If you’re wondering if a headphone amp can make your cheap wired earbuds, like Apple’s EarPods ($19), sound better — the answer is: probably not. Let’s explain. The job of a headphone amplifier is to ...

[Simon] wrote in to tell us about a headphone tube amp that he just built. It is based on schematics at diyaudioprojects.com that were actually featured on Hackaday in the past. [Simon’s] design adds ...

In this audiophile review, I test Schiit Audio’s latest balanced headphone amp and preamp to find out if corner-cutting paid off. Featuring their new Prime topology and Continuity A output stage, the ...

Now that pretty much every major streaming music service — except Spotify — offers lossless audio options at CD-quality or better, you may be wondering how you can hear that extra level of sound ...

Testing the Luxsin X8, a versatile desktop DAC and headphone amp combo priced at $699. As a sibling brand to EverSolo, Luxsin ...

If you’re looking for better audio at your desk, one of the best things you can do is buy a nice pair of wired headphones and a headphone amp/DAC that can properly drive them. The advantage of wired ...

At the extreme budget end of tube audio lie single-tube amplifiers usually using very cheap small-signal pentodes. They’ve appeared here before in various guises, and a fitting addition to those ...

Monoprice’s Monolith Liquid Spark makes budget headphones sound better than ever, while the Monolith Liquid Platinum takes high-end headphones to the next level. Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve ...

Rugged build is good for travelers. Big soundstage, sharp sound, and excellent bass boost. The inclusion of a battery charger a nice touch. Spendy for an audio accessory. Buttons are somewhat hard to ...

A headphone amplifier than can drive both planar magnetic and electrostatic headphones? The iFi iCAN Phantom has arrived for $3,749. Is it possible for one headphone amplifier to drive everything?

What for a mobile DAC/headphone amp? The proliferation of truly mobile audio devices (post-Walkman/Discman), starting with the iPod, has made music-on-the-go a new norm, something taken for granted.

Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve reviewed audio products for CNET and worked as a freelance writer for ...