Greetings! Today we’re checking out one of Campfire Audio’s newer mid-fi entries in the versatile Mammoth. With a v-shaped tune, the Mammoth is not alone among it’s family of Campfire Audio hybrids. What sets it apart and makes it one of the best they’ve released to date (in my opinion of course) is the relative restraint they took when tuning bass quantity, and the newfound … Continue reading Campfire Audio Mammoth: Awaken The Giant
Greetings! Today we’re checking out one of Campfire Audio’s newer mid-range offerings, the triple armature Holocene. While the colour scheme is reminiscent of their original flagship, the Jupiter, the sound tuning is inspired by the limited edition c/2019 Q4. Inside each shell are three balanced armatures per side, housed within Campfire Audio’s now ubiquitous 3D printed acoustic chamber. Unique to the Holocene and release mate, … Continue reading Campfire Audio Holocene: Uppercut!
Greetings! Today we’re checking out Earsonics’ new top of the line offering, the Grace Platinum. If you’ve been following the high end portable audio market for a while now, you’re likely familiar with Earsonics. The French outfit founded by Franck Lopez in 2005 has been catering to professional and enthusiast markets alike for over a decade. They currently offer a variety of universal and custom-fit … Continue reading Earsonics GRACE Platinum: Classically Trained
Greetings! Today we’re checking out Astrotec’s latest entry into their S lineup of true wireless (TWS) earphones, the S70. My first introduction to Astrotec’s true wireless earphones was the S60, a very compact, fairly affordable product that utilized balanced armatures instead of the much more common dynamic drivers found in pretty much everything from their competitors. The S60 5.0 (revised version) is still one of, … Continue reading Astrotec S70: Affordable ANC
Greetings, Today we’re taking a quick look at the Odyssey HD from Venture Electronics. Like much of VE’s gear, the Odyssey HD arrived in a simple branded plastic resealable bag. Inside is of course the dongle itself, but also a Type-C to Type-A USB adapter. And that’s it. Given the mere 10 USD price tag, this is perfectly fine. Honestly, I wouldn’t have blamed VE … Continue reading VE Odyssey HD: Get It Before It’s Gone (Too Late!!)
Greetings! Today we’re checking out one of Venture Electronics’ most affordable earbuds, the Monk Lite. The original Monk received critical acclaim thanks to its low price and a level of sound quality that almost nothing at the time could touch. While that has changed over the years, the Monk remains a very strong offering. One issue many had with it resulted from the ergonomics of … Continue reading Venture Electronics Monk Lite: Almost There
Greetings! Today we’re checking out the triple armature Corsa from Earsonics. If you’ve been following the high end portable audio market for a while now, you’re likely familiar with Earsonics. The French outfit founded by Franck Lopez in 2005 has been catering to professional and enthusiast markets alike for over a decade. They currently offer a variety of universal and custom-fit earphones featuring both hybrid … Continue reading Earsonics Corsa: Keeping The Competition On Their Feet
Greetings! Today we’re checking out Venture Electronics’ (VE) latest budget earphone release, the Bonus IE (BIE). While probably best known for their extensive earbud lineup which includes the legendary Monk, in-ears are something VE hasn’t dabbled nearly as much in, though I can think of at least four different models; The Duke, Monk IE Biggie and Smalls, and the Grand Duke which is their current … Continue reading Venture Electronics Bonus IE (BIE): Get Low
Greetings! Today we’re checking out a discontinued model from AKG, the K121 Studio. I’m no stranger to AKG having spent ample time with a number of their products, like the K512 mkII, K701, and my favourite, the K553 Pro, among others. I recently added the K121 Studio to my collection having found a roughed up copy at the local thrift shop for a whopping 3.99 … Continue reading AKG K121 Studio: Thrift Store Gem
Greetings! Today we’re checking out the ddHiFi MFi06S, a Lightning to Type-C USB cable. The original TC05 and it’s remake of the same name have been my go to OTG cables for the last year thanks to their excellent build quality and durability. The MFi06S is more or less the same cable as the current-gen TC05, but with Type-C on one end and Apple’s Lightning … Continue reading ddHiFi MFi06S: A Very Nice Cable Indeed
Greetings! Today we’re checking out some handy dandy adapters from the masters of accessories, ddHiFi. The DJ44B and DJ44C are adapters that convert a 4.4mm balanced cable to either 2.5mm balanced, or 3.5mm single-ended. Definitely not something the majority of users will be needing, but, for those who do these are invaluable little tools. I was one of those that required these tools. ddHiFi sent … Continue reading ddHiFi DJ44C / DJ44B: Adept Adaptation
Greetings! Today we’re checking out one of ddHiFi’s earphone and earbud upgrade cable options, the BC120B “Sky”. I’m not one to push cables for the purposes of sound improvement, instead opting to swap cables for comfort, durability, aesthetics, or simply to replace a broken stock cable. Cables included as part of a product’s standard kit are rarely the best a brand has to offer, often … Continue reading ddHiFi Sky (BC120B): Plush Candy Goodness
Greetings! Today we’re checking out Moondrop’s newest sub-100 USD release, the completely revamped Aria. The original Aria came out in 2018 and featured a more traditional barrel shaped housing. The shells were brass with an attractive chrome coating and housed dynamic drivers with carbon nanotube diaphragms. The cable looked to be the same as that on the Spaceship, affixed to the earpieces with durable metal … Continue reading Moondrop Aria 2021: Alpha Dog
Greetings! Today we’re checking out TinHiFi’s newest entry into their ever popular T-Series of earphones. TinHiFi’s claim to fame is the original T2, a reference quality dual-dynamic earphone that didn’t break the bank. Since it’s release in 2017 put them on the map, TinHiFi’s lineup has been fleshed out with a wide variety of products, some great like the T2+, some lacking like the true … Continue reading TinHiFi T5: Missed the Memo?
Greetings! Today we’re checking out the Summer from fan favourite, BQEYZ. I was first introduced to the brand with the KC2, an affordable 2+2 hybrid that is still quite popular three years after it’s release. Such staying power is a rarity in what has become a very fast-paced consumer space. Next up was the Spring II, a tribrid earphone that very successfully combined dynamic, balanced … Continue reading BQEYZ Summer: Another Solid Release
The Contraptionist 