THE REVIEWS
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LTA Z10e - REVIEW
The LTA Z10e is, perhaps, one of the most versatile integrated/headphone amplifiers on the market today. It is certainly the most versatile headphone amplifier that I have ever come across. And it will align beautifully with all headphones types and technologies—Dynamic, Planar, Electrostatic, and even IEMs! The Z10e will bring to them all a profound naturalness and musicality, an air-filled-spaciousness, and a transparency that is, in my experience, astonishing!
THE STAX SR-007A - REVIEW
The STAX SR-007A is exceptional! They do that thing that electrostatic earspeakers do with transparency—they bring it like no other headphone technology can (planar, dynamic driver)—and they marry that transparency to incredible musicality, free of distortion in all its forms. Suffice to say, that transparency, clarity, speed, soundstage are all next-level plus with the SR-007A. Further, the STAX SR-007A weaves a naturalness and a coherency across the frequency spectrum, coupled with all of its other talents, that induces, as mentioned above, a quasi-conscious ecstasy. Lastly, the SR-007A doubles down on what its sibling provides and will draw you quickly down that road of no-return-electrostatic-musical-bliss.
ifi NEO IDSD - REVIEW
The Neo iDSD is different than its siblings in the ways outline above, but it was still a lot of fun, a joy to listen to, and hard to believe what it gives for its price points ($699)—three-in-one functionality, fully balanced, MQA (full decoding), DSD515, 384bit/768kHz, bluetooth-everything(!), and quite good musicality, transparency, and engagement. Hazzah!
MOLA MOLA TAMBAQUI -REVIEW
It is a strange thing to encounter, completely, that which you thought was a nearly unobtainable goal or, perhaps, that which seemed an unbalanced equation. How could it be possible, in a digital product, to experience analog musicality, not analog-like, and a transparency associated with the best-of-the-best digital processors?
VISION EARS ERLKÖNIG -REVIEW
The ERLKÖNIG is a tunable IEM in that it has four settings hidden beneath its faceplates. These settings allow for a certain customization, though I found but one—setting #2—that was musical and with a good measure of bass. But like all of the other settings there was little if any sub-bass reach and a decided lack of tautness and drive across all settings. It was thus the typical Balanced Armature (BA) sub-bass that is seldom satisfying.
The MMR GÁEBOLG -REVIEW
The GáeBolg is beautifully designed and engineered. It voice is, without doubt, engineered for lovers of music or music lovers, in that the lower treble and the midrange and the upper bass conjure an intoxicating warmth, that happily abides resolution and clarity and engagement. The GáeBolg may well keep one listening for long hours on end, I can easily attest to that. And yet, despite its lack of sub-bass reach many, I believe, may well find it just their cup of tea.
NOBLE AUDIO SULTAN -REVIEW
The Noble Audio Sultan wears a beautiful aesthetic that speaks to a luxury good or, in this case, a flagship IEM. It is, however, very particular with regard to the type of eartips it is paired with and I highly recommend foam (and foam are rarely my first choice) and a stellar source. Properly mated and it will provide for wonderfully satisfying music with very good treble extension and good, thought not great bass/sub bass reach.