Best Hi Res

The Sony NW-A55 is a portable digital audio player from Sony's Walkman series, featuring a compact aluminum chassis and support for high-resolution audio formats including FLAC, DSD, and ALAC. The device includes Sony's S-Master HX digital amplifier technology and offers battery life suitable for ex...

The Sony NW-A45 is a portable digital audio player released by Sony in 2017 as part of their Walkman NW-A series. The device features a 3.1-inch touchscreen interface, 16GB of internal storage expandable via microSD card, and supports high-resolution audio formats including FLAC, ALAC, and DSD. It i...

The Sony NWZ-A17 is a portable high-resolution digital audio player released by Sony in 2014 under its Walkman brand. It supports playback of FLAC, ALAC, WAV, and other lossless formats, with up to 192 kHz/24-bit resolution. The device features a 2.25-inch LCD screen, 64 GB of internal storage expan...

Tidal has cemented its reputation as the premier service for audiophiles and artist-focused listeners. It pioneered high-fidelity streaming with its CD-quality and Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) tiers, offering studio-grade sound. Under new ownership, it has expanded its offerings to include hi-...

The Fiio X5 (2nd generation) is a mid-range portable Digital Audio Player (DAP) released by the Chinese electronics manufacturer Fiio in 2015. Engineered for high-resolution audio playback, the device utilizes dual PCM1792A digital-to-analog converter chips to deliver high-fidelity sound reproductio...

The Bluesound Powernode 2i is a network streamer and amplifier combo, offering exceptional audio quality and a flexible multi-room system. It supports high-resolution audio formats like FLAC and MQA, and integrates seamlessly with Roon for advanced music management. Bluesound's modular design allows...

The Sony NW-A306 is a portable digital audio player released as part of the company's Walkman series. It operates on the Android operating system, allowing users to install high-resolution music streaming applications directly onto the device. It features a 3.6-inch touchscreen and utilizes Sony's S...

The Polk Reserve R200 is a passive bookshelf speaker system engineered for detailed sound reproduction. Its design incorporates a 5.25-inch woofer and a 1-inch tweeter within a sealed enclosure. This configuration delivers balanced audio performance suitable for audiophiles, music listeners, and tho...

The Astell&Kern AK320 is a high-resolution portable digital audio player (DAP) developed by the South Korean brand Astell&Kern. As part of the company's A300 series, it features dual CS4398 DACs, a touchscreen interface, and both standard 3.5mm and balanced 2.5mm headphone outputs to reduce signal i...

The Nothing Ear (2) are wireless Bluetooth earbuds featuring active noise cancellation, spatial audio processing, and a transparent design housing key components visible through the earcups, offering up to 40 hours of total playtime with the charging case.

The Fiio X3 (2nd generation) is a portable digital audio player released by the Chinese electronics manufacturer Fiio in 2015. It features a Texas Instruments PCM5242 DAC chip for high-resolution audio decoding, alongside dual microSD card slots for expanded storage capacity. Designed for entry-leve...

The Sony NW-ZX505 is a high-end portable digital audio player released by Sony in 2019 as part of its Walkman series. It operates on the Android operating system, allowing users to install native streaming applications while utilizing high-quality internal audio components like an S-Master HX digita...

The Sony NW-A105 is a portable digital audio player introduced by Sony in 2019, notable for running the Android operating system and offering Wi-Fi streaming.

A portable DAP from Fiio released in 2016, notable as Fiio's first touchscreen player with dual AK4490 DAC chips and an Android-based OS.

A portable digital audio player from Astell&Kern released around 2016, part of the A300 series with a single CS4398 DAC and balanced output.

The QCY Melobuds Pro are a surprise package: they support LDAC codec for hi-res audio, feature hybrid ANC up to 40dB, and include wireless chargingall for around $30. Sound quality is detailed with good bass and clear treble, though the default tuning is slightly V-shaped. Battery life is 8.5 hours...

Qobuz is the purist's choice for high-resolution audio streaming. It distinguishes itself by focusing squarely on sound quality and music culture, offering the highest available resolution FLAC files (up to 24-bit/192kHz) without engaging in format wars like MQA. Its catalog is meticulously curated,...

The Echo Link is an audio streamer designed for seamless integration with Amazon’s Alexa smart home ecosystem. It converts digital audio signals from sources like computers or mobile devices into a format compatible with existing high-fidelity stereo systems and Amazon Echo devices. This allows user...