Audiophile-Heaven Awards – Best Sound Of 2024
With the winter holidays drawing us closer to each other and to our families, it is time to be grateful that we survived another year, that we got to listen to so much excellent music, to meet so many new awesome people, and to explore this wonderful hobby together. Today I want to share with you my list of the best I’ve heard this year, what brought me joy, what I found to sound the most interesting, or to be a true innovation. As usual, this list and the entire work behind it is not sponsored by anyone and I do it out of passion with no incentive and no other sponsor. I would usually ask for any kind of donation and to use our amazon links, but it is Christmas, just explore this list, there are no strings attached, and the only thing I want you to feel is a bit of the joy that this hobby brings me and to cherish music with me. If you want, you can always click on the links at the end of the reviews, as on Tidal we have an entire playlist of music that I find excellent.
Introduction
First of all, I want to thank you all for being here with me, for supporting me, and for reading audiophile-heaven. This year has been a blast with all of you following us, and to share a few statistics, Audiophile-Heaven is now one of the most read reviews websites, and we published over 850 written reviews in total to this date, and we posted over 544 videos on our youtube channel so far, although we have filmed over 600 video reviews, and are working to process them and share the remaining ones with you as soon as we can. We have 9672 subscribers at the moment of posting this article, and our monthly traffic fluctuates between 100.000 visits and 10 times this amount every month. Interestingly enough, the list is actually shorter than it was in 2023, and despite reviewing more products this year, I am becoming harder to impress each year, with some categories disappearing completely, while other new categories arising in their place.
The most important aspect of this hobby is to have fun, so please, when reading audiophile-heaven, or any other publication, have fun, listen to music, spend time with your loved ones, and live with no regrets. Don’t forget that music is all about love, art and expressing your emotions. This list is not a buying guide, and instead I just want to award the best products I heard this year, and to share that there have been some outstanding experiences this year, things that really surprised me with their performance and with the overall design, and even price to performance ratio. We gave up on creating purchase lists with links to purchase products, like Black Friday and Cyber Money purchase links this year, as we do not support mindless spending, and we believe that a good purchase is made once you’re well informed and get what you want, instead of getting lost in chasing sales. Please take the time to explore your options, learn about what you plan to purchase and give yourself time to always enjoy what you already have. This is not a race, it is a journey and an adventure where you’re supposed to discover yourself and have a good time. Let’s see what brought me the most fun this year, and what sounded best.
Best Stereo Floorstanding Speakers – Pylon Audio Diamond 30 mkii
While I generally start this kind of list with a portable headphone, or DAC/AMP or even DAP, this year the biggest surprise comes from Pylon Audio and I simply can’t tell you just how many hours I kept listening to the Diamond 30 mkii speakers, how much joy those brought to my ears, and also to my wife’s ears. We danced around the room, putting on our favorite tracks, played games, and enjoyed this one pair of speakers the most this year, and while they have been connected to multiple amplifiers, combined with multiple accessories, cables and even placed in a plethora of arrangements, nothing else brought us so much joy and nothing else lit up our spark of love for music as much as the Diamond 30 mkii this year.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, I hope you had fun reading a longer review, and that you’ve found answers to most questions you may have had about the Pylon Audio Diamond 30 MKII, and that if you decide to order those, they will bring you as much joy and entertainment as they did for me. If you’re looking for an outstanding pair of speakers with a resolution to impress even the pickiest of listeners, easy placement and with reliable build quality, plus a wide, holographic sound with full bass, brilliant treble and dynamic, punchy voicing, then Pylon Audio Diamond 30 MKII will serve you without fail and bring you pure Audiophile Euphoria. ” You can read the Full Review here – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/06/pylon-diamond-30-mkii-speakers-pure-audiophile-euphoria.html
Best Summit-Fi Open-Back Headphones – DCA Dan Clark Audio Expanse
Expanse is overall the best Summit-Fi Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphone we tested. This definition is given to it because it is the flagship product from DCA or Dan Clark Audio, and they come with a unique set of features, including a super punchy, dynamic sound, a tight clamping force that will offer a consistent sound and wearing experience, and a build quality to be envied for. The weight of the Expanse is low, the soundstage is large, and they present the user with a natural, dynamic and vivid sound. One of the richest and most engaging sounding headphones, Expanse is exceptional and the jewel of Dan Clark’s creation, an experience I always remember and go back to for a quick shake-up.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, it is not often that I use such heavy words, but Dan Clark Audio Expanse brings me an emotional moment where I can finally call a product end-game material, not just a good headphone, but an excellent one, with sonic that you will never grow tired of, bored of, but neither fatigued by, the transparency, energy and strength DCA Expanse offers has not seen before, and music listened through headphones like those is a big part of why I started reviewing and why I keep exploring new products. If you’re curious what true flagship-level music sounds like, you ought to give Dan Clark Audio a try, it is a headphone that will always succeed to impress every listener.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/10/dan-clark-audio-expanse-hifi-planar-headphones-enter-the-driver-bliss.html
Best OTL Desktop Tube Amplifier – Feliks Audio Euforia Evo
This year brought us many interesting amplifiers, but none quite as clean, neutral sounding and detailed, yet slightly soft and unusually precise for a tube amplifier, as the new Feliks Audio Euforia Evo. This is pretty much the peak of desktop OTL Tech from all the AMPs that I reviewed, and while OTL might sound like a bottle of magic, it stands for Output TransformerLess. This means that Euforia Evo works best with dynamic headphones and high-impedance headphones, it has the best linearity and fidelity an AMP can offer at the price point, but as it uses the tubes directly to drive headphones, you will get a more drastic difference when replacing the tubes, and a cleaner sound than with most tube amps that typically add quite a bit of texture, with Euforia making everything analogic magic instead.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, if you want perfection in the craft, a uniquely rich, neutral and smooth sounding amplifier with a wet character, excellent resolution and high degree of dynamics, Feliks Audio Euforia Evo is a top choice and one of the few AMPs I could easily recommend to anyone wanting to experiment pure audiophile pleasure, and drive most planar magnetic headphones and most dynamic headphones with an OTL AMP. ” You can read the Full Review here – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/10/feliks-audio-euforia-evo-hifi-tube-amplifier-preamp-dream-of-the-richest-sound.html
Best Engineering Precision Achievement – Headphones – T+A Solitaire P-SE HiFi Planar Headphones
The best part about the Solitaire P-SE is that this is not even the priciest headphone made by T+A, but the company refined heavily their original model to make them more practical, and the Solitaire P-SE is now a very comfortable, lightweight headphone (for a high-end model in the price range), and they present the listener with about the same amount of detail and clarity as all of the direct competition, yet with a different signature, more airy, wider, and more atmospheric, expanding on the soundstage and creating far more space between instruments than any headphone before it. While this kind of tuning is on the brighter side of things, with a slight roll-off in the sub-bass, Solitaire P-SE expands the soundstage the most out of all headphones reviewed to date, and it has physically the most precise build quality so far. Not a single scratch can be seen even after I took them outdoors and took all the photos and video B-Rolls you can see in the video review, they are still in absolute pristine condition despite fairly heavy usage.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, T+A Solitaire P-SE delivers the kind of performance you seek when you want to close the search and when you want to settle for nothing less but perfect music reproduction and want the widest, most holographic soundstage, best resolution and clarity, combined with a warm and pleasing tune that will sound excellent with all styles. I fully recommend the T+A Solitaire P-SE for anyone who’s considering purchasing their ultimate pair of headphones and who wants the best experience regardless of the music style they’re rocking every single day to, and regardless of the volume you’re listening at.” You can read the Full Review here – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/11/ta-solitaire-p-se-hifi-planar-headphones-flagship-theory-application-performa.html
Best Bookshelf Speakers – Audience ClairAudient 1+1 V5 Personal Reference Monitors
Audience created the most precise and sonically consistent speakers out there, with their ClairAudient 1+1 Reference Monitors. This is a pair of speakers with drivers so small you wouldn’t believe the kind of soundstage, punch and kick they can produce. With the drivers produced in-house and developed by Audience themselves, 1+1 V5 is a unique blend of precision and smoothness, and since there is no crossover, the sonic character is consistent from the lowest bass note they can produce, all the way to the sharpest bit of air they can project for the listener. This is a must-hear set of speakers if you get the chance, and for a bookshelf speaker, it is the best I heard this year, heavily outclassing the rest of the small-size speakers I reviewed in 2024.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, if you’re searching for perfection in the sound, if you’re looking for the absolute best sonic possible at this size, and if you don’t mind the need for an AMP, the ClairAudient 1+1 V5 is one of the most interesting sounding speaker sets in the whole world, having both the punch, dynamics, clarity and the soundstage to be considered a high-end model.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/10/audience-clairaudient-11-v5-personal-reference-monitors-nearfield-precision-envisage.html
Best Portable DAC/AMP – iBasso D16 Taipan 1Bit DAC AMP with 128 DACs in total, the experience of 16 Sets of 8E PWM-DACs
This has been more than just a portable amplifier for me, as D16 has been my home media center for almost half a year now, and it is literal perfection for precision, detail, resolution, driving power, and driving ability. You can quickly power up your favorite IEMs and portable earphones, then go straight for your hard to drive headphones, balancing driving HIFIMAN Susvara, T+A Solitaire P-SE, and DCA Dan Clark Audio Expanse, then driving Campfire BonneVille and Moon Rover, from the same unit, with the ultimate precision and resolution I found for something at this shape and size. Basically, unless you want more personality in your sound, and a bit of post ringing and a more wet character, so adding PB5, then D16 is currently the ultimate portable DAC AMP you can purchase and I heard and tested none better than it so far.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, if you want to have a unique piece of tech that has an even lower distortion and THD, a higher dynamic range, much better resolution and clarity, and ultimate will bring you endlessly more fun than most other DAC/AMPs available today, iBasso D16 Taipan is a fully recommended purchase and so far my favorite DAC/AMP of this year. ” You can read the full review here – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/08/ibasso-d16-taipan-1-bit-fpga-dac-amp-the-ultimate-listening-experience-of-cascaded-8e-pwm-dacs.html
Best Electrostatic System Of The Year – HiFiMAN Mini Shangri-La
When judging an electrostatic system, the price is heavily taken into account, and Mini Shangri-La is an outstanding system, it costs less than a planar magnetic headphone, yet has that uniquely mid-centric, sweet and vocal presentation that Electrostatics are known for. HIFIMAN heavily revised the amplifier compared to the one found in the Jade II from a few years ago, and mini Shangri-La is actually comparable to a full-sized shangri-la in the signature, engagement factor and how dynamic / punchy the sound is. With a much higher control at very high volumes, and with an outstanding overall resolution, Shangri-La Mini is the creme de la creme if you want to go Electrostat instead of Planar or Dynamic.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a way to enjoy music just a bit more, if you want to dig deeper into why people love electrostatic headphones and electrostatic headphone amplifiers, and if you want to experience a natural, gentle, refined and fatigue-free sound with the perfect midrange, a quick and tight bass, with good impact in the lows, and a bright, airy but relaxed treble, Shangri-La Mini should be at the top of your list, as one of the best combos the world has seen, for a price that usually only gets you a high-end AMP or pair of headphones, but here you get both.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/08/hifiman-mini-shangri-la-headphone-system-brilliant-electrostatic-hifi-delight.html
Best IEMs – Campfire Moon Rover
Moon rover is a high-end IEM with a titanium shell, some beautiful-looking golden screws and MMCX cables which are single ended. Sound has a sweet voicing, exceptional resolution and outstanding depth in the bass, and also a bright and sharp treble. In the same Campfire Fashion that we love, Moon Rover has a beautiful color and feels good in my ears despite the edgy shape and design, being a great little earphone to take with you everywhere.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, if you’re looking for an excellent fitting, a revealing , detailed and natural sound with a full, deep bass, and a sharp, airy and sparkly treble, and excellent extension both ways, plus a cohesive sound that is dynamic and punchy, Campfire Moon Rover offers everything you may have dreamt of, and more, being a competitive and excellent earphone I fully recommend and use myself.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/11/campfire-moon-rover-hifi-iems-brilliant-flame-reveals-otherworldly-music.html
Best Fresh Product and New Idea Of The Year – Palma DHS-1 Convertible Headphones
While there have been many new products this year, Palma, a company from Spain, decided to make something never seen before, a headphone that can be both closed-back and open-back with just a smooth swipe of metallic earcup. These new DHS-1 Headphones include a balanced cable, and a wooden build with metallic earcups, and you can go from semi open to semi closed back, but in reality you will hear exactly what a difference the open versus closed can make, and how each of them influences the sound you hear.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day Palma DHS-1 is an excellent headphone and more, offering two headphones in one, extreme dynamics, excellent resolution, and also a comfortable, well-made headphone. While a flagship and priced as such, DHS-1 is what true innovation and excellent sonics look like, a headphone you really have to hear at least once to believe such performance exists.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/11/palma-dhs-1-convertible-hifi-headphones-bleeding-edge-music-innovation.html
Best and Most Powerful Desktop Speaker Amplifier – Keces S300+
While the Speakers are most certainly the most important part of a stereo system, the amplifier is the 2nd most important part, and nothing I experienced to date can pack so much punch, have so much headroom and raw power, yet be so tight and precise as Keces S300+. This has been the pairing for the Pylon Audio Diamond 30 mkii I mentioned at the beginning of the best products of 2024 awards, and it is for a good reason. Keces S300+ is a tank of an amp, huge, heavy, can run warm, but make some of the best sound ever heard by mankind, transforming a pair of good speakers into excellent speakers. The only downside to it is how heavily reliant it is on the DAC to be noise-free and resolving, but that’s why I also review DACs and try to find the best ones available.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, if you’re looking for clean gain with very little coloration, for exceptional power delivery, absolutely no self noise, and for a solid unit that will never fail on you, Keces S300+ is a fully recommended purchase and an Amplifier I am happy to use daily in every stereo system I will be testing from now onwards.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/02/keces-s300-stereo-hifi-power-amplifier-speaker-utopia-sound-master.html
Best High-End Deal For Innovative Headphones – HIFIMAN HE1000 Unveiled
HIFIMAN created a truly interesting concept with their unveiled headphones, and HE1000 Unveiled is truly the best high-end deal I can tell you about and recommend you, not just thanks to HIFIMAN’s excellent build quality on the new unveiled, but also thanks to their pricing, which is aggressively low for the performance of the HE1000 Unveiled. In fact, the sonic quality of the HE1000U is so high that it almost beats the other flagships, like the Expanse or Solitaire P-SE, but I kept it slightly lower in the list as the new Unveiled driver technology is new, I just reviewed the HE1000 Unveiled a couple of days ago and I wanted to allow them a few more weeks to settle in, but please explore our Youtube Channel as I will be posting video updates and more news about how the Unveiled series is holding up in the following weeks and months.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, HIFIMAN He1000 Unveiled expands the horizons of who can enjoy those, and from a place where HE1000 was a headphone mainly enjoyed by those who wanted a bright and sharp signature, the new unveiled version tones things for a natural midrange, clean and deep, with an improved soundstage, improved resolution, lower price, so it is a fully recommended purchase today on Audiophile-Heaven, a perfect headphone for anyone who enjoys music.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/12/hifiman-he1000-unveiled-headphones-stealth-magnets-truly-open.html
Best Portable Tube Amplifier – iBasso PB5 Osprey
While a couple of years ago the idea of such a powerful portable tube amplifier was surreal, iBasso outdid everyone else and themselves when they created the PB5, to be perfectly matched with iBasso D16, as PB5 is literally the most powerful, most technologically advanced tube amplifier available for purchase today, overcoming even the limitation of most Tube AMPs being single ended, as PB5 uses dual 6P1 NuTubes and is fully balanced. If you want something you can travel with and move around, and if you’re looking for the apex performance from a portable, PB5 offers the amplification for your headphones or IEMs.
From my original Review – “At the end of today’s review, if you enjoy a colorful midrange, with a strong contrast, excellent separation between instruments, and a wide, holographic soundstage, iBasso PB5 offers a far better performance than the price dictates, and it is after all the top of what you can get from a portable tube amplifier, a must hear at least once type of device.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/09/ibasso-pb5-osprey-hifi-tube-amplifier-apex-analogic-musicality.html
Best Closed-Back Headphones – Crosszone CZ-8a Enhanced
While Crosszone is only now rising to popularity, they are a company that has multiple technologies in place to make the most detailed, most powerful, and most natural sound, in a closed back or rather semi-closed back headphone. CZ-8a Enhanced is a refinement of the previously released Crosszone CZ-8a, and it comes with an entirely new sonic signature, a more reliable build, and better looks, being the embodiment of listening to customers. While the tuning is fairly colored and not as neutral or natural as most of the competition offers, CZ-8a enhanced is a true diamond in the rough for those who want an especially capable headphone made in japan.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a strong, deep and impactful bass, a really wide soundstage, and if you have the means to drive them properly, Crosszone CZ-8a Enhanced is one of the most interesting headphones you could hear which doesn’t follow the Harman or the H-2019 curves, managing to bring a new sound to the market, and creating a uniquely lush and heavy sound which goes deeper and smoother the louder you go. ” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/05/crosszone-cz-8a-enhanced-boutique-headphones-soundstage-extending-globally.html
Most Musical Mid-Centric IEMs – Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium
While most IEMS try to be closed and isolate you from the outside noise, Spirit Torino created an open-back IEM and extended the bass depth, as well as the treble sparkle enough to make the Twin Pulse one of the most interesting and enjoyable mid-centric IEMs. While I’ve known Spirit Torino for a long time now, they always had a soft side for voices and the midrange, so it is great to see the new Twin Pulse at the top of a chart, being a handmade boutique IEM with a scaled isobaric system and a passion for music.
From my original Review – “Without a crossover but with high-end cables included in the package, and with a low weight, Twin Pulse is the perfect way to enjoy a piano, a classical piece, rock music, and basically every song where the midrange matters the most and if you know you enjoy a warmer, sweeter sound, there’s nothing I would recommend quite as much as the Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEMs for the peace and happiness of your heart. ” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/02/spirit-torino-twin-pulse-beryllium-iems-musicality-warmth-and-soul.html
Best Desktop DAC/AMP with a Small Form Factor – Dethonray Listening M1
Dethonray Listening M1 is in top 3 devices I listened to the most this year, and it is thanks to its beautiful and small design which allows me to keep it on my desk, practical volume wheel, and also excellent volume control but high driving power for headphones. It can drive everything, has virtually no audible noise even when it is used as a DAC, for a separate headphone or speaker amplifier, and its high-quality sonic character that has everything, dynamics, resolution and a strong bass that makes it the best DAC/AMP with this shape and size.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, if you’re looking for the ultimate smoothness, resolution, clarity and musicality in sound, if you want exceptional and unparalleled driving power, for an ergonomic and beautiful device, and all with the golden level of support Dethonray offers, I recommend the Listening M1 as the ultimate listening DAC/AMP, it is a rather excellent and beautiful sounding unit.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/04/dethonray-listening-m1-dac-headphone-amplifier-beautiful-and-deep-music-sound.html
Best High-End DAP – iBasso DX260
While in 2024 iBasso has not released any high-end DAPs to replace the DX3XX line or a MAX Ti, their DX260 has still been my top choice for a high-end DAP, and although I now received a couple of new DAPs to review, the year ends here and they will all be part of 2025 and the audio adventure that we will have in the future. DX260 is comically powerful, refined and vivid, having a dynamic and punchy sound, but also a reliable OS, and look beautiful too. The software iBasso has is not very mature, and DX260 will satisfy anyone looking for a DAP
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a portable music player that’s downright excellent for driving both IEMs and headphones, if you’re looking for a natural, detailed and crisp sound with great extension both in the bass and in the treble, and if you’re looking for excellent software too, including streaming options, EQ options, and a USB DAC implementation that’s fit for competitive gaming, movie watching, all packaged in a beautiful unit, iBasso DX260 is a fully recommended purchase today, and a DAP I can only describe as the dream DAP for any enthusiastic music lover out there.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/04/ibasso-dx260-dap-epic-octa-dac-music-player.html
Best Dynamic Headphones – Erzetich Mania V2024
Erzetich Mania is built like a tank but sounds tender like a gentle giant, and it is the very definition of “don’t judge a book by its cover”, having a heavy duty shell and design, but an exceptionally refined and dynamic sound. It is a great purchase if you want something handmade and beautiful, with mini XLR connectors but great comfort despite their large size.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a headphone that can push the background layers far behind, but keep the lead voices intimate and clean, well-defined and smooth, lush and warm, with a full and lush sound, and also a solid, reliable construction, Erzetich Mania 2024 is an excellent choice with a uniquely sturdy and large design, but an uncharacteristically good sound for the price range.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/11/erzetich-mania-v2024-dynamic-hifi-headphones-natural-innovation-in-music-light.html
Best Unique Audio Tech – ECDesigns PowerDAC-SX
While this year has been far more productive for both us and tech engineers around the world, the best unique piece of tech we’ve reviewed in 2024 is the PowerDAC-SX from ECDesigns, a DAC with no AMP but which can directly drive speakers. Although its one downside is that it only takes in Optical inputs, PowerDAC SX sounds the most crystalline, detailed and ever so slightly soft, being uniquely refined and gentle with the sound, all whilst being able to provide the power and punch needed to drive full-sized speakers like Pylon Audio Diamond 30 mkii. My speakers have been amplified half by Keces S300+ and half of the time by the PowerDAC-SX, and even today, if you forced me to chose a winner between them, I wouldn’t be able to tell which is my favorite.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a refined, detailed, airy and punchy sound with excellent dynamics, no loss of resolution and clarity regardless of the volume you’re listening at, and if you’re looking to drive most speakers on the market, from an amplifier that doesn’t consume a lot, and which doesn’t grow hot during usage, but which has the resolution and clarity to be competitive in the high-end flagship market, ECdesigns PowerDAC-SX proves to be an excellent choice and a deal that is hard to beat in today’s booming market of innovation and pleasure for each music lover.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/07/ecdesigns-powerdac-sx-stereo-hifi-dac-amplifier-ultimate-levels-of-power-and-control.html
Best Headphone Amplifier – HIFIMAN Golden Wave Prelude
There was no other amplifier small or big that delivered quite as much power, and such a lush and smooth sound as HIFIMAN Prelude. I ain’t even that big of a fan of those bassy and heavy signatures, but Prelude just does them right, it doesn’t roll off either end, it renders the entire sound, but gives music a sweet and delicate midrange, and when combined with HIFIMAN’s own headphones, including HE1000SE and Susvara, it creates a true bliss that will give you the ultimate control, power and the lowest level of noise (zero) I heard this year.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, if you want the ultimate headphone amplifier, and the ultimate preamplifier for a stereo system, if you want to hear pure magic, and a lush, warm, bassy sound with full depth and impact, HIFIMAN Goldenwave Prelude is one of the best amplifiers the company made, and one of the best amplifiers on the market today, so for a full flagship experience, it is a fully recommended purchase, and a ten out of ten I can wholeheartedly recommend to anyone seeking pure Nirvana. ” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/06/hifiman-prelude-pre-amp-bold-leader-headphone-amplifier.html
Best Basshead IEMs – FIR Audio e12
We had to have 3 IEM categories this year, and nothing sounds quite as bassy, warm and full / lush as FIR Audio e12 Electron, the epitome of basshead enjoyment. Not only does e12 render bass as full, lush and deep, they look beautiful, and you even have the option to replace the faceplates if you want to make them pretty in your own way. E12 comes with a high-end cable from the factory, so no need for any other purchase, although you will need a high-quality DAP to match their highly revealing and detailed sound.
From my original Review – “Although often, with flagships I can’t argue that they have a good value, FIR Audio e12 is a flagship IEM I can easily say has outstanding value. The company made sure to make it serviceable, so you won’t ever be left without your favorite music companion, it comes with a high-end cable from the factory, and the replaceable faceplates also allow you to give it a bit of character. Naturally, all of this wouldn’t amount to the 1799 USD price tag, but when you hear the sound, e12 having one of the most convincing bass presentations that I’ve ever heard, one of the first IEMs this year to actually reach the blank point 20Hz, and have a proper bass extension down in the lows, a clean, transparent midrange, and exceptionally defined treble, the price point instantly makes sense.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/03/fir-audio-e12-electron-series-universal-iem-strength-of-a-king.html
Best Large Desktop DAC / Headphone AMP – HIFIMAN x Goldenwave Serenade
Nothing this year gets so much done right as the Serenade. Although the first batch and the first edition had a little hum in the sound, it still was the most used DAC/AMP that has this larger size factor. I won’t lie, my desk space is quite limited, so it takes a really good DAC/AMP to occupy the limited space, but Serenade has such a strong punch and kick in its sound, and makes such a beautiful pairing with Keces S300+ and Pylon Audio Diamond 30 mkii that I had to keep using it, it simply is genuinely the star of the year when it comes to desktop DAC/AMPs.
From my original Review – “At the end of the day, if you’re looking for one DAC/AMP to drive all of your headphones and IEMs, to have a warm, pleasing sound, with the R2R characteristic cohesiveness in tuning, and if you’re looking for the superb design HIFIMAN now has, plus great XLR and RCA outputs, along with a multitude of inputs, HIFIMAN Serenade is one of the best I’ve seen and a complete music listening solution you can purchase and enjoy today.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/06/hifiman-goldenwave-serenade-himalaya-pro-r2r-dac-amp.html
Best Hybrid Headphone Amplifier – Sparkos Gemini
Sparkos Gemini is another product I just reviewed, but deeply feel it deserves a place in our annual awards, for its exceptionally high driving power, high control, and high customizability. Although I personally was least enthusiastic about the tube performance, and tuned it for high bias instead of the default low bias, the OP-AMPs that Sparkos makes are some of the best in the market, and this is the first time I got to hear them in action. You will be able to drive any pair of full-sized headphones using the Gemini, and also be able to fine tune it for multiple sonic signatures, so it makes a great purchase for anyone who wants an amp fully made in the USA.
From my original Review – “At the end of today’s review, if you’re looking for an excellent headphone amplifier / preamplifier with a tube pre stage, and with a consistent volume control, and both enough power for even the hardest to drive Planar Magnetic Headphone, but still control and low noise for IEMs, and if you want it to be made in the USA with multiple ways to fine tune it, Sparkos Gemini is a top choice I can fully recommend you today.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/12/sparkos-gemini-tube-headphone-amplifier-hifi-delight-meets-american-precision.html
Best Mechanical Keyboard – KeyChron Q6 MAX
As a hybrid typist / programmer, I have started reviewing a couple of high-end keyboards as well, and the best one I had the chance of reviewing is KeyChron Q6 MAX, with it being so great that I ended up purchasing one for my wifey too. This is a 100% model that’s great if you need the num pad, which is essential for programming, and it features a high-end chassis, wide compatibility with mechanical switches, and you can basically configure it every way possible. The best part is that it is wireless, with both a dongle adapter and Bluetooth, but you can use it wired too.
From my original Review – “And at the end of the day, KeyChron Q6 MAX is the reason I’m able to bring you all my reviews so fast, and in such quality, I understand that TKL, 60% and other mini formats can be appealing, but try the variants from KeyChron if you need the most solid, most reliable and best out-of-factory experience you can get, but also a keyboard you can customize deeply, with any kind of switch, keycap, but still rely on for heavy duty programming, typing, excellent macro support, and all of this without installing any kind of third party software. If you want keyboard perfection right now, KeyChron will surely offer it with their Q6 MAX series.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/11/keychron-q6-max-flagship-100-mechanical-keyboard-the-supremacy-of-the-q6m-p1s.html
Editor’s Choice Awards
There are a few products both me and my editor wife loved, but we couldn’t really place in any category as best products. Those deserve to be read about as those are products we do use on a daily basis. The list includes honorable mentions as well as products we simply couldn’t live without, and products that are exceptional but don’t fit any major category that we already had and designed. It is important for an awards list to make sense, for it to stay relevant, and we didn’t want to crowd the list and invent new awards out of the blue just to populate it, yet here are some of the products we as a couple can agree are quite excellent.
Sennheiser HD490 PRO Plus – This is basically the best sounding midrange pair of headphones I can recommend to anyone, and it is as open as most open-backs can get. It is more comfortable than any other Sennheiser midrange headphone, it has exceptional resolution and a highly dynamic sound, but it is also a professional tool that can be used for music creation.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, this is the best headphone Sennheiser made so far, not necessarily from a pure performance perspective, but from an overall usability, price / performance ratio, and from a sonic enjoyment factor, HD 490 PRO Plus is an even better deal and a better headphone than HD600 was back in its golden day, and a headphone you literally have to hear to believe is real. ” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/11/sennheiser-hd-490-pro-plus-hifi-headphones-precision-engineering-superb-sound.html
FiiO Q15 Portable DAC/AMP – While Q15 does not reach quite the levels of D16 in resolution and clarity, it is less than a quarter the price, and yet it is fully capable of driving my favorite headphones, up to HIFIMAN He1000SE, without struggling. Presenting a highly dynamic sound, with a bold and controlled bass, and with a sharp, airy treble, Q15 is a top choice for anyone who wants to hear pure music and wants to spend as little as possible on a high-quality portable DAC/AMP, being excellent for the budget-minded audiophile.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, if you need one device that does it all, like iFi’s iDSD Black Label did in the past, but with a much more ergonomic shape and design, with a better portability, and one unit to rule all your headphones, and to take you to music heaven, FiiO Q15 is a fully recommended purchase and a DAC/AMP you will have a lot of fun with.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/02/fiio-q15-portable-dac-amp-sweet-sounding-dynamics-master.html
Soundz Flame – Soundz Flame is the perfect balance of musicality, monitoring, beauty and comfort, all handmade in Greece, having what I consider to be a killer sound for a very fair price. The package also includes a beautiful transport case, and you can get those done in Custom, with Soundz having been the only company to ever bring an audiologist with them at audiophile meetings and conventions. If you want to hear the most musical IEM, yet with a precise and high clarity designed in Greece, Soundz Flame will deliver on all those fronts beautifully.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, Soundz Flame really does kindle the flame of passion in my soul and I feel happy whenever I get to listen to the flame. While not exactly as refined and smooth as the Avant, it has an epic raw performance, with a strong dynamic range, and it will reveal absolutely everything present in your music, excellent for both music production, gaming, and audiophile-grade music listening, and a full recommended purchase.”- https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/09/soundz-flame-high-end-hifi-iems-ignite-the-dazzling-melody.html
Burson PlayMate2 DAC/AMP – Burson has an excellent desktop DAC AMP with a high driving power, and a much more agreeable sound than the original playmate, the PlayMate2 having a beautiful chassis, outstanding resolution and clarity, and a microphone input for gamers and those who get a more versatile usage out of their audio setup. PlayMate2 also has hot swappable OP-AMPs, and Burson is one of the most popular high-end OP-AMPs designers, making operational amplifiers which far outclass the Muses02 and other small integrated chips.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a DAC/AMP with modular hotswap OP-AMPs, sturdy and solid frame, with a ton of driving power, long warranty, and a wide, punchy sound, with resolution and dynamics that far surpass its own price point, Burson PlayMate2 is a fully recommended purchase and a DAC/AMP I am willing to say I enjoy to the max.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/06/burson-playmate-2-dac-amp-incredible-efficiency-and-precision.html
Singxer SA-1 V2 Headphone Amplifier – We cannot forget the smooth, lush and deep sound with a high damping factor that Singxer SA-1 V2 renders, and this is an exceptionally powerful amplifier that can work with both high impedance and low impedance headphones, which has both an XLR and an RCA input, and can work as a PRE, HPA, and which has a satisfying, large volume controller, and which never gets hot. It still has a full Class A architecture, and a completely analog design, so for the smoothest, fullest sound but on a tighter budget than the lead picks, SA-1 V2 is my top choice and a DAC/AMP I still listen to daily.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, if what you need is a headphone amplifier / preamplifier with a smooth, lush, deep and rich sound, relaxed and forgiving presentation and with a superb builds quality, and a modern, beautiful design, Singxer SA-1 V2 is one of the best you can grab right now, and available with all the popular HiFi sale channels in the whole world.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/10/singxer-sa-1-v2-hifi-headphone-amplifier-boundless-smooth-silk-music-flow.html
Elipson W35 Xi Bluetooth Speaker – I could call this bluetooth speaker many names, including the stolen and then found one, but that has more to do with actual events that happened to me, Elipson designed a highly efficient bluetooth speaker that can project a wide and holographic soundstage, which has a beautiful sound, and excellent build quality. You can use the W35 Xi in many ways, but at the end of the day, if you want a sphere of music, W35 Xi is the roundest bluetooth speaker I reviewed to date, but also the widest and most holographic sounding one.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, if you’re looking for mad good musicality, excellent sonics, and a snappy, quick impulse response, balanced tuning and ultimate transparency, all in the shape of a single stereo and holographic sounding speaker, there is none better than the Elipson W35 Xi Absolute Sphere which I can say without a second thought I love to bits and have enjoyed greatly during this review and will continue enjoying for years to come. ” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/07/elipson-w35-xi-bluetooth-speaker-absolute-sphere-connected-sound.html
Keces Ebravo Streamer – Ebravo is the easiest to use streamer I ever reviewed, it simply works, with no worries for the user. As it was noted by multiple engineers who read audiophile-heaven, it also has a much better sound than entry-level streamers from Arylic, and it is great for pairing with high-end DAC/AMPs like PowerDAC-SX. You mainly have access to Tidal but the cost is kept low, and reliability high, so if you mainly use Tidal, Ebravo will be an excellent choice both from a sonic performance perspective and technically.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, if you want to give more emotion, better dynamics and just a generally more pleasing sound to your system, Keces Ebravo is a great place to start, especially if you often use tidal and Spotify to listen to music, as it comes with all the inputs, outputs and processing a digital transport needs, being not just adequate but darn perfect for any DAC/AMp that has AES Ebu, Coaxial or Optical inputs (basically all of them).” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/04/keces-audio-ebravo-essential-streamer-the-digital-transport-actually-makes-a-difference.html
Simgot EM10 Dream – I was not going to add any midrange and Chifi IEMs to this list in general, but Simgot EM10 has been my go-to pair of IEMs / Earphones for gym for the past two months, and together with FiiO UTWS5 2024 they replaced the HIFIMAN Svanar Wireless entirely as part of my gym setup. The comfort of the EM10 is excellent, resolution is great, and they just sound full and heavy, with a low distortion, but extremely high performance for the price.
From my original review – “Despite the pocket-friendly price of EM10, it offers a performance so exceptionally good that you simply have to at least give it a chance to brighter and uplift your world, it is an IEM that you won’t regret purchasing regardless of your general taste, and it comes with the build quality and package to keep on giving more and more for the price paid.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/11/simgot-em10-dream-hifi-iems-bichromatic-phantasy-phantom-world.html
Astell & Kern Activo P1 Specialist Music Player DAP – Both Hiby and Astell&Kern made specialized DAPs that work really well with IEMs, but P1 is a personal favorite for multiple reasons, including a long battery life, beautiful design and UI, and excellent integration with a plethora of services. While the sound is not quite as good as that of R6 PRO II, the price of the P1 is quite a bit lower, making it a rather appealing choice for those who mainly use IEMs.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a high-performance DAP with excellent sonics but a low power consumption, long battery life, and convenient, easy to use software, Astell&Kern Activo P1 offers the best mix of resolution, control and balance, being a favorite smaller-form DAP, and a much more practical solution for my big hands than ultra-small ultra-portable DAPs, and the best cross of all worlds.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/12/astell-kern-activo-p1-dap-slim-music-player-for-sportive-minds.html
LavriCable Grand Silver V2 Cable For Headphones – I also wanted to avoid adding awards for cables, but it feels hypocritical of me to not award the Grand Silver V2, as I am literally using it while making this entire article, together with equipment which I am still working on reviewing fully, HIFIMAN Susvara Unveiled, and Lotoo PAW GT2. If you want a high-end cable for Headphones, but want to pay a really fair price for it, Grand Silver V2 can pump up the performance of your headphones, despite costing very little compared to most high-end aftermarket cables. Even better, Lavri is lovely to work with, they can highly customize it, and it is flexible, ergonomic and practical. With a punchy, dynamic and clean sound, Lavri Grand Silver v2 is my top recommendation for headphones at this point.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, I love listening to HIFIMAN Susvara Unveiled, Erzetich Mania, Dan Clark Audio Expanse, Mirph-1 and other headphones using the LavriCables Grand Silver, so it is a fully recommended purchase and a cable I can vouch for sonically.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/12/lavricable-grand-silver-v2-line-headphone-cable-dynamics-and-color-revealer.html
Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced – The previous year we could only give CZ-8a an Editor’s Pick, but times have changed and CZ-8a officially received an award, with the much bassier, much thicker sounding CZ-10 Enhanced now being an Editor’s Pick, for when you want a heavy sounding headphone with a closed back, but a strong punch and a delightfully thick and heavy sound.
From my original review – “With that out of the way, Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced is currently one of my favorite headphones when it comes to achieving a unique tuning, colored but cheerful, a wide soundstage, and excellent instrument separation. For those times when I simply can’t blast music in an open-back headphone, and when I need an extra bit of passive noise isolation, CZ-10 Enhanced delivers all the performance I need, bass extension and punch that I crave, along with the resolution and technical edge to satisfy my curiosity for music.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/08/crosszone-cz-10-enhanced-hifi-headphones-atmospheric-sonic-field-localization.html
iBasso DX180 – If you need the top dog in the midrange DAP world, iBasso DX180 is your guy. This is a DAP almost as capable as DX260, but in a smaller form, with a more affordable price tag, yet with the same technical ingenuity that iBasso has in store for every one of their products.
From my original review – “At the end of the day if you’re looking for perfection, look no further, for your eyes shalln’t feast on any other brighter shining jewel than iBasso’s DX180, and especially in this shivering blue color, DX180 is worthy of being called beautiful, not just in skin, metal and glass but also in sound, rhythm, operation and ultimately in music.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/09/ibasso-dx180-hifi-music-player-dap-enlightenment-across-the-midrange.html
Keces P14 Pier – If I had a place for the best power teak, Keces P14 would most certainly be at the top of that list, as it provides the most beautiful and most effective low-noise power supply on the market that I was able to hear the entire year. With 4 zones, the ability to clear up a USB signal, and also being able to power all of the zones at the same time, including devices that require a lot of power, like Dehontray Listening M1, P14 is the king of power supplies for the year.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, there are many reasons to purchase P14, and if you’re running a compatible DAC / AMP / Streamer that can take advantage of an external Linear Power Supply, Keces P14 is an excellent choice, having superb sonic performance, staying cool and being the best sounding USB Isolator on the market at this moment, and a full recommended purchase on audiophile-heaven.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/10/keces-p14-ultra-low-noise-linear-power-supply-iv-zones-upgrade-hifi-stage-booster.html
Done – Aune SR7000 – A very strong contender, SR7000 is in fact the best midrange closed-back headphone of the year, and it is the other side of the coin compared to the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Plus, which is the open back best midrange headphone. SR7000 is magically smooth, laid-back, relaxed sounding and refined, having the kind of sound that will make metal enjoyable even for classical enjoyers. It can make anything musical and fluid, and it is a headphone that sounds much better than its price point, if you want this kind of tuning / signature.
From my original review – “At the end of the day, if you need a pair of closed back headphones, Aune SR7000 is one of the sweetest deals, providing the listener with an experience that is close if not even slightly better than most open-back models in the same price range, with an open, clean sound, and a comfortable wearing experience, being one of the best closed-back headphones I can recommend regardless of the price point.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/12/aune-sr7000-closed-back-dynamic-headphones-dragon-scale-mld-smoothness.html
FiiO FH19 IEMs – While finding the best midrange IEMS is a bit hard if you factor in the many signatures that are popping up and the number of fans of each signature, if you’re a basshead, nothing strikes as good of a deal as FiiO FH19, and their excellent Ergonomics, beautiful shells, and outstanding resolution / detail for the price point.
From my original review – At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a detailed, clean and full-sounding IEM with excellent passive noise isolation, but two dynamic drivers and six balanced armatures playing music for you, and if you want to hear true body, bass impact and depth, plus a wide and deep soundstage, FiiO FH19 will surely deliver on all fronts, and be a friend in need for you.” – https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2024/09/fiio-fh19-hifi-iems-euphoria-bass-extrema.html
We wish you Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and A Happy New Year!
I hope you’ve been having a blast reading and watching Audiophile-Heaven, and I hope that I’ll see you in the new year as well. Please remember that newer isn’t always better, you don’t need to replace what you currently have, and the most important thing in this hobby is to enjoy what you already have
If I ever asked you for a favor, please do this for me – have fun, and enjoy life to the fullest. Listen to music, and be happy!
The final and most important award goes to you, for being our reader, for being here with us, and for supporting us in our work! Thank you!
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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