Introduction to DACs and their importance Digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are electronic devices that convert digital signals into analog signals, allowing digital audio to be played through analog devices such as speakers or headphones. Accurate and reliable DACs are essential for producing high-quality sound reproduction, making them a crucial component in many audio systems. The Topping […] Read more
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Overview of qobuz streaming service These platforms also hold the largest market share in music streaming. While undoubtedly great, most people don’t pay much attention to the quality output of streaming music. To fill this void, a burgeoning niche market is slowly gaining popularity among audiophiles. You know, listeners[5]. Other streaming music services also offer […] Read more
Introduction Buying a DAC (or “digital-to-analog converter”) for under 100 Euros as your total budget can be challenging. If you also need a decent headphone amplifier, it’ll get even harder. You don’t have to buy second-hand as there are some true gems in the marketplace that I’m about to introduce you to. I’m writing this […] Read more
Introduction The audio cable business is dominated by myths, beliefs, false expectations and sky-high prices. After all, who would you trust? You can either be in the camp of non-believers buying the cheapest possible speaker, rca or xlr cables from Amazon or spend literally thousands of Euros on expensive boutique products. Fortunately there’s a path […] Read more
Introduction As many of you may know, I’m a huge fan of Roon as a music streaming solution. It integrates well with local libraries and it’s a dream to have Tidal (or Qobuz in my case) integrated natively. Unfortunately, Roon Labs raised their pricing for the lifetime membership to a whopping US$ 699 starting from […] Read more
Introduction If you’re coming from iTunes on a Mac or PC, you may be looking for some additional features that are only available in premium software tools. I personally wanted to have a choice of multiple target file formats – not just Apple Lossless. For instance, music playback software can deal much better with Flac […] Read more
Introduction Looking for ways to finance your audiophile dream product? If so, you may be in for a pleasant surprise. Don’t worry, I’m not going to give you a bunch of links to Amazon products :) Like most of you, I love shiny audiophile gear from Accuphase, Burmester, Pass Labs – you name it. Unfortunately […] Read more
Introduction I have mentioned my good feelings about Hifimediy products in general but it’s time now to check out their products in the real world. And so I went ahead and ordered the fabulous looking HiFime UAE23HD USB DAC (ES9018K2M+SA9023) on October 22nd. It only cost me less than 75 Euros including shipping. I will […] Read more
Introduction Why the heck would you even consider a CD player in 2019? Isn’t the CD industry slowly fading? Let me emphasize that although I’m streaming most of my content with Tidal or Qobuz, I do occasionally still buy CDs. Being a music lover, I also own a sizable collection of physical discs. I stream […] Read more
Introduction Audioquest is probably better known as a maker of audio cables or accessories but in recent years they’ve been successfully branching out into other areas of the audio business. In 2015 they introduced their Nighthawk headphones which received praise in the audiophile community. I remember hearing them briefly at an audio show and was […] Read more