Greetings! Today we’re checking out an older release from Hifiman, the RE600s. While this brand is probably still best known for their planar headphones, their iem lineup has received it’s fair share of accolades over the years. The RE600s is one of them, though it has largely become overlooked in what is a shockingly fast moving industry. New releases are forgotten within the month, and … Continue reading Hifiman RE600s: Timely Classic
Greetings, Today we’re checking out another release from KZ, this time a Pro update to the venerable ZS10. The ZS10 was released around late-April/early-May in 2018 and was an exciting product. It brought to the budget market a driver packed setup with four balanced armatures (BA) and one dynamic driver (DD) per side. It also brought back the use of the crossover, something missing from … Continue reading KZ ZS10 Pro: Earns The “Pro” Moniker
Greetings! In May of 2017 I had the chance to check out a very cool earphone from a very unique brand. The R1 from Double Tap Audio was crafted from expended .40 calibre casings, fitted with 10mm dynamic drivers, magnets where the primers were, with fed music to you through 550 nylon paracord coated cables. In addition to simply looking awesome, they were hella durable … Continue reading Double Tap R2: Temple of Bullets
Greetings, Today we’re checking out the middle child in Periodic Audio’s iem lineup, the Titanium (Ti). Periodic Audio are relative newcomers to the industry, having been formed in 2016. Their staff certainly aren’t newcomers, however, with more than 140 years of combined experience between them. With the Ti, Periodic Audio is taking a very straightforward approach in advising who these are intended for. Let’s see … Continue reading Periodic Audio Ti: Drop It Low
Greetings, Today we’re checking out Knowledge Zenith’s (KZ) second balanced armature (BA) only offering, the BA10. The BA10 is KZ’s most expensive earphone to date and for some that is going to be a hurdle they just can’t surpass. For those who do, you’ll be rewarded with an outstanding sounding earphone, albeit with some questionable ergonomics that will be hit or miss from person to … Continue reading KZ BA10: “Just like that”
Greetings! Today we’re checking out an interesting new hybrid from BGVP, the DMG. I’ve had a bit of a checkered history with BGVP in that while I found their designs and build quality excellent for the most part, sound quality was never elevated much beyond average. The DMG is set to turn the brand on it’s head with a pretty impressive lineup of drivers; two … Continue reading BGVP DMG: Six by Six
Greetings, Today we’re taking a look at Kinera’s newest hybrid earphone, the IDUN Limited Edition (LE). In Norse mythology, Idun was the goddess of rejuvenation, dispensing fruit that sustained immortality among the gods and goddesses of Asgard. While not clear on what kind of fruit it was, apples seem to be the popular consensus which makes “Idun’s Apple” a fitting subtitle for Kinera’s release of … Continue reading Kinera IDUN: Make mine a McIntosh
Greetings! Today we’re checking out The Fragrent Zither’s (TFZ) second earphone in their new TFZLUX series, the King Pro. Like the Tequila 1, the first model in this premium lineup, the King Pro takes a step away from their lower end offerings in a number of ways and comes out looking all the better for it. Your eyes are first drawn to their new packaging … Continue reading TFZ King Pro: Hail to the Zither, Baby!
Greetings, Today we’re checking out the Tequila 1, a product from The Fragrent Zither’s (TFZ) new luxury lineup of earphones, TFZLUX. TFZ has been on a roll with new releases since the brand came to be in 2015 and now has an extensive lineup of more than 10 unique models. At 139.00 USD, the Tequila 1 is one of their more premium offerings. Making positive … Continue reading TFZ Tequila 1: Pour me Another, Tender of the Bar!
*Note: The TFZ Exclusive King will be updated soon to become the TFZ Exclusive King Formal Version. Sound and design will remain the same, but it will now feature removable cables. I’m fully on board with this change given the fixed cable version has limited strain relief and heavy housings which was not a good recipe for longevity.* *Impressions of the new TFZ Exclusive 1, 3, and 5 … Continue reading TFZ Exclusive King – THE King
The Contraptionist 