Last week my iPhone SE came in. And though she ordered it late, so did my wife’s iPhone 7. While the SE is gloriously understated, and wieldy, the 7 is a return to what I consider Apple’s most horrific modern design. Its largest makeover is the removal of a headphone jack. Next is the smoothing out of its camera hump, a consequence of which is that iPhone 6-compatible cases half cover up the iPhone 7’s camera and flash superstructure.
Read moreRMAA: Apple's Lightning to 3,5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter 24-bit
Purchased separately to the iPhone 7, this adapter costs 9$ USD. It hisses less than an Astell&Kern AK70 and outputs a stabler signal under load than both the AK70 and an iPhone 6. It sustains quality signals under load better than many DAPs and most iPhones I’ve tested in many years, all while spitting output voltage similar near the level of an iPhone 6.
Read moreRMAA: Cozoy REI 24-bit
Considering Astrapi’s abortive attempt at audiophilia, I expected little of REI. Instead, COZOY have corrected every one of Astrapi’s egregious faults. They are: REI outputs no more hiss than an iPhone 6; its lowest volume levels jive with sensitive-eared listeners; it outperforms the iPhone 6 in a number of key metrics; it gets loud without turning its signal to mush.
Read moreRMAA: Astell&Kern XB10 24-bit
At the top of every every audiophile’s wish list should be the democratisation of headphone output performance. Think Chord Mojo, Theorem 720, ALO Continental. For good reason - hiss, poor output impedance, connection problems, and general shyte performance - Bluetooth DAC/amps rarely make the cut.
Read moreRMAA: Astell&Kern AK70 24-bit
Marketing copy worthy of blooper reels is one of Astell&Kern’s fortes. And, Music Friend In My Pocket, AK70, is the cringingly, suggestively ugly even by AK standards. Bravo. Despite, this, the AK70 itself is handsome. Sure, its Korean edges will draw blood. But it is shorter than an iPhone 5 and not much larger than an original AK120. Get a case for it. It will fit in your pocket.
Read moreRMAA: Audient iD4 24-bit
Adjusting input levels, and volume is easy breezy thanks to fine-tuned DAW and plug-in controls. Its headphone amp being poorly suited to low-resistance earphones, returning anomalies in frequency response, THD, IMD, and stereo crosstalk. Most of the anomalies smooth out by the time portable or monitoring headphones are plugged in. And, iD4 spits perfectly matched volume into both channels at all volume levels, not to mention trace amounts of background noise. I’ve yet to go deep into its microphone amps, but after digitising test signals from Mojo, I am relatively convinced of its recording fidelity - considering its price, and ostensible market. Stereo crosstalk numbers aside, that is.
Read moreRMAA: Aune X7s 24-bit
User-adjustable gain, XLR output, phase splitter, TRS 6,3mm jack, pre-amp: what more could you want in an all-in-one desktop headphone amp? A practical answer to this is lower noise. But as this amp isn't marketed at the portable audiophile, it is probably fair to shelve that desire.
Read moreRMAA: Arcam MusicBOOST 24-bit
RMAA: The Bit Audio Opus#1 24-bit
Disclaimer: I purchased the The Bit Audio Opus#1 at a significant discount for the purposes of the review I published at Headfonia. This DAP goes for 650$ to 750$ USD. You can find out all about it here: High Definition & High-Resolution Audio Player.
Read moreRMAA: MST Audio Chord Mojo-Kai (balanced) 24-bit
Every project Ryuzoh has been involved in exhibits a basic character set: stability, performance, and with the notable exceptions of his mods, ugly mugs. FiQuest wasn’t pretty. Neither was the Cio MB DAC. Come to think of it, the AK240’s harsh angles are fit only for press photography; and Mojo… God, what a horrible, alien design. Of course, neither Mojo’s nor the AK240’s ugliness are Ryuzoh’s fault.
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