IMR Acoustics R1 Zenith Review – Part 1 (initial impressions and unboxing)

Introduction and acknowledgement The R1 Zenith is the sophomore outing from UK based IEM manufacturer IMR Acoustics, following on from their well received R1 model. The Zenith is a revision of the original rather than a completely different beast, sporting an improved design and some refinements to the unique tuning and porting system that the... Continue Reading →

April 2, 2019 4

Dunu Falcon-C – Eagle of liquid metal

Pros: Fantastic ergonomics and build, punchy low end sound, decent detail levels Cons: Can run hot with certain pairings, sounds a little lean at times Price: £229 ($260) Product website: Dunu Topsound Build quality and ergonomics There is no denying the Falcon-C is a beautiful looking IEM. The matt black finish and smoothly rounded curves on the... Continue Reading →

March 7, 2019 1

Tin Audio T3, first impressions

I received a surprise package the other day from Linsoul. I was notified the day before delivery during Chinese New Year, which is unusual. Linsoul told me that the T3 was going live on Massdrop at an introductory price of $59. It will apparently be $69 at retail. The T3 is a follow-up to the... Continue Reading →

February 8, 2019 2

iFi DC iPurifier2: deeper stage, improved clarity, and texture from a power device

Pros: improved depth, blacker background, crisper highs, more refined overall sound, small, flexible voltage/amperage/wattage (works with most DC wall wart type sources), great set of adaptors, inexpensive Cons: improvements are small (can’t rule out placebo effect), effect will depend on system quality (more noticeable with better headphone), will be more cost-effective improvements for many, attracts ridicule like... Continue Reading →

October 22, 2018 0

Flares Pro: the best Bluetooth headphones I’ve heard

Pros: Extraordinarily clear in Bluetooth, excellent resolution and speed, accurate timbre, black background, completely non-fatiguing, tiny and comfortable, cool packaging, super ergonomic tips, great Bluetooth range and battery life Cons: rolled off sub-bass, microphonic cable, USB micro, prone to electrical interference in Bluetooth, ugly poor quality cables List Price: £349 ($399) Product Website: https://www.flareaudio.com/products/flares Rating... Continue Reading →

October 1, 2018 0

Questyle QP2R: my favourite digital audio player

Pros: beautiful natural timbre, full body without sacrificing detail, big driving power, solid and sexy construction, awesome volume knob, top-loaded audio outputs, format compatibility Cons: small screen, wheel control, hiss with a few IEMs (especially out of 2.5mm), no wireless connectivity (Bluetooth, DLNA, streaming, etc.) List Price: £1199 (Audio Sanctuary), $1299 (Todd The Vinyl Junkie)... Continue Reading →

August 20, 2018 13

FiiO F1 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 25, 2018 10

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

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 →