.005%
Max. Output (<10% THD): > 3.5V @ 600Ω Load (Direct) (20mW/600Ω)
> 2.9V @ 30Ω Load (Direct) (285mW/30Ω)
> 1.7V @ 15Ω Load (Direct) (200mW/15Ω)
Output Impedance : < = 1Ω (Direct)
< = 4Ω (iEMatchsup>®)
Channel Separation: > 79dB @ 600Ω Load (Direct)
> 79dB @ 15Ω Load (Direct) (1kHz, TRRS plug Balanced wiring)

Line Output
Dynamic Range(Line): > 109dB(A)
THD & N(0dBFS Line): < 0.004%
Output Voltage(Line): : 2.15V (+/-0.05V)
Output Impedance: < 240Ω
Channel Separation: > 99dB (@ 1kHz)
Jitter(correlated): Below test set limit

Dimensions
96(l) x 64(w) x 25.5(h)mm
Weight: 139g (0.31 Ibs)

So, the same DAC-section from its brethren, in a smaller package, at a $200 asking price? Sign me up! I decided that when my week review-time came with the Nano BL, that I was going to look to answer the following questions:

1. POWER? Sure, at 285mW @ 30ohms, it’s no slouch. But how will it handle higher-Z cans being thrown at it?

2. LIVEABILITY? Can this portable-in-mind DAC/amp combo really work in a “stack” on a day-to-day basis? And for those looking for a do-it-all DAC/amp, could this possibly be the only desktop peripheral you’ll ever need?

3. TO MOJO, OR NOT TO MOJO? The size, dimensions and capabilities of the Nano aim it squarely at Chord’s wunderkind. The Nano already has a $379 headstart on the Mojo (currently $579 on amazon). But other things being equal, how does it perform head-to-head?



Presentation and form-factor

It’s a solid-feeling little deck-of-cards-sized metal black box and reassuringly well-built – and perhaps a little lighter than I was expecting. So light, in fact, that when I had it performing desktop duties, the fairly girth-y USB cable supplied with it tended to move it across my desktop and it wouldn’t really want to stay in-place. So it’s nice and portable in terms of footprint, and heft.



On the “front side”, there’s two 3.5mm headphone outputs – ‘IEMatch’; and ‘Direct’. The former is designed for use with high-sensitivity IEMs (as its name suggests…) for “…reduced background noise and matched-gain.”. The latter directs the full output of the Dual Mono 2 x 285mW Direct Drive into regular sensitivity headphones.

Alongside the 2 x headphone outputs is a rather tactile, “proper” volume knob. The knob “clicks” to take care of powering the Nano BL on/off, as well as volume-duties for headphones.

Adorning the front panel is a multi-coloured LED that indicates battery-status, and audio-format playback. Chord Mojo users will sympathise with having to memorise which colour denotes which mode, but it’s fairly straightforward.

Flip-around to the “rear” side, and there’s a 3.5mm Line Output for sending the output from the DAC section to another amplifier/component; a switch to flick between “MEASURE” and “LISTEN” filters; and a rather curious full-sized male USB input to handle both data and charging duties. More on this later.



Ergonomics and real-world ‘liveability’

There’s generally two kinds of on-the-go audiophiles – “Stackers”, and “DAP-pers”. The Nano BL is pitched at the former group, in that it’s designed to easily pair/stack with a source (either a smartphone; DAP; or laptop/PC); to provide better digital decoding, playback, and amplification for headphones, or for use upstream from powered monitors or other two-channel systems. And because of its diminutive form-factor, taking it with you on-the-go is easy. Right?

Mobile use

The first test I had with the Nano BL out of the box was to attach it to my Samsung S7 Edge, playing FLAC files through USB Audio Player Pro. Luckily I was able to ‘plug-and-play’ right away, because I happened to have a USB-A female to USB-micro OTG adapter handy lying around.



Mobile users beware – the Nano BL doesn’t come with a mobile-ready cable. At first I thought this to be a major oversight, but realised that there’s a mix of mobile users out there with either USB-micro; USB-C; or Lightning compatible smartphones. So rather than packing no less than 4 x connections into the box (including the full-sized PC connection included), it’s incumbent on the consumer to grab the one that best fits their set-up. Just make sure you know this beforehand or you could be stuck with an expensive paperweight while waiting on a cable to arrive, or for your next store visit!

Still, the USB-male input is a little confounding, as its recessed connection means that bulkier USB cables won’t necessarily “dock” with it flush, and may not even fit at all.

Anyhow, pairing the Nano BL with the S7 Edge was a breeze, and started playback right away. It’s not exactly a “pocketable” stack – in fact it’s pretty thick when stacked back-to-back, so if you’re out and about you’ll need to hold them (pretty firmly) in the palm of your hand.

iFi rate the battery life for the Nano BL at 10 hours - I never came even close to running it down, so can't really comment on it but have no reason to doubt that it's achievable. On thing I only realised after my time with the Nano BL was up, was that if you switch it on before plugging into USB power, it'll continue to run off battery power. Whereas if you plug it in first and then switch it on, it'll charge/run off USB power.

So yes, it’s “portable” alright, but perhaps “transportable” is a little more accurate – it’s perfect for taking with you; un-packing; and hooking-up with your source in a hotel-room; flight; or café for killer sound wherever you happen to find yourself. Like parked outside with a nice beer and a pair of Meze 99 Classics…for example.



One minor quibble with mobile-use is with regards to that otherwise excellently-tactile volume-knob – it’s easily bumped in bags; crowds; or by just about anything – meaning you can suddenly have a rather-large surge in volume unexpectedly…

Desktop use

I spent most of my time with the Nano BL on my desktop at work, or as a part of my main full-sized set-up at home. The small footprint and easy to use volume control mean it’s great for static use, and (depending on your requirements) it really could be the only DAC/amp you need. When thinking about similarly-priced set-ups such as a Schiit Magni/Modi combination; or an Objective O2 – it really doesn’t lose out in terms of form-factor, and certainly weighs-in a lot smaller.



I spent the majority of desktop use with the Nano BL connected to my 15” Macbook Pro, with either Roon or Tidal (desktop app) as a source. I used it to both power my headphones directly, or to use it up-stream as a standalone DAC sending a line-out signal to my Bottlehead Crack OTL and Schiit Magni 3 amps.



The only thing to note about line-out desktop use in DAC-only mode, is that you won’t be able to control volume from the unit itself as a pre-amp – it’s a fixed signal, and you’ll need to attenuate volume elsewhere. A switchable line-out/pre-out would have been nice, but at $200 you can’t really complain.

Sound quality and performance

I’m not a huge believer in wildly-fluctuating sonic character between DACs, so I’ll only briefly remark that the Nano BL’s DAC sounds expectedly transparent, detailed, and spacious when used in DAC-only mode. It’s highly-capable in that it handles a wide range of formats: PCM (up to 384kHz), DSD (up to 256), and also MQA – which is an interesting selling-point if that sort of thing interests you. I’m not exactly a huge proponent of proprietary formats, and don’t believe there’s any problem that needs solving with FLAC or other open/lossless sources. I did have to give the Nano BL a firmware update in order to be able to play MQA files through the Tidal desktop app, which sounded “great” - but not any different really to PCM, to my ears anyhow. MQA however does reward with a nice magenta glow on the LED on the front-panel.



Using it to power headphones directly, the first thing I threw at the Nano BL were my Grado GR10 IEMs as I was keen to hear the ‘IEMatch’ feature unique to iFi. Unfortunately my review unit seemed to only be sending a signal to one-channel through this output, so the rest of my listening was via the ‘Direct’ output. Fortunately I didn’t experience any hiss/imbalance whatsoever so was happily able to get (otherwise) full use out of the Nano BL before sending it back to the local Australian distributor.



Low-impedance cans sounded predictably excellent, including the aforementioned GR10’s, as well as my Meze 12 Classic IEMs; and moving onto full-sized cans – my Grado GH1s, Beyerdynamic DT1350s, and Meze’s 99 Classics, which I particularly enjoyed for a real (trans)portable treat.

The real test, for me, was to see if the Nano BL was happy to push my harder-to-drive headphones without clipping, struggling, or degrading sound quality. It immediately proved to me that yes, it can – easily. I tested it using my 250ohm Beyerdynamic DT1770s, and my 300ohm ZMF Eikons and Sennheiser HD650s, and it never broke a sweat. I got to unbearably-loud volume on the Senns at just past 12 o’clock. I will say that my Schiit Magni 3 does open up the treble detail and controls bass a little better, but that’s sending a full 430mWPC at 300ohms – I’m not sure of the Nano’s equivalent output at that impedence, but the manual does state that it’s only pushing-out 20mW @ 600ohms.



I switched between the ‘…frequency response optimised’ “MEASURE” and ‘transient optimized minimum phased’ “LISTEN” filters to see how that affected the sound. I was unable to hear any noticeable difference, but your mileage may vary, of course.

As a solid-state amplifier it’s devoid of colouration and provides a clean, neutral window on music. Without beating around the bush, it sounds bloody excellent. Would it struggle with low-sensitivity planars? Probably, but that’s expecting too much from a $200 all-in-one tiny unit.

Nano vs Mojo

They’re both small little black boxes. Both very capable DAC sections. Both capable of easily driving headphones well and stacking with mobile devices.



So what pulls them apart?

‘Wins’ for the Mojo:

- More connectivity options – USB; co-ax; optical
- More power – puts out 720mW @ 8ohms
- 2 x parallel headphone outputs, capable of both full headphone-output and variable line-out duties
- Able to pair with the (somewhat under-baked and controversial) ‘Poly’ streamer/player

‘Wins’ for the Nano BL:

- Proper, tactile volume knob
- IEMatch capability for high-sensitivity IEMs (if it works properly)
- Sends fully-balanced TRRS wiring all the way through to the 3.5mm output
- MQA-capable (although controversial, it’s a trick that the Chord simply can’t do)
- It’s $379 cheaper

That last ‘win’ for the Nano BL is the clincher – if you’re in the market for a small do-it-all DAC/amp, grabbing the iFi device and pocketing the change is a no-brainer, unless you’re:

a) A believer in the bragging-rights (or sonic difference) of the Chord proprietary FPGA DAC
b) In love with the design of the Mojo (who doesn’t love the shiny colourful balls?)
c) Interested in creating an all-in-one ‘MojoPoly’ DAC/Amp/Player/Streamer

Now I happen to be a Mojo owner, as that was the product that best fitted my needs at the time. I also was interested in the Poly at the time, and did indeed end up buying that as well. My experience with life with the MojoPoly is best left for another review, but if I had my time again and was only interested in the DAC/Amp itself, I would likely have saved myself a few hundred bucks and been completely thrilled with the iFi Nano iDSD Black Label (confusing nomenclature and all…).

I thought it might have been a couple of years yet before I went and did something crazy like “cutting the cord”, with a couple of good reasons why I've been holding-out to date:

1. I absolutely love my wired portable headphones/IEMs - namely my Grado GR10's, and especially my Beyerdynamic DT1350’s - they’ve been my trusty portable cans for some time, and despite a couple of quibbles (cable noise; long-term comfort) I’ve never felt they were lacking in any department. They sound amazing.
2. “Bluetooth schmuetooth”. Yeah, we all know it’s not quite there yet, but with Aptx/Aptx HD becoming the new standard it’ll be CD-quality+ before we know it.

So anyway, my ears pricked-up upon news of the launch of Beyerdynamic’s Aventho Wireless announced earlier in the year. For all intents and purposes, a direct evolution of the DT1350/T51 on-ear portables, only “look Mum – no wires!”. Add to that, some very interesting features: Aptx HD enabled; a companion app called “MIY” (Make it Yours) that allows the user to create a unique sound-profile; 30-hour battery life; and of course that unmistakable Beyerdynamic utilitarian/industrial design, albeit with a slightly more “premium” look this time around.

Cue several months later (which many of us know feels like an eternity when you have new cans on the way), and a brand new pair of black Aventho Wireless landed on my desk at work – and I couldn’t wait to get them onto my ears, and start comparing them to my DT1350’s.

After a few days with them, here’s some early thoughts:

Packaging/accessories:
The box was much smaller than I expected for some reason – but sure, they’re portables? So why not. Inside is a rather nice canvas carrying-pouch, which might be familiar to anyone who owns the Audeze Sine. It’ll keep them from scratching, but won’t survive a two-story fall. The DT1350’s case is far more rigid and up to the task of daily portable use. Inside are the cans themselves (duh) and two cords:

1) a 3.5mm cable to attach the cans in wired-mode to a source – great – I’m looking forward to plugging them into my “A/B tester”, which is actually the Chord Mojo(Poly), which with its 2 x 3.5mm headphone outs is a great way to quickly A/B test cans.

2) A USB-C charging cable



Build + comfort:
These will be instantly familiar to anyone who’s spent time on the DT1350/T51’s – they share the same rugged aluminium gimbals and adjustment system, as well as a similar fashion of ear-cup articulation. The cups are slightly larger – no doubt to house the battery, amplification and Bluetooth gizzards. The headband doesn’t split like the DT1350’s, but has a far more comfortable protein-leather headband. Weight is nominally heavier, but the clamp is on the comfortable side rather than the ‘grippy’ side. On qualm with the DT1350’s is the clamp – which combined with an on-ear arrangement can lead to sore ears after a couple of hours use. Happily, these are much more comfortable and have a softer pleather on the ear-cups. Tilting my head back, they do want to slip off – so they’re probably not up to rigorous exercise, which I’ll leave to IEM’s.

Some minor points on build:

– Firstly, the earcups touch one another when folded flat, which again, Audeze Sine owners will be familiar with. The Aventhos were shipped with a piece of foam between the earcups to avoid scratching, but I can’t see myself being bothered to place it there every time I store them, so I do worry the ear cups will scratch one another down the track.

- The aluminium frame/gimbals create a bit of noise when walking around in a moderate wind. Now I'm not sure if headphone manufacturers go about doing wind-tunnel testing for their products, but on a product that's squarely designated as 'portable', it's a minor mark in the 'against' ledger, but not a game-breaker.

- The ON/OFF button is very stiff/squeaky to operate. Sure, it's not in any danger on getting accidentally pressed while in-side your bag, but it doesn't like a high-quality addition to an otherwise first-class set of headphones - it requires a serious application of pressure for 2-3 seconds when switching.



Features + connectivity:
There's only one visible ‘button’ on the Aventhos, which is on the right ear-cup. Hold it down for two seconds, and voila! They’re charged right out of the box. Pairing with my Galaxy S7 Edge via Bluetooth was a breeze. A nice English-sounding lady inside the Aventhos said “headset is connected”, and when I started to play Tidal, she then said “Aptx active”.

There’s a four-way “trackpad” on the right earcups, which controls volume, playback, phone-calls and so forth. I won’t go into too much detail describing each function, only to say that it’s fairly intuitive. “UP” and “DOWN” for volume, “FORWARD” and “BACKWARD” for advancing/rewinding tracks, and double-tap to pause/play. Simple stuff, and works well.

Bluetooth connectivity is generally excellent from both my Android and my MacBook Pro. i can roam a good 10-15 metres before it starts to cut-out. I have noticed that sometimes it will 'stutter' from my shorts pocket however - and can be more pronounced when running.

MIY app:
One of the major selling points Beyerdynamic were trumpeting when they announced the Aventhos was the MIY, or “Make It Yours” app, developed in conjunction with Mimi Hearing Technologies. It’s designed to develop a personal sound-profile based on your particular hearing and preferences, and it also shows/controls functions such as battery-life; touch-pad sensitivity; and to keep a track of your daily level of ‘pensum’ – a percentage level of how much listening time you can safely manage in a day, according to your playback SPL (I was pleased to know my comfortable listening level was pretty low, and I could afford to “turn it up!”, and didn’t get much over 1% after a couple of hours).



I went to create “my sound profile”, but the only variable I was able to input however was my year of birth. I went to create more features, but got a message which said “No Test? Unfortunately we uncovered a bug that broke the test. It’s our highest priority to fix this. Check back here to see our progress!”. I’m not too fussed by this, as I generally don’t tend to EQ headphones, and like to test/compare them based on their “flat” settings. All the same, I was curious to see what my unique “sound profile” was like, so was a bit disappointing but I understand this will be available in January(?). However I was able to test my particular sound profile developed for my year of birth – not really sure how that’s supposed to work, but I guess people born in my year must be pre-disposed to like “W”-shaped sound! I was able to test this out, and raise/lower the level of intensity in 20/40/60/80/100% increments. It sounded a little bit like the “sound enhancement” feature in iTunes, which makes the bass/treble a bit more prominent, I’ve decided to leave it off for now – I’ll check back when the software is updated.



Sound:
Right off the bat, they have a darker, ‘wetter’ and overall more mid-bass oriented sound than the DT1350’s, which have a lean and airy sound and more of a tight, deeply-extended sub-bass emphasis. The Aventho Wireless have more of a classic consumer ‘portable’ sound, with more bloom and thickness in the mid-bass in particular. The bass, in general, has good impact and does extend fairly well. These may well be the darkest Beyers I’ve heard (which is a relative term compared to other manufacturers), with a gently downward sloping top octave or so. Bob Dylan’s harmonica doesn’t feel like razor-blades, which is my usual treble litmus-test.



Vocals are enjoyable, natural-sounding and have a pleasant tone, perhaps they’re ever-so-slightly recessed.

It’s very much an in-head experience, there’s really not much soundstage to speak of. More a case of "headstage". That’s all I have to say about that – they’re on-ears headphones, and that’s to be expected.

The sound profile they remind me of most is the Meze 99 Classics, albeit with a more intimate soundstage and imaging experience, and slightly less detailed treble.

Unsurprisingly they sound better wired to my Chord MojoPoly than via Aptx Bluetooth, but it's not giving away a hell of a lot. In a compromised listening situation - like public transport - the trade-off for wireless is probably worth it.

They isolate very well passively, not quite as well as the DT1350’s, which are some of the best isolating cans I’ve ever used. The Aventhos don’t have as narrow a “sweet spot” as the DT1350’s, which sometimes have to be positioned, and re-positioned on your ears until you find the right sound.

Some final thoughts:

• I’ll be putting my DT1350’s up for sale, somewhat sadly. There, I said it. It’s time for me to embrace the future a little. The Aventhos do have a wire as well, so I can use them with an amp/DAP down the track should I want to. I'm think I'm going to have to find myself an LGV30 now to make proper use of the Aptx HD codec.

• I can't stop holding them, admiring them, and articulating the earcups - these are some of the best-engineered and built pieces of sound equipment I’ve ever seen – they’re remarkably well-made headphones.
  
  
• In terms of the form-factor - some might be surprised Beyerdynamic chose to go with on-ear for such expensive and premium portable headphones, but I have to say that it doesn’t feel like too much of a compromise. I doubt they’d be able to achieve as high a level of ‘portability’ with an over-ear arrangement. Given Beyerdynamic have gone to such lengths to instal clever electronics and amplification on-board the Aventho Wireless, it's somewhat surprising they didn't go one step further and add Active Noise Cancellation. Now ANC really isn't for me, but at this price-point some may expect it with regards to premium, portable-minded headphones.
  
  
• Sound-wise they’re definitely not ‘reference’ headphones – they’re firmly on the ‘fun’ side of the spectrum, with a healthy mid-bass emphasis and gently rolled-off upper treble. They make for a downright enjoyable on-the-go, warm listening experience for the gadget-minded audiophile.

Introduction
Hailing from Romania, Meze are relative new-kids-on-the-block in the world of audiophile headphone manufacturing. Their first full-size offering, the 99 Classics were a “slam-dunk” first attempt at creating a genuine audiophile product, with a focus on aesthetics and quality. They’ve been hailed world-wide for their engaging sound as much as their head-turning looks, and have created quite the niche for themselves in that regard.



This reviewer’s ears pricked-up at the number of 4-5-star reviews the 99 Classics received from many trusted sources; and I was visually intrigued by the look of the superbly-crafted leather, wood, and metal construction. I pulled the trigger on a pair of Silver/Maple 99 Classics all the way from Australia without having auditioned them in person. Admission: I may have actually bought them for my girlfriend - she’s been taking somewhat of an interest in personal audio, and is a keen music-lover. However, she’d been somewhat put-off by the lack of a good-looking pair of cans that also passed my audiophile criteria (I’m can’t just let her waste her money on any old celebrity-endorsed fashion-cans now can I?). When they arrived she was thrilled with the way they looked, but I was blown-away – because they sounded bloody brilliant. As a result we’ve been tussling for head-time with them with one another ever since.

I’ve found the team at Meze are brilliant to deal with, in terms of communication and customer service. In only a short time, they’ve demonstrated themselves to be an impressive young company. When they announced a new version of the 99’s were coming out, I jumped at the chance to participate on a review tour and see what the “Neos” were all about (Disclaimer: I was sent the 99 Neos for one week in return for my honest and objective unpaid opinion).

Ok, with that out of the way, let’s take a look at the all-new Meze 99 Neos and see (…hear?) what we have on our hands (…head?).

Overview
The Meze 99 Neos are a $249USD pair of circum-aural (around-ear) closed, full-sized headphones. While they’re not advertised as ‘portable’ cans, their form-factor as well as low impedance (26 ohms) lends themselves to on-the-go usage, as well as home hi-fi listening – a little more on this later.


A quick overview of the specifications:

· Transducer size: 40mm
· Frequency response: 15Hz - 25KHz
· Sensitivity: 103dB at 1KHz, 1mW
· Impedance: 26 Ohm
· Rated input power: 30mW
· Maximum input power: 50mW
· Detachable Kevlar OFC cable
· Plug: 3.5mm gold plated
· Weight: 260 gr (9.2 ounces) without cables
· Ear-cups: ABS Plastic

Packaging, case and accessories
The Neos arrive in the same high-quality packaging as the Classics - a magnetised flip-lid box: It immediately screams “PREMIUM”, and reeks of high-quality from the very first glance.



Inside the box sits a clamshell case that anyone familiar with the 99 Classics will immediately recognise:



However, instead of a polished faux-leather exterior, it’s a dense and premium-feeling woven plastic material. For those of you who like to throw your cans into a backpack, take them to work, or bring them abroad as a travelling companion, you’ll be pleased to know this feels a little more scuff-resistant and will keep its appearance if it’s “loved” a little too much.

Unzip the clamshell case, and sitting snugly inside at the Neos themselves, as well as a nice zipped-up carrying pouch containing the following:

- 6.3mm stereo adapter
- Two-pronged airline adapter
- 1.2M cable with mic + play/pause button, 3.5mm termination
- 3M cable, 3.5mm termination

The accessories are all super high-quality, extremely sturdy, and extremely generous for the $249USD asking price.



So what’s the difference between the ‘Classics’ and the ‘Neos’?
At a glance? The price-tag, and the look. The Neos are $60USD cheaper than their 99 ‘Classic’ predecessors – so what does this mean you’re missing out on? Well, not much really. Instead of the famed unique walnut or maple wooden cups, they are replaced with a black ABS plastic. It’s fairly sturdy and premium to the touch, although it does pick-up fingerprints rather easily.



Aside from the colour-scheme and plastic cups, the only other obvious physical difference is the material make-up of the cables. Below the Y-splitter is the same fabric-wrapped material, but unlike the Classics, it is now rubberised above the Y-splitter leading up the 2.5mm (proprietary) ear-cup connectors. While the fabric cables were nice to the touch, this led to one of my only major criticisms of the 99 Classics – they are terribly microphonic. It’s good to see that Meze have listened to some real-world feedback on their product which has been reflected in the new model. I’m pleased to note these don’t have the same problem of sending noise of the cables brushing on clothing straight up into your ears. +1 Meze.



Spec-wise, a quick comparison between spec sheets informs me that the Neos are slightly easier to drive, at 26 ohms versus 32 ohms. The Classics are easily driven by absolutely anything – I wasn’t able to perceive any volume difference with the same amplification, so take this with a grain of salt.

Meze themselves say the Neo represents “A fresh take on the 99 series for the uptown audiophile” that “brings together Meze Audio’s signature sound quality with cutting edge style”. So as far I can tell the decision to release the Neo must be about attempting to appeal to a wider group of potential customers by playing at a more competitive price-range, and offering a subjectively different look to the wood/metal combinations of the Classics.

And speaking of aesthetics, a few thoughts from me:

Look + aesthetics
Ok, so I think the Classics look amazing, yet a little ostentatious. I happily wear my (oops, I mean my girlfriend’s) Maple/Silver pair at home or at the office, although I’ve never wanted to walk around outside wearing a pair of white leather and silver coloured full-sized headphones. On the other hand, the Neos are a completely different subject – they look…cool, for lack of a better word.

Perhaps say, a little more James Dean than Frank Sinatra?

A little more Darth Vader than Obi Wan Kenobi?

A little more Berlin than Paris?

A little more Mustang than 300SL?

They’re altogether a different vibe to the luxurious look of the Classics, with more of an ‘edgy’ scheme that’s likely to appeal to a different (and possibly wider) audience.



I happily donned them on public transport and walking around outside during my review time. In fact, I think I like the look of them even more than the Classics, and I’d happily integrate a pair into my everyday-carry:



Oh, and they look more at home on my headphone “stand” than any other cans to-date have:



Comfort, and portability
Like the Classics, these feel great on my ears, and perched on top of my head. Earlier production runs of the Classics were found wanting in terms of pad size, with some customers feeding-back that they were a bit of a tight squeeze, resulting in pressure and “hot-spots” on their ears. Meze quickly remedied this in subsequent production runs, and my pair of Classics were shipped with the larger diameter pad-size. The pad-size of the Neos appears to be identical, and I’ll wear them for 8 hours at a time without a worry.

The self-adjusting headband is made from elastic and (protein?) leather, and distributes the extremely light weight (260g) of the 99 Neos over my head nicely. I notice this pre-production review pair still has the “99 Classics” moniker embossed on them, but I understand this will be updated to “99 Neos” for the retail release:



I’d call the 99 Neos one of the more comfortable headphones I’ve spent time with. So comfortable I forget I’m wearing them. Until one of two things happen:

1. I start walking around, or
2. Something touched the manganese yokes that stretch over the top of the headphones

Regarding the first point: the self-adjusting headband, which while it makes for superbly comfortable long-listening sessions at home, tends to shift up/down a bit if you walk with some pace. Meaning that a “creaking” noise is relatively present if you’re using them on-the-go, which is reasonably annoying.

On the subject of portability, these make great portable headphones, if you have the room to stow-away the case and accessories. They’re non-foldable, and that case does take up quite a bit of room in a laptop bag. They isolate reasonably well, but not remarkably. Glasses-wearers may experience some troubles getting them to fit while wearing sunglasses or spectacles, but the main problem hear is the seal. The sounds signature, which I’ll cover later, is very seal-dependent and the bass will be affected noticeably.

In short, more transportable than portable.

And the second criticism: that impressive metal (manganese) structure that dominates the physical appearance of the headphones is highly microphonic. A sure-fire way to interrupt yourself from a relaxing listening session is to bump into anything at all. They RIIIIIIING when touched, much like the Classics. Being a review pair I didn’t want to mess with them, although I have found that I have been able to reduce the level of microphonics on my own pair by tying some heavy-gauge string between the two bars, or squeezing a pencil eraser between them just above the ear-cups. I think the little button between the string on tennis racquets works in a similar way. Microphonics would have to be my only major criticism of the build/form-factor of the Neos.

Ok, so that covers it on the physical side of things – they get a massive ‘TICK’ on build quality, comfort, and looks, so now onto the sound. Which, after all, is where the “rubber meets the road”.

Sound quality
“Enjoy crisp, clean sound – natural, balanced, undistorted.” – Meze website.

So how accurate is this claim? Not entirely. Don’t get me wrong, I love the sounds of the 99 Neos, and I think they are great headphones. But judging these claims depends on which world you’re approaching them from.

On one hand, if you’re very used to reference-style, neutral audiophile cans, you’ll be immediately surprised by the MASSIVE mid-bass hump, and may immediately put them (or dismiss them…) into the “FUN” camp.

If you’re coming from consumer audio-land, the amount of bass will be familiar (but of a higher quality and less distorted than what you’re used to), but the amount of detail in both the mids and treble will be both surprising, and hugely engaging.

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to headphone tuning, and I’m no different. I prefer a more mid-forward presentation, with bright treble and well-extended, but non-boomy bass. My main daily-driver cans are Grado GH-1’s (which I sometimes swap-out for Sennheiser HD650’s driven by a Bottlehead Crack when I want a more laid-back listening session). On-the-go, I use Beyerdynamic DT1350’s. In the office, I tend to use Beyerdynamic DT770’s, mainly for isolation.

With this points of reference in mind, I’ll try and comment of the sonic characteristics of the 99 Neos…according to my ears anyhow.

Source, chain, methodology:
I had a busy week testing on the 99 Neos. I’m not much of a believer in “burn-in” – all the same, given this pair had been to a couple of other reviewers prior to landing on my doorstep in Sydney, I can safely say they’ve had plenty of time to “settle-in”/”open-up”/insert other burn-in phrases here.

I logged around 50 hours of them, throwing every type of music possible at them, including classic rock; metal; folk/acoustic; EDM; hip-hop; and classical.

The rigs I tested them with were as follows:

Mobile: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (FLAC) > Audioquest Dragonfly Red/Black

Desktop: Macbook Pro > iTunes (ALAC) > Schiit Audio Modi 2U > Schiit Audio Asgard 2 / Little Dot 1+

Vinyl: Shure M91ED cartridge; Rega Planar 3; Schiit Mani pre-amp; Asgard 2 / Little Dot 1+



Bass
The low-end dominates the sound profile of these headphones…depending on the music you’re listening to. With a mid-bass heavy track such as “Show you the Way” by Thundercat, there’s an incredible ‘SLAM’ that’s unlike anything I’ve heard before. If you’re used to reference-oriented cans, it’s enough to put a grin of ‘guilty pleasure’ on your face:



The Neo’s bass extends reasonably well, but isn’t exactly the tightest nor most defined bass. It nearly borders on bloaty/boomy in some tracks, but that’s how it’s been tuned: for colourful, dynamic impact in the low-end. “Produk 29 [101]” is my go-to bass extension track, the Neos did roll-off some and weren’t able to dispatch the sub-bass with as much speed as a good planar (for example the Audeze Sine):



Mids
In addition to the mid-bass emphasis, the lower mids are forward, which creates a “wet”-sounding warmth between 100hz and 1-2000hz. The bass does bleed into the mids in bass-heavy passages, although with instrumental passages (electric guitar especially) there’s an amazing presence and body to the mid range. It works together like a big warm “hug”. Couple of standout tonal tests were the opening guitar passage on “Blood and Thunder” by Mastodon, and “Hummer” by Smashing Pumpkins:





Male and Female vocals sound perfectly natural. “Soothing” by Laura Marling was a particular highlight, with her voice sounding amazingly transparent alongside some remarkably lifelike strings:



Treble
Nothing remarkable or controversial to say here - not because it isn’t good (because it is), but because it’s neither fatiguing, nor rolled-off - it’s well-balanced and detailed. If anything, it’s the least “forward” of the frequencies in the 99 Neos, but plays its part in the overall tuning to create a warm, dynamic tuning.

Soundstage & Imaging
Reasonably good as closed cans go. Their bass-tilt makes it more of an intimate/in-head performance, but a studio binaural test demonstrated they throw a fairly wide soundstage (http://www.audiocheck.net/soundtests_headphones.php ). Imaging is again, fairly good for closed cans. Play a track like Mark Eitzel’s “Just Because”, close your eyes, and you’ll be able to point to the location of each band member like you’re sitting in the front row of a small club:

https://open.spotify.com/track/50C10SCxRLz3rXhRh7bX62

Amplification
They sounded honestly pretty good straight out of a phone, but reward you with better separation, PRAT and tighter bass with amplification. Some quick thoughts:

1. Asgard 2 vs. Little Dot 1+

- Slightly richer bass on the tube hybrids; and tighter, cleaner bass on the Asgard 2.
- Overall I tended to use the LD1+ a little more often, as it probably suited their tuning more.
- I didn’t need to go past 9 o’clock on the volume pot for either.

2. Dragonfly Red vs. Dragonfly Black
- Both are able to power them with absolute ease.
- The Black had a drier, airier presentation and sounded a bit faster.
- The Red sounded richer, more layered, with more impactful bass.
- I probably preferred the Black to be honest (maybe also because they also look great together...)

Vinyl
A lot of headphone review time gets spent on DACs and digital audio as a source, but I tend to spend a good portion of my listening time spinning wax. I’m not even going to bother weighing into the digital/analogue debate, although I will say I thoroughly enjoyed listening to LP’s on the 99 Neos. Say what you will about it, but vinyl’s a more emotional experience, no question – we are humans after all.

If you enjoy the sound of a well-mastered album on vinyl, I can highly recommend the Neo 99’s. A couple of notable albums were Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories”, and the self-titled album by grunge supergroup “Temple of the Dog” (with beer shown for scale…of course):



Overall thoughts on sound
These are versatile cans that are an exciting and dynamic pairing for nearly all genres. They’re “balanced” in that there’s no dips to speak of, but rather it’s a definite ‘L-shape’ with a heavy focus on mid-bass and the lower mids. Without being analytical, they’re great headphones to simply pop on your head, and enjoy your music (which is what it’s meant to all be about, right?), as opposed to say mixing, mastering, or analytically testing other parts of your audio chain.

Some comparisons
I’ve chosen three pairs of closed cans for the sake of comparison here, because I think they might be relevant or interesting points of reference to someone deciding whether or not to buy a pair.

1. 99 Classics vs 99 Neos



I’ve chosen to compare the 99 Neos with the 99 Classics for obvious reasons – prospective customers are probably curious as to the sonic differences in addition to the aesthetic when deciding whether or not to spend another $60.

Other reviews have A/B tested these two models far more scientifically than I, but the short version is: they sound almost identical. I’m not sure whether it is due to age of my Classics, the pads, burn-in, or the cycle of the moon, but the Neos had a noticeably boomier, looser bass than my pair of 99 Classics.

I A/B-d them on a number of amps on bassier tracks, and found this to be the case every time. This got me thinking: if the drivers are the same, is it the pads? I did a bit of pad-swapping between the two, and found that it slightly altered the sound somewhat, but confusingly wasn’t the immediate source of the reasoning for the bass-tuning difference.

During this I did notice the pads on the Classics (white leather below) did have a layer of foam padding, whereas the Neos simply had a thin layer of fabric:



It was fun “cross-dressing” the Neos in the white pads from my Classics. Hey, it might be an interesting choice if you’re looking to swap pads down the track on your Neos, or perhaps an idea for a limited edition down the track from Meze:



So head-to-head: Is one ‘better’ than the other? It really depends on what’s important to you. Perhaps you prefer like the prospect of real, luxurious wood-grain (and that fact that no two are really alike in that sense) and a more ‘premium’ look. But if I were choosing again between the Classics and the Neos, personally I’d take the $60 change and be happier with the way the black-on-black colour scheme looks.

2. Beyerdynamic DT770 (80 ohm variant) vs 99 Neos



For many people these are the ‘gateway’ closed-back, full-sized audiophile headphones. Funnily enough, they were for me too. They’re worth comparing in that they’re in a similar price-bracket (although the street-price for the Beyers is often $100 less); form-wise they take-up about the same amount of room in a backpack; and they both offer an amazing sound-to-price ratio…although it is an altogether different sound and product experience.

The DT770’s have a classic ‘V-shape’ tuning, and straight away you notice the mids are very recessed compared to the Neos. This gives them a ‘drier’ sound, which is a little more relaxing, although there is also more pronounced sparkle in the upper treble. A lot of people complain of Beyer “Treble-murder”, but it sounds great to me.

In addition to the less-pronounced mids, one other thing you notice…is what you can’t notice – they isolate passive noise SO well. This is why they’ve been my go-to office cans for a long time. They also have a slight edge when it comes to comfort, the big pillow-y velour pads are just wonderful. People with larger ears will appreciate the extra space inside the cups as well.

The DT770’s are famous for being “bass-y” cans, but it’s a completely different bass experience. There is more sub-bass that is lower and cleaner hitting than the Neos, and it’s altogether more controlled and makes the Neos feel positively bloated in comparison.

The Beyers have the edge in terms of soundstage, in both width and depth. It’s a more open-back experience, with the sound feeling more ‘cavernous’ inside the cups.

Build-wise/accessories-wise, the Neos win by a mile. The cable sucks on the Beyers. It’s long, kinks easily, and is non-detachable. It also comes with a simple nylon thin bag which is almost laughable. But then again, philosophically these cans are like chalk and cheese: One is utilitarian workhorse and built like a tank; the other is a finely-crafted blend of form and function that’s as much an outward expression as it is an internal one.

All-in-all, the DT770’s make for better studio / desktop cans…if you’re not going far from said work-station that is. It’s a very different tuning, with the Neos being a more lively, warm and rich experience.

3. Beyerdynamic DT1350 vs 99 Neos



Many of you might want to know how these fare against dedicated portable cans, which is why I’ve compared the Neos with my Beyerdynamic DT1350s. I’ve had bad experiences with portables, in that they’re generally a compromise: they either sound compromised; or they’re built in such a way that they’re a) uncomfortable, or b) a bit too unwieldy.

The sound profile for the DT1350’s, to me, is almost perfect. The second I heard these, I sold my Audeze Sines (and pocketed a few hundred bucks too!). They are so balanced, they’re neutral, and the bass extends unbelievably low. How Beyerdynamic managed to squeeze this into such a small package is astonishing.

As you can see, the DT1350’s are simply much smaller headphones. They stow flat, and the cups swivel 90 degrees each way. In their semi-rigid case they take up about half as much room in a briefcase or backpack.

Form-factor wise, they are on-ears. So while they’re far more portable, they inevitably get a bit hurt-y on the pinnae after a couple of hours. Although on the other hand because they a decent clamp, and weigh nearly nothing they are great for strenuous activity – I’ve even managed some full-on road-running with them. They also work well with glasses.

Cable-wise, the DT1350’s have a non-detachable, Kevlar-coated permanently attached cable. It’s permanently kinked into the way it came folded, and tends to be very microphonic. Oh, and it has a laughably HUGE termination at the end – in fact it’s from the same parts bin as the DT770. At least you know it’s not going to break…

Sound-wise these are very different. Being on-ear it’s a fairly intimate experience with the DT1350’s, and being very neutral they have an almost ‘tinny’ quality, at a first listen (especially after some time on the Neos!). Settle into their timbre after a track or two, and it’s you’ll notice that it’s amazingly balanced with almost perfect bass. It’s tight, articulate bass that reaches deeper and hits cleaner than the Neos.

They’re overall better at being portable cans than the Neos, but simply aren’t “do it all” like the Neos are. It’s also a completely different SQ that depends on the user’s preference.

Conclusion
Meze ought to have another hit on their hands here with the 99 Neos. The fact that they’re $60 cheaper than the Classics means that the world of audiophile headphones has become even more accessible. They are an extremely versatile, well-built cans, and very might well be the only pair you might need – they simply have to be my go-to recommendation for a closed pair of headphones under $300. They might still be my recommendation for closed cans even at $500, but that depends on whether you like an all-black vibe, or can't resist the appeal of the unique wooden build of the 99 Classics...

Two things to get out of the way up-front:

1. this review was undertaken as part of the world-tour for the launch of the Meze 12 Classics, and the team @ Meze kindly sent me a pair of their new IEM's in exchange for my unbiased opinion and thoughts on how they've done.

2. I really like the cut of Meze's jib. For a company that's come out of relative obscurity in the past couple of years, they've certainly made their mark. Their "99 Classics" have managed to combine looks, build and sound, in a bloody well-executed package. I bought a pair sight-unseen (unheard?) on the strength of rave reviews, and left my thoughts on them here. I also have nothing to say but praise about their customer-service, website, and overall brand-presentation. The premium nature of their products is mirrored in their customer experience - great job.

So when I heard they were releasing an IEM I shot my hand up immediately to be one of the first to give them a listen. I've spent a couple of weeks with them now, and I'm happy to say they're thoroughly impressive - particularly for the price ($79 USD) and they're my current OTG daily drivers.

About me + testing set-up

I'm a 34 y.o music/hifi/headfi-fan with good hearing up to about 17kHZ. I'm mainly a speaker-guy, and prefer full-sized cans where possible. I wear IEMs on public transport every day to and from work, using USB Audio Player PRO on my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge with an Audioquest Dragonfly Red - this is the set-up I used to test the Meze 12 Classics.

Music listened-to for testing:

AC/DC - Highway to Hell
Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
Guns 'N Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Tame Impala - Currents
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Radiohead - The Bends, In Rainbows, A Moon Shaped Pool

Packaging and presentation

A particular strong-point from Meze, and the 12's are no exception. As an ad-guy, I think it's pretty cool how they've made their logo using a posed photo of the 12's on the front cover. I must point out that there's a pretty obvious typo/spelling-mistake on the back of the box - I'll leave it to Meze to find that one : )

Bravo. Inside, there's a sturdy and good-looking zip-up clamshell case; a pair of genuine Comply tips, and no less than four sets of silicone tips (large; medium; small; double-flange). There's also a spring-clip attachment inside, which I'll write on more below, but became essential for use.









Design and build

In a word? Sexy. The genuine walnut surrounding the drivers is simply gorgeous, and the unique wood patterns give them a special, personalised feel. The wood is complemented with a silvery brushed aluminium which is great to the touch and uber-cool. Sturdy rubberised strain-relief at each cable connection-point which inspires confidence in their longevity, especially as they'll likely be subjected to gym-bags, airline overhead compartments, pockets, and the like. There's a nice Nice Meze-branded Y-splitter as well.

The cable overall feels well-built and slightly rubberised - it's on the thick-side, but springy and doesn't tend to kink or hold its memory. Being thick, I must add that getting it to fit into the plastic claw on the clip was extremely difficult - after five minutes of shimmying and bending, I was seriously worried about either kinking/damaging the cable, or breaking the clip! The inline mic has one button (play/pause from what I can tell), and works as intended.

After searching high-and-low I genuinely thought there were no "L" or "R" markings on either driver. It took me listening to a very familiar tune which I knew the L/R stereo separation of to work out that the driver with the mic belonged on the right hand side. I've since noticed that they do exist - very faint raised embossing on the strain relief.








Fit and ergonomics

I've showed the 12 Classics below side-by-side with the Carbo Tenore from Zero Audio - another sub-$100 IEM wunderkind that's also received rave reviews (my own one here for reference), which are my closest and most relevant point of comparison. The 12's are much larger in diameter, but they're by no means huge - the Carbo Tenores are just miniscule...but I love them so. That being said, I'm not able to get a as good a snug insertion with the Mezes. I think it might be a case of the driver tip being slightly wider in diameter, and flaring out to the much wider-barrel sooner. It's not a huge-problem and I'm probably nit-picking here, but just what I've found.

Ok so they're in, and now comes my single-biggest complaint with the Meze 12 Classics - that premium-feeling and sturdy cable I mentioned earlier is noisy. Terribly noisy. Any movement or brushing of the cable on clothing, desks or limbs sends "DOINKS" and "THUMPS" up the cable, and straight into your ear. I experienced some microphonics with the CT's as well, but this was easily overcome by using an over-the-ear fit. This is trickier with the Mezes, as the think cable and close proximity of the inline mic to the driver makes it somewhat awkward - it flops heavily against the side of your temple/face. So the only solution (aside from sitting absolutely still...) was to use the supplied clip and attach it to the front of my clothing and give the cable some slack to avoid it bouncing. It seems to work reasonably well, and I use it every time. But still, if your primary promise as a brand is "PERFECT NATURAL SOUND", I'd expect the sound to not be interrupted by the cable noise. The 99's which I love like a baby also have great quality knitted fabric-covered cables, but dammit they're noisy too. Can't win 'em all hey?

Of the generously-included range of five tips, the ones I found worked best were the 'medium' and the Comply foam tips. The double-flange and smaller tips simply didn't give me a good seal. Interestingly, they don't give isolation - in my case anyway, even with the Comply tips, which act like sound-proofing ear-plugs on the CT's. There's a fair amount of ambient sound still noticeable with music at a low-medium volume.




How do they sound?

Very pleasant, actually. The lower isolation plus a surprisingly wide "head-stage" gives a slightly airy sense, and good L/R separation. Overall I'd describe the sound as fairly balanced with a slight mid-bass hump, and also a slight upper-mid/lower treble hump that makes male vocals in particular quite enjoyable. It's a slightly 'warm' presentation that's relaxing (but not laid-back), and can be enjoyed all-day. Compared to the Carbo Tenore's, there's slightly less sub-bass extension/impact, and also slightly less transparency - voices and instruments aren't quite as close and immediate, but they're bloody good.






Overall

Very classy package, and incredibly great value. On build, packaging and pure sonic terms, they feel like they should be much more expensive than their price-tag denotes. I think Meze have another 'Classic' on their hands here, and they've made a welcome addition to my collection as my go-to-on-the-go audio solution. They just need to find a solution for their noisy cable! I hope this feedback's helpful in terms of informing your purchasing/listening choices - please hit me up if you have any questions, I'm only too happy to reply. I also hope this feedback is helpful for the Meze team with regards to future product development (and proof-reading!).

Update: A year on.

Sound stopped working in the Right-hand channel, and the wooden chamber had become disconnected from the driver section - could be my fault for all I know, bumping around in the bottom of my bag or something. Both the wires connecting to the driver had become separated. I shot a note to Meze tech support, who promptly sent me a shot indicating where I should re-solder the wires to the driver. I got out my soldering iron, made a couple of joins, re-glued the driver to the wooden barrel, and voila! Back working again.

Thanks again to Vlad in Meze tech support for being so helpful.


Cheers,

Mightygrey

Background
Let me get out of the way up-front: I hate on-ear headphones. They're invariably a compromise - sacrificing either comfort, performance, or both(!) to achieve portability. I've tried, and wanted to enjoy many. I've had extensive testing time with the Audeze from Sine, for example. There was so much to love about them: the build, oh, the build; the practicality; and that planar speed and low-end in a package that can be used everyday. But god-dammit, I just can't get a good seal on these. Now I'm primarily an open-backed guy, but when I use closed-cans I want two things: some decent isolation (for both myself and the people around me), and comfort. Hence the reason why I own (and love) a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 870ohm, which I'll compare these to mostly, for obvious reasons. 
 
For transit/OTG, I use IEMS. I have a pair of Zero Audio's Carbo Tenores, which I use every day. I've never wanted to spend good money on portable on/over ears, as I've never found anything worth spending money on, and if I did, they invariably had one/two fatal flaws that I couldn't get past. So when my next-door neighbour at my office was looking to buy some new portable cans, I went with him to my local personal audio store to help him compare a few different cans:
 
1. Audeze Sine
2. Oppo PM-3
3. Meze 99 Classics
4. Beyerdynamic T51p
 
Spoiler-alert: (if you haven't guessed it from the title of this review) - he chose the Beyers. Audeze - bad seal. Oppo - supremely comfortable, but less portable and didn't had a huge advantage in perceived sound quality. Meze 99 Classics (which I also own): killer sound; but too bulky to be truly portable. So he bought the T51p's, and he's kindly let me spend a day or two with them to give them a road-test (in exchange for their DT770 stable-mates, of course). 
 

 
 
Build/Fit
Came in the usual mid-range Beyer cardboard box, but inside an awesome padded transit case - nice. The cans themselves are made of a nice high-quality brushed aluminium with soft-touch black-plastic around the drivers, and faux-leather memory foam pads/padding. Being someone else's brand-new cans I'm not even going to see if they're removable! The (non-removable!) cable is an appropriate length for portable cans, but feels a little cheap and toy-like for a $300+ (AU) pair of headphones, portable or no. It's terminated in a 90-degree 3.5mm jack that feels sturdy enough to inspire confidence for throwing what ever you plug it into into pockets, bags and the like. Overall a nice presentation, but more on the utilitarian side than out-and-out premium/luxury. 
 
Being smallish, they're obviously light-weight and barely noticeable in terms of heft when carried/stowed. Onto the make-or-break test - Putting them on, they're...well, comfy! Very comfy. Enough clamping force to stay on and roll your head around, and the padding under the skeletonised headband does what it's supposed to. And the earpads fit nicely on my (admittedly) small ears! The material is plush, creates VERY decent passive isolation. Having given it a 2+ hour wearing test, I'm pleased to say I didn't get any hot-spots or sore points like I get with every other on-ear. Overall - supremely comfortable. Big tick. 
 
Sound
So onto the business-end of the review - how does it sound? In a word - excellent. For the review, I used solely lossless (FLAC/ALAC) files from both a Samsung Galaxy S7 using USB Audio Player Pro, and a Macbook 15-inch Pro (yes the one with actual holes for connecting things like cards, cords, and USBs...but that's another story). Digital > Analogue conversion and amplification was handled off-board, in this case by an Audioquest Dragonfly Black. 
 
Test albums:
 
- Radiohead, A Moon Shaped Pool
- Smashing Pumpkins, Siamese Dream
- Daft Punk, Random Access Memories
- Elvis Costello & The Attractions, This Year's Model
- Tool, Undertow
- Hiatus Kaiyote, Choose Your Weapon
 
I literally A/B'd these at first with the DT770's, which immediately felt strange - I didn't like them at all for the first track or two. Things sounded congested, lacking in impact and separation. Ok, some mental burn-in is obviously required, like with any new equipment. It became clear this was more a symptom of the difference in format between the two Beyers. The DT770's literally surround your ears with big, boomy housings which give more of a 'cavernous' type sound/feel. Owners of these will remark, rightly, that they have decent sound-stage for closed cans. The (relatively) tiny earpads of the T51's feel...small. The sound is more focused into your ears, but after a short while you start to hear things - headstage; left/right separation; and imaging.
 
Then, you realise that these have good detail. Like, really good. The busy cacophony of "Burn the Witch" on Radiohead's latest album is handled with aplomb, managing the transients and attack very deftly indeed. Not sure if this is an inherent feature of Tesla-drivers, but I like it. 
 
The overall colouration is ever so slightly dark, or warm, depending on how you like to describe it. It's absolutely non-fatiguing and inherently musical. It's what I'd describe as an enjoyable/'fun' voicing, that made me simply listen to albums start-to-finish. Which is a Good Thing. 
 
Bass/sub-bass/slam is remarkable and present, with surprising extension. Daft Punk's "Lose Yourself to Dance" has appropriate levels of "WHUMP", but not quite as deep or tight as the DT770s - which truly are bass-Kings as many rightly say. 
 
Mids are thick, detailed, but I'd have to say a little veiled to be honest. The aggressive guitar "crunch" in "Hummer" by Smashing Pumpkins isn't as forward or exciting as I'd like it to be, and I like it that way - owning two pairs of Grados, and being a guitarist I guess you could say I'm a bit of a Mid-junky. 
 
Vocals are sweet, detailed, but not overly intimate or transparent. Elvis Costello singing "Little Triggers", and "Fingerprints" by Hiatus Kaiyote (if you haven't heard them, do yourselves a favour) are enjoyable but don't have that "live"/immediate feel like they do in more transparent headphones. 
 
Treble is every so slightly veiled to my ears, moving back to the DT770's, the treble's noticeably "hotter". Listening the awesome drum-work of Danny Carey on Tool's "Ticks and Leeches", there's not quite as much sizzle in the high-hats, and equates to the T51's having a a little less drama, or "WOW" for me. But we're only talking degrees here for the sake of comparison.
 
 
In conclusion
These were a genuine surprise for me - I'd always balked at considering the T51p's because of a) the face that they're on-ear, and b) the price, or more accurately their price considering the fact that they're on-ear, and it looks like you're getting so much less headphone for the price compared to, say, the DT770s. 
 
The best thing I can so about them is that they truly aren't a compromise. They are, to my ears, a genuine audiophile experience, and one you can take with you/experience on-the-go. Hard for me to comment on the value-equation, as I'd rather spend that amount on a new pair of full-sized cans, but think that price/performance-wise they represent very good value compared to some of the company they're in, and that I tested them against. 
 
Oh, and my work-mate loves them. Then again, he did come from a pair of Boses...fair to say he's now caught the bug. 
 
Cheers, and thanks for reading.
 
Mightygrey. 

Ok, so I was kinda curious to see what the fuss was about with these Romanian wonders after reading a bunch of glowing reviews, but when my GF saw them onscreen she said "WOW...PRE-TTY!"...and so I simply had to pull the trigger on them, and add them to my growing little family of cans. And after a quick run through two of my favourite albums ('Siamese Dream', Smashing Pumkins; Weezer self-titled a.k.a 'Blue album'), I think we're going to be fighting over them. These things are frikkin' awesome.

 

Ok, so they're lookers. In a particularly 'flashy' kinda way. Not really my thing, and I certainly wouldn't wear them in public (especially in the silver/maple colour), but the craftsmanship is A1. My GF thinks they're beautiful AF. The woodgrain on the maple is awesomely smooth, and the leather on the earpads feels like it's made out of a unicorn's ballsack. Big tick on materials and construction.

 

The packaging (nice magnetic box; hardshell case; zip-up bag for the 2 x cables) is bloody premium, and all-in-all it feels a lot more expensive than its $309 price-tag implies. And I haven't even gotten to the SQ yet. Detachable cables! A short one with play/pause button for portable use, and a longer one for home/hifi use (plus included 6.3mm adapter + airline adapter). They're nice threaded fabric-y ones with a cool Y-splitter.

 

The 99's aren't foldable, and kinda big (but LIGHT) so they're not the most portable pair out there, but my GF will be using these mainly in the office so no worries there.

 

So next, putting them onto your melon. I mentioned they're light, but they're LIGHT. Impossibly comfortable, and the leather strap has a neat elastic stretchy thingy that fits itself to your head-size no worries (I have a big noggin). I'd heard complaints that the earcups were on the small-size, but to their credit Meze have upped the size of the cups, and this pair is genuinely over-ear. Snug, and after 1.5 hours not a hot-spot nor sore piece of cartilage. Those awesome cables I mentioned earlier are a bit microphonic. Brushing them does transfer noise immediately into the wooden earcups, but only if you violently thrash about. Those cool (aluminium?) metal bands over the top make a distinct ringing noise when bumped...so I guess don't go hitting things while using them, not too much of a problem.

 

Ok onto the important part. In short, WOW. These things aren't just fashion cans, they are EXCITING. I'll need to give them more time and play with more genres, but my first impression is that they are surprisingly balanced. My immediate comparison is against the Beyer DT770 (80ohm) as I own those too, and I must say the level of bass is almost as big as theirs. But they're detailed, and not V-shaped at all. There's mids. Glorious mids, with fat electric guitar and all that kind of rock-y goodness. Vocals are detailed too, but not in your face. They have soundstage. Kinda in the same way as the DT770s - there's good L/R detail, and good imaging/separation for a closed pair of cans. Not sibilant or piercing at all in the treble, which is intimate and detailed. I could listen to them for hours (which I plan to), there's not the slightest hint of fatigue.



 
In short, big surprise. Perhaps the most impressive closed cans I've heard this side of $500, and for a 'portable' they're the best I've heard. I have to say they're incredible value, and Meze have done a knock-out job. I was considering buying the Audeze SINE over these, but having given them a listen in-store I'm glad I chose these. Yes, they're probably more portable, but I found them underwhelming and couldn't get a good seal on-ear. Plus, my GF doesn't really care that they have "Planar Magnetic technology"...

Saw some glowing reviews for these, and thought that for under $40 on Amazon it's well-worth finding out what the fuss was about - in short: well worth it!
 
Set-up: LG G4 > USB Audio Player Pro (FLAC; ALAC) > Audioquest Dragonfly Black 1.5
 
Packaging/bundling
They arrived from Amazon in a plastic box, but come with a neat cloth carrying pouch which is super handy - I use it for carrying around 6.3mm adaptor / Dragonfly Black / OTG cable etc. It comes fitted with a 'medium' size pair of silicon tips, as well as a smaller + larger pair of alternate tips. 
 
Fit/comfort/build
The 'medium' tips gave a great seal out of the box, and I haven't had to change them once. Isolation is fairly good, not excellent (as to be expected), and serves me just fine on public transport. The cable itself is super-fine, and feels somewhat flimsy - doesn't really inspire confidence that it's going to be a long-term proposition. The join to the main housing is a convenient 45-degree angle, but not terribly secure. It's prone to tangling(!), and the biggest 'Con' at this stage is that it's fairly microphonic - it picks up any bump, rustle, or exaggerated movement. I was able to mostly eliminate it by wrapping them around the back and over the front of my ears, which seems to keep them fairly secure and under control. Problem (mostly) solved. 
 
Sound Quality
This is my first foray into IEMs (beyond the ones that come with your smartphone...), and the first listen out of the box was a surprise, which in a word, I could only describe as "clarity". Great detail at all frequencies, without the muddiness/boominess that generally comes part-and-parcel with consumer-tuned earphones.
 
Bass: After a bit of break-in (whether it's the drivers or my ears, I don't know) I'm happy to say there's good detail and level of bass, which is controlled and fun. At first I felt I made a mistake not ordering the Carbo Basso (the more bass-heavy twin to the Tenore), but there's definitely slam there and I wouldn't want any more level. 
 
Mids: I felt the mids felt slightly recessed/laid back at first (and was EQ-ing up +1-2db at first), but have become accustomed to the amount now and am listening without any EQ. Male vocals are detailed and present, but 'laid-back' would be the best way to describe them.
 
Treble: is super detailed and clear, lots of shine - the star here.
 
Soundstage: I've heard from other reviewers that these have great soundstage - something I don't totally agree with. I think it's better described as 'head-stage' - it's fairly intimate, with a good sense of left/right, but not 3D or concert-hall-like by any stretch.
 
Overall: can't really fault for the price (or for many times the price, for that matter), and I'm happily running them as daily drivers on my commute. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase them again...which I'm feeling I may have to given how lightweight the build feels. 
 
 
Looking forward to comparing them to the Monk Plus which have just dropped on Massdrop!

Got the new Dragonfly 1.5 Black mainly as a solution for transit and working on-the-go, and noticed an appreciable difference in quality immediately when using DT770 (80 ohm) and Zero Audio Carbo Tenores. Running it through an LGG4 running FLAC/ALAC via USB Audio Pro through a generic OTG cable (more on this later).
 
First thing you notice - it's LOUD! Of course it is, it amplifies. So don't be like me and turn it down when you first try it out. Next? Clearer. Greater separation and bass becomes less flabby. I mainly listen to rock, and there's much better attack on guitars. The noise floor is non-existent to my ears anyway.
 
It stacks up pretty well as a standalone DAC too, using its line-out functionality (source volume @ 100%) to feed both my Little Dot 1+ tube amp for my Grado GH1s and my Asgard 2 for DT770s. It's size/portability is it's selling factor, and for $160 (AUD) it's worth every cent. I can't fault it for performance for the price, as well as convenience. I shouldn't complain about the lack of on-board controls or flexibility given it's simplicity is its selling-point, but hey. I feel like it really shines with the Carbo Tenore IEMs, and this pairing has really stepped-up my portable game! 
 
Build-wise it's developed a slight 'wobble' with the internal components feeling ever-so loose inside the (very well built) chassis, but main gripe is that it feels like it's an accident waiting to happen...when sticking straight out of my laptop's USB. While it may look like a thumb-drive, thumb-drives don't have to bear the weight of a cable. And my Grado cable is like a garden hose - meaning it feels pretty precarious sticking out of there and might snap. Audioquest really should ship this with the Dragontail extender as standard, but any old USB 2.0 extender will do the trick.