The iDAC is a combined DAC and headphone amplifier. The ESS 9023 Sabre DAC and class 2 Asynchronous USB is capable of decoding audio up to 24bit 192khz. Being over the magic 96khz it requires a driver to function on a Windows PC, but it will work out of the box on an OS-X Mac or Linux system. It shares the same aluminium chassis, shape and styling as the rest of Ifi's 'Micro' range and weighs in at 193g. The back-plate houses only the full-size USB-B connector, so the RCA connectors are up front with the volume and 3.5mm headphone jack. There is no power input or switch since the unit takes it's juice from the 5v USB bus (whenever it's connected to a USB port that's supplying power the iDAC will be on).

     SOUND
I was really happy with the sound quality from the iDAC. It's a huge step up on any computer's default audio and it competes well with other similarly priced units. The amplification is also very good for a unit of this size / price. It doesn't quite live up to the levels of the dedicated & powered iCAN (which is understandable), but of course you can use them together if you so wish. 

The iDAC alone has a sound that's very clean, smooth and detailed. Neutrality is quite a stong point for the iDAC because it seems to suit a wide range of headphones equally well. Bass feels tight and kicks hard, without feeling bloated. Mid-range feels smooth and detailed. While treble is exciting and articulate, without any sensation of harshness. Soundstage is also really good, feeling enjoyably wide / dynamic and giving open headphones an impressively spacial feeling.

I had no issues dealing with bit-perfect audio at any settings. Unlike some USB DACs that insist on certain sample rates or bit-depths; like the Fostex HP-A3 or Arcam r-PAC respectively. I was able to dynamically shift between different audio format and system setting without much pause or any need to restart software (Foobar), so it seems the drivers are indeed pretty solid on the Windows platform. 

Power wise there is plenty on tap here for all be the very hardest to drive headphones, while sensitive headphones don't suffer from gain distortion or fiddly volume settings. 
     HEADPHONES
I have tested quite a few headphones with the iDAC straight out of my laptop and I am very impressed by it's abilities. Most recently I have been playing with the Hifiman HE-500s and I have been very impressed with that combo indeed. I wish I could plug them straight in, without needing an adapter, but oh well. The sound was deep, energetic and smooth. A very nice match for the HE-500's sound. 

The Mad Dog is another Planar Magnetic headphone that's a good test of amplification and this also had no issues getting enough juice out of the iDAC. Now this is a headphone is nothing like the HE-500. It doesn't have the crisp kicking bass, nor does it have a midrange that excites in the same way. It's a very flat headphone that can feel a little dry at times, but it's bass is great when you get used to it. This is driven equally well by the iDAC. I was surprised that it needed more power than the HE-500, but 50% was still often enough to split your head open. 

Sticking with larger headphones, but moving to dynamic drivers I picked up the Denon AH-D7000 to see how the iDAC deals with it's warmth and wobbly bass. I think it's possibly that the iDAC is tightening up the bass a bit here compared to something like the Schiit Modi and Magni. I usually like amplification adding a bit more upper bass heft, if it's done well, but here I really like how the Denon is handled. It doesn't overemphasize the mids, but it does make it feel a bit faster and better for Rock and Pop than it often does. The smoothness of the amplification also adds nicely to the warmth of the headphones without turning into a mushy mess. All in all I am very happy here, accept again I needed that step-down adapter connection.

The portable Sennheiser Amperior also gave me a lot of enjoyment, despite their overzealous upper bass emphasis the iDAC does wonders to push the quality of this small driver. I really enjoyed this combo for Rock, but also Soundtracks and movie watching because of it's power and speed. These 18 Ohm headphones are driven to high volumes on the iDAC with less than 1/4 turn on the dial, but the potentiometer is so nice and smooth that precise power is still not an issue.

     COMPETITION
There are quite a few devices around for the iDAC to fight with. From all the things that I have tested recently the Fostex HP-A3 is probably the closest match. The iDAC doesn't have the optical input or output that the HP-A3 does, but I don't see this as a big loss, actually since I never use optical it's a plus for me because the iDAC can concentrate on it's USB. Both machines are only powered by the 5v USB bus, but considering this they both produce a very refined sound and can even drive demanding headphones to loud volumes easily. I do prefer the larger headphone connection and rear RCA connectors of the Fostex, but then I prefer the slimmer chassis and smooth metal volume control of the Ifi, so there's no clear winner on design and build for me. 

Purely talking audio quality I would give the nod to the iDAC because it feels a little more capable in the bass department, although both of these machines are more about detail than warmth the iDAC feels a little warmer at not much expense in the hard edged detail department. It feels like a nicer balance for a majority of my headphones and that's quite something since the HP-A3 is very good also. 
     AUDIO FORMATS
I should point out that I don't have a lot of high-definition audio to test the benefits of 192khz sound. I have one album in this standard and less than a dozen in the 96khz format. Most of my music is either in lossless CD or maximum quality compressed CD (Spotify premium) format. The iDAC did a great job with all of this and had no technical issues whatsoever. I'm not one to shout about the benefits of HD audio quality though, as I'm not convinced that I can sense it. On the flip side; I am pleased to see the iDAC support 192khz audio, even if it does mean I have to download a driver to make it work. 

Trying to connect the iDAC to my android phone (Samsung Galaxy Note 2) proved unsuccessful. Normally I would put this down to the iDAC needing the full 5v that a computer can provide and the phone cannot, but this time I cheated and used Ifi's Gemini cable to provide the power and still I could not get the Note 2 to drive act as a digital transport for the iDAC. I know this works because it was successful using the Gemini the same way with the Schiit Modi. This is a rather unlikely combination to use, but just to let you - it doesn't work. Now Samsung uses it's own digital audio format on the Galaxy phones, so I'm not too sure what the issue is here.

     BUILD
The basic design of the Ifi chassis' are the basic tube - with two plates screwed on, but they're made from nice aluminium, which deals with heat well and they feel like solid quality. Their design is just different enough to keep things interesting. They also stack quite well, although in the case of the iDAC you could feel like it doesn't need to be combined with any of it's brothers, I can tell you that it's certainly not a bad idea. The iDAC follows the same design as it's family tree, but it's the only model that doesn't require a power connection so all you get on the back is USB - B port. This gives the iDAC all the power (5v) and data that it needs. 

The analog RCA outputs are placed on the front of the unit, which is a little odd. When I used the iDAC for speakers I just turned it around and lived with the USB being untidy. Since the volume control wasn't required any more this wasn't too bad, although ideally I would have preferred them on the back to keep things neater in general, but it's not the end of the world.

The headphone connection is the smaller type (3.5mm / 1/8"), which is OK, but on anything costing this much I usually prefer to see the larger (6.35mm / 1/4") connection. I experienced some crackling in the audio when I moved the connection while using adapters for larger headphones. This happened with simple adapters and cable adapters that work fine with other equipment so I can only put this down to the connection, but it didn't seem to happen hardly ever while using headphones with the smaller connector. In general use this issue didn't really bother me, but it was easy to repeat if I fiddle with the connection.

The metal volume dial is as smooth on the outside as it is to turn. The mechanism is nice and tight too, which makes it easy to get just the right volume - even with very sensitive headphones (less than 25 Ohms). I don't get on with in-ears so I can't contest that the sensitivity is quite enough to cope with them, but it certainly seems like it could be fine.  
     FINAL WORDS
The iDAC is a great little machine than can be driven from a small laptop (or even a Windows tablet), its high quality amplification can easily drive demanding headphones to loud volumes too. You'd be hard pressed to beat this thing for the money and if you want to improve the sound further later on there are plenty of options in the Ifi catalog that work with it well. 

I like how it's not over complicated with other inputs and outputs, although I do wish the RCAs were on the back and the headphone connection was the larger type, but if none of these details bother you then I highly recommend it. 

     EQUIPMENT USED
Custom Desktop PC, Dell Vosto Laptop, Ifi iUSB, Ifi Gemini, Ifi iCAN, Schiit Magni, Schiit PYST, Epiphany Acoustics Atratus, Denon AH-D7000, Hifiman HE-500, SoundMAGIC HP200, WeSC Chambers RZA Premium, Mr. Speakers Mad Dog, Sennheiser Amperior, Samsung Galaxy Note 2

 
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Disclaimer: A big thank you to Ifi for loaning me the iTube for this review!
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After hearing the iCan I was eager to get my hands on more Ifi gear. Now I've even been lucky enough to get almost their entire catalog, as well as an exclusive. The iTube is launched today - 16th August (£275). This is a fascinating little audio gadget - a buffer stage with a pure analogue circuit that includes an active tube (GE5670). The iTube can be added to pretty much any audio chain with a dedicated amplifier (before the amplification stage), be it for headphones or speakers. Additional features include the option to boost sound by 6dB, it can be used as a pre-amp (with or without the 6dB boost), but it also has two other features to modify sound. One is called '3D Holographic' - a three position switch that alters soundstage for different systems, correcting for frequency definition and speaker placement. This was first seen on the iCAN, although that one was tuned for headphones and this one is tuned purely for speakers. To help me explain the second feature [the Digital Antidote] here's some info from Ifi:[/size]
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"The original patented Digital Antidote circuit takes the analogue input signal and executes various timing and phase correction duties, all in the analogue domain. This drastically reduces phase error introduced by the digital source as well as increasing the amplitude resolution (by nearly one bit). Yes, there is a small roll-off effect but as one can see, it certainly is not a simple roll-off filter.[/size]
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[size=medium] With the iTUBE’s Digital Antidote Plus®, this active tube [version  3.0] is ready for all digital formats right the way up to the latest high-resolution PCM/DXD/DSD and beyond. Now you can finally relax and enjoy your digital audio for longer."

The 'Digital Antidote' (which I will refer to as 'DA' from now on) can be turned on or off with a switch on the front of the unit. At first I thought that this switch might act as some kind of bypass for the entire system, removing the tube from the chain, but this is not the case (the tube is always being used). It's nice that you can add the DA effect on top of the tube buffer, this just meant there was no easy way for me to A/B the effect of the tube itself.[/size]
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I admit to having no experience with tube amplifiers thus far (of which I'm quite ashamed), but I am very keen to hear some. The potential with the iTube is pretty clear, benefits of tube sound while keeping your solid state amplifier - an interesting prospect indeed. Here's a close-up shot of the glowing tube (this thing does get hot!), viewed through the dot of the 'i' in the company logo - nice design touch guys.[/size]
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[size=medium]      SOUND[/size]
[size=medium] I was expecting a tonality shift with the iTube added to the audio chain. I assumed there would be more warmth, stereo-typically associated with tube amplifiers, but no. I've heard of some tube amps defying this preconception, but perhaps this is more to do with the tube not being in the amplification. For those interested in the iTube who are still fond of their Solid State amplifier's tonality, you'll be happy to hear that there's little change in this regard. The caveat is that some instruments feel inherently different in their presentation. They sound better rendered, more full and perhaps this leads to them sounding a little "warmer", but I felt that there was no overall colouration. Certain aspects of the sound just seemed more real/natural. A nice smoothness is infused to the sound, which I noticed and enjoyed more the more I listened.[/size]
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The changes that the iTube brings can feel subtle initially. This is not true of the 3D holographic sound however, which was very obvious and easy to A/B. Unfortunately A/B'ing the rest of the effects is impossible to do with ease due to a slow switching process of the iTube from the chain. Unless you have an identical system (source, amplifier and speakers or headphones) it's easy to forget the exact sound you were listening to. After getting used to the iTube being in the system however the music felt instantly more jarring (harsh and edgy) once the iTube was removed. Then all I wanted to do was put the iTube back in. [/size]
[size=medium] The same thing happened to me when I first started listening to expensive systems. Going up I didn't notice much, but coming back down it really hit me. Like a computer upgrade you seem to adapt and accept improvements with little perceivable difference, whereas a downgrade is very different story. Over time it feels like my brain has picked up these differences in general, but when you're not used to something it can easily go unnoticed.[/size]
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The DA effect is a tricky one to pin down. Although it should be easy to A/B because of the switch, I struggled to tell the difference between it being on or off. It's a more subtle effect than the tubes but perhaps I'm still in my early stages with this one. Ifi explained to me that it makes a bigger difference in lesser systems. I didn't spend a huge amount of time A/B'ing this effect unfortunate as I was mostly switching it between speakers and headphone systems. I usually had the switch on when it was being used so if that added to the effects it had on my system then I'm glad it's there. [/size]
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[size=medium] The 3D Holographic Sound in the iTube has been redesigned to cater for different speaker positions so is quite different from the version found in the iCAN. The effect in the iTube seems rather more subtle than the iCAN when used with headphones and I did enjoy it at times, but I'm told that it's not designed to work like this. [/size]
[size=medium] For speakers this is a really nice feature to have considering that they are often fundamentally difficult to position and tune for the best soundstage. My speakers are a little cramped for my living room and they really benefited from the wide effect on some tracks. I also liked being able to change it for different music, so a big thumbs up from me here![/size]
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[size=medium]      COMPARISONS[/size]
[size=medium] There are a few tube buffers around already, but it's certainly not a common consumer product at the moment. There's the Musical Fidelity X10 V3 (discontinued, but sold for around £250) and the Grant Fidelity B-283 (around £150). Searching for a 'tube buffer' on Google mostly brings up eBay listing from China. Unfortunately I can't say anything about how the iTube compares to any of these other models on sonic ability. What I can say is that the iTube seems smaller and neater than the consumer models mentioned above. Some of the eBay tat looked equally sized, but not exactly neat or pretty (exposed PCB's and bits sticking out).[/size]
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I found an interesting paragraph on the Grant Fidelity website titled "who the B-283 is not for". It points out that if you've already spent a lot of money on your audio set up ($10k+) then you won't hear much of a difference by adding a tube buffer. Their reasoning is that you would have already paid good money to provide the same effects that the tube buffer provides. Having heard the £3500 Resonessence Invicta's wonderfully smooth sound I can say that this sounds like a very reasonable statement. That said, I feel the need to point out the iTube's additional features for controlling harshness and soundstage and what they could also bring to a system. [/size]
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[size=medium]      BUILD[/size]
[size=medium] The construction of the iTube is pretty good. It's all solid metal on the outside, even the volume dial. It comes complete with rubber feet, power extension and two sets of RCA leads to get you started. The shape and style is also consistent with the rest of the Ifi range so if you would like to combine them they do stack nicely. I have almost the entire range of Ifi gear here at the moment and can say that not only do they stack nicely, but they sound great together too. The max combination you can utilise in one go consists of five devices!:[/size]
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[size=medium] Computer > iUSB > Gemini > iDAC > iTube > iCAN > Headphones - wow![/size]
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That's a pretty impressive collection of devices to make sound, but what a beautiful sounding system it is. Although visually it could do with some smaller and prettier RCA cables it's quite pretty too. [/size]
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[size=medium] Also required to connect these monsters are: another USB cable, three power leads and two RCA cables. All of this is supplied of course, but it won't look quite as neat as this when it's working. My only real complaint about this setup is that you can't output all that to speakers at the same time as headphones. Before I get too deep into analyzing these units as a whole, let's get back to the iTube...[/size]
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The power switch for the iTube is built into the metal volume dial. If you're not using the unit as a pre-amplifier as well then you can turn it anywhere to the right to turn it on. When you do you will see the green lights on the front come on and the tube will start glowing. I wish that the iCan had this same mechanism. The only way to turn that off is to yank the power cord out, which is less than ideal on a class-a amp that gets almost as hot as the iTube.[/size]
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The iTube is a pretty simple and straight forward device, with no real down sides. If you turn on the iTube before the amplification you can get a loud popping noise, but this is true of pretty much any source to some extent and should always be avoided anyway. I made the mistake once, but never again. I can't even nit pick with the heat since that's simply the chassis doing a good job at heat dissipation. I'm really scratching my head to think of negatives at this point... no, there really isn't anything to speak of.[/size]
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[size=medium] Moving around the iTube is something you might do often if you switch it from a headphone to a speaker system, like I did. I did wish for dual outputs on the iTube so that it could be used for both system more easily, although that would force the chassis to be larger, since there's no room for another set of RCA outputs. I'm not sure that would have a desirable effect on the circuitry either, so the only option will be to have two of them.[/size]
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     FINAL WORDS[/size]
[size=medium] I'm not quite sure what I expected from the iTube, because it did surprise me in a few ways. Initially I felt a little let down by it's subtlety, but ultimately I came to appreciate that subtlety rather a lot. I like that it doesn't change the tonality of your amplifier and the smoothness it adds to the sound is addictive - it does what it sets out to.[/size]
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I expected to notice the effects and appreciate the iTube more with headphones, but so far it's the speaker system that has impressed me the most (with the 3D effects too). I'm not saying that it doesn't work with headphones, because I don't want to live without the iTube in either of my systems.[/size]
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[size=medium]      EQUIPMENT USED[/size]
[size=medium] Desktop PC, Media PC, Dell Vosto Laptop, Ifi iCan, Ifi Gemini, Ifi iDAC, Ifi iPower, Audiolab M-DAC, Audiolab 8200P, Denon AH-D7000, Hifiman HE-500, SoundMAGIC HP200, WeSC Chambers RZA Premium, Epiphany Acoustics Atratus, Schiit PYST, Arcam rBlink, Samsung Galaxy Note 2[/size]

 
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Disclaimer: A big thank you to SCV London for loaning me the TH600 for this review.
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When I reviewed the high-end Fostex TH-900 last December I compared it to the discontinued Denon flagship because it came from the same 'Foster Electronics' design (despite being about half the price). The TH600 also borrows the same design, but brings a sleek and modern looking matte black metal look to the cups. This matches the rest of the frame nicely and this new model is priced much more closely to the old Denon Flagship (which had a £900 RRP). [/size]
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The box of the TH-600 is almost identical to that of the TH-900, although the former doesn't include a cheap wire stand (sorry Fostex, but that was lame). Like it's flagship sibling they're marketed as 'Premium Reference Headphones' as well. I had expected Fostex to better differentiate between these two models here, but it's still a fair statement. Just a few seconds with the TH-600 shows the family resemblance. The big question here will be: Just how close do they sound to the TH-900 and indeed to the Denon AH-D7000?[/size]
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Although it's rather difficult to compare them from memory, the biggest difference between this new model and the TH900 (that I can remember) was that the latter felt more smooth. If I'm remembering correctly, perhaps some of that came from the wood housing. There is a similar difference between this and the Denon AH-D7000 too, which I still have to compare directly with the TH600.[/size]
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Apart from a lack of wooden cups the TH-600 appears to be a spiritual replacement for the Denon AH-D7000. Since manufacturing of the Denon stopped over a year ago it's getting very hard to find now. In price and on paper they are remarkably similar, in fact all accept one specification is identical between the two. The sensitivity has dropped to 94dB / mW, compared to 108dB / mW on the D7000 (although the impedance is still the same lowly 25 Ohms). That's quite a difference, but I can confirm that they sound almost identical in volume. So can anyone who says sensitivity is more meaningful than impedance explain this? The marketing for the TH-600 boasts a 1 tesla power magnet (the TH-900 is 1.5 tesla). This makes me wonder what the power of the Denon's magnets are, but that information doesn't seem to be listed anywhere. Then again, other than Beyerdynamic and Fostex, no other headphone manufacturer states their headphone's magnetic power and even these only list it on their high end models.[/size]
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OK, enough babble - on to the review...[/size]
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[size=medium]      SOUND[/size]
[size=medium] The first thing to hit me with these headphones was an almost surreal sense of space. This was also true of the Denon AH-D7000 and the flagship Fostex TH-900. Actually it's one feature that remains pretty similar throughout this design and I can't really choose which is better in this regard, although it's worth noting that I haven't tried the lower end Denon AH-D2000. It's also nice to hear that it doesn't get lost with the lack of wood on the TH-600. To go into a little more detail - the soundstage is impressively vast and the instrument separation is utterly superb! It's something that is noticeable even with poor quality sources and amplification, but the better amplification you can throw at them the more the excitement grows.[/size]
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The next thing to appreciate here is the bass. Like the other models that share this design, that famous & potent sub-bass like depth and kick is still present in the TH-600. It's perhaps a little more edgy and less smooth, but it's not a huge difference. The edgy sensation extends throughout the ranges and adds a noticeable amount of detail compared to the Denon. It makes instruments with potent high frequencies feel better defined and with more realistic character.[/size]
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Both of the TH-600 and TH-900 have been describes as 'Premium Reference' models, which usually requires a pretty flat response and often this equates to a relatively dry performance (at least to some people). Now there's no way you can call either of these models dry or boring, quite the opposite really. I have mentioned the bass body is pretty potent and the highs are very exciting too, but I really wouldn't call this a typical 'V shaped' response. I do think that 'Flat' or 'Reference' is more fair here. The key being that the mid-range is not recessed to the bass and treble. It too is noticeably exciting and here is the thing - these different aspects are exciting and very well defined, but they don't feel pushed. This headphone may not be everything to everyone, but it's certainly pretty close to perfection for me. It's not be the fastest, most analytical presentation the world has seen, but it can certainly hold it's own. It sounds really cheesy that I could sum up this headphone by using it's own tag-line, but yeah I would. [/size]
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     AMPLIFICATION[/size]
[size=medium] I've been very spoiled with amplification this time around. I was lucky enough to receive the Benchmark DAC2 HGC at the same time as the Fostex TH-600 so of course I connected them up. This is an extremely pricey machine and I find myself blown away by it, but perhaps not for the reasons you might assume. Yes it's a very capable sounding machine, but I'm increasingly drawn to it because it's just so neat! Considering how many digital inputs, analogue outputs and high-end components it has I am shocked by just how small it is. It betters the M-DAC in almost every way and yet it's smaller in every dimension and even though it has an internal power supply it's lighter too. Like most other headphones the TH-600 sounds great using the DAC2 HGC. There is a great sense of smoothness, scale and authority. [/size]
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[size=medium] As you can see from the above photo the DAC2 was capable of running both the TH-600 and the Denon AH-D7000 from this high quality DAC and headphone amplifier at the same time. This allowed me to test the volume output more reliably and compare these headphone's sound quality with ease.[/size]
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The Audiolab M-DAC usually plays the part of a benchmark DAC/amp during these reviews. Although I have a machine that more that fills it's shoes (not only in name), I still gave the TH-600s a thorough play using the M-DAC. I do like this combo, the TH-600 may not quite have the warmth of the Denon AH-D7000, but it still has that bass and the M-DAC pushes that in an enjoyable direction. It adds a little 'V shaped' response, which might be better for bass-heads and I like it for Electronic music, but I general prefer a more balanced presentation.[/size]
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I'm kind of going backwards here, but I also enjoyed the TH-600s with my portable setup with highly enjoyable results. This involved the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 smartphone running lossless files through the 'Power Amp' app. This output digital through a USB OTG cable to an Epiphany Acoustics E-DAC. The ESS-9024 powered mini DAC requires so little power that it runs off the smartphone without issue. The E-DAC then output analogue to a brand new Shonyun AH-306A battery powered amplifier. [/size]
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[size=medium] This amplification is a little bright and unrefined compared to the other machines that I've been testing the TH-600s on, but it was still a highly enjoyable presentation. A huge improvement over the phone's normal headphone output and was closer to the bigger expensive amps than it looked capable of. OK it's not exactly pocketable, but it's at least easily transportable.[/size]
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     COMPARISONS[/size]
[size=medium] Denon AH-D7000: It's hard not to draw comparisons between these two headphones. I've mentioned the Denon lots already, but here's a little more about why: They're the mad by the same company (Foster Electronics), which is why they share the same basic design. They have the same weight, the same maximum power, the same impedance and their RRPs are very close. I've owned the D7000 for a while now and I'm one of many who really like its sound. The fact that this Denon range was discontinued over a year ago makes me pretty sad. This new Fostex model be just what the headphone community needs to replace the D7000 and maybe we will get something to replace the D2000 & D5000 from Fostex one day too. So for anyone who missed out on getting the D7000 before it sold out - this is for you...[/size]
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Despite the less form-fitting ear-cushioning shape of the TH600 (which the TH900 also shares) they actually feel very forgiving with fit and almost as comfortable in general use. Both designs have enough space and depth inside the ear-cushioning to accommodate quite large ears without touching any part of them. The headband adjustment and weight are absolutely identical between the two models, it's a great design with little flaws. The synthetic egg-shell leather can lead to your ears warming up a bit during hot weather, but they're by no means the worst headphones for heat, perhaps due to the large internal space and lack of isolation. [/size]
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So how do they sound by comparison? Well, first let me say that I really didn't want this Fostex to sound better than the D7000. I bought the Denon, it was a lot of money for me to spend on headphones and it was also the subject of my first review. Since getting rare part of me hoped they would stay unique and special. In general they are, but when you have these high-end Fostex models using the same design things get a little less special. The TH600 is mostly a nicer sounding headphone than the Denon. That said it's important to emphasize that these two models actually share even more in the sound quality / tonality departments than they do with exterior design. Their sonic characteristics are about 95-98% the same, so when I talk about the differences they are there, but they're certainly not big. If you had concerns that the the lack of wood cups would affect the sound quality of the Fostex in a particularly negative way I can assure you that it doesn't. The TH600's smoothness and warmth lags behind the Denon a little and although this could be related to the wood, it seems like too small of a difference for that. The TH600 still has that epic sub-bass like body to the low-frequencies, but it's a little tighter / more edgy and this is largely for the better. Despite all this low frequency greatness the mids are still very present, clear and balanced, without being muddied. The biggest difference between the two is in the detail of the upper mid-range / treble however. The TH-600 feels more crisp and better defined than the D7000, which makes several instruments sound more lively and real. [/size]
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[size=medium] As I mentioned before, the soundstage and instrument separation is superb with both, but they pay for this by leaking sound a lot for a closed-back design. If you like the idea of a headphone that has amazing soundstage and isolation, either for noisy environments, or just so people can't hear what you're listening to, think again. This has always been and will always be a trade-off and is not something you can have the best of both worlds with, even if you throw money at it.[/size]
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Fostex TH900: The original and big brother to the TH600, also shares the same design and like the Denon AH-D7000 uses exotic wood for it's resonance chamber. The exterior of the TH900 almost hides it's wood with a considerably more flashy finish. It has most of the good qualities from both the TH-600 and D7000. It's the most detailed, the most refined treble, most smooth. The only possible down side is that it doesn't have as much bass body and it's not quite as warm as the Denon. These could be considered down sides unless you like your upper bass with a bit more body. I'm right on the fence with this one and I don't think it's because I own one of them. I am taking the price difference into account a little here. If you can find the D7000 for £500 somewhere, then it's the bargain of the century, but as time goes by that's becoming less and less likely. [/size]
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      MUSIC[/size]
[size=medium] Here are some individual music tracks and how I felt the TH-600 made them sound. Most tracks were listened to in CD format with lossless compression. All tracks are also available on Spotify, which (on the 'premium' service) are maximum quality MP3s and I find these highly acceptable.[/size]
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1. Megadeath: "Train of Consequences" - Good old Metal, which now seems like soft rock - perhaps this choice makes me seem older than I am. There's just something about these mildly aggressive vocals infused into fast drums and guitars that I really like. It's also a great test of headphone clarity, quality and speed. The TH600 is very good with most music, they even make the Denon AH-D7000 look a bit picky, but I can't help like feeling that this music would be a little better off on something a bit faster. Something more analytical like the Sennheiser HD800 or perhaps a very high-end planar magnetic. 
2. Gorillaz: "Kids With Guns" - I love the deep sounds mixing with the vocals of this grungy Pop-ish music. It's hard to find a presentation that doesn't show this excess of upper bass body, so when you get one that is very impressive and well controlled it's a great thing. What I love about the TH600s is how they manage to surgically remove the vocals (and many other elements), it spreads them out them out almost to the point of surrealism a times, but it does wonders to tracks that can sound muddled elsewhere.
3. Rita Ora:  "How We Do It (Party)" - Pop music is not my favourite genre by any stretch, but the quality of this presentation makes me appreciate it so much more than I usually would. I really can't imagine most lovers of this genre ever listening to it through this kind of equipment, but there is something disturbingly fun about this lively Pop music here.
4. Hans Zimmer: "What Are You Going To Do When You Are Not Saving The World" - I'd just like to apologize for the ridiculously long track title, they should be banned! Since I'm a big soundtrack nut let me explain that Hans Zimmer is more like a producer than a composer in the traditional sense, he probably didn't write this track exactly. If you didn't already know, this is how a majority of big names work in the soundtrack industry and Hans Zimmer's studio is way more transparent about this than most, but the labels don't like this and that's why you often just get one big name on a CD. Now that I'm off on a random babble-fest I will also mention that I saw this movie last night and I very much agree with the 'Half In The Bag' review. This track really sums up the tone of the whole soundtrack for me and the movie too. It's much darker than the original John Williams score and obviously drags it closer to Dark Knight style. As much as a I didn't want that from the movie it's a powerful theme and it's presented really well here, as I'd imagine most classical music would be equally impressive sounding here.
5. Noisia: "Barbas Theme" - This track might start off a bit wet with a homage to the original 'Devil May Cry' games, but it quickly morphs into an awe inspiring & dynamic Dubstep rooted Electronic piece. There may not be quite the liquid smoothness of the TH-900 here, but the TH-600 is still able to wow on this kind of music and in a huge way! 
6. Stevie Ray Vaughan: "Little Wing" - My first choice of guitar music impressed me a lot on these headphones. The instrument separation and the great air to the sound, the subtlety of high and low frequencies while keeping the excitement levels high is just wonderful. The clarity and rendering of the guitar is just sublime! It's just a shame about many of these recording's excessive background noise.
7. Rodrigo Y Gabriela: "Oogie Boogie's Song" - This is a very different style of guitar to Stevie Ray (or pretty much anything else), but it's a great test of bass body and dynamics. I often use Rodrigo Y Gabriela music to test equipment and the TH600s certainly don't disappoint here. With the great soundstage and separation there really sounds like more than just two performers here - extremely impressive!

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     BUILD[/size]
[size=medium] The finish may not be quite up there with the flagship TH-900's vibrant red Uruchi Laqure, but the majority of the other build quality aspects are and that's a great selling point. There's very little plastic here and mix of mostly matte black with a touch of chrome is kinda beautiful in it's own way. The aluminium cups suffer a bit form greasy finger print staining (as shows up in some of the photos a little). Saying that, my hands are very sweaty, so I prefer the shiny coated wood finish of then Denon purely because I can wipe it clean. Getting finger prints out of the TH600 is not as easy.[/size]
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The cable is almost identical to that of the Denon AH-D7000. Although the one I had looked a little messy that could be because it's a loaner. Anyway, the termination is the larger 6.35mm type, which makes good sense at this end of the market (it looks identical to that of the TH900 too). The cable itself is 3 meters long and braded cable with a 'Y' split about 40cm before attaching to each ear-cup. Just like the TH900 and D7000 I seriously hate the large plastic cover of the 'Y' split because if you're sat at a desk it continuously catches under it as you move your head. Perhaps the worst thing of the whole TH600 package though is that the cable is not removable. For the price and market trend this is actually quite unusual, but it's not exactly the end of the world.[/size]
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     COMFORT[/size]
[size=medium] The comfort of the TH-600 is fantastic. Being nearly the exact same design as the TH-900 and Denon there is little to complain about here. This is very nearly the most comfortable headphone I've ever used. There are only two aspects that I find better on other models and both items concern the ear-pads. For one thing pleather (fake leather) means your head will get warmer than necessary in hot weather, although a more felt-like material could improve this issue it could also negatively affect acoustics so I won't be too hard on Fostex here. The other very small issue is related to the shape of the pads, they're the same thickness all the way around, which causes the cups to sit at a slightly awkward angle. Many headphones that use [/size]
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     FINAL WORDS[/size]
[size=medium] For it's sheer sound quality and comfort the TH-600 is a compelling headphone with an appropriately epic price tag. It gets pretty damn close to the quality of the TH-900, but for nearly £700 less and that's pretty amazing! That said - if you're not scared by the TH-600's price you could probably stretch to the flagship and considering the quality finish, extra smoothness and exclusivity that it provides I would still recommend either.[/size]
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Let me put it this way - If you have no other equipment and want to dive into the world of high-end headphones with a strict £1500 (for example) then I would recommend getting the TH-600 and spending the rest on a good quality DAC and headphone amplifier. That will yield better results than getting the TH-900 and plugging into your smartphone. Although technically it would work OK volume wise, it certainly wouldn't sound as impressive.[/size]
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[size=medium]     EQUIPMENT USED[/size]
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[size=medium] Desktop PC, Dell Vosto Laptop, iPhone4, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Asus Nexus 7, Arcam rBlink, Audiolab M-DAC, Schiit Modi / Magni, Benchmark DAC2 HGC, SoundMAGIC HP200, Sennheiser HD650, Denon AH-D7000, Mad Dog (Fostex T50rp mod), Hifiman HE400, [/size]

 
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Disclaimer: A big thank you to Electromod for loaning me the HE-400.
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For those of you who don't already know - Hifiman are a Chinese company, although technically founded in New York (2006), their R&D department is in China. In just a few years they've made quite a name for themselves making high end portable audio players, amplifiers and headphones. For the latter their focus has been with 'planar magnetic' (commonly and less correctly referred to as orthodynamic, or 'ortho'), apart from their entry level model, which costs £300. The ortho's range in price from £400 to £1000, but share a very similar design - essentially only the colour changes. Their model numbers can be a little confusing too, so let me try to get my head around this hierarchy:[/size]
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Their current flagship model is the HE-6. This now has a baby brother with the HE-4, but originally the next model down was the HE-5 and that was replaced by the HE-5LE. Both of the HE-5 models have now been phased out and replaced by the HE-500. Finally there's the focus for this review - the HE-400, which is the company's cheapest and most successful selling ortho to date. [/size]
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Hifiman have made a couple of other interesting products recently too. Like the EF-6, a high-end headphone amplifier that partners with the power hungry HE-6 headphone. Then there's the EF-2a, an affordable ($169 US) USB DAC and tube amplifier. More recently Hifiman have been branching out into in-ear monitors, with the RE-400. Let's not forget about their portable audio players too. Models like the HM-801 and the more reasonably priced HM-602, I've always been interested by these, but unfortunately never got the chance to try them. So they clearly have the audio pedigree, albeit a pretty short one. [/size]
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I've tested a lot of open back headphones lately, with the DT880, HP200, GMP400. Plus although I haven't reviewed them, I've spent quite a bit of time with the Sennheiser HD600 & HD650 too, so let's see what I think of this more expensive newcomer.[/size]
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     SOUND[/size]
[size=medium] The HE-400's sound is well balanced, but it's also very impressive and exciting. The real icing on the cake for me is their versatility with various genres. It's an airy and clear sound with slightly warm leanings. There's lots of presence and body here, but with very little colouration or fatigue. Bass almost verges on the epic considering it's control. Mid-range is clear and detailed, while the upper ranges sparkle without being harsh. The soundstage is wonderfully spacious and three dimensional, as is instrument separation. [/size]
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That pretty much sums up the HE-400 for me, it's a stunningly likable headphone. There really isn't much to complain about in the sound department, even at this price. If the Sennheiser HD600 was a little cheaper I would say they are equally matched for value, but this is purely based on sound. I have a couple of reservations about the HE-400's comfort, but also at the HD600's price point I would still give the overall crown to the Hifiman. Damn it! Now I'm getting into comparisons, OK I'm struggling to say more here so I will move on and go into more detail later on...[/size]
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     AMPLIFICATION[/size]
[size=medium] Running the HE400 from my phone (Galaxy Note 2) and trying to get the sound loud proved a bit of an issue. At maximum setting it was about 90% of the volume I wanted for Electronic music, which means it would be about 70% for most classical music. That's unfortunate because the sound quality wasn't too bad, but let's face it, if you're looking at these headphones you will most likely already have some decent amplification for them. [/size]
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Proper amplification wise I started with the Schiit Modi and Magni, which have a tremendously compelling performance that combines very well with the HE-400. I can see why Electromod concentrate on these two brands almost exclusively, you can't go too far wrong with them. The only down side is that the three entry level models will set you back around £600, which is a lot to swallow in a single purchase for many people. Perhaps it's slightly over the sweet spot of diminishing returns too, but wow does it attain a seriously compelling sound![/size]
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Next up I partnered the HE400s with a nice portable solution for laptop use with the Ifi iDAC (combined DAC/amp that I will be reviewing soon), which is rather unusually is capable of 24bit 192khz through USB and is purely powered by the USB bus. The only other unit I had like this was the iBasso D7, which I also tried with the HE-400. The D7 Sidewinder was actually a lot better than I remember, possibly because it's better suited to more demanding headphones like this. Anyway, it still exhibited it's typical power issues when plugged into the non-powered USB ports of my laptop *sigh*. The Ifi iCAN showed no such power issues and drove the HE-400s loud and well, no matter what ports I connected it to. This was not as a compelling sound as the Schiit combo, but don't forget this is a lot more convenient if you're away with a laptop, or perhaps a Windows surface?[/size]
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I also plugged the HE-400s into the Benchmark DAC2 HGC. This combined DAC/amp might be ridiculously more expensive than the HE-400, which are not cheap already, but it was understandably entertaining. On the Fostex TH600 (also being reviewed soon), the DAC2 was almost surreal in it's separation, but the HE-400s soundstage stayed a little more reasonably great and retained a level of coherent realism as well. The imaging was still given a wide push compared to anything else I tested it with and it is lot of fun. I'm left feeling that you can safely spend considerably more on amplification with the HE-400s and keep getting tangible improvements, where that same investment could be a waste with other headphones.[/size]
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[size=medium]     MUSIC[/size]
[size=medium] Here are some individual music tracks and how I felt the HE-400s coped with them. Most tracks were listened to in CD format with lossless compression. All tracks are also available on Spotify, which on the 'premium' service are maximum quality MP3s and I find these highly acceptable.[/size]
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1. Jesper Kyd: "State Of Decay Main Theme" - I actually don't know what this is a score for, I just follow the Danish composer because I love some of his other game soundtracks.   One of reasons the HE-400 is so good with Classical and soundtracks is it's nicely flat response, although flat can sometimes mean a bit boring, it certainly doesn't here. There is a quality and emphasis to the bass and treble, while not being offensive and that really makes these headphones special!
2. Excision: "Deviance - Original Mix" - With the HE-400s superb upper bass body I had to try some nicely powerful Electronic / Dubstep type tracks. This one has some great & dynamic bass! The HE400s do a stunning job of rendering it without any mid-range contamination. This is one of those headphones that can be addictive for bass as well as agile and powerful, yet delicate for something like classical.
3. Jason Mraz: "I'm yours" - The bright and crisp vocals are beautifully presented, produce zero harshness and have a great sense of air. I want to say that these headphones make a compelling argument for vocals, but again it's their versatility that seems to really stand out.
4. Fear Factory: "Replica" - The HE400s transition from delicate vocals into aggressive death metal with ease. There's great attack and speed from the guitars, while aggressive vocals are clear and nicely separated as possible. This is as good as I've heard this music. 
5. Amy Winehouse: "Back To Black" - This track has nice sense of smoothness and good emphasis on vocal clarity. It's as entertaining with slow or simple music as it is with fast, densely packed instruments fighting for attention. 
6. Orishas: "A Lo Cubano" - This latin pop is extremely enjoyable through the HE400s. It's a nicely mixed, dynamic sound that will have you foot tapping at the very least and these headphones bring out the full soul of the music. 

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[size=medium] Comparing these headphones to others can be rather difficult. There are clear differences and advantages to orthodynamic drivers and the problem with comparing the HE-400s to other orthos is that there's nothing else in quite the same price bracket. On the low end there's Fostex's most expensive orthodynamic headphone - the T50rp (£100). The best option here is to compare the HE-400s to a modified T50rp, like the Mr. Speakers 'Mad Dog', there are several others, but this is one that I've reviewed. At around £300 this is a much closer price to the HE-400 and luckily I still have them here to compare. The only other orthodynamic manufacturer around is Audeze, but their cheapest model is twice the price of the HE-400 and is a lot harder to find. This means that the next most expensive ortho after the HE-400 is HIfiman's own HE-500 (priced at £700), so you can see the problem. So for this reason I will open the comparisons up to some dynamic driver headphones as well.[/size]
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Mad Dog - This is the only other orthodynamic headphone that I've had the fortune to try so far. Although it's based on a much headphone costing 1/4 of the HE400, the external changes that Mr. Speakers have added to it (additional leather headband and new Alpha pads) make it feel infinitely more comfortable than the original, or indeed anything else around that price. In fact this is one of the nicest headphones I've worn and it clearly beats the much heavier HE400 in the comfort arena too. Apart from weight the big enemy of the HE400 is clamping force (which it probably needs to stay on your head), it's a little too tight. This is made worse by the ear-cushioning being rather hard, which being symmetrical doesn't hug the head nearly as nicely as the Mad Dog's 'Alpha' pads. So the HE400 doesn't seal quite as well, but being open-back it doesn't really need to and here we reach our next problem comparing the sound. The original Fostex T50rp was a semi-open headphone and it isolated reasonably well, but the Mad Dog modification has made it more like a closed-back. [/size]
[size=medium] The air and separation of the Mad Dog may not be quite as impressive as the HE400, but the soundstage is stunning with both. The tonality of the two presentations seem pretty similar, especially now that the Mad Dog is using the new Alpha pads, they're both a little on the warm side, but both manage a staggering lack of colouration into the mid-range, shine for vocals and have very well controlled upper ranges. Both headphones need nice, powerful amplification to flourish, but I would say that the HE400 comes out a bit ahead on pure versatility of sound quality (possibly more for Classical and Jazz) because of the few open-back qualities. If you find yourself sitting on the fence between these two headphones I would recommend mostly using the need of isolation to steer your decision.  [/size]
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Sennheiser HD650 - This is a classic, well balanced dynamic headphone and it's price is close to the HE-400 (£330 vs £400). Comfort wise the HD650 pretty much wins. Not only is it very light, but the ear-cushioning is fabric, which makes makes it a bit more comfortable and less hot. The HD650's clamping force is similar to the HE-400, a bit too much relative to weight, but since the weight isn't there it's less of an issue. Like the HE-400 the HD650 has dual entry removable cable, although the Sennheiser's push fit might be much easier to use it also seems more problematic under constant use. [/size]
[size=medium] So tonality wise the HE-400's sound seems to sit neatly between the Sennhseiser HD600 and the HD650. With the dynamics the more neutral HD600 seems to be what most audio enthusiasts & pros  prefer and I agree. The HE-400 is a little warmer than that, The upper bass has a substantial weight and kick to it, but it doesn't poison the mid-range as many lesser headphones do. By comparison, even the HD650 is a bit bloated for some music, although it's saved somewhat by being in the realms amplification tonality balancing, which is why I think it's loved so much. [/size]
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I wish I could say more about the Audeze range and how it compares here, but unfortunately I haven't had the chance to try them yet. Since the price is so far different from the HE-400 to the LCD-2 I'm too worried about this right now, if I get my hands on the HE-500 it will be more of an issue[/size]
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[size=medium]      BUILD[/size]
[size=medium] The HE400s are one of the most heavy headphones I've tried to date. This seems to be a theme with the orthodynamics from Hifiman and Audeze. In the Hifiman's defense there's a lot of heavy-duty metal in the construction. Actually the first bit of plastic you'll probably find is as you examine the cable terminals. Then there's the fake leather headband & ear cushions, but apart from maybe a couple of tiny washers (and perhaps the driver assembly itself) the rest is all metal. They feel very strong and the design is nicely simple, which at least seems like parts are easily replaceable. [/size]
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Speaking of removable & replaceable parts Hifiman have done a nice job with the cable. Yes, you expect a removable cable at this price (even if you don't always get one), but this screw fit, dual entry cable is a really nice touch. I guess if I was to nitpick I could say that it's a little fiddly to secure at times. A better grip on the screw mechanism and end of the cable, so you could hold both and twist more easily would be appreciated, but this really isn't that bad. The other end of the cable is terminated by a 3.5mm connector and it comes with a push on 6.35mm adapter. I would have preferred to see a 6.35mm connector here and an adapter for smaller jacks - a la Sennheiser HD650, again a very small nitpick. [/size]
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     COMFORT[/size]
[size=medium] The large space inside the ear-cushions makes for an almost perfect comfort for the ears themselves. The HE-400 might be described as a 'Lightweight' on the companies website, but it still weighs a hefty 440g. To better manage the pressure on the headband and stop the headphones from slipping down Hifiman have made the clamping force quite a bit above average and some people will find this annoying after a while. OK, it's not the most comfortable headphone in the world, but it's not that bad either. I wonder if a velour type ear-cup material could have softened the clamping pressure and lowered the ear temperature somewhat.[/size]
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     FINAL WORDS[/size]
[size=medium] OK, I have a couple of reservations about the HE-400s comfort, which I know I made sound worse than it really was, but overall there really isn't much to complain about with this headphone. I would still give comfort & fit an 8/10 score. [/size]
[size=medium] Overall I really love the HE-400 and I can't recommend it highly enough. If you can afford it and you like a generally balanced sound with impressive bass body then put them at the top of a small list. This is the cheapest high-end production orthodynamic headphone available at the moment, but it certainly doesn't seem like a cut-down model. It's also the cheapest one that I have tried, so I hope to try many more soon (stay tuned).[/size]
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If you can't stretch to this budget, but you like the idea of this sound then I highly recommend looking at the SoundMAGIC HP200. [/size]
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[size=medium]     EQUIPMENT USED[/size]
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[size=medium] Desktop PC, Dell Vosto Laptop, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Audiolab M-DAC, Shonyun SH-306A, Schiit Modi & Magni, Epiphany Acoustics E-DAC, Benchmark DAC2 HGC, SoundMAGIC HP200, Beyerdynamic DT880 600 Ohm, AKG Q701, Sennheiser HD650, Sennheiser HD600, AKG Q701, Mad Dog (Fostex T50rp mod), Fostex TH600[/size]

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This review is reposted from my blog: 

http://noblehifi.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/soundmagic-hp200-review.html​

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[size=medium] Disclaimer: The HP200 was given to me by SoundMAGIC for this review.[/size]
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This is my first headphone review in a while and I must say it's really good to be back! The HP200 is the first full-size open-back headphone from SoundMAGIC. Back in October I reviewed the companies first full-size closed-back headphone - the HP100 and this has been one of my favourite all-round performers (for the money) ever since.[/size]
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The HP200's design addresses pretty much all of the disappointments I had with the HP100's aesthetics. I loved a lot about the comfort and design of the HP100, but the excessive use of shiny (finger print magnet) plastic was a big let down for me. It even seemed like SoundMAGIC realised this because they included a cleaning cloth in the case. Well there are no such issues this time around. Visually I feel that SoundMAGIC have nailed the desirability factor this time. They have also gone a long way to improve the cable too, making this a considerably more solid package.[/size]
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The HP200 is similarly priced to the equivalent AKG, Beyerdynamic and GermanMAESTRO models and it's £100 cheaper than the classic Sennheiser HD650. The big question is whether the HP200 can come out favourably against classic headphones from giant companies that have been loved for decades. Well as far as I'm concerned the HP200 certainly has the looks to crush the competition. With a sexy new metal grill it looks better designed and built than any other open-back headphones I've seen under £500, but It still has it's work cut out if it wants to win on sound quality, this competition is tough![/size]
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[size=medium]     SOUND[/size]
[size=medium] The first thing I noticed about the HP200 was, like the Sennheiser HD650, it doesn't sound like a typical open-back headphone. It has great detail and a spacious soundstage, but unlike many other open-back headphones, it doesn't sound weak or thin (I'm looking the AKG K701 and even Beyerdynamic DT880 here). Although admittedly the headphones that do sound thin kind of grow on you after while. The HP200's sound is surprisingly warm for an open-back, perhaps even more so than the Sennheiser HD650 and the HD650 already sounds like a warm version of the near-perfect, HD600. This bass body isn't so much of an issue with the HP200 however because the treble is also quite lively. [/size]
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Although this slightly v'shaped signature works wonders with the open sound on many tracks, the treble can be it's Achilles heel. Whether you like your treble present and sparkly or subtle and laid back is going to dictate whether you love or hate this headphone. Well actually I would be surprised if anyone could really hate it. I myself recently bought the HD650 and I can see why so many people love it so much. I was blown away by it's signature and spacious sound. The HD650 is easily my favourite open-back headphone so far, but the HP200 is extremely close (both in excitement and signature). Only because the HD650 seems to suit Orchestral Soundtracks a little better does it get the crown from me, but that's only if I take the price difference out of the equation and it's still a very close call. I can see a lot of people preferring the HP200 if they like a little more excitement and sparkle to their high frequencies.[/size]
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So the depth and weight of the HP200's bass stands up well against the very best open-back headphones at this end of the market. This is not only rather unusual, but it's especially impressive coming from a headphone costing just over £200 and a company that's never made an open-back headphone before. The HP200 manages a similar level of excellence with it's detail and soundstage as well. Midrange clarity is both bold and a little smooth. When driven from a good DAC and amplifier the authority, delicacy and poise are very impressive. Imaging is perhaps a little more dependant on a high quality source. On a good amplifier (like the HD650) it really shines, the throw is wide and the positioning feels natural and accurate. [/size]
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Isolation from outside noises is similar to most open-back headphones, you'll hear quite clearly what people around you are saying even when the music is on (unless it's really turned up loud). Music leaking out is equally sieve-like, but it's not as bad as the most airy open-backs out there (like the Grado range or the AKG 701).[/size]
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    AMPLIFICATION[/size]
[size=medium] I have had quite a long time with the HP200 and that has meant a lot of time with different amplifiers (usually combined with DACs). The image below shows the HP200s with the Arcam rPAC, this was my source of choice in the initial stages of testing. As I was writing notes on my laptop it was a very convenient unit to use because it doesn't require power.[/size]
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Very recently I received another Arcam DAC to play with; the rBlink. I have been sending music to it from my 'Apt-X' compatible Bluetooth phone and connecting it to the Ifi iCan headphone amplifier. It's sonic ability is not as inspiring as the Schiit combo, but it's a lot of fun to control decent quality music from a portable device. I will be reviewing this DAC pretty soon, but for now I will be playing with it and the HP200 quite a bit. [/size]
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The bulk of my time with the HP200 was spent connected to the Schiit Modi & Magni desktop combo, this is currently my default setup at work. Despite being a little more pricey than the rPAC, requiring power and an RCA cable the sound is noticeably more impressive. They push the HP200 in a direction that's more detailed and airy, but other improvements include bass quality and power.[/size]
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Most of these other hifi headphone separates have been less expensive than the headphones themselves so far, but lets go a bit mental and pair them with something that's considerably more. The £600, ESS-9018 Sabre DAC sporting Audiolab M-DAC also got some time driving the HP200s. For me this DAC and headphone amplifier is often now quite befitting of it's lofty price tag for headphone use, but that said it does do very nice things to a couple of my headphones and this is true of both the Sennheiser HD650 and SoundMAGIC HP200. There is something very enjoyable with the low frequency grunt to these two headphones here. The amplification is not the most smooth, but's bold and exciting sound with most genres.[/size]
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[size=medium]     COMPARISONS[/size]
[size=medium] The SoundMAGIC HP100 is the HP200s closed back cousin and they are different, but not as 'Night and Day' different as I was expecting. Yes the HP200 leak sound like crazy, but this doesn't seem to have affected their warmth in any way, in fact they actually sound more warm than the HP100. The bass is not as smooth as with the HP100, but it's got more body, especially when running directly from a portable player. Connected to a dedicated amplifier provides big benefits still of course, but I didn't think they sounded terrible from low power sources like tablets or phones. [/size]
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The Beyerdynamic DT880 feels more open and revealing than the HP200. What the HP200 lacks here it makes up for with killer soundstage, bass body and excitement. The DT880 takes the comfort crown and possibly the durability award too, but I can't help but be drawn more to the HP200 for it's engaging and realistic sound over the Beyerdynamic. I realise that's a big testament to the SoundMAGIC's refinement - you should be impressed. [/size]
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The AKG Q701 has been going up in my estimations recently after discovering a couple of interesting amplifiers. The AKG's sound is a sharper, brighter and more detailed one, but even with good amplification it cannot match the qualities of the HP200. Some compare the 701 to the great Sennheiser HD800, if there is any truth to this it's in the detail rendition, but what the AKG doesn't replicate is the bass body. The HP200 gets close to the detail levels of the HD800 while managing even higher levels of bass body.[/size]
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The Sennheiser HD650's character is most similar to the HP200. Now this should interest a lot of people because the HD650 is a famously reference in it's balance and quality. The SoundMAGIC also has similar soundstage, detail and midrange, but a slightly more potent treble. [/size]
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The Denon AH-D7000 was discontinued about a year ago and is rather hard to find these days, I mention here because of it's famous speaker-like, sub-bass rumble. It could be argued that this wobbly nature is undesirable, but I thoroughly enjoy it. Now there are times when the HP200 can deliver similarly interesting moments of deep wobble. For an open-back headphone I find this very special indeed, especially because the bass doesn't feel bloated or unrefined. It's also something I noticed from a Hifiman HE-400, which I only tried yesterday. [/size]
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[size=medium]     MUSIC[/size]
[size=medium] Here are some individual music tracks and how I felt the HP200 coped with them. Most tracks were listened to in CD format with lossless compression. All tracks are also available on Spotify, which on the 'premium' service are maximum quality MP3s and I find these highly acceptable.[/size]
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1. Sum 41 (All Killer No Filler): "Fat Lip" - This pop song sounds energetic and very enjoyable on the HP200. Perhaps it's the slight push to the bass and treble that makes this so bold here, but at the same time it rarely feels too bright on the top end and feels neutral and clear enough to make all genres a little more exciting and render vocals in a very nice way. 
2. Joe Kraemer (The Way Of The Gun): "The Setup" - There are lots of sounds here that feel naturally and nicely formed. Details are crisp and delicate. The openning drums are so powerful they deliver a real sub-bass wobble that a lot of headphones just can't seem to get.
3. Skrillex (Bangerang EP):  "Right In" - The bass power on offer in the HP200 works wonders for EDM/Dubstep. Combined with a slightly bold, but not too offensive treble it's a potent mix, often leading to high levels of excitement for this kind of music. At times the treble can get out of control, but mostly because I like to push the volume for this music rather too high. Keep it moderately sensible and everyone should be happy.
4. Kittie (Spit): "Trippin" - The energy and presence works almost as well for Rock/Metal as it does with Electronic, Pop and Orchestral music. The general neutrality of the presentation and dynamic soundstage of the HP200's sound makes it a great jack of all trades headphone.
5. Beethoven (Symphony No. 7 In A Major): "Op. 92: II. Allegretto" - The HP200 delivers a nicely balanced and well rounded presentation. Up-tempo sections are nicely bold and energetic, while quiet passages are full of clear detail and great instrument rendition. There is a nice sense of transparency and soundstage is dynamic. 

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[size=medium]     BUILD[/size]
[size=medium] For those that don't already know: SoundMAGIC is a Chinese brand, so when you see 'made in China' written on the side it's not a bad thing here. The production for this headphone is still completely in-house, so they can keep a close eye on unit quality. I am almost as impressed by the design and build quality of the HP200 as I am with it's audio quality. Which is, to say, a lot. It's a very well thought out design for a company that really haven't been going for long, although most of that credit should go to the similarly shaped HP100. Construction wise the HP200's are pretty tough. This models uses just enough metal to make them look and feel good, whilst not bulking up the weight too much. Good quality plastics keep the weight down in other areas.. 
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[size=medium] The included accessories (apart from the cable/s, which I will mention in a minute) are pretty much the same as the HP100. You get a snazzy hard case (which reminds me very much of the one you get with the V-Moda M-80), a warranty card, flight adaptor, 6.35mm adaptor and a carabiner hook. The only niggle I will mention here is that it seems a shame that the HP200's (again, like the HP100) almost fold down, but not quite. They sort of fold like the V-Moda M-100 (which is amazing), but the headband needs to be extended all the way first. If only SoundMAGIC could have folded the design a little better and then fitted them into the case that way, everything could have been a bit more amazing. As it is the case is not huge, I only mention this as a small point because the headphones can fold - so near, yet so far. 

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The coiled cable of the HP100 has thankfully gone the way of the Dodo, but it's not quite all sunshine. My complaint this time around is that the included straight cable is only 1.2m long, which isn't quite long enough for desktop use. This length screams portable use to me, now this is odd because these headphones should never be used outside. There is a 2m extension included in the box, but it's not a very nice cable and caused noticeable audio quality drop-out. Like the HP100, this model has a standard 3.5mm jack to connect the cable to the headphones. This is great, but this simplicity has been ruined by including a proprietary locking mechanism and thus no other replacement audio cables can be used. This is a growing trend and I can't see the point of it. Ideally the HP200's cable should have been a straight 2m or 3m, but perhaps I'm missing something here, so let me ask you readers a question: What length and type of cable would you choose for these headphones? (Please leave a comment to vote, hopefully this won't get too messy). 
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[size=medium]     COMFORT
I found these headphones to be very comfortable! They are a little more heavy than the closed HP100 due to more metal being used, but the distribution of weight, headband cushioning and clamping force is still pretty much perfect to me. The pleather ear cups are by far the softest and most comfortable that I have tried for under £1000. My only complaint with them is that, since isolation is unnecessary, perhaps velour would have been better for keeping temperature down. The pads are plenty big enough to keep out of the way of your ears, but like the HP100 the depth of the driver is could cause a slight issue there. This is unlikely to cause discomfort for at least an hour, but if only the driver depth was a little higher this figure could have been ten times higher. This is the only thing that stops comfort from being perfect really. Wearing glasses with the HP200's did not cause any comfort or change the sound, also being open-back there is no isolation loss to worry about. 

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    FINAL WORDS

The hugely articulate ear-cups and very high levels of comfort that impressed me with the previous (HP100) model have thankfully been carried over to the new open-back HP200. Although I'm not totally convinced by pleather pads on an open-back headphones (velour would be better), they are extremely soft. Now that SoundMAGIC have added a slick metal grill and logo any feeling of cheap build quality is long gone. Actually I feel that they've really nailed the aesthetic desirability this time around. For me the HP200 is one of the prettiest open-back headphones under £500 around.

The HP200 reminds me of the famous Sennheiser HD650 for several reasons. The first being the bold metal grill (which I love on both models), but it's the excitement and low end sonic character that really makes me think of the HD650 and that's no bad thing. The major difference with the HP200 is a greater presence and sparkle in the higher frequencies. I can see this aspect being the biggest deciding factor for people finding nirvana with the HP200. It makes some music more exciting than the HD650 to me, but in other cases the balance of the HD650 felt better. It is true that the treble of the HP200 can be EQ'd down much more successfully than the HD650's can be EQ'd up, however a lot of people will not want to go do down that road. Now I personally slightly prefer the sonic balance of the venerable HD650 (mostly because I'm a movie soundtrack nut), the HP200 is the only other open back headphone I've heard that comes remotely close. If you take the price into consideration (the SoundMAGIC being over £100 cheaper) then I can't praise the HP200 enough. It's a bargain, it's easily the best bang for buck you'll get from an open-back pair of headphones, 

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    EQUIPMENT USED

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Desktop PC, Dell Vosto Laptop, iPhone4, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Asus Nexus 7, Fostex HP-A3, Arcam rPAC, Audiolab M-DAC, Shonyun SH-301, SOundMAGIC HP100, SOundMAGIC HP200, Beyerdynamic DT880 600 Ohm, AKG Q701, Sennheiser HD650, Denon AH-D7000, Mad Dog (Fostex T50rp mod)

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This review was pasted from my blog: http://noblehifi.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/ifi-ican-review.html
 
 
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[size=medium] Disclaimer: A big thank you to Ifi for loaning me the iCan for this review![/size]
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Before I talk a little bit about the iCan, let me first address the company behind it. iFi-audio have a small, yet intriguing line of stylish electronics, aimed at computer audio and using technology licensed from Abbingdon Music Research. They make a point of environmentally friendly materials and packaging (which is always nice). Their tag line: "Small in size, big on performance" seems pretty spot on, boasting "Class A analogue circuitry, no DSP and ‘Bit Perfect’ signals throughout" for their entire line-up (where it's relevant). [/size]
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In case you didn't know or hadn't guessed the iCan is a headphone amplifier. It costs £225 and is powered by a low-noise 9v power supply that provides 400mW of output power (@32 Ohms). Although there are no batteries inside the iCan Ifi are working separate on a battery unit to go with it. Audio inputs should cover most people's needs, with one 3.5mm audio jack and two RCAs. On the front you get a full size (6.35mm) headphone output only, which is my personal preference. It has a (S-NR) Signal to Noise Ratio of 117dB and a (THD) Total Harmonic Distortion of 0.003%. [/size]
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OK now for the really fun Stuff - The iCan has two switches (next to the volume dial), these control low frequency (XBass) and soundstage (3D). There are no destructive DSP (Digital Sound Processing) effects in use here. This really interested me because I do sometimes play with EQ (which is destructive) to make my headphones sound better with certain music.[/size]
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[size=medium] The above image shows the bottom of the iCan, it neatly lays out the six options for it's sound controls and what music that they might suit. I thought this was a nice touch. It exemplifies the companies reasoning behind the sound controls and maks this a very versatile amplifier. Acknowledging the differences between headphones & music while offering the ability to manipulate that to the user's preference is a brave move since some audio enthusiasts shun this kind of control. [/size]
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   SOUND[/size]
[size=medium] I am really impressed by the sound of the iCan! Ignoring the sound controls for a moment, I found the iCan's sonic attributes to be very nicely balanced. It has an impressive authority to the low frequencies without feeling bloated, there's a nice feeling of delicacy to the detail and a smoothness which brings very little fatigue. There is a great sense of air and detail and an abundance of power on tap, in fact everything that I could hope for from a headphone amplifier of this price is here. There are no nasty surprises in the signature and a great deal of excitement.[/size]
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If you find yourself looking for a different sound signature now and then, be it more weight to the low end or some control over the soundstage, then I urge you to take a good long look at the iCan. Adding extra weight to the low frequencies is nice touch even if you are pretty happy with the overall sound quality of your headphones. With a well balanced headphone I like the sound controls off when listening to most music, but switching to some Electronic music with heavy bass often makes me want to make that bass a bit more accentuated and normally I would look for a different headphone at that point. The beauty of the iCan is that it can bend a headphone to suit both needs, with no destructive EQ adjustment, just the flick of a switch and no need to take your headphones off. Of course this is doubly impressive if you only have the one pair of headphones. [/size]
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The 3D setting is similarly interesting, the high holographic setting widens the stereo imaging effect quite noticeably (on most tracks), claiming best comparability with Classical, Jazz and Rock. This setting also made the high frequencies a bit brighter and more harsh with some tracks. This wasn't overly annoying, but in the odd case that it wasn't welcome a small volume reduction seemed alleviate the annoyance without ruining the experience. The low holographic setting is supposed to work better with most modern music. Although it's an interesting effect I have yet to find a good genre and/or headphone to appreciate this with as much as the high setting.[/size]
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Power wise the iCan is very well endowed. I was recently very impressed by the Schiit Magni by just how well it can drive demanding headphones and the iCan is just as good, possible a little more impressive actually and that's really saying something. The only down side to this is that on a headphone like the Sennheiser Momentum only the first couple degrees of turn are needed to drive the headphone to loud levels. This was a little fiddly at times, but I could still always find the desired volume position so it wasn't terrible. [/size]
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[size=medium]     SOURCES[/size]
[size=medium] I decided to forego the usual list of music tracks to help explain how the amplifier affect the headphone's overall sound. There are a couple of reasons for this, firstly talking about specific  tracks took the focus away from the headphone's general signature. The second reason was an over-abundance of variables. In fact I want to keep the variables to a minimum, especially with this amp, I could compare the iCan connected to some smartphones and various DACs, but once I start talking about different headphones and then introduce the iCan's sound controls as well the possibilities and conclusions become pretty overwhelming. So for the bulk of this review I will stick to describing the iCan while using one good DAC.[/size]
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Despite not wanting to focus on it, I did try the iCan with a few different DACs. I started with the Arcam rPAC, played a little with the Arcam rLink, then moved to the Audiolab M-DAC and finally settled on the the Schiit Modi. The rPAC's DAC does not compare well to the Modi here, perhaps because the rPAC is already paired with an amp, or perhaps the synergy of that amp with it's own DAC makes more sense. The Audiolab M-DAC didn't make such economic sense as a combo, I can't see why you would pay all that money for a combined DAC and headphone amp only to bypass it's amp. The main reason why I didn't choose it though is that it just didn't sound as good as the Modi and I don't mean just relative to it's price. I think the ES9018 Sabre DAC pushes many headphone amps in the  wrong direction for headphones, for me it's just a bit too harsh, it over-emphasises unpleasant details and lacks smoothness. I was very impressed by the Modi and bought it straight after I reviewed it.[/size]
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    HEADPHONES[/size]
[size=medium] The Sennheiser HD650 gave a beautifully clean presentation, with all the sound controls off of course. The amplification was so neutral in fact that it made me long for the slightly better balanced HD600 (slightly less plump in the bass) over the HD650, but it wasn't a dissapointing match with the iCan. Using the bass enhancements with the HD650 was very fun with Dubstep and other heavy Electronic music for a while, but it did get fatiguing eventually. Plus this bass boost came in handy for emphasizing movies and soundtracks so it wasn't completely . The 3D [/size]
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I just got the new SoundMAGIC HP200 so really put it through it's paces with the iCan. Despite it getting the least use out of the sound controls it does sound really wonderful here. It's possibly the closest sound quality and signature to the HD650 and for it's price is an absolute steal. With most of the HD650's strong points and a little more excitement I can see some even preferring this over the classic Sennheiser, but I still just prefer the latter because it suits soundtracks a little better and that is my music listening staple. Either of these headphones make a great combination with the iCan, with or without the sound controls.[/size]
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When I started to fully realize the potential of the iCan's sound controls I ran to get the AKG Q701. These headphones have been left on my shelf for too long, only occasionally coming out for a review. I always knew there was something special about this headphone's sound, with it's clarity and flat response. I just couldn't quite appreciate the signature because of an extreme lack of bass body. I was hoping that the bass boost would make these headphones sound a lot more fun and wasn't disappointed![/size]
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The Denon AH-D7000 was a very interesting unit to test here. It has a very powerful sub bass and to use the bass controls with this headphone bordered on the ridiculous, but I can see some people absolutely loving this. The D7000 is still one of my favourite headphones (for the price I bought it for), although it's rather difficult to find now I still like mentioning it because there are some other similar sounding headphones out there that are still available (like the Denon D7100 or Fostex TH600 / TH900). After a bit of experience with the D7000 I have found it a little demanding of good quality amplification. While connecting them to the iCan they really made me smile and not just because of the crazy bass setting, in fact I mostly had the bass control off with the D7000. With all the controls off it was a really impressive sound and the 3D setting on high I noticed a huge difference, it was extremely impressive with some music![/size]
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[size=medium]     BUILD + DESIGN[/size]
[size=medium] Ifi Audio make a striking looking chassis, especially considering they have followed such a common design principle (essentially a tube with front and rear bolted panels), a la HRT, Audinst, Epiphany etc. All of Ifi's models share this same design too, which acts as a strong brand identity, but also looks to give a nicely stackable shape. This makes a lot of sense when you look at the possibilities of their catalogue, you could effectively stack up to three Ifi models together (USB Power - USB DAC - Headphone Amplifier). [/size]
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The volume dial is solid and smooth, which is very much appreciated given that there's so much power available here, the more sensitive headphones can get loud with only a few degrees of turn, but I never had any problems controlling them to the desired volume. The sound control switches are also solid and provide a very satisfying click. Their positioning is a little confusing however. The '3D' switch being off in the middle, 'Bass' being off at the top. Then there's the fact that maximum bass is on the first position and the slight bass boost is on the bottom, that's odd, but off and maximum were the settings I used most, so it kind of makes sense when you get used to it. The effects of the 3D switches seem more progressively placed and having off (or normal) in the middle means that you'll usually be only moving it one position. With this theory it would have made more sense to put the Bass's off position in the middle also, but this is a pretty minor niggle. [/size]
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With the amplifier being class A it seems a little odd that there is no power switch here, so if you are not using it you will most likely be yanking the power cable out all the time. Being a rather glaring omission, given the circumstances I wonder if having a power switch would have introduced some kind of compromise into the circuitry that Ifi just didn't want to make. That being the case I'm fine with it also, quality audio never comes easy.[/size]
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    FINAL WORDS[/size]
[size=medium] The iCan is a tough, well styled chassis with a nice volume dial and solid connections. Although I was a little dubious about the sound controls before I'd heard them, they are very well implemented and don't impact the final sound quality much (if at all). They not only fine-tune your headphones in general, but can be used to get the best from various genres of music and for me this was worth it's weight in gold![/size]
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Even with these enhanced abilities turned off the iCan's sound is powerful, engaging, delicate, spacious and smooth. I would highly recommend the iCan to anyone on the hunt for a headphone amplifier, even if you have more to spend. Very highly recommended![/size]
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[size=medium]     EQUIPMENT USED[/size]
[size=medium] Desktop PC, Dell Vosto Laptop, Audiolab M-DAC, Schiit Modi, Arcam rPAC, Arcam rLink, Denon AH-D7000, Sennheiser HD650, SoundMAGIC HP200, Sennheiser Momentum, AKG Q701[/size]

 
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Here are my thoughts on the TH900, posted on my blog​

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[size=medium] Disclaimer: A big thank you to SCV London for loaning me the TH900 for this review! [/size]
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This flagship model is the first high-end headphone from Fostex and retails for £1499. The first thing to wow you about this headphone is the pretty pretty red paint job. This is Urushi lacquer and this photo simply doesn't do it justice! Finishing off the bold looks is the Fostex logo - in platinum. This sample has a few marks, but even the wear looks sexy on these things - like a used leather jacket. Underneath all this the cups are made from a special hard-wood to help acoustic performance (more on that in a minute). On the inside is a unique neodymium driver with 1.5 tesla of magnetic power! Eat your heart out Beyerdynamic.[/size]
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To address a potential elephant in the room and clear up some facts - I will mention the Denon AH-D7000. Both it and the TH900 look strikingly similar and this is because both are made by Foster Electronics (which Fostex is a part of). Their sound has a similar signature, but it's here that they start to separate. The D7000 is the first headphone I ever reviewed and I still own it, so I will offer some insights into key differences between the two later but for now, let's focus on the TH900...[/size]
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[size=medium]     SOUND[/size]
[size=medium] The TH900 is going to be a headphone that's loved by anyone partial to a prominent and healthy bass body. The bass depth is pretty great but it's the power and kick throughout the bass frequencies that's rather epic! What shocked me more than the punch was the breathtaking speed of it's decay, it's both tight and powerful, detail with massive presence. Yes this is a warm sound, but despite that great clarity comes through, and that's a rare treat indeed! If this is the Japanese hard wood at work, even partially, then I'm impressed. I take my hat off to you, Fostex, you clearly know what you're doing. [/size]
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Perhaps you might be a little shocked to see the TH900's being described as 'reference', this something usually associated with the rather bass dry headphones like the Sennheiser HD800's or AKG K/Q701's. So is it really fair to call these headphones reference? Yes I really think it is. There is plenty of detail throughout all the ranges here and little bleed, the bass is powerful, but it doesn't overpower the music. I defy anyone to listen to the TH900, then switch to the HD800 and tell me they think the bass sounds 'realistic' on the latter. I'm not saying that either of those headphones don't have their strengths - and that would be speed, but the TH900 doesn't exactly disappoint here either. It actually displays decent to very good speed, especially if amplified well. For good amplification I refer back to my review of the Fostex HP-A8, where I said the A8 and the TH900 were clearly built to go with each other - well this is one of the reasons why. I would actually argue that the other two reference headphones have too much speed for most musical enjoyment and sound almost artificial or unrealistic.[/size]
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[size=medium] The soundstage of the TH900 is the most dynamic and natural that I have heard, especially when paired with an amplifier like the one in the Fostex HP-A8. This is the kind three-dimensionality that you might expect on an open back headphone and a very good one. The down side is probably obvious - a really rather poor amount of isolation, sound leaking (out) isn't too bad as long as you don't push the volume too crazy levels. Honestly the 'semi-open' Fostex T50rp is superior in both isolation and leakage, which seems like a joke. I can't really call this much of a criticism however, just something to be aware of, please just make sure that you don't buy these headphones for this feature. Apparently closed does not equal isolation.[/size]
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[size=medium]     AMPLIFICATION[/size]
[size=medium] The TH900s might sound like a ridiculously easy headphone to drive on paper, but don't be fooled. They will drive to reasonable volumes on portable players or phones, but certainly won't give respectable value sound. USB powered DAC & headphone amplifiers are a perfectly reasonable option however. Just be careful about pairing them with something warm sounding if you're sensitive to overly warm presentations as there's plenty here anyway[/size]
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Quality amplification is important to really do the TH900s justice and make them shine. The upper mid-range / treble frequencies really flourish with a speedy amp like the HP-A8, but it also enjoys the smooth there too. Low frequencies get further tightened up, adding a simultaneous detail and power to the presentation that is extremely addictive, classical music especially. The Fostex amp also controls the mid-range so effortlessly making the TH900 wonderfully forward with vocals, but also smooth enough to not sound fatiguing. I'm sure this isn't the only amp worthy of these headphones, but it's the only one I had handy to do them justice and there is no denying the tonal balance this pair exhibit. Perhaps something like the 'Burson Soloist' or 'Graham Slee Solo Ultra-Linear' could also be very enjoyable, but I found the Audiolab M-DAC not really balanced enough. It was a little treble happy, not terrible, just not a worthy pairing as cheaper amps brought the TH900s out better.[/size]
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    COMPARISONS[/size]
[size=medium] Denon AH-D7000: The Denon's wood cups were more of a feature of it's design although the coating made them look more like plastic than mahogany. Despite covering them up on the Fostex they are still there. Under all that Urushi Lacquer the cups are made from Japanese Cherry Birch, the Denon's are mahogany. Apart from being more textured the Fostex metal seems a little tougher and the edges are sharper. The leather ear-cups are more even on the TH900, not thicker at the back like the D7000 (a la Audeze). Because of this the Fostex cups don't need to rotate for fine-tuning the comfort. The TH900 is a bit heavier (400g vs 370g), perhaps you can tell but the comfort is about equal between the two - both excellent.[/size]
[size=medium] The D7000 was discontinued just prior to it's replacement being introduced (the very different D7100). Even second hand examples of the D7000 are now pretty sparse  It's price fell quite considerably towards the end of it's life, making it a bit of a bargain. Comparing two headphones at these wildly different costs is unfair, but it's something that some of you will be curious about.[/size]
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[size=medium] My initial impression was that the TH900 seemed to have a little less presence in the bass arena but I think this has more to do with improved decay than the kick being any less potent. The mid-range is more prominent and the treble extends further, in general the highs sound  more crisp and far better defined. A smoother amp to keep these frequencies under control is nice to have but still the TH900 sounds better on any amplification by comparison. [/size]
[size=medium] The D7000 is still one of my favourite headphones, but compare them to the TH900 side-by-side and it makes them sound pretty unrefined, even down-right poor. Now there's no denying that for around £500 the D7000 is a compelling headphone. If you manage to find one just do yourself a favour and never pick up the TH900![/size]
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Grado PS1000: Now this headphone is the only one that I have heard that's anything like the TH900 and I don't say that because it's the only mainstream one I can think of that's anywhere near this cost. Unfortunately I don't have the Grados here to test them side by side with the TH900 so I really can't say which is ultimately better at what, but what I can say is that the PS1000 has a similar level of bass body, detail, clarity and smoothness that also made me weak at the knees. If you've heard some of Grado's 'SR' or 'RS' models and are thinking: "what the hell is he talking about?! All Grados have a typical sound that's not what he just described", you're mostly right, but the 'GS' and 'PS' models are very different! I mostly mention the PS1000 here because if you're able to put down this amount of cash you owe it to yourself to at least try this one as well and see which one suits you best. Something else that I can say for sure is - the PS1000 is nowhere near as comfortable as the TH900. They're 25% heavier and my ears have never been a fan of the hard ear pads, despite being bigger than the SR/RS Grado models.[/size]
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    MUSIC[/size]
[size=medium] Here are some individual music tracks and how I felt the TH-900 coped with them. Most are lossless, some are 320kbps compressed (Spotify). I have cut this section down to a more 'bullet point' like presentation, so as not to cover the same ground too much.[/size]
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1. Skunk Anansie: "Hedonism" - great subtle vocals, extremely clear and spacial. 
2. Noisia (Split The Atom - Special Edition): "Split The Atom" - crisp, fast, bass monster, extremely dynamic.
3. The Prodigy (Music For The Jilted Generation):  "Poison" - Impressive, punchy weight to this good old of non-aggressive bass with the volume up and very enjoyable when you do. Great clarity and layering.
4. Mr. Scruff (Electo Swing): "Get A Move On" - Real foot-tapping presentation. Drums are very clear, fast and forward - wow! 
5. The Smashing Pumpkins (Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness): "1979" - Smooth, great soundstage. great instrument separation, guitars especially great.
6. Marilyn Manson: "beautiful People" - Fast, deep energetic guitars. Instrument separation and vocals are superb! Good three-dimensionality.

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[size=medium]     BUILD[/size]
[size=medium] The box exterior is very nice and inside it's rather basic. Personally I have no problem with this, but some might expect a bigger sense of luxury given the price. There is a headphone stand included, but it's also on the basic side (see end). I don't know quite how to feel about this one. On one hand I wonder why they bothered, but on the other, it is nice that you have somewhere to store these precious headphones straight out of the box. I would like to see Fostex sell a special stand for the TH900 that matches the style a bit better, perhaps something with a bit of Japanese Cherry Birch on it, since we don't get to see any on the headphone itself. [/size]
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The construction of the headphone itself seems pretty flawless. It feels very tough for indoor use, I can't imagine anyone wanting to wear this outside... actually I can but they would be wrong. Everything that moves here feels engineered to last. The accenting of the chrome joints and extension rods against the hard-edged black metal is beautiful, then there's the red Urushi lacquering and platinum logo - just wow! Everything about this headphone screams quality! The only a slight disappointment is that you can't see any of that Japanese Cherry Birch. It's almost as much a piece of artwork as it is a solidly build piece of audio equipment.[/size]
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[size=medium]     COMFORT
Like most high-end headphones the TH900s are pretty large and easy on the ears, but even in this range I find the comfort great. They can be worn for hours without any discomfort, a really great option to sit and relax to music with after a tough day. The headband distributes pressure surprising well for it's looks. It extends with reassuringly tight clicks, doesn't slip and has enough adjustment for any head size. Space inside the pads is generous (in width and depth). The material for the headband and pads is said to be a protein leather made from eggshell membrane, it feels very smooth and soft yet feels pretty hard wearing. Your ears could get a bit too warm with hot weather, but no more so than any other leather (type) ear pads.
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The cable looks and feels exactly the same as the one on the Denon AH-D7000. Generally this is a lovely cable, it's 3m of 7n copper and doesn't tangle easily with it's smooth braided coating, but... that humongous and poorly positioned Y-splitter made me less happy! Maybe this is a niche problem, maybe not. It's all to do with using these headphones while sat at a desk, which I do - a lot. Unfortunately the big plastic splitter is at just the right height for me to catch under the lip of my desk and it yanks on the headphones. This horridly jarring sensation is caused by almost any movement and it happens to me all the time. Now maybe this wouldn't happen to a shorter, taller, thinner person or just someone who sits/moves differently, but oh wow is it infuriating!
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OK let's end on a better, although equally trivial note - If you read my previous review (Fostex HP-A8) you'll know that I had a rather amazing encounter with some connections on that beast of a machine. Everything is made with such precision on these high-end Fostex products! Well, here (below) is the other half of the best fitting connection that I have ever experienced. I don't know if this photo shows just how well it's made - but it is spectacular!
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[size=medium]     FINAL THOUGHTS[/size]
[size=medium] The TH900 is a visual and sonic masterpiece for someone who likes their presentations bold. Sonically this is a balanced performance and worthy of the 'reference' moniker in my opinion. There's power in the low end, but it's under tremendous control and this is equally true of the rest of the frequencies too. Comfort and build are top notch as long as you keep them at home, which you should. [/size]
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I had a couple of small niggles with the TH900, apart from the astronomical price, but certainly not with it's sound. It's clear that this is a close cousin of the Denon AH-D7000, which was available for much less before it disappeared. The Denon did warmth well, but the TH900 takes everything it did well and refines it to a point of near perfection. Unless you feel that bass body just shouldn't have been invented you will love this sound. It does however deserve to be driven to it's full potential using high quality amplification and I can't help but point in the direction of Fostex's own HP-A8. These two flagships perform well on their own, but they were made to joined together and it shows.[/size]
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[size=medium] [size=x-small]    EQUIPMENT USED[/size][/size]
[size=medium] [size=x-small]Desktop PC, Dell Vosto Laptop, Fostex TH900, Denon AH-D7000, Fostex HP-A3, HP-A8, Audiolab M-DAC, Yulong D100 mkII, Samsung Galaxy Note II[/size][/size]

I pre-ordered the M-100 after falling madly in love with the M-80 less than a year ago. I wanted a bigger sound and larger ear cups for an over-ear fit. Unfortunately I got bass that is crazy and kills the mid-range. I find the highs a little splashy too and I don't want to turn them up too loud as they hurt at both ends of the scale pretty quickly! The comfort is funky too, not much better than the M-80 because they don't sit away from the ears. I've had on-ears that cause less pain than these so that's another reason that they just don't improve on the M-80. Just to clarify - the sound is not as good as the M-80. Not just, not better, it's much worse generally.
 
If these were sold as 'DJ sound', 'Heavy V-shaped response', 'Basshead', 'Beats Like' bass. With no regard for musicality, hifi or audiophile sound then I'd have no problem with them. Unfortunately they are described and priced as something that suggests so much more and it just doesn't deliver on the sound front. Such a shame too because on the outside they are stunning. For most head-fi ppl the M-80 will now be a fluke, an amazing portable that V-Moda clearly isn't interested 

I just finished writing this for my blog, but here is the full review...
 
 
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[size=medium] It's been a while since I reviewed some headphones - to long in fact. If you followed the 'USB DAC/amp' project - I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it, but for now that's on pause while I return to headphones. Bring on the DT880 Premium - 600ohm, Beyerdynamic's UK distributor (POLARaudio) are providing me with some of their new catalogue to play with soon, but for now here is a little gem that I recently purchased. [/size]
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Rewind fourteen years and I was spending my own money on headphones for the first time. It was my first year at university, I had £40 to spend and they were the Beyerdynamic DT231's. I loved those headphones - until the headband elastic deteriorated, but that was after a respectable six years of good service (the cabling and drivers never failed). Over the following eight years I moved through the manufacturers and ranges, expanding my passion as I went. Everything that I've learned since has led me to see Beyerdynamic as a rather under-appreciated manufacturer in the consumer sector. Perhaps this is due to so many over-hyped, 'style-over-substance' brands that are more about fashion and celebrity endorsements than audio quality. [/size]
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My main reasons for choosing the £230 DT880 were: The semi-open design and the 'hard to drive' high impedance. I've been using a lot of closed back headphones recently and I'm all to aware of the audio quality advantages that open-back designs can bring. Since giving away my AKG Q701's I've lusted after that 'open' sound and it was the DT880 that caught my eye. Beyerdynamics new 'Tesla' range doesn't offer impedance values above 250ohms (accept with their flagship model, where 600ohms is the only option). So this 600ohm DT880 seemed like a great choice to give those powered headphone amplifiers a proper work-out.[/size]
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[size=medium]     SOUND[/size]
[size=medium] The sound signature of the DT880 is very neutral*. That mantle usually brings with it a lack of bass presence that can disappoint some people in the musicality department. There is an undeniable truth to that with any 'neutral' headphone, but despite it not being suitable for bass-heads, it does still have a highly addictive quality. Yes the bass is lean / tight / detailed, but it's not as extreme as some 'neutral' headphones and not nearly as detrimental to the versatility and musicality as I'd expected. Any negative effect is mostly emphasized by lesser quality and less powerful amplification, connect it to a good amplifier however and the presence can very much impress.[/size]
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I have heard the DT880's detail described as over-sharpened, or artificial, but I struggle to feel that while listening. There is a real crispness to the sound and a wonderful clarity to the detail that really brought music to life for me. Part of the driving force behind the beautifully rendered detail is a strong treble presentation (apparently less so on this higher impedance model). Despite the brightness I didn't have many issues with sibilance. Driven from a high quality amplifier and the treble sparkles with the best of them and renders an articulate performance. When driven poorly the treble is the first thing to get rolled off and so doesn't cause too much of a problem there either - you just lose some detail. [/size]
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The DT880's drivers are described as 'semi open', as far as sound isolation goes there isn't really much to speak of so they might as well be fully open in my opinion. The grills on the cups go straight through to the driver. Sound leaks, but slightly less on the outside compared to the inside. The poor isolation can kill your musical qualities if you can't control your surroundings. The up-side to this is a wonderfully airy presentation that does wonders to the soundstage, in both depth and width. Instrument separation is also superb here and I'd imagine very hard to beat at this kind of price.[/size]
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[size=medium]     SOUND SIGNATURE[/size]
[size=medium] * A headphone's signature (or presentation) influences how much an individual enjoys their music, as much as, if not more than, things like detail and soundstage. So I'd like to take some time to clarify where the DT880's signature stands in relation to other headphones.[/size]
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I am aware that 'neutral' means different things to different people, let me try to clarify this. I have heard headphones like the V-Moda M-80 described as neutral but this is only true if you compare them to a 'bass-head's presentation like Dr. Dre Beats. Don't get me wrong, the M-80's are not bad, but they have quite a punchy bass and a treble to 'rolled-off' to be truly described as neutral or 'reference'. The Beyerdynamic DT770 pro is somewhere between the M-80 and DT880, but neither the M-80 or DT770 pro could be described as 'bass-head' or 'DJ' headphones. If you need a fair bit of bass kick to your sound and like Dr. Dre Beats be careful here (Beats have lots of bass and a muddy midrange - Audio Technica Pro700 mk2's, AIAIAI TMA-1's or most Denon's do this better, I only mention Beats to help make a point here because they're common).[/size]
[size=medium] Now let's talk about the 'reference' AKG 701: If you read my review on the AKG you'll see that I found it enjoyable, but a little to bright and lacking in bass. The DT880 fixes both of these issues for me, being both less bright and having more bass weight, without straying to far from neutral. In fact I would say it's more neutral than the AKG 701 and certainly a more musically versatile presentation. The soundstage of the DT880 is similarly spacious, with almost as much crisp detail as the AKG 701, but without loosing so much bass kick, or gaining so much harsh treble.[/size]
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[size=medium]     MUSIC[/size]
[size=medium] Here are some music tracks and how I felt the DT880 coped with them:[/size]
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1. K.D. Lang: "Perfect Word" - This track was displayed with a real sense of vibrancy that made a highly enjoyable performance. The vocals are very up-front in this track and sound beautifully clear, but it makes a lot of the background instruments feel overpowered. Despite this it was effortless to pick them out due to the great separation and clarity of these headphones. With a stunning sense of timbre the guitar sounded beautifully textured and the subtle soundstage is treated with great finesse.
2. SebastiAn: "Ross Ross Ross" - This whole album is a great test of sibilance (TOTAL). I was a little worried about the strong high frequencies (peakiness) of the DT880 causing discomfort with bright sounding Electronic music, but I was pleasantly surprised by how little harshness I encountered. You probably won't want to take this music to such high volumes as genres like Rock or Classical. I didn't find much issue here, ,but those who like their treble well rounded (rolled) off will probably not be to happy here. The crisp and clean detail adds an impressively bold feeling to Electronic music for me and I rarely felt the need for more bass either. At least once I'd spend a few hours getting used to this sound signature.
3. Beethoven:  "Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op92, Allegro Con Brio" - From the very beginning of this track the DT880s display a wonderful sense of both powerful energy and delicate detail. Instruments feel clearly positioned and well layered, with hardly any sense of muddling. The detail is so nicely defined here than I got a real sense for the performers moving to create this energetic music. 
4. Henry Jackman: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter "What Do You Hate?" - I chose this track to see how much low-end bass presence could come through. This is a piece that needs some real kick to get a good impact accross. Despite it sounding more powerful on my more bass heavy headphones, there is a better sense of space, clarity and detail here.
5. Incubus: "A Certain Shade of Green" - I don't think I noticed just how complex Incubus music was until I heard it through these headphones and that's especially true of this track. The layering and transparency through a good amplifier is simply stunning here! Surprisingly I felt a lack of bass here more than with Electronic music but it wasn't terribly off-putting. Again I think this is something that will take a little while to get used to, I am switching between different headphones often. If you don't, it likely won't bother you.
6. Dr. Dre: "What's The Difference" - I may dislike headphones with his name stuck on them, but he has some great songs. Most people will know that neutral headphones are great for creating music,  expect these headphones to suits this kind of music well, so let me use this example to say how versatile these headphones are. 

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[/size] [size=medium] I own most of these songs on CD, they are ripped to lossless audio and played from a PC. The audio is generally transferred via a generic USB cable to a DAC, using WASAPI - event style on JRiver's MC17 (buffering from the RAM). I also chose these songs because they're on Spotify, so if you have a premium subscription you should be able to find them easily and check them out for yourself in decent quality.[/size]
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[size=medium]     DRIVING: IMPEDANCE[/size]
[size=medium] If you want to be able to run the DT880 from a portable player then it would make sense to opt for the 32ohm version. Personally, I would not recommend headphones this large or lacking in isolation as something to use 'on-the-move', but each to their own.[/size]
[size=medium] I would only really recommend compromising on the 250ohm version if you know that you will be using a USB powered DAC/amp (or something similar) most often. Even then it's probably best to make sure it's got a gain boost to be on the safe side.[/size]
[size=medium] If you will be mostly driving your headphones from a mains powered amplifier then I highly recommend going the whole hog and getting these - the 600ohm version. From what I have read this one has the most rolled off / nicest treble.[/size]
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[size=medium]     DRIVING THE 600ohms[/size]
[size=medium] I was surprised that even some portable devices get away with adequately driving the 600ohm DT880s. I managed to get decent volumes from the Google Nexus 7 and the iPhone 4, others didn't fair so well so this is far from ideal, just don't completely rule this out. Volume issues aside portables faired respectably well in the audio quality department (unlike the AKG 701/2 which was crippled in audio quality, rather than volume - with portables). [/size]
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Most USB powered DAC/amps didn't fair much better than portable players in the volume department here. Of course the quality is better, but volume issues were equally as bad as portables and worse than plugging directly in to a computer or laptop.[/size]
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A mains powered amplifier is really the way to go for serious listening on the 600ohm DT880. I managed to test a few amplifiers like this, some combined with DACs - like the two Yulong machines for example (U100 / D100 mkII) and some dedicated. The Audinst HUD-MX1 is a good option on a budget, if you go for this I recommend opening up the chassis and switching the jumper to the high-gain mode. Also it would probably be best to power it from the mains in this case, which is a rare option for a USB powered DAC/amp. One of the best driving qualities I found for the DT880s was with a dedicated headphone amp (I used the Shonyun SH-301 Pro). This was fed by the Yulong D100 mkII DAC. It produced the most energetic and transparent sound. The Epiphany Acoustics EHP-O2D was also superb as it brought out plenty of that lush detail and added a nice warmth to the sound. This worked really well at balancing out the DT880s bass and treble more to my liking. Presentation wise the Epiphany wins hands down here and at a fraction of the price it makes a killer combination![/size]
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[size=medium]     COMFORT[/size]
[size=medium] This is one of the most comfortable headphones that I've tried. For it's size It's a pretty light 270g, it has soft padded ear-cups with a good level of clamping force - not too much (like the similar looking DT770 Pro) and not too little (like the AKG K550). The padded headband is simple but great for long listening - I never once felt it was touching my head (unlike the lumpy one found on the AKG Q/K701). With the soft material and an open driver it doesn't make your ears to hot either. It's also pretty easy to position the ear-cups so that nothing touches them. Beyerdynamic deserve a lot of credit here, it might seem like a couple of simple boxes ticked but if you've tried lots of headphones you will know how many miss this mark. This equals my impression from the Denon AH-D7000.[/size]
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[size=medium]     BUILD[/size]
[size=medium] I really like the construction of the DT880, it feels like they could withstand a knock or two without showing any signs of misuse. I really like the delicate styling of the grills and there is a lot of metal here. The armatures are not the best styled shapes that I've seen, but are thick and strong. The adjustable headband, like most Beyerdynamics from this range, is not the most elegant mechanism but once you have it where you want it there is not much to find fault with.[/size]
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[size=medium] Beyerdynamic offer a custom built version of the DT880 (as well as the DT990 and the T50p) - called 'Hifi Manufaktur' - direct from their website. Any of the three impedance values can be chosen (32, 250 or 600 ohms). Custom colours and textures can be picked for almost every part of the headphone individually, there is even an option of a real leather headband. You can have two lines of text engraved into a metal plate on the side. This is a very nice touch for people who like to have something unique, I wish more headphone companies would offer this service.[/size]
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[size=medium]     FINAL WORDS[/size]
[size=medium] The DT880 is a very comfortable, sturdy headphone, with a wonderfully neutral, airy sound and beautifully crisp detail. It's friendly with more equipment than you might think but takes good advantage of high quality sources and amplification to utilise it's full potential (especially true of the 600ohm version). [/size]
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This is definitely not a headphone for bass-heads, but neither is it the most lean bass presentation that I've heard. Before the DT880 I could easily describe my perfect presentation as having quite emphasised bass, but the DT880 is reshaping what I want from my music. Yes, ideally I would like to add a slightly heavier bass presentation to this sound, but not at the expense of anything else that it offers.[/size]
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If you are looking for transparent, dynamic, open sound and have high quality amplification to power it - I highly recommend giving the 600ohm DT880 strong consideration as your next headphone. For me it has a brilliant balance of sonic features, at a stunning price and with little weakness. [/size]
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I just wrote this for my blog so I thought I would post it here too.
 
 
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[size=medium] A&R Cambridge Ltd. (or Arcam to the rest of us) are well established in the field of hifi audio, but it could be said that the rPAC represents a departure from their usual products. It's true that they've made DACs before, but not combined with headphone amplifiers, not USB powered portables and not this reasonably priced. [/size]
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Data is transferred to an asynchronous USB for the Texas Instruments PCM5102 DAC chip to convert - up to 24bit / 96khz - audio into glorious analogue. There are also RCA sockets for connecting the DAC to an external amplifier or powered speakers. A logo of this calibre on such a multi-talented device for only £150... This seems too good to be true. [/size]
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[size=medium] The rPAC has a very clean and open sound. The experience is very neutral but if I had to pick I would say it's very slightly on the warm side. This slight push in the bass is nothing offensive and suits Classical or Electronic music equally well. My most notable impression from the rPAC is a great sense of smoothness. There is plenty of detail on tap to impress here as well, it never fails to impress when rendering fine details. The soundstage is great too, giving a great sense of dynamics to the depth and dimension. This is easily the best USB powered sound that I have heard. [/size]
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Although being USB powered doesn't seem to impact the sound quality it does limit the volume level somewhat. For mosr headphone it will not be a problem but anything above 300ohms may struggle for some people and/or some music (depending on the individual a bit of course). With the 600ohm Beyerdynamic DT880 the rPAC managed loud levels only if there was little or no exterior noise. A less than quiet environment and there could be issues. As USB powered audio volume goes the rPAC is among the better ones that I've tried, the Audinst HUD-Mini is much more problematic for example.[/size]
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It's a testament to how clear the sound is that even the best compressed music is starting to feel dull on the rPAC. I keep moving over to my lossless collection and everything feels more alive. I know this is a hot topic, I am sceptical about these things, but this is how it's making me feel about music. Anything less than 320kbps feels really grating to my senses.[/size]
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This paragraph probably shouldn't be in the I had some sporadic issues with the rPAC cutting out. A quick hissing noise and then it seems to crash completely and needs reconnecting. This seemed to happen more on certain computers. On one computer certain USB ports that it was connected to caused Windows 7 to BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death), and that is very bad! [/size]
[size=medium] The rPAC itself crashing seemed to happen mostly while Spotify was playing and perhaps this is related to it the rPAC demanding 24bit audio. I noticed this when running Foobar and JRiver (MC17), both programs force the music to be up-sampled to 24bit or they refuse to output anything to the rPAC. I am assuming that the reason you don't normally have issues is Windows fixing the problem without asking you. I noticed the Audiolab M-DAC also insisted on an up-sampling from the software if you try to force it to NOS (Non Over-Sampling) mode.[/size]
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    MUSIC[/size]
[size=medium] Previously I've avoided talking about specific music tracks in the DAC and amplifier reviews. I was worried that it would get confusing, but I'm going back on this as I feel it will help better describe certain sound characteristics. [/size]
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1. Rodrigo Y Gabriela: "Buster Voodoo" - Listening to all Rodrigo Y Gabriela's music is sublime on the rPAC. This track shows how well it handles fast paced music, but also how powerful and sharply detailed the guitars sound while not feeling harsh. There is a real sense of smoothness here that is intoxicating. 
2. opendoorsclose: "Night" - (Soundcloud) This Electronic track was made by a good friend of mine. Like most electronic music this is a great test of the  frequency extremes. Bass kicks hard, but is also well formed and nicely textured, treble is nicely articulate and not overwhelming. I also like this track for dynamics and soundstage, all of which come out really well here. The rPAC is really great for Electronic music, but to be fair it's great for everything. It just makes the bold sounds stand out even more and I can't argue with that.
3. Chopin:  "Nocturnes No. 6 In G Minor, Op.15 No.3" - The rPAC displays great poise forming the notes of the piano throughout this piece. Mostly this track is quiet and calm, but just after two minutes in this is broken up by a moment of drama, both ends of the scale sound utterly immersive. The rPAC is able to dish out smooth musicality and delicate detail with equal amounts of impressiveness?
4. Chris Tilton: Fringe (Season 3) "Escape From Liberty Island" - Ever since Chris Tilton's stunning 'Black' game soundtrack I have been following his career.  From their early collaborations you can feel Michael Giacchino's influence in Chris' work and that's no bad thing. 'Fringe - Season 3' conveys a really great mood to the TV show and this is my favourite album/season of the three for it's sound. It comes through here with great presence, yet intricate delicacy. There is no hint of muddling when the track gets complicated and it has a lovely sense of depth too. 
5. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble: "Voodoo Child" -  Yes I know this is not the original, but it's really good! I stumbled across this one going through my Dad's collection. If you have a Spotify account then you'll have access to several great versions of this track, including the original "Voodoo Chile" from the 'Live In Stockholm - 1969' album. This version by Stevie Ray is my favourite mastering of the guitar work and let's face it - this track is all about epic guitar. The opening is a great example of the 

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[/size] [size=medium] I own most of these songs on CD, they are ripped as lossless files and played on a PC. The audio is output through a generic USB cable, using WASAPI - event style on JRiver's MC17 - buffering from the RAM. I also chose these songs because they're on Spotify, so if you have a premium subscription you should be able to find them easily and check them out for yourself in decent quality.[/size]
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[size=medium]     COMPARISONS[/size]
[size=medium] The Yulong U100 is similarly priced to the rPAC and also good as a desktop DAC because it has RCA line outputs which are useful if you split your headphone usage up with the odd bit of computer speakers. The Arcam's audio signature is a little bit warmer than the U100 but not by much, I've heard warmer that I still think are great so I think this will provide a happy mid-ground that is likely to suit most people. The Yulong is priced a little higher than the rPAC, it's also much larger and needs to be plugged in to the wall for power but what it lacks in portability and convenience it makes up for with superior texture and soundstage.[/size]
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The Epiphany Acoustics EHP-O2D's audio signature is warmer than the rPAC's, which is no bad thing. It is worth noting because between the rPAC, the Yulong U100 and the Epiphany it's this aspect that'll make people prefer one over the other. It feels a little unfair to be comparing the Arcam to two units that are not USB powered however. The fact that it's close to these two is a real achievement but it is behind them in excitement levels. If you want portability then ignore the Yulong and Epiphany because they are not better enough to make up for this lack of convenience. [/size]
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Perhaps something like the Audioquest Dragonfly can get closer to the mains powered DAC/amps but I haven't tried that one yet.[/size]
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The Audinst HUD-MX1 is a great performing DAC, but for me it gets heavily overshadowed by the sheer performance of the Arcam. The two units share RCA line outputs and a similar footprint. The MX1 is a little less warm, which could be considered a good thing, but I preferred the rPAC's presentation here. At £115 the MX1 is a bit cheaper than the Arcam, but the rPAC feels way more special than it's price. The detail, bass, mid-range, treble and especially the soundstage feel much nicer on the Arcam but as well as all that there is real sense of smoothness to the sound. [/size]
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    BUILD[/size]
[size=medium] The rPAC is an interesting design. It's neat, well engineered and slick. Breaking away from the common shape of most similar devices it stands out as one of the more well thought out designs. I would call it looked unique if I hadn't seen the Calyx Kong, which apart from a slightly different button layout and no line-outputs is very similar.[/size]
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If you look at Arcam's line-up now you will see another similar looking unit to the rPAC, called an rLink. Try not to mix these two up because the rLink doesn't feature a USB input and thus requires additional power. The rLink is also a DAC only, in other words; it does not feature a headphone amplifier. Other than that the two devices are similar.[/size]
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[size=medium]     FEATURES[/size]
[size=medium] The rLink shows that the rPAC's 96khz maximum sample rate is due to a limitation the USB interface (or rather it's drivers) because the rLink supports 192khz with the same DAC chip. [/size]
[size=medium] The only buttons you get here are for volume, they are however very well engineered, shiny and have a reassuring feedback when pressed. Although I prefer analogue dials, I can see that not having one makes the device more sleek and durable - thus better for portability. You get one button for up & another for down, but if you press both buttons together you will discover a mute feature. This is a nice touch, although I tend not to use it myself. The buttons have plenty of granularity to the volume level, great for IEMs and high sensitivity headphones alike. I kind of miss having a display here as there is no feedback as to where the volume is set. Switch from low sensitivity headphones to high and you will probably get a bit of a shock. The unit is set to maximum volume when you get it too so be warned.[/size]
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    ACCESSORIES[/size]
[size=medium] The rPAC comes with a healthy set of parts. Apart from getting a 'thank you' card from Arcam there is a nice shiny manual (although there's not a lot for it to tell). You get a felt bag for carrying the rPAC around, this is nice an big so you can also get some cables in there too. Of course you get a USB cable, it's a simple one but most people won't care about that. Last, but not least, you also get a set of interconnects so that you can hook the DAC directly to another amp, again they are a 'basic' pair but this is a nice touch as they really didn't have to include these.[/size]
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    DIMENSIONS[/size]
[size=medium] The frame of the rPAC is just a bit bigger than a deck of cards (100 x 62 x 25mm). The 300g weight feels a lot for something this small - that's nearly three times that of the - all metal - Fiio E17. This makes it feel substantial and sturdy, but this bulk is almost entirely due to a very thick frame (which is most of what you see on the outside), the circuit board and chips weigh next to nothing. It feels rather overkill for strength so perhaps this added weight is assure a good footing when it's sat on a desktop. Moving me on nicely to my favourite part of the design - the solid rubber base. Looking almost the same as the metal top this keeps the design neat and slick. It's so much nicer than stick-on rubber feet, which are common on most other DACs.[/size]
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    FINAL WORDS[/size]
[size=medium] Try as I might I just couldn't find any real weaknesses to the rPAC armour. It's neat, has great features and superb build quality, but most importantly the audio isn't just good, it's stunning![/size]
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When I first saw the rPAC I was initial concerned that the AV giant was cutting off more than it could chew with their first combined DAC and headphone amplifier. I assumed that for this price corners would have to be cut everywhere and that audio quality would suffer. It's up against some tough competition from Asia too. Companies like Yulong and Audinst have had more experience with these niche products and have done an absolutely stunning job so far. After listening to the rPAC however my scepticism quickly melted away. As a desktop DAC I would put this near the top of a very long list but as a portable USB DAC it's a truly stunning machine that will be hard to beat.[/size]
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With it's balance of warmth, clarity, detail and three-dimensionality the Arcam rPAC is now my favourite DAC and headphone amplifier for laptop listening. It's not the smallest or lightest of them, but the build quality is as good as it's sound and the addition of RCA line-outs really adds to it's versatility. [/size]
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If you're looking for the ultimate in transparency (which suits my warmer headphones a little better), or have very hard to drive headphones then I would perhaps push you towards the Yulong U100 but if you want a sound presentation that is more on the sublimely smooth side whilst not sacrificing much detail or soundstage then the Arcam is very easy recommendation. The fact that the manages this while running from USB power is nothing short of spectacular. [/size]
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[size=medium] OK here are some rather pointless photos of the internal circuit board, but perhaps they will entertain some. I guess I've got the bug for taking things apart now . It's a very simple device to disassemble but unlike the Audinst HUD-Mini there is nothing fun to play with, like op-amps. [/size]
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I'm kind of curious to know what the 20 pin header, labelled 'CON1', is for. It looks like the ones you get on computer sound-cards. Anyone know what this is for?[/size]
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[size=medium] Here is the PCB sitting in the lower half of the chassis, next to the under side of the top half. Underneath is the felt draw-string bag that comes with the rPAC. As you can see by the under side of the chassis - the dark colour is sprayed on. I imagine any scrapes/scuffs to the top plate and corners will show through to the lighter metal, but so far I haven't seen this. [/size]
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I just finished writing about the HUD-Mini for my blog, I will paste it in here for easier viewing. Enjoy
 
 
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[size=medium] The HUD-Mini is Audinst's second ever combined DAC & headphone amplifier. The relatively new Korean company may be unheard of in traditional hifi circles but for afordable USB audio their first ever DAC/amp (the HUD-MX1) has made quite an impression. [/size]
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As the name suggests this new model is smaller than their first. Apart from the size the main external change is the lack of a mains power connection. Internally the DAC chip has been changed to the PCM1791a (the HUD-MX1 used the Wolfson WM8740). Compared to the HUD-MX1 the Mini's price is nearly 30% less (£82, compared to £115), but it retains both the small & large headphone connections as well as the RCA line-outputs. With a very low THD+N distortion value of 0.00003% the Mini seems like a refinement of the HUD-MX1's specification. So does it all square up to make the HUD-Mini better value for money, or is it just a cheaper alternative?[/size]
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    SOUND[/size]
[size=medium] Like the HUD-MX1, the HUD-Mini sounds nicely neutral and transparent for their price. Compared to a PCs on-board sound every element of audio quality is improved with the HUD-Mini. The bass is more powerful without becoming boomy or flabby, the detail throughout the frequencies is tighter and more focused. The midrange / vocals get more clear and musical, without feeling overly forward (louder). Treble is well Controlled, but perhaps lacks a little sparkle compared to some of the competition. The soundstage gets wider and deeper making music feel more three dimensional. Volume wise there is not a lot available here, it obviously can't compete with a mains powered DAC/amp, but in the volume department this is by far the least capable, even of all the other USB powered options that I've tried. My laptop managed to get louder at 50% volume compared to the HUD-Mini @ 100%. Plugging in the 600 ohm Beyerdynamic DT880 produced modest volumes for most music (not Classical) with the HUD-Mini at maximum, as long as the surroundings are quiet. [/size]
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After reading Mike's review of the HUD-Mini, on Headfonia.com, I decided to try a couple of different op-amps in the Audinst HUD-Mini*. The above sound impression is with the default LME49860 op-amp installed (out-of-the-box). Here are my impressions of the Audinst HUD-Mini with two different op-amps installed...[/size]
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    SOUND: (OPA2227p op-amp) - £5.90[/size]
[size=medium] I noticed a small change here, the sound seemed to open up a touch (better soundstage). The bass got a little nicer too but this was slight and the problem with comparing here is that you can't do it too quickly. After unplugging the USB, switching the chips, restarting your software and then listening to the same track again you tend to forget the little details. I also liked to put the chassis back together again before listening too, but maybe I'm crazy.[/size]
[size=medium] Unlike others, who have commented on this op-amp switch, I didn't notice any change in volume between this and the default one.[/size]
[size=medium] NOTE: You can now buy the HUD-Mini directly from Audinst (eBay) with the OPA2227p already installed here and only for a couple of £ more, that's nice! [/size]
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[size=medium]     SOUND: (OPA2111KPG4 op-amp) - £10.60[/size]
[size=medium] This op-amp is described as a 'Dual Low-Noise DIFET**' whereas the OPA2227p was a 'High Precision Low Noise'. Make of that what you will, but I noticed a bigger change here than with the OPA2227p. As well as the soundstage opening up a bit more I found the midrange to get a bit brighter / more forward. The bass got more plump and the treble gained a healthy sparkle. Generally this was my favourite presentation of the three. It seemed to give the biggest improvement to Electronic, Metal and anything with strong vocals. The volume also improved with this op-amp, enough so that even the 600 ohm Beyerdynamic DT880 became usable. Classical music was also capable of acceptable volume, as long as background noise was fairly minimal and the HUD-Mini's volume is near, or at, maximum. These are open back headphones after all (OK so technically they're semi-open but really they sound more open than closed). I still advise caution with tough to drive headphones though, I would not describe the maximum volume as 'loud' here, even with this op-amp, and there are people who prefer higher volume levels than I do.[/size]
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** DIFET = Dielectrically-Isolated Field Effect Transistor (just in case you're curious, I was )[/size]
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    MUSIC[/size]
[size=medium] Previously I've avoided talking about specific music tracks in the DAC and amplifier reviews. I was worried that it would get confusing, but I'm going back on this as I feel it will help better describe certain sound characteristics. [/size]
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1. Tony Bennett: "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" - This has an enjoyable vibrancy to the mix of vocals and piano. Tony's vocals come through clean, crisp and well rendered. The soundstage is a bit flat. With the OPA2111KPG4 op-amp the mid-tones feel more forward but also a little sharp / lack a little smoothness.
2. The Crystal Method: "Born Too Slow" - Feels lively from the get-go. Like before the vocals feel clean and well defined, but with more going on here it's even more impressive that they still hold up through all the punchy electronic elements. 
3. Deftones: "My Own Summer" - I quite like how the guitar sounds grainy and quite forward here. Again this is mostly true of the OPA2111KPG4 op-amp, it also feels like it's making the presentation faster. There isn't an abundance of authority here, but clarity, detail and midtones are all quite impressive.
4. Mozart:  "Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622 - 2. Adagio" - This performance felt very engaging. The delicate notes from the clarinet feel solid and smoothly presented. When the strings come in there is a nice feeling of space between the instruments.
5. Ramin Djawadi: Medal of Honor "Watch Your Corners" - This track starts with some nicely presented soundstage elements. There is a nice slam and texture from the low frequencies throughout the track that does well to immerse you into the action. The HUD-Mini also does well not to get too congested and overwhelmed towards the end of the track when the full orchestra comes in hard. 
6. Black Sun Empire, SPL: "Wasteland" -  I was a little disappointed by a slightly flat feeling from the few opening instruments, but when the everything kicks off thing gets a bit more exciting. It impresses with punchy bass and quite a dynamic sense of depth.

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[/size] [size=medium] I own most of these songs on CD, they are ripped as lossless files and played on a PC. The audio is output through a generic USB cable, using WASAPI - event style on JRiver's MC17 - buffering from the RAM. I also chose these songs because they're on Spotify, so if you have a premium subscription you should be able to find them easily and check them out for yourself in decent quality.[/size]
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    COMPARISONS[/size]
[size=medium] The Fiio E17 shares a similar footprint to the HUD-Mini. At £100 the Fiio is a little bit more expensive, but can be bought in Europe. Ordering the Audinst directly from Korea is highly likely to bring you a customs charge which will most likely bring it over the price of the Fiio so for now I will say the prices are roughly equal for arguments sake.[/size]
[size=medium] The feature sets for these two units are quite different. The Fiio E17 has a S/PDIF digital input that takes 24bit/192khz and a battery for using the amplifier only so makes more sense if you want to boost the sound from an iPod too. Lastly the Fiio E17 has bass, treble and gain control, changed via it's on-screen display. I don't put a lot of stock in the bass and treble manipulation but the three levels of gain make the Fiio E17 a better option if you have hard to drive headphones. The Audinst has a nice analogue volume control, a S/PDIF digital output (a bit niche perhaps) and RCA outputs. The latter of which make it easy for connecting the DAC up to an external amplifier and speakers. [/size]
[size=medium] Sound wise I found the Audinst to outperform the Fiio E17, this was reasonably noticeable even with the default op-amp, with either of the other two op-amps it gets better still so if it's purely sound quality you are after here is where my recommendation would be.[/size]
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The HUD-MX1 has a bit more sparkle, a greater presence and a more impressive soundstage. If you are willing to change the op-amp in the HUD-Mini then the audio quality will improve but it won't do miracles. The OPA2111KPG4 gets the closest to the quality of the HUD-MX1. The HUD-Mini makes a great budget alternative to the HUD-MX1 whichever way you slice it.[/size]
[size=medium] Feature wise the two Audinst DACs are similar. The HUD-Mini cannot be mains powered. It also lacks the gain control from the original model so it's not a great option for demanding headphones (300-600 ohms are mostly out). Also note that the RCA line-outputs of the HUD-MX1 are controlled via the volume dial whereas the ones on the HUD-Mini's are fixed. If you have active speakers with no volume (or volume controls on the back) then the HUD-Mini is not so useful.[/size]
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    BUILD[/size]
[size=medium] The chassis quality is not going to give Fiio anything to worry about but the strength and design are respectably solid, simple and clean (especially on the inside). I really appreciate the analogue volume control over buttons here. The dial is almost identical to the one found on the HUD-MX1, which is a precise feeling, rubber coated dial with an nice 'Alps' potentiometer at the core. [/size]
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I really like not having to use adapters when I use headphones, especially with the larger (6.35mm / 1/4"), so I prefer it when amps use the larger connection. Admittedly most headphones use the smaller one, its much easier to convert up rather than down. No need to worry either way here as both sizes are included natively. If only more of the competition followed Audinst's example.[/size]
[size=medium] The S/PDIF digital output here seems a bit superfluous. I can't imagine many people buying the HUD-Mini, only to avoid using it's DAC and headphone amplifier just to pass-through the digital signal to another format. It's useful if you have an older DAC that doesn't have USB sure, but there are loads of cheaper & better options for this. An alternative digital input would have made more sense to me but then they would have to put the mains power option back in, or included batteries like the Fiio E17. [/size]
[size=medium] The RCA outputs are a very welcome addition for anyone with desktop speakers or an integrated amplifier and a desire to connect it to a computer. I plug these straight into my AE desktop speakers and it brings a nice boost to their sound quality too. Audinst even include a basic pair of interconnects in the box to get you started too, brilliant! [/size]
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* Taking the chassis apart is very easy, which is great because of the op-amp switching (mentioned above). There is only one op-amp in the HUD-Mini to play with so it's not going to break the bank, or take long. If you want to experiment here are some instructions:[/size]
[size=medium] Remove all four screws (2 front & 2 back), the back panel will fall off but the front one will not. The easiest thing to do then is - grab the front panel and slide out the PCB (Printed Circuit Board). Once out a little way you'll be able to hold the PCB by it's sides and pull it right out.[/size]
[size=medium] You will probably want an IEC Extraction Tool for pulling out the op-amp, otherwise it's a bit tough to remove. The pressure needed to remove & install the op-amp barely flexes the PCB as it's pretty thick. This operation feels pretty low risk, this was my first attempt and it wasn't too scary.[/size]
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[size=medium] OK one other thing I have to mention... The indicator light on the HUD-MX1 was 'orange' when plugged in and 'green' when playing something, this was fine. The HUD-Mini however flashes between both colours continuously when playing. Apart from being a bit distracting it doesn't interfere with the user experience, but what hell is this about?[/size]
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    FINAL WORDS[/size]
[size=medium] The HUD-Mini is a great performer, giving a substantial audio quality boost to a computer's on-board sound. With great connectivity (both inputs & outputs) and a small & light chassis it makes a great companion for a laptop too. Both of the Audinst DAC/amps are a good buy for their respective prices but with a bit more to spend they soon work their way off the top of my recommended list. For around £150 things get a lot more interesting, but lets be more sensible for a second...[/size]
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The HUD-Mini betters the already impressive Fiio E17 on sound quality. It might end up costing less too (depending on customs). If you can live without the Fiio E17's other features then the Audinst is a clear winner. Comparing the HUD-Mini to it's bigger (and older) brother is a bit harder. The sound quality doesn't quite better the HUD-MX1's, even if you change the op-amps, but then it is cheaper and smaller. If you can afford the HUD-MX1 then it makes sense to ignore the HUD-Mini. If however the HUD-Mini just fits into your budget then it makes a great choice. You can always spend a few extra notes later down the line to play with op-amps if you're that way inclined.[/size]
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[size=medium] Here are some images comparing the Aundist HUD-MX1 to the HUD-Mini...[/size]
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[size=medium] As you can see the size has changed a bit. Apart from the Mini having less writing it only loses the power adaptor socket. The chassis of the HUD-Mini hasn't come down to the realms of the Fiio units, but they they do still have the larger USB, both sized headphone connections and RCA line-out's which make it great for desktop use.[/size]
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[size=medium] Here are a couple pictures of the internal circuitry to show the op-amps and tools...[/size]
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I wrote this review for my blog yesterday and wanted to post it here to shout about this really great device.

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Yulong makes three models of DAC. Their flagship model (D18 Sabre) seems stunning but its difficult to compare to other models that I've reviewed because it's not exactly the most elegant solution for desktop headphones. Not only is the Sabre DAC sporting beast a lot more expensive but it's not combined with an internal headphone amplifier and perhaps more crucially has no USB input. For all of these reasons most desktop users will want to stick to likes of the U100 or D100 mkII.

The U100 costs £172 and uses the Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC chip. The chassis may not be small but it feels very much like a cut down version of Yulong's mid-range D100 mkII. Both are mains powered, desktop USB DACs with built in headphone amplifiers. At about half the cost of the D100 mkII the U100 understandably shaves some features off it's bigger brother's specification. Gone are things like S/PDIF and coax digital inputs, balanced XLR outputs, a backlit display, asynchronous USB and a high gain headphone output. The U100 might be a more basic device but it does have one trick that the D100 mkII does not and that's the ability to use it's amplifier independently (via the line input - on the back).

    SOUND
The U100 delivers a fast, clean and very neutral sound that impresses hugely for it's price. It's strongest points are an abundance of detail and a wonderfully expansive soundstage. It makes for a very airy sound with a healthy dose of authority and instrument definition is beautifully layered. 
The mains power seems to have a great effect on sound quality. I have never heard a USB powered DAC/amp that can touch this sound, but as well as quality you of course get an abundance of quantity. The headroom in the volume department is impressive, even with the 600ohm Beyerdynamic DT880 I found loud levels at less than 50%. Clearly a gain switch is not needed here.

    MUSIC
Previously I've avoided talking about specific music tracks in the DAC and amplifier reviews. I was worried that it would get confusing, but I'm going back on this as I feel it will better describe certain sound characteristics.  

1. Megadeth: "Train of Consequence" - This track feels superbly three dimensional from the very first sound. With an edge to the guitars and wonderfully clean vocals it sounds great but the thing that beats most USB powered DACs here is the faster and more airy presentation it brings. Warmer headphones from Denon, VModa and Audio Technica can often feel dull with metal like this but the Yulong's DAC/amp combo really makes them shine regardless.
2. Skrillex: "Bangarang - feat. Sirah" - I was a little concerned there would be a lack of warmth in the Yulong for electronic / dubstep but the clarity and pace wins me over again here for a more enjoyable sound. It's not like the U100 tones down the bass slam, you just feel more like it's been left up to the music and the headphones. 
3. Filter: "It's Gonna Kill Me" - This is a delicate mix of quiet patches broken up by bursts of moderate agression. It's not an overly forward track, nor does it have the best mastering, but its a great song and the Yulong shows it up to be exactly that.  It hides none of the inconsistencies, but a transparent presentation is always a good thing in my opinion.
4. Dvorak:  "Cello Concertos & Orchestra No. 2 in B mino, Op. 104" - Like most classical pieces the volume is a bit low but crank it up a bit and you're rewarded with a fantastic mix of sounds and power. This is a great test for soundstage if your headphones, DAC and amplifier are up to the task. Rest assured that the last two are covered with the U100. 
5. Jerry Goldsmith: Rambo: First Blood "Escape Route" - This is a rather quiet passage, lots of subtle instruments which set the tone for the movie and they are presented with great delicacy through the U100. The crescendo, with it's heavy strings, make me wish I wasn't combining the U100 with rather bass-lite headphones right now... OK I just switched them it shows that the issue was not with the Yulong.
6. Duane Eddy: "Scarlet Ribbons" - The version of this track that I have has rather a lot of background noise, there isn't much the Yulong can do about that, but the guitar sounds great. When the bass guitar kicks in it really shows that there isn't anything lacking in the low frequencies and the control of that bass sounds great.

I chose these songs because they're on Spotify, so if you have a premium subscription too you should be able to find them easily and check them out in 320kbps compression. I own most of these on CD so I also tested them as lossless files through JRiver (MC17), using WASAPI - event style buffering off the RAM for the maximum possible quality.

    COMPARISONS
If you already own a USB DAC/amp under £100 (like a Fiio) and are looking to spend a bit more money to make your sound even more exciting then the U100 offers a great upgrade path. The U100 will give you a more neutral, better texture in the detailed and a more three dimensional soundstage. 
The U100 even makes great performing gear like Audinst's HUD-MX1 sound rather flat and lacking in excitement whilst not adding too much to the cost, but how does it compare to things more closely matched in price?...

The Epiphany Acoustics EHP-O2D is priced pretty closely to the Yulong U100 and their features are similar. Both chassis' are simple, but sturdy metal boxes that house a good quality DAC. Both require mains power, include line inputs for using the internal amplifier independently and have nice analogue volume controls. The Yulong is quite a bit bigger, but uses that hefty back panel to add RCA line outputs as well, making it a more enticing option if your desktop computer also has speakers. I am similarly impressed by these two devices through headphones, both have great detail, clarity and soundstage.
The Epiphany has a nice smoothness to it's presentation, but it's squarely on the warm side. This produces a wonderfully plump bass without affecting detail in a huge way. The U100 on the other hand displays almost none of that colouration, it sounds fast and neutral. That's not to say that it completely lacks bass (unlike the CEntrance DACport), it just doesn't emphasise it and the detail comes through more clearly because of this. 
The Yulong's chassis is better for a neat desktop as the power lead attaches at the back. The U100 has more volume on tap for high impedance headphones, even with the Epiphany's gain switch on (which I would not recommend), but the Epiphany's volume control is much nicer as it doesn't have stepping and is really smooth. These two machines are closely matched overall so choosing between them should be carefully considered and probably based more on presentation than anything else.

The Arcam rPAC is also a similarly priced DAC/headphone amp combo with RCA outputs but there the external similarities end. The rPAC is considerably smaller, doesn't have the larger headphone socket, runs from USB power and has no analogue volume control. It is however almost up to the standard of the Yulong U100 but with a slightly warmer signature, closer to the U100 than the Epiphany Acoustics EHP-O2D though so it could be a nice balance for some people. The rPAC's sound suffers a little from the USB power, but it makes up for this with considerable convenience as you can take this anywhere with a laptop and enjoy very high quality audio and with less cables too.

I can't really finish the comparisons section without talking a little bit about the U100's bigger brother - the Yulong D100 mkII. This DAC is nearly twice the price of the U100 and for that you get a lot more inputs / outputs, a screen, a dedicated headphone socket for high gain setting, an option to roll off the treble (very slight) and it supports up tp 24bit 192khz audio. 
Sound wise the D100 mkII also makes improvements across the board. Overall it displays a greater presence, a more dynamic soundstage, better control in the upper frequencies and an even better resolution of detail. The bass is a touch more plump, but not by much and Yulong have been careful not to make this effect low frequency texture or creep into the mid-range. The music feels more endowed with a sense of authority and power with the D100 mkII that make it very hard to beat anywhere near it's price.

    BUILD
When I first saw the U100's front panel I thought the unit was quite small because I assumed the headphone output was the more common, smaller 3.5mm (1/8") type. Thankfully we get the proper full sized 6.35mm (1/4") connection here and this means that although it's a good bit smaller than the mid-range D100 it is still firmly in the desktop sized arena (160x110x30mm / 800g).

The box is solid, easily disassembled and nicely neat for sitting on a desk. I am pleased to see the larger headphone socket here. This unit is a nice choice for headphones that only have this size connector and converting down is so much easier than up so two thumbs up from me here. The volume dial is nice, well underneath it is anyway, the actual bit you touch is plastic so doesn't feel that great but what really bothers me here is the stepping. I know some people will prefer this but I don't get on with stepped volume controls, even when they have a decent amount of steps like this one. How long is it before you come across that annoying '7 is too quite and 8 is too loud' scenario? This is the down side of not having any kind of gain control. with sensitive headphones, like the 25ohm Denon AH-D7000 the inability to reach the desired volume happens more often, although you can offset this issue by slightly adjusting the volume in software. With the 600ohm Beyerdynamic DT880 this will never be a problem.

    FINAL WORDS
The Yulong U100 reminds me very much of the Epiphany Acoustics EHP-O2D in terms of overall sound quality and it's emphasis of that quality over other aspects of the design (to choose between these two models look back at the comparisons section), but they're both equally as impressive and that's no small task. 

If you are considering the U100 I will assume the mains power doesn't bother you and you don't need the convenience of portability... Well, if you can live with these aspects then congratulations because this elevates the audio quality well beyond the similarly priced USB powered competition. 

Choosing between the U100 and it's bigger brother is possibly an easier choice as it can be settled purely by how much you are willing to spend and/or what connections you need. If you can't stretch your budget to the D100 mkII then the U100 makes a fantastic budget option with a healthy taste of that same stunning sound quality - watch this space for a full review on the D100 mkII soon.

​

Here is a shot of the U100 with it's bigger brother - the D100 mkII, with the Audinst HUD-Mini and Fiio E17 sat on top. Hopefully this gives a better understanding of scale. Once I have written reviews for the Arcam rPAC and Audinst HUD-Mini I will be moving on to the D100 mkII.

​

And finally one of back panels / connections. Comparing the Yulong U100 & D100 mkII.

I originally posted this one on my blog here: http://noblehifi.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/epiphany-acoustics-ehp-02d-review.html . The comparisons will make more sense when read over there.
 
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[/size]
[size=medium]  [/size]
[size=medium] A big thank you to Oliver at Epiphany Acoustics for giving me the opportunity to test an EHP-O2D from their first batch. This great little chassis is made in the UK and features two devices designed by blogger NwAvGuy (a headphone amplifier and a DAC). Epiphany are not pulling any punches with this model, featuring the ES9023 Sabre DAC and a high quality headphone amplifier for well under £200 is quite a stunning entry to the market. It's the only portable DAC & amp in my group test not to be powered by USB so it's a little less convenient that some, but can it justify that with superior sound quality?[/size]
[size=medium]  [/size]
[size=medium]     SOUND[/size]
[size=medium] The sound signature is on the warm side, but it's an experience that's clear, airy and beautifully detailed as well as being sublimely smooth. It has a real sense of authority and refinement that I didn't really feel in any of the cheaper rivals so far. The mid-tones feel very alive and surprisingly unaffected by the plumpness of the lower frequencies. Vocals sound wonderfully open and textured as well as benefiting nicely from the warm signature. Treble is amazingly well controlled for something at this level. There is plenty of articulate detail here, whilst retaining a nice sparkle. Sibilance is a surprisingly rare occurrence, even at higher volumes.[/size]
[size=medium]  [/size]
[size=medium] The soundstage is very well handled. Headphones that already offer a decent performance in this area get an even greater sense of three-dimensionality while keeping a natural feel. This is the most expensive DAC/amp in the group test, but like many other aspects, the soundstage performs beyond it's price. [/size]
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[size=medium] I don't feel like any of the warmth on offer here negatively affects the detail. Actually it too feels really rather stunning! Instrument texture and separation is as impressive as the soundstage and will likely have you listening to your music collection over again. I have been really impressed by the balance of sonic strengths on offer from such a small and reasonably priced model, I keep coming back to it after trying many other things and remain impressed.[/size]
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[size=medium]     COMPARISONS[/size]
[size=medium] I am not going to do the usual comparisons here because I can sum it up much more easily, it beats everything else that I have tested here hands down, unless you can't stand the warm signature. Yes, at nearly £200, it's the most expensive of them all but the audio performance does excel it past it's price. The fact that you can just use it's amp and that amp is superb too is the icing on the cake.[/size]
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[size=medium] OK a little time out for a disclaimer about the sound signature: Even with the Denon AH-D7000, which is renowned for being rather warm on it's own, the addition of the DAC's warmth didn't quite become overpowering for me. On headphones that lack a little warmth (Sennheiser HD800) it could push them just in the right direction for you. Don't expect it to perform miracles and fix something like the AKG K550 if, like me, you are uncomfortable with it's bass presentation, or lack there of. This is a relatively small but noticeable plumpness which, of course, some people will not appreciate, so I just want to iterate this point to avoid possible disappointment. I found the bass more emphasised here than with the Fiio E17, not just bigger, but better textured and more refined. The same was also true compared it to the HRT Headstreamer.[/size]
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[size=medium]     FEATURES[/size]
[size=medium] The EHP-02D supports up to 24bit 96khz through it's mini USB connection. Like most DACs with this specification it doesn't need any drivers, or even a restart after it's been recognised, it just works. [/size]
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[size=medium] Even without power plugging in the USB will recognise the DAC because this section will run from USB power. Be warned: just plugging it in and not turning it on will seem like it's disabled all your computer's audio. The 16v adaptor is purely to power the unit's amplifier. It's great that the EHP-02D can be used as purely a headphone amplifier but unfortunately with no line-out the DAC section can not claim the same flexibility. A line-out through a 3.5mm jack or RCA would have really finished this device off nicely.[/size]
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[size=medium] The EHP-02D's volume dial is the nicest that I have tried so far. It's metal, has a lovely textured grip and is beautifully smooth in it's operation. Turning the volume up slowly from nothing can present a tiny portion where there is a subtle channel imbalance, but it's at such a low volume that its unlikely to cause any problems. Volume levels were never an issue here, I was able to run the 300ohm Sennheiser HD800 at decent levels without maxing out the dial and that's without even touching the gain button. I can't see anyone having issues of low volume here. [/size]
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[size=medium] With the gain switch on I did notice some distortion in the higher frequencies at loud volumes a few times, but this never happened with the switch off. Fortunately there is so much power on tap here I doubt that you will need the gain up anyway.[/size]
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[size=medium]     BUILD[/size]
[size=medium] The chassis of the EHP-02D feels strong and well constructed. There was minimal movement to the ports when cables are connected. The only real down side here was trying to keep the surfaces looking clean - the metal felt sticky, greasy fingerprints were difficult to avoid and pretty much impossible to remove. The volume dial seems pretty sturdy, but it's so smooth it could be a vulnerable area if dropped. The addition of a power button is nice, since it's not built into the volume dial like some, it means you don't have to readjust the volume every time you turn it on. [/size]
[size=medium]  [/size]
[size=medium] When looking at the front of the device it's clear that the power socket is rather out of place, especially when the white cabled power adaptor is attached. Fortunately there is a black extension lead included which helps it to look a little neater. This issue is a limitation of the amplifier circuit board as it also happens on the EHP-O2 which shares the same chassis. Perhaps Epiphany's next unit, especially if they make a larger desktop model can avoid this but at this price and size it feels unfair to criticize it for this.[/size]
[size=medium]  [/size]
[size=medium] The EHP-O2D is essentially the exact same unit as Epiphany's amplifier without the DAC (EHP-O2). The internals of their DAC only unit (E-DAC) have been squeezed into the EHP-O2 where the batteries used to be. The rear plate has been switched for one that includes a USB connection, which is why the back of the device is the only place you will see the proper model name (EHP-O2D).[/size]
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[size=medium]     SUMMARY[/size]
[size=medium] The EHP-O2D is a simple, but solidly built unit, with a couple of design nuances that may not impress but the company's philosophy here is all about the sound quality and it shows. The sound is as smooth, airy and detailed as I have experienced from portable USB audio. This is the most expensive portable DAC & headphone amplifier that I've tested so far, but listening to it will almost certainly make you wonder why it doesn't cost even more. It might be a little less versatile because of it's power, but if this is the trade-off you have to make to experience audio quality of this calibre... I will gladly take it. I love this machine and I'm not sure how I'm going to send it back![/size]
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I've was going to get the D100 from all the great reviews that it got around here but as I was about to buy I found out about the mkII so waited and got it as soon as it was released. I don't regret it for a second! It wiped the floor with the CEntrance DACport I had previously and disliked because of the terrible bass but this thing has a really weighty low end without sacrificing detail. I have heard a better sound from one machine but it was a slight improvement and it was twice the price! (M-DAC)

I have just started writing reviews for headphones, this is my third. Originally posted on my blog:
http://noblehifi.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/vmoda-m-80-review.html
 
 
[size=medium]    INTRODUCTION[/size]
[size=medium] VModa started making headphones a couple of years ago and their M-80 model was launched in August 2011. The company strategy has been to fuse fashionable design with high quality audio. There certainly are other companies out there pushing the fashion angle, it's just that none of them sound any good so I forgive your initial scepticism. VModa's aim is to raise the bar for design sure but unlike other companies their primary goal and passion remains with audio quality. Durability is also high up on their list though - they pass military grade testing. 

​

Their first headphone (the 'LP') was a larger over-ear design and it was fairly successful, especially with DJ's (thankfully their names are not plastered all over the headphones, although there are some quotes from them on the box). The M-80 is a smaller, more portable, on-ear design and this time they are targeting the considerably more demanding audiophile (neutral response) crowd where sound comes first. So who should be more nervous here, VModa or the competition? Before I answer that lets go over some basics...
 
   PRESENTATION
The box is neat, well thought out and simple with some clear, good looking images and text. It's one of those boxes that's so small it makes you wonder how the contents actually fit inside. Even though it's small and light it has a carry handle, with an interesting scaly texture and is bolted on with metal studs. It's probably overkill but it's a nice touch. 

​

   INSIDE THE BOX
Open the box and you are met with an impressively moulded carry case that has a similar texture to the box's carry handle. Unzip the case and you'll find the headphones squeezed in there with two cables bungee'd to the sides. Two cables means they're removable - great! Even better news is the connection is a standard 3.5mm headphone jack at both ends which means you can easily find another one if you so wish - superb! Both supplied cables are kevlar-reinforced with buttons and mic for use with a phone - sounds super brilliant but more on that in a second. 

​

NOTE: Given the minimalist case size the cable must be removed and the headband completely contracted before the case can be closed. 
 
Now for some bad news about the cables... Because both have buttons (the red cable has one button and the black cable has three) the 3.5mm jack that plugs in to your source needs three connections as opposed to the "standard" two. This had the effect of horribly distorting the music, like it was being played in the next room - vocals were almost non-existent. Although I later discovered that the issues seem to go away when holding the main button on the cable it's not really a solution. It seems that these cables are not meant to be used on anything other than an Apple device, the single button cable is supposed to be compatible with "other" phones it too produced the same distortion on my main computer, laptop and phone (Samsung Galaxy S). VModa do sell a normal cable (without buttons) on their website but it's a pain to order it outside of america and annoying that you should have to.

​

Thankfully the common nature of the cable connection meant it was not hard to source another "normal" one so I found a 5n (99.999% pure) copper cable by QED on eBay. Coincidentally it matched the colour and style of the M-80 really well. It may not be kevlar but at least it works.

 ​

   DESIGN & BUILD
The M-80's shape is similar to the larger LP model, they are not reinventing the wheel and I can see why. The shape, use of materials and colour is sure appealing to me although I am sure someone exists out there that could call them ugly. The styling and simplicity of the metal arms holding the cups is great. I like the way they has incorporated the screws in to the styling and they're 100% functional. The fabric headband feels like it's covering some more decent metal construction, it doesn't show dirt easily and has a nice logo in red at the top. The construction in general uses a lot of metal and feels suitably strong and well engineered. The fact that it passes military testing for durability is a nice addition too because I can imagine people wanting to take these outside given their portability, isolation and prettiness. The metal plates on the side of the ear-cups are also customisable. Spares are sold separately but can be chosen in multiple colours with a choice of patterns/text or you can even send your own image for them to be laser engraved to the surface. A nice touch for an already unique looking product. Clearly a lot of thought has gone in to the design. I can't think of a similarly priced headphone that has this desirability of styling.
 

 ​

   COMFORT
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The M-80s fit nicely around the neck when not in use but being so small and heavy while clamping quite hard (unavoidable for the isolation and bass) I found them to be difficult to position. They also felt like they need to be twisted to get a flat fit to the ears. After a bit of playing around they felt good enough (I have heard of people twisting the frame to fix this but I'm not too keen to try that). Like most small headphones that put pressure on your ears they caused considerable discomfort after about an hour. For short listening periods they are fine but if you like to listen to music for longer periods without a break you will probably want to look elsewhere. VModa do make a larger headphone that sits around the ear (The original 'LP' model and now the 'LP2') but they are a different sonic style to the M-80 (more bass heavy), there is talk of an M-100 model in the works that would combine the size of the LP model with the sonic signature of the M-80, fingers crossed!
 

 ​

 ​

 ​

 ​

   SONIC SIGNATURE / QUALITY
A neutral response is usually expected from a company with a bit more pedigree than this but they have done a great job balancing it for any possible target audience. The bass is not boosted but still has some decent kick and reasonable depth (although this is one area it could be limited for some), the slightly forward upper midrange puts them on the more pleasant side of neutral but it's slight, I think that's a good thing for this price level (£160). Treble control is fantastic without sounding restrained. Detail reproduction was very impressive when connected to high-end equipment but they don't require it to sound pretty decent there too. Instrument separation keeps up with the strong competition but doesn't massively impress (like many other aspects). The subtle porting in the metal cups give a nice airy sense and impressive sound-stage - considering the closed back design, some isolation is lost in the process compared to the best but this is a good trade off for most. I really struggle to think of what genre they lend themselves to best, I haven't noticed any obvious failings here. Classical, Rock, Jazz, Electronic, Dubstep, Latin, Metal, Industrial all sound equally great!
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   DRIVING (AMPLIFIED)

To see what these headphones were really capable of I used my benchmark machine. The Yulong D100 mkII - a great asynchronous USB DAC (digital to analogue converter) with a very respectable headphone amplifier. This was fed lossless, CD quality files using J River's WASAPI event Driver from my desktop computer.

​

While making this review I also got the iBasso D7 - a portable asynchronous USB DAC and class A headphone amplifier for use with my laptop and work computer. It's the most fiddly to set-up of any such unit I have tried but it gives a nice boost over the standard computer output. It's no match for the Yulong but I didn't expect it to be. 
 
If you do want great quality music on the go then perhaps one of the new high-end portable DAPs (digital audio player) would be interesting. Units like the iBasso X100, Colorfly C4 or HifiMan HM-801 could make a fantastic combination to the M-80. Although for the price of one of those you could buy three or four pairs of these headphones... ouch!
 
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[size=medium]    DRIVING DIRECT (UN-AMPLIFIED)
In both DACs the M-80s performed really well but I have to say this just feels wrong. Plugging such a sexy little pair of headphones into a system that's tied to your desk I mean, it's like caging a wild animal. These things were made to be out in the wild, running from a portable. They wouldn't be worth much if they failed to perform like this so it's great that they excel here too. They do get even better with high quality equipment but they don't make a fool of themselves without it.

 ​

 ​

​

   BENCHMARK MUSIC
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[size=medium] A chance to show off some of my favourite tracks and help me pick up subtle differences in equipment due to me being familiar with their sounds. I have also tried to pick tracks that emphasize different types of sound, thus covering the widest possible range of these headphones abilities.
 
 
    1. Nero: Must Be The Feeling (Welcome To Reality)
This music sounds nicely energetic without feeling boosted or constrained. The bass impact is quite impressive without feeling too muddy. I'm really curious to try this music with the VModa's bigger bassier brother (LP2) because I find it hard to believe it could sound any better than it does here. 
    2. Tool: Parabola (Lateralus)
The heavy guitar sounds satisfyingly aggressive and nicely detailed for such a densely musical rock track. It can be difficult for this kind of music to sound engaging on headphones but the M-80's do as commendable a job as any I have heard.
    3. Eagles: Life In The Fast Lane (Hotel California)
This is extremely enjoyable! Lively, crisp and slightly forward sounding. It's one of the nicest presentations I have ever heard for this song! These headphone may not be 100% neutral but what is for this price? I think the only deviation from neutral with the M-80s response is an intentional shift to make them that little bit more fun. Quite possibly the most enjoyable headphones I have ever tried (for the money).
    4. Rodrigo Y Gabriela: Gabriela Solo (Live In Japan)
This solo, live performance really shines. Full of detail, nice sound stage and when the bassy guitar / thumping kicks in at 1:30 it's deeply impressive! There is also quite a bit of treble in this track earlier on which is controlled nicely without dulling the whole experience down. 
    5. Natalie Imbruglia: City (Left Of The Middle)
A good mix of guitar and vocals - fun and brightly presented. The nicely balanced sonics of the M-80's present the two elements well - nicely separated, clear and lively - highly enjoyable. Forget all the others, Natalie was the queen of Aussie soap stars turned pop singers. I haven't heard this one in a little while but listening to this now memories of the huge crush I had on Natalie comes flooding back, wow that's a sexy voice!
    6. Velcra: For My Loneliness I Pay (Between Force and Fate)
This has some of the heaviest guitars and most aggressive female vocals of my collection. I love this one for burning off some stress so it needs to be reproduced with a healthy dose of power and speed and I was not let down. The bass and energy these tiny headphones are capable of is mind blowing!
    7. John Williams: Snowy's Theme (Tin Tin)
This soundtrack was a real return to form in my opinion and these headphones do a great job of presenting the drama with a fun energy. Much of the album displays Williams skill of conveying a great sense of adventure with a dynamic and lively score. The M-80s are vastly pleasurable and only lose a half point from a slight feeling of congestion in the lower frequencies.
    8. Michael Giacchino: Operation Neptune (Medal of Honor: Limited Edition - Disc 6
This one is just a little too good to be a video game score. Don't get me wrong I'm not being derogatory about games (game developing is my main trade), it's just that this is better than most big budget movie scores I've heard and I have a few. So I am passionate about this stuff but do the M-80s do it justice? most certainly yes! They are as good for classical orchestra as they are rock or Industrial Metal. I have described headphones as versatile before but these take the cake, a superb all-rounder. 
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[size=medium]    SUMMING UP

There are a couple of annoying issues with the M-80. The Ear comfort for prolonged use is the most annoying but is understandably unavoidable. The cable issues are the most unforgivable because they could have been so easily avoided but still this is more of a nuisance than a deal killer given the convenience of the connection and this really is the limit of the down sides. The list of things they do well is so big I don't know where to start... They perform really very well stuffed straight in to a phone or computer but both of the amplified systems propelled the M-80's audio to a level of quality I really didn't expect them to reach. For a headphone at this price point they just blew me away, the fact that it does this with great looks and build quality as well just seems too good to be true.
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[size=medium] Pros:
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[size=medium]

1. Stunning sound quality for the price / size
2. Neutral sound with decent bass
3. good sound Isolation
4. Surprisingly good sound-stage
5. Very genre versatile
6. Stunning build quality / material use
7. Styling and customisability
8. Removable single sided cable with standard connection

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[size=medium] Cons:
[/size]
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1. Comfort falls away fast with the small size and high pressure
2. Both supplied cables not compatible with most devices

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 ​

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If great looks, stunning sound and tank-like build quality are highest on your list then the M-80s should be on the top of yours, it's that simple. Unfortunately they are difficult to find in the UK, especially to play with in shops, hopefully this will change if they get a bit more popular - I for one very much hope this happens and soon, I think HMV would sell a ton of these!
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Just wrote a review for these here: http://noblehifi.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/akg-q701-review.html
 
[size=medium]    PRESENTATION[/size]
[size=medium] The Q701 is AKGs top circumaural headphone model - an open back, reference headphone endorsed by Quincy Jones. The box design and materials are rather uninspiring for a flagship model, there's not much more I can say about that so lets get it open..
 

​

 ​

   DESIGN
Once passed the flimsy container things get more interesting. The coloured parts are plastic (white in this case) but they look pretty solid and nicely designed. The headband is metal, covered in leather with an embossed "Quincy Jones" logo in the middle. The easy fit comes down to some thin bits of elastic connected to the ear-cups, my main worry for this is that time would naturally destroy these as I have had things like this go on previous headphones but I don't know how strong they are. The metal arches (which carry the signal to the right diver) are described as "unbreakable", looking at all that plastic I really don't want to test that but hopefully there is some truth to it. The large black ear pads look very comfy and visually contrast nicely on the brighter coloured models.
 
The looks in general are certainly not for everyone but I quite like them. Nothing much has changed since the K601 model design wise. By AKG's own words: The difference between the Q701 and the previous model are limited to exterior aesthetics chosen by Quincy Jones. The colour choices, name and logo branding are the only things that have been modified since the K702. Actually the K702 only adds a removable cable from the K701. The driver and general construction remain unchanged throughout the three x70x models. This could make some people feel rather bitter if they find this out after shelling out for the significantly pricier Q701. The only silver lining to this is that (unlike the K702) the actual price of the Q701 seems to fluctuate substantially - at least on the Amazon website anyway. On rare occasions it can be found even cheaper than the K702.
 

​

 
The box contains two detachable cables, the headphone connection of which is proprietary which is a shame as it means replacements will need to be ordered directly from AKG. The lengths of these cables are 3m and 6m. When I first read that Iassumed they had mixed up feet with meters but no - they're humongously long ! The longer of which means you could walk around a large room whilst plugged in to a Hi-Fi. They are both 4n (99.99% pure) copper terminated in a gold plated connector. This 3.5mm connector suggests the Q701s can and should be used with various average devices and this gives off the wrong impression because they really shouldn't.
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[size=medium]    COMFORT

The comfort of the Q701 is mostly great. They are very light, they don't touch your ears, the ear cups are nice and soft, they don't make your ears hot, they don't clamp your head too hard and the headband doesn't need adjusting... 
 
The main thing that lets it all down is the the headband's cushioning. There are small ridges on the underside of the band that contact with your head and they are pretty hard (don't cushion well at all). If you don't have a decent amount of hair to help cushion these ridges you'll probably experience some discomfort (like me). This marred an otherwise great feel to these headphones. To say it completely ruins the experience would be unfair but if there is one design aspect that should have have been improved from the previous model it was this.
 
One other slight negative point: They tend to make creaking noises if you wear glasses and this feels like it's amplified to your ears if you move the cups slightly. I can't completely blame the headphone for this but it's something that other large headphones do not do.
 

​

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   SONIC SIGNATURE
Being "reference" headphones they provide a very well balanced and neutral sound - crisp, clean and revealing, the sound stage is wonderfully airy too. Although the bass it tight and detailed here for some people it can seem to lack power. I like, possibly even love, the Q701 sound signature but I also enjoy powerful low frequencies that other headphones offer which these just cannot match. I would not want to live with only these headphones for my music collection but this, probably more so than most, is a very subjective issue. What it may or may not lack in bass it certainly makes up for with a wide sound-stage and plenty articulate of detail (compared to the competition). They demand lossless or uncompressed audio and high quality equipment to drive this detail - if you plan on plugging them directly in to an unmodified portable you will get a fraction of what they excel at. One final word of warning regarding the lack of isolation: The open back design is guilty of leaking sound, both in & out, a lot. If any of these characteristics concern you and you're tempted to buy them I strongly advise you to avoid them or find a way to test them before buying.
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[size=medium]    DRIVING: AMPLIFIED

I tested these headphones almost exclusively plugged into a computer via the ​

Yulong D100 mkII - a decent desktop USB DAC from China with a very respectable built in headphone amplifier

. This is quite​

 capable of playing back my losslessly compressed CD quality files. The USB connection supports asynchronous transfer and I run the WASAPI driver on the Foobar software for a bit-perfect audio stream to the DAC.
 

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   DRIVING: DIRECT (UN-AMPLIFIED)

The small headphone plug (3.5mm) is convenient if you want to plug it into a portable device, directly in to a computer or tablet but you would be doing them a huge disservice if you do. You will be lucky to get much volume out of them and almost certainly wont get any of the detail that they are capable of. 

 

   Portables

The iPhone 4 was probably the best experience I had, it went to acceptable volumes and could squeeze out a little detail, the DAC it has is obviously not too bad. The Samsung Galaxy S got to similar volume levels as the iPhone 4 but was starting to feel lacking. The sound quality however was very soft and muddy, in other words it destroyed most of what is good about the Q701s. Then I tried it on my favourite portable player - a Cowon S9: The volume just wouldn't reach any kind of enjoyable level at all, this is kind of odd because it hasn't been the weakest of the 3 portables for other headphone's volume (previously it was the Galaxy S that suffered most). It was so low in fact that I simply couldn't tell if it had any nice detail, knowing Cowon output it probably had some but was totally unusable at these volumes. 

 

   Computers

My laptop (Dell Vostro V131) showed more than anything else that these headphones are a high maintenance creature where sources are concerned. Volume wise it had plenty of power but resolving detail was just nowhere to be seen. I'm sure this will vary from laptop to laptop but mine made the Q701s feel like they could have been trampled by a cheap mp3 player, some low quality MP3s and headphones 1/10th of this price. 
 

   BENCHMARK MUSIC

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[size=medium] A chance to show off some of my favourite tracks and help me pick up subtle differences in equipment due to me being familiar with their sounds. I have also tried to pick tracks that emphasize different types of sound, thus covering the widest possible range of these headphones abilities.
 
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• Butch Clancy: TinieTempah, Passout
• The Crystal Method - The Grid (Remix of Daft Punk's Tron Legacy song)
• Henry Mancini: The Ultimate Pink Panther - The Pink Panther Theme
• Bear McReary: Battlestar Galactica: Season 2 - Prelude to War
• Hans Zimmer: Sherlock Holmes - Is It Poison. Nanny?
• Yoko Kano: Cowboy Bebop (disc 1) - Spokey Dorkey
• Tony Bennett / Lady Gaga: The Lady Is A Tramp
• Rodrigo Y Gabriela: [self title] - Juan Loco
• Skunk Anansie: Hedonism
• Metallica: Of Wolf And Man
• Holly Cole: Train Song
• Queen: One Vision

 

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1. Butch Clancy's Dubstep is my go to music for heavy bass. I'm sorry to say that all the detail and sound stage do nothing for this kind music and there is no other trick up the Q701's sleeve to make this kind of music enjoyable in my opinion. They present a pleasing and detailed midrange but if you try to turn the volume up to get some bass you will get attacked by harsh treble.
2. The Crystal Method's mix has enough dynamic elements to make this a much more pleasant experience than the one trick pony Dubstep. Although I feel like the track could benefit from a more weighty low end it's mostly because I am used to something that has it. If the Q701's are your only headphones and you settled in to their sonic character it's likely that you wont be displeased with them here. The sharp and speedy detail with great sound-stage do wonders for most electronic music.
3. Henry Mancini's classic sounds crisp, textured and wonderfully detailed. The Stereo imagining and instrument separation sounds wonderful. Although this is not a live track it makes me want to hunt one down.
4. Bear McReary's track, with it's long build up is beautifully rendered and starts up sounding more like a piece of classical instrumental than a film score here. All the instruments seem to pop out that bit more than I'm used to and the heavy drums (3 minutes in) still sound deep enough to carry the immense impact they were shooting for. 
5. Hans Zimmer's subtle orchestra piece comes out brilliantly detailed. Every tiny sound feels very well rendered even at low volumes. It's so clear I don't feel like I could be missing anything in this presentation. Each note can be easily isolated in your mind with the slightest concentration, it's possibly more revealing than engaging but still thoroughly enjoyable.
6. Yoko Kano's harmonica can be real assault on the ears with the high frequencies but it makes a great benchmark piece. It's difficult for headphones to keep the treble under control at normal volumes here and the AKGs don't quite manage it. Turned down a bit the issues quickly go away however and what you are left with is extremely enjoyable. This could easily be as much of a problem with the amp considering how awkward these headphones are to drive so if I were to take too many points of it here for such a minor infraction it would be unfair.
7. Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga's vocals sound sublimely smooth and dynamic. This rendition felt nicely in between the typical emphasized upper midrange presentation from Grado and the rather lacklustre one from the Beyerdynamic DT770 pro. The AKG seems to manage a more exciting compromise while keeping all the finely crafted detail from the neutral signature.
8. Rodrigo Y Gabriela's guitar duo is stunningly presented here. The texture to the guitar and the clarity of every little beat and pluck were fully brought to life, I just can't get enough of this music with these headphones. Even the deep beats from Rodrigo drumming the acoustic guitars sound surprisingly weighty. The live performances of this music are even better too!
9. Skunk Anansie's mellow song is another female vocal that seems to shine on these headphones. To me it's just about right, not too forward and not recessed. As crisply detailed as all the instruments are they never overpower any of the vocals. On the rest of the album when the music gets loud it can get a bit overpowering and messy but the less aggressive tracks like this are wonderfully well presented.
10. Metallica's heavy song is really quite enjoyable here. The lack of low end punch could have been an issue but the fast attack of the different guitars just sound great. I actually found the deeper low frequencies of other headphones destroyed heavy metal like this for me because of the warmer signature. 
11. Holly Cole's song doesn't punch with the same weighty percussion as it does with decent floorstanders (or even some headphones) but the clarity and priority of the vocals come out really well balanced with the acoustics. 
12. Queen's upbeat classic sounds great on these phones. Dynamic, engaging and very fun! 

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[size=medium]    SUMMING UP

OK lets get the bad stuff out of the way first: A bit uncomfortable, a premium price for the name, searching for bass reveals harsh treble and a very decent DAC / amplifier is needed but... is all of that forgiveable because of the detail and sound-stage? yes I would say it is! I have probably put too much emphasis on negatives in this review because all the good points just seem so close to greatness it feels a bit frustrating. The truth is I really enjoy putting these headphones on a lot of the time. My search for perfection is ongoing but they really are very good.
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[size=medium] Pros:
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1. Great Detail & Clarity
2. Expansive Sound Stage
3. Neutral response
4. Light but Strong build
5. Generally Comfortable (with lots of hair or a hat)

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1. Uncomfortable headband ridges (if you don't have much/any hair)
2. Sound Poor Without High Quality Equipment
3. Glasses Wearer's Will Get Creaking Noises
4. Lack of Bass Not Everyone's Taste
5. Treble not controlled as well as some of the competition

 
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The normal street price of the Q701 puts it squarely against the venerable Sennheiser HD600/650. Like the the AKG this benchmark open headphone is equally awkward to drive / scales massively with a good source. The AKG is arguably less genre versatile and comfortable but I found them to be more revealing with a wider sound-stage which for me made them more exciting. The HD600/650 is getting quite long in the tooth now, there are a lot of interesting headphones beginning to emerge so I wonder how long AKG can lean on such a rehashed design with the Q701 at the top of it's catalogue - both visually and sonically.
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