More to come…
Review: Cayin's YB04 in two minutes or less
Cayin’s YB04 sports 4 drivers per side, two from Sonion, and 2 from Knowles. It has one of the nicest laid out boxes I’ve seen, a great accessory set, and super comfy ear pieces. It goes for 499$ USD. You can find out all about it here: Cayin YB04 - Discover the Extraordinary .
Read moreohmage to the Hidizs MS1-Rainbow
Disclaimer: Hidizs sent MS1-Rainbow to me for the purposes this review. It goes for 55$ USD. Inside is a 10,2mm dynamic driver. To find out more, hit up Hidizs’s MS-1 Rainbow page.
You already know what I think of the MS-1 Mermaid. Heck, you may remember my opinion of Hidizs’s AP100 DAP- and subsequently may understand why I don’t recommend pitting them together. If you can’t put two and two together, it is because the AP100 hisses way more than the MS-1 likes. Seriously, it basically blows it up. Incidentally, hiss is the main reason I don’t plug recent Hidizs earphones into my favourite Minidisc players and recorders, not to mention a number of DAPs out there.
Read moreohmage to the Sony WF-1000XM3
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Sony. I also no longer have the 230 buckeroos or so that went toward the WF1000XM3. Amazon and Sony got them. The WF1000XM3 houses a single 6mm dynamic driver per channel, a pretty advanced noise cancelling engine, and a quality wireless signal. Want to know more? Hit up Sony, here: WF-1000XM3 - Only Music, Nothing Else.
The WF1000XM3 is about as pretty as a car crash. And like a good country collision you’ll find half a bike helmet across its grill. The other half dredges up fuzzy memories of of jawbone BT units from the early 2000s. By the way, back in the jawbone days, a mate of mine hot got hit by a douche jabbering into one behind the wheel. Half a helmet indeed.
Read moreohmage to the BGVP DMS
Not so subtle BGVP branding.
To me, the DM7 defined what BGVP (BigVip) can do. But the DMS, both cheaper and cooler looking than its brothers, is my current BigVip favourite. I like its lines, its slim cable, its slim plug, its awesome metalwork, and more. I like it so much that I’m questioning my support for a few key Chi-Fi earphones out there.
Read moreohmage to the BGVP DM7
Too sensitive for MD players
BGVP’s DM6 was lotsa good, but not full of everything that Nathan Wright craved. The sort of thing Nathan Wright craved was spacier, had a brighter upper mid range, and bristled with gobs of stereo detail in every frequency band.
What Nathan craved was the DM7. It is fortuitous that, thanks to Begin Audio, he got ahold of one mere weeks after reviewing the DM6. If you want to see my longer-form review, check it out at Headfonics.
Read moreohmage to the Yinyoo D2B4
I knew nothing about Yinyoo before the D2B4 arrived on my doorstep. Yinyoo are fine Chi-Fi fare. The D2B4’s been in my studio for a month or more and in my ears for a little less than that. It is made well, and it sounds damn good.
Relevant links:
OHMAGE TO THE HIDIZS MS1 AND MS4
OHMAGE TO THE CAMPFIRE AUDIO ATLAS
ohmage to the Hidizs MS1 and MS4
In 2014 the AP100 DAP introduced me to Hidizs. The AP100 was a fascinating DAP. It boasted an antiquated, yet blazingly-fast GUI, robust build, and a nice, warm sound signature. Unfortunately it hissed. A lot.
Today’s Hidizs subject, Mermaid MS1 and MS4, are sensitive earphones and would have magnified every audible flaw in the AP100. Attached to the right source, they are brilliant-sounding earphones. Each is built around a proprietary 10,3mm dynamic driver, which powers the MS1 all on its lonesome. To it, the MS4 adds three balanced armature drivers to round out the highs and mids.
Read moreohmage to the Campfire Audio Atlas
Campfire Audio’s new line of earphones meets or surpasses industry leaders in CNC machining and accessory quality. But quality - of build and brand - has always been the core of Campfire Audio. Since Andromeda, high-frequency texture and reach has mediated Campfire Audio’s otherwise warm and robust house sound. Atlas, which punches fast and hard like no Campfire before it, and which crowns the V-shape signature with a mature top, is, in some respects, something of an anti-Andromeda.
Relevant links:
Campfire Audio Andromeda - Excitement engine
ohmage to the Campfire Audio Comet
ohm air #26 OHM AIR Campfire Audio Andromeda
Eyes on Jupiter - Campfire Audio’s case for patience
The Campfire Audio Lyra
Campfire Audio Andromeda - Topping the maker game
Campfire Audio Jupiter pre-production report
ohmage to the Campfire Audio Comet
Disclaimer: I received Comet directly from Campfire Audio in Tokyo. I paid nothing for it nor have I been prompted to return it. It goes for 199$. Hit up Campfire Audio for more about it.
No earphone as small shines as much. No earphone as small is tough like it. Comet nails build, nails branding, nails budget, and nearly nails fit. It’s a 199$ USD earphone, that, after doing the maths (Atari Jaguar style), feels and works like something much, much more expensive.
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