Friday, March 6, 2026
Deal of the Day
1. Amazon Deal
FiiO KA11 USB-C DAC/Amp Dongle - The undisputed on-ramp to serious portable audio, and it costs less than a nice dinner out.
Despite weighing barely 8.5 grams, the KA11 packs real muscle — up to 200mW at 32 ohms, driving all IEMs effortlessly and even handling many full-size headphones. Inside sits a Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC supporting high-resolution PCM and DSD. If your phone doesn't have a headphone jack (it doesn't), this is the painless first step. Plug in, press play, don't look back.
2. eBay Deal
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones — Certified Refurbished (via Secondipity on eBay) - Industry-leading ANC for well below retail, backed by a real warranty.
Professionally inspected, cleaned and refurbished by the manufacturer or a manufacturer-approved vendor — certified refurbished products function and look like-new. This item carries a 2-year warranty serviced by Allstate, with free shipping and 30-day free returns through eBay Refurbished. The XM5 remains the noise-cancelling benchmark for commuters, remote workers, and anyone sharing a wall with a noisy neighbour.
New Releases
iFi iDSD PHANTOM - iFi Audio: British hi-fi manufacturer iFi Audio has officially launched its new flagship, the iDSD PHANTOM — a high-end, all-in-one unit that fuses a reference-grade DAC, ultra-resolution network streamer, and powerful headphone amplifier into a single chassis, available for pre-order at $4,499 USD. The platform is built around a new streaming engine capable of handling up to 768 kHz PCM and DSD512 from services like Qobuz Connect and TIDAL Connect, paired with a quad Burr-Brown DAC topology. (Source)
THIEAUDIO Cypher - THIEAUDIO: The Cypher is THIEAUDIO's comeback chapter into premium headphones, embodying hard-earned lessons and delivering an industry-leading reference sound signature wrapped in a modern-heritage design — an open-back dynamic driver headphone capable of delivering a reference-class tonal signature. It launched via Kickstarter and is already generating serious heat in the community. (Source)
CrinEar Protocol Max Dongle DAC/Amp - CrinEar: The Protocol MAX is one of the most powerful dongle DAC/amps available, with excellent objective and subjective performance. It features a built-in parametric EQ configurable via the Hangout.audio graph tool, making it hard to recommend almost anything else — whether you're looking for an upgrade to PC audio or a high-performance portable option. (Source)
Reviews Worth Reading
FiiO JT7 Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphone reviewed by Resolve & Listener (Headphones.com): The FiiO JT7 is an open-back planar magnetic headphone priced around $120, reviewed as potentially the new planar benchmark in the budget headphone space. A $120 planar that challenges the pecking order is the kind of thing that makes the hobby genuinely fun. (Watch)
HEDD Audio HEDDphone D1 reviewed by Headphones.com team: The HEDDphone D1 is an $800 open-back dynamic driver headphone that may actually deliver the "HD 600 upgrade" audiophiles have been waiting for, pairing exceptional build and serviceability with a reference tuning and genuine all-rounder performance. If you've been sitting on the HD 600 fence wondering what's next, this review is worth your Friday evening. (Read)
"Most Underrated Audiophile Headphone" — Griffin Silver (Listener) at Headphones.com: What makes a headphone truly underrated? In this video, Listener breaks down the criteria used to judge overlooked audiophile headphones — and makes the case for what they think is the most underrated audiophile headphone on the market. A nice palate cleanser from hype cycles, and the argument is more rigorous than the title suggests. (Watch)
Reddit Roundup
"Which audiophile forum should I trust?" - r/headphones: Post the same $99 DAC on three major audio forums and watch what happens — one community treats it as a breakthrough, another offers cautious approval, a third shifts the conversation toward tubes and system synergy. A Headphonesty deep-dive published this week maps the blind spots of ASR, Reddit, and Head-Fi, and it's required reading for anyone who takes forum opinions at face value. (Thread)
"The Sennheiser HD 600 is still the most recommended headphone on Reddit after 231,000 comments" - r/headphones: Headphone trends move fast, but Reddit recommendations often do not — after analyzing more than 231,000 comments from r/headphones, the Sennheiser HD 600, first released in 1997, still shows up more than any other. Make of that what you will. The old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be — except she kind of is. (Thread)
"Best portable Bluetooth DAC/amp for 2026?" - r/headphoneadvice (via Head-Fi): For 2026, the most widely recommended portable Bluetooth DAC/amp is the FiiO BTR17, offering LDAC/aptX Adaptive (and Lossless), strong output, dual-port design, and excellent app support. If you're in this boat, the BTR17 is the safe answer — though the community notes a BTR19 may surface later this summer. (Thread)
"Do measurements actually predict what you'll enjoy?" - r/audiophile: The Harman target curve began as a research-backed reference for preferred frequency response, but in some threads it shifts from guideline to expectation — users have reported recommending a $150 headphone over a more expensive model solely because it adheres more closely to Harman. The eternal argument rages on. Our take: measurements tell you what a headphone is, not whether you'll like what it is. (Thread)
Resource of the Day
AutoEQ — A massive, community-maintained database of parametric and graphic EQ profiles for headphones.
AutoEQ (github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq) algorithmically generates correction EQ profiles from raw headphone measurements, targeting a configurable reference curve — Harman, diffuse-field, or your own. Tools like EQ APO + Peace or Roon can be used alongside these profiles to tune sound to taste. It covers thousands of headphones and IEMs, outputs settings compatible with EQ APO, Peace, Wavelet (Android), and more — making it the first stop whenever you pick up a new pair and want to know if the tuning can be improved before spending a penny.
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