All ears!
Lucky me, I recently reviewed three of the world's very best headphones, the Audio Technica ATH-W5000, Denon AH-D7000 and Sennheiser HD 800 for Home Entertainment, due in the September issue.
But the advancement of high-end headphones doesn't stand still and now I've heard something even better: The WooAudio WES headphone amplifier and Stax SR-007 Mk2 headphone.
A mini survey of ear-bogglingly good headphones and headphone amplifiers
I'd like to let you in on a little secret: You can buy terrific headphones for next to nothing. That's not to say they all sound great, but a bigger budget definitely buys better build and sound quality.
For this roundup I've selected three contenders for the world's best headphone: the Denon AH-D5000, Grado Labs GS-1000, and the Ultrasone Edition 9, plus a pair of headphone amplifiers, Benchmark's DAC1 USB and Woo Audio's WA5-LE.
Head Games
Headphones sound fundamentally different than speakers. The sound is, after all, all in your head; with speakers, it's in the room. And that's the problem.
Room acoustics, your position relative to the speakers and the room itself dramatically affect the sound you hear. Room reverberation, reflections and standing waves—not to mention ambient noise—all conspire to blur detail and obscure quiet sounds. With headphones there's nothing between you and the sound.
Computer Audio 101: Revving Up a New Spin for CD Playback
For years now, hobbyists have been transforming their computers into audio source components, a natural endpoint for all kinds of digital music.
Conceptually, it's quite simple—store, instantaneously access, and manage an entire library of music on your computer. No more sorting through piles of CDs. Yet, serious audiophiles (especially those not computer savvy) have traditionally been hesitant to embrace this "techno" alternative to their tried and true CD players.
They should take a new look, as the computer can be the powerful audiophile device.
When Digital Met Analog
Ditch the transistors and go tubing with old-fashioned, oh-so-analog vacuum tube audio gear from Peachtree Audio and Fatman.
What happens when a company updates a classic? Often disaster results, as anyone who ever sipped a New Coke or drove a Mustang II can attest. But occasionally the new version preserves the original’s magic while smoothing its minor imperfections, as anyone who owns a Mini Cooper will happily confirm.
