The HiBy company has begun accepting pre-orders for the top-end digital player R8 II , which features many interesting technical solutions. The player’s chassis is made of high-grade stainless steel, and the back panel is covered with Alcantara, which ensures a reliable grip on the hand. The digital-to-analog conversion unit uses Darwin-MPA architecture , which includes a 16-channel DAC with current output. […] More
The Quad Artera Stereo power amplifier is fully balanced, although on the rear panel in addition to the XLR inputs there is also a pair of RCAs and an inconspicuous push-button input type selector. The path diverges across four boards (input, two terminations, a stabilizer with buffer capacitors of 2 x 10000 uF in each channel), […] More
Over the 130 years of its existence, Yamaha has become the world’s largest manufacturer of musical instruments and audio equipment. The Yamaha M-5000 amplifier embodies the spirit of time-honed craftsmanship, which, combined with market-leading innovation, makes it a model of high-fidelity audio reproduction. The Yamaha M-5000 uses a sophisticated, fully symmetrical design in which the left […] More
The reference tube power amplifier, Octave Jubilee Mono Ultimate, operates from 10 to 100,000 Hz and uses KT 170 tubes The Octave Jubilee Mono Ultimate achieves 225W of dynamic output power – the capabilities of large power transformers and proprietary circuitry extend far beyond traditional tube technology. The device body is assembled from 8 mm aluminum, […] More
Italian company Norma Audio has announced the development of a new discrete digital-to-analog converter, A-DAC , which will be used in the company’s digital sources. The DAC unit was designed and developed by engineer Enrico Rossi, in which he applied several original solutions that significantly improved the sound compared to traditional integrated chip designs. At the moment, it is […] More
After months of showing off at headphone shows, FiiO this week officially announced the R9 Android-based streaming DAC and headphone amplifier. The R9 takes the R7’s vertical form factor and takes it to a higher level with a glossy “all liquid metal bicolor” design, enveloping RGB lighting and a 6″ 1080p touch panel. FiiO told me via email this morning that the R9 […] More
The new OpenAudio OA111 in-ear headphones have a hybrid acoustic part that combines dynamic and reinforcement drivers. The low-frequency range is entrusted to a dynamic driver with a polymer diaphragm on a flexible suspension, mid-range and high frequencies are reproduced by a specially modified reinforcement driver. The headphone housings are made of transparent hypoallergenic synthetic resin, the outer […] More
Taiko Audio continues to add infrastructure to its reference server and streamer – next up is the Taiko Audio Extreme Switch network switch model . It costs “only” 4,800 euros – pennies by the standards of a High End company. Taiko Audio Extreme Switch comes in a luxurious copper casing and weighs 15 kg. The model is equipped with two […] More
SMSL has released a new desktop digital-to-analog converter with preamplifier function, SU -X . The DAC section of the model is built on a dual ES9039MSPRO chip from ESS Saber , which supports conversion of 32-bit/768 kHz PCM signals and native DSD512 stream . The device also provides full decoding and conversion of MQA files . To connect digital signal sources, there are coaxial and optical inputs, an AES/EBU input, […] More
OpenAudio has opened pre-orders for OA112 Danmachi Edition in -ear headphones , built on a hybrid principle. Each earphone has two types of emitters. The low-frequency range is reproduced by a dynamic driver with a polymer diaphragm on a flexible suspension, while the mid and high frequencies are assigned to two custom armature drivers. The earphone bodies are made of […] More
Noble Audio has released a new model of completely wireless headphones Falcon Max , which received a hybrid acoustic part. It uses two types of emitters – the low-frequency range is reproduced by a 10-mm dynamic driver , and the high frequencies are assigned to the xMEMS Cowell solid-state emitter from xMEMS Labs . Wireless communication in the model is provided by Bluetooth adapter version […] More
The highly anticipated Kann Ultra, the latest addition to Astell&Kern’s renowned line of Hi-Res players, is currently undergoing testing. This model marks the fifth iteration in the series, emphasizing maximum power within a compact body. Having previously reviewed the iconic debut Kann, as well as the more refined and equally captivating Kann Alpha, and the […] More
