THE REVIEWS
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BAKOON AMP-13R REVIEW
The Bakoon AMP-13R is much like a great leader or coach or a superstar athlete in that its inclusion with any combination of capable components will lift all boats to levels that they may not have experienced, previously. Please don’t take my word for it, seek out the Bakoon AMP-13R and discover this for yourself. The truth in this case will be in the listening and the subsequent lifting of all boats/components in your respective, head-fi systems. Finally, the Bakoon AMP-13R performed flawlessly over the course of its entire stay!
ASTELL&KERN SR25 REVIEW
The Astell&Kern SR25 provides superb transparency, musical engagement, exceptional bass and treble extension, and 21 hours of playback! It is genre agnostic and it will scale beautifully with higher priced IEMs. The SR25 does this in a small, avant-garde form, for a fraction of the price of a number of top of the line DAPs.
FIIO Q3 REVIEW
The FiiO Q3 ($149) represents the second product of a similar voice from FiiO and it is equally impressive in form factor, aesthetic, and technical abilities. But, how does it sound? Yes, there is a family resemblance in the voices of these two products—an IEM and a DAC/Amp—in terms of musicality, transparency, engagement. And value per dollar spent continues to be truly impressive. But, really how does it sound?
IBASSO DX220/AMP1 MK II REVIEW
We were initially going to review only the iBASSO DX220 as aligned to the AMP9—a tubed module wherein there was great consensus that it would fall within our “sound niche.” But then we took a cursory listen to the iBASSO DX220 with the prix fixe AMP1 Mk II card with several headphones/IEMs, well, ‘it was on!’
IFI PRO IDSD HEADPHONE AMP/DAC/STREAMER REVIEW
The time spent with the Pro iDSD was time well spent, in that it offered, as listed above, a plethora of options, wonderful musicality and quite good transparency across all of its options, and it played well with many partners ranging from headphones (dynamic, planar) to In-Ear-Monitors (IEMs) all of which it drove beautifully.
BURSON AUDIO CONDUCTOR-3XP HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER REVIEW
The Burson Audio Conductor 3XP embraces iOS, Android, Mac, and PC alike and to them it will deliver a powerful, yet delicate, musical, and transparent experience.
CAYIN N6ii/A01 REVIEW
The Cayin N6ii’s/A01 ($1,119) sound is reminiscent of some of the best, classic analog—Thorens TD-125 MK II, Linn LP12, Garrard 301/401—as married to the best in today’s high-end digital offerings…