Amplifier

Valortiva Octa A1 Integrated Amplifier review – She may be small, but she be fierce

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Valortiva Octa A1 16

REVIEW – For years (like, forever), my go-to speakers for my computer set-up have been powered. Powered simply means that the speakers have a built-in amplifier (all speakers require a power source to produce audio). Passive—as opposed to power—speakers, have no power themselves but must be connected to a power source such as a separate […]

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Arylic Audio A50+ Wireless Aptx HD Multiroom HiFI Amplifier review

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Arylic Audio A50 2

REVIEW – A couple of months ago, I reviewed the Arylic S50 preamplifier and really liked it. When I tested it, I used a tube preamp to listen to it and to test its features. What is really great, is that Arylic has gracefully sent me the Arylic Audio A50+ Wireless Aptx HD Multiroom HiFi

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Shanling UP4 Bluetooth Headphone DAC/AMP review – great sound from a tiny package

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Shanling UP4 14

REVIEW – When I think about whether someone needs a portable digital audio converter (DAC) for their smartphone or not, I’m left with two more questions: “Will it allow me to use my older, wired headphones with my smartphone?” Or “What the heck is a DAC anyway?” Hopefully, in this review of the Shanling UP4

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McIntosh Audio goes small with the MHA50 Portable Decoding Amplifier

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McIntosh MHA50 1

Anyone who knows audio is aware of McIntosh—no, not Apple’s Macintosh! McIntosh is one of the most respected brands of audiophile gear with a history of great sound, long life and understated design with their signature blue lighting. Many years ago, I bought a Marantz receiver solely because it looked like a McIntosh (couldn’t afford

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Samson QH4 4-channel headphone amplifier review

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samson qh4 8

So, I’m a music guy. I like listening to music, writing music, talking about music, sharing music, and (other present imperfect continuous verbs) music. The SAMSON QH4 is a bit of a multitool for people like me. I can plug a few pairs of headphones into it, and share my music with friends. I can mix on

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iFi Nano iDSD DAC and Headphone Amp review

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iFi Nano iDSD 11

I’ve always been a fan of digital audio converters (DAC). They can make good headphones and earphones sound better by bringing out the best they have to offer. Audio listening is only as good as the weakest link, so if you’re wondering whether those expensive headphones can sound as good as advertised, upgrading the DAC

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Instant audio quality upgrade for your devices with this tiny amplifier

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Uamp

I long for the perfect smartphone. You know, the one that has awesome battery life, a high resolution camera that takes clear pictures in low light, and fantastic audio quality to blow you away. I recently upgraded my phone to a Nexus 6, but found one of the things lacking was the sound quality when

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Cambridge Audio DacMagic XS USB DAC/Headphone Amp review

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Cambridge dacmagic XS 2

Whenever I try to explain what a digital audio converter (DAC) does and why it’s a cool thing to have, I almost always get that “deer in headlights” look. Then – if they’re still listening – I tell them the cost of this cool DAC. That’s when the look changes to “are you nuts?” Sheesh,

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Modern sound from a steampunk device

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bluetooth sound enhancing amp

The Bluetooth Sound Enhancing Amplifier looks like steampunk, but it has some modern features married with some old technology.  The amplifier uses two 6N3 vacuum tubes to “generate 20 RMS watts per channel of distortion-free signal, adding punch and clarity to high bit-rate MP3s, Apple Lossless, or CD-quality audio played wirelessly from an iPhone, iPad, iPod

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Audioengine shows that big things can come in small packages

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AudioEngine D3 DAC

Computers and headphones are replacing the home stereo as the primary source for listening to music. Wireless speakers, Bluetooth, AirPlay, and a host of other technologies have developed and matured as a result. The external digital audio converter (DAC) also belongs in this group as a solution to the problem of lousy audio from desktop

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CMOY Headphone Amplifier review

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CMOY Headphone Amp 3

Before deciding if you want – or need – the CMOY Headphone Amplifier, there is something any buyer should ask themselves: Why do you want one? Seriously, this is important, because many people will buy a headphone amp for all the wrong reasons. Consider this: If you want an amp to make your music louder and

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NuForce Mobile Music Pump makes your music come alive

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nuforce music pump

If you find your mobile device produces wimpy sound, even through headphones or earbuds, you may need to boost the output with the Mobile Music Pump.  NuForce says that today’s mobile devices usually aren’t powerful enough to drive many of today’s quality headphones/earbuds.  The Mobile Music Pump (MMP) increases the gain by 3X or 5X

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Griffin Twenty Digital Audio Amplifier for AirPort Express review

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griffin twenty amplifier airplay 1

In the Cloninger family, we keep all our music in iTunes, so it’s accessible from our iPhones or iPads.  Music sounds great through earphones from an iOS device, but sometimes you don’t want to use earphones.  The built-in speakers in both the iPad and the iPhone are weak and wimpy, so we’ve tried various speakers

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Orb Audio is practically giving away Mini-T amplifiers when you purchase a it with a pair of Mod 1 speakers

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orb audio sale

We’ve reviewed Orb Audio speakers and amps a few times here at The Gadgeteer.  If you’d like a refresher of Orb’s great designs and quality, check out Julie’s review of their speakers, and my reviews of their Booster and Mini-T amps.  Orb Audio has just released their 2013 Mini-T amplifier, and they’re making a special

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Griffin Twenty turns any speakers into AirPlay speakers

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griffin twenty airplay amp

There are new AirPlay speakers on the market weekly, but what do you do if you have nice speakers you’d like to continue to use?  With the Twenty AirPlay Digital Amplifier for AirPort Express from Griffin, you can turn any non-amplified speakers into AirPlay speakers.  The Twenty is a 2.1 channel Class D stereo amplifier

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V-MODA introduces VAMP, an Audio Multitasker for the iPhone 4/4S

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1amazon vamp z front back side by side

V-MODA, maker of the Crossfade M-80 and Crossfade LP headphones, have introduced the VAMP, a headphone amplifier with a dedicated 150mW x 2 amplifier, DAC (Digital-to-Analog convertor), optical audio output and a 2200mAh battery – all integrated into a metal case for the iPhone 4/4S. It’s based on the GO-DAP 4.0 by VentureCraft, but tweaked

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SRS Labs iWOW-U Universal Audio Adapter with Faceplates Review

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srs iwow u 1

Bill Henderson recently told us about the SRS Labs iWOW 3D Audio Enhancer Adapter for iOS devices (see related posts for a link to his review).  Bill found the iWOW 3D was a relatively inexpensive way to improve the audio quality of modest earphones.  Everybody wants better sound without breaking the bank, so SRS Labs

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Draco Deep Bass Active Control Headphone Amplifier Review

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Draco Deep Bass Amp 7

The new Deep Bass Active Control Headphone Amplifier from Draco has me a bit confused. Draco likes to hype the strong, deep bass of this amp and yet, I am happy that they failed to do so. Sort of. See what I mean by confused? If you’re a bass head and you bought this amp

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Audioengine D1 Premium 24-Bit DAC/Headphone Amp Review

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Audioengine D1 1

If you love music and are less than satisfied with the quality of what you’re hearing, you might consider adding a digital audio converter (DAC) to your system or computer. DACs are slowly becoming popular among serious music listeners with many companies are now making them for every budget. Let’s look at a new entry

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