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3 weeks ago | 
ecoustics.com | W. Jennings
HiFiMAN has built its legacy on open-back planar magnetic headphones known for exceptional clarity and detail, but its closed-back efforts have often lagged behind. The R10 stirred interest, and the Audvina showed promise, but neither fully cracked the code. Enter the HiFiMAN Isvarna—a bold new dual-driver hybrid that aims to change the brand’s closed-back narrative for good.
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3 weeks ago | 
ecoustics.com | W. Jennings
If you’ve been in the personal audio world for more than five minutes, you already know HiFiMAN. Founded in 2007 by Dr. Fang Bian in New York, the company has spent nearly two decades cranking out high-end gear for audiophiles who want it all—from DAPs and planar magnetic headphones to amps, electrostatics, IEMs, and enough accessories to drain your PayPal account.
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3 weeks ago | 
ecoustics.com | W. Jennings
Rotel’s new DX-3 isn’t just another DAC/amp combo trying to squeeze into an already crowded desktop—it’s a fully loaded control center for your headphone rig or powered speaker setup. With native support for 32-bit/384kHz PCM, DSD up to 4X, and Bluetooth aptX HD, it cuts down the clutter while giving you serious digital cred.
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4 weeks ago | 
ecoustics.com | W. Jennings
The HiFiMAN Arya has been a crowd-pleaser since it dropped back in 2019, now marching confidently into its fourth generation without missing a beat. The original Arya got an upgrade with the Stealth magnets—because who doesn’t want to sound stealthy? Then came the Arya Organic, wrapped in classy wood veneer and tuned for easier pairing, all while dropping the price from the original $1559 down to a much friendlier $1299.
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1 month ago | 
ecoustics.com | W. Jennings
For most, Focal needs no introduction. Since 1979, this French powerhouse has crafted everything from loudspeakers and studio monitors to high-end components for auto and marine audio. They’ve built one of the broadest and most respected lines in audio—but only jumped into headphones in the last decade. Since then, they’ve rapidly become industry leaders in both wired and wireless headphones, proving they can play just as hard on the head as on the home stereo.
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1 month ago | 
ecoustics.com | W. Jennings
Focal isn’t exactly the new kid on the audiophile block. They’ve been handcrafting high-end loudspeakers and headphones in France since 1979—because of course the French would make luxury audio an art form. Their signature M-shaped dome driver, found in nearly everything they build, has become a calling card for clarity and detail, whether you’re listening to a $400 pair or something that costs more than your car. Lately, Focal has been shrinking things down a notch.
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2 months ago | 
ecoustics.com | W. Jennings
We’ve covered the Questyle M12 and M15 dongle DACs extensively since their 2022 debut—including full reviews and an Editor’s Choice Award for the M15. Questyle has packed an impressive amount of performance and refinement into two exceptionally compact devices. The M15, in particular, exemplifies the “Style” in Questyle, with a sleek glass window that showcases the brand’s engineering prowess and attention to detail.
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2 months ago | 
ecoustics.com | W. Jennings
This review of the Sony Pulse Elite is going to take a different angle. I’m not primarily using them for gaming. What drew me to the Pulse Elite were the planar magnetic drivers—developed by Audeze —and the PlayStation Link dongle, which offers more stable, lower-latency connectivity to my laptop than Bluetooth, without needing a physical cable.
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2 months ago | 
ecoustics.com | W. Jennings
Can we have a conversation about situational awareness? It’s definitely appropriate that we do when one considers the hazards of walking around, running, or commuting while completely disengaged from the world around us with music playing. The popularity of earbuds; especially those with ANC, has created somewhat of a monster. Apple doesn’t deserve all of the blame, but we’re happy to see that a growing number of manufacturers are pivoting somewhat to “open” designs that offer a lot more safety.
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2 months ago | 
ecoustics.com | W. Jennings
TWS earphones have evolved significantly over the past decade, improving from unreliable, poor-sounding models to offering all-day battery life, stable connectivity, and sound quality that rivals wired counterparts at similar price points. There’s still room for improvement, but the progress has been remarkable. For those of us who use them on a daily basis, the evolution has been rather extraordinary. Sony’s LinkBuds Fit prove that things are getting better with each new product cycle.
