Ambient Acoustics – 24 types of madness

Intro Ambient Acoustics was set up in 2009 in the Ukraine, primarily to service the professional audio and hearing aid markets. They started getting a little notice in audiophile circles a few years ago with their LAM serious of tuneable switch models, and it’s fair to say they are a brand that is now starting... Continue Reading →

October 18, 2021 0

CanJam London 2019, part one: fun with electrostatic hybrids (Jomo Audio, Empire Ears, Vision Ears, WAVAYA)

CanJam London is the biggest headphone and portable audio show put on in the UK every year. It is the highlight of the HeadFi enthusiasts calendar and something that I have attended since the inaugural CanJam London in 2015. This year was the 5th annual edition and it lived up to its billing. I'll be... Continue Reading →

August 3, 2019 2

Canjam London 2019 – part two

Acoustune This was the stall I most wanted to spend time at over the course of the weekend, after becoming a recent convert to the Acoustune "house sound" with the acquisition of one of their older models (the HS1503al) off another Head-Fi'er on eBay recently. For the uninitiated, Acoustune are a Japanese brand that specialise... Continue Reading →

August 1, 2019 3

Campfire Audio Solaris – sound like the sun

Acknowledgement The Solaris were very kindly provided by Ken Ball at Campfire Audio for the purposes of writing a full review. I paid nothing for these, and there is no obligation to or input from Campfire Audio with regards to the content of the review. Allegations was (politely) asked for was a few brief impressions... Continue Reading →

February 17, 2019 1

CanJam London 2018, Part 1: Vision Ears, Shanling, Unique Melody, Jomo Audio, Empire Ears, JPS Labs, and 600 Reapers

This year I only had one day for CanJam, so I made a checklist of things that I wanted to hear and the pictures I needed to take. I had 34 items on my list to hit in a little over 8 hours. I hit that number, I think, but not all the ones I... Continue Reading →

July 23, 2018 1

CanJam London 2018: what I’m excited for

Event details: CanJam London 2018 Park Plaza Hotel Westminster Bridge (right by Waterloo Station) July 21-July 22 Tomorrow morning, early, 6AM-ish, I'll be leaving on my way down to London for my fourth CanJam London. In my first year (2015), I was walking around with my Sennheiser HD600s draped round my neck and an iBasso... Continue Reading →

July 20, 2018 0

NCM Bella – the Bella of the TOTL hybrid ball

Pros: Sub bass presence and overall bass capability, beautiful and non-recessed midrange, exceptional treble, lots of air and sparkle, very coherent tuning Cons: Fit is shallow, nozzle bore is very large List Price: 23,500,000 (Vietnamese Dong) / c. £735 (UK) Product Website: http://www.nguyencustoms.com/ncm-bella/ Rating Disclaimer: ratings are subjective. Audio quality and value do not mean... Continue Reading →

April 3, 2018 8

Empire Ears Athena – the goddess of Olympus

Ratings Pros: Impeccable build quality, balanced but musical tuning, incredible sense of smoothness, good note weight, fantastic midrange, good clarity Cons: May lack air in the treble for some, can take a little time to adjust to the tuning, extension/quantity in the sub bass area could be better Price (as of Dec 2017): $1299 Website: Empire Ears... Continue Reading →

January 4, 2018 4

64 Audio U8 – bass over APEX

Introduction I have always been fascinated by bass in music. That’s probably why I always feel a little bit of a fraud when someone calls me an “audiophile”, as my tastes quite often encompass a little more lower end substance than the current fashion for a more lean and mean sound. I can appreciate detail... Continue Reading →