The flagship model among the SPL's headphone amplifiers is the Phonitor xe. In contrast to the similarly priced Phonitor x, which with its balanced output can also be used as a preamplifier for a power amplifier and loudspeakers, the Phonitor xe is a pure headphone amplifier for the most demanding applications. You can choose between a version with or without an integrated D/A converter, which has been further improved compared to the other models in the Phonitor series.
The German manufacturer ESI offers a wide range of products for use in professional sound and home studios. With attractive prices and practical features, they are aimed at beginners as well as customers in the mid-price bracket. With the eXtra 10 model, the manufacturer makes its debut in this segment of the very competitive headphone market.
With the HD 820, Sennheiser has followed the outstanding HD 800 S with a top-of-the-range closed model for a particularly demanding clientele.
With the exception of the Orpheus HE-1, the HD 800 S is the top model among Sennheiser's open headphones. The successor to the HD 800 from 2009 is available both in the regular version tested here in black and in a technically identical Anniversary Edition in stylish matt gold which is limited to 750 units - and available for the same price.
The Scenes Lifelike 2 model from Mu6 is an exciting product at an attractive price. They are wired in-ear headphones with the supplementary option of stereo recording via microphones integrated into the earbuds. This also explains their subtitle "Binaural VR/Dummy Head 3D-Recording Headsets".
In studio circles, the American company Avantone Pro has been known (and loved) for years for reissuing legendary studio monitors such as Yamaha's NS-10 or Auratone's Soundcube, as well as a whole range of classic microphones of outstanding quality. But more and more often Avantone also release their own creations, which are often much more exciting than the replicas. One of these new developments is the Planar - an open studio headphone that uses the somewhat exotic magnetostatic driver principle.
Superlux have been around for more than 30 years and during this time the Taiwanese company has launched several devices into the"Personal Audio" and "Pro Audio" markets. Our practical test looks at whether the HD660 Pro is rightly placed in the "Professional Headphones" segment.
Mixing with headphones is problematic as they differ in sound from loudspeakers because they emit sound directly into the ear without any reflections in the room. Loudspeakers are also placed in front of the listener and, depending on the design, transmit sound to both ears. So it is no wonder that the mix does not sound identical, which can certainly cause complications. The Russian company dSoniq addresses exactly this problem with Realphones.
Mackie are expanding their product range with a bold price cut: With the MC-100, they are introducing a pair of truly affordable closed headphones. They round off the lower end of the product series consisting of the MC-150 and MC-250. This is particularly exciting because the other two models have already earned a price-performance recommendation from us. So we say: Raise the curtain, or rather your ears, for the MC-100.
Ollo Audio HPS S4X are reference headphones in the mid-range price range. How neutral and honest do they actually sound?