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What's that old saying about the more you learn, the less you know? Boy, does that ever apply to the constantly changing world of audio. Changing technology (and physiology) constantly adjusts what best pleases our ears, as evidenced by a return to my review of the Audio-Technica ATH-A900x headphones four years ago with respect to... Read More »

"Be careful what you wish for" says the old proverb. Oh yeah. In this case, I am glad I did! When I reviewed the limited edition Grado Heritage Series Headphones in all maple last year, I commented on the lively sound of the maple wood and how cool it would be for Grado to experiment... Read More »

Incredibili Sine Compromissum   This is it. Think of Trader Joe's. The Hyundai Genesis. A Hamilton watch, Uniqlo clothing, a CAO cigar, the...well, you may begin to get the idea. Bear witness: this is the Alpha Design Labs STRATOS and it is the hidden value champion of USB DAC's. Long may it reign. God Knows... Read More »

With their headquarters based in sunny-side California, Ultimate Ears was initially founded in 1995 by Jerry and Mindy Harvey. The former of which has played such an influential role in the design of headphones that within just a few years of UE's induction, "The Rolling Stones", Enrique Iglesias, and Faith Hill were loyal customers. A... Read More »

One day while browsing at the local Fry's Electronics superstore I noticed the mindboggling variety facing headphone customers. An entire aisle display was stocked full of headphones of every size, shape, and color. How does a brand set itself apart for consumer dollars in such a populous market? Puro Sound Labs' answer is health and... Read More »

So the news got out early, and we goofed by not having the right day nor time to attend the Press Event at The Source AV in Torrance, but in the end everyone has either read somewhere that, yes Focal is now making headphones. Well they were already doing that, but the news is that... Read More »

Recently, there has been an emergence of innovation and unprecedented technologies which have overhauled the headphone and IEM industry from a stagnant industry to one which is exciting and rapidly ever-changing. Redefining standards within the audio industry is a hard feat to accomplish and so when a company finally does so, it signifies progression; a... Read More »

"There's always somethin'..." Howard Mercer I don't mean to bite off my friend and co-PF scribe Andy Schaubs' style by leading with a quote for this installment of Behind the Booths & Back, but given the fact that the quote came from my pops, it seemed fitting. His words danced around in my brain throughout... Read More »

A Personal Audio Odyssey  Dan Wrights ModWright Tryst headphone amp was stunningly musical & engaging. CanJam SoCal 2016 was a very special time for me, and it was a raging success for Head-Fi.org and the personal audio community. A good friend recently said on the phone, "Sounds like it couldn't have gone any better," he... Read More »

Audeze Nails It Yet Again As I sit on the back porch bobbin' my head to A Tribe Called Quest's "Lyrics To Go" off Midnight Marauders via TIDAL through Audeze's new Titanium EL-8 closed-back planars, I'm feelin' the music like I do when I'm using one of my usual portable systems. The sound is full-bodied, engagingly... Read More »

And now for something really different, with a set of reflections that are short, sweet, and right to the point. Last May I was approached by a company I was unfamiliar with, Blue Microphones, to evaluate their new powered headphone, the Mo-Fi. (Yes, I found that name to be interesting, as well. Wonder if the... Read More »

Admittedly, I am not a headphone enthusiast.  I have an old pair of open backed Grado SR 60s used occasionally for casual listening around the house. For music on the go I carry a pair of Klipsch S4i earbuds. Both pairs of headphones offer pleasingly smooth response and low coloration with a wide range of... Read More »

Audeze has come a long way from its first planar magnetic offering. The upstart company from the United States has steadily grown and offered what some would say to be the best headphones currently in the market place. Not wanting to stay on their laurels the guys from Audeze are back at it again; this... Read More »

Today, headphones are designed for DJs, hipsters, style mongers and those willing to spend $3k on high-end "Wearable Technology." The $399 Master & Dynamic MH 40 headphones stand in stark contrast to those business models. Not only are the MH 40s an example of a well conceived and smartly designed product that surpasses marketing hype,... Read More »

The Grado GH1 Headphones...the sound of Brooklyn-born Maple! "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and becomes not furniture, but headphones for music lovers around the world. This limited edition headphone is Grado's first time using American maple, a hard and musical sounding wood, for its new limited Heritage Series. This celebrates three generations of producing headphones,... Read More »

"You paid too much for that junk! Take off those fake Vanilla Ice headphones and put on a pair of the real deal!" That's what I'd like to shout when I see somebody sporting one of those garish, neon metallic McHeadphones. Granted, that's hardly polite or inclusive, and who am I to go Grandpa Simpson on... Read More »

The old proverb is false. You can teach an old dog new tricks! After 55 years as an audiophile, I finally have inner ear monitors (IEMs) that are not hearing aids! They are Ultimate Ears Reference Pro Monitors developed for studio recording and mastering use. They fit snugly in the ear just like a baby's... Read More »

I've never really been into headphones or personal listening, I usually enjoy an engaging experience with a normal 2 channel system where the dynamics are also felt as well as heard. That is one of the biggest things one gives up when going to headphones, as the sound is directed right at the ears rather... Read More »

In a year 2003, a not so widely known German company called Ultrasone launched the Edition 7 headphones. It was a limited edition of 999 units. That the company was little known is an overstatement so it would be safer to say that it was unknown in Poland and I had never heard of it.... Read More »