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The Amp Inside Is Older Than Your Phone I'll be honest. I came into this review with a bias against Arylic. I'd used their products before, and my expectations were set firmly at "fine." Then I opened the LA50's spec sheet and almost closed it again. Every number on it told me the same story: this is going to be an okay product. Nothing more. The Arylic LA50 costs $249. Inside sits a Texas Instruments TPA3116D2, a Class D chip that has been powering bargain-bin mini amps for

Same Sentence, Different Box Every few months, an SMSL box lands on my desk with the same line printed somewhere on it. New high-power amplifier chip from Infineon, Germany. I've read it so often I could recite it in my sleep. Which, to be fair, is where I do most of my spec-sheet reading. But I'll admit something. For a long time, my favorite value DAC on the market was SMSL's own RAW DAC 1. So when the RAW name showed up on a power amp, I didn't open this box as a cynic. I

I have a rule about Class D. At the budget end, up through the "I just want good sound without selling a kidney" tier, I love it. You get power, stability and a level of clarity that Class A/B amps at the same price simply cannot touch. Class D at that level isn't a compromise. It's often the smarter engineering decision. But something happens once the price climbs. Once you're no longer choosing based on what you can afford but on what you actually want to live with, I find

For more great review, and to understand some context of this review see my review of Musical Fidelity M5si: https://www.hifidaydreaming.com/post/even-9-years-old-musical-fidelity-m5si-is-still-unbeatable-in-it-s-price-range-vs-arcam-radia-a25 It got me on first sight. Instantly. No hesitation, no reviewer's caution, none of the professional distance I am supposed to maintain. I saw the A10 Apex and I wanted it, and I am not going to pretend otherwise just to sound rigorous.

Long-time readers of this site know I have a weakness. It is British, it weighs as much as a small dog, and it says Musical Fidelity on the faceplate. I called the M3si big, bold and best in class. I called the M5si the most affordable end game amp on the market, nine years after its release, which is not something a sane reviewer should be able to say about any electronics. So when Musical Fidelity announced the M6xi, the long-awaited successor to the M6si, I felt two things

I can tell you right now, there are four reasons to get this amp: great vintage-style real wood panel looks, the FiiO app's PEQ, big power output, and good sonic quality. That makes it one of the most complete packages in this cheap Class D market. Let's go into a little more detail. Build Quality/Specs Jade Audio is FiiO's newer sub-brand, and the Level 1 is its first stab at a desktop power amplifier. It lands at $139.99, built around the Texas Instruments TPA3255 chip that

This isn't a full review, but rather a continuation of my Onkyo A-50 review. I recommend you watch that review first, and the link will be in the description of this video. Onkyo A-50 review: https://www.hifidaydreaming.com/post/absoulte-best-buy-amp-currently-on-market-onkyo-a-50-review Onkyo M80 Overview I love going to music stores and demoing audio gear. While I was ready to acquire the Onkyo A-50, the store's staff actually set up the M80 for me to listen to. At first si

Onkyo spent most of the last decade as a cautionary tale. A name that meant something in the receiver years, then a bankruptcy in 2022, then a long quiet stretch where you weren't sure the brand still existed. So I came to the Icon A-50 with a raised eyebrow. The comeback integrated is a genre that usually overpromises. What landed on my rack is more interesting than a nostalgia play. The A-50 is the centrepiece of the new Icon line, built around a simple, slightly aggressive

Hello and welcome to my channel. Let's go through my favorite amps that you can buy now. I will give 5 awards. The gold, silver and bronze, and best budget, and best value. After that I will quickly go through alternatives that I also recommend. The thing is that it does not mean that the gold award is the best amp out of the bunch, it just is best in the crossroads of price, value, quality and versatility. But for you bronze might be the one, or best value that will best fit

My story with Hegel has been a rollercoaster of happiness and disappointments. But one thing was always a constant during all those years, is that at higher levels Hegel created amps like no other. But the big problem is always the value, as they hold quite the hefty premium to get great all-arounders. I am speaking from H190v and onward. I always believed that the value Hegel represented was more than justified. They offer unique technology, great sound, great looks, all in

Fosi pushing further The Fosi Audio BT20A MAX arrives as the latest contender in compact high-fidelity amplification, carving a niche between affordable desktop amps and more traditional integrated designs. It represents Fosi’s most ambitious effort yet to marry robust power delivery, advanced Bluetooth streaming, and flexible connectivity in a chassis small enough for desktop or living-room placement. It is a never-ending chase to achieve as much as you can for as little mon

I do not take this title lightly, it was a thought that was brewing in me for one year now. I have kept Marantz M1 as one of my absolute must-haves to buy when it was announced. But life is not always what we want, so actually to acquire it, it took me some time. And you know what they say: great things come for those who wait, or save money. Why Marantz M1 is so special But what I saw in Marantz M1 was a direct competition to the rising tide of eastern competitors, who start

I recommend that you look at my review of Ampapa D1 for a more fuller picture of collaboration of Douk Audio and Ampapa. But here we have a really great product. Why you need preamp A product that on its own is a bit hard sell, but as a supplementary product is a must have, ofc I speak about A1 preamp, to your amp. And as with every Class D amps, these tube preamps just go so well just like butter on a jelly. Its warmth and emphasis on lower spectrum of dynamics scale, helps

I think we all can agree that sonic renaissance that came from the East brought many quality cheap devices, will that be DACs, streamers, amp etc. But while they are masters of using chip devices to maximise its quality and value, there is always a lot to be desired with looks of those devices. Very simple design language in industrial design and software design alike. I wanted for long time to see some experimentation here. And while Douk Audio is not aimed to win design awa

It is great to see companies listen, and deliver what they think their users need. And this is an almost perfect example of such a thing....

Audiophile world is experiencing a change, we see many cheap devices coming that sound great, we see more and more different offers, with...

I know I know... That is a bold title isn't it. Well I am here to try to explain that title, and to lay out my reasoning and proof for...

I have reviewed now many SMSL products, DACs, Amps, CD Players etc. And after some time you get acquired with company enough that you...

Another day, another TPA3255 chip-driven Class D amplifier. And this time by Aiyima, a company I've heard a lot about here on YouTube. ...

I wanted to do this review ever since I started this channel. It is a review of an amp that I absolutely adore, and that always has a...