Music Streamers

Before we start: this review builds on two earlier pieces. For the full picture, read or watch my Kaiboer DMP-K8 Plus review and my Eversolo comparison guide, "Which Eversolo Should You Actually Buy?" , where I break down the whole Eversolo lineup, the A6 Gen 2 included. A Brand I Trust, a Category I Dont Some brands earn your trust with marketing. Shanling earned mine by building gear that lasts. They've been making hi-fi since 1988, long before "streamer" was even a product

Here is the Full presentation as slides, for more explanation please read review further: And here is the video review: I own more audio gear than most people ever will. Amps, preamps, streamers, DACs, and a frankly embarrassing number of cables. And I couldn’t plug a €99 streamer into a single one of them. That’s how my time with the Atonemo Streamplayer started. A tiny black box from Stockholm that promises to bring streaming to any speaker or stereo you already own. A lov

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

And why the whole K8 family matters' So when Kaiboer sent me the DAC-K5 a while back, I went in expecting exactly that. I was wrong. And I don't say that lightly. The K5 turned out to be a genuinely good streaming DAC, close enough to the Eversolo DMP-A6 Gen 2 in sound that I had to double-check the price tag. That review earned Kaiboer a permanent spot on my radar. What I didn't expect was how fast they'd move from "promising newcomer" to "company with an actual lineup." Bec

There is a box on my desk from a company that has existed longer than most of the hi-fi brands you follow on Instagram, and until a few months ago I could not have picked its logo out of a lineup. That is not a knock on Kaiboer. That is a knock on how the Western hi-fi press decides what counts as a "real" brand. Shenzhen Kaiboer Technology was founded in 2007. The name is a Chinese rendering of the English word "cable," which tells you exactly where they started: HDMI leads,

This is sort of part 2 of my review of Eversolo DMP A8 Master Gen2. Please look at that review to have a full picture of what i am talking about: https://www.hifidaydreaming.com/post/i-waited-long-time-for-streamer-like-this-and-it-finally-arrived-eversolo-dmp-a8-master-gen2-re Five machines. One family. I'm going to tell you exactly what you get and exactly what you lose as you move up and down this range, so you stop guessing which Eversolo is actually yours. And than we ar

*A lot more images and videos of this product in video review! So, my first Eversolo review. It's not that I didn't have any chance to listen to the DMP-A6 Gen 2 and DMP-A8 Gen 1. It's that I listened to them much too late, so everyone already did reviews, and I honestly thought that my review would be one too many. But then Eversolo announced the DMP-A8 Gen 2 Master Edition, with a fully functioning CD player. Me, a huge enthusiast for CD players, with the combined power and

Fosi now carry many hats, but for one or other reasone they never truly tap their toes in market that is most popular in HIFI, and that is a streamer market. Fosi build amps, and then came headphone amplifiers, DAC/amp combos, a turntable, and now this: the S3, a network streamer with a built-in DAC and preamp stage, priced at $259.99 and aimed squarely at the digital front end of a serious two-channel system. Fosi Audio has spent the last few years building a name around com

If you follow this channel, you will know that I did a report from the Shenzhen International Audio Show. And I had a few picks of my favourite gear. First was Sendy Audio Peacock, but in hindsight that was probably because it was synergised with the great Kylin DAC/AMP. But the second one was none other than the Matrix Audio TS1 streamer. I loved how it looks, how it feels like a premium build, I liked the interface, I liked the really good headphone output, and I of course

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

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

*My unit have been damaged in the transport, but it was just cosmetically and nothing on handwear level. As of long waiting time to...

Arylic as a company have a great reputation among DIY circles. They build quality and cheap components for you to build your amps, active...

It is becoming more and more apparent that we live in a future era of hi-fi, where music streamers play a pivotal role, allowing...

There is a great value visiting audio stores because it is one of the best ways to uncover new gear and get recommendations. So recently...

I spoke at length about how some amplifiers can work, sort of, as AVR alternatives. They are not going to satisfy your cinephile needs...

This time of two similar purpose devices, and that is to be full spectrum digital all purpose CD players with network streamers. ...

Quad Vena II is a great alternative to many amplifier streamers on the market. It is underrated in my opinion in that regard. This will...

This will mainly be a Wiim Pro Plus review, but I also want to put one idea into perspective. How much value does a budget streamer bring...

I wanted to do this review a bit differently as this device has been reviewed by many different YouTubers over time. So I will not...