Headphonesty recently purchased a miniDSP EARS device to gather measured data from the headphones (and IEMs) we review. This article is intended to be a discussion of the EARS, and to provide an overview of what it is and what it does. It also serves to explain the decision to use the EARS device and to highlight its inherent strengths and weaknesses. A companion article presents the technical details, the physical setup, and the settings within the software that we will use at Headphonesty when measuring headphones....

The seven-member Korean boy band BTS saw their signed microphones fetch $83,200 at Julie’s Auctions this weekend, well surpassing the initial estimated bid price of at least $10,000. The seven autographed and personalized microphones marked BTS’ debut into the celebrity auction circuit. The microphones were used in the band’s ‘Love Yourself’ tour from 2017 to 2019. The bidding was part of a pre-Grammy Awards auction to raise funds for the Recording Academy’s charitable arm, MusiCares....

Great things come in fours: seasons, the Beatles, Quattro Formaggi pizza, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In the realm of Chi-Fi, besides the ubiquitous stalwarts like iBasso and FiiO, four fast-rising brands have stamped their mark in portable audio: Fearless, Moondrop, Tin HiFi, and BGVP. I’ve taken a look at the first three, and today I place the final infinity stone into the gauntlet, just in time for the apocalypse....

I normally listen to a Sony micro system and Mission bookshelf loudspeakers. Although the system does have a CD player, I tend to listen to the Chromecast Audio most of the time. I have to say that the Chromecast Audio is an excellent piece of kit and more than up to the task of primary listening. My intention is to replace the Sony with the Burson amp and connect the Chromecast Audio directly to the amp – using either my phone or voice control via my Google Home Mini to control the volume....

They keep them in flimsy cloth pouches or, even worse, just chuck them inside their pockets or bags. Occasionally, you will find carry case thrown in by the manufacturers along with the IEM. Some of these carry case are half-hearted at best, providing nothing but a false sense of security for your precious earbuds. How do I store and protect my earbuds / IEMs? Any decent carry case should at least respect these basic form factors:...

In this review, I’ll mainly give my impression, together with HD600 and HE-400i comparisons. The HE-500 is driven by the Audio-GD NFB-11.28. Build Quality & Comfort The packaging box feels premium. It comes with a Canare 3m black cable, pleather and velour pads (I didn’t use them since the seller had already put Focus-A pads), some manuals and SMC connector replacements parts. The headphones themselves feel not that bad. Sure, I’ve heard a lot about the old HiFiMAN’s quality control problems, but for the moment I don’t have an issue with them....

One of my favorite musical artists is Tim Hecker, who makes music that is huge and expansive, but also sort of crushingly oppressive, mechanical, glacial, grinding. He’s a good producer, so his music sounds good through many different kinds of headphones. But when I first listened to his album Ravedeath 1972 played through the Hifiman Sundara while standing in the mid-fi aisle at the famed E-earphone in Akihabara, I heard a kind of synergy between music and equipment that was entirely new to me....

Obsidian refers to the glassy texture of natural volcanic glass formed by quickly solidifying lava. Technically, Obsidian can have any chemical composition. This is likely for the best because the IKKO OH10 Obsidian IEMs have a whole lot of metal in their composition, but no actual Obsidian. Copper? Check. Titanium? Yup. Platinum? Of course! Obsidian? Errr… But what about the famed healing properties of Obsidian? All the mystic stuff aside, there may be something in there that pertains to the OH10....

A wise man once told me, “premium dongles are akin to organic vegetables – just another way of emptying your pocket with virtually the same product.” Now, I am clueless about the organic vegetable part as I rarely buy them (gotta save money for random audio gear, after all). But I have some idea about the premium dongle part, and I don’t completely disagree. Premium dongles tend to shoehorn themselves into a niche that’s neither here nor there....

The Thieaudio Legacy 2 features a 10mm beryllium dynamic driver and a Knowles ED29689 balanced armature driver. For the past few months in CHIFI, beryllium drivers have been all the rage, and many companies are riding on the beryllium hype train. Beryllium is light but has a high modulus of elasticity (a substance’s resistance to being deformed elastically). This potentially allows a beryllium driver to be low in weight, yet very rigid and strong....

Not since the days of Tintin, Rin Tin Tin or the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz have there been so much hoo-ha and hubbub over, well, tin. Tin HiFi is revered, and deservedly so, for making great inroads to the budget IEM arena, producing winners while maintaining their signature sound. This isn’t my first rodeo with them either, they left me dead chuffed with their planar offering P1....

So you go about your everyday routine with headphones on. But after a while, your ears start itching. You try to ignore it, but it just keeps getting worse. Soon, you give in and start scratching, only to feel something wet (and smelly) on your ears. Gross! You find yourself asking: Have I done this to myself? Can headphones cause ear infections? Your worry isn’t unfounded. You can be left wondering if you should avoid using headphones or earbuds entirely....

As music lovers or aspiring musicians, you may have noticed that, aside from technical lighting and amazing stage setups, another constant thing in live or online concerts is the earpiece every singer and musician seems to wear. “What are they for?” you may wonder. Surely they’re not just for show? Problem is, if you’re an aspiring singer or musician, you may think you won’t need to get your own earpiece for performances....

So you’ve finally discovered the right headphones that look and sound amazing. But there’s one caveat – they’re not exactly cheap. Naturally, you’re hoping to enjoy them for as long as possible, if only to get your money’s worth. But with your active lifestyle, you’re starting to wonder if these headphones will stand up to the rigors of everyday use. To complicate matters, the reviews have little to no information about their lifespan, and the product description is full of marketing jargon....

How to Choose the Best Hearing Protection Device Excessive noise exposure is a serious concern and is considered an occupational hazard. It causes physical and mental stress in many individuals. Aside from that, there’s also a higher risk of poor concentration and increased work-related accidents. A report filed in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) suggested that as many as 40 million adults suffer from NIHL in the United States alone....

Living next to a busy street can often feel dissatisfying. After a long day at work, you want to relax in the serenity of your home. However, the never-ending noise from pedestrians and car engines makes relaxing seem like a reach. Of course, you can always block out the noise with your earplugs, but you recently heard they can cause permanent ear damage. Now, you’re no longer comfortable using them....

Big Picture: EKSA targets gamers who are into intense strategic games with the EKSA E900, a headset promising in-depth sound clarity for your worldbuilding adventures. Key features: Realistic Sound Quality Aiming to transport you inside the game world, the EKSA E900 is equipped with upgraded 50mm drivers that aim to deliver detailed sound quality and a wide soundstage for spatial sound positioning. The enhanced low-frequency is also designed to make every explosion sound realistic and bring every battlefield to life....

Bluetooth interference can cause your wireless headphones to stutter, audio skip, and even disconnect entirely. This can be a pain when all you want to do is listen to some music or watch a movie. This problem becomes especially irritating when you’re doing something important, like dialing into a work call or getting some mid-commute studying in. It can really disrupt your productivity. That’s why, this article aims to save you from all that....

Using Galaxy Buds (and their variants) with Samsung devices gives you features like auto pairing and auto switch. But, these earbuds can connect with more than just Samsung devices. For one, you can use them with your Nintendo Switch! However, pairing Galaxy Buds with Nintendo Switch is not straightforward. You either have to go through an update but suffer some drawbacks like latencies, or buy a separate Bluetooth dongle. Either way, it’s best to understand both processes before choosing– so we’ll guide you through both of them....

I appreciate simplicity. I’d like to claim that I’m a simple man with simple tastes, but the abundance of high-tech gear surrounding me begs to differ. Yet, the more equipment I interact with, the more I appreciate things that ‘just work.’ Whether it be decision fatigue or simply being overwhelmed with options, I find myself drawn towards gear with a simple interface and streamlined approach. I recently reviewed the excellent SMSL SU-9 DAC, and it’s undeniably uber-flexible and feature-rich....