It's time for the annual retirement and new inventory. At this time, major media and websites at home and abroad will always launch various lists, but it seems that there will never be the "most authoritative" one. The reason is simple – because the criteria are not objective, such as the total sales of a given channel, such as the test score of the same platform, and so on. The root part is that hiFi standards are widely debated. Over the years Sony, in conjunction with the Japan Audio Association JAS and the Consumer Electronics Association CEA, made a Hi-Res standard, which is high-resolution audio. Then at Sony official, you'll see a lot of products labeled Hi-Res "Little Gold", which are usually not cheap.
Judging HiFi according to the price is naturally understandable, but it still lacks convincing. Although Sony clearly defines the quality of Hi-Res sources as quality beyond CDs, that is, the sample rate is higher than 44.1KHz and the bit width is greater than 16bit, the definition of playback devices i.e. players, ear amplifiers, headphones, etc. is broader - as long as it supports the playback of such higher sampled audio. As a result, there are various front-end and headphone products marked with Hi-Res on the market, some over 10,000, some as long as a few hundred. By 2022, the HiFi gold content of the "Little Gold Label" seems to have gradually faded.
Since it is impossible to establish a scientific evaluation system, try to find relatively objective from the subjective, such as the materials, parameters, positioning, etc. of the equipment, to screen out the annual audio products that we think can be called true HiFi. As an annual list, we also limit the scope of the selection to products launched after 2020, and the classic products of the early years are not included in the selection. In addition, the popular Bluetooth products are not in the recommended list, because the wireless program itself has deviated from hifi, although there are currently JVC FW1000T, B&W PX7 such excellent sound quality Bluetooth headset new products, but due to the natural limitations in the analog amplifier, in the case of good drive, the same price of wired hifi headphones still have audible sound quality advantages, so the following recommended part does not include wireless audio solutions.
B fans of the year best DAP - Fei Ou M17
DaP full name Digital Audio Player, that is, digital audio player, the earliest product to give a definition should be 2012 Avery and AK100, it is also the first product launched under the Astell & Kern brand. Now, in the tenth year of DAP, the original "earth cannon-style" "national brick" has also been transformed into the backbone of the DAP circle. The position of Fei Ao in it is at least second to none in China - it is rare to be able to achieve good brand influence and market scale in both the consumer market and the fever market.
The M17 is the flagship of the year in 2021, and the price of 11999 also broke the price record of the Flyo DAP. However, under the general trend of high-end, the price of M17 is relatively cheapest in a friendly business flagship, and has become a "true incense machine" with its excellent performance and comprehensive functions. In fact, at the time of selection, we also hesitated in the M17, CA1000 and QA390LE three million yuan machine, AK's flip screen design is amazing, QA390LE's strong parameters rarely meet opponents, but these two products have a relatively "fatal" problem - it is difficult to bring out. The same is the positioning of "mobile desktop", only M17 is based on the material and performance of the desktop level, to achieve relatively portable performance, which is the key reason for its final selection.
Desktop-level materials include two ES9038PRO DACs, THX AAA-788+ upgraded ear amplifiers, OPA2211 op amps, 470mF DMF supercapacitors, ultra-low noise LT3045 LDO, NDK femtosecond crystal oscillators, battery/DC dual-mode power supply, etc. The performance of the desktop level includes a maximum of 3000mW (32 ohm load conditions), a signal-to-noise ratio of more than 123dB, and a THD+N of less than 0.0007%. At the same time, in terms of human-machine experience, Snapdragon 660+4GB storage + 6-inch FHD+ HD large screen integration Android system, so that M17 can also be comparable to the industry's first-class level of Avery and streaming models.
Comments: In the "mobile desktop" circle has the best portability, in the "portable DAP" circle has a more powerful driving force and expansion of the game, combined with the pricing of early 10,000 yuan, is a very good one-stop front-end solution for traveling and taking into account the home.
B Fans' Best Little Tail of the Year – Lepit W2-131
After saying DAP, it should be said that the portable decoding ear amplifier. But times have changed, and today's portable decoded ear amplifier market has basically been occupied by "small tails". This form of product is essentially a decoding ear amplifier that removes the battery. The original power supply part is handed over to the device that provides the digital audio source, or the mobile phone, or the tablet, or the computer, and the small tail only needs a data interface, through the wired connection to obtain power supply and complete the digital die, due to the more simple and easy to use and lighter volume, the small tail almost replaces the traditional decoding ear amplifier status.
In addition to replacing the decoding ear amplifier, Small Tail has also divided up a large market of medium/ low-end players with excellent "sound-to-price ratio", and many player brands have even completely abandoned the new DAP product plan within 3000 and launched new tail products instead. The high-resolution audio launched by Apple in June last year also made many iPhone users and headphone burners choose the small tail as a hifi solution for going out on the street and being portable indoors, thus solving the drawbacks of poor control of the national brick.
To say the best representative of hifi's little tail, Lepi W2-131 was elected almost without suspense. In the ranking and selection of several major mainstream media/websites, its predecessor W2 is the first. Market sales and public opinion heat also prove its outstanding strength. As a representative of the technical hardcore domestic label, Lepi used independent crystal oscillators, independent flagship DACs, independent amplification chips in the flagship small tail W2 series, the digital analog part is independently powered, and even added an independent FPGA chip, and achieved a complete balance architecture in the chewing gum-like fuselage, reaching a thrust comparable to DAP (W2-131 thrust 32 ohm load close to 280mW, higher than W2's 230mW), more exaggerated is, The signal-to-noise ratio of the W2 series reached 131dB, and the 131 version even achieved distortion that exceeded the theoretical value of the chip. At the same time, the W2 series is one of the few high-end tails that offers professional-grade tuning, including exclusive music tuning modes and optional firmware that customizes tuning for different earbuds. Whether from the perspective of materials, architecture, performance or function and playability, W2 after connecting to the mobile phone is no different from the standard DAP, combined with the price of less than 2000, it is not too much to say that it is really fragrant.
Comments: If you own a latest top-of-the-line 16-inch MacBook Pro and want to achieve real performance improvements with a small tail, then your choice may only be the Lepi W2 series.
B fans of the year's best desktop front-end - DA-ART DA1
Desktop front-end products, we only intend to recommend one, the reason is that the traditional CD turntable new products are less and less, playing the turntable + decoding + ear amplifier split system players are becoming more and more niche, for the vast majority of new players, the feature-rich desktop all-in-one machine is more practical - DA1 is such an all-round model.
When it comes to DA-ART, many players are not familiar with it, but when it comes to Yulong, big-eared players must be familiar with it. DA-ART is actually a new brand co-founded by Yulong and senior musicians, focusing on cost performance and taking the young route. The design is more stylish than the traditional desktop decoding ear amplifier, and it is closer to the new burner in terms of function selection.
The DA1 is a new flagship launched by DA-ART, which integrates decoding, ear amplifier, and pre-production functions, which can work independently or switch to all-in-one mode. The machine is equipped with an out-of-print flagship DAC - AK4499, due to the parallel connection of multiple pieces of 4499 requires a very complex and precise peripheral circuit, but may cause performance loss, DA1 focus on playing a good single piece 4499, in the Class A large current buffer output mode still maintain excellent performance, in addition to the optional 240W upgrade power supply to achieve a more pure, stable sound. Combined with the fourth generation FPGA control clock, very low distortion is achieved. The DA1 has a maximum output of 5000mW (32 ohm load conditions), a dynamic range of 125dB, and a total distortion control of 0.00015%. The support of full interface high sampling PCM and DSD also makes it easy for mobile phone HiFi and PC-HiFi solutions to be done.
Comments: For less than 10,000, you can get a benchmark full-featured desktop all-in-one, whether it is a full-size headset or a source speaker, whether it is a mobile phone HiFi or PC-HiFi, DA1 is a fairly reliable partner.
B fans of the year best IEM - Sennheiser IE900
In the past two years, Senhai's two big news, one is that the consumer business unit has been acquired by The Swiss hearing aid giant Sonova, and the other is that after four years, Senhai has updated the new flagship IE900. Unlike front-end products such as DAP and Small Tail, headphones are largely "more family-eating", that is, more testing of the tuner's skills. On the BOM cost itself, IEM may be the lowest of all digital products, to make a good sound enough hifi, units, cavities, wires and other materials are only a small part, how to adjust is the focus, which requires enough experience accumulation, so whether it is in the ear or the head, we recommend the traditional manufacturer's "pro-son" products.
On the bottom of the IEM, Senhai is not the thickest, after all, people are doing full-size head wearing. But for the development of the same unit alone, IE900 has something to say. In the early years, Senhai's ear-in-ear solution was to find the old factory future Sonics in the United States, until 2012, Senhai finally launched a self-developed small speaker unit product, launched a new IEM flagship IE800, priced as high as 70,000 yen (about 5530 yuan). Such a high price, but the burner found that the small ceramic cavity "only" a micro-dynamic unit, as the dynamic circle "boss" label, this configuration is indeed some "key door", but after hearing its voice, many doubts have disappeared - Senhai into the ear products have a unique sense of transparency and loud field, without losing the iconic surging low frequency, and all this is achieved through a "district" a 7mm micro-dynamic ring unit, people have to marvel at Senhai's adjustment skills.
From the blockbuster of the first self-developed micro-dynamic circle IE800, to the new IE900 of the same size micro-dynamic circle, it seems to be a "small step", but in these 9 years, Senhai's in-ear flagship has gone through the iteration of the IE800S released in 2017. Today's third-generation micro-dynamic circle can be said to be the perfect fusion of old unit + new technology - three-cavity sound absorber technology further expands the extremely high frequency sound, up to 48000Hz; in addition to the improvement of high frequency response capacity, IE900 through a very small acoustic rear cavity, the low frequency and intermediate frequency accurate and clear distinction, and carefully adjust the chamber volume to improve the low frequency response ability, and eliminate harmful resonance, to achieve clear, precise, full, profound, transparent three-frequency performance. All the adjustments are also reflected in the final cavity shape - compared with the IE800 series, the MMCX interface and ear-grazing wear have been replaced, and a more standard IEM has been changed.
Comments: IE900 is not a "new bottle of old wine", compared to IE800s, whether it is density, resolution, transient and other quality items, or the optimization of the three-frequency neutrality and permeability, there are different degrees of improvement, worthy of the price of 1300 US dollars.
B fans of the year best headphones - Baia Power DT900 PRO X
After talking about the Ashkenazi big brother Senhai, the next step is to the old neighbor Baia. To say that the strength of the headset product line in the past two years, Baia Can Bisenhai is more active, following the high-end T1III, T5 Tesla flagship product line update, the MONITORING DT700PROX, DT900PROX was also freshly listed in October last year. Despite its short launch time, it received much more acclaim than the two high-end models.
And T1III, T5 is the same, the new PROX series continues the low-impedance design, 700 and 900 are 48 ohm impedance, sound pressure level 114dB / V, for high-end flagships, T1III and T5 after the low resistance of the two ends of the sense of extension, especially the sense of permeability compared to the previous T1II and T5P have regressed, by many Baia party criticism, think that the warming and darkening Ofby is not the real Baia. This time the PROX series still maintains a low-impedance design, the intention is to increase the compatibility of multiple devices, to achieve relatively easy to produce good sound characteristics, while the new STELLAR.45 dynamic unit also has a higher quality substrate, special high material voice coil, three-layer composite diaphragm, strong magnetic flux, can provide better low-frequency extension, greater dynamic range, smoother high frequency and higher driving efficiency, but carefully study the two styles, we still recommend DT900PROX.
A burner said, "Baia doesn't do closure." Although it is too exaggerated, but there is some truth, Baia's classic headphones, from the earliest DT48, to the DT880 series, as well as the tesla flagship T1 of the new century, are open designs. Compared with the closed headwear, the open design of the head will have certain advantages in high-frequency response and sound field performance, or it is easier to do well, while the closed type is often more prominent in the low frequency, and the permeability may be insufficient. DT700PROX and 900 Relationship similar to DT770, DT990 and DT1770, DT1990, the former closed, the latter open, 7 series of "cave sound" for some burners is a more obvious disadvantage, and the 9 series is basically not this problem, more provocative is that the tooth sound is heavier than the 7 series, but this time the use of the new unit DT900PROX in the tooth sound area is more smooth, the burr feeling is not serious, At the same time, lower impedance is also beneficial for multi-device compatibility, and pass levels can be rolled out even without a desktop-level front end. Combined with the sweet zone price of about 2,000 and the reliable workmanship of the whole series of German products, it is expected to become a new generation of classic headwear.
Comments: Quite successful update iteration, the new low-impedance design of the dynamic unit conforms to the trend of the times, the tuning style still retains Baia's clean and cold "rational direction" aesthetic, fully open structure, straight three-frequency and solid workmanship, work and listen to songs are two more suitable.