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The HEDDphone D1 is HEDD Audio’s first dynamic driver headphone. It’s an open-back design built for studio-grade neutrality and clarity. At launch, the D1 is priced at $799 (w/o tax), €699 (incl. VAT), and £599 (incl. VAT). The HEDDphone D1…
The Fosi i5 is a full-sized planar magnetic open-back headphone. It was launched on Kickstarter in the spring of 2025 and is now available through regular retailers at a price of around 550 USD / €470 before tax. As Fosi’s…
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro is a studio-grade headphone introduced in January 2024. It is equipped with a dynamic driver using a 38 mm diaphragm, a variant of Sennheiser’s Sys38 driver. The Sys38 is a family of driver variants, e.g.…
The Sivga Peng and FiiO FT1 are wooden closed-back headphones, each equipped with 50mm dynamic drivers. The Peng, which launched recently, is priced at $499, while the FT1 launched last year and is $149 (excluding tax) Despite the significant price…
The first LCD-2 was released in 2009 and the LCD-2 has since undergone multiple revisions, but Audeze never changed the name. These versions are often unofficially referred to as the LCD-2 Rev.1, LCD-2 Rev.2, LCD-2.1, LCD-2.2, LCD-2 Pre-Fazor, LCD-2 Fazor…
Noble Audio has nailed it with a perfectly tuned, technically capable wireless earphone that can genuinely compete with high-quality wired options. The Noble FoKus Rex5 stands out with its five-driver hybrid configuration—not only using five drivers but of three different…
The $199 FT1 PRO is FiiO’s second planar magnetic headphone, following the FT5. However, its name and price position it closer to the $149 wooden closed-back FT1, which has been extremely well received. I am one of those who have…
Priced at a modest 149 USD, the FiiO FT1 might initially seem like just another mid-fi option. But don’t let the price tag deceive you—this is an audiophile-grade headphone. The FT1 delivers such impressive sound quality and build craftsmanship that…
Headphones
This has been a difficult review to write because I really like what the Aiva 2 has to offer in terms of build, design, and sonic performance. However, I also experienced issues with not just one but two units of the Aiva 2. Even though I believe I managed to resolve the issues, it does complicate things. But first, let’s…
The Egret is the current flagship headphone of Sendy Audio, Sivga’s high-end sub-brand. It’s a planar magnetic full-size headphone that uses a 98 x 84 mm planar driver. The Egret is beautifully built, and the open-back wooden cups use black American walnut, which is known for its high density. MAIN TAKEAWAY As is typical for modern, especially high-end planars, the…
The JT7 is a foldable full size planar magnetic open-back headphone from FiiO’s sub-brand Jade, which is reserved for more affordable products. MAIN TAKEAWAY The JT7 is built around a proprietary 95 x 86 mm planar magnetic driver with an ultra-thin 3 µm diaphragm. Three microns equals 0.003 mm, making it approximately 15 to 30 times thinner than a human…
The Kiwi Ears Altruva is a low-cost full-size open-back headphone with a 50mm dynamic driver. The impedance is 32 ohms, and the sensitivity is 98 dB. It’s price is as low as 69 USD. MAIN TAKEAWAY Kiwi Ears is a Chinese brand that focused on in-ear monitors for the first few years but more recently started producing full-size headphones. I…
The JT3 is an open-back headphone built around a large 50 mm dynamic driver. It promises “robust bass and a relaxed sound,” which is actually pretty spot on. MAIN TAKEAWAY Jade Audio is a sub-brand operated by FiiO. While the parent brand targets audiophiles, Jade Audio focuses on delivering products with a very high value-to-cost ratio to a broader spectrum…
The Sivga Luan is an open-back dynamic driver headphone with wooden ear cups and large, soft earpads. It was launched in mid 2023 and is priced at around 299 USD. It uses a 50 mm dynamic driver developed and made by Sivga. The driver features a diaphragm made from a macromolecular organic carbon fiber composite, a copper-clad aluminum voice coil,…
IEMs
Headphone amplifiers
The Mytek Liberty Headphone Amplifier is a compact yet powerful device, delivering clean sound with a wide range of input and…
The Gemini hybrid headphone amplifier is designed around a tube-based input stage and an op-amp-based output stage. In this review, the…
The Focal Utopia is one of the best headphones in the world. Naturally, it deserves a good source and a serious…
This is not a review but a guide to the Violectric legacy products and their current lineup. I have so far…
THE GAME CHANGER Violectric V200 is a long-standing reference amp for many, including myself. It is now discontinued. Its successor V202…
This is a group test of the headphone performance as a standalone DAC/amp of the SPL Phonitor xe with the DAC768,…
More Posts
The Ziigaat Horizon is a tribrid in-ear monitor with five drivers: one dynamic driver for the bass, two balanced armatures for the midrange, and two planar magnetic drivers for the…
This is a comparison between two of Kiwi Ears’ most expensive offerings. Only the original Orchestra (Mk1 – 499 USD) is priced higher than the Orchestra II (349 USD) and…
The Punch is a tribrid in-ear monitor (IEM) from Kiwi Ears, tuned in cooperation with HBB. It’s normally priced at around 449 USD. It employs a 10 mm dynamic driver…
The Thieaudio Hype 4 is a premium in-ear monitor (IEM) priced at 399 USD. The Hype 4 is positioned in the middle of Thieaudio’s Hype series. It is a hybrid…
Ziigaat Horizon is a tribrid IEM. This means there are three driver types combined. The Horizon has five drivers in total. There’s a dynamic driver for the bass, 2 balanced…
This is a short comparison between the FiiO FT1 and a slightly modified version of the FT13. The modification is extremely simple, fully reversible, and very effective. I like to…