[Dev Avidon]

I've started doing a bi-monthly review series for Pro Audio Star, a pro audio shop literally around the corner from my place in Brooklyn, and realized that some of the pieces I'm working with might actually be of interest to the Head-Fi community.  For example, I recently did a review of the Mackie Onyx Blackjack 2x2 interface, which, at about 200 dollars, has one of the better DACs I've heard at that price range even when you put it up against dedicated DACs, and the onboard HPA actually had better synergy with some of my lower impedance phones than even my venerable Carat Emerald (a comparably priced DAC/HPA combo).  There's definitely pro audio gear that's not for the audiophile community, like the Class D fart box powered speakers you'll find at pretty much every live show you go to, but sometimes, as has been noted to be the case here with pieces the Apogee Duet and Presonus Central Station, pro audio can give you better bang for your buck than home. 
 
The series is called In Dev Reviews, and you can find them on proaudiostar.com  I'll post a link on this thread every time I come across a piece of gear that I think could be work something to the average head-fier (I may even get a chance to do some actual headphone reviews for them using a Neumann binaural dummy head to try to give something of an actual recording sample to listen to).  So far I've reviewed the MXL Genesis Tube Mic and the Mackie Onyx Blackjack.  Here's a link to the latter, and if for whatever reason you're interested in the former, just go to the MXL Genesis page on Pro Audio Star. 
 
http://www.proaudiostar.com/in-dev-review-mackie-blackjack-interface
 
Hope some may find this helpful!
 
Cheers,
-Dev