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Audio Technica AT-PHA55BT review

As more phones are removing headphone jack nowadays, people are starting to go with wireless headphones. However, for some of us that already have a wired headphones that we love, a Bluetooth receiver with more sophisticated DAC and amp section could be a good solution. Audio Technica has been in this market since at least 2014 with their AT-PHA50BT. This product I featured here, is AT-PHA55BT, the successor that released late last year in Japan.

Personally, I like the convenience to disconnect myself from wire between my phone and my headphones, so lately my collection of Bluetooth receiver has been growing. The AT-PHA55BT is one of my favorite and perhaps have the most unique character that separate itself from the rest.

Is an entry-level DAC/AMP worth an upgrade? A FiiO Q1 casual review

FiiO_Q1_1

I have never been an audiophile myself, although I love to own a good pair of headphones, I didn’t worry much about my setup. My personal belief is that to upgrade audio quality, a good pair of headphones is a lot more important than anything else. Of course, a good source is important, but I’m also in the camp that couldn’t distinguish a lossless file with a good compressed one (iTunes AAC files for example, is generally good).

But I have always been curious how a separate DAC/AMP could do to improve my setup. Is it worth upgrading over the on-board sound from my setup? So FiiO recently released Q1, an entry-level ($69.99) portable DAC/Amp and I decided to give it a test myself.