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Yagiz – Senior Writer
Hello Headfonians!
I hope this message finds you well and ready for the New Year. The past twelve months have been incredibly fruitful for the audio industry, with exciting developments paving the way for a new dawn in audio.
Micro-planar drivers have brought planar technology to smaller designs such as IEMs, while bone conduction drivers are becoming increasingly more common. NuTube tube modules, subminiature pentode tubes, and complex R2R DAC modules have found their way into portable DACs and AMPs. I also believe that “quadbrid” configurations will likely follow “tribrid” in popularity.
Speculations aside, here is my list of the “best of the best” products I reviewed in 2024. As in 2023, the competition was fierce, but these products excelled in their categories and earned their place on this list.
As we enter 2025, I wish you all a year of incredible experiences in all your hobbies and endeavors. Thank you for being an important part of the Headfonia community!
Editor’s Choice
Cayin C9ii
From the review:
The C9ii is not just an amplifier but a highly versatile tool for tailoring sound to suit your preferences, gear, and music. In the review, we dive into the performance of each mode in more detail, examining their impact on tonal balance, dynamics, and technical capabilities. The Cayin C9ii is a showcase of advanced engineering, blending cutting-edge components and meticulous design to deliver a highly customizable and versatile portable amplifier. With numerous tuning options, each offering unique strengths, there isn’t a clear-cut “best” choice; it ultimately depends on the headphones or IEMs you’re using and your personal preferences. Its tunable sound characteristics and high build quality make it a true all-in-one portable amplifier for audiophiles who demand the portable market’s top-of-the-line amplifier.
Full review:
Best Desktop DAC – Best Value
Topping D90 III Discrete
From the review:
In my opinion, the Topping D90 III Discrete has redefined the benchmark for the thousand-dollar DAC bracket. It strikes an impressive balance between accuracy and musicality. The first thing that stood out to me was its remarkable transparency, reminding me of my long-time favorite and daily driver, the Hugo 2. One area in which the D90 III Discrete truly excels is detail retrieval. It reveals micro-details with an impressive level of clarity and resolution, offering a window into recordings that few devices in this price range can match. Instruments feel natural and transparent, with each note carrying ideal weight and plenty of air. Subtle nuances such as the fading of a piano note, the dissipation of a cymbal strike, or the half-breath a vocalist takes between words can be tracked with precision.
Full review:
Best Desktop DAC – Budget
Topping D50 III
From the review:
The agility of the D50 III really stood out during my listening sessions, making it feel like it has excellent control over the frequency spectrum, especially in complex genres. Whether I was listening to fast-paced heavy metal tracks or instrumental pieces, the D50 III impressed me. The D50 III punches well above its weight. I have a D90 III Discrete sitting next to it, which is undoubtedly a more refined and resolving DAC; the D50 III still holds its ground. While the D90 has clear advantages in terms of depth, tonal realism, and overall resolution, the D50 III gives you around 80% of the D90’s performance at a fraction of the cost (around 20% of the D90’s price). This is hard to ignore, especially for the budget audiophile.
Full review:
Best Desktop DAC/AMP
FiiO K19
From the review:
The FiiO K19 features a neutral signature with exceptional clarity, impressive resolution, and dynamism. It is quite powerful easily driving any headphone I throw at it. I’ve been using Ananda Nano for some time now, and it sounds amazing with the K19. Tonally balanced, clean, precise… What more can you ask of it? Its ability to drive any headphone with absolute control, coupled with its clean and dynamic sound signature, makes it a standout choice in the market. The K19’s abundance of I/O options and all-around versatility ensure that it can fit into any audio setup and serve multiple purposes seamlessly.
Full review:
Best Portable DAC/AMP
iBasso D16
From the review:
In a nutshell, you get a desktop-quality sound in a portable package with the D16. The D16 puts you in the center of the show and just impresses with each note. It renders the stage dead accurate and reproduces every little detail, artfully. The D16 is not a clinical sounding DAC/AMP, nor a warm one, it is well balanced, neutral with distinct musicality. The iBasso D16 Taipan stands out as a remarkable portable USB DAC & AMP. It is essentially a miniaturized desktop DAC, packed with high-quality components that work in harmony thanks to iBasso’s excellent implementation. Its design and build quality, along with its exceptional sound quality, make it a solid choice for audiophiles seeking TOTL performance on the go.
Full review:
Best Portable AMP – Best Value
iBasso PB5
From the review:
The PB5 consistently enhances the low end of every source/iem/hp I paired it with. There’s a subtle elevation in the bass that adds punch and body without overdoing it. Alongside this, the PB5 improves soundstage width and depth, sharpens the stereo separation, and enhances the overall headstage. Imaging felt more precise and realistic, giving instruments and vocals a clearer sense of placement in space. I also noticed a significant improvement in midrange textures, especially with strings and vocals, which felt richer, more natural, and more realistic.
Full review:
Best Wireless DAC & AMP
FiiO BTR17
From the review:
The FiiO BTR17 has a relatively balanced sound signature, except for a noticeably elevated sub-bass and a slight emphasis on mid-bass, which adds a touch of warmth to the entire spectrum. The presence of the THX “sauce” is apparent here, but what stood out to me immediately was how much sharper the BTR17 sounds compared to the BTR7, with noticeably improved detail retrieval. The overall tonality is dynamic and engaging, leaning warmer than neutral with a spiced-up lower treble that brings a nice sense of excitement to the sound. The BTR17 performs impressively well for a wireless device.
Full review:
Best Wireless TWS IEM
Noble FoKus Triumph
From the review:
The Triumph is the best TWS IEM I’ve heard this year, and by a good margin. Noble did a magical tuning that goes well with a wide variety of genres. It handles congestion-prone tracks like heavy metal with excellent control, especially compared to other TWS on the market.
Full review:
Best Wireless Headphones
Noble Apollo
From the review:
The Noble Apollo is an exciting entry into the wireless over-ear headphone market, blending premium materials with a fairly balanced, engaging sound signature. Its hybrid driver design delivers excellent clarity and a solid bass punch, while the different modes add convenience. Thoughtful features like the removable boom mic and physical mute button make the Apollo versatile for both indoor and outdoor use. I believe the Audiophiles looking for an all-in-one solution will appreciate the Apollo’s blend of style, functionality, and sound quality.
Full review:
Best IEM – Large Pockets
Aful Cantor
From the review:
The Cantor is AFUL’s magnum opus, channeling all the expertise gained from the Performer series into a flagship design. With intricate technologies, the Cantor delivers remarkable clarity, natural timbre, and a wide soundstage. Its strengths in transparency, detail retrieval, and balanced tonality make it a solid competitor in its price range, especially for genres featuring natural instruments. Though it requires specific ear tips for optimal fit (and sound), the Cantor rewards brave audiophiles with outstanding sound quality that sets it apart from the competition.
Full review:
Best IEM – Best Value
ThieAudio Oracle MKIII
From the review:
The Oracle is once more at my table with its super coherent and neutral-warm signature. It is a bodied, dynamic, well-tuned all-rounder that plays nicely with most of my music library. I listen to a wide range of genres, including some with less-than-stellar recording quality, and the Oracle MkIII handles them with ease thanks to its excellent technical capabilities. The separation and ability to handle congested tracks are important highlights that earn it brownie points in my book. Overall, the ThieAudio Oracle MkIII is a fairly balanced all-rounder with impressive technical capability. It is incredibly versatile and plays nicely with many genres with its safe and solid tuning.
Full review:
Best IEM – Budget
Aful Explorer
From the review:
AFUL Explorer IEMs offer a mellow Harman-tuned sound signature with a tasty sub-bass boost, offering a smooth and non-fatiguing signature at an excellent price. The Explorer’s presentation is immersive, liquid, tastefully warm, and smooth. The combination of Aful’s patented technologies and meticulous acoustic design has resulted in a well-rounded product that downright impresses.
Full review:
Best DAP – Best Value
iBasso DX260
From the review:
After spending three months with the iBasso DX260, I can confidently say it’s been quite the journey. When I first got my hands on it, I was curious to see how it would perform, especially since it’s positioned and named interestingly. The 200-series usually reflects iBasso’s mid-to-high-end bracket. In a nutshell, the DX260 is a neutral and transparent DAP with a very clean signature. It’s one of the most reference\neutral DAPs I’ve ever tested. The tonal balance and timbre accuracy is the highlight of this DAP. What really got me hooked was how the DX260 manages to be so neutral and transparent without sounding clinical or lifeless\dry. It’s been a joy getting to know this player, and it has quickly become my go-to source when I don’t want to carry the D16 + PB5 stack or my Hugo 2.
Full review:
Best Dongle DAC/AMP
iBasso DC-Elite
From the review:
The DC-Elite has a sound signature that immediately wows. The last time I experienced something similar with a portable device was with Lotoo Paw Gold, which had a similar, dynamic, and rhythmically magical signature that felt alive from the first try. The transients are transparently conveyed to the listener in a way that is easy to discern and follow. I believe this is the main reason why it echoed with the LPG player in my mind. The rendition of the DC-Elite is very similar; the end-to-end extension is definitive, clean, and emphasized. You know precisely when the dispersion starts and ends, as well as the attack. This, of course, translates into a signature that is dynamic, technically proficient, and detail-oriented.
Full review:
Best Dongle DAC/AMP – Budget
Onix Alpha XI1
From the review:
The ONIX Alpha XI1 is an excellent DAC/AMP, perhaps the best in its price bracket. With its black and gold aesthetic, Onix’s organic house sound, fairly powerful output, and overall impressive technical performance, it punches well above its price range. If you’re looking for a versatile and well-designed DAC/AMP in the $100 range, the Alpha XI1 is an easy recommendation from me.
Full review:
And now on to the personal awards of Nano on the next page! CLICK HERE.
