HIFIMAN HE-400S PLANAR MAGNETIC HEADPHONES REVIEW
July 6, 2016 Comments Off on HIFIMAN HE-400S PLANAR MAGNETIC HEADPHONES REVIEW
” My final listening session came with with the most expected pairing, the HE400S and my iPhone 6S+. Leading the playlist was ‘A Change is Gonna Come’ from Seal’s album 7 [iTunes AIFF 16/44.1 Warner Bros. 2008]. Having just heard the HE400S paired with top level high-end gear, it was interesting to listen to this more utilitarian pairing. First, the quality of the HE400S revealed the shortcomings of the iPhone as a DAP. It was outclassed by the Questyle by a wide margin. The key is that the clarity and transparency of the HiFiMAN planar magnetic technology proved revealing to the lesser sonic quality of the Apple device as a source. Not that it was bad, but there were edges to the presentation that the other gear was able to remove or not introduce into the song. The soundstage in particular was more closed in and there was a brightness to the sonics that would indicate a lower quality DAC providing the conversion back to analogue.”
Audeze EL-8 Review
July 4, 2016 Comments Off on Audeze EL-8 Review
“So if you’ve been reading the Audiophiliac blog for a while, and waiting till something strikes your fancy, the latest EL-8 might be the one. After all, reading about great sound is all well and good, but in the end you have to hear it for yourself, with music you know on a deep level, and then digest what a great headphone like this can reveal. The music has been there all along, but you never heard it like this before”
Samson Z55 Professional Reference Headphones review- Video
July 1, 2016 Comments Off on Samson Z55 Professional Reference Headphones review- Video
Focal Utopia audiophile headphone $3,000 Review
June 29, 2016 Comments Off on Focal Utopia audiophile headphone $3,000 Review
” If one headphone tops the Utopia it’s the Abyss AB-1266. In head-to-head comparisons the AB-1266 was even more vivid, with a more spacious, precisely focused soundstage. Returning to the Utopia the sound lost some immediacy, but I’d readily concede that most people, including a lot of audiophiles, would choose the Utopia over the heavier and bulkier AB-1266. The Utopia is a lot more comfortable, and since it’s easier to drive, it’s a lot less finicky about amplifiers. Oh, and the AB-1266 ($5,495, which is about £3,800 or AU$7,400) is more expensive than the Utopia.”
1More Mk801 headphone Review
June 28, 2016 Comments Off on 1More Mk801 headphone Review
“Summing up: The 1More Mk801 won’t be the first choice for buyers craving maximum detail, but this headphone won’t make you cringe with harsh or glaringly bright recordings. The Mk801 has above-average build and sound quality for the money; it’s highly recommended.”
HiFiMan Edition X Headphones $1,800 Review
June 25, 2016 Comments Off on HiFiMan Edition X Headphones $1,800 Review
“I never tire of putting the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony to work. For the HiFiMan, I trotted out two very different versions. Bernard Haitink’s recording with the London Symphony Orchestra (48/24) has an uneven distribution of frequencies across the stage with much of the lighter-textured instruments at far right, requiring high resolution, precise imaging, and a certain amount of treble prominence to balance out the darker-toned instruments at the left. The HiFiMan maintained the recording’s idiosyncratic equilibrium. Carlos Kleiber’s historic recording with the Vienna Philharmonic (FLAC, 88.2/24) is my go-to version for texture, layering, blastability, and emotional connection.”
Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 On-ear review
June 24, 2016 Comments Off on Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 On-ear review
” Of course, the amount of low end to be heard in a mix is somewhat a matter of taste; though we’d prefer an even balance to scraping the depths of low frequencies, the amount of bass here does aid that sturdiness of the sound and steers just the right side of becoming invasive.”
Audeze LCD-4 headphones Review
June 23, 2016 Comments Off on Audeze LCD-4 headphones Review
“In the bass, the MH40s had less extension and more upper-bass bloom than the LCD-4s, which made them sound blurred in the low-frequency climaxes of my Widor recording. With the low-frequency warble tones, the 25 and 20Hz tones were starting to break up a little at the same volume as the Audeze LCD-4s. But for one-tenth the price of the LCD-4s, the Master & Dynamics MH40s sounded surprisingly satisfying. My only complaint was that, with my bigger-than-average pinnae, the M&Ds weren’t as comfortable as I need for long listening sessions.”
Focal Elear Headphone $1,000 Review
June 23, 2016 Comments Off on Focal Elear Headphone $1,000 Review
” The separation and imaging was commensurate with other headphones in the Elear’s price range. The soundstage width is actually helped by the upper treble extension, falling in between the LCD-2 and HD800. I heard no significant flaws in this area that would detract from the overall listening experience. Detail retrieval on the Elear is very good, considering the price point. Because of its laid back lower treble, it can feel lacking in micro-detail at times. In the rest of the frequency range, however, macro-detail is quite good, presenting an enjoyable sense of musicality. It’s on par with something like the HE-560 or the cherry Omni, all good headphones for macro-detail. I spent a lot of time listening to the Elear on high-end rigs from the likes of Cavalli, Woo Audio, Questyle, Schiit, Audio-GD, Auralic, Nordost and Audioquest. However, I also made sure to try it on my trusty Astell & Kern AK100ii with JDS Labs C5 amp, and the Questyle QP1R. The Elear scaled down surprisingly well”
DENON AH-MM400 HEADPHONES REVIEW
June 21, 2016 Comments Off on DENON AH-MM400 HEADPHONES REVIEW
” There was an odd problem, though. The headphones have a removable 3.5 mm cable, which plugs into the source on one end and the left earphone on the other. Sometimes after plugging it in, sound would only come out of one headphone until the cord was pulled out slightly. It usually cured itself, and was impossible to replicate. Checking some online comments revealed I wasn’t the only one to experience this problem. There are two cords in the box, and one has a plastic inline remote that sadly feels cheap in comparison to the headphones. In an unrelated issue, I also found the headphones uncomfortable to wear with glasses, forcing me to put the arms above the earphones.”
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