HIFIMAN HE1000se
A former $3,500 flagship now at $1,699 — everyone hears the detail and the stage; nobody agrees on the treble.
30 sources5 divided topics
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Bose QuietComfort 45
Near-universal praise for the quiet and the featherweight fit — and a sound that splits its listeners down the middle.
26 sources5 divided topics
DUNU Glacier
Harman done big: a kilobuck tribrid with class-leading bass and a huge stage, whose forward upper mids, heavy steel shells and price split the room.
65 sources7 divided topics
Edifier R1700BT
Edifier's long-running step-up pair: warm, clear and generous to most listeners, but boomy, coloured or outclassed by the MR4 to its critics, and happiest close up with the bass dial turned down.
35 sources6 divided topics
iFi GO blu
The smallest, loudest Bluetooth DAC/amp of its generation — with a radio, a hiss and a volume wheel its owners keep arguing about.
29 sources5 divided topics
Akai MPK Mini Play MK3
A mini controller that plays on its own — everyone loves the pads and the portability, and argues about the sounds, the speaker and how long the keys last.
24 sources3 divided topics
The dictionary
Know what you’re hearing.
Warm
A boost in the bass and lower mids that gives music a rich, cozy, easy-on-the-ears character.
Soundstage
The perceived three-dimensional space of a recording — how wide, deep, and tall the sound appears.
Bright
An emphasis on the upper midrange and treble — vivid, clear, and sometimes sharp.
Neutral
An even-handed sound with no part of the spectrum pushed forward or held back — balanced and reference-like.