Views 50,525 Tempotec E35 Sonata is a DAC/AMP with the price tag of 80 USD, driverless operation, dual DACs, and 80mW of power at 32 OHMs. It will be compared to iBasso DC-01 (50 USD), FiiO M3 PRO (70 USD), FiiO BTR5 (110 USD). Introduction Tempotec has been a …
Desktop Equipment is mainly made to be used at home or at your main desk, and it is not generally intended to be portable. This includes Speakers, DACs, AMPs, even Headphones, and desktop equipment is generally larger and / or needs access to a power outlet to work. HIFI products are generally considered desktop equipment, although you can find some which can be used portably.
You can find the best desktop equipment here: https://amzn.to/3QiOhdd
Desktop
iBasso AMP12 Module for DX300 – Accelerate Towards The Future
Views 58,965 iBasso works on refining their DX300 DAP, and that starts with the best module available for it right now, which is AMP12, the natural evolution of the original module it comes with. Somehow, the default amp module was already better than what we had available for DX220 so …
JDS Labs Atom AMP+ – Uber Amplified Maximus
Views 75,052 JDS Labs Atom AMP+ is an amplifier made by JDS Labs from the USA, and priced at 100 USD at the moment of writing this review. I did not review many amplifiers in this price range, so the comparisons will include the original JDS Labs Atom, xDuoo TA-10, …
Keces S3 DAC / Balanced AMP / Preamp – My Favorite Warm Performer
Views 75,646 Keces S3 is a high-end top of the shelf DAC / Balanced Headphone Amplifier made in TAIWAN, and priced at 1300 USD. The comparison list will include Audio Analogue AAdac, Wells Milo, iBasso DX300, and Mytek Brooklyn DAC+. The pairing list will include HIFIMAN Arya, Rosson RAD-0, and …
Ocean Digital WR230S Internet DAB Radio – It Sounds Actually Good
Views 61,372 The concept of a DAB radio is nothing new, but at least to me, it is something I never reviewed or experienced before. WR230S is like a mini jukebox that you need to keep powered from the wall mains, and it is priced at about 170 USD. It …
Qualiton APR204 Preamplifier – Rev My Engine
Views 54,470 Qualiton APR204 is a Preamplifier made by a Hunarian company, the country known as Romania’s Best Friend, so I’ll be extra cautious to be perfectly neutral and objective towards it. The APR204 Preamplifier is priced at 2300 EUR, or 2300 USD, and it will get paired with a …
Earstudio HUD100 MK II DAC/AMP – All Grown Up
Views 41,595 HUD100 MK II is a DAC/AMP made by Earstudio as a response to their original, which was criticized by many including me in the full written review I posted before. The MK II is totally different, and it comes with more driving power, and a lower price point, …
Smyth A16 Realiser Headstand DAC / AMP – 3D Stage For Everyone
Views 76,784 Smyth A16 Realiser is a really unique product that deserves a longer and more complex review than my typical takes. It is priced at around 4000 USD at the moment of writing this full review, it is basically a DAC / AMP / DSP processor for 3D sound. …
Soundaware A1X PRO Streamer/DAC/AMP – Big Boys Use Big Guns
Views 68,396 Soundaware A1X PRO is the kind of Streamer that will go straight to your heart once you get to hear it, but first, we should talk about the price, which is 700 USD. This kind of price is not so huge even for DAC/AMPs nowadays, but A1X PRO …
Rebel AMP Headphone Amplifier – Green For Win
Views 74,342 I always said it is time to rebel against the system, and someone finally did, by building the Rebel AMP. They rebelled against all those big time companies making headphone amps, by making something which should overtake them, despite being made by a single guy. Rebel AMP is …
Audio Analogue AAdac – Italian Master Design
Views 74,752 AAdac is the masterpiece DAC made in Italy by Audio Analogue, and is meant mainly to be combined with their amplifiers, and CD players, which have a similar aesthetic. It is priced at 3500 EUR or about 4000 USD, and is part of their Pure Line, so it …
Soundavo HP-1 DAC / Headphone AMP – The Great Entry
Views 42,617 There’s something about those affordable DAC/AMPs that makes me smile every time I hear one. They tend to be great value, but also mostly designed nicely with the user in mind. HP-1 DAC is the same, and for 130 USD you can have the ultimate DAC/AMP for an …
Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband – Adapted For Music
Views 60,933 Today they finally convinced me to review a neckband in writing, so we’ll start with a Shanling. The price for the MW200 is 120 USD, and it is maid to be paired with IEMs based on the MMCX connector. This means that I’ll be pairing it with Final …
Versatility Ultimate – xDuoo XD-05 Plus DAC & Amplifier
Views 36,842 It is time to look into the most versatile of the midrange portable DAC/AMPs, namely the xDuoo XD-05 Plus. This one sports almost an entire WATT of power, and it will be compared to iFi xDSD, FiiO Q5s, Earmen TR-AMP, and paired with HIFIMAN Deva, FiiO FA9, and …
Desktop Bluetooth Focus – FiiO BTA30 Bluetooth Receiver
Views 37,120 FiiO BTA30 is the offspring of their successful BTR5 and BTR3K Bluetooth receivers. It also has all the bluetooth codecs, and is priced pretty pocket-friendly at 90 USD at the moment. It comes with SBC, aptX, aptX LL, aptX HD, and LDAC, and it will get compared to …
Refined Masterpiece – iBasso DX300 Music Player
Views 87,497 iBasso DX300 is iBasso’s flagship in 2021, and it is priced at 1200 USD. It comes with 4 DAC chips, Dual Batteries, Snapdragon 660, 6GB of RAM, and 128 GB of ROM, and interchangeable AMP modules. It will get compared to the best of the best, like iBasso’s …
New Level Of Awesome – Singxer SDA-2 Balanced DAC / Headphone AMP
Views 57,890 SDA-2 from Singxer is the Next Level of a Midrange DAC/AMP with balanced XLR outputs at the back, Hi-Res processing, a Balanced Headphone Output, and a price of 700 USD. It will get compared to the Mytek Brooklyn DAC+, M2Tech Young MK III, and Denafrips Ares II. For …
Warm, Forward & Blue – iFi Hip DAC / AMP
Views 56,530 iFi Hip DAC is a very pocket-friendly DAC/AMP from the UK-based producer iFi, and it comes with a full feature set, including a beautiful design, and is priced at 150 USD, making it one of the most affordable DAC/AMPs out there. It will be compared to Earmen TR-AMP, …
Class A In A Nutshell – Centrance DACport HD
Views 44,399 CEntrance DACport HD is a class-A portable DAC/AMP for smartphones, priced at 180 USD, making it one of the more expensive DAC/AMPs out there. It will be compared to Earstudio HUD100, FiiO BTR5, Periodic Audio Nickel AMP. It will also get paired with FiiO FA9, HIFIMAN Deva, MAS …
Entirely Connected – Pro-Ject Bluetooth Box E Receiver / DAC Review
Views 76,837 Bluetooth Box E is a Bluetooth receiver like BTR5 from FiiO, but this one’s for desktop. It has a really good build quality, and a pocket-friendly price of about 80 USD, the only part that everyone’s hesitant about being the actual sonic performance. We’ll compare it to BTR5, …
Best Thus Far – FiiO BTR5 LDAC & aptX HD Bluetooth Receiver Review
Views 34,193 BTR5 is probably the most complete Bluetooth DAC/AMP on the market right now, and it costs 110 USD at the moment of making this review. This means that it will get compared to Earstudio HUD100, Lotto Paw S1, and Topping E30, all of which are close enough in …
6000 Hands Of Awesome – Lotoo Paw S1 USB DAC/AMP Review
Views 50,793 If you’re curious what’s the point of the title, it refers to Lotoo’s 6000 series of DAPs, which I will be reviewing in the future as well (hopefully). The Lotoo Paw S1 is a nice DAC/AMP made for Android Smartphones, which is made to work wired, quite different …
King Of Affodable Power – FiiO K5 PRO Desktop DAC/AMP Review
Views 89,163 FiiO K5 PRO gives a nice boost to your desktop setup, by having a Desktop-Class DAC, a Heavy Duty Headphone Amplifier, and a friendly price point of just 150 USD. This makes it very easy to recommend for pairing with a large selection of Headphones, including Ultrasone Signature …
Victorious Machine – Earmen TR-AMP DAC/AMP Review
Views 57,780 Earmen TR-AMP is a really well-priced DAC/AMP for those who need a ton of power, but also great sonic performance on the go. It is currently priced at 250 USD, which makes it a direct competitor to iFi xDSD, which is priced at 400 USD, FiiO Q5s, which …
DTS:Virtual X Made for Movies And Music – Yamaha YAS-207 Soundbar + Subwoofer System Review
Views 30,846 Yamaha YAS-207 is an entry-level budget soundbar that comes with a wireless subwoofer, and is priced at about 350 USD at the moment of making this review. The best price for it in Romania can be found at HIFI Expert, and the system will get compared to Edifier …