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HIFIMAN EDITION XS REVIEW 

January 24, 2024 23 Min Read
The Hifiman Edition XS is one of Hifiman’s most popular headphones. Launched in 2021, the XS is the latest version of the Edition X-series. The first Edition X was launched in 2015 and the Edition X V2 followed shortly after in…

KIWI EARS QUINTET REVIEW

January 16, 2024 14 Min Read
As the name suggests, the Quintet has 5 drivers per side. There are 4 different types of drivers: 1 Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) dynamic driver, 2 balanced armature (BA) drivers, 1 planar magnetic driver, and 1 piezoelectric (PZT) bone conductor.  A…

HIFIMAN HE400SE REVIEW 

December 15, 2023 20 Min Read
Hifiman makes great planar magnetic headphones in all price classes. From the super expensive, ultra high-end Susvara, to the entry-level HE400-series, with the current version being the HE400SE.  The first HE400 came around in 2011/2012 and was Hifiman’s new entry…

HIFIMAN HE1000v2 REVIEW – 2023

December 11, 2023 29 Min Read
It is time for me to honor this great headphone. Even after Hifiman has released their Stealth version, the HE1000v2 is still available. The HE1000 is special for many reasons: It was the first flagship after the HE-6, and was…

Headphones

SENNHEISER HD660S2 vs FiiO FT3 Comparison Review

March 2, 2024 19 Min Read
FiiO has been making affordable quality audio gear for many years, but the FT3 is their first full-size headphone. Launched in 2023, it has a 60 mm dynamic driver with a rated impedance of 350 Ohms and a sensitivity of 105 dB. FiiO has also introduced a 32 Ohms version, which is more suited for portable setups.  The HD660S2 was…

FOCAL UTOPIA REVIEW Featuring Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin Pads 

February 23, 2024 23 Min Read
French high-end speaker manufacturer Focal entered the realm of high-end headphones with the launch of the Utopia in 2016. It utilized Focal’s experience with Beryllium speaker tweeters and was a huge success: The Utopia soon was getting a reputation for being among the world’s best-sounding headphones.  Focal followed up and introduced the Elear later the same year.  The original Clear…

FOCAL UTOPIA VS HIFIMAN HE1000v2 Comparison Review

February 20, 2024 17 Min Read
The original HE1000 came out in 2015 but was soon replaced by the almost identical sounding HE1000v2 in 2016. The HE1000 series headphones were designed with an asymmetrical magnet structure with smaller magnets on the inside. The latest version of the HE1000v2 has got revised with “stealth” magnets, which is a fancy word for more aerodynamically shaped magnets. Both have …

FiiO FT3 vs HIFIMAN EDITION XS Comparison Review 

February 12, 2024 16 Min Read
The Hifiman Edition XS is one of Hifiman’s most popular headphones and was launched in 2021 as the third generation of the Edition X-series. It’s the most affordable of the oval “egg-shaped” headphones from Hifiman that started with the HE1000. It is a planar magnetic headphone and uses a dual-sided magnet driver with aerodynamically shaped “stealth magnets” and the thin…

HIFIMAN EDITION XS vs FOCAL ELEX/ELEAR With Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin Pads Comparison Review

February 12, 2024 8 Min Read
This is a short comparison between the Hifiman Edition XS stock version and the Focal Elex/Elear with Dekoni fenestrated sheepskin pads.  The Hifiman Edition XS is one of Hifiman’s most popular headphones and was launched in 2021 as the third generation of the Edition X-series. It’s the most affordable of the oval “egg-shaped” headphones from Hifiman that started with the…

FOCAL UTOPIA vs STAX SR-007 Comparison Review

February 11, 2024 10 Min Read
This is a comparison of the Stax SR-007 mk2 and the Focal Utopia (original). These headphones are both known as among the best headphones ever made. The Utopia is a traditional, dynamic headphone. The STAX SR-007 mk2 is an electrostatic headphone that needs a dedicated electrostatic amplifier.  The Utopia can be used with any standard headphone amplifier and it’s a…

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KIWI EARS ORCHESTRA LITE REVIEW 

January 15, 2024 14 Min Read
The Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite features 8 custom balanced armature drivers: Two ultra tweeters for the treble, four midrange balanced armature drivers for the mids, and two subwoofer drivers for…

KIWI EARS QUINTET vs QUARTET Comparison Review

January 8, 2024 13 Min Read
The Kiwi Ears Quartet and Quintet are two popular multi-driver IEMs from Kiwi Ears, a Linsoul sub brand. They offer different sound characteristics and are priced at 109 and 219…

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