Headphone Reviews

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
A Unique Bass Sensation: The Skullcandy Crusher
Tyll Hertsens  |  Mar 25, 2014  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

It may seem silly to us, but a headphone with a sub-woofer sounds like a stupendously good idea to a 20 year old. Nature abhors a vacuum...somebody had to do it.

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Budget Component ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsThe Entry Level
The Entry Level #39
Stephen Mejias  |  Mar 12, 2014  |  First Published: Mar 01, 2014  |  12 comments
In his article on the future of audio engineering in this issue, John La Grou tells us—succinctly and correctly, I think—that we are rapidly moving from a culture of handheld devices to one of headworn devices. He postulates that by perhaps as early as 2025, rather than being actively sought out, most audio/video media will be delivered, like milk or the newspaper—but delivered not to our front doors, but more or less straight to our brains. Fascinating? Sure. Frightening? Kinda, yeah.
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Audacious AudioHeadphone Reviews
Audeze LCD-X headphones
John Atkinson  |  Feb 25, 2014  |  First Published: Mar 01, 2014  |  6 comments
I well remember my first "real" headphones: a pair of Koss Pro4AAs that I bought back in 1970. The Kosses were relatively expensive, but, like headphones today, they allowed an audiophile with limited cash to get a taste of high-end sound that was not possible with a speaker-based system. I bought the Pro4AAs because I had become fascinated with how the images of the instruments and singers were strung along a line between my ears inside my head. It seemed so much more intimate—a more direct connection with the music—than playback through loudspeakers.
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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
The AKG K812 Professional Reference Headphone
Tyll Hertsens  |  Feb 25, 2014  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

I like the K701 and variants; I like the K267 Tiesto; I like the K550 too; but no, I don't like the K812.

Woulda kept my mouth shut, but way too many people have asked me to chime in on these new headphones.

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
Two in the Strike Zone: Focal Spirit Professional and Spirit Classic
Tyll Hertsens  |  Feb 10, 2014  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Boy is it a good time to be in the market for a $300-$400 sealed headphone. Offerings like the Sennheiser Momentum, NAD VISO HP50, and B&W P7 provides consumers with some very good choices. Now you can add two more: The Focal Spirit Professional and The Focal Spirit Classic.

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
The Accidentally Extraordinary 51st Studio Sealed Headphone
Tyll Hertsens  |  Dec 19, 2013  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Accidentally Extraordinary, huh? That's a pretty tricky business plan. Not quite sure how you pull that off. I reckon "jumping into a new market, giving it all you've got, and doing a pretty good job of making a good looking and good sounding headphone" a more achievable goal.

Be hard to fit that on your business card, though.

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Headphone ReviewsThe Entry Level
The Entry Level #36
Stephen Mejias  |  Dec 12, 2013  |  8 comments
In an August 21 post to his popular Lefsetz Letter blog, music-industry analyst Bob Lefsetz shared with his readers the great and often surprising joy of listening to music through a good set of headphones, specifically the open-back, planar-magnetic Audeze LCD-2. Lefsetz clearly does not mess around: He went straight to the top of the headphone hierarchy. If you're at all familiar with the exciting world of headphone listening, you've heard of Audeze (pronounced odyssey). Since their impressive debut at the 2009 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, the young audio company has drawn from hi-fi critics and enthusiasts the sort of rave reviews typically reserved for the most respected brands.
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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
The Sumptuous and Sonorous Bowers & Wilkins P7
Tyll Hertsens  |  Dec 12, 2013  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Of course they're gorgeous looking, B&W just doesn't make stuff that's not drop-dead sexy. The big surprise here is how good they sound...how damned good they sound in some ways!

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
A Traveler's Sanctuary: The Bose Quiet Comfort 20 Noise Canceling Earphone
Tyll Hertsens  |  Nov 26, 2013  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Damn! I almost fell over the first time I switched them on...the quiet was physically stunning. I spent my last two flights with the Bose Quiet Comfort 20 in my ears...the sense of having my own space and refuge was extraordinary. Go ahead and yell it at the top of your lungs, I'm sure I'll barely hear...

SANCTUARY!!!

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
A Headset for Everyone: The Sennheiser Momentum On-Ear
Tyll Hertsens  |  Nov 18, 2013  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Sure...there's a few trade-offs here and there, but I have a hard time imagining an on-ear portable headset can get much better than this!

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J. Gordon HoltHeadphone Reviews
Jecklin Float electrostatic headphones
J. Gordon Holt  |  Nov 11, 2013  |  First Published: Jun 01, 1975  |  5 comments
These are some of the most lusciously transparent-sounding headphones we've ever put on our ears, but we doubt that they will every enjoy much commercial success, for a couple of reasons.
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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
I Love These Headphones...The NAD VISO HP50
Tyll Hertsens  |  Nov 01, 2013  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Okay, I know you're not supposed to give away the story in the headline...but I just can't help it. The NAD VISO HP50 is an awesome headphone!

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
The Delightful Onkyo ES-FC300 and ES-HF300
Tyll Hertsens  |  Sep 29, 2013  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Just another "big audio company joins the ranks of headphone makers" or something a bit more special? It's hard to get my hopes up with so many first stabs at making headphones resulting in mediocre introductions. Maybe I should just lower my expectations a bit.

No! The new Onkyo cans are quite a surprise!

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Budget Component ReviewsDigital Processor ReviewsHeadphone Reviews
Meridian Explorer USB D/A processor/headphone amplifier
Art Dudley  |  Aug 30, 2013  |  First Published: Sep 01, 2013  |  6 comments
Those of us who groan at the appearance of every new five-figure digital source component in a massively oversized chassis—and who groan in greater torment when the offending manufacturer says his customer base insists on products that are styled and built and priced that way—can take heart: The appearance of such sanely sized and affordable products as the Halide Design DAC HD ($495) and the AudioQuest DragonFly ($249) would suggest that the market has a mind of its own.
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Headphone ReviewsThe Entry Level
The Entry Level #32
Stephen Mejias  |  Aug 08, 2013  |  9 comments
Even before I'd really listened to PSB's Alpha PS1 powered desktop speakers (see last month's column), I suspected that I'd like them: They're affordable, attractive, small enough to actually fit on my desktop, and designed and manufactured by a true high-end audio company. Besides all that, the PS1s had been highly recommended by a friend, AudioStream.com's Michael Lavorgna. I only needed the speakers to sound good in my home. And they did—clean, clear, detailed, and dynamic, with a surprisingly big and bold overall sound.
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