Hello.
What are we doing here?
It remains to be seen. I am currently writing component and headphone reviews for Gary over on Headphone.Guru. While this space will be less structured, I do aspire to usefulness, at least some part of the time. There will be many rambles on why and how we listen, because I think it's something we could use today. The art of listening, beyond the borders of music and hifi, is key. Something I could work on more. Also, active listening can be, like sitting in a movie theater, before a painting, or with a book, a nourishing ritual. HiFi gives music it's due. Plus, tubes. I love tubes. Transistors, ribbons, horns and big paper woofers. Vinyl too.
Right now, my head is wrapped in the HIFIMAN Arya WiFi headphone, listening to vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa's Blue Note release, Diavola. Here, she's backed by Joshua Redman, Jeff Parker, Paul Cornish, Larry Grenadier and Brian Blade. Good grief. Give it a listen.
The Arya WiFi review's up on H.G. It's actually an integrated headphone system, with built-in power supply, Bluetooth and WiFi receivers, a streaming processor, two DAC chips (Hifiman's Hymalaya Mini DAC) and an amplifier. All of this fits on a board sandwiched between the external framework and driver. The driver itself is HIFIMAN's Neo Supernano Diaphragm Gen.2, which is an ultra-thin planar magnetic design. It's an impressive device, and, it sounds really good. As always, your source matters. Qobuz streaming service is cool, and worth the investment. As for the Arya WiFi, there aren't many products like it. Yet. Maybe that will change. If you're not yet a hifi nerd, don't mind looking odd with a giant headset strapped to your head and have interest in better sound, these headphones are worth a listen. Gateway stuff. No fuss with amps or other components. No wires, except the single USB cable used for charging, or running wired to a computer. You get a taste of the higher-end of the personal audio space. Cool. They're not cheap, no, though I'd say it's a good value for any active listener. You get great sound from your phone, tablet or computer without the need for a backpack full of gear. They're open-back, so not great for travel, but are certainly portable, at least from a certain angle.
Moving on to Tomeka Reid's, dance! skip! hop!, released February this year on Out of Your Head Records. It swings like a mofo. I dare you not to shake it.
So, there will be lots of gear chatter, but I will also cover records I find interesting. Probably a lot of improvised music, experimental pop and well, everything else. I like music. No rules, except these: we won't be treating music like wallpaper. Or social currency. Nor will we analyze it 'till it's dead. If it's affecting, well, that's a good start. It may be enough. I encourage you to listen for yourself. We don't know 'til we do.
I am waiting on the latest headphone from Grell Audio, the OAE2. This will be my next review on H.G, and another very interesting (and handsome) headphone from an engineer, Axel Grell, who's behind many great designs, like the Sennheiser HD800. Grell spent decades at Sennheiser and is bringing this wealth of experience to his family business. I've not heard the OAE1, their first product, but am looking forward to sitting with the latest. The OAE2 is a sensitive (100db) dynamic headphone, based on a 40mm bio-cellulose driver, implemented within a unique, open design intended to bring listeners closer to a near-field experience. Ultra-near-field. Rad.
Back soon.
