AudioQuest

THX Onyx

Our Verdict THX’s debut product is nicely made and well-featured, but it lets itself down in the sound department For Neat, versatile design MQA support Adds power, clarity and cleanliness Against Sonically basic Outclassed by cheaper rivals Next time you’re in a cinema, take a moment to appreciate THX. After all, the US firm will… Read more

Astell & Kern AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable

Our Verdict Astell & Kern’s digital expertise comes good in this entertaining USB-C cable DAC For Notable improvement to audio Clean, precise character Nicely made Against No iOS device compatibility No MQA support For a relatively simple product, Astell & Kern’s first portable DAC has a rather convoluted moniker. ‘Astell & Kern AK USB-C Dual… Read more

THX Onyx is an MQA-supporting USB DAC promising quality music on the go

Home News (Image credit: THX) If portable audio has been shaped by anything other than advancing headphones technology in recent years, it’s the arrival of portable DACs – pocketable ‘middleman’ devices that connect between a phone or laptop and a pair of headphones to improve sound quality. We’ve had laptop-friendly AudioQuest DragonFlys and the more… Read more

Astell & Kern’s AK USB-C Dual DAC cable promises to boost your portable listening

Home News (Image credit: Astell & Kern) Portable music player specialist Astell & Kern has launched a USB-C DAC cable to enhance the sound quality of an Android phone, Windows 10 PC, tablet PC or MacOS computer. As we bask in an age of high-quality streaming and increasingly high-performing headphones, the weak link in on-the-go… Read more

The Verge’s favorite audio gear

Ever since Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville recorded an almost undecipherable version of the French song “Au Clair de la Lune” in the mid-19th century, it’s been clear that the technology that you use to produce and listen to sounds can affect your experience. Even now, about 150 years later, the quality of your gear can… Read more

7 tips to improve your computer sound quality

Home Advice (Image credit: Ruark) Be it at work or at home, a lot of us spend a whole lot of time at our desks. For many, a 9-to-5 job is likely to have you sitting in front of your computer for upwards of 1,500 hours every year. But look at it another way: that’s… Read more

Focal Arche

Our Verdict The Arche is well-built and beautifully designed in its simplicity, and is a great choice if you’re after a high quality DAC for your headphones, but if you’re using the Arche in your main setup, stick with the XLR outputs, as the RCA alternatives are sporadically noisy. For Beautiful, solid design Exceptional isolation… Read more

Review: Goldmund Telos 590 NextGen II Integrated Amplifier / DAC

Thanks to the recent introduction of the high performing and a lot less expensive Goldmund Telos 7 integrated amplifier and the further developments of the Swiss, it is now even possible to use the Telos 590 NextGen even further. In this review we will go into that in more detail, because the ‘590 MkII ‘is… Read more

Review: Sennheiser HD560

Sennheiser is a brand that basically every audiophile must have had once. The manufacturer has knowledge and expertise that goes back to the first half of the last century. That sounds nice and far away, but it shows that Sennheiser is a name that certainly belongs in the established order. Bee 75 year you might… Read more

Get killer on-the-go sound quality with this portable phone package

Home Features (Image credit: Audioquest) For the true music fan, there should be as little difference as possible between listening to your music on your home system and listening when you’re out and about – whether that’s simply being in the garden, on a walk or even (fingers crossed for the future) on your daily… Read more

Review: Edifier S3000 Pro

REVIEW RESUME The Edifier S 3000 Pro misled us with its appearance. The stereo image with music is to die for, the connection options are very many and the set can be used cross-media. It is a real all-rounder for a very affordable price, and recommended if the design matches the rest of your interior…. Read more

Best speaker cables 2020: budget and premium audio cables

Home Best-buys Best speaker cables 2020 Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s round-up of the best speaker wire you can buy in 2020. A good speaker cable (speaker wire to our American friends) can’t make your system sound better than it really is, but it can and should ensure that every last drop of performance… Read more

Review LEAK Stereo 130 and CDT classic hi-fi in retro jacket

When I got the new LEAK Stereo 130 amplifier with matching LEAK CDT CD transport was first seen a while ago in a press release, my hi-fi heart jumped happily. In 2011 a colleague gave me an old LEAK Delta 30 integrated amplifier. That stubbornly designed little amplifier from the late days of the transition… Read more

Review LEAK Stereo 130 and CDT classic hi-fi in a new retro look

When I got the new LEAK Stereo 130 amplifier with matching LEAK CDT CD transport was first seen a while ago in a press release, my hi-fi heart jumped happily. In 2011 a colleague gave me an old LEAK Delta 30 integrated amplifier. That stubbornly designed little amplifier from the late days of the transition… Read more

Review: Auralic Aries G2.1 dissected a streaming platform

It is impossible to imagine life without , stream music in any form. From your own collection, from streaming services or just internet radio. If something has taken off and shrunk CD production, it’s streaming. Hardware manufacturers are reaping the benefits. The drives that are always susceptible to interference are gone, something new has to… Read more