MrSpeakers Aeon Over-Ear Sealed Planar Magnetic Headphones
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.comOh baby...don't read this if you've got $800 bucks in your wallet and a yen for some good sealed headphones.
MrSpeakers Ether C Flow Sealed Planar Magnetic Headphone
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.comIn my mind, Mr. Speakers had become a world-class enthusiast headphone maker.
And it was with that mind-set, biasing that it might be, that I eagerly awaited the coming Ether C Flow. My feelings are mixed.
MrSpeakers Introduces AEON Over-Ear Sealed Headphone
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.comYesssssss!
I've kvetched quite a bit about the need for some killer headphones in the $500-$1000 price range. Seems like headphone makers just jumped by that price category in an ever more intense race to the top...of your willingness to break your wallet. Looks like we're going to get some relief from MrSpeakers.
Oppo Ear-Pads Listening and Measurements
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
Lots of chatter abut the Oppo ear-pads on Head-Fi.org. I figured I better do some measurements to get another view.
Did some listening too, and found a favorite pad.
Pass Labs HPA-1 headphone amplifier
When Pass Labs is mentioned, it's natural to think of its founder, iconic engineer Nelson Pass. But Nelson heads a team of engineers at the California company: Their XP-30 preamplifier, which I enthusiastically reviewed in April 2013, was designed by Wayne Colburn; and the subject of this review, the HPA-1 headphone amplifier, is the first Pass Labs product designed by Jam Somasundram, former director of engineering for Cary Audio. Somasundram joined Pass Labs in July 2013; he spent a year working on the HPA-1, which was shown at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, but not formally launched until the 2016 CES, at a hefty $3500.
Phiaton Moderna MS 400 headphones
I once spoke to a blacksmith (named Smith, actually) about the wonderfully patterned bowie knives he made of Damascus steel. Struck by the contrast between the massive brutality of the knives themselves and the delicate beauty of the steel from which they were wrought, I asked Smith why he worked in Damascus, expecting him to extol its legendary temper or its aggressive cutting edge. After all, he was a pretty macho guy with a physique like, well, the village blacksmith's (Google it, young 'uns). He thought for a minute before responding, quietly, "Beauty is its own reward."
Phiaton PS 200 in-ear headphones
Phiaton is the brand name used by the South Korean Cresyn Company. Wes Phillips reviewed Phiaton's conventional closed-back Moderna">http://www.stereophile.com/headphones/phiaton_moderna_ms_400_headphones… MS 400 headphones in January 2009 and was as impressed by the sound quality as he was by their appearance. The PS 200 ($249), the only in-ear headphone sold by Phiaton, also has a striking appearance: the black rear face, which is all someone sitting next to you in the subway will see, resembles the turbine blades of a fan-jet engine. There are two balanced-armature drive-units, with a passive crossover network.
Philips Citiscape Downtown
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
Generally speaking, my teenage daughter couldn't care less about headphones. But when I brought home a pair of purple Philips Citiscape Downtown headphones, she was almost breathless as she said, "Oh dad! Purple is my favorite color. Those are so cool!" Later, I peeked into her room; she was laying on her bed, knees up with legs crossed, one foot happily tapping the air.
It was with both pleasure and dismay that I realized I had just more fully enabled her connection to Justin Bieber.
Philips Fidelio M2L First Lightning Connector Headphone
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
The first Lightning cable headphone...but not the last, no doubt.
Phonak Audéo Perfect Fit Earphone and Perfect Bass Earphone
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
The rash of in-ear headphones over the past few years has produced an enormous amount of style over substance. All too often the bling on the outside is accompanied by horrifically bloated or screechy sound on the inside. Likewise, some makers are able to deliver great sound, but fall down in the looks and comfort department. Rare indeed is the in-ear headphone that is stylish, comfortable, and good sounding.
The Audéo PFE seems to have beaten the odds.