InnerFidelity

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John Grandberg, Tyll Hertsens, ljokerl, Steve Guttenberg, Dinny FitzPatrick  |  May 04, 2013  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

It's extremely hard to compare custom IEMs. Few users have more than one pair, so direct personal comparisons are rare. They can't be measured by InnerFidelity because they don't fit in the measurement head's ears. What to do?

Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead! In this review 5 InnerFidelity writers, blessed with the generosity of manufacturers willing to put their ToTL CIEMs through the ringer do a massive comparative review of 24 of the worlds best custom in-ear monitors.

Epic!

Tyll Hertsens  |  Apr 17, 2013  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Sony gave these cans the model number 1. I've got to believe this was a "pull out all the stops" effort to make a flagship headphone for the brand. Or at least, one that would enter the fray and kick Beats butt.

Well, we'll see....

Tyll Hertsens  |  Mar 23, 2013  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

It's warm and fuzzy, with a big bottom and a lively top.

No, it's not my girlfriend silly, it's the new Philips Fidelio X1. And while it may not be a mate for life, it's sure fun to have for a little fling.

Tyll Hertsens  |  Mar 13, 2013  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Arguably the most important audiophile headphones of the last two decades, the Sennheiser HD 580/600/650 family of headphones have a history of being both revered and maligned by headphone enthusiasts. I must admit to falling in and out of love with them numerous times.

What a long, strange trip it's been.

Tyll Hertsens  |  Feb 02, 2013  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

The bad news is that there's been a bit of a manufacturing glitch with Focal's introduction of their first headphone: The Spirit One. The good news is they've stepped up to the plate and fixed it, and the cans perform quite nicely.

Wanna hear the whole story?

Tyll Hertsens  |  Dec 25, 2012  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

With just a few phone calls and emails, I've managed to get my hands on the amazing Stax SR-009 headphones, and some of the world's best electrostatic headphone amps and the gear to make use of them, and set them up my demo room for a week of comparative listening.

Quite the ear opening experience!

Tyll Hertsens  |  Dec 01, 2012  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

The surge of rapper and celebrity headphones over the past five years or so has been annoying in the extreme to me. All the glam and glitter has been an enormous distraction from what the actual purpose of a headphone should be: to sound good. We're not going to be able to go backwards though, the fashionistas have raised the bar and a big, black, plastic blob on your head isn't going to cut it anymore. I just wish some company out there would be mature enough to make a headphone with tastefully balanced sound and sophisticated good looks.

With its new Momentum headphone, Sennheiser, it seems to me, is the adult in the room.

Tyll Hertsens  |  Nov 13, 2012  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Steve Guttenberg and I have gone back and forth on whether measurements are useful to consumers, but we both agree that the measurements don't tell you whether it's a good headphone or a great one. The V-Moda M-100 doesn't measure great, but that sure as heck doesn't mean they don't sound great.

I'll untangle all those double negatives in the article.

Tyll Hertsens  |  Oct 31, 2012  | 
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.

Tyll Hertsens  |  Sep 29, 2012  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Logitech has recently stepped up it's game in the world of personal audio with an entirely new line of Logitech UE branded products. There's plenty of muscle there to do the job well, the question is: Can a mouse company apply it with the finesse needed to really produce well balanced audio products?

Fortunately, Ultimate Ears is in the mix, and it seems to me the mouse has some pretty good ears now.

Tyll Hertsens  |  Aug 10, 2012  | 
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.

Tyll Hertsens  |  Aug 01, 2012  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

So, a couple of guys get together, have a close look at planar magnetic headphone drivers, and come to the conclusion that they could build something much better than the vintage drivers available. It turns out good ... so good they reckon they should move forward to build world class headphones. Yeah ... right.

Yeah right, is right!

Tyll Hertsens  |  Jun 28, 2012  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Goodness gracious! I'm just blown away by the new B&W P3. It's absolutely gorgeous, ergonomics are stellar, and build quality unparalleled. It's really quite an accomplishment to make a headphone this small this beautiful.

I'm troubled by the sound, though.

Tyll Hertsens  |  Jun 22, 2012  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

With the recent spate of noise cancelers appearing from all corners, I thought I'd bring them together for a little workout in the lab. The Bose Quiet Comfort 15 has long been my favorite, but newcomers like PSB, Polk, and Klipsch are launching frontal attacks, so I think it's time for a re-evaluation.

Going in, I figured it would be hard to beat Bose. What's your guess?

Tyll Hertsens  |  May 24, 2012  | 
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

The Little Monster himself, Keven Lee (son of Head Monster Noel Lee), jumped out on his own to start a new low-cost headphone company: SOL Republic. Their first headphone, the Tracks is a bit of a mixed bag, but quite interesting nonetheless.

Let's have a look and listen...

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