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.
The Inexpensive and Terrific Noontec Zoro
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
Out of the blue I get an email from an operations and logistics manager at an electronics distribution company I've never heard of about a headphone made by a company I've never heard of claiming these $100 Chinese Beats Solo look-alike headphones will likely make it to my Wall of Fame. Yeah, right.
Then I heard them.
The Koss Tony Bennett Special Edition TBSE1 Headphone
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
With about 27% of the population over age 50, and roughly 30% of all headphone purchases influenced by celebrity endorsement, I can understand why Koss turned away from the heavy competition for the younger generation's wallet and focussed their attention on the baby boomers with the introduction of their Tony Bennett headphones. Personally I prefer Tony Bennett to Dr. Dre, Ludacris, and 50 Cent, but I'm not sure the geriatric headphone buyers are really part of the 30% of purchasers who are influenced by celebrity endorsement.
Let's see how they sound.
The Legend Continues: The Audio Technica ATH-M50x
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
Like sand on a beach, the number of times the Audio Technica ATH-M50 has been recommended would be hard to count. This headphone has reached legendary status among headphone enthusiasts, and with this latest refresh its position in the pantheon of great headphones is assured.
Think the ATH M-50 is old news? Time to listen again!