SoundStage! Solo | SoundStageSolo.com

Details: Written by: Brent Butterworth; Created: 10 December 2018

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It’s difficult for audio companies to differentiate themselves, because there are so many of them and most of the good ideas have already been done. That’s why I so admire companies that find a different approach. One of those is Akoustyx, a new company I first encountered at the 2018 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, and the manufacturer of the R-220 earphones ($199.99 USD) reviewed here. Instead of spinning stories of some specious sonic “secret sauce,” Akoustyx focuses on making sure its earphones fit properly in your ears and stay in place once you get them in.

Read more: Akoustyx R-220 Earphones

Details: Written by: Brent Butterworth; Created: 01 December 2018

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Reviewers' Choice Under normal circumstances, I’d have been reluctant to review the Campfire Audio Solaris earphones. Why did I relent? Because I’d had such a positive experience with the company’s Comet earphones, and because company founder Ken Ball’s pitch for the Solarises sounded so proud and impassioned, I didn’t even bother to find out what they were before I agreed to the review.

Details: Written by: Brent Butterworth; Created: 01 November 2018

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“Wired headphones have really tanked for us,” a sales manager for a large and respected headphone maker told me at the recent Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, considering that Apple took the headphone jacks off new iPhones two years ago -- and that there are countless Bluetooth headphones and earphones now available at affordable prices. Still, cables have their utility, which is why Acoustic Research’s AR-E010 earphones ($249.99 USD) let you change from wireless to wired operation in just a few seconds.

Details: Written by: John Higgins; Created: 01 September 2018

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Fidue is a Chinese company founded by Benny Tan, who, according to the company’s website, has been involved in research and development of headphones and earphones for over two decades. To date, all of the company’s products have been high-end earphones with multiple drivers, including the A83 ($349.99 USD) and the A91 Sirius ($899.99) models. The latest are the A85 Virgo earphones ($299.99).

Read more: Fidue A85 Virgo Earphones

Details: Written by: Brent Butterworth; Created: 01 August 2018

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True wireless earphones like the PSB M4U TW1 ($149 USD) -- models in which the left and right earpieces communicate wirelessly with each other, and with your phone or tablet -- got hot all of a sudden when Apple launched the AirPods late last year. The true wireless category had already debuted a few months before, with a bunch of mostly clunky and fussy products that left me wondering why anyone would bother with them. But the AirPods showed the world how nice the true wireless concept can be if executed well; analysts expect Apple will sell 25 to 30 million sets of AirPods in 2018.

Details: Written by: Brent Butterworth; Created: 01 July 2018

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Although audiophiles haven’t embraced Bluetooth wireless sound with much gusto, the technology is becoming the norm for mainstream users of headphones and earphones. That’s partly because Apple has omitted headphone jacks from its latest iPhone models, and partly because when people experience the convenience of wireless listening, they usually don’t want to go back to cords. Just one transit ride with the HD 1 Frees, from Sennheiser’s latest Bluetooth line, might be enough to make the average user swear off cumbersome cords forever.