The Audio Files
Your place for audio reviews, news, learning, and guides from our experts.
Revolutionary open back headphone design?
grell's newest OAE2 features a solid bass and midrange tuning, but its forward-mounted driver design creates a highly volatile, potentially sibilant, potentially cavernously dark treble that makes it hard to recommend.
CrinEar Monolith Review - Bassheads Only
CrinEar Monolith is an unhinged, gold-plated bass cannon limited to 999 units. It completely abandons reason, favoring suffocating the listener with bass and catching their eye with ostentatious visuals.
DCA Core First Impressions - Headphone tuning the 'right' way?
The $900 DCA Aeon CORE fixes past errors with tuning to the Harman target, delivering a highly forgiving, timbrally natural alternative to the flagship E3.
About to shake things up? - Aune AR9000 & AR3000 First Impressions
At Vienna High-End 2026, Aune turned heads with the flagship AR9000 and a shockingly good, ultra-affordable open-back prototype called the AR3000.
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Revolutionary open back headphone design?
grell's newest OAE2 features a solid bass and midrange tuning, but its forward-mounted driver design creates a highly volatile, potentially sibilant, potentially cavernously dark treble that makes it hard to recommend.
CrinEar Monolith Review - Bassheads Only
CrinEar Monolith is an unhinged, gold-plated bass cannon limited to 999 units. It completely abandons reason, favoring suffocating the listener with bass and catching their eye with ostentatious visuals.
Subtonic Storm vs. Mysticraft Hex - What's the best IEM in the world?
Subtonic Storm vs. Mysticraft Hex: Which luxury in-ear monitor reigns supreme in audiophile's summit-fi price bracket?
Sennheiser HD 480 Pro vs Audiophile Closed-Backs
The Sennheiser HD480 Pro sets a new closed-back benchmark with uncharacteristic timbral accuracy for a closed-back headphone and incredible comfort.
Latest Buying Guides
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Buying Guide: Best DACs, Headphone Amps and DAC/Amp Combos to buy in 2026
As we head into 2026, join us at The Audio Files as we round up some of the best and most compelling products in audio source gear. No matter if you're looking to spend a few hundred, or thousands for the best you can get, we've got you covered!
The Best High-End IEMs (Unlimited Budget) - Start of 2026 Edition
Wonder what the best IEMs in the world with an unlimited budget are? Fc-Construct gives you some of his top choices that are worthy of attention.
The Best IEMs Under $2,500 - Start of 2026 Edition
Looking for the best IEMs under $2,500? The Headphones.com reviewer team has you covered with our favorite picks for the luxury end of the IEM market.
The Best IEMs Under $1,000 - Start of 2026 Edition
Looking for the best IEMs under $1,000? The Headphones.com reviewer team has you covered with our favorite picks, with some context on the state of the IEM market.
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DCA Core First Impressions - Headphone tuning the 'right' way?
The $900 DCA Aeon CORE fixes past errors with tuning to the Harman target, delivering a highly forgiving, timbrally natural alternative to the flagship E3.
About to shake things up? - Aune AR9000 & AR3000 First Impressions
At Vienna High-End 2026, Aune turned heads with the flagship AR9000 and a shockingly good, ultra-affordable open-back prototype called the AR3000.
Apple's AirPods EQ: Is It Any Good?
Apple finally added a native EQ to the AirPods in iOS 27. While it lacks power-user features, the interface and implementation is surprisingly solid, even for audiophiles.
High End Vienna 2026 - Show and Tell
The world's largest hi-fi audio show has moved from its historic home in Munich to Vienna. Join me as I share a sample of all the sights and sounds on offer at High End Vienna 2026.
Latest News
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Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC Launches Today: Here's What You Need to Know
Audeze is finally bringing to its most popular line of audiophiles gaming headsets what gamers want: more game, less noise.
Dan Clark Audio announces ÆON CORE—an $899 closed-back planar magnetic headphone
DCA's new planar magnetic headphone launches at $899, tuned to an updated reference curve and built around DCA's most efficient driver to date.
Audeze announces the release of MM-520—their newest open-back studio headphones.
Audeze today announces the release of MM-520, the sequel to the MM-500, and the next iteration of its purpose-built studio headphones in the Manny Marroquin Signature Series.
Audeze Maxwell 2 Officially Announced
Audeze has just announced the release of the Maxwell 2, the much anticipated follow-up to the original Maxwell, Audeze's best-selling entry in the gaming headset market.