SoundStage! Solo | SoundStageSolo.com

Details: Written by: Killain Jones; Created: 15 March 2024

Sound:
Value:
(Read about our ratings)

Reviewers' Choice At the start of my college career in 2001, I became heavily involved in road cycling. Every day I would spend hours riding my road bike, captivated by the solitude of the climbs in California’s Santa Monica mountains. I was far from a natural climber; I was just too heavy, with too little threshold power. But I loved the long climbs for two distinct reasons: the long, fast descents, and the sense of focus enabled by my Apple earbuds and first-generation iPod. High fidelity was not the goal; having 1000 songs at the touch of a button was. The music provided the fuel that no carbohydrate gel could match, and earbuds were the key.

Read more: Fostex TH616 Headphones

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 01 March 2024

Write a comment

Sound:
Value:
(Read about our ratings)

In my ongoing project to find some good headphone amps, I sought out a HiFiMan amp for review, but I ended up agreeing to review two different models (both reviews soon). I figured while they were at it, why not throw in some lower-mid-priced open-back headphones? A few years ago, Brent Butterworth reviewed the closed-back version of the Sundara headphones for Solo. At $300 (all prices USD), this open-back design is cheaper. That puts the open-back Sundaras right in the ballpark of some of the heavy hitters of the mainstream headphone market, i.e., the Sonys and Boses of the world. I was curious to find out if the open-back Sundaras could deliver a more “audiophile” experience for the same money.

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 15 January 2024

2 Comments

Sound: 1/2
Value:
(Read about our ratings)

Rarely in my reviewing career have I come across a product I wanted to like so much, and in the end, couldn’t actually recommend. I love the sound of the M4U 9 headphones. On that undeniably important aspect, they’re fantastic. They’ve got a well-balanced sound with a bit of extra bass, and that’s exactly the personality I like in a pair of headphones.