This isn’t a belated April Fools gag: I really like the Beats EP. The company’s cheapest new on-ear headphones were recently reviewed by CNET’s David Carnoy, who really liked their sound for the money. I agree. When he handed me a set for a quick audition I was pleasantly surprised by the EP’s sweet sound. …

The ZMF Eikon headphones I’m reviewing today are hand-made, and each one is tested, tuned and listened to by Zach Mehrbach, ZMF’s designer and owner. If I had to describe the headphone’s sound with one word I’d start with “right.” Voices are so natural, so full of life, so engaging. The Eikon made recordings sound better than I thought they …

This is my first review of a speaker from Tokyo-based Technical Audio Devices Laboratories (TAD), and it’s been a long time coming. I’ve heard speakers from TAD at audio shows since 2007 and liked the sound, but now that I have a pair of the latest TAD speakers at home — in this case the Micro Evolution One (ME-1) — …

The AK Jr is the first Astell & Kern music player I’ve reviewed, and it’s a doozy. There’s an undeniable elegance to the look and feel of the AK Jr you won’t find in FiiO, Pono or Sony players. The AK Jr is company’s least expensive player — it was $499, £399 or AU$699 in Australia, but now it’s $299 …

As you might have guessed, I spend a lot of time listening to speakers to evaluate their sound quality. No speaker I’ve heard in 20 years of reviewing, and another 16 years of selling high-end audio speakers sounded exactly like live music. Of course some get closer — a lot closer — than others. That’s what the art of speaker …

No one ever said shopping for speakers is easy, so before you make any rash buying decisions, think about what kind of speakers you want. Spending time mulling over the possibilities will be time well spent. Or to put it another way, it’s not about searching for the best speaker, the goal should be finding the right speaker for you. …

Regular Audiophiliac readers know I write about a lot of insanely great audio, but I also cover affordable stuff, too. Today I’m going to say a lot of very nice things about the Koss Porta Pro, which has been around since 1984, and since the company recently released the Porta Pro Limited Edition it was a good excuse to get …

As a guy who’s listened to a ton of headphones and spent a lot of time obsessing about sound quality, I have to admit comfort looms large in my assessment of any headphone. After all, if it’s torture to wear for more than 10 minutes, great sound won’t mean much. Enlarge Image The AudioQuest NightOwl. AudioQuest So while I found …

I’ve long been an admirer of Cavalli headphone amps, I’ve heard three or four of them at audio shows over the years, but for one reason or another never got around to trying one at home. Now I have one in my clutches: it’s the Liquid Carbon 2.0, and it runs just $799. Cavalli Audio is based in Austin, Texas, …

I’ve always had a special place in my heart for small, well-designed 8-inch powered subwoofers, like Emotiva’s feisty new BasX S8 ($199). It didn’t take long to hear that this little guy easily pumped out more bass than most entry-level tower speakers! And we’re not just talking about bass quantity — the BasX S8’s bass is tight, punchy and potent. …