Audio Accessory ReviewsAudio Accessory Reviews
iRule Home Automation System Review - Controller Application
- Written by Chris Eberle
- Published on 03 December 2012
Ever since I built my first AV system, I have wanted a slick touch-screen remote to control it all. Let's face it; once you have more than just a TV in your media room, you need a way to integrate that pile of remotes into an...
Audio Technica ATH-ANC9 QuietPoint® Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
- Written by Nick St Denis
- Published on 19 November 2012
Audio Technica's ATH-ANC9 Over-the-Ear Headphones don't have an overly heavy duty look to them, which makes them unassuming and clean looking. But, of course, headphones are about functionality. Read our review to see how they functioned.
Paradigm SHIFT E3m In-Ear Headphones (Earbuds)
- Written by Robert Kozel
- Published on 30 August 2012
It was almost impossible to not notice the abundance of headphone products being shown at CES 2012 this past January. It seemed that everyone had a solution for enjoying personal audio devices from large, multi-colored over-the-ear and on-ear headphones to in-ear headphones and earbuds. Paradigm's contribution to this exploding market include the SHIFT E3m earbuds, reviewed here.
PSB M4U 2 Noise Cancelling Headphones
- Written by Stephen Hornbrook
- Published on 19 November 2012
PSB is one of the latest speaker companies - joining the likes of Focal, B&W, Velodyne, and Paradigm - to jump into the booming headphone arena. In this review, we take a close look at their M4U Over-the-Ear Headphones.
Sennheiser IE60 In Ear Headphones (Earbuds)
- Written by Dr. Chris Groppi
- Published on 28 August 2012
Sennheiser is a very well known name in the headphone game. My first good headphones, and the center of my first high end audio system, were the Sennheiser HD580s I had in college. The company has always been known for high quality over the ear headphone, but they also make In Ear Headphones, a.k.a., Earbuds, and that is what we review here, namely the Sennheiser's IE60.
NAD M51 Direct Digital DAC
- Written by John E. Johnson, Jr.
- Published on 10 October 2012
Most audio component manufacturers have a DAC in their product lineup, and NAD is no exception. However, the NAD M51 is unusual in that it takes the incoming digital PCM bitstream and converts it directly to a PWM bitstream, which is then fed directly to the output. The idea has been around for about a decade, but the technology for implementing it was not fast enough in those early days. Now, with modern technology and techniques, NAD has produced what they call a "Direct Digital DAC", where the digital signal does not go through digital to analog conversion in the normal sense, but converted to PWM at 844 kHz sampling, with 35 bit word length. As you will see with the bench tests, the results are quite amazing, and the price is very affordable.
HiFiMAN HE-6 Planar Headphones and EF-6 Headphone Amplifier
- Written by Stephen Hornbrook
- Published on 27 August 2012
After reviewing a true bargain in the planar magnetic headphone market, the excellent sounding and easily driven HiFiMAN HE-400, I moved onto their top of the line HiFiMAN HE-6, and also included the EF-6 Pure Class A headphone amplifier to drive the headphones.
HiFiMan HE-500 Over-the-Ear Planar Magnetic Headphones and EF-5 Headphone Amplifier
- Written by John E. Johnson, Jr.
- Published on 26 September 2012
HiFiMan is a relative newcomer (2006) to the audio product scene. Their specialty is headphones (including over-the-ear and earbuds) and headphone amplifiers. We have reviewed several of their headphones, with positive and enthusiastic findings. The HE-500, reviewed here, are over-the-ear headphones, meaning that they completely enclose the ears. This model also uses planar magnetic drivers, which unlike cone drivers, are flat, very thin plastic membranes, on which is attached a thin conductor. The membrane is near permanent magnets, and when the signal flows through the conductor, the opposing electromagnetic field on the conductive membrane is pushed away from or attracted to the permanent magnets, producing the sound.
Audeo PFE 232 Earphones
- Written by Jim Clements
- Published on 22 August 2012
Audeo was founded in 2008 as a subsidiary to the Swiss corporation, Phonak, which is the largest maker of hearing aid systems in the world. Audeo was formed with the simple goal of becoming the worldwide leader for high end in-ear monitors (IEM's) by 2016. Here is a review of their model PFE 232, which are classified as earbuds.
Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus
- Written by Stephen Hornbrook
- Published on 30 August 2012
Cambridge Audio has been in the audio business for quite some time and one of their more popular products in recent history, the DacMagic has undergone an update. The new DacMagic Plus improves upon the DacMagic by adding support for 24/192 sampling rates.
Focal Spirit One Over-the-Ear Headphones
- Written by Chris Heinonen
- Published on 20 August 2012
Many people now listen to their music through headphones. On their commute to work, at their desk, in the gym, or anywhere else, you're very likely to find people using headphones. As part of our headphone roundup, this review covers the Focal Spirit One Headphones, which are of the design that, generically, are called "Over the Ear", which means they completely cover the ear in a chamber, which may be sealed on the outside or open to the surroundings. The Focal Spirit One's are sealed.
