Noble Audio Kublai Khan – initial impressions

Acknowledgement The Kublai Khan was purchased with my own money at a small discount from the ever-helpful Andrew at MusicTeck USA for the purposes of writing a full review (which will be published soon). No input or other incentive was sought or received from MusicTeck or Noble - all opinions and words below are my... Continue Reading →

July 8, 2022 2

MMR Balmung – broadsword of bass

Acknowledgement The Balmung was purchased with my own money at a hefty discount from MusicTeck USA (https://shop.musicteck.com/collections/mmr) on one of their periodic sales. No incentive was sought or received for writing a review, and all opinions (however misguided) are 100% my own. Rating and specs (From back of main box) Price: $2599 RRP (at time... Continue Reading →

June 3, 2022 0

JH Audio Jolene – dual dynamic duo

*build quality scored at a 4 due to the oxidation / deterioration of the original CIEM faceplate, and bears no relation to the Itsfit reshell Acknowledgment The Jolene I am reviewing were purchased from the original owner (thanks MVVRaz) as a CIEM. Given the freakishly straight ear canals of the previous recipient, it was possible... Continue Reading →

May 15, 2022 0

Unique Melody MEST Mk I vs Mk II comparison – improving on perfection

Acknowledgement I purchased the MEST Mk 2 from Andrew and MusicTeck USA at full retail price, with the intention of reviewing them. No input has been sought or received from MusicTeck or Unique Melody with regards to the content of this review - the opinions expressed below (however ill informed) are 100% my own. Many... Continue Reading →

April 15, 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

Canjam London 2019 – part one

Introduction Canjam London 2019 marks my third trip to the UK's premier headphone convention, and my second as a "press" member (i.e. blogger with a notebook). There were slightly less manufacturers in attendance this year, but more people, with plenty of people rolling through the doors of the Park Plaza in Westminster over the course... Continue Reading →

July 30, 2019 0

Shozy V33 first impressions, $50 IEM shootout

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 as you’d like it... Continue Reading →

July 26, 2019 12

oBravo Cupid – first impressions of something unexpected and brilliant

Would you believe me if I told you that I'm enjoying the £249 oBravo Cupid as much as any oBravo I've listened to? The oBravo line-up is notoriously picky with amplification, including the £8999 Ra C-Cu. Each of the ERIB and EAMT hybrid series has several flavours with different sound according to housing material (warm wood, neutral... Continue Reading →