The first time I heard the Focal Utopia was at a hi-fi fair, where I realised that I was getting the best sound of the fair among all the super-expensive stereos. That’s how fantastic they sounded! As I became more familiar with them, on my own equipment and with my own music collection, I was …
We’ve said it time and again: If you want to really enjoy your expensive headphones, you need a proper headphone amplifier. Even if there is a 3.5 millimetre hole with the text ‘headphones’ on the side of the computer, mobile phone or, for that matter, the amplifier. Because all too often the electronics in the …
Australian Burson Audio has been known for its headphone amplifiers for about 10 years. Both with and without DAC built in. And where a few competing headphone amps might be skimping a bit (Questyle and Marantz, I’m looking at you!), Burson has never had that problem. We loved the first Soloist and also liked the …
When I tested the Tour Pro+, I was very excited, especially about the EQ settings. It was possible to adjust the frequency curve just enough to achieve the desired sound. The ease of use, on the other hand, is so similar on most good earplugs that it was difficult to distinguish the Tour Pro+ from …
The market for completely wireless earbuds has become very crowded, with a few standing out among a large crowd of mediocre ones. With its new top model TW-E7B, Yamaha wants to carve out a place for itself in the premium segment and has invested in large 10 mm drivers to reproduce the music with the …
Swedish company Ilicon specialises in replacing the ear tips on universal earbuds with their own 3D-printed silicone ear tips. The new tips are made after a moulding or 3D scan of the user’s own ears. This can be done at an audiologist – or directly at Ilicon in Jönköping, if you happen to be in …
It was in 2011 that I first listened to a pair of moulded earplugs from Ultimate Ears. It was the UE 18 Pro, the top model from the American manufacturer at the time. It was one of the craziest things I’d ever heard. New drivers The heir apparent UE 18 Pro+ has brand new drivers …
When I tested the Px7 S2, I had no doubt that this was a new favourite in the all-important premium class around €400. At that level, you’re up against giants like Sony and Bose, and while B&W may not be at the top of the noise reduction league, it has significantly better sound quality. And …
Google is first and foremost a software company, but in recent years they have made several even very successful hardware products. Most recently, the Google Pixel 7 phone series, the Pro model of which was awarded premium mobile phone of the year. But Google won’t settle for being in your pocket. The smallest member of …
No. 5909 is the name of Mark Levinson’s first ever headphones. As part of Harman Luxury Audio, they have put their name to what must be the most expensive noise-cancelling headphones on the market. And as hi-fi connoisseurs know, Mark Levinson is a brand that both excites and – not least – obligates. https://youtu.be/DKoUe7aI-FI 999 …
Until recently, the small tech start-up Nothing had just two products under their belt. The excellent Nothing Ear (1) wireless earbuds and the innovative Nothing phone (1) Android smartphone. Nothing’s stated goal is to make consumer electronics products exciting again. In a market that has become a bit boring, this is a noble intention. And …
It’s been five years since Focal launched its first wireless headphones, Listen Wireless. The price was affordable, by Focal standards, with a price tag of around €270. With good and potent sound, just a tad harsh. Active noise cancellation, on the other hand, was lacking. The Listen Wireless was a real addition to the headphone …
Thanks to more mass production-friendly methods and the fact that planar magnetics have some advantages over ordinary dynamic drivers, planar magnetic headphones are becoming more common in the slightly higher price ranges. But there aren’t many earbuds built with this principle. There are several reasons for this. The diaphragms are almost weightless foil layers of …
A good pair of headphones needs an amplifier to drive them. We’re not talking about low-cost headphones for a hundred Euros or so – they’ll probably do fine with the headphone output of your existing amp, and you might even get acceptable quality from the output of a laptop. But more expensive headphones deserve better. …
When I tested Sennheiser’s previous top-of-the-range earbuds, the IE 800 S, I was impressed by the well-defined and detailed sound. To my ears, they had only one noticeable weakness: dynamics. No matter how good an amplifier I plugged them into, they made a slightly anaemic impression – even at high volume. That was a bit …