The Sound Apprentice

Cheap Tweaks: Rosson Audio Design RAD-0 Suspension Strap Mod

2021-11-14T23:20:00.061-06:00

Casey Dodge is a mechanical engineer and machinist by trade—he’s also an audiophile. Put those traits together and it’s no surprise that he’s found a smart solution to a heavy problem. That heavy problem is the intolerable hot spot atop the heads of many Rosson Audio Design RAD-0 owners, me included.

Having enjoyed Alex Rosson’s headphone creations during his time with Audeze, much like Casey, I eyed his latest endeavor, the RAD-0, for quite a while before prying open the purse strings to pick up a pair. We’d both taken breaks from headphones until pandemic protocols restored our interest in them, and stepping back into the head-fi space coincidentally led us both to the RAD-0—and ultimately me to him.

“Like a lot of people, I started getting very heavily into headphones again during the pandemic while working from home. I had read a lot about the RAD-0 and how great it sounds but also how uncomfortable it is. I finally decided that I had to try it for myself, thinking that maybe I could do something to make it more comfortable if it really was as uncomfortable as I had read,” Casey shares.

Here’s where our experiences differ. “Once I got the RAD-0, I found that it wasn’t as bad as some people were saying—but it also wasn’t something I could wear for more than an hour or two without getting a hot spot,” Casey says. For me, the hot spot was literally intolerable within 30 minutes—a damn shame given the fact that the RAD-0 is a truly beautiful sounding and looking headphone. Under the weight of the planar magnetic transducers and housings, the modest, easily compressed pad centered on the RAD-0’s headband creates a terrible pressure point for me. I have a smallish head, and while I can’t speak to the size of Casey’s or that of the other RAD-0 users who’ve suffered under its weight, I suspect it doesn’t really matter what size your head is … the RAD-0 is bound to create at least some discomfort at some point.

In response, my mind immediately thought to deploy the cheap tweak used to modify my Audeze LCD-X and HIFIMAN HE-6 and HE-500, which consisted of using a Sennheiser HD600/HD650 headband pad held in place with either a wool wrap or some double-sided tape. But the RAD-0’s bulbous pad prevents this approach from being as seamless or streamlined as it was with those other models.

Casey’s mind went somewhere else: “From previous headphones that I had, I knew that adding a suspension strap would likely solve the hot spot problem,” he says. “But the other headphones that I had added straps to had usable screws to mount the straps with—the RAD-0 doesn’t.”

As any good engineer would do, Casey began experimenting. He tells me that he started out with a strap that was just tied to the RAD-0’s sliders. While he says that fixed his hot spot, it was “ugly and annoying to use because it would flop around.” This led Casey to work on a design that would make the strap both more stable and OEM-like in appearance, while also eliminating the need for any permanent modifications to a $2,600-plus headphone.

One genuine leather strap, two T-brackets, two screws, and one Allen wrench later, Casey has created a suspension strap that takes the RAD-0’s headband out of play. It’s simple. It’s reversible. It’s affordable. It’s a smart solution to a heavy problem.

Casey ended up with a design that uses the slot in the RAD-0’s sliders to pass his T-brackets through that secure the suspension strap in place. These brackets are made from Delrin, a type of plastic often used to replace metals because of its low friction, resistance to wear, and machinability. “Delrin has good properties for these kinds of parts and machines nicely using a CNC mill,” he explains. The leather straps are also cut from a pattern that Casey made, which allows him to keep them more uniform and repeatable despite being cut by hand. In the end, his suspension strap looks strikingly OEM-like and should hold up well under typical use.

Admittedly, when I stumbled across some forum posts mentioning Casey’s strap, I was a bit skeptical of the quality and end result. In reaching out to Casey, my skepticism was unwarranted. Our conversations have been pleasant, and my experience with purchasing and using his original creation has been nothing but positive. The few minutes of trial and error to get the strap positioned on my RAD-0’s sliders where it fits comfortably were long forgotten by the time my first pain-free listening session ended. In fact, my prior 30-minute tolerance for the RAD-0 has stretched to more than three hours during some recent listening sessions. The simple beauty of the leather suspension strap is that it conforms to your head, creating a wide and long contact patch that distributes the RAD-0’s weight and thoroughly eliminates hot spots.

While I’m somewhat surprised and disappointed that Alex Rosson didn’t incorporate into his RAD-0 some of the headband refinements implemented in the LCD line during his time with Audeze, I’m grateful that crafty head-fi enthusiasts like Casey exist to right the wrongs audio engineers sometimes gloss over. The RAD-0 is a lovely looking and seductive sounding headphone. It’s a headphone that deserves to be heard, not felt.

If you’re like me and can’t enjoy the RAD-0 in stock form for as long as you’d like because of hot spots, or even if you experience just the slightest amount of headband discomfort from it, Casey’s suspension strap could be the difference between seeking a new headphone or settling in to experience #AudioNirvana with your one-of-a-kind RAD-0.

Casey is currently making his RAD-0 suspension strap in small batches. If you’d like to give one a try, you can message him through The Headphone Community where he goes by “rustyrat” or through the Head-Fi forum where he’s known as “puck.” His suspension strap costs $50 shipped in the in the US, and international shipping is available for an additional charge.

Revisiting the 99: Meze Audio's 99 Series Ear Pads and Silver Headphone Cable

2020-01-20T13:30:00.003-06:00

About three years ago I had the opportunity to photograph and review the original maple Meze Audio 99 Classics headphone. At the time, it was a unique headphone—both in looks and sound. The maiden release by Romania’s Meze Audio was a hit among listeners, which ultimately led to a collaboration with Massdrop (now Drop) to create the Massdrop x Meze 99 Noir, the addition of a new, lightweight model in the 99 Neo, and some subtle upgrade accessories. Some of those upgrade accessories are what I am talking about today.

All in the Ear

Over the years, the 99 Classics has been a headphone I ultimately relegated to desk duty. I’ve used it at the office, where the closed maple backs offer nice isolation and the warm, dynamic sound signature keeps me engaged throughout the day. At home, it often served a similar purpose, but as wear time extends, I prefer the comfort of other headphones in my collection. For me, overall comfort and cable management have been the sole sore points in using the 99 Classics.

I originally wrote:

If I could change one thing about the 99, it would be the ear pads—they’re simply too damn shallow. Give my ears some room to breathe, Meze! Seriously though, I have an issue with ear pads that touch the lobe and helix of my ears—especially during long listening sessions. I appreciate the sleek styling of the headphone itself, but the slim medium-density foam ear pads compress to the point that my ears press against the liners covering the driver housings. Their circumference also feels a bit cramped, as if they were stuck somewhere between being a large on-ear and narrow around-the-ear design

I was hardly the only user or reviewer to complain of discomfort from the original ear pads. Wisely, Meze Audio responded to user feedback and released a revised ear pad, which now comes standard on new models and can be purchased as replacement/upgrade ear pads for any model in the 99 series. A “small” version, similar to the original pad, is also available.

The updated ear pad design changes a few things. First, it is a slightly deeper ear pad with a slightly larger ear opening. Second, the driver screen is of different material. Third, it only comes in black.

When it comes to headphone comfort, millimeters make a difference. I find the updated ear pad, which is literally only millimeters larger, offers just enough room to make a difference for me. On initial use, the space for my ears feels noticeably roomier and airier, and the pain points experience before are far less noticeable or gone altogether. As the pad breaks in and the foam compresses over time, I suspect some ear-to-driver/ear-to-pad contact will reemerge, but this is common wear and tear with any headphone. So, for now, this is a welcomed improvement.

What is somewhat less welcomed is the change in the listening experience. The original ear pad has a color-matched liner/driver screen that has a thin foam backing. This adds cushion between your ear and the driver assembly and inevitably affects the sound signature of the headphone. The updated ear pad removes the foam backing, leaving only the screen material. To my ears, I hear more treble and bass emphasis. The difference is not subtle. I have mixed feelings here.

If you found the original 99 Classics to be a bit too warm or dark sounding, the updated ear pad certainly adds a little shimmer to the top end. I don’t mind this too much. However, it seems to me that the bass booms more and bleeds into the mids. The warm, deep thump of the original 99 Classics feels slightly looser and more resonant than before. Albeit still enjoyable, the sound is different and livelier. This is something users considering an ear pad swap should consider. That said, changing out the original pads for any ear pad, whether it is a Meze update or a third-party ear pad, will always impact sound. It’s up to you to find the one that brings you bliss.

Last, and this is a personal nitpick, Meze’s ear pads now only come in black. If you have the original maple/light model, the two-tone look may not be to taste. I would prefer a color match, but I respect Meze Audio’s business decision since all their models now use black ear pads. You can see how it looks in the photos; what do you think?

Capable Cables

I briefly mentioned cable management as another pain point with the original 99 Classics. My original model came with only a 3 m long cable with a color-matched woven jacket. This length is certainly fine for home use, but commuting with it is less than ideal, and even office use can lead to tangles. To say I’ve rolled over the cable a few times would, unfortunately, be an understatement. Today, Meze includes 1.2 m (with mic and remote) and 3 m cables with their 99 Classics, but that doesn’t mean audiophiles wouldn’t be interested in alternate options.

Enter the 99 Series Silver-Plated Upgrade Cable. This is a 1.2 m cable comprised of eight braided silver coated copper wires. The cable terminates in one of three options: balanced 2.5 mm rhodium plug, standard 3.5 mm rhodium plug, and balanced 4.4 mm gold plug. The plugs at the headphone end are gold plated.

The barrels at the plugs and Y-splitter are nicely machined and feature subtle logos and lettering. The color is somewhere between pink champagne and silver. It’s not quite a direct match to the steel accents on my 99 Classics, but the difference is subtle enough that most people won’t notice from any reasonable distance (nitpicking again).

Overall, the cable seems solidly made given my short term experience with it. It is not overbuilt like many aftermarket “audiophile” cables, which makes it practical and comfortable for desktop and commuter use. It is lightweight and has good flexion, coils and uncoils easily without kinks and, most importantly, transfers far less noise/microphonics than the stock cable and its woven jacket. The cable also includes a small synthetic leather storage bag and cable tie that complement the cable’s premium aesthetic.

What matters most is how it sounds. Meze’s own marketing is minimalist in claiming “Meze’s premium cables will take your sound to a next level of spaciousness, detailing and transparency.” The thing is, I actually agree with this statement.

Cables are contentious in the audio world. In my experience, I’ve had some headphones respond well to cable swaps and others offer no response at all. When it comes to my 99 Classics, Meze’s upgrade cable seems to lift a veil off of the sound stage, providing better clarity and a seemingly wider and more revealing dynamic range. If you’re mostly a speaker person, I’d equate the difference to that of listening with the grilles removed. I don’t know the science behind the cable, but my assumption is that the braiding technique and silver coating combine to help resist noise and enhance signal delivery at the very least. What I do know is that I like what I’m hearing.

While Meze has succeeded at producing a premium cable that provides notable benefits over the stock offering, it comes at a premium price ($119). Given the market for the 99 series, I know many 99 owners will second guess buying this cable. The 99 Classics retails for $309, the 99 Neo retails for $199, and the Massdrop x Meze Noir retails for $160 when it’s on sale. Tack on $119 to each of those price points and your affordable hi-fi headphone becomes significantly more costly.

I can’t tell you whether you’ll have the same experience as me. I can’t tell you if the difference is worth it to your ears. What I will tell you is that if you like your 99 Classics/Neo/Noir exactly the way they are, you have a tough choice to make. But if you’ve ever thought just a touch more detail, a touch more smoothness and clarity, and a much quieter cable would make the 99 your endgame headphone, your decision is made. This cable delivers.

The DIY Sumiko Master Speaker Setup Guide

2019-11-14T00:11:00.001-06:00

If you have a 2-channel speaker setup and you’ve ever Googled the best way to position your speakers, chances are that you’ve come across forums talking about the Sumiko Master Set Speaker Placement procedure. The basic concept of this approach is that it positions each speaker independently to sound best in your particular room rather than placing them based on generic manufacturer recommendations or a perfectly symmetrical configuration. This, in theory, should help those with asymmetrical and complicated listening rooms (like me) get the best performance possible.

The protocol takes patience to get it right (allow several hours if you are a perfectionist), as both speakers will require much trial and error to get positioned “perfectly” (subjectively speaking) within the room. The results, however, might lead you one more step toward Audio Nirvana.

According to Sumiko Audio, “The most important component in any audio or theater system is the proper placement and positioning of the speakers into the listening environment. Putting the speakers where they truly belong, so they don't fight each other, so they work in total unison not only with each other but also with the room, is the end all be all for proper music reproduction in the home.”

Becoming a true “master” of this process requires training or paid consultation and setup, so keep in mind that online guides are second-hand instructions, but there are several write-ups and audio forum threads that rave about the results by DIY-ers like us.

Below is the best step-by-step guide — supposedly presented by John Hunter, the owner of Sumiko Audio and REL — that I came across. I edited it for length and clarity and split some of the steps to make the process easier to follow. Another twist on this approach is this “light” methodology, which suggests toeing-in the “anchor” speaker directly toward the listening position from the start. I believe this approach could sacrifice good soundstage, so I prefer the approach below.

Sumiko Master Speaker Setup Protocol

Step 1 - remove any (easily) removable acoustic treatments from the room. Anything that is permanently fixed and all your furniture is OK to leave.

Step 2 - remove the speaker stand spikes to make sliding the stands easier, or at least level all the spikes so the speaker is completely level. If you own heavy speakers, use furniture sliders to make positioning easier. If you have hard floors, try setting the speakers on a soft towel to assist in sliding.

Step 3 - establish your listening seat. Optimally, you will set the speakers and your listening seat in the shape of a triangle. Space permitting, it is generally recommended to start with the speakers set at least 8-12 ft. apart and the listening seat 12-15 ft. back. An equilateral triangle arrangement is often advised as well. Adjust accordingly to your room constraints. When properly set, the speakers will likely be out at least 18 inches from the front boundary wall. Your listening seat likewise should be at least 24 inches from a rear boundary.

Step 4 - place both left and right speakers directly against the front boundary wall facing straight out into the room. No inward “toe-in” angle should be attempted yet. Generally, start with your speakers set 24-36 inches in from the sidewalls to limit early reflections (final positioning will change). The left speaker is going to become the “anchor” speaker for the set up.

Note: If you have an odd shaped room, starting with the speaker that has the most wall to work along or shortest distance to a rear boundary may be beneficial.

Step 5 - get grooving. Proper speaker placement requires music. Hunter recommends using a Rob Wasserman song featuring vocals by Jennifer Warnes called “Ballad of the Runaway Horse” from his Duets album. You could also try streaming it or using this YouTube recording, although the quality isn’t as good. Another disc regarded for fine-tuning speaker placement is Chesky Records Jazz Sampler & Audiophile Test Compact Disc Vol. 1.

Now, begin playing the “Ballad.” What makes this song so effective for this setup protocol is that “the plucked string bass is at realistic volume at realistic timber.” So, the first goal is to get the bass properly coupled to the room and the drivers.

Play this track at volumes where you can easily detect bass quality, which is usually between 80-95 db. Hunter says sometimes you will need to crank it up a bit to fully engage the room.

Step 6 - get a helper if possible (it will make moving and listening easier). Have your helper slide your anchor speaker out into the room until the bass becomes solid and authoritative. Mark this spot with some painter’s tape.

Make sure your helper stands behind the speaker when he/she moves it and then steps away from it, because their body will affect the sound if they stand alongside the speaker.

Step 7 - slide the anchor speaker right and left (toward and away from the sidewall) to find the best bass quality. Mark this spot.

Step 8 - slide the anchor speaker further out into the room to find other points where the bass couples properly in your room. Mark these positions with your tape.

Note: There may be a dozen spots within a three-foot zone of your first spot. This is where the process can become tedious, because Hunter says as little as one-third of an inch can differentiate good bass quality from lifeless bass.

Step 9 - listen to all the good bass points until you find your favorite. Mark it.

Remember that steps 6-9 are all done with just the anchor speaker playing straight out while the other speaker is playing straight into the room from its position against the front wall.

Step 10 - establish the “toe in” angle of your anchor speaker toward your listening seat.

You want the widest possible soundstage without the sound becoming too thin. Hunter says he usually ends up seeing about two-thirds of the inside wall of the speaker cabinet when it is positioned about right.

Do not toe in or toe out excessively, which ruins the soundstage. The sound will be very natural when the angle is right — too wide or too narrow will make the sound thin or seem like it is coming from two speakers instead of the space between them.

Your anchor is now set. Mark this spot.

Step 11 - reinsert the anchor speaker’s spikes and level the speaker.

Step 12 - set the second speaker’s position. Move it slowly out into the room while listening for the soundstage to line up equally in front of you. By this, Hunter means the soundstage is flat in front of you, not tilted like one speaker sounds closer than the other.

Remember to keep this speaker oriented straight ahead.

Step 13 - move the speaker right and left until you hear the soundstage become cohesive — Warnes should sound like she is standing between your speakers.

Step 14 - toe in the speaker very slightly until you hear Warnes’ voice become a “body” centered in the soundstage. You will hear the sound “congeal nicely” when this is right. It may be necessary to make very minor angle adjustments to get her voice centered. Be patient and you will be rewarded.

If the soundstage is not linear, meaning one speaker sounds more forward than the other, then simply slide the second speaker front or back slightly until the soundstage is “level.” Moving it right or left adjusts the centering of Warnes’ voice.

You should now have accomplished sound coupling of the speakers to your room boundaries. To test if this is the case, you should be able to stand directly over either speaker and clearly hear the other speaker.

Step 15 - mark the final location of both speakers.

Step 16 - reinsert the second speaker’s spikes.

Step 17 - begin adjusting the critical rake angle of the anchor speaker.

If your speakers or speaker stands do not have adjustable spikes, you can try using door shims or wedge spacers. Adjust the spikes to get the speaker level across the front and raked back to get the beam of the tweeter firing an inch or two above your ears when seated in your listening position.

Listen to the quality of Warnes’ voice. She should appear to be ear level or slightly above ear level in the soundstage.

Remember, this is a personal choice. Many audiophiles prefer ear level because the sound is slightly fuller. A little above ear level may sound more natural or like a live musical event.

Step 18 - begin adjusting the spikes on the second speaker to match the “height” of the anchor speaker.

Step 19 - once immersed in eargasm-inducing sound, take measurements of the speaker locations from the walls. Take digital photos. Map it out. Eventually, your setup will get shifted out of place somehow. You need to have these measurements so you don’t have to repeat the setup process (except for when you get new speakers).

Step 20 - reinstall any acoustic treatments you removed (or experiment with some new ones) to see if you can improve upon the room’s sound, but don’t touch the speakers’ locations.

If your ears aren’t fatigued by this point, Hunter says he likes to follow up with some confirmation tests using the Chesky album previously mentioned. Track 10 is great for confirming left and right positioning: “On cut 10, the speaker starts out two feet from the microphone in center stage. Then he moves mid-way right, full right, and off-stage right. He then repeats this on the left. Simply slide your right speaker right or left to get the sound staging perfect.” Track 11 verifies your rake angles with “Over, Lateral, Under, and Up” tones.

While completing this process may not make you a true Sumiko Master, what you have done, hopefully, is couple your speakers to your room based upon your primary listening position.

If this seems too involved, check out these other speaker placement calculators and guides.

Let me know your results, tips, and tricks. As I setup my new listening room, I plan to try several configurations to figure out which approach is really the “master.”

Better Placement, Better Sound: Speaker Placement Guide

2019-11-06T18:46:00.001-06:00

Updated January 2022

Speaker placement is a complex topic that often falls by the wayside with new (and old) hi-fi enthusiasts eager to throw their system together and get the tunes pumping. But the truth is, unless you take the time to dial in the positioning of your speakers, your journey to Audio Nirvana is going to be short lived, and it won’t be the equipment’s fault.

Thankfully (or frustratingly), there are a number of resources across the web to help you place your 2-channel, surround sound, and desktop speaker systems just right. Keep in mind that these are best practices, but your room and equipment plays a significant role in the ultimate sound. Use these as baselines to start, then fine-tune for yourself.

As I am going through the trials and tribulations of dialing in my new listening room for speakers after having been listening primarily to headphones for the majoring of my time as an audiophile (audiofool), these are the resources I have found most helpful:

New Record Day

Ron has a widely followed YouTube channel called New Record Day where he shares all sorts of reviews and insights. I watched his L.O.T.S. Loudspeaker Optimization Techniques for Soundstage! video, which offers some quick and simple starting measurements and techniques that might work in your room. His approach kind of combines some of these standard measurement approaches below with a reverse Sumiko approach for establishing the ideal depth from the front wall. Interesting and worth a try!

Cardas

Cardas is an elite name in the hi-fi world, and George Cardas has taken the time to put together his Room Setup & Speaker Placement Guide to help you get the best performance out of your system. This guide includes room setup designs, speaker placement calculators and other resources for rectangular rooms, square rooms, near-field listening positions and more.

See the Cardas Guide.

No Audiophile

Noaudiophile.com has put together a speaker placement calculator for some of the most recommended speaker set-ups, including Cardas' golden ratio. Plug in the measurements of your listening room, and Noaudiophile.com's calculator will map out where to place your speakers, giving you measurements for multiple configurations to try in your space.

Try out the speaker calculator.

Sumiko

According to Sumiko, “The most important component in any audio or theater system is the proper placement and positioning of the speakers into the listening environment. Putting the speakers where they truly belong, so they don't fight each other, so they work in total unison not only with each other but also with the room, is the end all be all for proper music reproduction in the home.” Becoming a true "master" of this process requires training from Sumiko, but there are several write-ups and forum threads that rave about the results. You can try this "light" methodology to start (allow plenty of time for experimenting with this). This approach suggests toeing-in the "anchor" speaker right from the start. Another approach is to not toe-in the speakers at all until both speakers are set and fine-tuning is honed in during the final steps. Here is a free video with much of the concept discussed.

Galen Carol Audio

"An article on 'correct' speaker placement may be impossible to write." I couldn't agree more with this statement from Galen Carol, which is in part why I like their article. It is a straightforward explanation of speaker placement concepts that will help you as you experiment in your listening environment.

Read Galen Carol Audio's speaker placement article.

Wilson Audio

Wilson Audio is renowned for their high-end speakers, so, their set-up process should be top notch. The Wilson Audio Set-Up Procedure (aka WASP) is similar to other methods, but does offer a more room-specific approach by recommending an acoustic zone is identified and then the speaker is dialed in within this zone.

Read TNT Audio's simple write-up about the WASP. The Audio Beat's "Optimizing Speaker Placement" offers another WASP approach, along with additional toe-in and rake details.

Dolby

For the home theater and surround sound music enthusiasts, dialing in the positioning of your 5.1, 7.1, and 9.1-channel systems is absolutely essential. Dolby’s guide will get you started with basic placement information, room considerations, and other tips.

See Dobly’s Guide.

THX

According to THX, “Sound is fifty percent of the entertainment experience…. And speaker placement is essential to experiencing the true impact of movies, music and games.” In their guide THX offers speaker positioning tips for 7.1, 5.1 and desktop speaker systems.

See the THX Guide.

Another resource for speaker placement guidelines is your speakers’ owner’s manual. Several brands design their speakers to be placed in very specific positions. If this is the case, the owner’s manual or the brand’s website should have the guidelines published. Audio Physic has a nice guide as well.

Obviously, those of us without dedicated listening rooms or small listening spaces may have limitations for positioning. My suggestion is to use these guides and simply do the best you can and continue to tweak until you find the placement that sounds best to you.

Got a Subwoofer?

If you’re running a subwoofer in your music room or home theater, be sure to check out this video from Audioholics (also see their in-depth write-up on speaker placement):

First Listen: Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE-35X Headphone Review

2019-03-19T14:27:00.002-05:00

The HE-350 is dead; long live the HE-35X. But will the Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE-35X, debuting at a pre-order price of just $90, be crowned king of Massdrop’s entry-level audiophile headphone lineup?

Nearly three years ago, Massdrop announced the HE-350, an open-back, 50mm dynamic driver headphone created in collaboration with high-end headphone manufacturer HIFIMAN. Priced at just $99 (cheap by any audiophile’s standards), and looking quite like its high-priced brethren at the time, the HE-350 seemed like an absolute steal. Having owned and enjoyed HIFIMAN’s classic HE-500 and HE-6 planar magnetic powerhouses, I jumped on the HE-350 drop expecting an excellent entry-level headphone to put into the rotation for comparison reviews and occasional personal use. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The HE-350 was utterly disappointing to my ears. I quickly sold it at a loss and swore off chasing budget audiophile products priced too good to be true.

So, to say I was surprised when Massdrop reached out to me to be an early reviewer of its latest Massdrop x HIFIMAN collaboration would be an understatement. “We’ve overhauled our Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE-350. We listened to all the comments and feedback to improve sound, durability, and comfort,” Massdrop said in reaching out to me. I guess they’re confident that the new HE-35X’s improvements will have me singing a different tune this time around. Let’s find out.

Unboxing Impressions

It wouldn’t be hard to mistake the HE-35X for the HE-350. Straight out of the box, the HE-35X looks and feels a lot like its predecessor. The same sleek metallic gray and black color combination that caught my eye the first time around is back. I would’ve opted for an all matte finish like the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home or Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE4XX for some differentiation from its predecessor, but Massdrop didn’t ask me about looks. So far, the HE-35X’s glossy plastic cups are holding up better than those of my several times more expensive HE-500 and HE-6, which both showed fine surface scratches from even the slightest mishandling.

Also returning for this edition is the suspension headband. I’m told this version has metal-reinforced yokes. I’ll take Massdrop’s word for it since the HE-35X feels slightly more robust than the toy-like HE-350. Of all the headphone headbands out there, this is one of the better designs for comfort and articulation. Between its light weight, Goldilocks clamping force (not too loose, not too tight — unless you have a really wide head), and thinly padded wide synthetic leather strap, the HE-35X is very comfortable for short listening sessions and better than tolerable over a full day’s use. Can you ask for more in this department? Not really. I will caution you of one thing: Once you set the strap on the indentation that fits your head, minimize readjustments — the tabs that secure the strap in place quickly wear the paint off the black metal headband, leaving a fine silver line between each indentation hole.

A welcomed HE-35X enhancement comes by way of its ear pads. The HE-35X comes equipped with HIFIMAN’s popular FocusPads. These are the same premium angled hybrid (pleather/velour) ear pads found on HIFIMAN’s HE-400i and other higher-priced headphones of similar design and are an especially nice feature when you consider that HIFIMAN sells them for $39. Based on past experiences with HIFIMAN ear pads, I can attest the FocusPads help immensely with positioning and comfort; however, they still get toasty — watch for ear sweat. These ear pads have also been said to be itchy for some users, particularly those with sensitive skin. If this is the case for you, I suggest removing the pads to hand-wash them with a mild detergent and then letting them air dry. I’ve had good results doing this myself, and if that still fails you, I have no doubt that the ear pad connoisseurs of our hobby will soon be testing the various options from Brainwavz and ZMF Headphones to see if any of them perform better than the FocusPads.

As far as tactile enhancements go, the last one worth mentioning is the cable. Back in the day, HIFMAN’s removable cables terminated at the cups with the most finger-frustrating mini-coax connections. Thank the audio gods that those things are gone. The HE-350 used more convenient 2.5mm TRS connectors, but now the HE-35X uses robust 3.5mm TRS connections at the ear cups for a quick, secure hook-up. The cable itself is plain and simple: Black, 53” long (I’m assuming it’s all OFC copper), terminated with a right-angle 1/8” headphone plug (3.5mm), and a 1/4” adapter is included. While the cable’s plugs are gold plated, oddly, the jacks on the cups aren’t. I guess they had to cut costs somewhere.

Listening Impressions

While the HE-35X looks and feels much like the old HE-350, it sounds entirely different — that’s a very good thing. Massdrop tells me the HE-35X has been completely re-tuned to improve frequency response and appeal to customer requests. I’ll wholeheartedly back that claim. I tolerated the HE-350 long enough to get some listening impressions on paper. I know a lot of people went through lengths to mod their HE-350s in attempt to correct its shortcomings. Well, I actually kept listening to the HE-35X long after I had a good enough impression to write this review. In other words, the HE-35X’s frequency response sounds leagues above the HE-350. In fact, it’s a pretty fun headphone. What I mean by that is that it’s tuned to get your toes tapping with boosted bass and a tipped-up top end.

The HE-35X’s treble jumps out front from the get-go. You’ll need to give your ears a few minutes to acclimate to this, but despite being crisp and forward, the HE-35X’s highs aren’t ear-piercing or overly bright or fatiguing. This is a big win for the HE-35X since many headphones around this price point struggle with sibilance and sharp highs that crumble as cymbals crash. Sure, cymbals can sound splashy sometimes, some grain comes out when things get loud, and some female voices can sound especially forward, but it’s hard to fault a budget-priced headphone for these things. Overall, the HE-35X delivers a decent level of clarity and separation between brass sections and cymbals and toppy female vocalists and their pianos — better than par for the price if you ask me. I’ll attribute this to the high-pass filtering circuit in each ear cup Massdrop says was introduced to “attenuate the treble for a better overall sound signature.”

If I had to fault the HE-35X’s top end, it would be in its lack of dimension and tonal quality; there’s little air or aura despite the large dynamic drivers and open-back design. On the positive side, being tipped-up but not toppy is a major refinement over the HE-350 and a solid accomplishment overall. The HE-35X’s highs simply sound more controlled and balanced overall.

Moving into the mids is where I feel the HE-35X labors some. This is somewhat predictable; when a headphone has emphasized bass and treble regions, finer midrange details will inevitably lack luster. This takes some of the euphoria out of tracks like John Butler’s “Ocean,” where the HE-35X struggles to fully reproduce the full-bodied extension and emotion of his 11-string guitar. A Deftones album, for another instance, will sound cutting but feel lean as the drive of the hearty distortion feels slightly recessed. As you crank the volume on your amp, your ears won’t be met with more machismo but instead with loudly splashing cymbals and booming bass lines. The piano, drums, and sax in “When the World Was One” by Matthew Halsall & the Gondwana Orchestra lack a bit of depth, presence, and separation as they struggle to flutter around the HE-35X’s tuning. While this isn’t to my taste, again it’s not uncommon for a headphone like this. It also doesn’t mean jazz, folk, or rock will necessarily sound bad out of the HE-35X, you just have to understand upfront that moody mids are not this headphone’s forte.

While the HE-35X stumbles slightly in the mids, namely towards the upper end of that range, it finds its stride again deeper in the dynamic range. The HE-35X’s bass extension is its saving grace. I expected either anemic or flabby overemphasized bass, but this is a headphone that carries a healthy rumble right into your ears, which makes electronic, hip hop, and rap most fun to listen to through the HE-35X. Heck, queue up Moderat’s “Bad Kingdom” and decide for yourself if you’re getting good bass for the buck.

The bass hits with conviction on this budget performer, but it performs best when the tracks aren’t overly busy, which seems to be a recurring theme. “Home” by John Butler Trio illustrates my point. The opening synth bass is clean and convincing, but when the floor toms come in heavy on the chorus, the HE-35X struggles to keep up with the congestion and loses impact and timbre. But hold on; spin up Oddisee’s “Ready to Rock” and, yep, you’ll be ready to roll. This is the kind of track the HE-35X lives for.

The HE-35X also does quite well with simple songs. Take John Mayer’s latest release, “I Guess I Just Feel Like,” where the even-toned and relaxed Mayer doesn’t challenge the HE-35X to do anything remarkable or complex — it’s just a laid-back listen where there’s little emphasis on any part of the dynamic range. “What am I Here For” by Jade Bird is another song where the HE-35X exhibits its ability to hint at being holographic when the tones and volume are just right.

I admit to wanting the HE-35X to be more holographic more often though. Despite being an open-back headphone, I can’t credit it with sounding especially three-dimensional, airy, or realistic. There’s no real magic about its sound stage, but it does place the music with pinpoint precision right between your ears. The HE-35X fills your head with music, which is much better than just filling your ears with noise (there was nothing musical about the HE-350).

So, what does this all mean? When unchallenged by dynamic layers of instruments and vocalists, the HE-35X easily punches above its weight. Simply put, I think the HE-35X is a fine and very listenable headphone for the price. Sure, there are better options out there for more money. There are also far worse options out there for less money, equal money, and even more money. What this all means is the Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE-35X offers good value for the audiophile on a restricted budget. That said, any buyer of the HE-35X needs to accept that it will not be their endgame headphone — it will only be a gateway to the absurdity that comes with being an audiophile (Massdrop will appreciate your repeat business).

Massdrop may decide to market the HE-35X as the king of their entry-level audiophile headphone line-up. I’ll crown it as the prince for the price. The real king is still the Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX.

Alternate Approaches

Here’s my prediction for potential HE-35X buyers: You’ll stick with it for a little while, maybe even mess around with some mods, and then you’ll start to wonder what the next best thing is — it’s inevitable as an audiophile. So, I have a few recommendations for you. Each of these is a reiteration of a classic hi-fi headphone, so your “upgraditis” should be stayed for quite a while longer.

AKG: If you want a more neutral /balanced headphone with better detail clarity that will play well with a wider range of music (and responds well to EQing if you’re into that), the Massdrop x AKG K7XX should be a top consideration. At $200, it offers a strong feature set and attractive price:performance ratio. The original Austria-made AKG K701, was my first real “audiophile” headphone courtesy of The Spirited Uncle M and remains a solid choice for those seeking a no-frills hi-fi headphone. Massdrop offers their version in black and red. The K702, and K712 (enhanced low-end performance) are equally valid options.

Beyerdynamic: If you like a V-shaped sonic signature like the HE-35X exhibits, but want a more refined product — better clarity, timbre, and build — the $170 Beyerdynamic DT990 Premium Limited-Edition Black headphone offers a big bang for the buck. Beyerdynamic, in my opinion, has some of the more comfortable and eye-appealing designs; although, some people do complain of sibilance. Unless you have a very powerful amp, the 250-ohm version should be purchased.

Sennheiser: As previously mentioned, Massdrop’s greatest achievement in the audiophile community might be bringing Sennheiser’s classic HD 650 to the masses in a far more cost-effective package, the $200 Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX. The color is different, the cable is shorter, but the sound performance is the same, which makes this one of the best bargains in the head-fi space today. The HD 6XX is a lush headphone that is very easy to listen to. You will sacrifice some sub-bass slam and twinkle in the treble, but you get a very warm, full-hearted headphone that plays well with most music genres. Of the headphones mentioned in this section, this one is easily the most universally enjoyed headphone on the market. If vocal depth and emphasis is important in your music, the HD 6XX should be a top choice.

HIFIMAN: If you’re truly set on going with a HIFIMAN headphone, you need to go planar magnetic. Your best cost of entry here is the $170 Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE4XX. I haven’t personally heard this model, but I know that planar performance is going to offer you a more refined sound than the HE-35X’s dynamic driver. You’ll sacrifice some comfort and style due to the added weight and different headband, but you’ll likely gain more depth, clarity, and sound quality in return.

No matter which headphone you choose, I hope you enjoy your journey to #AudioNirvana.

P.S. If you’re not already a Massdrop member, use this invitation to get $10 off your first drop.

JDS Labs 'Upgraditis': The Element Headphone Amp + DAC Review

2018-04-15T15:57:00.002-05:00

Whenever I get asked for headphone amp recommendations for a given headphone, I respond back with two questions: What’s your budget? What’s your goal? The case with many of my readers is that they just dropped a couple of hundred dollars or more on nice headphones or IEMs and are disappointed that they don’t sound better out of their smart device or computer. This usually leads to a goal of getting better sound on a now more modest budget. Enter JDS Labs.

For the price and simplicity, it’s hard to recommend any other brand. For some time now, the simple and dependable O2 headphone amp and OL DAC have been staples in my review process. These little black boxes haven’t moved from my desktop since receiving them despite competing products coming and going. The reason is two-fold. They’re relatively cheap, which makes them accessible to a wide audience, and they’re versatile—there’s little-to-no coloration or noise, there’s more than enough power for most headphones, and they simply sound good with a wide variety of music. So, what’s not to like?

I continue to stand by my statement that the OL/O2 stack, with its crisp, clear, controlled, and consistent characteristics, is a damn good place to start for new budget-minded audiophiles. But good can always be better and that’s where JDS Labs’ The Element comes in. For those looking for the simplest USB-based audio upgrade, The Element does nearly everything the OL/O2 stack does, but does it better and in a single unit. This is now my recommended entry-level headphone amp/DAC.

On paper, The Element measures better than the O2 across the board, but the notable upgrade for most users is that The Element puts out nearly double the power of the O2. Offering max continuous output of 1.1 mW into 32Ω, you’ll have plenty of headroom to drive most high-end, high-ohm dynamic headphones (and even some orthos) to deafening levels.

On the DAC side of things, the standalone OL DAC still measures impressively for its price point (now $99), placing it in “reference-grade” territory. The DAC within The Element is similar but not quite up to the same specs, which is a likely concession for being a combination unit rather than a standalone DAC. While the two DACs measure close in most categories, The Element’s DAC loses the optical input and dynamic range, jitter, crosstalk, and frequency response all take a slight dip. The Element also only supports bitrates up to 24/96, which is rather conservative in today’s digital realm. That said, from a sound quality standpoint, The Element easily bests the OL/O2 stack and that’s what really matters to most.

What look like minor measurement differences on paper actually equate to much more. The struggle with reviewing The Element is that I can basically take the good things I wrote about the OL/O2, paste them below, be done, and you likely wouldn’t know the difference. Does that mean I was wrong about the OL/O2? Did I overhype them? Or did JDS Labs just figure out how to take their approach to sonic neutrality and transparency to a new level? I’m going with the latter.

So, let’s revisit some of my thoughts about the OL/O2 stack:

“This stack isn’t going to romanticize your music collection. Rather, it’s going to allow you to focus on the music and hone your efforts on choosing the IEM or headphone [or powered monitors in The Element’s case] that best suits your musical taste.

I’ve mainly been running the rounds with the Audioquest Nighthawk, Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, Meze Audio 99 Classics, and Sennheiser HD650. The OL/O2 drives each of these headphones with ease and enjoyment, although none come off as being quite as airy, lush or three-dimensional as when pushed with a powerful tube amp (just my personal preference), the warm characteristics of each is conveyed cleanly and with good dynamics. Although these are all darker sounding headphones, I liked the pairings because it brought some balance to the neutrality of the OL/O2 stack. The consistent instrument separation and detail retrieval of the OL/O2 pairing is solid. The sound stage is modest, extending maybe three to four inches out around the head. Stereo imaging is dead center, although I do selfishly lust for a more holographic presentation. As someone who favors really lush sounding gear, this little stack can sound a bit flat to my ears—bass notes hit with impact, but often lack resonance; mids are clear, but are light on warmth; treble is crisp and detailed, and never too brittle, but airiness and texture seem overly controlled. But all of this is inherent in neutral, transparent solid state amps and DACs….

Overall, I generalize the OL/O2 stack as being crisp, clear, controlled, and consistent. Sure, it can be boring for those that favor the ooey gooey goodness of lush and distorted tube gear, but boring isn’t always bad. In fact, these little black boxes are probably one of the best places to start for new budget-minded audiophiles looking to learn just what it is they like and lust for.”

Wow. If you think the OL/O2 stack sounds like a winner, The Element is a champ. The Element literally does everything the OL/O2 does sonically, but does it noticeably better. I think what struck me at first listen was how much cleaner The Element sounds—it truly takes the JDS Labs house sound to a new level. Switching from The Element back to the OL/O2 reveals grittiness in the OL/O2 that never stood out in use or comparisons before, especially as the volume gets cranked up. My guess is that this is mostly the O2’s fault, but The Element sounds smoother and more effortless throughout the dynamic range, emphasizing its crisp transparency and neutrality with better resolution and dimension. What’s more, the oversized volume knob’s smooth throw allows for precise volume control. I faulted the OL/O2 combo for having a limited sound stage, but The Element seems to reach further in this regard, immersing you in a deeper and wider atmosphere.

The Element also addresses the flatness the OL/O2 stack can exhibit. Whatever tuning tweaks were made to The Element have brought more realism to its output: Bass notes, while seemingly a touch less impactful or visceral, are more controlled, resonant, and exhibit better timbre; mids remain clear and defined, but seem to draw in new depth and dimension; and the high notes, while still easily described as crisp and detailed, ring more true, more accurate, and with better resolution. The Element is, in all its basicness, more revealing and immersive.

What this all culminates to is that The Element is an excellent choice for computer audiophiles looking for an inherently neutral and transparent solid state amp and DAC combo that can scale at volume. From my perspective, The Element’s sonic signature makes it an even better tool for audio purists, gear geeks, and reviewers because it reveals the sonic traits of the recording in front of it and of the headphones, IEMs, or powered monitors feeding the music to your ears. Simply put, The Element is not just for the budget-minded audiophile. Considering its sleek design, price-to-performance, and sonic signature, it’s hard not to make The Element a top choice for any computer audio enthusiast.

But What About...?

The cons? Okay, The Element is so lightweight that you have to hold it with one hand when trying to plug in or unplug your headphones or other connections. Second, the headphone jack isn't the smoothest. Third, the power supply ships in a separate box, which is kind of tacky.

The competition? I know I’ll get asked, so let me get this out of the way…. JDS Labs faces no shortage of competition in the marketplace for small, affordable desktop headphone amps and DACs. Most notably, I get asked about comparisons to Schiit’s products. My advice is to consider your actual needs (specs/features), sonic preferences (bright/neutral/warm), and budget, and then make a decision from there. Word of mouth is easily one of the biggest drivers in the audio hobby, but you’ll likely go crazy, or broke, trying everything everyone recommends to you.

That said, my preferences leans towards certain brands for these smaller desktop components (I find it hard to go “wrong” with any of them): ALO Audio, CHORD, iFi Audio, JDS Labs, and Schiit. My experience leads me to believe that these companies offer some of the best sounding small and portable products for the prices, new and in the used market. Across the sonic spectrum, from “bright” to “dark” sounding, I’d place them in the (subjective) following order: Schiit (brighter), JDS (neutral), iFi (neutral/warmish), CHORD (warm/classic “British” hi-fi), and ALO (warm/dark).

Build quality? All of the companies above offer high-end products for the prices. I think CHORD is probably the most solid, followed by ALO, Schiit/JDS, and then iFi. I have had QC issues with iFi review units and some of my Schiit products, but never any issues with ALO, CHORD, or JDS Labs.

Good luck on your quest for #AudioNirvana.

iFi iDSD BL DAC + Headphone Amp Review: Black is Better

2018-01-21T16:43:00.003-06:00

Shortly after sending my iFi Audio Pro iCAN review unit back, iFi hit me up with its stealthy Micro iDSD BL (Black Label), a portable desktop DAC and pre-amp/headphone amp combo that packs a punch and goes head-to-head against the very popular Chord Electronics Mojo (If you see this Chord, I’d love a demo).

Much like the Pro iCAN, the iDSD BL is an iFi flagship product, but this time in its smaller portable/desktop Mirco line. Here again, iFi packs in strong feature sets bettered by trickle-down R&D and technology from iFi’s ultra-high-end parent company, Abbingdon Music Research, or AMR Audio.

You can read about all of the tech specs on iFi’s website, like the dual-core Burr-Brown DAC chips, custom Sanyo OP-Amps, and femto clock, so I’ll just get to the feedback you care about — user and listening impressions.

Unboxing Impressions

A relative newcomer to iFi products, I was happy to see the lesser-expensive iDSD BL comes well-packed in higher-end packaging with clean, minimalistic design and aesthetics like the Pro iCAN. It gives off the impression that you’re unboxing a much more expensive product. Inside, you’ll find a very comprehensive accessory set. Everything you need to put the iDSD BL to use is included: USB 3.0 cable, RCA cable, Optical/Toslink adapter, 3.5mm to 6.3mm headphone jack adapter, 3.5mm jumper, some other various USB adapters, a crushed velvet storage bag, a rubber mat to keep the iDSD BL from sliding around on various surfaces when in use, and two bands for securing the iDSD BL to your smartphone or DAP (you can even use the iDSD BL to charge your smartphone).

Despite its light weight, in hand, the iDSD BL has a sleek and solid feel. I’d say it’s comparatively robust next to products from JDS Labs and Schiit, and maybe a hair less robust than ALO and Chord’s offerings; however, I do have a couple of gripes. The black-on-black text on the chassis is hard to read, and the various recessed slide switches feel, well, cheap. In fact, the first time I slid the iEMatch switch into another position, the round plastic button popped off the switch post. The button easily went back on, but I’d prefer more solid switches on a unit at this price point. I can see these buttons easily popping off their posts if handled less that delicately when traveling. This nitpicking aside, the front panel toggle switches and volume pot operate nicely with good tactile feedback, and the overall look and feel of the device is quite pleasing.

As for being portable, yes, the 4800mAh lithium battery lets you use the iDSD BL on the go, but it’s long, narrow rectangular shape and overall length does make it rather awkward to carry. It’s approximately 1.5” longer than most standard smartphones when accounting for the volume knob and exposed inputs/outputs. In fact, it’s closer in size to the battery brick for my laptop, so this isn’t something I am tossing into a jacket pocket to use on the train each day. This becomes less of an issue if you carry a bag of some sort.

Sound Options

Perhaps the greatest traits of the iDSD BL are its flexibility and versatility. From sensitive IEMs to more power-hungry headphones, mixing and matching the Power Mode (Eco -
2.0V/500 mW @ 8 Ohm; Normal - 5.5V/1,900 mW @ 16 Ohm; Turbo - 10.0V/4,000 mW @ 16 Ohm) and proprietary iEMatch (Off, High-Sensitivity, Ultra-Sensitivity) settings allows you to dial in the right amount of power and gain to drive your music with balance and authority.

Because of a strong channel imbalance on the volume pot of my review unit, and my preference for lower listening levels while working, I found these variable settings incredibly useful for balancing the volume output for all of the headphones and IEMs in my collection. For example, I’m back to primarily using the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home as my home-office headphone, which was comfortably driven in just the Eco/High-Sensitivity settings, meaning the more powerful settings will get deafeningly loud.

Furthering its versatility, the iDSD BL also benefits from two proprietary circuitries — Xbass+ and 3D+ — that help correct some common headphone and loudspeaker shortcomings: sub-bass and imaging. While only “on” or “off” via two front panel toggle switches, instead of being active in varying degrees like on the Pro iCAN, these are still very usable EQ-like features.

XBass+ is iFi’s solution to bass deficiency in reference headphones and loudspeakers. Through analog signal processing circuitry, XBass+ provides a noticeable, although sometimes intrusive, bass boost. Much like my experience with the Pro iCAN, I was mostly pleased with how the bass boost integrated into the timbre of the amp, but results obviously vary by recording and headphone/loudspeaker selections. XBass+ nicely boosts the deep bass regions of the Sennheiser HD650, Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, and Focal Elear on bass-light recordings. With bass-shy headphones like my old AKG K701 or the updated Q701, XBass+ adds some welcomed warmth and impact. On the other hand, the dark and mysterious AudioQuest NightHawk (review), and the Fostex TH-600 gets boomy with Xbass+. The takeaway here is that you just have to experiment; XBass+ is not a set-it-and-forget-it option.

While XBass+ helps correct bass deficiency, 3D+ helps correct sound stage deficiencies, like that closed-in feeling when the sound is stuck right between your headphones. In other words, 3D+ was designed to create an “out-of-head” headphone listening experience that emulates listening to well-placed loudspeakers in a room.

Much like the XBass+ feature, 3D+ is rather hit-or-miss. I particularly liked this feature on the Pro iCAN, which had varying degrees of impact. On the iDSD BL, 3D+ is again “on” or “off” only, which limits its usability. In particular, I found 3D+ to work well with live recordings and videos, like Ben Howard’s 2015 Glastonbury Festival performance, where it widens the sound stage and makes for a more cohesive and deeper blending of sound. Testing it with the tracks I used in my Pro iCAN review, the 3D+ function again worked well enough with jazz classics like John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” where instrument localization is very apparent and added depth and dimension enhances the experience. Admittedly though, some tracks get too busy and displaced with 3D+ engaged, especially when it has adverse effects in the treble region, injecting a strange artificial tizzy-ness to cymbals or an intrusive reverb effect to the entire track. Here again, it’s a feature that’s easily experimented with. Does it truly emulate properly positioned loudspeakers? No, but with the right tracks, it does make welcomed improvements to that “stuck in your head” feeling during long headphone sessions.

Toned Up

Coming from the Pro iCAN, which was surprisingly neutral and precise, I was expecting more of the same from the iDSD BL, but I was met instead with a tuning tipped towards warmer tones and marginally less precision in detail retrieval and treble clarity. It seems while the iDSD BL still seeks transparency, its tone plays it a bit safe, emphasizing more body in the bass and mids, probably for more versatility with headphone/IEM selection. I suspect this is also in part due to the tuning of the dual-core Burr-Brown DAC chips. For what it’s worth, the iDSD BL sounds more like the tube modes of the Pro iCAN than the solid-state section.

In comparison to my JDS Labs Objective2 headphone amp and OL DAC (review), the iDSD BL offers more bass impact and dimension, even without the XBass+ and 3D+ features engaged. However, the JDS stack takes the edge in neutrality and clarity, which is a touch dry in comparison, but perhaps more sonically accurate. I also still use an older ALO “The Island” at work, which comes off as much warmer and textured in comparison to both.

Overall, my takeaway is that the iDSD BL is relatively crisp and clear, with good bass impact and timbre, a touch rounded in the mids, but with nice dynamics, good space and dimension, and the right amount of treble and resolution for it to be hi-fi without being analytical.

Accuracy and neutrality are what come to mind with the Pro iCAN, which simply lacks a notable “house sound.” The iDSD BL moves a step back from its big sibling, adding a hint of coloration that gives it a touch of flavor for your desktop and portable needs. Add in the simple sound tweaks possible with XBass+ and 3D+ and you have a small amp/DAC that dishes out a darn good listening experience.

Parting Thoughts

Lastly, it’s well worth noting that the iDSD BL’s flexibility doesn’t stop with power and tone controls for your headphone listening sessions. The iDSD BL can serve as a DAC and pre-amp for your powered monitors, where XBass+ and 3D+ also work. It accepts USB and digital coax inputs (and optical/Toslink with the provided adapter) for greater input versatility. It natively plays all DSD, DXD, and PCM files, including Quad-DSD256, Octa-DSD512, and bit-perfect Double-DXD and PCM768. Consider all this on top of the innumerable headphones and IEMs that can be driven efficiently with the various Power Mode and iEMatch configurations and it’s clear that the iDSD BL offers scalability, flexibility, and performance well beyond its weight class.

SoundPEATS Q36 Magnetic Sport Earphones Impressions

2017-12-28T12:21:00.002-06:00

No, The Sound Apprentice is not affiliated with SoundPEATS. In fact, I never would have heard of the brand, which is more likely trying to sound like Beats, if not for company representative Ada reaching out to me to test their new Q36 Bluetooth magnetic sport earphones. Not one to deny a request for feedback, I accepted Ada’s offer and received the $29.99 Q36 from Amazon only a few days later.

Unboxing & Accessories

My initial impression during the unboxing was that Shenzhen, China’s SoundPEATS is targeting the same consumer market as Brainwavz Audio, another Chinese audio company trying to capture consumers itching for upgrades and budget audiophiles. Much like Brainwavz, SoundPEATS’ packing and presentation exceeds expectations for the price point. The Q36 arrives in a clean-lined and well-thought carton with a moderate assortment of accessories. The Q36 comes with standard silicone extra-small, small, medium, and large ear tips and small, medium, and large stabilizing wings, two shirt clips, and a small, black, synthetic SoundPEATS-branded coin purse to stow everything in.

My impression of the accessories is that while they’re certainly all useful, the overall quality is about what you’d expect for a $30 earphone: they all get the job done but lack a premium feel. The pouch isn’t lined or padded for protection, and the ear tips have slight ridges from the mold that you can feel in your ear canal. Here’s where I give Brainwavz an edge if you’re comparing products, as their accessories almost always have a better fit and finish than you’d expect for the price paid, including Comply foam ear tips.

Performance

While we’re on the topic of ear tips, let’s get my regular disclaimer to beginner audiophiles out of the way. With the assortment of ear tips offered with the Q36, it’s important to test each set. Tip selection is critical with earphones and in-ear monitors (IEMs), and I strongly encourage you to take the time to choose the ear tip(s) that fits each ear canal best—emphasis on best and not just one that “fits”—because the audio quality, comfort, and isolation improve greatly with the ideal tip. For me, this meant mixing and matching sizes of tips and wings to ensure sound isolation and earphone stability, both of which are really important for getting the most out of the Q36.

I typically have trouble with long cylindrical-shaped earphones like the Q36, and that continued to be true. I found the Q36 to be a bulky earphone (although this is somewhat expected with most Bluetooth offerings), which meant it was a touch heavy in my ear and also protruded out of the ear quite a bit. Without the right ear tip, the Q36’s weight and design will cause sealing problems, which then negates almost all sound isolation from the outside world and all bass disappears. Considering isolation is only modest with the provided tips, this becomes a real issue. The other problem with bulk is listening fatigue. At just over an hour-and-a-half of continuous use, my ear canals were starting to ache from the pressure of the Q36 nozzle. Considering the Q36 is marketed as a sport earphone, long listening sessions probably weren’t planned for the in the design. For active use, I personally prefer designs more like the Brainwavz XF-200 (review) for something super affordable to bang around in or my Shure SE215 (review) which now comes in wired or wireless options.

On to the sound, the Q36 is what I consider a consumer-friendly earphone. The sound signature is somewhat U-shaped, giving the most emphasis to the bass and treble regions to create an artificially dynamic sound that will appeal to the general public as they seek alternatives to the cheap stock earbuds that come with most smart devices these days. This tuning is more suited for less complex rap, hip-hop, and electronic/EDM music where bass and treble emphasis is often welcomed and seemingly “fun.” I like fun, but I also like balance.

Like most earphones tuned with a U- or V-shaped dynamic range, the Q36’s mids are a bit recessed, albeit not so terribly that the bass and treble completely overwhelm your ears. I favor a slightly darker, warmer, and fuller sounding earphone or headphone: the Q36 sacrifices too much mid-range and overall clarity to be a real hi-fi instrument, in my opinion. That said, I was happily surprised to find that the treble wasn’t so tipped up that it was piercing or brittle, in fact I heard very little sibilance throughout my Spotify mix. It wasn’t until getting into very high volumes that the sound started to fall apart on both ends of the spectrum.

Still, strong vocalists sound clear but flat rather than front-and-center; bass notes are emphasized but lack timbre, settling on being more impactful than precise, and the treble simply sounds… digital, a bit cold and artificially crisp if you will.

Now I realize these listening impressions seem a bit harsh, but to me, the Q36 sounds too much like a moderately refined stock earbud or consumer-level Skullcandy earphone—it doesn’t depart enough from what you can hear elsewhere to be truly unique. If that’s OK, the Q36’s added Bluetooth connectivity and accessories fit the bill perfectly for a simple and affordable entry into Bluetooth earphones, but if you want true hi-fi performance, you’re going to have to look elsewhere.

The Q36 isn’t all bad however. In fact, I wouldn’t call it bad at all—it’s just not what I have grown accustomed to wanting. In fact, if I had heard these years ago, prior to being spoiled by high-end audio, I’d likely be perfectly happy with the sound, price, and performance.

The Bluetooth connectivity was a breeze, pairing instantly with my aging Motorola Droid Turbo. I didn’t hear any constant feedback, static, or hum that often plagues cheaper Bluetooth options. Being near a running microwave did cause some sporadic interference and popping noises, but I wasn’t able to repeat it continually in other situations. The Q36 also seemed to charge quickly, within one to two hours, and lasted for nearly eight hours before shutting down. The remote worked well with positive button feedback, and the overall build of the Q36 seems solid enough where I wouldn’t fear tossing these around. The cable between the earphones could be a touch shorter as it does dangle enough to pick up noise from bouncing/rubbing on your clothes or body, so be mindful of using the shirt clips to minimize this. The magnetic backs on the earphones are also a neat feature that snaps them together for storage, keeping them tangle-free.

Bottom Line

All in all, my time with the SoundPEATS Q36 was enjoyable enough. The $29.99 Q36 is a simple, solid Bluetooth earphone that’s cheap enough to make it worth a shot, and a throwaway if it ever craps out. Sure, the sound leaves a lot for an audiophile to desire, but as a sport earphone for drowning out the drone of a treadmill, or a simple step up from cheap earbuds, the Q36 gets the job done just fine. And at this price point, the Q36 seems to be a crowd-pleaser, just check out the positive user reviews on Amazon.

iFi Pro iCAN Headphone Amp Review: You Can With the iCAN

2017-11-18T11:27:00.001-06:00

It’s funny how things work out sometimes. Just before my annual spring/summer hiatus from pursuing #AudioNirvana, I decided to part ways with my Eddie Current Balancing Act amplifier, HiFiMAN HE-6 headphones, and Schiit Yggdrasil DAC as part of a downsizing, capital-raising, not-quite-sure-why-I-am-doing-this selling spree. During the process, the buyers of the HE-6 and Yggy both asked me how they would perform with iFi Audio’s Pro iCAN. Of course, I hadn’t the slightest idea because I had never used an iFi product in any of my personal audio systems. Ironically, the first product I am offered to audition this fall turns out to be the Pro iCAN. So, thank you Lawrance at iFi Audio; now I’ll be able to share some real opinions about this desktop headphone amp the next time someone asks.

Prior to this audition, my experience with iFi stretched as far as a brief audition of the original Micro iCAN at a friend’s and seeing several iFi products compared against Schiit Audio’s. Much like Schiit’s USA-made wares, UK-based iFi has made a mark in the computer audio and headphone scenes for its small, silver, affordable amps, DACs, and power-purifying devices. You’ll often see these two brands going head-to-head in debates on audio forums across the web. Aside from competing in the same spaces with similar products, there’s another reason why these two brands are so well regarded among their fan bases: Quality—both brands benefit from R&D by veterans of high-end audio manufacturers. It doesn’t seem often noted, but iFi’s parent company is Abbingdon Music Research, or AMR. AMR is regarded for making ultra-high-end, reference-class stereo amps, DACs, transports, and other hi-fi wares. The Spirited Uncle M actually cycles AMR’s DP-777 DAC through The Sound Lab on occasion, which I attest is one sweet piece of equipment. But I digress; my point is that iFi is able to later deploy tried-and-true technology from AMR at a fraction of the cost—enter the Pro series.

The Pro iCAN is iFi’s first flagship product released under the brand’s “Pro” or professional series line. Designed with some trickle-down technology from AMR, the Pro iCAN is iFi’s “studio-grade” headphone amp and preamp, chockfull of features not commonly found in desktop-sized amps, let alone ones priced at $1,699. I can see some iFi fans suffering from initial sticker shock, but this is a distinctly different product from anything iFi has put out before, and it brings far more value and flexibility than you’d first think.

You can read about all of the technically excellent details and specs—like the end-to-end, fully-balanced design, premium components, and incredible dynamic range—on iFi’s website, so I’ll just tell you about the features I liked most.

Tube Flavor

Do you like tube or solid-state sound? Don’t know? The Pro iCAN gives you a taste of both. The Pro iCAN houses individual solid-state and tube amplification sections. A switch on the front panel shifts the Pro iCAN between its Solid-State, Tube, and Tube+ modes, letting you select which circuit sounds best to your ears.

Solid-State mode is notably for you audio purists; employing a pure solid-state circuit using JFET transistors and a fully discrete, Class A power stage. Switching over to one of the two tube modes engages two top-grade General Electric 5670 tubes for an all-valve sonic presentation to give you that taste of tube flavor.

As a tube guy, I unsurprisingly preferred the Tube+ mode, which iFi says “reduces negative feedback to a minimum” and lets a “greater amount of the tubes’ natural harmonics” be produced. Still, I personally found the differences between the solid-state and tube circuits to be little more than subtle overall. My takeaway is that the Pro iCAN in Solid-State mode is crisp, clear, and precise. It has good reach and resolution without being overly dry or analytical. On the other hand, the 5670 tubes introduce a few degrees of mild but welcomed warmth and body to my ears. Bass lines and vocals seemed a touch richer and more involving, dynamics became a bit rounder and less pinpoint precise, and the sound stage opens up just ever so slightly, becoming a share wider and more holographic.

While clearly audible, I admit to wanting a greater sound variance between the different modes—more of that classic tube lushness, make-me-feel-euphoric goodness if you will—but the Pro iCAN remains a dialed and mostly analytical amp across the different modes. Don’t take this as a bad thing; iFi is clearly going for a notably resolving reference sound with the Pro iCAN—just don’t expect it to sound like three completely different amps by switching modes. I know this goes against what some other reviewers have touted, but I stand by my impressions that the solid-state and tube modes only let you subtly tweak the performance to best suit the gear and music you’re enjoying at the time.

In use, I also personally found the Pro iCAN’s wide dynamic range and sonic purity a challenge to describe in detail. Accuracy and neutrality are what come to mind most, which are pretty self-explanatory. Add in the amp’s ample power and the Pro iCAN is simply a lively performer that lacks any notable “house sound” coloration like my Eddie Current, Ray Samuels, and Woo Audio tube amps all had. Again, not a bad thing, just different. Neutrality and resolution in an amp can help a system’s synergy; by essentially getting out of the way, your sources, DACs, headphones, and speakers are given the opportunity to shine—providing they’re resolving enough.

That’s not to say the Pro iCAN is sonically boring. In fact, it’s quite engaging as it’s wide dynamic range and resolution draw out fine details and texture in the music that lesser spec’d amps gloss over. Add in the simple and surprisingly good sound tweaks for those that might need, scratch that, will need them, and you can an amp that packs a powerful punch.

Easy EQ

I generally let my system speak for itself, avoiding digital equalization tools and adjustments that alter the voicing of my gear. But the Pro iCAN packs two very usable EQ-like features into its compact chassis that are impossible to ignore. “XBass” and “3D Holographic” are two proprietary circuitries that help correct two common headphone and loudspeaker shortcomings: sub-bass and imaging.

XBass is iFi’s solution to bass deficiency in reference headphones and loudspeakers. Through analog signal processing circuitry, XBass provides a 12dB boost at the 10, 20, and 40Hz frequencies through a convenient front panel knob that lets you dial in the desired level of bass correction on the fly.

iFi says this implementation is not like traditional tone or loudness controls and is “sonically superior to Digital Signal Processing (DSP) systems.” I don’t know-how to confirm this in a meaningful way, but I can say that I was pleasantly surprised by how well the controlled bass boost integrated into the resolving timbre of the amp. Results obviously vary by recording frequencies and headphone/loudspeaker responses: XBass filled in the nether regions of my Sennheiser HD650 gloriously up to 20Hz but quickly made my AudioQuest NightHawk bloated and boomy with most recordings. XBass is likely more useful for filling out a headphone like the flatter responding AKG K701 or Q701.

Turning to the recording side of things, I found XBass most useful in combating tipped-up rock and anemic live recordings. And while it would have been nice to have varying levels of decibel boosts, the appeal of the 12dB XBass boost is that this easy-on, easy-off feature breathes visceral life into bass-light recordings and headphones/loudspeakers at the turn of a dial, which turns out to be something pretty nice to have—especially for us bassheads.

While XBass helps correct for bass deficiency, 3D Holographic for Headphones helps correct for imaging and sound stage deficiencies when listening to stereo recordings through headphones, meaning that closed-in feeling when the sound is stuck right between your ears. In other words, 3D Holographic was designed to create an “out-of-head” headphone listening experience that parallels listening to loudspeakers in a normal room.

This is something other manufacturers have tried to achieve with software plug-ins and crossfeed features, but as iFi explains, 3D Holographic for Headphones “is not based on a standard crossfeed system, as found in some high-end headphone amplifiers. Many so-called ‘3D systems’ are usually DSP based that artificially effect the sound and add unwanted reverb in order to simulate a ‘spacious’ type of sound.

“It’s true that traditional crossfeed tends to produce an ‘out-of-head’ sound, but with much diminished spatial components and a narrower soundstage,” iFi continues, adding that these implementations often produce “unnatural, echo-like sound, which may initially be impressive, but soon becomes tiring.” By contrast, iFi claims 3D Holographic for Headphones, which was developed based on research extending back to the 1980s, is the first system in commercial production to achieve the desirable out-of-head imaging rendered without added reverb.

Because the Pro iCAN is the first amp I have tried with a feature of this kind, all I’m willing to say is that I generally liked whatever was happening when turning the 3D Holographic front panel dial from off to the 30°, 60°, and 90° Loudspeaker Angle settings. Much like the XBass feature, 3D Holographic has varying degrees of impact. In particular, I found 3D Holographic to gradually widen the sound stage in each increment, especially with must-own jazz classics like John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” where instrument localization is often strongly apparent. Studio recordings by Ben Howard and John Mayer’s various live albums also gained noticeably more depth and dimension by cranking the dial, although electronic tracks from the likes of Bonobo and Moderat seemed to benefit in lesser degrees.

During my time with the Pro iCAN, I often found myself cranking the 3D Holographic dial all the way to the 90° setting for the fun of it, which created a more lively listening experience at the expense of some precision. The 90° setting generally gushed with the greatest sense of space and width, moving the sound stage from dead center in my head to the edges of my ears. Admittedly, some tracks can get too busy and displaced sounding in this mode and in some instances cymbals and strings tacked on a strange artificial sounding tizzy-ness. So, it’s safe to say results will vary—implement as needed. As a guy who also has a listening room with a loudspeaker setup, I won’t say that 3D Holographic truly emulates properly positioned loudspeakers, but it takes welcomed and major steps in incrementally making headphones far more bearable and spatially believable, especially during long listening sessions when that “stuck in your head” feeling gets fatiguing.

Heady Options

Lastly, as I own and audition a lot of different headphones and IEMs with different types of cables, I thoroughly like the flexibility and scalability packed into the Pro iCAN. Never have I had a headphone amp that had every jack I needed, let alone one that could play well with every headphone or IEM I threw at it. The Pro iCAN never failed to impress here.

Armed with a host of balanced (3.5mm TRRS, two x 6.3mm, two x 3-pin XLR, and 4-pin XLR) and unbalanced (3.5mm and 6.3mm) headphone outputs, outside of some exotic cable types, the Pro iCAN has compatibility covered.

Better even, regardless of whether I had a sensitive IEM or a power-hungry full-size headphone connected, there was absolutely zero background noise or that annoying gain hiss—even in Tube mode with the volume knob cranked to the max.

What’s more, the Pro iCAN pumps out up to 20V via its balanced outputs, which is equivalent to 100W into a 4 Ohm speaker. Pair this ample power with the variable gain stages (0dB, +9dB, +18dB) and the Pro iCAN easily drives just about every headphone on the market with accuracy and ease—including the venerable HiFiMAN HE-6 and AKG K1000.

Parting Thought

With plenty of single-ended and balanced inputs and outputs, pretty much every headphone jack you could ever need, a ton of power, a few unique tone-tweaking features, great specs, and packed-in premium components, the Pro iCAN packs a powerful punch, offering scalability, flexibility, and performance. Oh, and it sounds darn good. If you’re already an iFi fan, you’ll undoubtedly like the Pro iCAN. If you’ve never tried an iFi product, the Pro iCAN is unlikely to disappoint. Without a doubt iFi’s flagship Pro iCAN is a headphone amp and pre-amp I can live with.

Late-Night Listening: AudioQuest NightHawk Headphone Review

2017-11-06T23:00:00.003-06:00

Its sound is as unique as its looks. Its place in the market is as contested as its creator’s cables—OK maybe not that contested. And its performance appears to be either loved or hated. So often in audio, enthusiasts position a product in the black or white, better or worse, endgame or bust. But if there’s anything I can say about my audio experiences, it’s that every product worth writing about, discussing, photographing, and hearing has a place. For me, the NightHawk’s place is wherever I do my late-night listening.

It’s fall, which means my outdoor activities are winding down for the season, night comes early, and the tubes on my amp start glowing a bit more. It’s that time of year when longer nights get passed in pursuit of #AudioNirvana. Whether its name was aptly chosen or just coincidental I don’t know, but after 10 months with AudioQuest’s first-ever headphone (yes, I was late to the game), I find myself reaching for the NightHawk whenever I’m settling in for the evening. There’s just something about its uniquely rich tuning that compliments the albums I spin up when I want to drift off into the darkness. But this isn’t a realization that came quickly for me.

At first listen you’ll think something is amiss with the NightHawk—or at least I did. In fact, I hated it the first time I put it on my head—and quickly cursed myself for dropping a couple hundred dollars on a lightly used unit. Sure, it looks lovely and is surprisingly comfortable, but its sound made no sense to me, and it still continues to surprise me from time to time.

To my ears, at first listen, the NightHawk comes off as sounding kind of hollow and reverb-y, almost too unbalanced, like a half empty music venue during sound check. This feeling is further reinforced when quickly switching to the NightHawk from headphones like Sennheiser’s HD650 or Beyerdynamic’s Amiron Home, which both have more forward, mid-centric tunings. But when you pause, sit back, and actually listen, giving your ears and brain several minutes to acclimate, you start to hear a darkness in the NightHawk, a deep musical presentation that’s actually far more revealing, natural, and delicate than expected. And, given time to immerse your ears in its sound, AudioQuest’s NightHawk proves to be a true high-fidelity headphone—albeit a polite one.

What I mean by polite is that the NightHawk plays it safe with its warm and inviting sound signature that’s skewed to the lower end of the response curve. The powerful bass and rolled off treble will undoubtedly be deterrents to audio purists looking for flat response curves, but this is what I like about the NightHawk. It easily hides the flaws of weak recordings and low-res streaming audio; sibilance and tipped-up treble are non-existent; and the mid-range tuning is dialed in to a point where it retains nice vocal and instrumental clarity and detail retrieval without being forward or analytical. All this combined is why I say the NightHawk is excellent for late-night listening. It’s relaxed, it’s deep, it’s dark, and yet it’s still detailed enough to be hi-fi but non-fatiguing.

The trouble with comparisons is that I find the NightHawk to be pretty unique—it’s not really like anything else that I have heard or owned. I mean, it makes the HD650 sound downright thin and aggressive. The NightHawk’s visceral bass can be thick and meaty, the mids a touch relaxed and passive, and the treble tame by all accounts, but in the grand scheme of things, the presentation, while lacking punchy presence, is intimately intriguing. Because of its relaxed nature, the NightHawk actually draws you further into the listening experience, which is what finally reveals the details it achieves in all its subtlety.

If I had to place the NightHawk somewhere among some of its peers, I’d say it takes after Meze Audio’s 99 Classics and ZMF Headphones’ Ori, which favor darker, smoother, and ultimately safer sound signatures at the expense of some upper-mid and treble detail and extension. One could argue the NightHawk is similar to Shure’s SRH840 and SRH1540 as well, but I find both to have more cutting mids and treble, despite both also being considered darker in nature.

Only being semi-open, the NightHawk also doesn’t expel the expansive 3D extension or airiness of fully-open planar magnetic or dynamic driver headphones. Given the NightHawk’s tuning, a sound stage that extends about an inch beyond the cups still seems like an accomplishment to me, and I think its controlled, natural tone and timbre make up for added sound stage depth and height anyway. Don’t take that as me saying the NightHawk sounds claustrophobic, if anything it’s that the NightHawk centers the sound stage with nice accuracy but less extension. The takeaway here is that I encourage you to give the NightHawk a fair listen before deciding it is or isn’t for you.

Whether its sound is for you or not, you have to respect the thought put into the NightHawk. AudioQuest spared no expense in the design and engineering of its debut headphone. From the sustainable liquefied wood cups, to the truly loudspeaker-like biocellulose drivers and 3D-printed grilles that are real functioning acoustic diffusers, the NightHawk is as over-engineered as AudioQuest’s cables—and that’s not a bad thing.

This is a headphone that makes me feel like I actually got my money’s worth—in fact, it’s a steal in today’s headphone market that keeps pushing prices higher and higher. Inside and out, the NightHawk exudes quality. In fit and finish, the NightHawk is polished, clean-lined, sturdy, and minimalistic. Every part has a thoughtful purpose without excess embellishments. In particular, I really like the leather-wrapped elastic suspension strap, which allows precise positioning on the head and ears in comparison to standard headbands or yokes that have set positions to “click” into. The suspension strap is also receptive of my go-to headband mod for those looking for extra padding or that need to lessen the extension of the strap. The ear cups also are held on the yokes by a unique suspension system that allows them to articulate and easily conform to the shape of your head, making for a very comfortable fit. I find it quite easy to wear the NightHawk for several hours at a time.

The NightHawk also maintains a cohesive look and feel, seamlessly integrating into the style and branding of all things AudioQuest if that sort of thing matters to you. Of course, the NightHawk also comes with AudioQuest’s high-end star quad direct silver-plated pure red copper cable (removable), a silver-plated pure red copper ¼" headphone plug adapter, and a nice padded leather storage case.

With its uniquely deep and inviting tuning, excellent comfort, impressive design, and quality build and accessories, I think the NightHawk warrants a serious audition. To me, the NightHawk isn’t so black and white—it falls somewhere in the gray, not quite endgame, but still an underrated instrument and excellent addition to a flock of headphones that deliver different degrees of Audio Nirvana.

The Beginner Audiophile’s Intro to Tubes

2017-10-20T08:12:00.000-05:00

If there’s anything in audio as subjective or contested as cables, it might be tubes. There are audiophiles that solemnly swear that tube amplifiers are the true path to Audio Nirvana. Then there are those that won’t sway from the sterility of solid-state amplifiers. And there are those that haven’t tasted tube flavor—they should probably change that.

In my article "How to Tube Roll," for The Master Switch, I wrote that "unlike solid-state amps that simply let you hit a switch and hear the music, tube amps immerse you in the musical process; they require extra care and attention in tube selection, but reward you with something special and seductive in return."

Tube amps bring a different level of uniqueness and personalization into your audio chain, from looks to sound. From different brands, to different variations, swapping one tube for another can have a big impact on system synergy and the tonal characteristics of your amp. And, for many, this is what owning a tube amp is all about. The ability to tweak and experiment through tube rolling is just one more part of the audiophile’s journey to #AudioNirvana.

Roll With It

To learn more about tube rolling and read about a practical example, check out the full version of "How to Tube Roll," on The Master Switch.

7 Buying Tips for Beginner Audiophiles

2017-03-01T23:13:00.000-06:00

So you’ve decided it’s time to step into the high-end audio game. Or maybe some of the #audioporn on The Sound Apprentice Instagram has brought you here in search of your next audio upgrade. Whatever the case may be, here are some simple tips to make for a smarter and better buying experience.

Stick to your budget. It’s far too easy to fall into the, “If I just spend a little bit more I can get this or that,” trap. Yes, The Spirited Uncle M (TSUM) will give you sh*t if you’re being “cheap, cheap, cheap,” but if all you can afford is the Shure SE-215 (review), then you shouldn’t even be eyeing the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home (review).

Buy the best gear you can afford. And enjoy it! Along the same lines as tip #1, aim to get the best bang for your buck—meaning the bucks you have. There will always be something newer, better, shinier, and more expensive just around the corner. But remember, we’re seeking Audio Nirvana, not an empty wallet. Sometimes you just have to stop and enjoy the music!

Do it right from the start. Do you really need the $1,600 Sennheiser HD800S (it’s pretty great) or $1,900 Audeze LCD-3 (sooooo lush)? If your answer is, “Absolutely, yes,” save for it and get it. The biggest “mistake” you can make in this hobby is throwing good money at cheap gear you know you aren’t going to keep for the long haul. If you just buy the high-quality gear that you really want from the start, you’ll be a lot happier and probably richer, too. I can’t tell you how much money I have lost by buying cheaper products, only to turn around and sell them (usually for a loss) so I could upgrade or chase the next best thing.

Buy new. I hesitate to say this—I love a banging audio bargain—but it’s too easy to be cheated when you’re inexperienced. Until you learn more about what to look for in quality used gear, and what fair market prices are, stick to finding good deals on new gear with valid warranties and return policies.

Buy from credible sources. Sounds like a no-brainer, but I know how tempting it can be to buy a piece of expensive gear from a foreign eBay dealer when it will “save” $100. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. I’ve been burned a few times—sellers promising gear in mint condition that arrives defective or not as described. I want to save you from that mess and heartache. Whether you buy online or locally, buy from authorized dealers that honor full warranty and return policies. If you can, buy direct from the manufacturer. I’d lean towards buying from dealers that offer trial periods—a set of speakers that sounds amazing in the store demo room may not sound as seductive in your home listening room, and that’s where a 15 or 30-day money-back guarantee comes in handy.

Don’t overemphasize user reviews. Sounds funny coming from an audio reviewer, right? Yeah, feedback is great when it comes to features, comfort, reliability, and build quality, etc., etc. But, everyone’s ears are different. If you ask a dozen audiophiles about the same speaker or headphone, you’ll get a dozen different opinions. Sound is subjective. TSUM loves his Sennheiser HD700; I’d rather listen to the Sennheiser HD650. Point being, the best thing to do is try before you buy. But when that’s not an option, use reviews objectively to help you make a better buying decision. The more you read, the more you’ll (hopefully) be able to sift through the BS, but ultimately buy the product that you think will be best for you and your listening preferences, not what is best for someone else’s ears.

Ask for help. If you know an experienced audiophile, there’s no shame in asking them to help evaluate new or used gear with you, or to refer you to a good place to make a purchase. Heck, maybe you can even be their Sound Apprentice!

O’ Faithful: JDS Labs’ OL DAC and Objective2 Headphone Amp

2017-02-20T10:21:00.000-06:00

Small, simple, swappable, affordable. Oh yeah, musical too.

I’m not saying that my requirements were particularly stringent for a small, entry-level desktop digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and headphone amplifier setup to use for reviewing earphones, IEMs and headphones, but JDS Labs’ Objective Line amp and DAC ticked all of my boxes. So, on Black Friday (yeah, I like a bargain), I added two little black boxes—the OL DAC and Objective2 headphone amp—to my stable of audio gear.

Since then, I’ve gotten quite a few questions about this acquisition. Questions like, “Why separates,” “Why JDS Labs,” and, “How does it sound.”

Why Separates?

Easy. Separates are the way to go if you want or need the flexibility to swap amps and DACs. Running separates also makes upgrading easier. Say a new DAC design comes out in a year or two, but you love the way your amp drives your finicky Sennheiser HD650s. No problem, swap the DAC, keep the amp. Same for the flipside. You have a really transparent DAC—like the OL DAC—that has just what you need for your computer audiophile setup, but you switched to a power-hungry planar headphone. Well, keep the DAC and swap in a powerful amp. Simply put, separates give you flexibility to get the right system synergy. And, as The Spirited Uncle M savagely preaches, “Shit in, shit out; it’s all about synergy bro.”

Why JDS Labs?

Why not? First and foremost, I’m a hi-fi/head-fi fan. I read reviews and seek opinions just like the rest of you. When it comes to computer audiophilia, two brands seem to have cult-like followings—one is JDS Labs and the other has a name that sounds like shit. In full disclosure, I run Schiit Audio’s Yggdrasil DAC in my main headphone and two-channel systems (it’s amazing). But, having read quite a bit about JDS Labs and their infatuation with measurements, I decided to give their products a shot. To my surprise, I’ve been using the little OL/O2 stack far more than expected (maybe I’m just spending too much time at the computer).

How’s it sound?

The OL DAC: I know a lot of people say a DAC is a DAC is a DAC, but I’m not one of them. A DAC’s chipset and its implementation, among other things, play a very real role in determining how it sounds. Well, the OL DAC doesn’t really sound like anything, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Quite the contrary. The OL DAC is audibly transparent, which makes it a great reviewer’s tool. But what about for the rest of you?

Satisfactorily small and straightforward, the OL DAC was, as JDS Labs’ Jude Hopper and John Seaber tell me, “an accidental child.”

As the company was experimenting with single-unit prototype DAC/amp combinations based on the open source amp design philosophy of acclaimed audio blogger NwAvGuy, it became apparent that the best bench tests came by way of standalone self-powered units. A standalone DAC design also allowed JDS Labs to better implement its USB and Optical inputs—a move aimed at appeasing customer demand for support for games consoles, CD/DVD players and other devices. And, so, the OL DAC was brought to market.

But let’s be honest, it’s not an “exciting” product—it’s just an affordable DAC ($139) that does its DAC duties well. And that’s why people love it. The roughly 4”x3”x1” box provides nothing but the basics. On the backside there’s one plug-and-play USB Audio Class 1 input (16/44.1 thru 24/96), one Optical input (16/44.1 thru 24/192), one gold-plated RCA 2.0V output, and a jack for the 15VAC linear power supply. On the minimalist front there’s a power button, USB/Optical slider switch and single green LED. Inside you get the premium AKM AK4490EQ DAC chip—which also appears in high-end audio components from the likes of Astel&Kern, ESOTERIC, Marantz and others—that’s summed by an ultra-low noise and wide bandwidth Texas Instruments OPA2227 operational amplifier. Done.

As I mentioned, one of the things I appreciate about the OL DAC is that it’s very transparent—there’s no coloration, or hints of overemphasis in any specific area of the dynamic range. Mating it to my O2, Eddie Current Balancing Act or HiFiMan EF-6 allows the traits of each to become readily apparent, not to mention what my head gear or speakers are doing. For tube audio fans, eliminating the influences of an audibly colored DAC allows for more immersive and effective tube rolling. Add in the fact that the OL DAC has an absolute noiseless, pitch-black background and nice detail retrieval, and that whole search for system synergy gets a little bit easier.

The downside here, if you can call it that, is that transparent can be “boring”. It’s not what I would consider especially lush or organic (my preference); it’s just clean and clear and conveys a good sound stage. But the point is that you can marry this little low noise, low jitter, low distortion DAC to any amp you wish and end up with banging budget audiophile results (did I mention that the OL DAC is $139?). There are no surprises with the OL DAC, and that’s not a bad thing at all.

The Objective2 Headphone Amplifier: Meant to be married to the OL DAC, the O2 headphone amp matches it in shape, size and simplicity. What’s neat about the O2 is that JDS Labs allows for some simple customizations—you can choose the headphone jack size (3.5mm or ¼”), input type (RCA or 3.5mm), gain levels, and power jack location (front or rear panel), and whether to have it with or without a built-in DAC and rechargeable batteries for portable use. I went with a rear-mounted power jack and RCA input, so my front panel is nice and simple with just the power button, headphone jack, volume knob, gain button and a red LED power indicator (why red instead of green to match the OL DAC? I don’t know, but it kind of bothers my OCD).

So how’s the little black box sound? Well, it follows the open source amplifier design from the aforementioned NwAvGuy. In other words, it targets benchmark performance at a budget cost ($129). So, much like the OL DAC, the O2 amp aims for transparency. Or maybe a better way to put it is simplicity.

For those of you that are used to colored amps, there’s nothing romantic about the O2. In fact, it’s likely to come off as a bit dry, a bit sterile, a bit, well, boring, just like the OL DAC. That is, unless your DAC is colored in another way. After all, all the O2 really does is amplify the signal in front of it, which means a great recording, a nice DAC and a stellar sounding headphone or IEM is what’s needed to put you on the path to #AudioNirvana.

The best thing about the O2, sonically speaking, is its versatility. It has the power and dynamic range to drive anything from a sensitive IEM to a power hungry dynamic headphone with authority. The semi-picky Sennheiser HD650, for example, gets plenty loud and hits with modest authority in high-gain mode. The O2 can also play any genre of music well, because, well, you’re hearing the music and the rest of your equipment for what it is. The caveat here is that you need to plan for this. Meaning, the O2 is going to do absolutely nothing to hide poor recordings, and if you favor a darker, warmer sound signature, you’ll want to choose a headphone with those characteristics rather than something analytical like the reference level AKG K701. Or, you could always dabble with some EQ software to fine tune your setup.

With the OL/O2 combo, which is what I assume a lot of you reading this review are considering purchasing, you’re getting a pair of neutral performers, nothing more, nothing less. This stack isn’t going to romanticize your music collection. Rather, it’s going to allow you to focus on the music and hone your efforts on choosing the IEM or headphone that best suits your musical taste.

I’ve mainly been running the rounds with the Audioquest Nighthawk, Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, Meze Audio 99 Classics and Sennheiser HD650. The OL/O2 drives each of these headphones with ease and enjoyment, although none come off as being quite as airy, lush or three-dimensional as when pushed with a powerful tube amp (just my personal preference), the warm characteristics of each is conveyed cleanly and with good dynamics. Although these are all darker sounding headphones, I liked the pairings because it brought some balance to the neutrality of the OL/O2 stack. The consistent instrument separation and detail retrieval of the OL/O2 pairing is solid. The sound stage is modest, extending maybe three to four inches out around the head. Stereo imaging is dead center, although I do selfishly lust for a more holographic presentation. As someone who favors really lush sounding gear, this little stack can sound a bit flat to my ears—bass notes hit with impact, but often lack resonance; mids are clear, but are light on warmth; treble is crisp and detailed, and never too brittle, but airiness and texture seem overly controlled. But all of this is inherent in neutral, transparent solid state amps and DACs. Boring can also be better; the neutrality of this combo makes it an excellent setup for audio purists and gear reviewers because it reveals more accurately what a particular recording, headphone or IEM can and cannot do.

Overall, I generalize the OL/O2 stack as being crisp, clear, controlled and consistent. Sure, it can be boring for those that favor the ooey gooey goodness of lush and distorted tube gear, but boring isn’t always bad. In fact, these little black boxes are probably one of the best places to start for new budget-minded audiophiles looking to learn just what it is they like and lust for.

Budget Beats? Here's the Brainwavz M100 Earphone

2017-01-19T22:51:00.000-06:00

Budget audiophile brand Brainwavz Audio is back at it, closing out 2016 and kicking off 2017 with a bevy of new earphone offerings. Their timing was just right. Shortly before leaving for an eight-day cruise around the Caribbean, Brainwavz hit me up looking for my thoughts on the recently released M100 high fidelity audio earphone.

Claiming to be crafted from aircraft grade metal, and boasting hand-crafted 8mm dynamic drivers tuned to present a “wide soundstage, well defined bass and clarity,” the M100 seemed like the perfect lightweight and durable travel companion. In the carry-on it went. Thanks Brainwavz.

A four-and-a-half hour flight is never fun, but it did give me plenty of time to start putting the M100 through its paces.

Unboxing & Accessories

The M100 comes in a pretty minimalistic black and white carton containing a plastic inner tray that keeps packaging modest, although not as minimal as it could be. It's simple and functional and it’s what I’ve come to expect from Brainwavz. Inside, you’ll find everything neatly packed and organized—basically the opposite of my camera pack.

For the $89.50 you’ll part with to add the M100 to your portable audio arsenal, you get an array of accessories—something Brainwavz thankfully never skimps on. The M100 includes their branded zippered hard case, Velcro cable tie and shirt clip, a set of premium Comply foam ear tips, a set of bi-flange silicone ear tips, and two sets each of standard S, M, and L silicone ear tips (Because you know you're going to lose one, or maybe three. Don’t judge me). No complaints here.

What I can complain about is the cable. More specifically, the three-button in-line mic/remote that didn’t fully function with my Motorola Android smartphone. Brainwavz says the remote is compatible with Apple devices and “most Android phones,” so I guess I fall outside of “most.” This isn’t the first time my Droid hasn’t played nice with in-line mics or remotes, and it’s not necessarily a deal breaker, but it’s still a disappointment. Your results may vary. This caveat aside, the cable is a simple twisted braid of OFC copper terminated with a gold-plated 3.5mm plug that’s extremely lightweight, falls nicely and has minimal microphonics, which is most welcomed when, say, you’re hiking through a humid rainforest to see a dormant volcano (Deploying the shirt clip is highly recommended).

Performance

About that hike; the M100 is a simple cylindrical earphone that's intended to sit comfortably with the tip and nozzle in your ear canal while the majority of the housing protrudes out from it. As you can guess, this doesn’t bode well for the active audiophile. In fact, the M100 popped out of my ears several times regardless of whether I routed the cable up and around my ear or wore it straight down. Swapping out the silicone ear tips for the Comply foam tips did help, but I’d recommend an in-ear monitor to real active audiophiles—like the Brainwavz XF-200 (review) if you want something super affordable to bang around in or my preferred Shure SE215 (review).

While we’re on the topic of ear tips, let’s get my regular disclaimer to beginner audiophiles out of the way. With the large assortment of ear tips offered with the M100, it’s important to test each set. Tip selection is critical with earphones and IEMs, and I strongly encourage you to take the time to choose the ear tip that fits each ear best—emphasis on best and not just one that “fits”—because the audio quality, comfort and isolation improve greatly with the ideal tip. For me, the Comply foam tips worked best. When you’re trying to block out the drone of a jet plane, for example, the Comply tips offer far greater noise isolation and improved comfort for long listening sessions, plus some much needed bass control.

About that bass, the M100 is simply a mid-bass monster. As in, it’s about all you really hear. Sure, the M100 has some sub-bass and mids and a hint of treble, but the clear emphasis is on a rising mid-bass hump that dominates the rest of the M100’s dynamic range. Having reviewed Brainwavz’s more affordable and balanced M1 (review) and S0 (review) earphones, I honestly found the M100’s tuning to be disappointing from a versatility standpoint. Despite the marketing claims that the M100 is “suitable for most genres of music,” I feel that the thick mid-bass bleeds too far into the somewhat muddied and polite descending mid-range and treble frequencies to be suitable for any type of critical listening of high fidelity audio. Rather, this tuning is more suited for less complex rap, dancehall, deep house and electronic/EDM where unruly and even boomy bass is often welcomed and seemingly “fun.” I like fun. I also like to hear all of what was recorded in the studio.

What’s most interesting about the M100’s tuning is how the mid-range and treble responses fall off, rather sharply, in fact. To visualize it, the M100 isn’t U- or V-shaped—it’s slanted. As soon as you get out of the mid-bass range, the upper frequencies slowly get sucked out until right near the start of the treble region and then the bottom falls out. It’s no secret that I generally favor a slightly darker, warmer and fuller sounding earphone or headphone over something analytical, but the M100 sacrifices too much mid-range and treble presence and detail for my taste. If you’re super sensitive to sibilance or high frequencies, though, the M100’s darkness may sound just right to you, just know that the utter lack of upper frequency response also inhibits the M100’s ability to inject any air or sense of space and dimensionality into the soundstage. The sound is right in your ear, right in your head—those favorable phantom images we hunt for in our quest to reach Audio Nirvana be damned. I’m still looking for that “wide soundstage, well defined bass and clarity” Brainwavz promised.

Regardless of whether I pushed the M100 with my smartphone or Hidizs AP100 DAP on the go, or my ALO Audio The Island DAC/amp or JDS Labs OL DAC and 02 amp back home, my impressions remained the same. Strong vocalists came off as a touch flat and recessed; bass notes were untamed and often flubby during complex tracks; snare drums didn’t really bite or crack; cymbals lacked shimmer; guitars struggled to separate themselves from bloated bass lines; brass instruments sounded veiled. Of course, this is in “stock” listening form. You can EQ the hell out of the M100 to make it sound quite different. But who wants to do that, especially when you would have to try to match your preferred EQing across each device you listen on providing that’s even an option. No thanks.

Now I realize these listening impressions may seem a bit harsh, but, to me, the M100 sounds like something meant to compete with Beats or Bose earphones at a lower price point. The M100’s sound is what I’ll call safe; it’s bassy and overly warm, the muted mids pull back vocalists that should be front and center, and the sharply rolled off treble effortlessly hides the grain and harshness of poor recordings and compressed streaming audio. It’s basically what most mass consumer brands aim to achieve. But audiophiles are a different breed and have much different expectations for what sounds musical.

Bottom Line

After nine days of traveling throughout the Caribbean where the M100 got its fair share of salt, sun, sweat and more, it still looks new. The build quality and material choices are simply solid. In those regards, Brainwavz has put out another quality product. For $89.50 you basically get a stealthy, well-built, durable earphone with a plethora of accessories, a two-year warranty, and—unfortunately, in my opinion—a bassy, unbalanced sound signature that’s best suited for bumping Sia and Sean Paul remixes (If that’s your guilty pleasure, you’re in luck). Where the M100 really falls short is when it comes to true “high fidelity audio.” You want bass? More specifically mid-bass? You got it. You want balance and detail and clarity that seamlessly spans multiple genres, you’ll be better served by some of Brainwavz’s other offerings or elsewhere.

Can DH Labs Solve the Audio Cable Conundrum?

2016-12-24T12:49:00.000-06:00

Is it performance? Is it pride? Or is it placebo? When it comes to audio cables, and the impact that they may or may not have on your hi-fi system, you can be sure that conversations will get contentious—particularly when it comes to digital cables that “only” have to send some 1s and 0s from one device to another.

The Spirited Uncle M, for my main example, is a downright cable connoisseur, a pure cable junkie if you will. From bare wire to the most expensive and esoteric offerings from cable companies like the notorious Synergistic Research, he has tried it all—and swears that distinct differences can be heard between each and every cable. Some of the most in-depth experimentation that goes on in his Sound Lab revolves around A/B testing numerous cables between each piece of gear to find which ones invoke the perfect “synergy” in his current setup. Keep in mind that he’s generally running a separate transport, DAC, pre-amp and amplifier—that’s a whole lot of cables fighting for their proper place in his two-channel speaker and headphone system.

I, on the other hand, have far less patience for such practices. Perhaps that’s why I am just the lowly Sound Apprentice. While I have attempted to do some cable shootouts in the past, and I have tried several custom aftermarket headphone cables with various high-end headphones, like the Audeze LCD-X, Sennheiser HD800 and Hifiman HE-500, inconsistent results, along with the haranguing I receive from zealots from dueling cable camps, have seen my conviction wane for what a cable can and can’t do.

In reality, cables shouldn’t be such an issue. All we audiophiles really want are well-built cables, made with materials that will deliver the best signal possible and hold up well under long-term use. Is that really so much to ask?

I think not. So rather than continually second guessing myself—or falling victim to what all of the cable connoisseurs and cable crappers have to say—in my personal journey to #AudioNirvana, I’m sticking to the mentality that a high quality cable made by a company that’s more concerned about its engineering, R&D and customer satisfaction than its marketing lingo and ad spending is good enough for me.

So whose cables am I talking about? DH Labs’.

This isn’t meant to be a sales pitch; rather, it’s a reflection on my experience with the company. I first learned about DH Labs from none other than The Spirited Uncle M. As much of a crazed spendthrift audiophile he can be, he has no time or patience for cheap, unreliable crap or over-priced products that under-perform. So the fact that he trusts in both DH Labs’ most affordable and most expensive cables—and won’t scrutinize me for using any of them—is a testament in itself.

But when I started digging into what DH Labs is about, I found that the company isn’t just another cable company trying to convince consumers that only its most expensive and proprietary cables can make their music magical. Sure, DH Labs, like every cable company catering to this industry, has its ultra-high-end overbuilt statement pieces, but it also has a full host of no-nonsense, get-the-job-done-right wire for us with more conservative budgets and approaches to good sound.

Founded in 1992 by chief designer and engineer Darren Hovsepian, DH Labs was one of the first cable companies to experiment with silver—the best conductor of electricity—for its conductors. Today, DH Labs is one of the best in the business, serving as an OEM cable manufacturer for many others in the industry and the supplier of internal wiring for more than 25 speaker and component manufacturers worldwide. What’s more, DH Labs cables are used exclusively in several top recording & mastering studios. I mean, they must be doing something right.

So what makes their cables and connectors so appealing?

For me, I appreciate the build quality and variety of finished and bulk cables, and I like the fact that virtually all materials are sourced, manufactured and assembled in the USA. For those with far more technical interests, DH Labs’ electrical engineers focus on researching, developing and sourcing materials manufactured under stringent specifications that optimize electrical efficiency, noise canceling and overall acoustic transparency (check out this interview). They actually measure and aim to better things that matter for current delivery and signal performance, like capacitance, inductance, resistance and more.

What’s more, the people behind the company are simply genuinely nice to work with. Have a question, need help, want advice, all you have to do is shoot them an email or give them a call and they’re happy to offer insight no matter if you’re looking for a top-of-the-line pre-built cable, a cable made to your custom specs, something entry-level, or just some high-quality bulk wire and connectors for a DIY project.

For the fun of it, I built my own power cords using the Power Plus bulk cable. I use the Air Matrix, BL-1 and Sub-Sonic interconnects, T-14 speaker wire, and Silver Premium HDMI cable. I’m also currently experimenting with a couple of new offerings: the Silver Sonic HP-1 headphone cable and the Glass Master Toslink digital cable.

SILVER SONIC HP-1 HEADPHONE CABLE

Having become such a headphone enthusiast over the years, I was always interested in the prospects of DH Labs producing an aftermarket cable. Now that they have, I obviously had to try it. The HP-1 is available factory terminated or in unfinished bulk form for DIY cable builders.

I’m currently using a factory terminated version for Sennheiser headphones with a 4-pin balanced plug, but it’s also available in mini 3-pin XLR at the cups (Audeze-style) and with 1/4" stereo, 1/8” stereo or RSA/ALO mini 4-pin balanced plugs. I must say that the medium gray braided jacketing DH Labs chose for this cable matches my HD650 nicely....

But back to the point, the finished build is of typical DH Labs quality: robust (albeit slightly on the stiff side). The HP-1’s flexibility appears to be limited by the fact that it is a flat cable, with two parallel runs of wire. So while it bends up and down easy enough, side to side movement is limited. For me, this is a non-issue because I’d only be using it in my home listening room where mobility is not really a concern and ultimate resolution is the top priority, but I could see others being a bit more picky here.

Transparency is always the goal of DH Labs. Here, the HP-1 achieves its sonic performance through two parallel runs of two 28awg OCC copper wires each with a PE dielectric and a braided silver-plated OFHC copper shield. This configuration actually makes the HP-1 a very easy cable for the DIYer to work with. In fact, if I were to do this again, I’d probably buy the bulk HP-1 cable and fire up the old soldering iron. DIY obviously allows for more flexibility in terminating the HP-1 into headphones that don’t use 2-pin Sennheiser or mini 3-pin XLR plugs, and I think I would also prefer to use a lightweight paracord sleeving across the entire length of the cable versus the heavier braided jacketing DH Labs uses from the amp end plug up to the Y-splitter. For my cost-conscious followers, the DIY route also saves a large chunk of change as it’s priced at $7.30 per foot. For those with deeper pockets, the DH Labs factory terminated cable is priced comparably to other aftermarket offerings from cable gurus like Double Helix Cables, Moon Audio and WyWires.

Sonically, the HP-1 does what I have come to expect out of every DH Labs cable—it gets out of the way of the music and resolves all that the source has to offer. Versus the stock Sennheiser cable, I feel there’s a slight advantage in overall detail retrieval and better tonal clarity. This is simply a cable that you won’t have to question whether you’re hearing all that you’re supposed to or as accurately as intended. DH Labs cables are specifically designed to deliver the signal in its truest form.

Now here’s where things get real heated—the 1s and 0s.

SILVER SONIC GLASS MASTER TOSLINK CABLE

For some 16 odd months, DH Labs painstakingly researched and developed its new Glass Master Toslink (optical) digital cable. For this particular cable, DH Labs ultimately sourced its proprietary true glass fibers from Germany in order to make a cable with the tight bend radius desired while avoiding any compromise to signal transmission or fracturing of the strands during use. The end product uses 300 strands of high-purity proprietary glass fibers to deliver the widest bandwidth and frequency responses of any digital optical cable measured in the industry.

Some of the testing behind this cable includes a refractive index profile, fiber geometry inspections, ensuring tensile strength, bandwidth capacity, and attenuation at different wavelengths, including chromatic dispersion and numerical aperture. In other words, this isn’t any old optical cable.

Capping off the ends are custom machined gold-plated connectors with precision-polished optical-grade lens surfaces at the connection points to ensure jitter is a non-issue.

In full disclosure, I usually use entry-level Straightwire Toslink cables that are mostly plastic. In comparison, the Glass Master is a real treat, albeit a far more expensive treat ($195 for 1 meter). Everything about the Glass Master exudes high-end. The internals already mentioned aside, the machined ends grip the optical jacks of my devices like no other. On my Schiit Yggdrasil DAC, the Straightwire connector slips in and out without much bite, but the Glass Master grips like a vise, ensuring a secure fit and perfect alignment for light transmission. The machined barrel ends are also robust and add strength and a nice tactile feel to the cable. Of course, the black and purple Techflex sleeving makes for a nice presentation if you’re concerned about that sort of thing. I know that for some, having fancy cables is all part of the experience—so no worries with this one.

Sonically speaking is where the lines can get blurred. The audio performance of Toslink versus USB or Coax often comes down to the implementation of these connection points in each piece of gear and its respective hardware. Yes, a crappy cable can result in data transmission errors that audibly upset your DAC, but that’s guaranteed to be a non-issue with any DH Labs product. So my disclaimer here is that your results may vary.

DH Labs states that the Glass Master will unveil deeper resolution and more pronounced dynamic peaks versus its peers. Putting the Glass Master up against my Monoprice and Straightwire Toslink cables, and for kicks a Monster 75-ohm digital coax cable, I felt that subtle differences could be heard with critical listening. On my Sony DVP-S9000ES, I think I actually preferred the Glass Master over my standard choice of tapping the coax output. Generally speaking, coax is a simpler and more direct connection to make between devices, but I felt that the Glass Master had a slightly fuller sound to it while also seemingly capturing a hair more detail with a blacker background—a tall order considering that the S9000ES is already a detail machine. It is worth noting that the coax and Toslink cables do have to pass over many other power and interconnect cables and around multiple Wi-Fi-enabled devices on their way to my DAC, so that could be one reason that the Glass Master outperforms coax in this instance.

I don’t doubt that DH Labs has achieved something special with the Glass Master. No company would put the effort into creating something like this if it wasn’t going to best what’s already available. If your system relies on optical connections, I’d say give the Glass Master a try. For all of the real cable connoisseurs out there, this is likely to be a treat to hear and handle. To the deep-pocketed audiophile that simply wants to buy the best they can, there’s no question that this cable is it. To my conservative readers, decide the route to the best signal delivery within your system. Even if the Glass Master isn’t right for you, DH Labs product line will have what is.

My closing tip is this: invest in quality the first time around. When you try to do things on the cheap, you end up paying more in the end. This has been the case in nearly every one of my hobbies, from bikes, to 4x4s, to golf and more. By no means will I put a price tag on performance. But if you want quality audio cables that you can trust, DH Labs will deliver at every one of its price points.

Bring It Home: Beyerdynamic Amiron Home High-End Headphone Review

2016-12-13T21:52:00.000-06:00

Having owned Beyerdynamic’s DT990 PRO and acclaimed T90 headphones early on in my journey to #AudioNirvana, I thought I knew what I was getting into when I was offered a review unit of the T90’s recently-released successor, the Amiron Home. I was dead wrong. In other words, wow. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

If you’re familiar with the house sound of Beyerdynamic’s high-end headphones, you’ll feel right at home when you fire up the Amiron Home, which doesn’t stray too, too far from what has been a successful sonic signature for decades. Instead, the Amiron Home offers a much-welcomed refinement of it—a fine-tuning that easily makes this headphone an end-game contender. Yes, you read that right—it’s that good.

For the Amiron Home, Beyerdynamic engineers have been hard at work refining everything loved about the T90 (spaciousness, clarity, realism)—and fixing everything that was hated about it (namely sibilance and the peaky and sometimes strident treble). Beyerdynamic also states that it further refined its Tesla technology for the Amiron Home, modifying the transducers to further diminish unwanted vibrations and completely eliminate annoying treble resonances. I’m not one to usually buy into a brand’s marketing speak right off the bat, but the way Beyerdynamic describes the Amiron Home is almost exactly how my ears hear it—and that’s an amazing feat because you’ve got to be picky along this hi-fi highway.

Home Sweet Home

At first listen, the Amiron Home is not at all what I expected, and that’s a good thing. Being fondly familiar with the overly-excited bass and treble of the DT990 PRO (review), the cutting clarity and cool, edgy traits of the T90 (review), and the clinical precision of the T1, I thought the Amiron Home would fall somewhere in line with the three. The honest truth, though, is that the Amiron Home is really a headphone all its own, picking and choosing traits of each to evolve into something much more. In fact, the Amiron Home is likely the richest and most balanced Beyerdynamic headphone I’ve heard to date.

“Amiron Home is our invitation to pure musical enjoyment: Just sit back in your favourite chair and let the sound carry you away.”

Yes, please.

From top to bottom the Amiron Home is crisp, clean and controlled. It exhibits excellent detail retrieval. It’s tonally rich and engaging. It has presence and space. It’s intimate and cohesive. It’s everything you could want in a headphone, and maybe more, because it exhibits all of this without ever overdoing any of it.

So let’s start at the beginning.

Early on The Spirited Uncle M taught me that reaching the elusive state of Audio Nirvana isn’t just about how good your gear is, it’s also about how good your recordings are. Enter Dave Grusin’s Homage to Duke, a digital master by GPR Records, and one of the best sounding Redbook CDs I have heard. While this album won’t tickle everyone’s fancy, it really reveals exactly what your gear is capable of, which makes it an excellent test album for discerning listeners—exactly who Beyerdynamic is targeting with the Amiron Home.

“More precise than ever, the sound tuning will amaze even the most discerning music enthusiasts.”

Again, I won’t argue with Beyerdynamic’s claims. Right from the start of Homage to Duke, I was thrust into the studio alongside the ensemble. Cymbals shimmer and cut cleanly through the clutter, ringing incredibly true to life with really nice timbre and decay. Bass notes, whether from strings or kick drums, reach deep and hit with speed, punch and precision. Horns and pianos are full of gusto. Vocals are both natural and engaging.

Overall, the Amiron Home has a sweetness and balance throughout its dynamic range that its predecessors lacked—you can forget bass bloat or bloom that drowns out the mid-range and that dreaded harsh sibilance and tizzy, tipped-up treble that you’ve likely seen cursed on audio forums around the WWW. The Amiron Home truly delivers on its promise to bring you concert-quality sound that’s defined by precise bass, transparent mids and clear highs.

The Amiron Home’s rich tonality and resolution were particular standouts for me. The new tuning brings much-needed warmth to the Beyerdynamic line. I dare say that the Amiron Home makes the Sennheiser HD650—a headphone commonly regarded for its lush mids and traditional analog sound signature—sound quite hollow while also besting it at just about everything with the exception of, perhaps, overall soundstage width. For me, the Amiron Home’s overall sound is what I’ll call believable; it’s realistic and natural. Add in the crispness achieved throughout the dynamic range and you gain a great deal of detail being pushed into your ears without ever coming off as overly aggressive or fatiguing.

From the most sensitive snare strikes, to the gutsiest trumpet blasts, it’s easy to take in all the Amiron Home can render. On “Caravan” for instance, I could practically make out the sound of the drum tips’ impacts separate from the actual notes of the drum heads and cymbals. This sort of theme continues in Matthew Halsall’s “Finding my Way” off of Fletcher Moss Park. The elaborate drum work throughout this track is really enjoyable to sit back and absorb through the Amiron Home as it excels at instrument separation and layering, giving each musician depth and a clear and cohesive phantom position that reveals the micro-details of their performance.

What’s most refreshing about the Amiron Home is that it accomplishes all of these feats with damn near every genre of music. Ben Howard, Bjork, Daughter, Dave Grusin, Ghostpoet, Matthew Halsall, Miles Davis, Lucy Rose, Moderat, Odesza, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Sublime, The Counting Crows, and on and on.... While most headphones I’ve owned or reviewed excel in some areas but suffer in others (Yes, even my several times more expensive Audeze LCD-X, Hifiman HE-6, and Sennheiser HD800 have their faults), the Amiron Home, in my opinion, is a strong performer through-and-through.

Where the Magic Happens

In the words of The Spirited Uncle M, however, I must caution to the up-and-coming audiophile, “Sh*t in, sh*t out.” As stellar as the Amiron Home can be, feed it bad recordings or through questionable gear and you’ll be left wondering what the hell happened to your “high-end” headphones. The Amiron Home, like any true audiophile-grade high-fidelity headphone, is pitiless—it’s not going to hide the pitfalls of your song selections or system like the lush and euphoric Meze Headphones 99 Classics might be able to. The “downside” of such clarity is that the Amiron Home will only sound as good as what’s in front of it. But if you’re dropping $599 on the Amiron Home, chances are you’ve already invested a good amount of time and money into building your music collection and front end.

Don’t mistake my warning as me saying that the Amiron Home will only sound good out of top-tier gear. In fact, with its highly-efficient dynamic transducers, the Amiron Home can sing loud and proud out of something as simple as a tablet streaming hi-res audio if you really want or need it to. Better though is a small desktop amp/DAC combo, like the JDS Labs Objective2 and OL DAC, which the Amiron Home starts to flex its muscle with. But the Amiron Home is truly intended to be plugged into a highly resolving home audio system—that’s when the magic really happens.

My main listening room rig is made up of the Eddie Current Balancing Act amplifier, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DAC and Sony DVP-S9000ES SACD player. I’m not trying to boast here, but the organic transparency of the Yggy blended with the tubey goodness of the ECBA turn the Amiron Home into something enchanted to my ears.

Daughter’s haunting music becomes ever more holographic. Miles Davis and John Coltrane become phantom figures in the listening room. Jenni Potts turns into something angelic among Odesza’s electronic vibes. The Amiron Home scales. It’s spacious, but intimate. It’s cutting, but comforting. It’s layered, but cohesive. It tricks you into thinking you’re in the concert hall or studio, and then it hits you right between the eyes. It’s the definition of high-fidelity audio.

Fits & Finishes

Oh yeah, the Amiron Home is pretty darn comfortable too. It’s almost an afterthought that it’s on my head. Beyerdynamic headphones have always been some of the easiest for me to wear, but the Amiron Home takes fit and finish up a notch. The circular ear pads are roomy and use high-quality Alcantara coverings that let your ears breathe, and the supple headband padding is wrapped in Microvelour, both of which are very soft and high-end in look and feel. These changes, combined with the light clamping force and even weight distribution, allow the Amiron Home to sit very lightly on the head. Even after extended, hours-long listening sessions, I never experienced any hot spots from headband pressure despite the fact that the Amiron Home weighs in at a middle-of-the-road 340 grams. However Beyerdynamic pulls this off makes no difference to me, because all I care about is that it makes for an excellent listening experience.

Bring It Home

From fit and finish, to sound quality and price-to-performance, Beyerdynamic nails it with the Amiron Home—there’s no denying that this is a high-end, hi-fi headphone (it’s even handmade in Germany to boot). It’s exciting and engaging, uniquely fresh and refined, and easily an endgame headphone. The Amiron Home has found a home in my listening room, so I think I’ll head back there now. Audio Nirvana awaits.

Pop In: Noble Audio Trident IEM Review

2016-11-12T16:13:00.001-06:00

As I sit here in the cubicle of my nine-to-five anxiously awaiting payday, I’m happily rockin’ a review unit of Noble Audio’s Trident—the $399 “entry-level” in-ear monitor (IEM) in the Santa Barbara, Calif.-based company’s new Classic universal line—and wondering how much of that paycheck I’ll actually end up holding onto.

For a few weeks now, I’ve been enjoying what Noble Audio describes as one of its “Generic fit in-ear monitors for immediate gratification with little commitment.” You see, the Trident and its siblings in the new Classic universal line forgo costly all-out custom designs and molds in order to lower the price point. But at $399, I’ll argue that the Trident still requires buying “commitment.” Heck, it should even be safe from what The Spirited Uncle M would call “Cheap, cheap, cheap.”

But is its poppy performance worth the premium?

Drop a Bundle, Get a Box

But not just any box. A $399 IEM should arrive in style, right? Noble Audio doesn’t disappoint—appearances are a big part of the brand. The Trident arrives in a fitted cardboard outer carton embellished with Noble Audio’s crown; flipping the top open reveals an elegantly stylized matte display black box with “Noble” and “Wizard” branding in contrasting gloss black fonts. Slide the top off and you come face to face with a genuine, made in the USA, Pelican 1010 water-resistant, dustproof and crushproof micro case that holds the goods you’ve been waiting for.

All That You Need, or Almost

There’s no skimping on accessories. Packed in the Pelican 1010 micro case is a branded black velvet storage pouch, two branded rubber gear bands, two large stickers, an earwax removal tool and cleaning brush, one carabiner, 11 sets of ear tips (including foam and hybrid and bi-flange silicone options) secured on an aluminum card that rests perfectly inside the Pelican case, and a matching aluminum owner’s card. In other words, everything that you need to enjoy the Trident is included—with the exception of a shirt clip.

No shirt clip, no deal? Nah, but shirt clips do help with cable security and minimizing cable thumping when on the go (just something to consider Noble Audio).

Speaking of the cable, the Trident’s is a detachable no-nonsense four-wire braid in gloss black that terminates into standard two-pin connectors at the IEM and a slim 3.5mm plug at the business end. It’s super light and super pliable, has absolute minimal microphonics, memory tubing guides the cable over the ear and a clear sliding tube acts as a chin lock, and its only embellishment is a small metallic Y-splitter. It gets the job done and that’s about all that has to be said about it. And before you ask, no, there’s no inline mic or remote.

A Fitting Finish

Noble Audio makes good looking IEMs (check out this #audioporn). End of story. Seriously though, there’s a lot to like about the two-tone Trident. Its two-piece housing has a machined aluminum faceplate that’s dimpled like a golf ball, or maybe a honey comb, and is emblazoned with a recessed Noble Audio crown logo. Despite being unseen when in use, the deep gray composite shell is infused with silver flecks. The new housing isn’t just supposed to look good though, it’s also supposed have a better fit and feel compared to past generic-fit models.

As a Noble Audio newbie I can’t confirm that, but I can confirm that the Trident is incredibly light, allowing for long listening sessions without the slightest hint of ear fatigue. The Trident really disappears in the ear—only figuratively, of course, because the Trident’s egg-shaped profile and bulbous housing positions it prominently in the ear.

In other words, don’t expect a fully flush or discrete fit. How the Trident’s housing and funnel-shaped nozzle mate with your ear determines how far in it will sit and how secure the fit will be.

Ear tip selection is important here. Take the time to test the different sizes and styles to determine which tip fits and performs best. I personally only liked the large foam tips. They gave me the most secure fit and isolation, but I still didn’t feel confident enough to don the $399 Trident in the gym or on my bike. For what it’s worth, my ears tend to be picky with IEMs; there are plenty of Noble Audio aficionados that find the fit to be very, very good indeed.

The Sound of U

Looks and fits don’t matter much if the sound isn’t stellar. Thankfully, the Trident’s “pop” rendition can be downright riveting—with the right music. Fire up The Sound Apprentice Electric Vibes Spotify playlist and see how long you can resist the urge to dance right out of your listening chair. Head bobbing and toe tapping, at the very least, become mandatory when the Trident’s three independently-tuned balanced armature drivers start firing.

The Trident nails audiophile-grade snap, crackle and pop. With a U-shaped sonic signature defined by quick, punchy bass, crisp, cool mids, and slightly elevated highs, the Trident effortlessly energizes the music it’s injecting into your ears. Poppy electronic beats? Yes, please. Queue up some Odesza and Purity Ring, Bonobo and Tycho, Phantogram and Glass Animals and hear what the Trident can do.

Bass is a particular strong suit of the Trident, or maybe I should say clean bass. The Trident doesn’t rumble your eardrums with boomy beats, it delivers a refined low-end with effortless extension. It’s markedly clean and controlled; it hits just hard enough and then gets out of the way. Sure, a touch more sub-bass would sound more club-like, but the Trident’s balanced tone and timbre and fast pace are more along the lines of what reaching Audio Nirvana is all about.

Shifting into the mid-range, clean and controlled remains the name of the game. Crisp and clear, and maybe a touch cool, the Trident tames chesty vocalists and leans out acoustic guitars and brass instruments—standard fare for a “pop” sound signature that demands that bass and treble reign supreme. Don’t mistake this as meaning that the mids are so recessed that they’re blown out by the bass and trampled over by the treble; I’m just saying that the Trident wouldn’t be my first choice for playing back Damien Rice’s delicate tracks or something visceral from Deftones. Dirty Heads and Mac Miller I can get down with, though, because the Trident still knows how to move this kind of music with liveliness and a good amount of detail and texture—from finger snaps and hand claps, to tom-toms and synths, all are rendered cleanly with excellent clarity and crispness that’s further emphasized by the Trident’s treble.

Tinged with a touch of extra sparkle, the Trident’s treble effortlessly springs into action. It’s articulate and alive, but not quite aggressive. It toes the line of being sizzly, then surprises by retreating to deliver solid snare snaps and cutting cymbal taps. It’s not grainy, but it’s got zing. It zips through thick bass lines, but refrains from getting too glassy or harsh despite being quite revealing. Hot, treble-heavy recordings certainly come off as brittle, but you can’t really blame the Trident for that. The Trident wasn’t made to tame toppy recordings, it was made to energize your music, and it does just that.

All said and done, the Trident pretty much nails the “pop” sound. Plus, it sounds big. The Trident exhibits an expansive headstage, at times sounding closer to what you’d get out of a full-size, closed-back headphone—the music hits right between your eyes and stretches well beyond your ears. It has ambiance. It stirs up phantom images. Play Yosi Horikawa’s “Bubbles” and you’ll really hear what I mean.

The Trident is also hypersensitive. Even without an amp the Trident gets loud quick, but I won’t steer you away from using one—$399 IEMs deserve to be fed the best signal you can give them. Just beware that too much gain can cause some current hiss, but that’s typical of sensitive IEMs.

With its articulate and airy three-dimensional sound stage, there’s little to dislike about the Trident. I’ll just point out a few of things to think about. The Trident’s pop sound signature limits its versatility. If you primarily listen to electronic, pop, reggae and hip-hop music, the Trident may send you straight to Audio Nirvana. If you generally listen to a wider variety of music that favors a warmer and more full-bodied sound, you might find Audio Nirvana to be a bit more elusive considering that the Trident can be a bit lean, particularly with acoustic, jazz, rock and folk. If you’re a basshead, the Dulce Bass is Noble Audio’s offering for you. While the Trident has excellent bass quality, it can lack quantity in the sub-bass department that EDM and rap often taps into.

Final Word

Tapping the Trident for your next IEM takes commitment. At $399 it’s not a small purchase to make, but performance always comes at a premium. If pop is your prerogative, part with your money now. The premium paid for Noble Audio’s wares grants access to the Wizard, Dr. John Moulton, a trained audiologist, an audio enthusiast like you and me, and the main man behind Noble Audio’s signature sounds. In this case, the Wizard’s take on pop is spot-on, refined and rewarding. Defined by punchy bass, crisp mids and engaging highs, the Trident has audiophile-grade snap, crackle and pop. No pun intended.

Noble Audio Classic Universal IEM Preview

2016-11-10T10:24:00.002-06:00

Noble Audio is known to craft some of the finest custom in-ear monitors (CIEMs) in the high-end audio world—just check out the constant flow of #audioporn streaming across its Instagram. The thing is, this audio art is typically priced more appropriately for aristocratic audiophiles. But that doesn’t mean no Noble for me, or for other budget-minded audiophiles, either.

Enter Noble Audio’s new Classic universal in-ear monitor (IEM) line.

What’s the story? Described as “Generic fit in-ear monitors for immediate gratification with little commitment,” the Classic universal line forgoes costly all-out custom designs and molds and adopts a lower-cost, let’s say more “affordable audiophile” friendly, approach.

With five distinct models at five distinct price points, the new Classic universal line has something for everyone. The models here utilize new, hand-assembled in the USA, aluminum and composite housings aimed at improving fit and feel, and each model was independently re-tuned to refine the sound over previous generations (except for the Savant, which only gets the new housing):

Trident ($399) – As its name suggests, the Trident is fitted with three balanced armature drivers and exhibits elevated bass and treble regions for what Noble Audio calls a refined “pop” sound.

Savanna ($499) – The four-driver Savanna is designed specifically with acoustic music in mind and aims to emphasize accuracy and transparency.

Savant ($599) – Claimed to be the most subjectively balanced IEM the Wizard has designed yet, the Savant is detail-oriented and aims to play well with a the largest variety of listeners.

Dulce Bass ($699) – As implied, this is Noble Audio’s bassiest IEM. It deploys five drivers to deliver audiophile-grade electronic and bass-heavy music.

Django ($999) – Top of the Classic universal line, Noble Audio says the Django is “suitably equipped to unchain any genre of music you will encounter.” In other words, it’s meant to be balanced but engaging.

Tuned by the Wizard himself, Dr. John Moulton, a trained audiologist, an audio enthusiast like you and me, and the main man behind Noble Audio’s signature sounds, you can be sure these IEMs will not disappoint.

Noble Audio has sent over a Trident (pictured) for me to share with my fellow Sound Apprentices, so keep an eye out for that review.

Wood is Good: Meze Headphones 99 Classics Review

2016-10-27T20:31:00.000-05:00

“Are those new? They look stylish.” “New headphones? They’re spiffy.” “Ooo, I love those.” I can’t make this stuff up folks. There’s been no shortage of compliments since donning the Meze 99 Classics headphone at my office. Yes, you read that right. Sometimes part of my reviewing process includes testing products from the cubicle of my nine-to-five. Music plays a big part in getting me through the workday—drowning out the chatter of my office mates is also an excellent test. But let’s get back to those compliments. When the look of your headphones catches the eyes of non-audiophiles, as in nearly 60-year-old finance guys and Gen X women, you know you’ve done something unique. That uniqueness is what’s helping put Romania’s Meze Headphones on the audiophile map.

Successfully spurred ahead by an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign in late 2015, Meze Headphones has been running at full speed since launching the Meze 99 Classics, a gorgeous closed-back wooden headphone that, simply put, sounds as unique as it looks.

First Look

“Silver and gold, silver and gold. Ev'ryone wishes for silver and gold. How do you measure its worth? Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth.” Burl Ives certainly didn’t have headphones in mind when he wrote these lyrics for the 1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special (guilty pleasure; it’s a childhood favorite), but that song popped in my head the moment I saw the 99 in its gold and silver variants. Pleasurable indeed. The 99 is a prime example of #audioporn.

Silver and gold. Black and silver. Walnut and maple. With rich, luxurious finishes—and a $309 price tag—there’s nothing subtle about the 99. It’s eye-catching, it’s elegant, and it’s one of the most aesthetically intriguing headphones I’ve used. From the box, to the cast hardware, to the sustainably sourced wood, Meze Headphones founder and designer Antonio Meze clearly aimed to make the 99 a statement piece. The result is a headphone that’s robust and relentlessly refined—and also surprisingly lightweight (260g). Of the wood headphones I’ve owned, including premium Grado and ZMF models, the precision CNC-cut and hand-finished cups of the 99 stand out. Their satin finish and flawless grain is simply lovely. As a former percussionist that once had an affinity for raw maple snare drums, the silver and maple 99 makes my heart skip a beat.

Meze’s attention to detail doesn’t stop at the headphone itself. The 99 comes with a custom hard zippered travel case, gold-plated 6.3mm (1/4”) and airplane jack adapters, and two cables with a zippered felt storage pouch—a 1.2m portable cable with inline mic and remote and a 3m cable for your home listening room. Manufacturers often cut corners on cables, but Meze delivers a color-matched Kevlar-reinforced OFC cable that’s as refined from end to end as the rest of the 99.

All this attention to detail is all well and good, but does the 99 sound good too?

First Listen

While the 99’s look is sharp and elegant, its sound is warm and inviting. And did I mention unique?

The 99 positions you as a backstage VIP, center stage, behind the curtain. Behind the curtain? Don’t let that statement be a turn off. What I mean is that the 99 is intimate in its presentation. The closed-back cups make for an up close and personal listening experience that leaves the music floating just a few inches around your head while the 99’s sonic subtleties draw you in, its warmth envelopes your ears, and its dark balance allows for listening well into the night.

The 99 has what I will call “well-rounded sound.” From its deep sub-bass, to its darker than expected treble, the 99 offers a smooth sliding scale of sound that seduces your ears. There’s not a hint of sharpness, sibilance or roughness, well, anywhere. The bass is boastful, perhaps a bit overzealous at times, but not what I would consider boomy. The mid-range is balanced, warm and robust. The healthy highs roll off in a nicely relaxed manner that, somehow, still sounds acoustically realistic. Revealing? Reference? Maybe not so much—the 99 seems too polite for those terms. But when you settle in and start listening to the music instead of listening to the headphone itself, the 99 becomes incredibly immersing.

When I say that the 99 places you behind the curtain, I realize that implies that it sounds veiled. I hesitate to use that term as it’s so often used in a negative or derogatory way in audio reviews. What I mean is that the 99 has a natural softness to it; it has all the instrument details, all the tonality, and all the accuracy that you could ask for, yet it’s all done so… soothingly—the 99 forces nothing on you; it’s never harsh or in your face; it’s well-controlled, almost as if it’s mimicking the recording session in the dampened studio.

For example, I expected the maple cups to give the 99 some bite—maple is usually a brighter sounding and resonant wood—but there’s no aggressiveness in the sonic signature of the 99. Time and time again it’s just smooth, smooth, smooth. The major perk here is that the 99 is a savior of shitty sound. It easily tames the sizzle of hot recordings and poor playback devices. In fact, it plays well with every music genre I threw at it—Bjork, Lucy Rose, The Cinematic Orchestra, John Butler, Glass Animals, Ambient Jazz Ensemble, etc., etc.—and it plays well with damn near every device, too.

With a rated sensitivity of 103 dB at 1 kHz/1 mW and 32-ohm impedance, the 99’s 40mm dynamic neodymium/Mylar transducers are so easy to drive that even the most basic smartphones, iPods and DAPs will push them to deafening levels. With that said, I found that amping the 99 made minimal differences performance-wise. I’m used to headphones performing vastly different from amp to amp, but that just wasn’t the case this time around, and I think that’ll be a welcomed trait by anyone looking for hi-fi sound without the desire to acquire other hi-fi devices. While there’s simply no denying that better quality amps and DACs produce better sound, the 99 lets you hear the gear for what it is while its own sonic signature stays pretty damn consistent. My only recommendation on gear is to skip pairing it with a high current amp because you will hear some current noise and background hiss.

The most challenging part of reviewing the 99 is comparing it to other headphones. The 99 is so unique to my ears that quick comparisons to other staple headphones simply don’t do it justice. For instance, I commonly switch between headphones multiple times during a single track and replay certain parts with each one to do more critical comparisons. While I tried that with the 99, I found that it really ruined the experience. To really hear what the 99 does you need to spend time with it. But I know that most in this hobby are quick to judge and demand X versus Y comparisons. So here are a few things that I noticed when comparing the 99 to some other popular headphones.

The Comparisons

Meze 99 Classics vs. Shure SRH840 and SRH1540: Closed-back. Darkish. Descending highs. I fully expected the 99 to sound very similar to the Shure headphones that I’ve recommended so frequently. I was wrong. The 99 bested my daily drivers in many ways. The 99’s bass extends deeper and hits a bit harder—more oomph if you will. Both the Shure SRH840 (review) and SRH1540 (review), in comparison, seem to be a bit more controlled and punchy, but only at higher frequency ranges. The 99 is clearly fuller sounding when you get into bass-heavy tracks—take Bjork’s “Hyberballad” for instance. The 99’s mids are also smoother and more linear, albeit more relaxed. Mid-range is Shure’s sweet spot, but compared to the 99, both Shure offerings push the mids more aggressively into your ears. This makes vocalists sound more forward and in your face, and while I like this with some tracks, on others I prefer the 99’s subtler approach. While the pushed mids also help with instrument separation and atmospheric space compared to the more intimate and closed-in sounding 99, it introduces some roughness and grain. As for the highs, the 99’s are even more rolled off and relaxed than either of the Shure headphones mentioned. Simply put, the Shures have far more zing in the treble region. I found the SRH840 and SRH1540 to both be more revealing of micro details than the 99, but this comes at the expense of slightly sharper highs, occasional sibilance and increased graininess (mostly with poor recordings). The easiest way to put it is that the 99 sounds far more organic and natural than either Shure. Surprising indeed.

Meze 99 Classics vs. Sennheiser HD650: The HD650 is a staple in the headphone community, so it only makes sense to offer a brief comparison. Much of what I said above about the Shures actually also rings true for the HD650 comparison, so I'll just add a few more thoughts. The HD650 is simply a very different headphone from the 99; it’s mid-centric, open-back and much more picky with amps. In a head-to-head comparison, you’ll find that the HD650 again lacks the smoothness of the 99. The HD650 also can’t touch the 99’s deep bass lines. In fact, the 99 manages to make the “lush” HD650 sound surprisingly thin. What the HD650 offers, however, is more attack, a far wider and more three-dimensional sound stage, and better instrument separation than what the 99’s closed-back design can muster. Overall, the 99 is more versatile; it’s a headphone that anyone can listen to regardless of musical preference whereas the HD650 excels with only certain genres and certain amplifiers. I won’t say that one is better than the other because they’re just too different in all intents and purposes.

Meze 99 Classics vs. ZMF Headphones The Omni: I don’t have The Omni (review) currently on-hand to do a direct comparison anymore, but from recent memory, the 99 sounds more like the ZMF Headphones offering than any of the others mentioned. Both the 99 and The Omni excel at being smooth operators. The Omni most definitely moves more air and has harder hitting and more emphasized bass; it also has slightly more upper-mid presence, sounds a touch more spacious due to the semi-open design, and has a bit more treble pop. But tonally, they both favor what I consider to be a thicker and darker sound, a more intimate sound stage, and both stray far, far away from being harsh or sibilant. If you like the ZMF Headphones house sound, the 99 might be a nice choice for your portable headphone needs.

The Caveat

If I could change one thing about the 99, it would be the ear pads—they’re simply too damn shallow. Give my ears some room to breathe, Meze! Seriously though, I have an issue with ear pads that touch the lobe and helix of my ears—especially during long listening sessions. I appreciate the sleek styling of the headphone itself, but the slim medium-density foam ear pads compress to the point that my ears press against the liners covering the driver housings. Their circumference also feels a bit cramped, as if they were stuck somewhere between being a large on-ear and narrow around-the-ear design. Are my ears too big? Do they stick out too far? I don’t think so, but your results may vary. The supple synthetic leather can also get a touch toasty, but perhaps that’s nitpicking.

Nevertheless, I have a theory that the 99 could benefit from a roomier, deeper and angled genuine leather ear pad. First, I think comfort would drastically increase. Second, a deep angled pad (think ZMF or Brainwavz ear pads) would move the driver away from the ear, which should help to open up the sound stage and treble clarity just a touch. If that proves true, the 99 would be supremely comfortable and incredibly balanced sounding. In other words, it would be very hard to best, in my opinion.

Ear pads aside, the 99 is incredibly comfortable. I find the elastic suspension strap to be better fitting than similarly designed AKGs or the Audioquest Nighthawk, and the clamping force and weight is comparable to the Sennheiser HD650, which I have no problem wearing for hours at a time.

Final Word

Do a quick Google search for audiophile headphones and the top results will include the likes of Audeze and Sennheiser, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Meze Headphones soon sits among the top ranks. The 99 Classics’ organic and natural sound is truly special. It’s admittedly relaxed at first listen, but as soon as you stop thinking about what you might be missing, you’ll start hearing just how immersive it is. The 99 Classics is without a doubt a hi-fi headphone worth experiencing. Meze’s aim is for perfection, and while I won’t claim that the 99 Classics is the be-all and end-all headphone for everyone, its performance most certainly sets you on the path towards Audio Nirvana.

Here’s to hoping Meze Headphones forgets to ask for my review unit back.

Long-Term Listening: ZMF Headphones (Ori) The Omni Review

2016-10-01T19:28:00.001-05:00

*Please note that ZMF Headphones has changed the name of this headphone from "The Omni" to "Ori".

Omni. From Latin origin it means something like “all, every, of all things, the whole.” To date, The Omni is the whole of ZMF Headphones. It’s the flagship offering; it’s the pinnacle of what Founder Zach Mehrbach’s constant tweaking and dissecting of a headphone in every way can yield.

At ZMF Headphones, every headphone is assembled by hand, tweaked, tuned and sent out by Mehrbach, a painstaking process I’ve been privy to see firsthand on several occasions. In full disclosure, I first met fellow Chicago local Mehrbach some years back as a disappoint ZMF x Vibro owner. I had mentioned some complaints on a popular headphone forum, and, in standard ZMF customer service fashion, Mehrbach was quick to personally message me about my issues and offer a solution. He takes his products seriously, he stands behind them, and he is simply a stand up guy. This has led to a true audio acquaintanceship between us. I’ve seen the inner workings of ZMF Headphones. I’ve been invited to demo and critique countless prototypes. And, I’ve been able to see the culmination of Mehrbach’s work result in some truly fine products that headphone enthusiasts around the world enjoy. So when Mehrbach offered me the opportunity to do a long-term review of The Omni, I was happy to welcome them into my home listening room.

The Omni is the result of years of fiddling, research and design between ZMF Headphones and Vibro Labs. Like the ZMF x Vibro (see my coverage), The Omni is built around the latest generation of Fostex’s T50RP driver and cannibalizes some of its suspension parts. The Omni, however, uses an all-new, semi-open, 100-percent wood cup that’s hand finished in-house. And, true to its name, The Omni aims squarely at doing everything well. ZMF Headphones has always been about customization, so there are eight different woods to choose from—all of which have their own subtle personalities—a couple of headband, slider and emblem options, and various cables to choose from that make each order unique to its prospective owner.

My review unit uses ZMF Headphones’ own angled leather pads (these fit on many headphones, and I highly recommend them), African Blackwood cups, pilot pad headband, and DHC copper litz balanced cable. The African Blackwood did wonders for the ZMF x Vibro. It’s a beautiful and very dense wood that leans to the dark side while still being fast and resolving, so does it do the same for The Omni?

First Listen

Smooth. Powerful. These were the first two words I could think of to describe The Omni when I queued up Moderat’s track “Bad Kingdom” for my first listening test. The sub-bass and overall bass extension is literally some of the best in the business. I’ve owned premium headphones from Audeze, Beyerdynamic, Hifiman, Fostex and Sennheiser, and no other has come close to producing the feeling of the SPLs hitting my ear drums like The Omni. The bass is thick and rich; it oozes like honey, but it’s not slow like molasses. It simply hits hard and fast and leaves its impact on you. If you’re a basshead, The Omni is to die for. The textured bass in “Bad Kingdom” is heavy and complex, it can make or break a headphone for me, and it makes The Omni.

Despite the bass being the clear dominator in The Omni’s sound signature, there’s no muddiness, it’s not boomy, and somehow it refrains from sounding closed in. You’d think that The Omni’s mostly closed-back (semi-open) design and emphasis would crush its soundstage, but its atmosphere extends surprisingly well to what seems like a few inches beyond the headphone. I’d say The Omni’s dimensional soundstage is somewhat comparable to that of the Fostex TH-600, which I think extends very well for a closed-back headphone, and the Sennheiser HD650, which has a more intimate soundstage despite its fully open-back design.

Intimate is also what you get as The Omni’s oomphy basslines blend into its smooth midrange. The Omni won’t let you Flea the prominent basslines (get it, get it?) in the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ album title track “The Getaway” or hit “Dark Necessities,” but Anthony Kiedis remains front and center with his smooth vocal tones. Tom Toms and guitars are projected well with full-bodied resonance and twang. For jazz tracks, like Matthew Halsall & The Gondwana Orchestra’s "Ode to the Big Sea," The Omni sings out with a full, sweet sound that’s smooth on the senses.

The one sense you may feel from time to time is that you’ve lost some sizzle in your sound. The Omni is notably dark compared to many hi-fi headphones. While the treble it has extends well and captures enough resolve, it’s the treble that it doesn’t have that you may miss from time to time. As the treble smoothly drops off, The Omni loses some sense of space and instrument separation as well, but at the same time it works wonders for taming the unruly treble that’s become all too common in modern music. The Omni truly offers a reprieve from the loudness war; it’s a savior of shitty rock recordings that are too sizzle and sibilant happy.

Sibilance is something you’ll never have to worry about with The Omni. Its relaxed tonal balancing favors those looking for enveloping bass and mids. What The Omni does, it does well. But how does it stack up to some of the competition?

The Comparisons

The Omni’s place in the market falls somewhere between the likes of Audeze’s LCD line and the ever-popular Sennheiser HD650. In comparison to the Audeze LCD-X, which has been my reference headphone for quite a while now, The Omni makes the LCD-X sound bright. This was a startling surprise for me. In general, Audeze LCD headphones are lush and dark, even the more balanced X. While The Omni and LCD-X share similar traits in being bass and midrange masters, I feel that The Omni has far greater bass emphasis. It hits harder and deeper, but feels less controlled. Throughout the mids, the X seems to pull out more details and textures, especially on jazz tracks where it easily bests The Omni in instrument separation, placement and clarity. The highs are where these two headphones diverge even further. Both have notably rolled off treble, but The Omni sounds even more rolled back because of its strong bass emphasis, as if it completely glances over the treble. Here the X pulls ahead again, offering better detail retrieval and more edginess on cymbals, strings and horns. It’s important to note that these are observations while switching back and forth on single tracks. While listening to one or the other for an extended time, your ears become accustomed to the sonic signature, so the differences become less apparent and you can simply enjoy the music. And I assure you that both of these recreate music very well. While both are heavy headphones, I’d say they’re about equal in comfort. I think the ZMF pads are actually plusher than Audeze’s, but I don’t get the same hotspot on the top of my head while wearing the X. Your results may vary. Both share the same cable terminations, so if you have an LCD model, you can use your cable on The Omni, which is nice if you have custom cables.

I feel like Sennheiser HD650 or Fostex TH-600 owners may look to The Omni as their next step in the pursuit of Audio Nirvana. The biggest consideration among these three is the sonic signature that you favor. The HD650 is a classic—it has a very analog and intimate sound with an enhanced upper bass and midrange that is often described as being “romantic.” The HD650 and The Omni flat out sound very different. The Omni across the board is far smoother, exhibiting none of the grain or edge that the HD650 has. The Omni’s bass is deeper, smoother and more impactful. Like the HD650, The Omni offers rich mids, but they are tonally different. Here again, The Omni is smooth and effortless whereas the HD650 pushes vocalists right into your face. As for the treble, the HD650 has some grit to it, it can be sibilant at times, and it doesn’t tame poor recordings. Well, The Omni, as you know, is the opposite of all of that. With either headphone you will experience an intimate and enjoyable performance. The Omni does everything better to my ears, but the presentation is also very different. The HD650 is supremely comfortable and is easier to amp in my experience. But if you have an amp that will drive The Omni well, it’s definitely worth giving your Sennheisers a run for their money.

I mention the Fostex TH-600 because it’s a staple for bassheads and Massdrop’s collaboration models have expanded its popularity. Without question, The Omni hits harder, deeper, cleaner and more controlled. The TH-600 is very U-shaped in its sonic signature, meaning there’s bass and treble and the mids get left behind. The Omni excels at transitioning from bass to mids and delivering all of their lushness to your ears. You’ll gain a lot of musical body by upgrading to The Omni without sacrificing the bass you love. You’ll simply get better bass, better mids and, oh yeah, better treble. The TH-600 has sibilant and grainy treble. The Omni knows better. I listen to a lot of electronic, downtempo and EDM music; the TH-600 was a fav of mine here, but The Omni takes the cake now. Again the TH-600 is a very comfortable and lightweight headphone compared to The Omni, but the sonic improvements are worth experiencing. The Omni and TH-600 have similar reach and dimensionality in the soundstage to my ears, but still The Omni edges out the TH-600 in the end.

The Caveats

Power and pleasure. What I mean by that is that The Omni craves power and, depending on your penchant for heavy headphones, may or may not be a pleasure to wear.

The Omni isn’t quite as current-craving as the notable Hifiman HE-6, but it most definitely needs power to perform best. On my Eddie Current Balancing Act, I typically listen to my Audeze LCD-X and Sennheiser HD650 around the 10 o’clock mark on the volume dial; The Omni had me cranking it up to about Noon-thirty or one o’clock to make them sing. I also have the powerful Hifiman EF-6 class-A solid state headphone amp, and The Omni required the dial to reach about 11 o’clock for comfortable listening. In my experience, both The Omni and ZMF x Vibro mate best with tube amps. There’s just something about the synergy there that takes the performance to a more holographic level.

About that pleasure factor. The Omni and its plush leather pads wrap your ears and smother them like a warm blanket—in other words, very comfy. They do a great job at supporting these beauties that weigh in at 568 grams. In comparison, the HD650 weighs a mere 263 grams and the clunky LCD-X weighs 618 grams. My one issue is really with the headband; even with the pilot pad I get a large hotspot on the top of my head. It’s worth mentioning that my small head may not be best for weight distribution, and the headband can be bent into different positions (carefully), but I simply made due. Of course, the leather suspension strapped headband is also an option to consider.

These two caveats aside, The Omni has little else to detract from it.

Final Word

It goes without saying that The Omni in African Blackwood is a dark headphone, and dark is beautiful to my ears. The Omni delivers on its promise to be dense and resolving. The bass is tight and powerful. The mids are smooth, lush and intimate. The treble, while relaxed remains resolving to a hi-fi degree. The Omni will not be all things to all people as its namesake implies. But, in all, The Omni makes you privy to a sweet, full-bodied powerful performance time and time again. Figure that one out.

For more information, visit ZMF Headphones and take a behind-the-scenes look at building The Omni below.

First Listen: Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE-350 Headphone Review

2016-09-29T01:00:00.000-05:00

I have to give Massdrop a lot of credit for trying to bring high-end audio to the masses through their audiophile community. Those behind their initiatives have managed to bring together companies like AKG, Fostex, Grace Design, ZMF Headphones and now HIFIMAN, among others, to offer some great hi-fi products at affordable prices. So when I saw the drop for the $99 Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE-350 headphones, I thought it would be a great opportunity for new audiophiles and veteran headphone enthusiasts alike to pick up a pair of quality headphones to knock around with on the cheap.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, cheap is mostly what you get this time around. Massdrop made a noble effort with this headphone. It looks great in a sleek metallic gray and black finish; it’s super lightweight and comfortable to wear with the improved headband; it has a custom easy-to-drive dynamic driver and new cable connections so you don’t have to fumble with HIFIMAN’s old screw-on coax connectors of the past. On paper, the HE-350, modeled as a successor to HIFIMAN’s entry-level HE-300 headphone, screams value. On the ears, however, it sort of just screams. Let me explain.

Once the music gets flowing, the HE-350 may singlehandedly be the oddest sounding and most difficult headphone for me to describe fairly. At times, its easily one of the brightest headphones I have experienced in my audio journey to date. I have owned and demoed far more headphones than I have reviewed on this blog, and not one gave me the listening fatigue in such a small amount of time as the HE-350. What’s more, its unbalanced sound leaves you guessing at what you might get. Tracks leaning exclusively to the high side can sound decent. Mid-range-centric tracks are rendered OK. Bass heavy beats hit with some hints of sub-bass SPLs. But ultimately, when everything comes together, as is common when listening to most albums, the HE-350 doesn’t particularly shine in any one area. In fact, to my spoiled ears, it seems as if it can’t keep up, getting overly bright on the top end and muddied up in the bass regions, and the mids often get lost altogether.

I wanted to like these headphones—I’m a sucker for a hi-fi bargain. I was hopeful that they’d be my secondary desktop cans that I toss on while editing photos or freelancing late into the night. But the moment I put these babies on, my ears were hit with overly-emphasized treble that simply left them begging for some balance. I’ve generally enjoyed my HIFIMAN products, but the HE-350 is unlike any others I have heard, and it left me seeking the meaty mids and brutish bass I desire in my listening experience. As a “cheap” headphone, I didn’t expect it to rival my high-end headphones in these departments, but even at this price point I expected more—mostly because it’s a HIFIMAN product, and Massdrop has successfully brought quality without the cost many times before.

I may sound overly harsh here, but the HE-350’s treble is harsh. At low volumes it comes off as crisp and fairly detailed, but as the volume increases, so does the graininess, and with it comes a loss of clarity and enhanced edginess. “Pork Soda” off of Glass Animals’ How to Be a Human Being is a complex track with many layers. It starts out sounding fine with a moderately clean, punchy bass line that the HE-350 manages to move, as the vocals kick in though, the pitchy characteristics of the HE-350 become a bit overwhelming and only intensify as the track gets more complex as it progresses. For those familiar with some of the affordable Grado and Beyerdynamic offerings, I'd say the HE-350 has some of the grainy treble traits of the Grados with the sharp sizzle of the Beyers.

Moving into the mids, I simply find them to be overpowered by the treble. My test for midrange includes John Butler’s “Ocean,” a nearly 12-minute epic studio guitar performance with plenty of complex tones and heart. The HE-350 never quite dug as deep to reproduce the full-bodied sound this track has like I would expect out of a headphone aimed at hi-fi enthusiasts. The same goes for tracks like “Eyes Wide Open” off of Ambient Jazz Ensemble’s Suite Shop (definitely worth checking out)—the horns have no gusto and the layers of instruments simply sound thin across the board without much separation.

As for the bass, sometimes it surprises with a powerful delivery and other times it sounds rough and tumble. There’s something there, no doubt, but when pushed it falls apart pretty quickly. The textured deep bass lines in Moderat’s “Bad Kingdom,” for example, leaves the HE-350’s bass region in a rumbling, sloppy state. But then on Glass Animals’ “Season 2 Episode 3” the bass lines seem to hit fairly cleanly and gets my head bopping just fine.

The more I listen to the HE-350, the more it confuses me. Sometimes it sounds pretty darn decent for the price, and then a track later I can’t get them off my head fast enough. Sure, I could try to tweak EQ settings on my PC setup, but that’s not my style. I want to hear the music as recorded and as my headphones can portray it—this is often where the term, “you get what you pay for” resonates well in audio (just beware of diminishing returns). I tested the HE-350 on various setups (FLAC files via a modified Squeezebox Touch into a Schiit Yggdrasil DAC feeding my Eddie Current Balancing Act and HIFIMAN EF-6 amplifiers; FLAC files on my Hidizs AP-100 DAP; streaming Spotify on my smartphone; CDs through a vintage transport and more) and ultimately concluded that it’s just not for me or my musical tastes. Your results may vary.

As for that initial comment about being cheap—the HE-350 borders on feeling brittle (to me). The lovely box it arrived in actually feels more robust. The nearly all plastic construction has me concerned about long-term durability. Yes it makes it lightweight (congrats HIFIMAN, these are actually pretty darn comfortable to wear), but it feels fragile and, looks aside, doesn’t have the tactile touch of most products aimed at entry-level audiophiles. I suspect some accidentally broken yokes and cracked cups will be inevitable for some HE-350 owners.

I’ve owned HIFIMAN's HE-500; I own the HE-6; I have had HIFIMAN earbuds in the past; I own their EF-6 amplifier; I’ve demoed many of their other headphones. In my opinion, the HE-350 is a missed opportunity. I won’t claim to know the economics behind this project, but I feel that HIFIMAN could’ve in some way delivered something closer to their house sound, which would've made the HE-350 the perfect gateway drug to their line of higher-end products. Maybe it still will be, but to my ears, the HE-350 comes up short.

Listen, the HE-350 is a beautiful looking headphone, it’s comfortable, its detachable cable system is welcomed, and the ergonomics are on point, but the sound quality and overall material feel fall well short of being an “audiophile” product. To those with untrained or unspoiled ears, these may be amazing. But if you’ve already been introduced to high-end headphones, I think you’ll be disappointed. My regular readers know that I tell it how my ears hear it. I applaud the effort behind the $99 HE-350, but I can’t fully recommend this headphone for anyone seeking true hi-fi sound. If you want to try it out, I'd suggest trying to snag a used pair as they inevitably pop up on Head-Fi, Reddit or other audio forums. I look forward to the next collaboration between these two companies, but hopefully the next collaboration of Massdrop x HIFIMAN yields greater results.

First Listen: Shure SE215 IEM Review

2016-09-20T22:09:00.002-05:00

If you frequent this blog or The Sound Apprentice Instagram, you know that I’m a fan of Shure headphones. So it should come as no surprise that I intervened with a set of Shure in-ear monitors (IEMs) when I found out that my dear friend who loves everything music has been “blowing” cheap earbuds like crazy (and probably going deaf at the same time). Enter the Shure SE215-CL Sound Isolating Earphones.

To me, with its inviting Shure house sound and moderate price of entry ($99 MSRP), the SE215 is a no-brainer. Apparently 2KReviews feels the same as I do since they named the SE215 to their list of the “7 Earbuds Under $100 to Buy in 2017 – Best Value for Money.” Performance-wise, you get a lot of bang for the buck, which is why I have no qualms recommending this IEM to friends that really want to enjoy their music, the veteran audiophile that’s only a passing IEM user, or the beginner audiophile that’s looking to step up to hi-fi sound without the high-end price tag (while still getting near pro-level build quality). After all, the SE215 evolved out Shure’s line of professional monitoring products that are used by some of the most acclaimed musicians around the world.

Unboxing

Like most IEMs and earphones in this price range, the SE215 arrives in a minimalist no frills box and inner plastic tray that displays the IEMs while keeping the accessories securely in place. It's nothing fancy, but at this price point, I wouldn’t expect anything more. Despite the cheap packaging, when you first handle the SE215 I am certain you will be impressed. The styling, fit and finish of the SE215 is very pleasing, particularly the clear models that let you see the inner workings. It’s a solid IEM with a detachable high-quality cable with gold-plated connectors, a feature not often found among the majority of Shure’s consumer-level competitors.

Accessories

The SE215 comes with a reasonable assortment of accessories. I say reasonable, because even with bargain-price Brainwavz offerings (see my XF-200 review) and entry-level Westone earphones (see my ADV Beta review) you get a few more accessories and a wider assortment of tips. But let’s focus on what you do get. The SE215 comes with a soft zippered case, a small cleaning tool, and 6 sets of Sensaphonics sound-isolating ear tips (S, M, L in flexible silicone and foam). I personally would prefer a hard case to be included, as well as a shirt clip, a 1/4” jack adapter and some spare tips, but maybe that’s nitpicking.

Fit and Finish

Accessories may not be the SE215’s strongest suit, but performance is. Shure packs a lot of bang for the buck in the fit, finish and sound of the dynamic SE215.

The SE215 is considered a universal-fit IEM, meaning that it’s intended to sit comfortably in the ears of most users to ensure good stability and sound isolation. I find the shape to fit well in my ear, and the low-profile nozzle and light weight helps with comfort quite a bit. My ears are very sensitive to earphones and IEMs, but I was able to wear these throughout most of my workday without ever feeling a real need to take a break from them.

I particularly like their over-the-ear cable routing, which moves the cable away from my face and chin so I don’t get snagged up as easily. What’s more, the portion of the cable that wraps over the ear has a flexible wire inside that allows you to bend and twist it to your liking, offering increased stability and a custom fit. The fact that the cable connector at the IEM swivels 360 degrees also helps with insertion and removal from the ear. Just a further note on the cable—I think it’s one of the nicer IEM/earphone cables I have experienced to date. Being detachable/replaceable is a huge plus, and the heavier gauge, braided internal shielding, and gold-plated connectors and termination exude quality and lead me to believe that it'll hold up to some abuse without fail. Some may complain that it’s not as flexible as others, but it seems to loosen up a bit with use.

Moving on, the ear tips come in two options: Foam or silicone. Then you decide which of the three sizes fit best. As with most earphones/IEMs, tip selection is critical. I strongly recommend taking the time to test the different sizes to determine which tip fits best—emphasis on “best” and not just one that “fits”—because the audio quality, comfort, and noise isolation improve greatly when the ideal tip is used. (For me, the medium foam tips worked best and offered better sound quality, bass impact, and isolation over the silicone version.) The foam Sensaphonics tip is similar in look and feel to a traditional foam earplug. These particular tips claim that they block out 37 dB of ambient noise. I think they perform better than the Comply foam tips that I've previously tested with Brainwavz earphones. This makes the foam option on the SE215 great for commuting, noisy offices or use in professional music environments. For me, the silicone tips didn’t offer the same level of comfort or sound quality (I think the highs were more emphasized and the bass a little less controlled), but your results may vary.

Performance

Speaking of results, that’s probably what you're really here to find out about. As I opened with, the SE215 has a very inviting sound. If you’re familiar with Shure’s SH840 (see my review) or SH1540 headphones (see my review), I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear that the SE215 isn’t too far off in its overall sonic signature. It’s got that traditional Shure house sound—warm, a bit dark, a bit forward in presentation at times, with highs that roll off well before ever getting sibilant or harsh. In other words, it’s just really easy to listen to.

The SE215’s sonic signature falls somewhere right between the SRH840 and SRH1540, and it also reminds me a bit of Sennheiser’s famed HD650. With the SE215 you get a clean, rich midrange that emphasizes the twang of tom toms and acoustic guitar strings and puts your favorite vocalist front and center. Mids are where I’ve always thought that Shure shines. For an IEM, I find the mids to be fairly smooth and full-bodied with enough texture and air to get my ears really immersed in the music. No, you’re not going to get the same 3-D soundstage of a full-sized headphone, but the SE215 doesn’t disappoint with its ability to position instruments in space. I also think it does a good job of handling music with lots of layers, like much of Moderat’s album III.

If you’re like me and use the SRH1540 at work all day and then switch over to the SE215 for the commute home, the transition will be relatively seamless. The treble of the SE215 is certainly rolled back a bit and the soundstage compresses in comparison, but the mids and bass are very similar.

About that bass, the SE215 delivers fairly weighty bass with ease, depending on your source. When spinning tracks off of my Spotify Electric Vibes playlist I find that my Droid Turbo delivers a pretty full bodied performance, maybe a bit sloppy in the sub-bass at times, but certainly well via a smartphone. With a Hidizs AP-100 DAP my buddy at CTC Audio hooked me up with, I found I needed to tinker with the EQing quite a bit. I don’t know what it is about the AP-100, but I’ve never been happy with it with any earphones/IEMs, so I am just chalking this up as the Hidizs’ fault. The SE215 really comes to life when hooked up to my ALO Audio The Island headphone amp/DAC. This sweet little desktop unit has the SE215s absolutely singing. So despite the SE215’s 20-ohm rating that should help it sound good out of most devices, using a dedicated DAC/amp definitely takes it to a higher level.

While it’s undeniable that the SE215 has a bass hump that bleeds into the midrange, it manages to do so smoothly enough that the overall sound of the IEM isn’t too dark or bloated. In fact, it’s not the bass at fault as much as the treble (to some).

One thing I can’t live with is peaky, edgy treble—especially in an IEM. The SE215 doesn’t have that, not even close (unless you listen to terribly recorded music or don’t put them in your ears right). The SE215’s treble is admittedly dark and relaxed compared to many earphones/IEMs, and that’s part of why I like it so much. Sure, the soundstage closes in when there isn’t enough sparkle in the highs, but much like the SRH1540, I think the SE215 manages to strike a nice balance between the dark and the bright. The SE215 has pleasing, grain-free treble that’s not the least bit fatiguing during long listening sessions, even with the volume cranked up. Detail retrieval is compromised, but still good. All in all, it’s just a very easy IEM to listen to and enjoy.

Bottom Line

Overall, I really like the SE215. It’s easily the best of the earphones/IEMs I have owned to date. No, it won’t replace my preference for obnoxiously big headphones, but it takes what I liked about a lot of my headphones and packages it into a totally portable unit that I can toss into my work and travel bags without worry.

While the Shure SE215 isn’t a glitzy newcomer to the portable audio world, it’s a no-nonsense IEM that simply sounds damn good. Shure consistently puts out quality products that I think go underrated in the audiophile world. Yeah, the SE215 could be more neutral, and maybe a bit more refined, but to Hell with that. The SE215 has sound you can be Shure of. Get it? Shure’s signature house sound is safe, it’s easy on the ears, and it performs well with a wide range of music. So do yourself a favor and spend a few extra Andrew Jacksons and get yourself a pair of the high quality SE215 Sound Isolating Earphones. As my buddy Phil says, “For everyday bangers, the 215s are perfect. The best hundo you can spend on earphones.”

Insider tip: While the SE215 retails new for around $99 on Amazon, new open-box, refurbished and used sets can sometimes be had for around $60-80 on eBay and audio forums like Head-Fi.org.

Must-See-Must-Hear: Headphone Sessions

2016-09-13T21:36:00.000-05:00

If you’re here, it’s because you like music, and not just any music, but high fidelity, take you to another place music—most likely with some top notch headphones strapped to your noggin. If what I described is accurate, or even if you’re running a sweet two-channel speaker setup, I have a real treat for you and your listening room: Headphone Sessions.

Headphone Sessions is an audio/visual experience that I simply think any self-proclaimed audiophile and headphone enthusiast can't afford to miss regardless of musical preferences. Brought to you by the talented London-based film guru James Hough, Headphone Sessions immerses you in “stripped back organic musical performances recorded with 3D binaural audio, in beautiful locations.”

In other words James is recording live acoustic performances of some very talented artists in some very public places. The multi-mic recording captures not only the most intricate details of the artists’ performances, but also the sounds of the environments surrounding them. Paired with some creative video work, Headphone Sessions immerses you in a gorgeous 3D hi-fi experience.

Below is the Headphone Session #004, debuting a new song by an artist I highly recommend, Lucy Rose (I also recommend following this up by checking out the performances by Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Jake Isaac).

Take note of the Headphone Sessions disclaimer and enjoy: Please wear headphones for the full 3D experience.

To keep up to date with the latest sessions follow Headphone Sessions on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Must-See-Must-Hear: Ben Howard Live on KCRW

2016-03-17T22:11:00.001-05:00

Ben Howard has become one of my favorite performers to see live and spin in the listening room. So here's 35 minutes of Ben Howard, India Bourne and Chris Bond killing it in the studio with KCRW. Watch it here.

First Listen: Brainwavz XFIT XF-200 Earphones Review

2016-02-02T01:04:00.002-06:00

A few days after testing out the adventure-inspired Westone ADV Beta earphone, Brainwavz hit me up with the timely opportunity to give their latest earphone a test ride. Meet the new Brainwavz XFit XF-200 earphone that, as they say, is specially designed for users who engage in sports and athletic activities. What makes it special for the active audiophile? How about a compact, lightweight design; pre-molded, over-the-ear cable routing; a short cable that won't trip you up; and an assortment of accessories to keep you moving. Oh, and at $25 it probably costs less than your monthly gym dues.

Unboxing

The XF-200 comes in a minimalist no frills economy plastic box and inner tray that keeps packaging to a minimum. It's nothing fancy, but since you're more than likely to toss it out, who cares, right? Inside, you’ll find everything neatly packed and organized; which is probably completely opposite of how your sports bag is, but that's OK.

Accessories

For $25 MSRP, you generally don't get much, but Brainwavz never fails to take care of customers by including more than they bargained for. In this instance, the XF-200 includes their familiar branded zippered hard case, Velcro cable tie, and shirt clip, a set of Comply foam ear tips, a set of bi-flange silicone ear tips, and two sets each of standard S, M, and L silicone ear tips (because you know you're going to loose one at some point).

Performance

The XF-200 is an ergonomically designed dime-sized universal IEM that's intended to sit comfortably in the ear to ensure stability during your workout. The over-the-ear cable routing takes the secure fit a step further by eliminating the chances of getting caught up in the cable and pulling it out of your ear. With the large assortment of tips, you have several options to test in your ear for the best fit.

As with most earphones/IEMs, tip selection is critical, and I strongly encourage you to take the time to choose the ear tip that fits best—emphasis on best and not just one that “fits”—because the audio quality, comfort, and isolation improve greatly when the ideal tip is used. (For me, the bi-flange and Comply foam tips worked best and offered better sound quality, bass impact, and isolation.) The bi-flange tip seems to produce the most bass and moderate isolation, while the Comply tip offers improved comfort, isolation and bass control. The standard tips offered the least isolation and somewhat weaken the overall bass response, which ultimately brings some emphasis to the highs.

Speaking of bass, the XF-200 can hit pretty hard. Marketing speak generally over-promises and under-delivers, but I'd say Brainwavz was spot-on with their claim boasting "booming beats." Dig that live music hall sound? The XF-200 has it: Booming, emphasized bass; a touch of reverb; dark mids, and highs that can come off as recessed on some tracks. The XF-200 certainly does not have a refined, balanced "audiophile" sound (try the S0 or M1 for that at a similar price); depending on your preferences, it's either unruly or fun. I'd say it's best suited for pumping EDM and synth beats into your eardrums while you hustle up the StairMaster. And you know what? I'm fine with that, because the XF-200 does that damn well and sounds a helluva lot better than most earphones you'll find at this price. (Of note, the variety of ear tips included do impact the sonic signature, so again, try them all to see what fits and sounds best to you.)

Last, let's talk about the 3-button control built into the cable for volume, skipping tracks, pause/play, and the mic for taking phone calls. The packaging states compatibility with Apple devices and most Android devices and other doodads; your results may vary. Apparently my Droid Turbo hates all earphones with built-in remotes because just like I experienced with the Westone ADV Beta, the volume/phone call controls do not work with my Droid Turbo, but I am able to mute the mic and pause songs using the center button, so it’s not completely useless. The mic seemed to work well, as my test calls were heard loud and clear, and calls come over the XF-200 sounding quite clear as well.

Bottom Line

Brainwavz has put out another quality product with a budget price. Yeah, the sound could be more refined, but to Hell with that. We want bass, and we want it now. At least that's what I want at the gym to help drown out my racing heart beat and huffing and puffing. For $25 you're getting a nicely designed earphone with a plethora of accessories, a 2-year warranty, and an overall energetic sound. If you want more, spend more. If you want affordable, these will put your silly OEM earbuds and Skull Candy's to shame. For a no-nonsense earbud that you don't have to worry about when you're working out, grab the XF-200 and get on with your next set.

The XF-200 retails for around $25.00 and is available from Amazon.com and other authorized Brainwavz resellers around the globe.