- Superlux HD668B, my audio gateway drug, but I don’t think I’d discovered Z yet
- FiiO Q1 (mk1), re-sold immediately after buying…
- Oppo HA-2, which I still use for most critical listening
- MPOW Streambot Mini bluetooth receiver with BT 4.0 and only SBC codec support, which he reviewed in 2015 and which I’m still using right now to listen to YT audio while walking around getting food in me
- Superlux HD669
- HiFiMan HE-400i, still my top-tier critical listening cans today
- Logilink UA0211 (rebrand of a Sybasonic unit) because he reviewed the very similar Sybasonic SD-DAC63057 but I really really wanted the one with the headphones vs. speakers switch (don’t recommend it, it rolls off the treble, I went on to get an iFi after I realized that I couldn’t accept rolled off treble out of my PC into my studio monitors)
- Verum One (mk1.5).
- Superlux HD669
Nowhere close to as neutral as he said, it has a bathtub-shaped response with monster sub-bass and bright treble but missing mids all the way down to male vocals and bass guitars. Only used it with heavy EQ and only at the office where I didn’t care as much about quality. Gave it up because of the “headband” discomfort after a while.
- Verum One (mk1.5).
It has a super narrow soundstage and a veiled “650-esque” presentation that disengages me from the music and it took me 1 year to realize I wasn’t enjoying my critical listening sessions as much as with the 400i anymore. Nothing much changed when I got the newer angled and perforated sheepskin pads for it, though I did discover the soundstage problem was all due to the cable. I returned to the Hifiman and never looked back. I should sell the Verum one of these days.
