FiiO started with amplifiers, that is how they made their name and the $129.99 A5 could be considered the 3rd generation of the original E12 which came out in 2013 and was then an answer to the crazy power output quest we all had when planars made a big comeback. The E12 DIY was a refinement of the E12 born out of positive feedback on the MUSES02 opamp which was one of the rollable opamps FiiO offered with the E12 DIY Limited Edition in 2014. In came the E12a in late 2014 with that MUSES02 opamp at the heart of...

Earth-shaking bass isn’t on the menu, but Kef’s Egg speakers serve up crystal clarity from both wired and wireless connections Pros  Crisp, expansive sound quality Great looks Lots of connection options Cons  Maximum volume is limited Bass doesn’t go that deep Kef is synonymous with eggs. Not because the company has a particular penchant for high-protein foodstuffs, but rather because Kef’s up-market surround sound systems were famed for their egg-shaped satellite speakers. Now, Kef has adapted the design for this equally upmarket set of desktop speakers. Design and features Measuring just 27cm off the desk, the Eggs are not a...

‘ The Verdict Yamaha consistently pumps out good sounding AV equipment and this year’s Yamaha RX-V683 easily makes the cut. This amp has the finesse and brawn needed to breath new life into most home theaters. Design: 8.5 Features: 8.5 Value: 8.5 Ease of Use: 8.0 Sound Quality: 8.5 Overall Score: 8.5 The Good The Yamaha RX-V683 offers good sound quality and an enviable set of features at a competitive price. Its substantial HDR video support is a big plus for 4K TV owners. The Bad The 683’s connection choices are a little sparse. It has a solid amount of...

Bowers & Wilkins’s $400 Z2 is the apparent successor to the company’s Zeppelin Mini, but instead of a 30-pin dock connector, the Z2 features a Lightning-connector dock and AirPlay wireless streaming. Supporting the latest iPhone, iPod touch, and iPod nano models, the Z2 is available in black or white glass-filled ABS. (The black model is available now; the white model won’t ship until June.) Like the earlier Zeppelin mini, the Z2 measures 7.1 inches tall, 12.6 inches wide, and 3.9 inches deep; it weighs 5.7 pounds. The speaker looks cool, with a distinctively angled round top, and a pleasantly curved recessed area surrounding the Lightning dock itself. On the bottom...

OUR VERDICT – 5 Stars A lovely balance of comfort and sound quality creates headphones that can help craft great mixes. PROS Comfort and performance.   CONS None.   The open back ATH-R70x has a unique design feature: a pair of sprung wing supports instead of a continuous padded headband. This has two advantages. First they cover less of the head and, if you run a little hot like us, this is a good thing. Second, coupling between sides is minimised, which is key to good stereo separation. The R70x are so light it is easy to forget you have...

KEY FEATURES Yamaha MusicCast multiroom enabled Wi-Fi, Apple Airplay and Bluetooth streaming 24-bit 192 kHz High Res Audio compatible Services: Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Napster, Juke, Qobuz DLNA support Burr Brown DAC Manufacturer: Yamaha UK Review Price: £149.00 Hands-on with Yamaha’s new music streaming system WHAT IS THE YAMAHA WXAD-10? The Yamaha WXAD-10 brings streaming and multiroom audio skills to offline music systems. It works with anything that has an analogue input: if you have an old stereo that you don’t fancy throwing out in place of online music, then this is the solution. The WXAD-10 is the latest entry in...

  Klipsch is an American Company that provides the highest sound quality to it’s users at an affordable price. Busted Wallet had the opportunity to test the Klipsch R6I On Ear Headphones in 2016 with an outstanding review. Klipsch steps up its game with The Klipsch Reference Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones in a variety of ways. With it’s over the ear memory foam comfort,  Klipsch’s Balanced Dynamic (KBD) driver to deliver the purest bass possible, and high definition bluetooth technology, The Reference delivers. Let’s jump in! Key Features: Unique 40mm Klipsch Balanced Dynamic Drivers Up to 20 hours of battery life Integrated mic with cVc® aptX and...

OUR SCORE: 4.5 Stars  PROS Clear, expansive sound anywherre in the room Plenty of bass for its size Robust build quality Easy to install and operate CONS Deep cabinet Bass no match for an external sub Limited connectivity KEY FEATURES Single-box soundbar with airSOUND 4 x 2-inch custom rivers & internal 5.25-inch subwoofer Bluetooth, optical & 3.5mm analogue inputs Remote learning Bass and treble adjustments Optical boost Manufacturer: Orbitsound Review Price: £299.95 WHAT IS THE ORBITSOUND ONE P70? Single-box soundbars are seemingly back in fashion, with recent models from Samsung, Bose and Q Acoustics successfully beefing up TV sound without...