Introduction to the Topping E30 II DAC The Topping E30 II DAC is a compact desktop digital-to-analog converter that has been gaining popularity among audio enthusiasts. It features dual AKM AK4493S DAC chips, which are known for their high-quality sound reproduction and low distortion. The E30 II also supports up to DSD512 decoding, making it […] Read more
Product Reviews
Introduction I’ve owned the Wharfedale Evo 4.1 for almost 6 months now. I originally bought them because of my failing electrostatic speakers (one channel started to cut out) and wanted something to fill in the gap before I could afford something better. I was allured by all those glowing reviews on the Internet describing the […] Read more
You’re probably wondering why an audiophile like me is publishing a page about Bluetooth speakers. Well, for one thing it’s not click-bait. I don’t do it for affiliate commissions either (although I highly appreciate your support for this website). Just wanted to share with you what I personally listened to and what I would personally […] Read more
Introduction I still love my Gustard X20u and it’s my personal reference that I wouldn’t want to give away, even after so many years. However, things changed when I discovered the “analog” universe and got a turntable. At that point, I suddenly needed an analog phono preamp and volume control. All of this couldn’t be […] Read more
Introduction Hifime is a Chinese-based manufacturer of low-budget audiophile DACs and headphone amplifiers. My first encounter with them was back in 2015 when I was searching for a USB noise blocker and didn’t want to pay ludicrous “audiophile” prices to block unwanted chirping noises caused by my onboard soundcard. I liked their USB noise filter […] Read more
Introduction As a vinyl junkie who’s just getting into this hobby, you’re probably wondering what basic cleaning or maintenance equipment you should get. Unfortunately there’s a ton of misleading and overpriced garbage out there so here I’m going through not only cheap but effective accessories that matter from my personal experience. I’m going to keep […] Read more
Introduction Although I’ve been setting up NAS boxes for years, those have been solely for friends and family members. So far my personal storage needs were well served by standalone HTPCs. Around Christmas 2017, I finally decided to move my storage to a dedicated NAS. Not only did I want a server for my music […] Read more
Introduction It’s been almost 12 years since I last visited the Munich High-End show so I decided it was time for an update. It was an asbsolutely fantastic event and I will definitely go there again in 2018! Nowhere else in the world can you listen to setups costing as much as a house. My […] Read more
Introduction The life of an audio hobbyist and reviewer can be a painful journey. Just two weekends ago, I managed to destroy the USB input of my beloved Gustard X20 DAC :( It happened while I was doing a comparative review between the Hifiberry Digi+ Pro and the Gustard USB input. Although my DAC displayed […] Read more
Introduction Now that I can finally lay my hands on the venerable Chord Mojo (advertisement), I am super-excited to put it head to head against my other DACs. I did listen to the Mojo earlier during a regional headphone meet but the noisy environment wasn’t helpful in reaching any final conclusions other than walking away […] Read more