Two in the Strike Zone: Focal Spirit Professional and Spirit Classic
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.
Two June FollowUp Reviews
The June 2021 issue of Stereophile included followup reviews of two recommended components, both which deserved further investigation of what they had to offer: the dCS Bartók D/A processor and the Schiit Audio Sol turntable.
Two Vintage AKG Headphones: K240 Sextett and K340 Electrostatic Dynamic
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
I can't tell you what a treat it is to measure and listen to the unusual headphones I get from enthusiasts. This time, rythmdevils from Head-Fi has sent in a couple of vintage AKG cans.
He's also a photographer, and has kindly allowed me to use his sweet pix of these two cans for the article. Very nice! Thanks!
Ultimate Ears 18 Pro in-ear headphones
Headphone listening is hot these days, due not only to the ubiquity of the iPod as a music source but also because it is possible to get state-of-the-art headphone playback without having to have stupidly bottomless pockets. A plethora of affordable high-quality headphone amplifiers are available, and high-performance 'phones can be had for a few hundred dollars. Used with a computer or iPod to play uncompressed WAV or AIF files or losslessly compressed FLAC or Apple Lossless (ALAC) files, a headphone-based system can offer the audiophile on a budget seriously good sound.
Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered Custom In-Ear Monitors
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.comIt's been nearly 5 years since ToTL Madnessour attempt to survey the growing custom IEM landscape and identify the best of the best. It's still a good read if you want to learn more about the history of the industry, the major players, and the strengths/weaknesses of these colorful little ear gems.
Ultimate Ears UE-10 Pro in-ear headphones
All of a sudden, it seems there's a renaissance in in-ear monitors. Used to be there was just Etymotichttp://www.stereophile.com/headphones/805">Etymotic;, but now Etymotic, Shurehttp://www.stereophile.com/headphones/504shure">Shure;, and Ultimate">http://www.stereophile.com/headphones/1204ultimate">Ultimate Ears are all producing high-performance in-ear headphones. It's almost enough to make me suspect we audiophiles have become a marketing juggernaut.
Ultimate Ears UE-11 Pro in-ear headphones
Meeting strangers at social events, I've learned not to say that I write about hi-fi for a living. It's generally a conversation killer—unless your idea of scintillating repartee is "People make a living doing that?" (Short answer: Not many, and not really.)
Ultimate Ears UE-5c in-ear headphones
"You need to keep still."
V-MODA Crossfade M-80 and V-80 True Blood Headphones
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
Call me out of touch with pop-culture, but I had no idea what the "True Blood" referred to on V-MODA's V-80 True Blood headphone. A quick Google and I know we have a new kind of celebrity headphone, one endorsed by a T.V. show about vampires. Fine with me because ...
... these headphones are AWESOME!
V-MODA Crossfade Wireless a Mixed Bag
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
In the end I think these are pretty good for a wireless headphone, but you're going to have to wade through a lot of mixed feelings from me to get there.