headphonesty

Your Phone Can Sound Better Than CD Without an Expensive Streamer Under One Condition, Says Hi-Fi Brand Co-Founder

iPhones make the 48 kHz part simpler. Apple’s own documentation says Apple Music Lossless ranges from CD-quality 16-bit/44.1 kHz up to 24-bit/192 kHz, with an [external DAC required for songs above 48 ...
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15 Best Speakers for Small Rooms That Make the Most of Tight Spaces, as Voted by Audiophiles

The LS50 Meta solves one small-room problem at the driver itself. Its tweeter sits in the center of the mid/bass cone, so both radiate from nearly the same point. That gives the speaker unusually even ...
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Modern Turntables Still Can’t Do Everything 1980s Decks Could Despite Decades of Developments, Warn Turntable Engineers

Langer also sells direct-drive turntables inspired by Dual’s 1980s 7-series, listed from €7,900 to €16,990 (roughly US$9,000–$20,000, depending on exchange rates). His commercial interest is worth ...
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A DAC With No DAC Chip Gets So Clean, It Could Make Dedicated Converters Optional for Some Audio Gear

A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with no dedicated DAC chip sounds like a contradiction. XMOS has built one anyway. Its ...
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New Room Correction Leaves Your Speakers’ Midrange Alone, Unlike Older Software That Dipped It by Default

Extra conversion and uneven results across listening seats remain separate concerns that ART’s narrower approach cannot ...
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Hi-Fi Brands Are Running Out of Drives to Build CD Players, Even as CD Revenue Jumps 58% in Early 2026

Colin Toh is the Editor-in-Chief of Headphonesty. He founded the website in 2016 to provide reliable headphones reviews and insights. Headphonesty has quickly established itself as a trusted source in ...
headphonesty

20 Headphone Brands With the Biggest Reliability Red Flags, Based on Owner Reports

Across the five Bang & Olufsen (B&O) models Best Buy carries, 279 owner verdicts include 30 rated one or two stars, and every ...
headphonesty

A Bass Problem Room EQ Can Detect But Never Fix Has Haunted Audiophiles for Years Without an Obvious Culprit

Colin Toh is the Editor-in-Chief of Headphonesty. He founded the website in 2016 to provide reliable headphones reviews and insights. Headphonesty has quickly established itself as a trusted source in ...
headphonesty

AirPods 5 Could Gain Far Less Noise Cancellation Than Apple’s ‘Up to 50%’ Claim, as Shown on Measurements

Halving sound-pressure amplitude takes 6 dB, while a perceived halving of loudness is often closer to 10 dB. Add 10 dB to the ...
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A Cheap McIntosh Clone Beats the $7,500 Original in One Measurement Despite Sharp Power Changes Under Load

Sold as the Orsefon GL-005, the copy carries the same 75-watt rating as the McIntosh. In some tube configurations, though, it produced roughly 2.1 watts into an 8-ohm load before distortion climbed ...
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20 Amplifier Brands With the Most Consistent Quality at Every Price Point, as Voted by Audiophiles

These amplifier brands are known for reliable performance, no matter how much you spend. Buying an amplifier means choosing between different design philosophies. Some manufacturers focus on ...
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Active Speakers Come With a Built-In Expiration Date That Passive Ones Avoid, Warns Hi-Fi Brand CEO

For instance, one front-panel chip in Emotiva’s amplifier line dropped out of supply three times in roughly two years, ...