Headphone Reviews

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
Time to Rethink Beats, the Solo2 is Excellent
Tyll Hertsens  |  Aug 15, 2014  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Yes, I've been very vocal about my disappointment with Beats product, especially the original Solo.

Well, it's time to change my tune, and I'll be vocal about that too.

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Headphone Reviews
Thinksound On1 & On2 headphones
Sam Tellig, John Atkinson  |  Apr 04, 2017  |  First Published: Jul 01, 2014  |  2 comments
Before he left Stereophile for AudioQuest at the end of March 2014, Stephen Meijas asked Thinksound to send me the On1 closed-back heaphones. He thought I might like them.

Cool beans, Stephen. I do. These are among the nicest 'phones I've come across lately. List price is $299.99, but the street price—sometimes directly from Thinksound—is usually $249.99. You save an imaginary $50. That's $50 of your savings that you can share with me in Bitcoins.

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
Extraordinary DIY Electrostatic Headphones by Chinsettawong
Tyll Hertsens  |  Jun 19, 2014  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Headphone hobbyists are an ongoing source of amazement. A couple of years ago I spent a year measuring DIY headphones and the work was often very cool indeed. But this...I don't even know what to say.

Welcome to a couple of spectacular DIY electrostatic headphone builds by Chinsettawong!

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
The Scrumptious Oppo Digital PM-1 Planar Magnetic Headphone
Tyll Hertsens  |  Jun 13, 2014  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Oh boy. This one's going to be a tough one for me. I love the sound of the PM-1...heck I love almost everything about them. But they're not neutral, and many won't like them.

Oh well...here we go...

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
Practically Perfect in Every Way: The V-Moda XS
Tyll Hertsens  |  May 19, 2014  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Okay, okay, perfect is a bit strong, I've got a few little niggles with sound quality. But damn, you're getting a heck of a lot for $212 with these terrific headphones.

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
The Audeze LCD-X, Fazor, and a Fresh Listen to the Current LCD-2 and LCD-3
Tyll Hertsens  |  May 09, 2014  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

It's no secret I really like the Audeze LCD-3 and LCD-2. When they slotted the LCD-X between the two, I simply had to have a listen to these cans in context with the rest of the line. So I spent some time with the latest Audeze headphones...

...Yeah, rough job, someone's got to do it. :)

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
The Legend Continues: The Audio Technica ATH-M50x
Tyll Hertsens  |  Apr 25, 2014  |  0 comments
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!

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
A Sum Greater Than Its Parts: The Outstanding Phiaton Chord MS 530 Bluetooth, Noise-Canceling Headphone/Headset
Tyll Hertsens  |  Apr 19, 2014  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

I've never heard a Bluetooth, noise canceling, headphone/headset that sounds good---or even the same---in all modes...until now. This is a really cool, jack-of-all-trades, general purpose headphone/headset!

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Headphone ReviewsInnerFidelity
The Cool, Comfy, and Competent Shure SRH1540
Tyll Hertsens  |  Apr 11, 2014  |  0 comments
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

It took me a little while to warm up to these headphones, but once I did, I found myself very happy coddled in their comfort and spacious sound.

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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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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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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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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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