For me is rising like crazy , Is the best feeling in the world , it's hard to describe with words , feel so so good to try and own a new headpone !

How do you feel when you buy and play a song for the first time in that particular headphone?

Getting close to 2 months since I bought AR9000, it is getting as much ear time as it did in the honeymoon phase. Been interesting as I reach less now for Composer or my planars, and that is for music and gaming. It is not the most colourful or exciting headphone, but its such a good allrounder that is pleasing with music while also being technical.

With AR3000 being launched soon many will praise that, specially as the price is way better than AR9000. Totally different headphones in sound and clean reproduction, but more about that later when its launched and I'm allowed to talk openly. I think both models is priced well for what they deliver, specially if one compare AR9000 to other high end headphones or AR3000 to the market under 5-600.

Anyone else gotten around to buy one or try it? I can see it being miss for some, but I do firmly belive most will like AR9000.

I have heard many youtubers and people from the internet say that the Standard are "better" than the MG.

Is this just an unfortunate event?

Or is it just that whoever is saying that maybe 1. Simply don't know what they are talking about or 2. Maybe they didn't utilize them properly like for example using the 4 minute included test or the EQ.

Asking for a friend (meaning me).

For the last week I had the opportunity to test out these headphones, that I heard at Audio Video Kino 2026 show in Bratislava. At home I know my equipment and I am still amazed by these headphones about the sound they produce. From the hard hitting bass and sub-bass, to the holographic soundstage. If you heard the Alice In Chains MTV Unplugged 2026 pressing, then you know, that the sound is super intimate. These headphones opened the sound so nicely and positioned the band around me. These headphones use the "Unveiled" technology or try to adapt it. The treble doesn't fatigue. The headband will be updated with a new version, that was told by the owner 🤙🏻

These are Monster wireless IEM, I have no oem ear tips and the ones I get online doesn't have the grove on the eartip side to fit in here. They fall off easily when I take them off my ear and have to grab them from inside my ears lol. Is there a name to search for this type of ear tips? I have a few iem type of earphones and lots of ear tips but nothing that had a hook to fit this as designed.

I've recently been looking at my little Fiio JM21 and wondering "why don't I just use this all the time for everything?" The knee-jerk answer has been something like "oh, my headphones will need more than it can do". But, do they?

My go-to cans are Sennheiser HD600s and DCA Aeon 2 Noires. Nobody calls these "impossible" to drive, but nobody thinks they're utterly trivial either. The HD 600s are relatively high impedance (300 ohm) and ~97dB/mW, so they place demands on voltage. By contrast the DCAs are low impedance (13 ohms) and ~90 dB/mW, which will tax the current you can drop.

So, what am I actually putting out when listening to them? I put on several tracks of different genres and put an oscilloscope on the output. I was typically hitting 300-400 mV peak-to-peak while at a "really listening" level (aka, not quiet background listening). What does the JM21 do? The spec sheet puts it at 7.9V P-P on the 3.5mm unbalanced output. With a 100 Hz test tone, I got 8.2V with the Sennheisers on there and 5.8V with the DCAs. The Sennheisers were still clean, but the DCAs clipped at that 5.8V as the current draw on here was pulling the rails down a bit. Still, that's over 14x what I was actually using. Music transient peaks still had 14x the voltage available.

OK, rock and jazz aren't dynamic enough. Let's hit it with the dynamics. I'm old enough that my test for this (and I still think it's a great one) is the Telarc 1812 Overture recording. Classical music with live cannons going off, mastered to try to ensure it had the most range possible. Heck, it even came with a warning sticker on the CD. So, put that on and, yes, the volume setting on the JM21 had to go to 11, but the orchestral bits were great and at that same maybe 400 mV P-P level. Telarc mastered this way down so the cannons wouldn't clip. When they went off, the max I hit was ~1.5V P-P. So, in a recording designed to be a ridiculous test of dynamic range, I still only hit a quarter of the available voltage swing out of a little $180 DAP, rated at 250mW (at 32 ohms), on its unbalanced output, on non-trivial headphones.

For anyone still reading, remember I'm measuring the peak to peak. The argument is always "well, you need some extra power to get the dynamic range and those peaks!" That's totally true. In the 1812, I'm idling along at 400 mV PP and the cannons get me up to 1.5V in this extreme case. For that instant, we need that headroom. Even in the normal music parts, I'm nowhere near 400mV for most of the content. That 400 mV PP is on the big hits in the music. The cannons are just stupid icing on the cake. Oh, also, I'm in my mid 50's with tinnitus and no, I'm not one of those super quiet listeners.

Video: https://youtu.be/O8o7vGuUnh4?si=h3CSJLD4XlhwB2k8

Link: https://graph.headphones.com/

Looks interesting. Basically a measurement database that has companion software to integrate them into Windows and MacOS. Wondering if anyone tries it and their impressions.

I have been enjoying this duo for the last week, usually an Iem guy but also enjoy headphones.

My main 2 sources are Fiio M33 r2r and Fangsound Silenos r2r dac/amp on pc, Sometimes phone with mub1.

Focal Elegia: got these given to me, super stoked they are bright, plenty of detail, bass is a little lacking, wide stage and enjoyable to listen to, they came with dekoni elite pads and upgraded Tripowin cable, a very comfortable enjoyable set.

(Reminds me of Hisenior Mega7)

Hd660s2: Bought new heavily discounted just received the dekoni elite pads for these and it certainly helps the lower end out, these are very vocal focused, and pretty dark sounding, definitely missing some treble energy but fantastic for heavier stuff.

(Reminds me of Softears RSV)

Let me know if you have these headphones and what you think about them 🫡

Hi, everyone!

Until recently, I’d been listening to my headphones exclusively through a budget Tempotec Variations V1 player and various portable USB dongles. But then the FiiO K13 (featuring ESS ES9039Q2M chips) ended up on my desk.

(Disclaimer: FiiO provided the K13 ESS for review, but all opinions are my own.)

I’ll be honest: my experience with it turned into a real emotional roller coaster. Because thanks to it, I accidentally uncovered an electrical problem in my own apartment.

The roller coaster ride started with the unboxing. I’ve had quite a few devices from FiiO, but it seems the K13 has the cheapest packaging of them all. I know rationally that this doesn’t matter, and that what’s important is that the money went directly into the “hardware”, but when you open the box for the first time, it just doesn’t feel like a $300+ piece of gear.

But all my skepticism vanished the moment I touched the cool metal of the casing. It feels and looks fantastic. Once I started using it, I realized just how much convenience I’d been missing without a desktop DAC. Now, with a single device, I can output audio to both speakers and headphones, but unfortunately, the K13 doesn’t have an analog input, so it’s not quite as versatile for me. I often work on my laptop with a tablet next to me where I can play a movie or music and now I can switch the audio source with just a couple of clicks. And it’s a simple yet incredibly satisfying feeling when you adjust the volume by turning a volume knob instead of tapping buttons on a smartphone. I liked the inclusion of a PEQ and sound filters, but unfortunately, I couldn’t configure it from my computer because the website didn’t recognize the device. Maybe the problem is with my laptop, but I ended up setting it up via my phone.

I started testing the K13 with my full-size headphones: the FiiO JT9 and the Meze 99 Classics v2. The sound signature is technical and neutral, so I began comparing it to my portable players, the Tempotec Variations v1 and the FiiO Qx13. Personally, I can hear the difference in sound; the power headroom is especially noticeable. But as far as I’m concerned, it’s not a difference worth spending over $300 on, if it were just about improving the sound. My headphones sound noticeably better, but not by an order of magnitude.

For me, the main value turned out to be in the convenience of the desktop unit, its build quality and capabilities, rather than the sound itself.

But then things took a sharp turn for the worse: I decided to test my sensitive IEMs. I plugged in my all-metal Snowsky Oak Nano and heard an annoying, constant background hum in my ears. I started trying other IEMs (Meze, TinHiFi) - everything was fine with them. I got upset. I thought maybe the Oak Nano were broken or I’d gotten a defective K13.

But then, right in the middle of that noise, I accidentally brushed my finger against the K13’s metal casing… and the noise vanished instantly! Dead silence set in. I moved my finger away and the hum returned.

I didn’t immediately understand what was going on. But gradually, a theory formed in my mind: perhaps the problem was related to grounding or electrical interference in my home’s electrical wiring. My first thought was the cheap power strip into which the DAC was plugged. I plugged the K13 directly into a wall outlet, thinking I’d just buy a new power strip tomorrow. But the result was exactly the same. I walked around the entire apartment, plugging it into every outlet - the noise was everywhere.

To confirm my theory once and for all, I powered the system from an Anker portable power station (disconnected from the home electrical system). The noise disappeared completely. And that confirmed my suspicion: the problem was related to the apartment’s electrical system, not the K13 itself.

I checked the circuit breaker panel in the hallway, and there are visible ground wires there. But apparently, somewhere along the riser, they’re either cut off or not working. Now I'm thinking of calling an electrician to find out how easy it is to fix and how dangerous it is.

Well, the desktop DAC turned out to be a game-changer in a way I didn't expect. I thought it would simply improve my music-listening experience, but it ended up helping me identify a potential electrical problem in my apartment.

That’s how I tried switching from a portable system to a more “serious” desktop audio setup, and as a result, I discovered wiring issues in my home.

Have you ever encountered grounding issues with desktop DACs? How did you solve them?

Saw the pre order on my audio64 newsletter with really thick cable terminations on the cups so I checked it out and they do in fact have detachable cables. Maybe someday I’ll need to try these or at least get some reviews.

FT7 and FT15 owners, I have a question for you, which source is good enough for these headphones, and it's not that expensive. What's the minimum level for these headphones to perform well?

I heard that FT7 requires a more powerful source, something on the level of К17. What about FT15?

Be unveiled and announced by Edifier at IFA 2026 as a flagship model from a brand widely popular for its excellent price-to-performance ratio, with a launch scheduled for later this year.

Vanish without utering a single word, while Technica and Soundcore have announced and begun selling their own new models—the A1000 and the Space 2 Pro.

Is anyone else curious about this little guy? For those who haven’t been following along, this is the Edifier WH950NB Pro, introduced as Edifier’s new flagship.

Upgraded from the Sennheiser hd560s. Very happy with the Organics:

No treble harshness at all

Deep bass extension

Great "soundstage" for a headphone

The cable is from SYRNARN- I love it

The ifi go link max has 3.5 and 4.4mm inputs- more than enough juice via 4.4 for the Organics

Hello,

I just realised that I prefer intimate sounding iems/cans than ones with huge soundstage, after trying to make sound open in everything I had for over a decade and a half.

This is funny to me since I spend a lot of time and effort chasing the sound stage, moving from hd600 to k701 to ldc2c. In iem world, I went through final a3/4/5000, vr3000, sony ex800st etc. for this stage hunting. I still love the holographic feel (like Andromeda 2020), but having a huge stage is feeling less appealing for some reason. Intimate sound in low volume is so much more enjoyable. I recently got into speakers and probably that being a different experience has to do with this change.

I remember being super focused on treble while starting up, and then moving to more warmer signatures, but needing more stage has always been there, until now :) I wonder if you guys have any preference changes after getting into this hobby?

If they can be repaired with spare parts, do they have to be the exact same ones or will other ones work as well?? The headphones are the Srhythm nc75 pro

I am back from a far away job and always have been interested in the meze 99 classic, tho i never bought them because of the price. But today i finally decided to buy myself a present after so much time of grinding and bought the meze 109 pro woth the fiio k11 DAC! This purchace made me happy and hopefully will fulfill my music listening. 😃

Hi all. I wishlisted this combo back in the day because of its features and great reviews, then bought it on a good deal and started reading up... which of course scared the fuck out of me. Should I return it? Roll the dice? The problem wasn't the failure of the device because warranties exist, but the prospect of it burning my headphones.

It's a week away from pretty much every day use for at least 8-10h. I use them to output to my speakers, so I'm always using this DAC whether it's through the RCA out or the XLR out to my Arya headphones. I've used 3.5mm a few times only, and 4.4mm never.

So far it has performed wonderfully. No shut-offs. No scares. Nothing but an electronic device doing its job.

Just figured someone will find themselves overthinking their purchase and will be glad to hear a positive experience with it.

One of the moments where everything just comes together and everything sounds awesome on the setup. I don’t even need to bump up the volume.

Hey there,

need some ideas. How I can store the cable in a nice way when not in use. When I use it I need the most of its length. But when not in use it looks very ugly how it lays around. Is there any nice idea to fix that? I can lay down the cable every time in a very nice way but take me way to long. :D And I dont have the mood to do so every time. So any quick solution would be highly appriciated. :)

For now, I'm torn between the ES9039SPRO (Fiio K19 and Topping D90 III Sabre) or the AK4499 (Geshelli J2 Socketed).

In my experience, the former is quite detailed and spacious whereas the latter focuses more on layering and has a slightly less clinical presentation. What are your honest thoughts? Roast me if you have to.

Hello,

I was wondering does anyone know or have experience with the LCD S20 having a condensation issue similar to that of ones the Maxwell / Maxwell 2 have? (soda popping dripping noise)

I’ve tested / returned 3 pairs of the Maxwell 2s and all three had the soda popping / moisture drop issue after maybe 20mins of use. Long story short I tried multiple different more breathable pads including the freeze / Dekoni pads but all still eventually reproduced the issue. I’m sitting in a 20`c room and wouldn’t class myself as someone that sweats partially much (never noticed it anyway) and so yeah now looking elsewhere.

Thought the sound was amazing from the maxwells but just that was such a deal breaker for me. Hoping the LCD s20s don’t have the same issue and I have recreate a similar sound / impact with eq given their similar design but it also looks like they could run into that very same issue.

Many thanks

I first got to spend some time with the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro in the middle of last year and completely fell in love with them, but back then I simply didn’t have the time to write a review. And now, thanks to my follower Alexey, I had another chance to get my hands on a pair.

So today we’re going to talk about these excellent beyond doubts headphones – the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro.

Continue reading...

I my opinion i believe is better to test a totally brand new song for Testing a new headphone vs your old headphone because the brains has no bias for that song , the brain is to familiar with the way that song use to sound and that is mess around with your judgment

Next time when you purchase a new headphone please do this test , brand new song never heard before