There are lots and lots of headphones to choose from, but if you prefer substance over style, then you’ll definitely want to check out the TMA-2, a clean and minimally designed set of headphones from Denmark outfit AIAIAI. With a focus on sound quality, comfort, and usability, the TMA-2 has the unique distinction of being modular as well.
You can either go with AIAIAI’s pre-configured headphones like the TMA-2 HD or the TMA-2-HD Wireless, or you can custom-build your own using the modular components that they sell individually. There are a variety of speaker units, earpads, headbands, and cables available so you can outfit your headphones to your liking.
I’ve been testing out the TMA-2 HD, which come with their top-of-the-line S05 speaker units, sturdy H04 headband, and plush and comfy E08 Alcantara earpads. Fully outfitted, they come with a high quality C15 straight triad cable, which offers great insulation, durability, and flexibility. This combination offers the best in sound quality and comfort, but if I wanted to swap out any part, it’s easy. I could even upgrade them to wireless by switching over to one of the available Bluetooth headbands.
Since the TMA-2 is modular, it ships unassembled, but putting the parts together is a simple, snap-together process, and takes less than a minute. Just slide the speaker units onto the headband, attach and lock the speaker connectors, snap on the ear cushions, and plug in. Most of the major components are built using reinforced nylon, which is extremely lightweight and durable. The H04 headband offers great comfort, with its microfiber-covered padding. The Alcantara-covered memory foam ear cushions are as comfortable as any I’ve worn too. Between their light weight and excellent cushioning, the TMA-2 HD is great for long listening sessions.
With the S05 speaker units in place, they sound spectacular, offering a natural tone with just the right amount of crispness in the highs, and a nice amount of low end that isn’t boomy or overbearing. Using neodymium magnets and bio-cellulose diaphragms, they’re among the best drivers that I’ve heard short of high-end electrostatics. I have a pretty extensive list of tracks that I use for testing audio gear, and from the rousing electric guitar strains of Muse’s Supermassive Black Hole to the subtle piano key taps and plucky bass of Oscar Peterson’s C-Jam Blues, they didn’t flinch, handling a wide variety of musical styles with aplomb. Even Run the Jewels’ bombing bass thumps on Call Ticketron cranked up to 11 didn’t cause distortion. They also cleanly replicated frequencies below 20Hz all the way up to 22 kHz using Audiocheck’s Ultimate Headphone Test. I haven’t had a chance to try any of AIAIAI’s other available speakers, but I probably wouldn’t want to now that I’m spoiled now by the high-end units.
I had been using a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pros as my daily headphones for quite some time now, and they’ve been retired and replaced by the TMA-2 HD as my new reference pair. They sound that good.
The TMA-2 HD sells for $295, while the TMA-2 Wireless is $350. The entry-level TMA-2 All-round can be had for as little as $145. Of course, you can build your own model by selecting individual components on the AIAIAI website.
Fujifilm has never been afraid to create unusual cameras, with the fixed-lens X-100F compact being a great example. But the X-Pro has always been its most unusual series, and the latest model, the $1,800 X-Pro3, is perhaps the weirdest one so far...
We have quite a lot to be anxious about these days. Global warming, another potential war, increasing health care costs, Kanye, trade wars, gig economies and relatives with differing political views pouncing on us via social media. Then there's...
The buyers of electrified cars and SUVs typically purchase those vehicles to save money or to have a lower impact on the environment. The BMW 745e plug-in hybrid is a bit different. With a starting price of $95,550, it's definitely not catering t...
HP has been treating its premium Spectre line like fine jewelry for several years now, with an emphasis on flashy designs and thinness. They've looked good, especially for HP laptops. But now with the latest Spectre x360 13-inch, the company fina...
Now that companies are on at least their second or third generation of true wireless earbuds, many of them are worth recommendations. A lot of these new models address earlier issues like poor battery life, connectivity issues and subpar sound qualit...
Today's camera landscape is ultra-competitive and not terribly lucrative, so it takes a lot of guts to launch a new system. Nikon has done that (again) with the 20.9-megapixel Z50, its first ever APS-C mirrorless camera. Unlike rival Canon, Nikon...
Over the past year, Facebook has been working to put together a content oversight board. We've heard Mark Zuckerberg's vision, and Facebook shared a charter outlining its rules. Now, Facebook is committing $130 million to the effort.
Around a year and a half ago, Skydio blew my mind. The then-unknown company presented the R1 drone to the world, and it was quite special. Typically, follow features and obstacle avoidance aren't very effective, or only work in certain modes (i.e. wi...
In 2018, Master & Dynamic joined the true wireless fray. The company had been making headphones for years, including a number of wireless models, but it had yet to jump on the latest earbud bandwagon. With the MW07, M&D was able to bring its...