Designed by Swiss hearing device manufacturer Phonak, the Audéo PFE is a lightweight earphone that fits comfortably in the ear and thanks to a high quality balanced armature driver delivers crystal clear sound.

Below is a summary of the some of the reviews this excellent earphone has collected:

Audéo PFE Review at CNET.com

Review Summary:

The Phonak Audeo Perfect Fit Earphones are an excellent choice for anyone looking for clear and balanced audio, a secure and comfortable fit, and a useful array of extras. All in all, they’re a great value for the money.

Read the full review of the Audéo PFE at CNET.com

Phonak Audéo PFE Review at Anythingbutipod.com

Review highlights:

…better treble than the Shure SE530, better midrange than the q-Jays, and a decent soundstage for an IEM. They are definitely worth their price.

Read the full Audeo PFE review at Anythingbutipod.

More Information

For more information on the Phonak range of headphones and in particular the Audéo PFE please visit the HiFi Headphones store.

Grado are well known for their mid to high end Hi-Fi headphones, with the top of the range Grado GS1000i being the benchmark that other high end headphones are measured against.  This last month has seen the surprise release of the first Grado in-ear earphone (In Ear Monitor or IEM) in the USA, with a UK launch set for any time now.

The new Grado IEM has been named the GR8 (or GREAT, in case you hadn’t noticed).  You’ve got to love American marketing departments for their often amusing choice of product names (the Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pro always makes me smile!).

Grado’s new earphone is based on a balanced armature driver.  This type of driver is very efficient and often exhibits a very clear and smooth midrange, with less powerful bass response than a conventional dynamic driver.

An earphone based on a balanced armature driver generally results in a smaller earphone body (think Klipsch Image X10, Sleek Audio SA6 and Ultimate Ears 700), but in the case of the GR8 the earphone body looks larger (maybe it’s just the photos).  We’re wondering if Grado have been tuning the GR8’s chamber for better bass impact.

Our distributor has told us to expect more Grado earphones to be released over the coming months.  If the GR8 is anything to go by then this new range could be very interesting.

We’re expecting stock of this earphone in w/c 12 October and can’t wait to give them a listen.  Reviews of the Grado GR8 on forums in the USA have been very promising.

More Information

For the full range of Grado earphones and headphones, as well as many other IEM style earphones please visit the HiFi Headphones site.

Beyerdynamic have a long heritage of producing very high quality headphones for home Hi-Fi, professional use (studio and live instrument monitoring) and aviation use.  Now Beyerdynamic have just turned their hand to developing a range of high quality gaming headsets and it looks like they are on to a winner!

As can be expected from Beyerdynamic their gaming headphone range offers no compromises with build  (still hand built in Germany) and sound quality.  As can be expected Beyerdynamic gaming headphones are robustly made and can take daily use by the most avid gamer.

Beyerdynamic’s signature sound is a warm, powerful bass response with lots of detail and clarity in the trebles.  The gaming headsets are no different, offering plenty of rumble at the bottom end and pinpoint positional accuracy in the upper frequencies.  A combination that will put you smack bang in the centre role of your game.

Check out Beyerdynamic’s gaming headset range below.

Beyerdynamic MMX300 Gaming Headphones

Beyerdynamic MMX300

The Beyerdynamic MMX300 is a pair of high end gaming headphones for the serious gamer looking for the best performing headset available.  Based on the highly successful Beyerdynamic DT770 (as used by BBC Radio 1 DJs and guests), with the addition of an ultra high quality aviation class noise cancelling microphone and rather cool carbon fibre finish.  The MMX300 headset takes gaming audio to the extreme, with a closed back design ensuring you can immerse yourself totally in the action without distraction from ambient noise and without annoying other people close by.

While the MMX300 is designed for gaming, it’s studio headphone heritage shines through with high quality audio reproduction.  These headphones are very capable for many applications including listening to music and IP telephony (e.g. Skype), as well as gaming.

Super soft velour earpads and large over ear design ensures you can wear the Beyerdynamic MMX300 for hours at a time in supreme comfort.  The MMX300 offers a truly high end gaming experience.

Supplied two connectivity options, the MMX300 can be directly connected to a PC and Mac via USB (you just plug the headphones in and the computer detects the headset like a soundcard), or alternatively the headset can be connected via 2x 3.5mm jack plugs (one plug for headphone input and the other for microphone output).  Usefully the MMX300 offers the ability to mute the microphone and control the volume of the headphone audio via the supplied USB converter.

Get the Beyerdynamic MMX300 headset today and upgrade to high end gaming audio!

Beyerdynamic MMX2 Gaming Headphones

Beyerdynamic MMX2

The Beyerdynamic MMX2 headphones are built for the serious gamer who needs high quality audio and supreme long term wearing comfort.  Designed just for gamers by Beyerdynamic, the MMX2 headset reproduces sound effects, voices and music with superb clarity and the noise-cancelling microphone ensures a clear and precise voice transmission.  The MMX2 is equally suitable for IP telephony (e.g. Skype) as it is for gaming.

With soft ear cushions made from velour material and a fully adjustable flexible headband the MMX2 is comfortable to wear for the longest gaming sessions.

The MMX2 has two connectivity options, either USB for direct connection to a PC and Mac (you plug the headphones into a spare USB port and the computer detects the headset like a soundcard), or alternatively the headset can be connected via 2x 3.5mm jack plugs (one plug for headphone input and the other for microphone output).  Usefully the MMX2 offers the ability to mute the microphone and control the volume of the headphone audio via the supplied USB converter.

Choose the Beyerdynamic MMX2 today and enjoy high quality gaming audio and comfort.

More Information

For the full range of Beyerdynamic headphones and many other headphones suitable for gaming, please visit HiFi Headphones.

The SoundMAGIC PL30 is an IEM (In Ear Monitor) style earphone with an over ear cable fit system and innovative bass control switch.  The PL30 is priced to compete directly with earphones like the Sennheiser CX300-II, Denon AH-C351 and Ultimate Ears Metro.fi 220.

SoundMAGIC earphones are a relatively new addition to the line-up at HiFi Headphones.  We originally took on the brand after trying out some samples sent directly from SoundMAGIC.  Our initial sceptisism about the fact SoundMAGIC earphones are relatively low cost was soon turned into surprise by the excellent sound and sturdy build quality.  Passing the earphones round the office we quickly decided that the PL11 and PL30 models would be the first we would stock.

The PL30 was the earphone that got SoundMAGIC recognised as a serious contender in the highly competitive in-ear earphone market.  This earphone has been designed entirely by SoundMAGIC engineers and is totally unique to the brand.

This is a review of the some of the attributes of the SoundMAGIC PL30 in ear sound isolating earphone.

What You Get

The first nice surprise when opening the SoundMAGIC PL30 is that you get lots of accessories included.  The following items are included:

• High quality travel case made from high impact fibre material (very similar to Shure supplied earphone cases).
• Many different types of ear tips, including small/medium/large silicone tips, double flange tips and foam tips (harder than Comply Foam, but worth a try).
• 1x pair of silicone over the ear cable guides (for keeping the cable on your ear while running)
• Soft silicone cable wrap for safe storage of the earphone cabling.

It’s great to see a manufacturer really thinking about how the earphones are going to fit in the ear and also considering what is needed to keep earphones safe during every day use.

SoundMAGIC PL30 Package

Comfort and Fit

The PL30 features pro-style over ear cabling (to reduce microphonic cable noise and to provide a secure fit.

Initially the SoundMAGIC PL30’s over ear fit system can take some getting used to if you’v never worn an earphone with this design before.  With the PL30 the cable is designed to run up over the ear and secured at the back of the neck with the sliding cable tensioner.  It sounds complicated, but it’s dead easy with a bit of practice.

I found the fit easier with the PL30 than with earphones like Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3/Super.fi 5 Pro.  The PL30’s earphone body is much smaller than these other designs and I found it simple to get the earphone snug in the entrance to the ear after just a couple of attempts.

Comfort is very good with the PL30.  I found the medium sized silicone ear tips worked OK straight out of the box, but the supplied dual flange ear tips gave me a better seal.  I also tried a pair of Comply Foam T-400 tips that I normally use with my Sennheiser IE8’s and they worked very well with the PL30.  As with all in-ear sound isolating earphones, if you do not get a good seal in the ear then the bass will be seriously lacking.  Get the seal right with the PL30 and it’s unlikely you will be disappointed by the punch of the bass.

Sound Quality

The SoundMAGIC PL30 offers a very well balanced sound, with good kick at the bass end, a forward midrange and good clarity in the higher frequencies.  If anything the lower midrange is a little too forward for my liking, but overall the balance is excellent.

Bass punch is superb and nicely defined.  Much better than the bloated and muddy bass you will find in many entry level earphones.  While this earphone is no bass monster it does represent lower frequency sounds very solidly and I found it very enjoyable listening to tracks with big basslines.  The bass response can be altered by tweaking the bass control rotating switch - I preferred the flat bass setting over the bass boost setting.

Sound stage and separation is something that is immediately striking about the PL30 - you can easily locate different sounds and instruments in the music, without it being analytical.  The PL30 is a very enjoyable listen and presents sounds in a very musical way.

Sound quality is far better than you might expect from an earphone costing less than £40.

Review Summary

For:

• Brilliant sound quality for the price, with excellent clarity and good separation of notes.
• Nearly zero cable microphonic noise and secure fit make the PL30 ideal for running or the gym.
• Well made cabling with good strain relief.

Against:

• Cabling can get tangled due to rubberized coating.

More Information

For more SoundMAGIC earphones and a selection of other earphones please visit HiFi Headphones.

SoundMAGIC have released the PL50 IEM earphone in Asia this week.  The PL50 is an in-ear sound isolating design and looks like it will be competing with higher end IEMs, such as the Shure and Ultimate Ears range.

This is SoundMAGIC’s first step into a balanced armature technology earphone and we’re really keen to give a proper listen.  We are expecting stock here in the UK within the next couple of weeks.

SoundMAGIC has taken the earphone World by surprise over this last year with a stream of new high quality products, including the highly regarded PL30 and PL11.  The PL30 has had plenty of recognition on the Head-fi.org forums since it’s launch and has been getting some excellent reviews.  The PL11 has also rapidly gained acceptance as an entry level earphone to rival the Sennheiser CX300-II, with excellent bass response and robust build quality.  Stuff Magazine recently reviewed the PL11 and seemed to like it a lot.

SoundMAGIC PL50 Photos

See below for photos of the new SoundMAGIC PL50:

SoundMAGIC PL50 IEM Earphones

SoundMAGIC PL50 in Box

More Information

For the full range of SoundMAGIC earphones and many other high quality earphones and headphones, please visit the HiFi Headphones store.

We were recently asked to review a selection of headphones suitable for home Hi-Fi listening by Shortlist (a popular mens lifestyle magazine).

Below is the selection of headphones we offered with the review we gave:

High End Headphones

Grado SR325is Review

Open back on-ear headphones. Retro design.  Excellent sound with brilliant detail and clarity.  SR325is has won many awards.  Very efficient headphone voice coils (low impedance) means it can be driven by pretty much any device (even the humble iPod) and does not need a dedicated headphone amplifier.  Hi-Fi speakers of similar quality would cost thousands.  Hand made by Grado in Brooklyn New York.  Grado has been in business since 1953, making turntable cartridges.

Mid Range Headphones

Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Review

Open back over ear headphones.  Very comfortable over ear design perfect for long listening sessions.  Midrange and high end treble clarity is exceptional.  Japanese brand with pro-audio pedigree (also make studio headphones and microphones).

Beyerdynamic DT770

Closed back over ear headphones.  Very powerful bass response (ideal for gaming and movies).  Replaceable parts (cable and ear pads) make it possible to service the headphone.  Beyerdynamic headphones are used throughout the BBC (look at photos on Radio 1 website).  Made in Germany.

Entry Level Headphones

Shure SRH240 Review

Closed back over ear headphones.  Closed back design ensures good isolation from noise and also means you don’t annoy people sitting nearby.  Good bass response and high degree of accuracy.  Coiled, detachable cable (can be replaced).  Shure is a pro-audio manufacturer of monitoring earphones and microphones.

More Information

For a full range of home listening headphones and many other high quality headphones and earphones, please visit us at HiFi Headphones.

WeSC have just launched some new models in time for the summer holiday season.  The new headphone models are the WeSC Pickup and the WeSC Maraca.

The WeSC Maraca headphone is has a distincly retro design, not that far away from the highly sought after Alp Horn, but is a much smaller headphone and has a headband similar to the Bongo and Oboe models

WeSC Pick-up Headphones

The WeSC Pickup headphone is the coolest looking (in our opinion) of the new models, with circular ear pieces and funky earpads.  The headband is a metallic band with adjustment to allow for all sizes of head.

As ever WeSC have really pushed the boat out and come up with some of the funkiest looking headphones available.  You can be sure you’re wearing the coolest headphones with these new models.

WeSC Maraca Headphones

More Information

For the full range of WeSC headphones and many other cool retro headphones, check out the HiFi Headphones store.

The SoundMAGIC PL11 has pushed the boundaries of what can be expected from an entry level in-ear isolating earphone.  For less than the cost of a Playstation game the PL11 offers high end audio clarity, with enough low end power to satisfy the biggest bass-head.

Looking and feeling like an earphone that comes from one of the established brands, the SoundMAGIC PL11 is a newcomer that deserves a second look.

Sceptical At First

Before we received samples of the SoundMAGIC range to try out we were sceptical about the way they would sound and even more doubtful about build quality.

How wrong we were!  Like the rest of the SoundMAGIC range, the PL11 is very well made and sounds like an earphone with a much higher price tag.  Holding the earphones in your hand you would be mistaken for thinking they are manufactured by one of the well established earphone brands.

SoundMAGIC PL11 with included accessories

Built To Last

With cabling and strain relief that has obviously been thought about by someone who understands how earphones are going to be used, the PL11 is built to a similar specification as high quality brands like Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic.

Here at the HiFi Headphones store we have a pretty good idea how well a headphone or earphone is going to last by looking at the strain relief on the cabling.  Over 90% of faulty returns we receive are caused by cabling faults.  In our opinion the PL11 is an earphone we are not going to see returned often.

The SoundMAGIC PL11 has high quality cabling with a rubberized finish for extra durability.  The strain relief is also well thought through, with highly flexible support where the cable enters the earphone body and at the jack plug.

How Do They Sound?

Most importantly, does the SoundMAGIC PL11 sound any good?  Yes, the PL11 sounds superb!  When we first received samples I spent a week listening to the PL11 on my walk to and from the office.   The sound is immediately appealing as there is plenty of warmth at the bottom end and the trebles are well balanced and clear.

The obvious comparison that is going to be made is with the Sennheiser CX300-II.  In many ways the SoundMAGIC PL11 is very similar to the CX300-II, with plenty of bass and a clear high end.  Just like the CX300-II, the PL11 has a slightly recessed midrange, which actually helps reduce long term listening fatigue.

Many headphone brands, including high end headphone manufacturer Grado, are known to drop the midrange frequency response slightly to provide a more enjoyable listening experience.  The reason for this is that the human ear resonates at 2.9Khz, making it particularly sensitive to mid-range treble notes.  If the headphone or earphone is less responsive around this frequency then the ear tires less quickly and you can enjoy your music for longer.

Summary

The SoundMAGIC PL11 is an earphone that is a very enjoyable listen.  Good bass response and a superb degree of resolution at higher freqencies make the PL11 an earphone to be reckoned with.

The sound is similar in some respects to the highly regarded Sennheiser CX300-II and beats the Sennheiser hands down on price.

Good build quality rounds off a well thought out earphone package that we are happy to recommend.

More Information

For the full range of SoundMAGIC Earphones and many other high quality brands please visit the HiFi Headphones store.

Educational headphones have specific requirements that set them apart from the type of headphones used for home listening or with an iPod.

Picking the best headphone for use in schools and other learning environments needs careful consideration.  At HiFi Headphones we have built up considerable experience of the type of features that will be the most beneficial for use in a school, college or learning centre.  Please do ask us and we will do our best to help.

Robust Educational Headphones

Durability and Robust Build

Durability is obviously a key area of interest, as headphones for school use need to cope with regular listening by the most active students. Robust design of the headphone headband and well made strain relief on the cable are must have features. Headphone cables are often the component that will break first, so headphones with good strain relief on the jack plug and as they enter the headphone earpiece are most suitable.

Reduce Distraction

Reducing distraction of the student is one reason you may choose to work with headphones in your classes. Over ear design and closed back earcups ensure external distractions are blocked out and your students stay focused on the task at hand.

Comfortable & Lightweight

Lightweight, comfortable designs ensure the students are happy to wear the headphones without complaint for extended periods. Look out for adjustable headbands (make sure they can adjust small enough) and low headphone weight.

Educational Children’s Headphones

More Information

For a full range of Education Headphones for many applications as well as a wide selection of Children’s Headphones, please visit the HiFi Headphones online store.

Full size headphones is a new departure for Shure, as they are known best for their in-ear sound isolating earphones.  Initial user reviews suggest that the Shure SRH840 sound like a ‘Shure SE530 with sparklier treble’, which can only be a good thing.

Those lucky enough to get their hands on review samples of the Shure SRH840 have commented on the huge soundstage considering that this headphone is a closed back design.  Read one Head-fi members review of the Shure SRH840.

We’re really excited about this range of headphones and itching to get out hands on initial stock to give them a proper review.

Shure SRH750 DJ Headphones

More Information

For more information on the Shure SRH range of closed back headphones and many other reference quality studio headphones please visit the HiFi Headphones store.

Shure SRH440 Headphones

The new speaker website will be very familiar to HiFi Headphones visitors and we aim to offer the same excellent service and product range.

Please visit the Speaker Station website and check out our range.

More Information

For a large range of  speakers, iPod docking stations and more traditional Hi-Fi speakers, such as 2.1 speaker systems, please visit the Speaker Station online store.

If you are looking for the perfect in-ear fit for optimum comfort, then custom fitted earphones or sleeves are the answer.  Made from ultra soft silicone material and made specifically for your ears, custom mould earphone gels also offer the best possible isolation from external noise.  With custom earphones fitted it’s possible to totally immerse yourself in the sound of your music without interruption from noisy surroundings.

Custom Sleeves for Earphones

Custom made earphone sleeves are the ultimate upgrade for an existing pair of high quality in-ear sound isolating earphones.  The sleeves are manufactured specifically for your existing earphones your ears.

Custom Earphone Sleeve fitted to Etymotic ER-6i

Custom Earphones

Custom earphones are custom made ear gels with miniature earphone speakers fitted inside at the time of manufacture.  Just like regular earphones, custom earphones come with varying numbers of drivers, with entry level models having a single driver and higher end models having upto three balanced armature drivers.

ACS T2 Custom Earphones with Twin balanced armature drivers

A benefit of opting for a custom earphone with built in drivers is that you only have a single device to think about - no need to worry about the custom ear gels getting split up from your earphones.  The all-in-one design also offers advantages over custom made sleeves by being more compact - the drivers are embedded deep within the ear mould - and therefore providing a neater solution.  Interestingly, it can actually also work out cheaper to purchase a complete custom earphone with drivers built in, rather than a high end standard earphone and then an additional custom sleeve.

More Information

For information on the full range of custom fitted earphones and custom fitted earphone gels for standard earphones please visit the HiFi Headphones store.

The launch party was also attended by celebrity investor Debora Meadon from the UK TV series Dragons Den as well as the founder of WeSC, Greger Hagelin.  Shaun and Kristina from HiFi Headphones took the opportunity to have a few beers and meet some of the team.

WeSC Alp Horn - First Photos & Test

The WeSC store launch party gave us the chance to have our first listen of the WeSC Alp Horn headphone.  The Alp Horn has been in the pipeline for some time (we were expecting initial stock in August 2008), so it is great to finally see the Alp Horn in production.

Annalise from LateralCorp kindly let us demo an Alp Horn and we were suitably impressed.  The design of the Alp Horn is like no other headphone we have ever seen and we love it.  It’s great to see a headphone manufacturer doing something completely different and unique with headphone design.

I had a bit of trouble with the fit of the headband over my head and ended up wearing it with the headband resting towards the back of the top of my head.  Mind you I have a particularly large head and have problems finding hats and caps that fit me!

WeSC Alp Horn Headphones

Sound quality is excellent, with plenty of clarity and detail.  I found bass response a little lacking initially, but this improved substantially once I got the fit right and therefore got a good  seal over the ears.

Overall we think this headphone is a winner.

More Information

For a full range of WeSC Headphones and many other brands of high quality headphones and earphones please visit the HiFi Headphones online store.

At HiFi Headphones we’ve just taken delivery of our first batch of FiiO headphone amplifiers.  The brand new FiiO E5 and FiiO E3 are ultra small headphone amplifiers with a price tag that makes them affordable for anyone with an iPod, MP3 player, laptop or mobile phone.

The FiiO headphone amps promise increased output power (to power hard to drive headphones), added bass response and even better clarity of treble notes.

FiiO E3

The FiiO E3 headphone amp is the perfect introduction to improving your portable audio setup - look out, it’s a slippery slope! :)  At a price point that makes it possible to try without risking to much cash, the E3 has taken the headphone amp World by storm.

Just connect the FiiO E3 between your portable audio device (iPod, iPhone, laptop, mobile phone, etc) and enjoy the improvement in volume and sound quality.

FiiO E5

The next step up from the E3 in the FiiO line-up is the all new FiiO E5.  With an exterior casing that has been redesigned to fit more comfortably in the pocket, and internals completely revised to improve noise figures, the FiiO E5 is a force to be reckoned with.

When compared with higher end headphone amplifiers, such as the iBasso T4 or Graham Slee Voyager, the FiiO E5 does colour the sound to some degree (it definitely warms up the bass response), but with the FiiO E5’s price tag of less than £25 I shouldn’t really be comparing.

More Information

For more information on FiiO Headphone Amps, a range of other Headphone Amplifiers & DACs and iPod Line Out Docks (LODs) please visit the HiFi Headphones shop.

If you’ve been following the world of headphones you may have noticed that headphone amplifiers seem to be cropping up more often than ever, but what’s the point?  Do they just increase volume, or is there more to it?

Below are a few good reasons to upgrade your audio setup with a headphone amp.

Ability To Power ‘hard to drive’ Headphones

Some headphones are notoriously hard to power.  A headphone amplifier gives your audio source a boost in output power, which gives the headphones a more full sound, improves bass kick and often makes trebles more defined.

For example the Sennheiser HD650, HD600, HD595 and many Beyerdynamic headphones have relatively high impedance ratings, which mean they need more power than most to drive the headphone speakers.

Interestingly, many lower impedance headphones and earphones (normally the high end models) also appear to benefit from the use of a headphone amplifier.  For example the low impedance Grado GS1000 or Grado RS1 can be easily be driven by a humble iPod, but add a headphone amplifier such as the Grado Slee Solo to the equation and the improvement in sound can be very satisfying.

Avoiding Cheap Headphone Outputs

The headphone output on many portable audio sources, such as iPods, iPhones and laptops, can be very poor indeed.  The electronics used often leave much to be desired and are obviously designed with budget, rather than sound quality, as the major design factor.  A headphone amplifier offers ways to avoid the noisy headphone output completely.

The iPod and iPhone headphone socket can be avoided completely by using a Line Out Dock (LOD) cable.  These cables take the un-amplified line out signal from the 30 pin dock connector provide a way to drive a headphone amplifier with this better quality signal.

Laptop and computer owners can avoid the often breathtakingly bad headphone output with the addition of a Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) and headphone amplifier.  The DAC is connected to the computer’s USB port and the conversion to analogue audio signal is done well away from the noisy electronics inside the computer.  Some products, such as the iBasso D2, combine a DAC and headphone amp into a single unit.

More Information

For a full range of headphone amplifiers & DACs and iPod & iPhone line out dock cables (LODs), please visit the HiFi Headphones online shop.

FiiO and KS Distribution today announced a partnership for distribution of FiiO’s audio electronics products in the UK.  Based near Brighton on the South Coast of England, KS Distribution is a specialist distributor of headphone and earphone related audio products.

KS Distribution is to be distributing FiiO audio electronics products to independent specialist retailers in the UK and Ireland.

FiiO headphone amplifiers provide a way to get the best audio performance from portable audio sources, such as MP3 players (Apple iPod, iPhone, etc) and laptop computers.

The FiiO E5 has taken the headphone amp market by storm, with a high specification and entry level price making it accessable for anyone looking to upgrade their portable audio system.

About KS Distribution

A leading audio electronics distributor, KS Distribution specialises in bringing innovative products to the UK market and providing a World class service to their customers. Offering a carefully selected range of products for home and mobile listening, KS Distribution are a highly focused team whose primary aim is to develop strong partnerships with retailers and manufacturers.

For more information visit www.ksdistribution.co.uk

About FiiO

FiiO Electronic Technology is a personal audio consumer electronics manufacturer with a product line-up that includes headphone amplifiers and speaker systems.  Leading the field in affordable personal audio products, FiiO is constantly innovating to stay ahead of the competition.

For more information visit http://www.fiio.com.cn

There are other models in the range, including an ultra portable headphone amp called the iBasso T4 (it is VERY small and weighs just 29 grams) and a high end model that comes with various types of Op-Amp to swap over to alter the sound signature (one for the perfectionists).

The iBasso D2 works especially well with higher impedance earphones such as the Sleek Audio SA6 and Klipsch Image X10, where there is good improvement in depth of bass, as well as high frequency detail and soundstage. I’ve yet to test with lower impedance earphones (Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10’s, etc), but I would guess the effect is similar, but maybe not so pronounced.

Below is a photo of the iBasso D2 with my Sleek Audio SA6’s and an old iPod Nano:

In my opinion the most interesting application for the iBasso D2 is using the DAC with a laptop. With my IBM ThinkPad T62 laptop feeding the D2’s DAC and a pair of Sennheiser HD650’s the difference in overall sound quality is significant compared with the laptop’s standard headphone output. I would say this is the application where the biggest improvement in sound quality is seen.

More Information

For the range of iBasso headphone amps, including the iBasso D2 and iBasso T4, please visit the HiFi Headphones shop.

KS Distribution is to be distributing iBasso electronics products to independent audio retailers in the UK and Ireland.

iBasso headphone amplifiers provide a way to get the best audio performance from portable audio sources, such as MP3 players (Apple iPod, etc) and laptop computers.

About KS Distribution

A leading audio electronics distributor, KS Distribution specialises in bringing innovative products to the UK market and providing a World class service to their customers. Offering a carefully selected range of products for home and mobile listening, KS Distribution are a highly focused team whose primary aim is to develop strong partnerships with retailers and manufacturers.

For more information visit www.ksdistribution.co.uk

About iBasso Audio

iBasso is a personal audio electronics manufacturer dedicated to getting the best from portable audio listening via headphones.  iBasso’s range of headphone amplifiers feature high specification design and outstanding audio quality at an affordable price.  With flexibiliy in mind iBasso headphones amps have been developed for high quality headphone listening via direct connection to portable digital audio players, such as the Apple iPod, as well as listening to music stored on laptops and netbooks via USB.

Our headphone sale includes a broad range of high quality models, including wireless headphones, in-ear sound isolating earphones and even professional DJ headphones.

The sale is strictly on a first come, first served basis, so don’t let anyone else beat you to that bargain deal!

More Information

For a large range of headphones on sale please check out headphone sale category on the HiFi Headphones online shop for a huge range of headphones and earphones.

Spares for Sennheiser headphones are now available at the HiFi Headphones store.  You’ll find a big selection of replacement cables for Sennheiser headphones, as well as earpads, headbands and capsules (the speaker or earpiece).

One of the great things about buying headphones or earphones from an established manufacturer like Sennheiser is that it’s possible to service your headphones when components wear out or break.  There’s no need to throw you pride and joy in the bin, just replace the part.

Our selection of spare parts includes a full range of spares for popular consumer models such as the Sennheiser HD600, PX100, and HD595 as well as professional studio models such as the Sennheiser HD25, HD280 and HD250.

Replacement Cables, Earpads and more

If you’ve broken the lead on your Sennheiser headphones, or just worn out the ear pads then browse through our Sennheiser spares section and track down the replacement part.  If your headphones are in need of more serious repair then you will also find spare headbands and even replacement drivers for many popular models.

We were hoping to get the product pages for more Sennheiser spares online before the New Year, but due to the huge workload we’ll be working on filling out this section in January.  Please check back soon or Contact Us if you have a particular requirement.

More Information

For more details on the full range of Sennheiser replacement parts and many other accessories and spares for a range of headphones, please visit the HiFi Headphones store.