Tag Archives: hifi

Sprint pushes Tidal again with six months of free HiFi streaming

Posted on by
We've been wondering why Sprint bought a third of music streaming service, Tidal. While the respective companies didn't discuss details at the time, the team-up is starting to make a bit more sense. Sprint is currently offering all of its customers s...

Technics has a new high-end hifi setup, and it won’t be cheap

Posted on by
Last year Panasonic resurrected the Technics brand and its legendary SL-1200 turntable. Now, the company wants to be your one-stop solution for all things hifi with a new model of the SL-1200, a pair of speakers and an integrated amplifier.

KEF introduces M Series headphones bred from HiFi speaker know-how (updated)

Posted on by

DNP

Mostly known for its extravagant speaker systems, KEF is finally taking a whack at ear gear. Today, the company announced two new types of HiFi headphones, known as the M Series, which include a pair of on-ear cups (M500) and a set of in-ear buds (M200). Priced at $300, the M500 sports a full aluminum frame and sweat resistant padding, along with a 10mm driver for lows and a 5.5mm driver for mids and highs full-range 40mm neodymium driver in each earcup. If enclosed head gear isn't your thing, the $200 M200 offers an aluminum housing and a pair of silicone ear tips with an adjustable arm for improved comfort. Like their pricier sibling These earphones feature a 'DDD' dual dynamic driver system with a 10mm driver for lows and a 5.5mm driver for mids and highs. While we've yet to spend time with the M500 or M200, their press pictures and specs aren't too shabby. Call it a hunch, but we doubt they'll need any celebrity endorsements. For more info on KEF's new headphone line, hit the presser after the break.

Filed under: ,

Comments

V-moda unveils Vamp Verza: a dockable, device-agnostic headphone amp and DAC for mobile audiophiles (update: video)

Posted on by

Vmoda unveils Vamp Verza a dockable, device-agnostic headphone amp and DAC for mobile audiophiles

Last we heard from V-moda, the company was appealing to audiophile sensibilities with its $300 Crossfade M-100 portable headphones. Continuing in that respect, today it's officially unveiling the Vamp Verza as a followup to last summer's $650 iPhone 4/4S-purposed Vamp spy tool headphone amp, DAC & case combo. The aluminum-clad Verza is a device-agnostic solution that uses a sliding dock system with special $100 Metallo cases to give any supported devices a similar all-in-one feel to the original.

At launch, a GS III case is available, with an iPhone 5 model a few weeks out -- the company is aiming to get GS IV and Note II cases out next. The unit's 150mW x 2 amplifier will bypass your iDevice's audio output via a USB port on its bottom, while an adjacent microUSB port can take advantage of the external sound card profile found in Android Jelly Bean. V-moda notes the microUSB port acts like a traditional USB audio device, so it'll work with mostly any device. As you might guess, both ports have their own specific DACs routing audio at different power levels to its op-amp.

Gallery: V-Moda Vamp Versa and Metallo cases (press images)

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: V-moda

Meridian Explorer combines headphone amp, portable DAC and $299 price tag

Posted on by

Meridian Explorer combines headphone amp and portable DAC with $299 price tag

Feel that? If you're an audio purist, the sensation of your wallet tingling is probably a familiar experience. This time, you have Meridian to thank, which is aiming to help you get the most from your nice headphones. The company just debuted the Explorer: a portable, USB-powered DAC and headphone amplifier that's priced at $299. Like all external DACs, the unit promises better sound quality than typical onboard solutions can deliver, and as a high-end touch, the Explorer offers asynchronous USB audio for greater timing precision and reduced jitter. Alongside the 3.5mm amplified headphone output, you'll also find another 3.5mm jack that supports both analog and mini Toslink connections. Each Explorer is built in the UK and measures approximately 4.0 x 1.25 x 0.7 inches. Perhaps most importantly, though, its design doesn't reek of something that was cobbled together in the garage.

Filed under:

Comments

Source: Meridian Audio

Olive One $400 high-fidelity streaming music player, hands-on

Posted on by

Olive One's $400 highfidelity streaming music player, handson

Many's the streamer that can assault your ears with audio of all sorts, but how many can do it simply, with irreproachable fidelity, and at a reasonable price? Few that we can think of, so that's exactly the tact being taken by Olive with its Olive One, a $400 dollar streaming player and amp currently on Indiegogo. It's a disk-shaped audio player with a built-in HD amplifier, single volume dial and 7-inch touchscreen to choose your music. It includes an iOS, Android and Windows 8 app so that your handset can work as a remote control, while letting you stream music from your slate or phone, too. So how did our (admittedly non-audiophile) ears take to the device when we saw it at CES? Read on past the break to find out.

Continue reading Olive One $400 high-fidelity streaming music player, hands-on

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: Olive (Indiegogo)

Beatpower enters the HiFi Bluetooth speaker fray, introduces speakers with panache (hands-on)

Posted on by

Beatpower enters the HiFi Bluetooth speaker fray, introduces speakers with panache (hands-on)

Beatpower just announced its existence to the world today and it's brought a fleet of speakers to help celebrate. For years its parent company, CorpCom, has developed and distributed audio products for other outfits, but it set out to develop its own line of HiFi Bluetooth speakers roughly 13 months ago. Each of the firm's boxes connects to audio sources via bluetooth, feature USB ports for charging devices and are accompanied by a Bluetooth remote that can even control treble and bass. With the help of architects and industrial engineers, Beatpower has managed to concoct particularly striking audio hardware.

Take the outfit's 40Hz to 20KHz BeatClear speaker, which packs 350mV amp input sensitivity, two tweeters and a pair of woofers inside a clear acrylic case. There's no release date attached to the hardware just yet, but it's set to retail for $199. The BeatBlock set of speakers wraps a pair of tweeters and a duo of woofers in a striking hand-stitched leather package, which comes in a variety of color combos, while offering a 20Hz to 20KHz frequency range. Word of a release date hasn't arrived yet, but it'll carry a $199 price tag.

Continue reading Beatpower enters the HiFi Bluetooth speaker fray, introduces speakers with panache (hands-on)

Filed under:

Comments

Source: Beatpower

Philips showcases its 2013 Fiedelio audio lineup at CES, we go eyes-on

Posted on by

Philips showcases its 2013 Fiedelio audio lineup at CES lineup we go eyeson

Philips isn't showing off anything too groundbreaking at CES in the in the audio department, but it looks to be a solid offering all-around nonetheless. Whether you're eyeing the likes of a new soundbar for your home theater system or portable wireless speaker, the company should have you covered with latest Fidelio offerings -- and of course that's not all. We've got a quick breakdown of all the goods being shown off after the break, along with an eyes-on galleries so you can get up-close look for yourself. As always, you'll find the full press releases below it all for more info.

Continue reading Philips showcases its 2013 Fiedelio audio lineup at CES, we go eyes-on

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Marshall Hanwell speaker now available for $800, helps bring out your inner rockstar

Posted on by

Marshall Hanwell speaker now available for $800, helps bring out your inner rockstar

It's been almost four months since we first (and last) heard about Marshall's special edition Hanwell HiFi speaker, but today the renowned amp maker announced its sleek system is finally ready to hit shelves in various areas around the globe. The Marshall Hanwell amp / speaker combo's set to be available in Europe, Japan and the US for a cool $800, which will give interested at-home rockstars a package that's a "carefully crafted machine, designed to attain that trademark Marshall tone" and that produces "super lows, and hi-fi tweeters yield sharp extended highs, rendering the sound sharp and clear, like sitting in the front row." You'll have to tap on the source link below quick if you're looking to snag one for yourself, though, as Marshall has already said it'll only have about 10,000 units up for grabs.

Continue reading Marshall Hanwell speaker now available for $800, helps bring out your inner rockstar

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Marshall