I had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of two particular headphones for review in our office. Then, last month, I received an intriguing invitation from Focal’s distributor, Onkyo, to visit the MUSEND headphone store in Taipei’s Ximending district. The purpose? A listening session for the closed-back Azurys headphones. While I’ve attended numerous headphone events before,…
While condenser microphones often steal the spotlight in discussions about high-quality audio recording, there’s a wealth of excellent dynamic microphones on the market capable of delivering equally impressive results. Dynamic mics offer distinct advantages: they’re straightforward to connect, intuitive to use, and significantly more affordable than their condenser counterparts for similar applications. Choose the right…
Historically, true wireless earbuds were often seen as products prioritizing convenience, with acoustic design taking a backseat compared to over-ear headphones. However, the Pi8 and Pi6 are different. It’s said that to overcome the inherent size limitations of in-ear monitors and achieve a more expansive soundstage, B&W specifically enlisted the design teams behind their acclaimed…
It’s clear that whether you’re listening to CDs, Hi-Res audio files, or streaming platforms, the most dedicated audiophiles recognize the necessity of isolating the DAC from the source component. This is why, despite the rapid evolution of audio technology, the “pure DAC” remains a timeless product category. Even with current digital-to-analog conversion technology being quite…
The Z95A series includes the 55-inch TV-55Z95AGT reviewed here and the 65-inch model, the TV-65Z95AGT. The primary difference between them, aside from size, is the built-in front speaker array, where the 65-inch model has 10 Watts more power than the 55-inch. All other features and performance aspects are virtually identical. For brevity, I will refer…
Moon is a Canadian audio manufacturer based in Quebec. I had the opportunity to visit Moon twice, in 2010 and 2013. Their factory spans over 41,000 square feet. For a high-end audio company, Moon’s facility is genuinely large. Beyond its size, their level of self-sufficiency is remarkably high; almost everything they can manufacture themselves is…
Before delving into the Coltrane Quintet SE, let’s take a brief look back at Marten’s history. Founded in Sweden in 1998 by Leif Mårten Olofsson, the Olofsson family has long-standing ties to music. His grandfather, Josef Olofsson, was a violin maker aspiring to craft instruments like those of Stradivari, while his maternal grandfather was a…
When it comes to the principles of CD playback, achieving great sound primarily boils down to three key elements: the disc transport mechanism, the reading architecture, and the digital output circuitry. If these aspects are well-designed and high-quality components are used, you can largely achieve a satisfactory sound-to-price ratio. Streaming playback, however, is a different…
There are few things more frustrating in the world of home entertainment than investing time and money into a high-fidelity audio system, only to sit down, press play, and hear a persistent, low-frequency drone. That annoying “buzzzzz” or “hummmmm” that persists even when the music is paused can ruin the immersive experience of a movie…
There is a specific kind of magic that occurs when modern home theater technology works exactly as intended. You pick up a single remote, press the power button, and watch as your television, soundbar, and streaming device all spring to life in a synchronized dance. The TV audio automatically routes to the soundbar, the volume…
There is a specific kind of anticipation that comes with upgrading your computer audio setup. You unbox a sleek, new USB Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC), imagining the pristine, high-fidelity sound that is about to replace the muddy audio from your laptop’s headphone jack. You plug it in, put on your headphones, press play, and… silence. Or…
We live in an era where our audio equipment is evolving constantly. Gone are the days when a speaker was simply a wooden box with a magnet and a cone. Today, modern HiFi speakers, soundbars, and network players are sophisticated computers dedicated to audio reproduction. They rely on complex software to manage connectivity, digital signal…
There is nothing quite as frustrating as settling into your favorite listening chair, pressing play on a high-fidelity track, and being greeted by silence or, perhaps worse, a song that skips and stutters like a scratched CD. In the digital age, we have traded physical scratches for network congestion. As high-resolution audio streaming services like…
We have all been there. You plug your phone into your car stereo, or your headphones into your laptop, and are greeted not by your favorite song, but by a deafening static crackle. Maybe the vocals sound distant, or perhaps the sound only comes out of the left speaker unless you twist the cable into…
In today’s market, the hottest audio product is undeniably the Bluetooth earphone or headphone. Whether you’re an audiophile or just someone who enjoys music, it seems everyone has a pair, allowing them to immerse themselves in their personal music world anytime, anywhere. As Bluetooth technology has evolved to version 5.0 and beyond, the issues…
This year, renowned Austrian headphone manufacturer AKG unveiled its brand-new N5 true wireless earbuds. Besides standard Bluetooth connectivity, the standout feature is the inclusion of a miniature USB Type-C Dongle wireless receiver. This small USB-C connector, when plugged into a phone or laptop, transmits audio wirelessly to the earbuds using a 2.4GHz frequency. Connectivity Options…
Kali Audio, a brand less frequently featured on this site in the past, was established in Burbank, California, in 2018. The company specializes in producing studio monitor speakers. Located in a renowned music creation hub, with close proximity to Hollywood studios and numerous professional recording facilities, Kali Audio benefits greatly from this strategic location, enabling…
We have all been there: you are standing in your kitchen, hands covered in flour, and you need to set a timer. You call out to your smart speaker, “Hey, set a timer for ten minutes.” Silence. You try again, louder this time. Still nothing. By the third attempt, you are shouting at a plastic…