Author: glassmonkey

Like most sensible people I started falling in love with music as a child. My first portable audio device was a Sony Walkman (the cassette kind) that I got when I was 10 years old (25 years ago). I toted that lovely brick around with the cheap included headphones for several years in cold Fairbanks, Alaska. Like a Hieronymous Bosch mural, my tastes can be weird and wonderful: from dreamy Japanese garble pop to banks of strings and percussion in the Mariinsky Orchestra. I listen mostly to rock. I tend to like neutral bright headphones and I'm a sucker for soundstage. I don't do EQ. I believe that cables can make a difference but do not unconditionally make a difference, same thing goes for balanced outputs. Some axioms: Frequency response isn't everything, but it is important. If you didn't volume match, how can you be sure you heard a difference? Ears are beautiful things, but we hear with our brains and brains can be pretty darn stupid.

BGVP SGZ-DN1 unboxing and first impressions, $50 IEM shootout

$50 IEM shootout pre-amble One of the coolest phenomenons in audio right now is the big improvements moving forward in the budget sector. $100 headphones can and do compete with $400 headphones, and $25 headphones sometimes compete with $200 headphones. It’s a great time to be an audiophile, even if your budget isn’t as large... Continue Reading →

July 20, 2018 13

Hypersense Eclipse HEX02 first impressions, $25 IEM shootout

$25 IEM shootout pre-amble One of the coolest phenomenons in audio right now is the big improvements moving forward in the budget sector. $100 headphones can and do compete with $400 headphones, and $25 headphones sometimes compete with $200 headphones. It’s a great time to be an audiophile, even if your budget isn’t as large... Continue Reading →

July 18, 2018 10

Lypertek Mevi first impressions, $50 IEM Shootout

July 13, 2018 2

Alpha & Delta D2M first impressions, $25 IEM shootout

July 11, 2018 11

Hidizs EP3, initial impressions ($25 IEM shootout)

When Penon Audio sent me a box of under $50 review units for this $25 shootout and for the upcoming $50 IEM shootout, I wasn't expecting the EP3 or the Penon IEM v2. I didn't expect the EP3, because I already had one that came with the Aune M1S when I got that for review... Continue Reading →

June 27, 2018 12

Aune S6: warm, thick, impressive low end grunt

Pros: Full bodied sound, nice information display, balanced inputs and outputs, digital numeric volume display Cons: single-ended sound is foggy, soft treble, only DSD128 (DoP), volume control has no feel to it, could have more bass and treble extension List Price: $569 (Penon Audio, affiliate link) Product Website: http://en.auneaudio.com Rating Disclaimer: ratings are subjective. Audio... Continue Reading →

June 25, 2018 0

ADV S2000, initial impressions ($25 IEM shootout)

$25 IEM shootout introduction I've reviewed and listened to a ton of amazing sounding in-ear gear. I regularly listen to stuff at the top end of the spectrum, and I'm an enthusiastic evangelist for showing that the top end does indeed sound amazing enough to be priced where it is. At the same time, I... Continue Reading →

June 20, 2018 12

Initial impressions: Unique Melody Mason v3

Introduction The Mason v3 is the flagship of the Unique Melody line. It is designed to be the technical master of the line-up. It doesn't disappoint. These are my first impressions off the Head-Fi Official European Unique Melody Mason v3 and Mentor v3 Tour. I posted an unboxing gallery here, and impressions of the Mentor... Continue Reading →

May 30, 2018 1

Initial impressions: Unique Melody Mentor v3

Introduction Over the weekend I gave you some pretty pictures, and I'm sure folks were thinking I was such a tease. I'm not! I put out [content], regularly. I'm not giving anyone blue-eyes here. Here are my initial impressions from the Unique Melody Mentor v3 to lead off the Head-Fi Official European Tour for the... Continue Reading →