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iFi Audio xDSD Portable DAC/Amp Review

Carlo Lo Raso

If you are searching for a way to make the music from your smartphone/DAP sound better, or if you need to drive some less efficient headphones, iFi Audio submits the xDSD portable DAC/Amp for your consideration. It looks to be an impressive little beast that is barely bigger than a deck of cards.

Headphone Amplifier Reviews
Bryston BDA-3 DAC

Bryston BDA-3 DAC Review

Carlo Lo Raso

Bryston tempts our sonic sensibilities with a DAC that not only possesses enviable decoding performance but also has every conceivable connection type, including four HDMI inputs!

DACs

Schiit Modi 2 Desktop DAC Review

Indiana Lang

Schiit is one of my favorite little hi-fi companies that I’ve had the pleasure of buying gear from and if you haven’t heard of them, here is a short excerpt from their website. “Schiit got started in 2010 when two audio industry veterans decided it was time to shake things up a bit. The two audiophiles are...

Blogs & Little Things

Bryston BUC-1 USB Converter Review

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Modern DACs have asynchronous USB inputs to connect your computer for playing music files. This results in the bitstream being re-clocked to the outboard DAC's own clock, which is much more accurate than a computer's digital clock. However, older DACs, even expensive ones, don't have asynchronous USB inputs. The Bryston BUC-1 solves this by having a USB input for connection to your computer, and an accurately re-clocked digital output that can be connected to your old, and perhaps very expensive, DAC, giving you the essential asynchronous input.

DACs

Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier / Prime Power Supply Review

Stephen Hornbrook

The Meridian Prime and its Prime Power Supply are a compact unit designed to fit on even the most cluttered of desks. Enjoy clean and neutral playback up to 192/24 bit PCM via USB connection. The Prime even has enough power built into it's mini stature to handle beefy planar magnetic headphones. At $2,000 for just the Prime, it is a bit pricey, but worth checking out if you need something small.

Headphone Amplifier Reviews

Matt Nolan 22″ Bronze Heavy Ride Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Well, sooner or later, I figured I would get around to purchasing one of the cymbals forged by specialty cymbal smiths who make them by hand, one at a time. Matt Nolan, of the UK, is a very well known and respected cymbal smith, and I have been browsing various websites to find one of his cymbals that I would like to have. So, I chanced upon this beauty, which is a 22" heavy bronze ride cymbal, weighing 3583 grams (7.9 pounds). I purchased it for $500.

Cymbals

Legacy Studio HD Monitor Speakers

Jim Milton

Legacy Audio has been making speakers amongst the cornfields in Springfield, IL for over 20 years. Bill Dudleston (president and founder) and Doug Brown (VP) gave me a tour of their facility last summer which allowed me to see first hand how their speakers are assembled, tested, tuned and shipped. Legacy has many models to choose from, including floor-standing speakers such as the Whisper, and the Studio HD Monitors, which are reviewed here.

Bookshelf Speakers