headmania

[headmania]

2023 Munchen High-End Audio Show

It is with great delight that I share with you my long-awaited journey to the renowned audio show in Munich. This extraordinary spectacle has been calling my name for the past decade, but, as fate would have it, significant obligations have always steered me away, year after year. Upon entering the grand event, I was awestruck by its staggering magnitude. An ocean of innovation stretched out…

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Rockna Wavedream Signature Edition - Review

If you haven’t read my review of the Rockna Wavelight, it might be a good starting point before delving into this review, as this piece focuses on the highly-anticipated big brother I’ve been eager to hear for years. I have previously listened to the older version of the Rockna WaveDream, which featured third-party high-end R2R. That was an amazing DAC in its own right, but Rockna has since made…

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HeadMania.Org Telegram Channel

I have been passionate about audio for many years, and in 2012, I began writing about it with the intention of sharing my love for high-quality audio gear and making this hobby more accessible to others. This is not my first attempt at building an audiophile community, and I am constantly seeking ways to connect with other enthusiasts and share our experiences and knowledge. I also made attempts…

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USB Convertors - Singxer SU-6 & Denafrips Gaia

Dealing with USB issues is something I’ve encountered before with some DACs. Fortunately, the updated USB input on the MSB Analog DAC was a standout, featuring galvanic isolation and delivering a clean, high-quality signal. In fact, when I compared it to the network input, the difference wasn’t particularly noticeable. Not all DACs have galvanic isolation for their USB inputs, and unfortunately,…

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Yamaha YH-E700A & YH-L700A  Headphones Review

So here we are, back again to explore the world of audio gear. Although my time has been limited due to the demands of family and work, my passion for high-quality audio remains strong. In fact, I’ve been fortunate enough to play with many different audio toys in recent years, and I’m considering creating a YouTube shorts series to share my impressions with others. My interest in the new…

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Meze Elite Headphones Review

Meze Elite Headphones Review

Sometimes, from time to time, a product awakens my need to come back to this dusty website to share my impressions of it. Do you know the feeling when you are experiencing something awesome and you want to share those impressions with friends or family? Some people don’t have this urge, but I am one of those who have. So yes, this is why I am here, these wonderful headphones have awaken this…

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Rockna Wavelight DAC - Review

Rockna Wavelight DAC – Review

As you may have seen, my time has been limited lately and I didn’t manage to write any more reviews. However, it is time for me to make an exception for something that I think deserves our attention. In 2014 I have discovered one of the best sounding DACS I have ever heard and to my surprise it was built here in Romania. It was indeed in the big league on the same level with MSB Dacs. I am…

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Audiobyte HydraVox DAC - Review

Audiobyte HydraVox DAC – Review

I have discovered Audiobyte a long time ago, in 2013. I actually had the pleasure of meeting Nucu Jitariu the founder of both Audiobyte and Rockna, which the big brother of the later. Since then, I have been very impressed of their philosophy, their performance and their products. You can find my previous reviews here and here. My first product from Audiobyte was a high end usb interface. That…

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Benchmark HPA-4 - Headphone Amplifier/Pre - Review

Benchmark HPA-4 – Headphone Amplifier/Pre – Review

It��s been a while since I managed to get some time to write on HeadMania, as it gets harder and harder to find time between work and family these days. It’s also been a while since I have been this excited about an audio product.

As I have mentioned before, HeadMania is part of my audiophile hobby. I don’t get money out of it and it actually costs me to keep it alive. So, my reviews…

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Brainwavz B400 - In Ear Headphones - Review

Brainwavz B400 – In Ear Headphones – Review

If you have read my review of FiiO FH-5, those headphones got me excited about in ears in general. Since then I have actually bought a pair of JH13-V2Pro, but more about that in a later review. Meanwhile I managed to get my hands on a pair of Brainwavz B400.

Introduction & Specs

The B400 are Balanced Armature Earphones with 4 drivers inside. When I first looked at them, the design…

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Burson Bang Basic - Stereo Speaker Amplifier - Review

Burson Bang Basic – Stereo Speaker Amplifier – Review

If you read some of my early stories on how I got into this hobby, you may already know that Burson was an important brick in the foundation of my journey. 

My first headphone amplifier was Corda Cantate 2. When I listened to the Burson HA-160DS, I was kind really impressed, especially since the 160DS also had a better DAC than the very rudimentary one found in Cantate 2. 

At that moment I had…

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Chord Hugo2 - Portable DAC/Headphone Amplifier - Review

Chord Hugo2 – Portable DAC/Headphone Amplifier – Review

If you have read my reviews on Chord products, you already know that I was really impressed by their evolution and their performance. When Chord Hugo was released, I was impressed by the sound quality from that small unit.

Then, Chord decided to go even smaller with even newer technology with Chord Mojo. I couldn’t resist and I actually bought one for myself. What impressed me the most for Mojo…

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FiiO FH5 In Ear Headphones - Review

FiiO FH5 In Ear Headphones – Review

It has been a while since I’ve listened to products from FiiO. Usually they have managed to impress me with the quality of their products, especially in that price range.

Now that I have a newborn, it’s harder to find time to listen to my speaker system, so I started to look for a portable option. I also owned the first pair of in ears from FiiO, the EX1, which again were really nice for the…

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Martin Logan ESL-11A Impression Review

Martin Logan ESL-11A Impression Review

I remember a few years back, when I was convinced that I am a headphone only guy and that I prefer headphones to speakers. At that time, I had my headphone setup in the living room, on a desk near the couch that was facing the TV. At one point, after I finished a music listening session with my HD800 / Audeze LCD-3, I decided to watch a movie. The sound was coming out of the speakers embedded in…

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Toxic Cables: Rest in Peace, Frank...

Toxic Cables: Rest in Peace, Frank…

As you may know, I had a few cables from Toxic Cables, myself. Really good craftsmanship & quality stuff. I don’t know Frank Donghi (from Toxic Cables) very well, but I did have the chance to chat with him for a few times and from our little interaction I think that he was a good man and a professional when it came to his business. Your orders might have been delayed sometimes, but he tried to…

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RaimondAudio DM-120S - Speaker Power Amplifier - Review

RaimondAudio DM-120S – Speaker Power Amplifier – Review

A few months back, I had the pleasure of testing an amplifier that is produced locally by RaimondAudio. By the way, the website is not up to date, so for questions please shoot him an email at raimondaudio@yahoo.com.

Meanwhile I have heard a few iterations of the bigger brother of the amplifier that I have first reviewed, the DM-120S. I have to say that the version is quite amazing. Actually, I…

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Burson Audio Cable Plus Pro - Review

Burson Audio Cable Plus Pro – Review

If you are into this hobby for a few years now, I am sure that you have heard about equipment matching on a lot of occasions until now. Between dacs and amps, between amps and speakers, etc.

And indeed, I have noticed a lot of situations when for example a pair of speakers sounded great with an amplifier and dull with another amplifier. In this situation it’s mostly related to the needs of the…