Sources
My Video Review:
When you’re thinking about affordable but good sounding Hi-Fi, you’re definitely thinking about brands from the far East, that forever changed the definition of entry level Hi-Fi. Companies like SMSL, Topping and Gustard are pumping new products at such a rate…that we don’t have …
My Video Review:
It’s funny how audio companies are changing their packaging, their appearance and sound tuning thanks to people that are writing about stuff in comprehensive ways. I’m glad that Gustard ditched mini-CD’s, there is finally a pseudo-English website and I’m glad that Gustard used …
My Video Review:
A little over ten years ago, FiiO entered the entry level desktop DAC/Amp market. I clearly remember finishing a FiiO E09K review that left a bitter taste in my mouth, urging them developing higher performance combos, maybe even statement units that would compete with established …
My Video Review:
There’s always a first time for everything in life. In my case, I’m meeting Hiby Music and all their doings and in case of Hiby Music (Hiby from now on), they just finished working on a very different portable digital audio player.
You probably heard about their portable DAPs and …
My Video Review:
Singxer Electronic Co Ltd. is a mysterious audio manufacturer to me. They’ve done ODM and OEM work for third party companies for more than a decade now. They started slow and small, but they learned fast, doing their homework so well, that in fact the second generation XMOS …
My Video Review:
I am a curious person by nature, especially for all things audio and when an audio component would land on my table, even before listening I would pop its hood, follow the signal path from input to output, so I could better understand what makes it different. I would always seek …
My Video Review:
The DAP days are over? I had a good laugh John, but we’re far from there. Even in such troubled times when people are working from home, unpredictably…everything that was tied to portable audio started growing at an unnatural rate. Something wasn’t adding up, even for me. I’m not …
My Video Review:
It’s quite interesting to observe how most DAC manufacturers coming from China are fighting for supremacy when it comes to SNR, THD+N, Crosstalk and Noise Floor, when others are focusing their minds in creating unforgettable moments while listening to music. It saddens me knowing …
My Video Review:
If you’re looking for a DAC that would sweeten things up and add more soul into your setup, there’s nothing better than a proper R-2R ladder DAC built to the highest standards. There are plenty such makers around the globe and that’s perfectly fine as we, consumers enjoy some …
My Video Review:
I have a long-standing tradition of reviewing SMSL Audio gear. My first-hand experience was trying their unusual looking, but great sounding M500 DAC/Amp combo a few years ago. I wasn’t a huge supporter of its wagon-like look, but it was a darn good sounding DAC for its price. In …
My Video Review:
Hey folks. Another month is passing by and that’s music to my ears as finally, my seasonal allergy would fade away, but for the audiophile community around the world that resonates with one thing only: Topping is going to announce brand new products. Before you start lighting your …
My Video Review:
Don’t ask me why the most covered manufacturer I have around here is Topping Audio, but if you do…it wasn’t one of my goals. You really wanted to know my opinion on most of their doings and the rest is history. I have no regrets, as the most commented articles are for gear coming …
My Video Review:
You got to give some credit to Hi-Fi brands coming out of China that forever changed the definition of entry and mid-level Hi-Fi. The biggest competition they have right now is…themselves. Companies like SMSL, Topping and Gustard are no longer competing against Western companies, …
My Video Review:
Ah…the sound of a high-quality R2R DAC after a sea of chip-based Delta-Sigma converters feels like tasting an aged single malt whiskey for the first time. That deep, velvety smooth, indulgently sweet aroma reminiscent of French patisserie and a long-lasting aftertaste can’t be …
My Video Review:
It is finally summer time meaning that two things are going to happen. I’ll drown myself with Belgian beer on Fridays with fellow audiophile friends and it also means it’s time for fresh new portable DAPs. You see, most DAP manufacturers are showing their new portable units in …
My Video Review:
Oftentimes I’m being asked which DAC is the best you can get at less than one grand. That is a very broad question that can’t have a simple answer from my part, as I can’t possibly know your music preference, your stereo or your headphone setup. In spite of everything, Topping D90 …
My Video Review:
I was dismayed when FiiO announced that their M11 PRO and M15 will be fading away into the history books. We all knew it would happen at some point, but that fire at the AKM factory skyrocketed the prices of the remaining stock, making it happen sooner rather than later, with …
My Video Review:
Il Suono Italiano…now confess to me, how does that sound to you? Like a sweet melody whispered gently in your ear by a delicate midnight muse? Like a stroke of brush by the great Buonarroti that separated the sublime genius from monotony of formal thoughts? Like a poetry …
My Video Review:
Alright folks, I might not get too excited seeing another AKM or ESS Sabre based DAC been released in such a crowded landscape that digital audio has become, I’ve covered plenty of those already…but how about some fresh new Cirrus Logic based DACs? I don’t remember listening to …
My Video Review:
I still remember when ESS Technologies released their newest all-in-one ES9218 DAC and headphone amplifier on a single SoC silicon a few years ago, that would revolutionize the affordable DAP market in a very good way. It meant replacing a big chunk of PCB space with just a single …
My Video Review:
After a long and stressful 2020, xDuoo started a fresh new year stronger than ever. In January they already revealed several cool new devices such as Link2 USB dongle, some tube-based MT-601 and MT-602 headphone amplifiers, the lady in red TA-10R came next, followed by their …
My Video Review:
Gustard proved multiple times that good digital audio runs through their veins. X26 PRO was a huge surprise that I didn’t see coming, outperforming pretty much every oversampling delta/sigma DAC I’ve tried at my place…except for one unit that I’m using for quite some time now. The …
My Video Review:
The most secretive and mysterious DAC manufacturer from China is surely Gustard. They aren’t amazing when it comes to web design, they aren’t that great when it comes to marketing, they still struggle putting their drivers online, they aren’t very talkative in a language other …
My Video Review:
I like the most about xDuoo is that they are not copying anyone, just look at all their portfolio. They are still releasing plenty of tube-based amplifiers, hybrids for the most part so that harder to drive headphones would perform well. They are very much into transistor-based …
My Video Review:
Making good sounding digital audio players (DAP) takes time, dedication and a lot of experimentation, but making great sounding players is pure passion mixed with madness that can take years of polish until perfection is being achieved. Portable players of any kind took a huge …
My Video Review:
Two years ago, I was posting my first written review on this website and my first video over Youtube for the xDuoo TA-10 DAC and hybrid headphone amplifier. I had plenty of experience with tube amplifiers and DACs, but I have never tested an xDuoo tube amplifier until that point. …