Padmate is an audio brand with plenty of experience and resources backing it. It has successfully used crowdfunding for its TWS products, and we now get to examine the PaMu Z1 aiming to offer a good balance of aesthetics, technology, and sound signature at an affordable price.
FiiO partnered with Crinacle for a re-tuned version of the popular FH3 triple-driver hybrid IEMs. The FiiO x Crinacle FHE:Eclipse is a bass-emphasized set with better in-ear resonance compensation, extended treble response, and the goal to be a fun, energetic set with a niche separate from balanced IEMs in the sub-$200 market segment.
Tronsmart aims to one-up the true wireless world with its Apollo Air+ earbuds that use a large 10 mm dynamic driver. It is paired with a premium Qualcomm QCC3046 chipset supporting Bluetooth 5.2, aptX adaptive, and hybrid noise cancelation.
DUNU unleashes its improved ECLIPSƎ dynamic driver platform with the new ZEN PRO using an all-metal dome paired with >1.8 T flux magnets for a punchy and satisfying bass response. It also boasts better treble extension and a more balanced tuning than its predecessor, and comes with a cable you need to see to believe!
MOONDROP aims to continue its excellent 2021 run with its new entry to the TWS market—the MOONDROP Sparks. Priced at under $100 and available in three different colors/designs, let's find out if the company's VDSF tuning works well here, too.
Peacock Audio holds true to the name with its latest hand-painted and colorful set of true wireless earphones called the Peacock Flight. Currently on discount for Kickstarter backers, it is available in five bold colors and emphasizes portability courtesy its small yet feature-rich case and design.
The ASUS ROG Cetra II Core is a $90 in-ear gaming headset equipped with an in-line remote control with a built-in microphone, and am impressive bundle of supplied accessories. If you're a true bass head, this is a product you must consider.
Technics is a long-established audio brand under Panasonic, famous for lots of old-school tech, including record players and passive speakers. Today, we examine how competitive it is in the new norm of TWS earphones, with its current flagship AZ70 promising hybrid noise cancellation, large 10 mm graphene-coated drivers, and audiophile tuning.
7Hz is no new kid on the block, but with the new Timeless, it has certainly carved out a space in the competitive IEM market. Having organically grown as a strong recommendation, the 7Hz Timeless is a very well-tuned set using 14 mm planar magnetic drivers, and it punches well above its price point.
SeeAudio recently took the global step with its IEMs and impressed with the tuning and value for money. Today, we examine its latest, the Bravery with four balanced armature drivers looking to buck the negative expectations from an all-BA set of IEMs, and some high-end accessories have been thrown in, too.
The HIFIMAN Arya gets a stealth magnet revision, which makes this premium set of headphones more efficient to drive off amplifiers. We examine its tuning and technical performance, gauge its synergy with different music genres, and pair it with the Apos Flow replacement cable.
TinHiFi is back, and this time with a new entry to its popular T2 "Tank" lineup. The new T2 Evo goes back to a machined aluminium body of good build quality and lots of nice accessories for the price, but has a tuning that is hit or miss depending on your specific music taste.
Ovidius, another new brand out of China, has already distinguished itself through a unique combination of function and form. We examine the RX-100 (Qin Armour) IEMs that look like a piece cut out of the Terracotta warrior sculptures, shaped to be the most comfortable IEMs I have ever used. Tuning is quite good too, so these are well worth reading more about!
Shanling has an interesting product in the BA1 desktop Bluetooth receiver. It uses hardware seen in smaller, more portable form factors, but markets it more as a way to add Bluetooth connectivity to desktop audio hardware. There is also a feature-rich 1st-party app which enhances the user experience.
MOONDROP is an audio brand that has built up a reputation of good-value, nicely tuned IEMs at various price points. We put the recently released MOONDROP Aria (2021) through its paces and verify whether the bold marketing claims for its single LCP dynamic driver tuning hold true in the sub-$100 market.
Meze Audio is a Romanian brand famous worldwide for a harmonious combination of design, build quality, comfort-in-use, and tuning. Today, we examine its budget-friendly 99 Neo, which is a closed-back set of headphones that is bass-emphasized.
The Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX is a success story unlike any other from Drop, having sold in excess of 135,000 units in 4+ years. We find out if there is still room for the HD 6XX and, by extension, the Sennheiser HD 650 in 2021, both as a reference set of headphones and purely for music and general purpose listening.
HIFIMAN's new TWS800 is a true wireless set of earphones that has more in common with IEMs and some high-fidelity headphones than other TWS devices. Featuring a 150 Ω driver and dedicated amplifier module inside each earbud, this is a review you need to see to believe and appreciate!
The Drop + Sennheiser PC38X is the best analog gaming headset we tested to date. It sounds astonishingly good, has a very good microphone, and is exceptionally comfortable to wear. Although it comes with a $169 price tag, it's worth every penny.
The SteelSeries Arctis 3 Bluetooth is a versatile gaming headset. Adding Bluetooth to the regular 3.5-mm analog connectivity, it can be used for Discord and other VoIP apps regardless of the platform you're gaming on. You can hold phone calls without interrupting the gameplay, too!
Campfire Audio shows how accuracy and a neutral frequency response can still be fun with the new Holocene in-ear monitors. It uses a similarly colorful and eco-friendly design for the case as for the Mammoth released alongside, but adopts a more reference-like tuning that is executed well too.
Our first review from MOONDROP is the all-new KATO in-ear monitors. It debuts a new ultra-low distortion dynamic driver setup built on the KXXS as the base, and we examine it with the Kinera Leyding upgrade cable that offers modular plug connectivity options.
Campfire Audio opens up a can of fun with the new Mammoth in-ear monitors. It's bold, it's brash, and it won't apologize for it! With a hybrid driver setup utilizing some custom drivers that aim to provide an energetic W-shaped tuning, we test its technical prowess objectively and subjectively today.
Audeze has updated its popular LCD-X and LCD-XC reference headphones. Today, we examine the LCD-XC closed-back headphones to see how well it meets studio monitoring and general consumer needs. We also pair the LCD-XC (2021) with Embody's Immerse Virtual Studio plug-in for more personalized audio presets.
DUNU brings its patented ECLIPSƎ driver to a more affordable price point with the all-new FALCON PRO. It uses a highly tuned and customized single dynamic driver to generate a satisfying sound signature and ups the ante for in-the-box accessories by including four types of ear tips, a nice case, and a premium modular connector cable!