In this article we present to you our Black Friday and Cyber Monday Audio Buying Guide. Look out for deals on these units!
Disclaimer: This list was built by the Headfonia writer team, it’s what we feel you should look for this year. Companies had no say in our selection.
Black Friday & Cyber Monday Audio Buying Guide!
Everybody is probably still following the elections and the aftermath over in the good old US of A, but Black Friday and Cyber Monday are coming up faster than you think. Deals will be popping up soon and all of the brands in the business will want you to buy their gear for the holiday season. There will be so many options that you in the end don’t know what to go for anymore.
And that’s where we come in. We for you have selected what audio gear our writing team would buy right now with their own money. We will be looking at the following categories:
- Headphones
- Universal IEMs
- Custom IEMs
- TWS IEMs
- Wireless gear
- Amplifiers
- DAPs
- DAC/AMP combos
- DACs/Sources
- Cables
For each category we are recommending three to four different units. Everything is split up by price-class, so there’s a little something for everyone in our Black Friday & Cyber Monday Audio Buying Guide.
For those who want to have even more options, we advise to check out our full buying guide, where we feature all of our recommended buys by category. You can find these here:
Let’s get started!
Headphones
$0-$500: Audeze LCD-1
Not only is the Audeze LCD-1’s sound great but the whole package is. Design, size, comfort, price and sound: everything works in favour of this headphone. It probably is one of our easiest recommendation ever. Keep your eye out on the end of 2020 already as this is the kind of headphone that will many awards, and has done so already. Will it also win one of ours? We’ll see, all I know now is that it’s going to be tough for the competition to beat this headphone at this price.
$501- $1500 : Focal Elear
While we don’t think it is the be-all-and-do-all, we really fell in love with the Elear. Its stellar build, comfortable fit and kick ass sound easily won me over. When listening to it, the issues with the upper-midrange and lower-treble don’t really bother. I have the feeling that a lot of people will love what the Elear is selling. The fact that it isn’t too picky about what’s driving it means you don’t have to toil over your pairing like you do with some headphones. Highly recommended.
+$1500 : Hifiman HE-1000(SE)
The HE-1000 series headphones score very well on everything and they most of all always stays musical. They are an absolute joy to listen to and they sound great on a whole lot of amplifiers. Hifiman wanted to make a series of reference headphones and they have succeeded in doing exactly that. My personal favorites are the original one and the SE version, but all 3 of them are still fully recommended if you can find them.
No limit: Hifiman Susvara
The Susvara is my personal number one headphone in my collection. If you like the absolute best technicalities the Susvara is King. It at the same time is musical, engaging and very comfortable. This extremely good headphone comes with a hefty price tag however. But if it’s in your budget, this is an incredible buy.
Universal IEM
$0-$500 : Fiio FH7
Yes, now we’re talking. The FH7 is the most sophisticated and successful IEM from FiiO. FiiO have finally managed to create an IEM that sounds correct, coherent and high quality this time around. And with its 450 $ price tag, it’s a wonderful IEM in the Mid-Fi area. I’m sure it will be a fan favorite in this price range soon. Considering the rich package content, build quality, fit and sound, the FH7 deserves great attention in the portable audio market.
$501- $1500 : Kinera Nanna
Overall Kinera Nanna is an excellent IEM and I think it has one of the best treble performances in the market right now. Highs are simply phenomenal and if you like your treble to be sparkling, this is one the IEMs that you should look for. Other aspects like bass quality and depth, sound-stage, and smooth mid reproduction are the other things that shine in this IEM.
+$1500: 64 Audio tia Trio
The Trió might be one of the most overlooked models by 64 Audio. Everyone seems to focus on the top-tiers in their range. However, a good number of things have made their way down the line and can be found in their other products as well. The build quality and fit are both great and I really like that 64 Audio is constantly trying to improve their designs by thinking outside the box. One thing that might be worth considering to change is the supplied tip-selection. Less here isn’t more in my opinion. Other than that the Trió offers the full package and to me is one of the best models out there.
The Trió might be the perfect fit for those who want a seductive sound, that’s easy to love and enjoy during extended listening sessions. It’s a monitor that convinces with excellent body and a mildly warm sound, a monitor that lets me forget about the rapid life in a big city. It has great body, emotion and guarantees me a fatigue free listen, where enjoyment is more in focus than technical excitement. The Trió has the ability to draw you into the music.
No limit: Empire Ears Odin
The Odin might be the perfect candidate for those who thought the Legend X was too overpowering, or for those who liked Wraith’s midrange clarity, but didn’t cope with its light bass. The Odin creates the best of both worlds, but keeps things more civilized in the bass. Empire created a monitor that definitely will speak to many people. To me, it’s my favorite product of their lineup so far. The elephant in the room clearly is the price. 3,399 USD is not cheap. Not even close. But it gets you absolute top level performance, all put together in proprietary hardware that was made from scratch. The Odin to me offers something unique. Something that makes me crave for more time with it. Its full, dense and powerful bass, coupled with an open and smooth midrange and a detailed and clear, yet inoffensive treble makes it jump right at the top of the shortlist.
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