Matty – Senior Writer
We’ve had another ‘interesting’ year on our hands as we begin to say “farewell” to 2021. With many of us spending a lot more time at home as opposed to flying, commuting, and working out of offices, I’m certain that many Headfonia readers will be grateful for the welcome respite that enjoying music through their personal audio set-ups provide – I certainly am! Having launched my own beer business earlier this year I’ve reduced my review schedule somewhat, but I’ve still had the opportunity to spend some time evaluating some terrific products this year. Our product of the year – the Naim Uniti Headphone Edition – was far and away the most impressive device that came across my desk this year, and I’m not overemphasizing how much of a game-changer it is in terms of the way that it makes you have a relationship with your music and headphone collection. It’s simply phenomenal.
There are three other products that I would like to call out for special mention, having left the biggest impression on me as I look back on the year that was 2021.
BEST IEM:
Final A8000
From the review:
“The Final A8000 has all the trimmings of everything that you’d expect when stepping into ‘flagship’ territory: exotic looks and craftsmanship, thoughtful packaging and accessories, and a sound signature that arrests the listener and leaps out with a sense of excitement and shimmer. Lovers of detail, clarity, and speed will find the A8000 absolutely intoxicating. If this sounds like you, then it might be worthwhile asking yourself whether you could skip your next two or three headphone upgrades and go straight to your IEM ‘end-game’. If you can live with its looks and if it fits your ears comfortably, then the Final A8000 will continue to delight you long into the future.”
BEST Headphone:
Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Noire
While the Aeon 2 Noire was entirely impressive at the time, this headphone has proven to be a bit of a ‘grower’ on me. In fact, it’s been the headphone that I’ve reached for more than any other this year, proving to be an absolute ‘Goldilocks’ combination of good looks, sublime build and comfort, and a detailed, enjoyable and balanced sound that sounds far more open than a closed-back headphone ought to. The ‘tipping point’ in awarding the Aeon 2 Noire my Headphone of the Year, was comparing it back-to-back with Dan Clark Audio’s new flagship headphone, the Stealth. While the Noire does come tantalisingly close to the performance of its significantly more expensive stablemate, its value-equation is simply unmatched – you are getting one hell of a headphone for the money in the Aeon 2 Noire, and it’s certainly the headphone that’s impressed me most over the course of the entire year.
From the review:
“Options are a beautiful thing, and Dan Clark Audio has given us a difficult one by adding another visual and sonic take on the runaway success that is their Aeon series. The Noire builds on their already winning design formula by providing a subtler, more ‘grown-up’ aesthetic choice in the new all-black colourway, and the perforated pad choice gives users looking for a more versatile, genre-friendly tuning a welcome choice when it comes to a sound signature that’s more reminiscent of a classic ‘audiophile’ tuning, leaning away from the distinctly neutral voicing of the original Aeon Flow. All in all, the Aeon 2 Noire is simply a terrific pair of closed-back headphones – they’re technically adept and don’t seem restrained by any of the traditional hang-ups of closed-back designs, seemingly defying physics with their spacious, airy, and exciting sound. Those of you looking for a single set of cans to do just about ‘everything’ need look no further – just add plenty of power, and you’re in for a treat.”
BEST Amplifier:
Burson Audio Funk
Like the Aeon 2 Noire, Burson’s Funk has proven to be an absolute work-horse that has remained on my desktop long after I reviewed it. In fact, I can say in all honesty that I use it every single day in my desktop setup. Its flexibility in running both nearfield speakers and headphones gives it such an edge over similarly-priced competitors, and it doesn’t ever feel like its compromising in either capacity. The Funk is also brilliantly packaged, looks terrific and is a delight to use – I don’t see it going anywhere in a hurry.
From the review:
“It’s clear that Burson Audio has learned from their experience creating their earlier ‘Fun’ and ‘Bang’ models, and have managed to create a pretty special little device in their new Funk. As well as being both a terrific headphone and nearfield speaker amplifier, it somehow manages to be greater than the sum of its parts – it really does make a solid claim for itself as the only analogue device that deserves a seat at your desktop. I have tried finding a similar style of device to use in the past, and they’re either too large and prohibitively expensive like the Schiit Ragnarok, or have compromised headphone performance, such as the Emotiva BasX A-100 which is only really well suited to super low-sensitivity planars.
You are going to need to BYO source device with the Funk, but the fact that you can mix/match source gear does add to the Funk’s flexibility and does future proof it in that sense. And the Funk does make a solid ‘future proof’ proposition in terms of its performance as it happens to be a terrific-sounding device that pairs well with a wide range of both headphones and speakers. Throw in the fact that it looks great and is a delight to use, and it’s an absolute knock-out device in every regard. Sure, a remote and a couple of extra inputs/outputs would be nice, but at this size and price, it’s hard to complain. The Burson Audio Funk is an unreserved recommendation from us here for those of you looking to get the best out of your headphones and speakers on your desktop.”
And now on to the personal awards of Nano on the next page! CLICK HERE
