Holiday Gift Guide PDF - Flipbook - Page 7
BEST AUDIOPHILE OPEN-BACK
Meze Audio Empyrean II Headphones
$2,999
There are specific headphones in the premium price tier that
can give you a very special connection to certain genres of
music, but if you are looking for a headphone that can cover a
diverse catalog of music the Meze Empyrean may be the best
option out there. The Empyrean is the definition of a musical
headphone. No matter what genres I threw at it, I was always
engrossed in the music. Vocals are forward, but not in a way
that feels forced, and instrumentation is lush and round. The
Meze Empyreans are the most comfortable headphones I have
tried and probably the closest thing to all day headphones that
exist in the market today.
BEST AUDIOPHILE CLOSED-BACK
Focal Stellia Closed-Back
Headphones
$2,999
Focal’s Stellia closed-back headphones
provide incredible sound isolation with
unparalleled detail and resolution thanks to
Focal's "Formless" Beryllium M-Shaped Dome
Driver. The Focal Stellia goes beyond great
sound, every surface is incredible to touch
and the fit makes you want to melt into your
music for hours of listening.
BEST SOUND IN YOUR POCKET
iFi GO Bar Ultraportable
DAC/Headphone Amp
$329
If you are looking to decode HiRes music files on-the-go, the
iFi GO Bar could be the easiest solution to drop in your
pocket. In a unit the size of a pack of gum, you get a DAC
that can handle ultra-res PCM files up to 32bit/384 and
native playback of DSD256. The GO Bar's smart alloy case,
real-time feedback LEDs, and balanced circuit design further
enhance the user experience, providing power and precision
for demanding headphones. Note: If you are pairing with
sensitive IEMs be sure to check out the IEMatch feature to
silence any amplification noise.
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