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
Greetings! Here are some pics of the new Holocene and Mammoth from Campfire Audio. Enjoy! Holocene Mammoth Continue reading Campfire Audio Holocene & Mammoth: Unboxing Eye Candy
Greetings! Today we’re checking out a few products from Venture Electronics (VE), the BIE, Monk Go, Monk Lite, and Odyssey HD. Wild Lee reached out a few weeks ago to see if I’d be interested in checking out some of his recent lineup. After a great chat about a variety of topics, he confirmed a package would be sent over with some goodies. I’ve enjoyed … Continue reading Venture Electronics Impressions
Greetings! Today we’re checking out the Honeydew, one of two brand new products from Campfire Audio. Hailing from Portland, Oregon where their products are designed and hand-assembled, Campfire Audio has been bringing high end in-ear-monitors to the public since 2015. It all started with the Jupiter, Orion, and Lyra. Since then their lineup has been expanded and refined with popular releases like the Andromeda and … Continue reading Campfire Audio Honeydew: Smoooooooooth
Greetings! Today we’re checking out the Satsuma, one of two brand new products from Campfire Audio. Hailing from Portland, Oregon where their products are designed and hand-assembled, Campfire Audio has been bringing high end in-ear-monitors to the public since 2015. It all started with the Jupiter, Orion, and Lyra. Since then their lineup has been expanded and refined with popular releases like the Andromeda and … Continue reading Campfire Audio Satsuma: Orange Justice
Greetings! Today we’re checking out Astrotec’s newest premium earbud, the Lyra Nature Limited Edition (LE). The lack of isolation, fitment oddities, bass presentation, and negative reputation built by crappy pack in earbuds that come with various electronics have left them as a niche product, though one that has its die hard fans. Just visit the Earbuds Anonymous group on Facebook, or earbud thread on Head-fi.org … Continue reading Astrotec Lyra Nature Limited Edition: Refinement
Greetings! Today we’re checking out the BD005 Pro, Kinera’s update to one of their most popular models from years past. Kinera is one of those brands that seems to be very hit or miss within the community. They always look great, but their tuning choices often clash in a way that leads to mixed opinions. A love it or hate it affair you could say. … Continue reading Kinera BD005 Pro: Bringing A Classic Into The Modern Age
Greetings! Today we’re checking out the ZEN, Dunu’s entry into what has become a very competitive, upper mid-range market. Like Dunu’s flagship Luna, the ZEN moves away from the hybrid and armature-only configurations that have become quite popular in recent years. This doesn’t mean it’s a simple product. The 13.5mm dynamic used in the ZEN utilizes technology derived from the Luna. The wide, cone-shaped dome … Continue reading Dunu ZEN: Immerse Yourself
Greetings! Today we’re checking out the heavily refreshed Dorado 2020 from Campfire Audio. Hailing from Portland, Oregon where their products are designed and hand-assembled, Campfire Audio has been bringing high end in-ear-monitors to the public since 2015. It all started with the Jupiter, Orion, and Lyra. Since then their lineup has been expanded and refined with popular releases like the Andromeda and Atlas. The Andromeda … Continue reading Campfire Audio Dorado 2020: Bombastic
Greetings! Today we’re checking out one of Campfire Audio’s final releases of 2020, the Vega. Hailing from Portland, Oregon where their products are designed and hand-assembled, Campfire Audio has been bringing high end in-ear-monitors to the public since 2015. It all started with the Jupiter, Orion, and Lyra. Since then their lineup has been expanded and refined with popular releases like the Andromeda and Atlas. … Continue reading Campfire Audio Vega 2020: All-In
Greetings! Today we’re checking out a pair headphones that are old, irrelevant, and well out of production; the JBL Reference Series 420. Released in 2007, the 420 was the base model in JBL’s Reference Series of headphones. Released at the same time was the 610, a Bluetooth model sharing more-or-less the same design. When in university, I was looking to get a quality set of … Continue reading JBL Reference Series 420: 14 Years New
Greetings! Today we’re checking out the reworked 12 Classics from Meze Audio. The original 12 Classics released in 2016 brought a more affordable product to Meze’s lineup alongside yet another timeless design. While it was a very competent earphone there were some areas that could have used attention; the cable and an overly safe tune that was somewhat lacking micro detail. Meze must agree that they … Continue reading Meze 12 Classics V2: Updated and Enhanced
Greetings! Today we’re checking out Meze’s midrange earphone offering, the Rai Solo. In the realm of earphones Meze had some budget options in the 12 Classics and Neo and a premium offering in the Rai Penta, but were lacking presence with no products priced in between. Enter the Rai Solo. Released in late 2019 at 249 USD, it showed itself to be a competitive product … Continue reading Meze Rai Solo: Steel Samurai
The Contraptionist 