AXPONA 2018 Show Report -- Audio Expo North America

AXPONA 2018 EarGear Expo Show Report
Personal audio products that impressed at AXPONA's EarGear Expo 2018.
AXPONA 2018 Show Report By Dave Hanson

EMU
Emu has been offering a wide variety of aftermarket cups for Fostex THXXX-type headphones for a couple of years now, and the fine woodwork is no doubt impressive. The teak and ebony cups are especially impressive to look at and listen to, with a bit more treble control than the stock Fostex models. Creative offers fully built versions of the Emu Teak for $999, but smart shoppers know they are periodically on sale for $499 via Massdrop.

Emu has also started offering an entry-level model for $99, generally called the Emu Walnut (though it's available in a variety of woods). I got a chance to listen to these at AXPONA 2018, and I gotta say, they're not bad. For those who have a hard price cap of $100 for headphones, this is definitely a model that's worth checking out, especially if you're looking for a lively bass response.

FiiO
Fiio has more portable goodies than you can shake a stick at, including the versatile X5 Gen III DAP ($399), which accompanies me to all audio shows. I spent most of my time at their table playing around with the new M7 DAP, which should be available in the United States soon. As I understand it, the M Series is targeted toward a more mainstream audience than the X Series DAPs, and this one should land in the $200-$250 price range once it hits the streets in the US.

I found the sound to be very neutral and quite a bit drier than the more lush and resolving X5 Gen III, but for the MSRP, it's not far off and there is a similarly robust feature set.

I also got a chance to play around with FiiO's Q5 portable DAC/Amp ($349.99). This simple looking silver brick is anything but, packing a full suite of features: Bluetooth capability, an AK4490 DAC, balanced output and DSD decoding are just the tip of the iceberg here. The sound was incredibly solid for just $349 and the Q5's ability to serve as a useful tool in so many parts of the chain can't be overstated.

Final
I've never been much of a fan of Final's over-ear designs. The Sonorous series has always sounded a bit "off" to me personally and I find them to be more than a little overpriced. But I've been hearing great things about Final's new flagship, D8000 ($3,799). I finally got a chance to spend some quality time with it at AXPONA, and wow, does it ever impress!

The D8000 is an open planar magnetic design. After a bit of a strange start at their booth (with a broken amplifier mangling the sound), I got to hear it across the aisle on the excellent Wells Milo Reference ($5,000). The sound was incredibly airy and wide open, with gobs of resolution and a nice sense of linearity across the frequency spectrum. The headphone was very transparent and really just seemed to disappear off my head. I gotta say, this is a really, really nice piece, and it appears Final has finally made a flagship worthy of this level of flagship pricing. I'd be interested to hear this up against similarly priced flagships like the LCD-4 and Utopia to see how it measures up head-to-head.

Focal
Focal had something for audiophiles and pro audio users alike. In addition to their impressive hi-fi line-up, Focal has tweaked their popular Clear and Listen headphones for the professional market. The Clear Professional ($1,699) Listen Professional ($299) offer some slight tweaks like durable microfiber earpads and some minor tuning adjustments. I spent a little bit of time with both and came away fairly impressed.

The Listen Professional is a closed headphone that offers a ton of bang for buck in the sound department, though the comfort is not exactly top notch. It seems to be a reasonable tradeoff, as there is always going to be some catch in the sub $300 price range, but if comfort is an issue, buyers may want to explore other options.

The Clear Professional had no such compromises. The form and fit of the Clear is excellent and the sound is unquestionably reference worthy. These are open headphones, intended for reference mixing and mastering, not recording, so they lack any kind of isolation. But I found them to be wonderfully neutral and revealing and they are relatively easy to drive. They should make a very nice addition for studio pros who want the very best tools for their craft.

HiFiMAN
HiFiMAN has something for everybody with arguably best-in-class options at two very different ends of the price spectrum. Their mid/entry level Sundara ($499) might be the best headphone under $500, with fantastic linearity across the frequency spectrum, fast bass, sweet mids and well-controlled treble. It's a very complete package for under $500 and I'm a little surprised it's not more popular than it is.

At the other end of the price spectrum, the flagship Susvara ($5,999) and Shangri-La Jr ($7,999) provide a ton of detail and openness and a very clean, articulate sound. I've now listened to the Susvara on at least half a dozen end-game amplifiers and I'm always impressed with its transparency and visceral impact. I've especially enjoyed it on very holographic sounding tube amps like the Woo WA-33 ($7,999), Cayin HA-300 ($3,999) and ModWright Tryst ($2,999) – which really showcase the Susvara's ability to erase itself and become a completely transparent window into the music.

iFi Audio
The folks at iFi have really carved out a reputation for creating versatile gear with great bang-for-buck value. One of my favorite pieces of gear from AXPONA was their new portable DAC/amp, the xDSD ($399). This is a very interesting piece, with a multi-bit Burr Brown DAC, MQA capability, aptX Bluetooth, and an interesting "S-Balanced" output that works with both 3.5mm balanced and non-balanced connections.

I got to listen to the xDSD with the 1MORE Triple Driver Over-Ear headphones I reviewed ($249), and I was very impressed with the sound. While it was barely the size of a deck of cards, the xDSD was rich and musical once the music started playing. iFi Audio's usual 3D sound and xBass options were well implemented, and I enjoyed the sound even more with them on. I also got to sample the Bluetooth connection, and the sound was still rock solid – and heck if that isn't a convenient way to listen. I definitely wasn't feeling like there were a lot of sonic sacrifices going on in Bluetooth mode, and given all the other bells and whistles, it starts to look pretty tempting as a total package. Watch for our full review of this one in the coming months!

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