The Indulgence Show 2017 (part 1): mythos and metallurgy, controversy and consideration. What’s in a wire?

The Indulgence Show is a veritable feast of aural delights, so leave it to me to spend a substantial part of my time talking to people about wires, probably the most controversial topic in HeadFi. Amidst £100,000 speaker setups and £50,000 headphone setups, I decided to spend my time talking to people about the how,... Continue Reading →

October 25, 2017 9

RHA CL750: excellent value, assuming you have a decent amp on your portable gear

Pros: Stellar build quality, excellent price, comfortable, fantastic quality cable, excellent clarity, good bass control, balanced signature Cons: Hard to drive, average soundstage List Price: £99 ($129) Acknowledgment The RHA CL750 was provided to me in exchange for running the UK leg of the RHA world-wide tour for the release of the DACAMP L1, CL1,... Continue Reading →

July 5, 2017 20

Flares Pro: Unboxing and initial impressions

So, I'll get this off my chest right off. I'm very very impressed with the Flares Pro. This is the only Bluetooth headphone that I've ever heard that is distortion and noise free. I don't know how they do it. I know what the claims are: incredibly simple balanced amplification and distortion cancelling earbud design... Continue Reading →

June 30, 2017 6

HiFiMAN Susvara: Unboxing and first impressions

Okay, so I've had this thing unboxed for a few days now. I've played it on my Questyle CMA600i and it was loud enough, but boy was that not all that it can do. Holy moly. Some loaners from SCV Distribution here in the UK just arrived to properly drive this beauty: a set of... Continue Reading →

June 26, 2017 7

HiFiMAN HE-1000 v2: unboxing and first impressions

Getting the HE-1000 v2 required some skill, bad luck and good luck. In the recent HiFiMAN HE-1000 International Photo Contest our photo took top place, which won us an EF-6 amplifier. We were stoked. However, when that EF-6 came, there was something wrong with it. It is also the case that HiFiMAN didn't have an... Continue Reading →

June 21, 2017 2

Audio Primate, now with prize winning photography

Back in March a couple members of Audio Primate went to the HeadRoom at Metropolis Studios show put on by Audio Sanctuary in London, the HiFiMAN room was a highlight of the show and allowed entry into HiFiMAN's HE-1000 International Photography Competition. I'm pleased to announce that our photo, Reality Sphere, took first prize, so... Continue Reading →

May 29, 2017 1

Questyle CMA 600i: who needs a stack of components when CMA600i does it all so well? DSD256, fantastic clarity, plenty of drive. Heck yes, I want it.

Pros: Excellent clarity, dead silent noise floor, drives my HD600 as well as my Heron 5, balanced topology, clean pre-amp output, audibly excellent signal to noise ratio Cons: Soundstage could be wider (still average/above average), tiny indicator on volume control List price: £1199 from SCV Distribution or Audio Sanctuary in London ($1,299 in USA from... Continue Reading →