BECOMING A SHREWDER HI-FI BUYER: Part 8 – vintage STAX

Hi Howard. I know you resigned the STAX agency some years back. Can you offer some advice though? I am thinking of importing STAX for my own use? In my direct personal experience the following comments apply equally to new STAX equipment or used equipment: All STAX items have serial numbers. This means that any […]

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STAX: “The sound was pretty unimpressive, – dark, slow, and very uninvolving and not very transparent”

Dear Howard, I hope you are well. Yup – pretty good (but far from pretty!) all things considered. I remember you shut down simply Stax in the late 1990s, and I can remember reading somewhere that one of the reasons for that might have been because the quality control of the Stax equipment you were […]

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STAX: The SR3 & SRD-5 … and more?

Hi Howard. Just found HFA;  full of useful stuff. I am interested in the differences between the electret and mains powered energisers. I have a pair of Stax headphones labelled “New” SR3 which originally (when I bought them in 1975) came with an SRD-5 energiser. The SRD-5 (which is mains powered) was changed for an […]

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BOWERS and WILKINS: News 02

CHRIS HALL: When B&W launched the Px7 S2 noise-cancelling headphones in June 2022, it teased that there would be something even better coming later in the year – its flagship headphones, and most advanced model yet, the Px8. Ahead of the official launch, we got a sneak peek at these impressive over ears, and a quick listen […]

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ARCAM: irDAC-II Compact High-performance 24/192 DAC Asynchronous USB – Bluetooth aptX – DSD128 – Headphone Amp

  They say ….. For over 3 years, the irDAC has been regarded as one of the best and most affordable DACs available, anywhere. It has won industry accolades all over the world including two consecutive What Hi-Fi awards. Replacing the irDAC, the new irDAC-II continues the story, adding advanced Bluetooth connectivity, headphone output, DSD128 […]

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MEZE: About the brand and how to buy SHREWDLY in the UK

Meze Audio understand that music is not just a pastime but a way of life. Whenever creating or performing we’re accompanied by our favourite tracks. Meze design their headphones to transpose you in their world. The real wood design is specifically created to offer a warm sound, a sound that you can enjoy no matter […]

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HEADPHONES: For sale, looking good – so far!

FIRST … Please read the important statement at the foot of this page. Thank you. —//— $125 B&W P7 … https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649919658-b-and-w-p7-wired-headphones-excellent-condition/ $125 SONY WH 1000MX4 … https://www.bonanza.com/booths/Lendmarkinc_/items/1376467948?awc=6238_1668612188_1594eddafbd5a960cede70477c3d8ee3&utm_source=awin&utm_medium=cpa $129 AUDIX a145 … https://reverb.com/item/49516560-audix-a145-professional-studio-headphones-with-extended-bass?gspk=SGlmaXNoYXJrLVJldmVyYg%3D%3D&utm_campaign=Hifishark-Reverb&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=partnerstack-legacy $148 AUDIO TECHNICA … https://www.kijiji.ca/v-headphones/guelph/audio-technica-ath-m50x-bl-headphones/1640791283 $148 GRADO SR325 … https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/649918633-grado-sr325-headphones/ $163 GRADO SR225 … https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/649919048-grado-sr225-headphones-rarely-used/ $19 UNIDEN … https://www.bonanza.com/booths/TheLiquidationSource/items/1376848629?awc=6238_1668612140_b3bb42abf708a569d72fa553ac369646&utm_source=awin&utm_medium=cpa $229 GRADO PS500 … […]

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FOSTEX: About the brand and how to buy SHREWDLY in the UK

Fostex has a huge legacy in audio technology; founded by Foster Electric who have been developing high quality speaker components since 1949. In the decades since, Fostex’s product offering has ranged from pro audio equipment to studio recording gear, HiFi speakers and even film audio accessories for DSLRs. Fostex’s most recent focus is on innovative […]

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ONKYO: Iron Maiden Headphones

Metal legends Iron Maiden and Onkyo have revealed the name of their new on-ear headphone collaboration: Ed-Ph0n3s. Earlier this year a visual mock-up of the headphones was displayed on Maiden’s iconic mascot ‘Eddie’, at CES in Las Vegas. In the intervening months, Onkyo has worked with group founder member and bassist, Steve Harris to fine-tune […]

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BANG and OLUFSEN / BEOPLAY EX HEADPHONES: News

STUART MILES: What’s happened? Bang & Olufsen has given its latest pair of buds a stem and entirely new shape, perhaps taking inspiration from a certain Cupertino tech giant in the process.  Our quick verdict The Beoplay EX take Bang & Olufsen’s earbuds in a new direction, with the stem and better levels of comfort. We’re […]

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FINAL / UX3000 HEADPHONES: News

STUART MILES: What’s happened? Final is usually associated with extravagant (and painfully expensive) headphones that have their own dedicated listening room and wires that have to be handled with satin gloves, but the UX3000 is a headset you would happily rock on your morning commute. Our quick verdict The Final UX3000 headphones offer sound quality that’s largely unmatched […]

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WHAT HI-FI? Choice picks / Awards 2022 – A great selection of outstanding wired and wireless pairs

The What Hi-Fi? Awards 2022 winners have been announced, and the headphones category has no fewer than 12 winning pairs deemed worthy of Best Buy gongs. They’re spread across both wired and wireless styles, in-ear and over-ear designs. We’ve got a lot of familiar faces in the wired headphones sub-category, including repeat winners from Austrian […]

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FINAL / UX3000 HEADPHONES: News

STUART MILES: What’s happened? Final is usually associated with extravagant (and painfully expensive) headphones that have their own dedicated listening room and wires that have to be handled with satin gloves, but the UX3000 is a headset you would happily rock on your morning commute. Our quick verdict The Final UX3000 headphones offer sound quality that’s largely unmatched […]

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GRADO GW 100X: News

RIK HENDERSON: What’s happened? Grado is a family-run headphone manufacturer from Brooklyn, New York, with a seven-decade history. It focuses almost exclusively on open-back headphones and is thought by many to produce some of the finest examples in the world. In 2018, it introduced its first Bluetooth model, the Grado GW100. The heritage was plain to see, […]

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