It’s in and out time, folks, and the Astrotec AX-60 is on the menu. This delightful bit of aluminium and rubber is garnished with three drivers, one dynamic, and two balanced armatures. It comes recommended for the customer who enjoys a mature listen, who invests in the long run. Who isn’t Astrotec’s current customer.
Read moreThe Headphone List's 2013 Holiday Earphone Buyer's Guide - the Best Earphones Under 50$
Well-recommended reading from two of the top earphone reviewers in the business, ljokerl, and average joe. Benchmarks include: sound quality, noise isolation, durability, small ears, and sports.
The Headphone List is bursting with helpful information and comprehensive reviews. It gets full ohmage marks from Ω image.
2013 ohmage portable audio
Portable audio users like a cancer grow. Ho ho ho. And in the stockings of good boy and girl audiophiles go Santa's greatest gadgets. Ho ho ho. 2013 has seen some impressive gadgets- it may, in fact, be the year most impressive year among the last few (cue DJ Tiësto's In My Memory).
I'll keep things simple though: one earphone, one amp, one DAC, one portable player.
1. Earphone of the Year: Earsonics SM64
ohmage: sound, fit, sensitivity/impedance
porridge: cable, finish quality
Price: 399$ USD
Reviews: ohm image, the headphone list
1,5. Earphone of the Year II: RHA MHA350
ohmage: sound, price,
porridge: cable, fit
Price: 39$
Reviews: ohm image, Lachlan Likes a Thing
2. Portable amp of the Year: Tralucent T1
ohmage: sound, driving cleanliness, resolution
porridge: LED brightness, gain too high
Price: 259$ USD
Reviews: TouchMyApps, In Ear Matters
3. Portable DAC of the Year: Cypher Labs Theorem 720 DAC
ohmage: sound, driving power, highest resolution in class, connectivity
porridge: volume pot, background noise
Price: 679$ USD
4. Portable player of the Year: Fiio X3
ohmage: sound, driving power, resolution
porridge: interface, playback issues, build quality
Price: 200$ - 300$ USD
Reviews: ohm image, Headfonics, Headfonia
free studio master songs from Linn Records for Christmas season
If you are like me, Christmas means lots and lots of Handel. Starting 1 December, Linn Records will be giving away a different song every day from their musical coffers. The first to go is none other than Handel's Chorus: And the Glory of the Lord from Messiah (Dublin Version, 1742), performed by Dunedin Consort and conducted by John Butt.
The Dunedin/Butt collaboration has heaped up praise from music critics and enthusiasts alike.
More information available at Linn's Messiah - Chorus: And the Glory of the Lord webpage.
differences between studio monitor and DJ headphones
Audio Technica's EU site explains things in short, sweet terms.
The New York Times touts audiophilese in Sennheiser Momentum review
“As with the Sennheisers, the bass is pumped up more than you will find on colorless audiophile headphones. And they do reasonably well on a variety of music, although the sound is a little muddy on intricate orchestral pieces, like those in opera and on movie soundtracks.”
Muddy, intricate, pumped up, colorless: the NYT's got all its bases covered in this compact review that proves again that headphones are audio's new face. By the way, these things rock. I got a few minutes with them whilst shooting the 2014 edition of Mac Audio and I didn't want to put them down. Comfortable, light, tough, and fun- everything a headphone should be.
Thanks for the heads-up, @SennheiserUSA.
Astrotech AX60 IEM Headfi reviews
Headfi's got a leg up on the English-speaking world with a couple of concise reviews of Astrotec's hybrid dynamic/balanced armature AX60 earphone. Ω is preparing one, too, but don't expect it before next week.
UPDATE: Ω's review of the Astrotec AX-60 is out.
Bass heads should be happy. White Lotus sure is:
Curse you, Astrotec. Curse you for making this product. I am a self-admitted basshead, and these things are an absolute dream. I have loved the Westone 3 for years now, and in the bass department, the AX60 dynamic driver dances rings around the W3. It's not just the sheer visceral impact that you notice, it's the deep-reaching sub-bass that people so often mistake for “bass decay”. It's great to hear it in an IEM. My tests indicate that the volume of the mid-bass is only slightly higher than the sub-bass. To me, that is INCREDIBLE. How is this even possible in an IEM? I found myself reaching time and time again for my “guilty pleasure” bass-heavy music, and just letting it wash through my skull.
If you're not keen to read for more than three minutes, Loquah has a conciser, lighter write-up. His full review can be found here.
The consensus seems to be that these are a "great value for someone looking for an IEM with awesome bass". Generally I don't buy earphones I review, but I have been impressed enough by the AX60 that I bought them. If you're keen on them, check out Noisy Motel.
Cypher Labs Copper Theorem 720 DAC Giveaway
If you're dying for a chance to listen to the awesome Theorem 720 DAC, Cypher Labs are putting on a giveaway of their top products this month, the grand prize being a special copper edition of the 720 that has been signed by its creator, David Maudlin. Even if you don't pick up either 720, the equally awesome AlgoRhythm Solo -DB and Solo -R are up for grabs.
Winners are picked randomly.
1 Grand Prize random winner will be the proud owner of one of a kind special edition copper Theorem 720 DAC
along with some Cypher Labs swag signed by David personally.
1st random pick wins a Theorem 720 DAC
2nd random pick wins an AlgoRhythm Solo -dB
3rd random pick wins the AlgoRhythm Solo -R
4th – 10th random picks will get awesome Cypher Labs swag (hats, shirts, wrist wraps, and much more …)
*Names will be randomly picked.
Contest details and entry at Cypher Labs' FACEBOOK page.
ohmage to the Cypher Labs Theorem 720 DAC
Cypher Labs’ Theorem 720 is the Sony A7/r of portable amp/DACs. It’s for the dude and dudet that want the best sound on the go, but don’t necessarily want to shove a mains-level battery, a separate DAC and a desktop amp into their p/murses. In fact, if you’re in cargos, Theorem 720 will fit in your pockets along with your iDevice/Android portable source of choice. It just so happens to work nicely with your computer, too. Possibly its biggest asset is its big-arse battery that needs charging about twice a week even during that everyday-multiple-times post-purchase honeymoon phase.
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ohmage to the RHA MA350
The moment I tore open the MA350’s packaging, an upside down smile cracked across my clock. I may have even groaned something like, “you’ve got to be kidding!”. This was not the cardboard of 79$ earphone. And, the unassuming aluminium earphone said 40$ more than it ever said 80$. I spent the next ten minutes slapping myself silly, however, because after popping the MA350 into my ears, my impressions changed. Ahh, that’s why they can sell this phone in such a cheap box. Such midrange clarity actually had me convinced the 350 wasn’t a 79$ earphone at all.
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