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My good friend and fellow audiophile Gerald k and I have made a compilation of music files which we feel are perfect for testing new equipment. We wanted to use music that we not only enjoy listening to but which also has the abillity to reveal flaws in the signal chain. I listen mostly on Headphones (Sennheiser/ Audeze/ Audio Technica) while Gerald listen only on speakers (Tad, Kharma/Linn/Naim). We have spend many an evening and several bottles of Cotes de Rhone wines arguing and eventually agreeing on this list of audio equipment test music. This is what we came up with, please feel free to comment or post alternatives, if possible with a link as to where to purchase the music that you feel is ideal for this purpose. We also looked for reviews that we felt agreed with what we hear in the recordings. Sound stage and definition 1. Carmen Gomes inc; '' I'm on fire'' from Thousand Shades of Blue Sound Liaison Music Shop Placement is perfect on this young audiophile classic as well as the near perfect natural recording of the voice, but the real test for audio equipment when listening to this recording is it's ability to separate the kickdrum from the upright bass. The two instruments are playing the same pattern. On less than optimum equipment it might be difficult to separate the two, but with good setup you clearly hear the upright at 10.00 and the kick dead center with a nice decay that one generally do not hear on commercial recordings. There are lots of speakers and headphones with ''extended lows'' but low with definition is a whole different ballgame. Hifi; 2 Alban berg Quartet; Bartok String Quartet no.1 in a minor 1th movement. (LP,EMI) in the beginning of this movement the 4 instruments all play mainly in the same middle and upper register. Despite all that mid and high information the music should not sound harsh. This recording has the same perfect sound stage as the Carmen Gomes recording. We believe that this kind of sound stage with such a sense of depth and realistic placement is only attainable when you are recording the musicians in one room at the same time. Amazone Intelligible representation 3. Frank Sinatra; ''What's New'' from Only the Lonely. Frank is maybe a bit too prominent represented but one should still be able to notice all the different lines played by the various instruments in this incredible Nelson Riddle arrangement. 4. Me'Shell Ndegéocello; ''Levictus:Faggot'' from Peace beyond Passion. Here we have the opposite, the voice is a bit too soft in this optimum funk piece yet you should still be able to hear every word. easily optainable http://www.amazon.com Depth and Space When talking about depth and space we had to include a couple of Reference Recordings tracks. This label has allways done justice to it's name and consistently produced recordings of very high quality. 5. The Concord Chamber Music Society;''Danza del Soul'' from Brubeck and Gandolfi works. 6. Doug Macleod '' the Night of the Devils Road'' from There's a Time here you have two completely different pieces of music, one by The Concord Chamber Music Society and one by blues legend Doug Macleod accompanied only by guitar and kick drum. But the depth and the space of these two recordings is simply outstanding. Enjoy the music.com; Audiophilia; Reference Recordings Complete Audiophile Classical Music Orchestra and Jazz HDCD Catalog 7. Andre Heuvelman; ''Oblivion'' from After Silence 8. Joni Mitchell; ''Comes Love'' from Both Sides Now Andre Heuvelman's rendition of Astor Piazzolla's master piece have a great sense of depth. Every instrument sounds rich and full with a gorgeus natural decay. On lesser equipment the sound of each instrument can become a bit of a blur while on good equipment the sound of each instrument should be clearly defined with a clear sense of the room this recording have been recorded in. Same goes for Joni's wonderfull standards collection, it is a big hall you are listening to. Sound Stage on the Sound Liaison recordings; Sound Liaison Music Shop Both Sides Now won a Separation 9. Miles Davis; ''Stella by Starlight'' from the Complete 1964 Concert 10. John Scofield; ''Just Don't Wan't to be Lonely'' from Uberjam Deux we use these recordings to check for spill between left and right channel. The Miles recording was done on a 3 track tape machine and therefore there is this very wide sound stage and separation between the instruments; piano complete left, horns and bass dead center, drums completely right. drummer Tony Williams sometimes does not play at all and on those moments all one should hear on the right channel of the piano is a faint echo. All Music; John Scofiel's cover of the old Main Ingredient hit has a complete left right separation. The organ is audible on the left channel only and the rhythm guitar is on the right. The separation is so extreme that if you were to disconnect the right channel you would not hear any rhythm guitar at all, just like on the early Beatles stereo LP's. Jazztimes; Imaging 11. Trevor Pinnock; Mahler symphony no. 4 this delicate chamber orchestra arrangement of the great Mahler Symphony is a real beauty. the all music review said; Linn Records - Mahler: Symphonie No. 4 12. Iona Brown and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra;''the Spring'' from Grieg two Elegiac Melodies. the Grammaphone review puts it well; http://http://www.naimlabel.com/recording-grieg--tippett--beethoven.aspx Batik; '' The Bird'' from the Old Man and the Sea just about perfect imaging, left to right evenly laid out for your eyes and ears to see, piano, bass, drums, guitar and again a one room recording. Unbelieveable why sofew companies do this when it can yield so very satisfactory results. http://http://www.soundliaison.com/ Audio Stream; John Scofield;'' Never Turn Back'' from Piety Street the drum intro has a small imperfection, there is a soft ringing sound on the left channel probably coused by a sympathic resonance in the drum set or in the room. The moment the organ enters it kind of cover up the problem, although if you really listen for it you can hear it through out the track. Wonderful old fashioned sound stage. All Music;

View Classified SOLD-RAAL SR1a Requisite Ribbon ear phone - Includes dedicated Schiit Jotenheim R & MB DAC, Free ship New open box, removed to test and take photos. Purchased from Moon Audio as the combo package with the recommended Schiit Jotenheim R dedicated amp with optional multi-bit DAC factory installed. All original accessories and cables are included - nice balanced RAAL cable and amp power cord. Comes in factory custom Pelican case and outer shipping box. This headphone and amp are in new condition with no marks of any kind. I bought it August 12, 2020 but never really got a chance to use it since I just got a transfer and have to relocate soon. My loss your gain.....save hundreds off the $4,195 list for a new unit. What I did hear was mind blowing ....you feel like you are in the recording studio. The transparency and detail revealed was way better than any other headphone I owned - Focal and Audeze top models. A game changer like the reviewers say. Price is FIRM - save $600 off list. No international shipping. I will cover the shipping and PayPal fee if used. I also accept personal check, bank issued check, money order, Zelle, bank transfer, PayPal personal (to friend) to avoid the PP fees would be most appreciated. My feedback is 100% at Audiogon (fpalm69) Message me with any questions Here is a link to Moon Audio where I purchased them: https://www.moon-audio.com/raal-sr1a-ribbon-headphone-with-interface.html Seller fpalm69 Date 09/11/20 Price 3,595.00 USD Category Headphones

Greetings, Looking for a new headphone amp for a specific situation: drive a stand-alone headphone system in a home study. No loudspeakers. Roon-Ready streaming Tidal/Qobuz/NAS will be only source. Ideally, I could find a high-end, class A tube amp with balanced phone outs,...with DAC and streamer built-in. BUT, I prefer to not compromise amp or DAC quality in order to jam all functions into a single box. 2 components would be fine. Suggestions?

Listening to the $350 Audio-Technica ESW990h wood-earcup headphone has been my most pleasurable hi-fi experience in a long time. The $1000 Focal Elear could have been even better if it weren't so recessed. Even though the ESW990h doesn't have quite the Elear's detail (when the Elear is EQ'd), the overall accuracy of musical tone puts the ESW990h in that rare category of mine - headphones that sound right, right out of the box. ATH-ESW990H Portable Wooden On-Ear Headphones - Review - MyMac.com

It was my good luck to get another Audio-Technica headphone for review this month, on loan from MyMac for a couple of weeks. To be honest, I like most headphones I do get, since I choose only those that interest me. That said though, this A1000z is one of the better bets in a more-or-less neutral 'monitor' headphone, and I commented after the review that the only headphones I've had that are comparable in the A1000z's price range are the MrSpeakers Mad Dog and the AKG K712 (albeit they don't sound quite as neutral). I think the cheaper AKG K553 Massdrop edition was nearly as good as these, and probably the best bargain. Audio-Technica ATH-A1000Z Art Monitor Headphones - Review - MyMac.com

The latest version of one of my all-time favorite headphones (v-moda M100, "King of Headphones") has returned as v-moda's second edition Bluetooth model, called (wait for it...) the Wireless 2. Simply stated, this is the best headphone they've ever made (in my opinion), playing with the same sound wireless or wired. The biggest change from the M100** besides Bluetooth is moving the strongest bass from slightly above 100 hz to below 100 hz, for much better impact and detail. The bass doesn't sound as strong as the M100, until you fire up some EDM and feel the difference. There are 2 versions with different Bluetooth codecs. **The Wireless-1 does not have the folding hinges, but the Wireless-2 does. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/community/threads/v-moda-wireless-2-bluetooth-aptx-stereo-headphone-review.4443/

The lowest-price full-size B&O Bluetooth headphone is much better than I expected it to be. I paid $300 USD for this gem, and it's so good that I have no desire to buy the more pricy models they sell. Works great on Bluetooth, and it can be used wired with a good DAC and headphone amp. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/community/threads/b-o-bang-olufsen-h4-bluetooth-stereo-headphone-review.4447/

I bought the Ella because it looked very futuristic, extremely well built, had planar drivers, and the minimal reviews and comments didn't scare me off. While that doesn't sound terribly exciting, my review doesn't rave about this headphone either, because the price is high ($700 USD) and the sound is rather mid-centric. All that aside, I love this headphone, and I place it above the likes of the AQ NightHawk and other headphones near its price, and very close to the Focal Elear in overall quality and performance. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/community/threads/blue-microphones-ella-planar-stereo-headphone-review.4470/

The new Apple Airpods sound about the same as the Lightning Earpods, but are Bluetooth. I don't know how many outer-ear Bluetooth earbuds are available today, but this is the first I've encountered. The bad news, if it's taken that way, is having the Earpod sound for $160 USD, albeit it's wireless. The good news, for those who have an equalizer, is that the EQ'd sound is as good as any other Bluetooth headphone that I've optimally EQ'd. But it gets better - much better for me at least. It's like wearing nothing - no headphone on the head, and no eartips in the ear canals. It's very stable, and in this review I describe an out-of-head sensation that I don't get with any of my headphones. Apple Airpods Outer-Ear Bluetooth Earbuds review | Headphones Hangout Forum

This headphone is very similar to the Bose QC35 Bluetooth headphone, with 3 important differences. One, the price is about 1/3 of the QC35's price, at $119 USD. Two, the Matrix3 does not have Noise Canceling, although the isolation is very good. And three, Bose pretty obviously uses a DSP along with the Noise Canceling to flatten out its response, which is fairly neutral. One of the evidences for that is the QC35's Passive mode sound, which is very similar to the Matrix3 sound (the Matrix3 sound is about the same either way). MEE Matrix 3 Around-Ear Bluetooth Stereo Headphone review | Headphones Hangout Forum

Here's the Elear - for my purposes, the best sound I've heard, but your mileage may vary according to your treble preferences and which amp you use. Due to the large impedance spike around 40-50 hz, the power demand could weaken the deep bass somewhat, if your amp isn't up to it. The $1000 price is a lot, but the build quality and sound quality make it a keeper for me. Focal Elear Around-Ear Open-Back Stereo Headphone review | Headphones Hangout Forum

This headphone has as much build quality as it does bling, and the quality is fantastic. But the sound is somewhat muffled, and burn-in didn't change that. But, because of the amazing physical quality for less than $90 USD, and because the simple bass reducer setting found in Apple players (as well as other devices) renders the sound very good for portable use, I recommend it highly on condition of using the player's bass reducer setting. Well worth checking out in my opinion. Xiaomi/1More 'Mi' On-Ear Stereo Headphone review | Headphones Hangout Forum

Here's a very small on-ear headphone you can probably enjoy with no need for bass, treble, or any other adjustments. $19 USD - ridiculously good - say no more.... MEElectronics HT-21 On-Ear Portable Stereo Headphone review | Headphones Hangout Forum

Here's a headphone I had on my wishlist for ages, but if I knew how it really sounded, I could have skipped it. Anyway, here it is, for better or worse: Creative Aurvana Live Around-Ear Stereo Headphone review | Headphones Hangout Forum

Here's a nice small headphone that's a snug around-ear fit for my average-size ears (might not go around larger ears). The astounding thing about this headphone is the sound. The bass is very similar to the famous M100, in quantity and quality both, but going up from there the rest of the range is more natural with this 1More MK801. Hopefully other users will test it out... 1More Over-Ear MK801 Headphone – Consumer and Audiophile Review

Here is the best Bluetooth headphone I've used so far, and at just over $100 USD, an excellent deal. Puro BT5200 Bluetooth Stereo Headphone – Review

Here is a real treat. The best overall sound I've gotten in an off-the-shelf headphone in a long time. Worth reading about: 1More MK802 Headphones - Review - MyMac.com

Here is a very, very nice on-ear wood-earcup headphone from Thinksound. I previously reviewed their On1 headphone and Rain2 IEM. This time around, the On2 has a much better non-glossy wood finish, and I suspect better drivers, since the clarity is phenomenal. It isn't the easiest thing to have mellow sound with great clarity, so there ya go. On2 Headphones - Review - MyMac.com

I've reviewed IEM's before, ranking from "well worth consideration" to "among the very best". This v-moda Forza Metallo is in the latter category, and it's inexpensive (my favorite word). V-MODA Forza Metallo In-Ear (IEM) Stereo Earphone review | Headphones Hangout Forum

I tried to get earpads for the Klipsch Image One headphone, and opened a support ticket. Today, they sent me an email asking if my address listed was correct. I replied YES. Then I got a rejection that their email was a "No Reply". So I called Klipsch support and waded through a hellish bunch of button pushes, many redundant, before I got a rep. I told her about the email, and she gave me a tongue-lashing about how stupid I was to try replying, instead of reading some very tiny print way at the bottom that said "no reply email". And then she hung up on me. This was possibly the worst tech support I've ever called, rivaling the Apple supervisor who hung up on me after lying over and over again insisting that Apple does not force-download iOS updates (they do). So there you are - Klipsch - very hostile and arrogant support.

Another unusual product - a very light plastic headphone - so light that it needs no headband padding, and yet this headphone has a near-reference signature for monitoring etc. The reference signature doesn't always mean perfect tone quality however, but still it's fantastic I think for under $30 USD. Audio-Technica SJ-11 On-Ear Portable Stereo Headphone review | Headphones Hangout Forum

And here's the best of Edifier, in one sense anyway - though the H850 has a more classic neutral bass, both the H840 and H850 share an excellent midrange and treble. But should you prefer the warmer bass, say, half to 2/3 the strength of a v-moda M100, at 1/6 the price of the M100, here for your consideration is the H840: Edifier H840 Around-Ear Budget Audiophile Stereo Headphone review | Headphones Hangout Forum

Here's a new one for me, low-cost (~$35 USD) but decent sound quality and build quality. The H840 review follows tomorrow. Edifier H750 On-Ear Stereo Headphone review | Headphones Hangout Forum

Taking a break from the very low-budget headphones and reviewing the Philips Fidelio X2 (which I missed in the initial intro), I was actually surprised at how good the X2 is. You'll appreciate the X2 if you've been using small plastic headphones like I've reviewed recently, even when you carefully EQ those small headphones, because Philips corrects the X2's resonances or other sonic anomalies with a much larger and better build, etc. I paid $199 at Massdrop, which is one heckuva deal. Philips X2 Around-Ear Open-Back Stereo Headphone review | Headphones Hangout Forum