The Delightful Onkyo ES-FC300 and ES-HF300
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!
The E-Mu Walnut: A Creative Aurvana Live! Woodied-Up
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.comOriginating with the Foster OEM design (model 443741, page H-4 of this .pdf) and seeing the light of day first as the Denon AD-H1001, then the Creative Aurvana Live! (CAL!), this model has now been refreshed as the E-Mu Walnut. This is a lovely example of a companyin this case Creative Technologies in the form of its subsidiary company E-Mu Systemsrecognizing they have a solid-performer on their hands, and incrementally improving it. I wish I saw this more often.
The Elegant and Complex Parrot Zik Bluetooth Noise Canceling Headset
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
The inside of a great designer's head must be a very unusual place. On the one hand, the world is filled with clumsy, ugly, ill-formed objects. On the other, it's rife with opportunity for utility and beauty. The cacophony of internal dialog must be almost unbearable. Renowned designer Philippe Starck has turned his attention to untangling the mess that is Bluetooth headsets, and in collaboration with Parrot (a French company with significant experience in automotive Bluetooth devices) has developed the most unique wireless headset I've ever seen.
The Etherial Mr. Speakers Ether Flow
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.comI had only two days with a pre-production Ether Flow before my house was invaded by the French. I was quite enjoying the pre-production Flow, but the Focal Elear and Utopia turned my world upside down. By the time Dan Clark, CEO and Founder of Mr. Speakers, sent the production unit my world was in a bit of an uproar. Though I didn't mention them, the Flow was ever present in my listening tests...it kept whispering to me, "It's not about "The Best" anymore, it's about character."
The Exceptionally Pleasing HiFiMAN HE1000 Planar Magnetic Headphone
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
I'd like to believe that neutrality, low-distortion, and excellence in transient response is what leads to a satisfying listening experience.
The HE1000 makes me question that belief.
The Handsome Philips Fidelio L1
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
Headphones have changed a lot over the last 20 years. First they were accessories; then they were legit listening devices but as ugly as an outhouse; then they were bright plastic necklaces and a rapper's gravy train; but of late, they're becoming a very human interface to our tunes, designed to sound good, look good, and feel good.
The Philips Fidelio L1 is a perfect example of such a headphone.
The HiFiMAN Edition X is Delightful from Portable Players
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
HiFiMAN touts this headphone as great for direct play from portable devicesand I'll agree, it does play very well directly from a tablet or phone. Pretty nice not to have the burden and expense of having to carry around a portable amp, but at $1800 it doesn't really seem like a more affordable solution. And then, it's an open headphone while most portable cans are sealed to get rid of environmental noise. So...this is a flagship headphone for use with portable devices indoors? I'm not sure what to think...let's work through the details.
The Historic Beyerdynamic DT 48 E (25 ohm)
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
Yes, historic. The Beyerdynamic DT 48 model has been in continuous production in a variety of forms since 1937. That's pretty historic ... I can't even remotely think of another headphone like that.
Let's take a look ...
The Incisive Audio Technica ATH-MSR7
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
Saw these at CES with their official "Hi-Res Audio" sticker. My mind's first thought? "Yeah right, like "Digital Ready" meant anything either."
Turns out the label is pretty darned accurate.
Saw these at CES with their official "Hi-Res Audio" sticker. My mind's first thought? "Yeah right, like "Digital Ready" meant anything either."
Turns out the label is pretty darned accurate.
The Inexpensive and Great Sounding Beyerdynamic DTX 350 m
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.comWere it not for the fact that I'm about to tell you so, there's nothing that would clue you in: The Beyerdynamic DTX 350 m ($59) looks about like any cheap plastic headphone you might run across at WalMart...but beauty runs deep with this one. Check it out.