- VOTED BEST HIFI MUSIC PLAYER UPGRADE
- VOTED BEST HIFI MUSIC PLAYER FULL
- VOTED BEST HIFI MUSIC PLAYER PORTABLE
- VOTED BEST HIFI MUSIC PLAYER PRO
- VOTED BEST HIFI MUSIC PLAYER PC
VOTED BEST HIFI MUSIC PLAYER PORTABLE
As reviewer Mark Fleischmann put it, “The Walkman rendered 3D objects, loaded with shadings and nuances, often against spatially realistic or just dead silent backgrounds.”Ī super-charged version of Astell’s AK100 portable player), the AK240’s mission is to facilitate state-of-the-art playback of the highest of high-res music. Among them: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a large touchscreen, 128 gigabytes of onboard storage (expandable via microSD), 60-plus hours of playback on a single charge, and high-res playback (up to 192/24 and DSD). The top-of-the-line Walkman is not the smallest or lightest dedicated music player but it is beautifully designed and loaded with bells and whistles. Summing up, Mark Fleischmann wrote: “As a player, it does a superb job, with an interface that makes accessing music not only easy but fun.” It even supports vTuner Internet radio and has a built-in amp to power a pair of desktop speakers.
VOTED BEST HIFI MUSIC PLAYER PC
Instead of streaming music directly from a PC or external drive, it’s designed to transfer audio files from your computer and play them from its own hard drive. With a 500-GB hard-drive, 24-bit file playback capability, HDD Audio Remote app, and easy-to-operate design, the HAP-S1 is sure to grab the attention of any 21st Century audiophile. Sony HAP-S1 High-Resolution Audio Player, $999 “If our reviews of those products whetted your appetite but their four-figure price tags held you back, KANN might be the player you’ve been waiting for.” “I found it just as fulfilling to my ears as the far pricier AK240 (reduced to $1,499) and the price-no-object AK380 ($3,499),” wrote reviewer Mark Fleischmann. You can buy the NW-ZX100 for $600 or pay an extra hundred bucks for the bundle, which includes earbuds that take advantage of noise cancellation circuitry built into the player-an idea Mark Fleischmann called “a stroke of genius.”Īudiophiles who want to take treasured hi-res music files along for the ride, will appreciate KANN’s craftsmanship and luxurious sound quality. Sony has done the Walkman name proud with an advanced music player that delivers beautifully balanced and transparent sound in a sleek form factor with excellent ergonomics and up to 70 hours of playtime per charge. Sony Walkman NW-ZX100HN Hi-Res Music Player Bundle: $700 Summing up his impressions, reviewer Mark Fleischmann wrote: “The Astell & Kern AK100 is something I’ve long feared-a portable music player that impeaches the integrity of my several iPod nano and SanDisk Sansa players.” Compatible with Windows 2000 to Windows 7, it has 32 GB of memory, expandable via two Micro-SD slots, and supports lossless AIFF, FLAC, and APE files as well as uncompressed WAV files at up to 24 bits/192 kHz. The AK100 portable music player ventures beyond the iTunes universe to open a world of high-resolution music playback.
VOTED BEST HIFI MUSIC PLAYER UPGRADE
Verza is certainly not cheap but it will upgrade your phone’s audio so you can enjoy high-resolution music without having to reach for an iPod or other dedicated player. Problem is, it can’t excel at everything and audio quality usually gets short shrift. V-Moda Vamp Verza Headphone Amp: $598 (Metallo case, $101)įor most of us, the smartphone is a constant companion and a sort of electronic swiss army knife that puts almost any form of entertainment and communication at our fingertips. “The Korg DS-DAC-10R gives me those features at a price that seems eminently reasonable.” “I have reviewed several other ways to digitize vinyl, but none of them included the ability to record using my own carefully optimized turntable and the ability to record in DSD,” wrote reviewer Michael Trei.
VOTED BEST HIFI MUSIC PLAYER PRO
Korg brought its deep knowledge of pro audio to bear on the DS-DAC-10R, which combines A-to-D and D-to-A converters with a headphone amp and phono preamp.
Serious vinyl collectors will rejoice at the arrival of this unique digital recorder, designed to capture the nuances of vinyl records in high-resolution PCM or DSD format. Korg DS-DAC-10R Hi-Res Digital Recorder: $500
If portability and high-resolution music are important to you, you owe it to yourself to check out the AK Jr and its winning combination of slim form factor and truthful sound. Little brother to the AK100 we reviewed back in 2013, AK Jr is the most affordable portable music player from A&K, the company that has defined the state of the art in pocketable audio.
VOTED BEST HIFI MUSIC PLAYER FULL
Reviewer Mark Fleischmann wrote, “It would be hard to imagine a more agreeable companion for a long day of on-the-go listening.” (January 2017, Read Full Review) Here he’s come up with a player that holds its own against pocketable gear costing much more. Whether he’s building a pair of exotic electrostatic headphones, a mini amp, or a hi-res personal music player like the SuperMini, HiFiMan’s Fang Bian has a knack for nailing the sonics.