1MORE Valentine's Day Sale! | February 1st - 20th

 

Spread the Love with Savings from 1MORE!

1MORE has deals on their entire lineup to help you share some love or... just save some money during this lovey-dovey window. From their award-winning SonoFlow Over-Ear Headphones to their newer wired P50, or S50/S30 Open Ear Sport Earbuds, there is something for every listener on any budget to enjoy. They got some beasts in this lineup.

1More Aero | From $109.99 to $53.99

1More SonoFlow | From $99.99 to $63.99

1More EVO | From $169.99 to $86.99

1More Quad Driver | From $169.99 to $94.59

1More Comfobuds Mini | From $99.99 to $59.49

1More PistonBuds Pro | From $69.99 to $35.99

1More Triple Driver | From $79.99 to $39.99

1More S30 | $69.99 to $47.99

1More S50 | $149.99 to $99.99

1More P50 | From $169.99 to $119.49

1More HQ30 | From $54.99 to $46.99

For UK & EU

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iFi Go Link Hi-Res USB DAC + Headphone Amp... Reviewed!

The iFi Go Link Hi-Res USB DAC + Headphone Amp... caught my eye, even over another portable headphone amp, and the reason being the size of this product. I only have so much room in my pocket, so what goes in it matters, but despite its small size... does the iFi Go Link deliver? Let's find out.

Build Quality: When it comes to the build quality, you can feel it right off the bat in the magnesium alloy housing the amp. You might not even notice it right off the bat until you pick it back up in a cool room and you realize that it's cool to the touch. Peaking out of the amp is also a gold-plated 3.5mm headphone socket that allows you to connect your favorite pair of high-res headphones.

It's a nice solid connection too, definitely has good quality on the build with no worries of anything shaking loose. I bring this up because you also get a super flexible cable that runs between the amp and the USB-C because they wanted to reduce the stress on USB sockets, but I'd even go further and say that if this were one solid piece... it would surely wear down the headphone socket too. So I appreciate the thought that went into the build quality.

As far as ease of use goes, I'd have to consider that the... duh of the day.

Sound: In regards to the sound, some of you may look at this device and think "whatever"... it's not going to do much until you actually plug it in. The difference is night and day, I connected the 1More Triple Driver Headphones + the 1More Sonoflow to the headphone socket of a PC... and it wasn't bad, but kind of bland without the device. What do I do when food is bland? Add seasoning(!), and that's exactly what the iFi Go Link does, because once you plug it up... (BAM!) you certainly hear the difference. Even when the volume is lower, you still get a clearer cleaner sturdier sound. The oomph can be felt a bit more when you crank up the volume, but this awesome piece of tech can be appreciated no matter the volume level... especially when you're in the mood for some ASMR.

It comes with some serious... oomph where the lows, mids, and highs are just so much better.

Lows being the bass, it just wakes things up... which can either be the bass in a hip-hop track or the rumble in a movie. Lows range from 20 to 250Hz.

Mids or midrange is where you're going to get your vocals and things like that, which is why it's important to have high-res audio because sounds can mesh. I also recommend these types of products to parents for kids, even if some parents give me a side eye... but it's all about clarity and being able to hear + comprehend. You never know what your child may want to do in life, and having access to high-res audio increases their chance of developing an ear for music, and all that good stuff early on. Mids range from 250Hz to 2kHz.

I certainly can't sleep on the highs, even if you're all about that bass... no treble. Don't sleep on the hi-hats, higher-pitched instruments, and all that good stuff, or you're flattening out the overall sound (if that makes sense). We have water, land, and air that make up this living space known as earth... and if anyone were missing, we'd know. Not to get that deep, but... why cut out another layer in the musical experience when you can get a fully immersive one? Highs range from 2kHz to 20kHz.

As far as the audio formats go, the light has been green for me during the entire review.

Green: PCM 44.1/48/88.2/96kHz - Green gives you access to 96kHz, which is uncompressed audio (this is the first unfold of the MQA decoding). PCM or Pulse-code modulation is the raw analog audio signals in digital form.

By the way, I did a comparison with a USB to headphones... socket. This was going to be my intention anyway, but I was talking to someone from Norway the other day (shout out to Xan) who said that he had a dongle. I had to show him the difference because they are not the same. Sure you gain the ability to plug in your headphones to a device that lacks a 3.5mm headphone port, but... that's far from an amp.

The adapter (seen above), works for what it's meant to work for (no shade)... but it's not an amp. This is what the amp has under the hood:

This is where the hi-res audio is coming from, which brings us to the next section.

In the box + Features: 

• Go Link
• USB-C to USB adapter
• USB-C to Apple Lighting port
• Quickstart Cards
• iFi Sticker
• Hi-Res True Native playback of all music formats from MP3 to DSD256, PCM384, and DXD384! In other words, sound like you're there during the recording session!
• Discrete ESS Sabre Hyperstream III DAC chipset
• Jitter-eradication tech
• DRE (Dynamic Range Enhancement)
• S-Balanced Circuit for IEM system balance optimization
• TDK C0G (Class 1 ceramic) capacitors that decrease distortion to an unnoticeable degree
• muRata noise suppression
• Gold-plated 3.5mm headphone socket
• Silver-plated copper conductors (twisted for high signal purity)

By the way, no worries about compatibility issues with other iFi products like the iFi Neo Stream. You're able to connect, and it will show you 'iFi USB Audio...'.

Price: Pricewise, you can grab the iFi Go Link for a head-turning price of $59.99 (which I'm surprised it's not in the $99 - $125 territory). Is it worth this price? Is water wet? Of course, this is a hi-res headphone amp that you can slip into your pocket or your favorite bag so that you always have access to quality audio (that's the best part about this). It's a #1 New Release for a reason. It's fire!

Build Quality 5

Sound 5

In the box + Features 5

Price 5

5 out of 5 Cool Points

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2022 Wishmas Guide... for the Office Space!

 

Seasons Greetings Office Workers! While we could simply make a list of items for you to consider for yourself... you gotta show the ole office space some love (we'll get back to you later)! At times our office spaces can be as bland as some meals (I'm not pointing fingers), but... that doesn't have to be the case. Consider items that dial up the coolness + functionality of your office space as seen below.

I'd probably have to give coolness + functionality to the 3-in-1 chargers. Certainly, some are better than others, but consider which is better for you and is actually compatible with your device. If you prefer a charger that can charge Apple & Android, you don't have to swap it out when you change phones. The 3-in-1 chargers like this one... allow you to charge your phone, smartwatch, and wireless earbuds without having cords running to 3 different charging stations. Not only does it give functionality it's sure to put a smile on the faces of minimalists.

This isn't exactly an eye-catching addition to the office, but... this particular product focuses on those days when you're just that jacked up or you need a little nap. This is a deluxe memory foam travel nap/sleeping pillow for your desktop. You put your face in the hole as seen here... and run your arm through the cove below. You can store this in a bag so that the dust doesn't set up residence, and when you're in need of some Z's, just whip this out.

Keep your alarm clock at the ready so that you don't oversleep with this, but... for those of you with the time to nap, it's worth it. This comes to mind even more so for game developers and other software developers who have to work through crunch times when they don't have a choice but to sleep in the office if they're going to get any sleep. Remember, some devs even sleep under their desks during this time. This doesn't just work on the desk, you can position yourself on the floor the same way or lean it on a chair and lay your head back in the opening. I may have one of these

I have to include earbuds on this list for a few reasons, active noise cancellation for those times you need to cut out the background noise, the ability to take phone calls while jotting down info, and for some options even have the ability to connect devices simultaneously like the 1More Evo. This comes in handy when you want to connect your earbuds to your phone and PC without the need to swap.

Speaking of the 1More Evo, what I've mentioned above... doesn't even cover the hi-res audio, but... you can check out the full review, here.

This next item is cool + functional, and no... you don't necessarily need something so ridiculously interesting sitting on your desk, but... deep down in your heart is a little kid that's like "Oh but yes I do, and a big bowl of cereal!". 

This is the Divoom Ditoo, and as far as function goes... it's a 10W DSP speaker with a screen that displays the reactive pixel art equalizer. The fun and function don't stop there, the mechanical keys work, along with the little joystick + you can use it as a clock, a white noise machine, an alarm clock, gives social media notifications, provides weather conditions, etc. This thing is kickass, and you might have visitors to your office space just to check it out.

The fun doesn't stop there, no no no! The duh of the day is... you can play games, but... you can also make beats, and... there's a full community of artists and creators that use this thing who create pixel art and so forth. This is one of those devices that keeps on giving, and who wouldn't want to take the edge off from a stressful call or enjoy a small break creating pixel art or something?

I still don't know a lot of people who have mug warmers in their offices, but... I know quite a few people who love to drink coffee and find themselves microwaving tall cups of joe. Why not just get a mug warmer and call it a day? You keep the coffee warm, make tea, hot chocolate... and (wait for it...) keep ramen noodles or something warm. 

This isn't as cool, but this set isn't bad looking and it's functional, especially for those of you who like to work past lunch. This Sweet Life set comes with the warmer, the cup, the cup lid, and the spoon in a nice gift set. If you gift one of these out, consider adding the person's favorite coffee, cocoa, or tea as a secondary gift.

This also works wonders for those of you who work under the weather and need warm Theraflu.

I have to put this on here... because of the cool + functional design. This is the PowerPort Cube, and as you see, it has a mounting tray that allows for it to be attached and detached as needed... just in case you need to put it to use elsewhere. The mount allows for it to be placed in a number of areas... whether it be standing on your desktop (which I'd probably have some sort of 3M strips or something for that), mounted on the wall, or mounted under your desk... which would work great in the area you need it most for quick hookups. The 3M pads would also work for those of you with a glass desk.

Nothing like having a convenient place to hook up, and outside of your desk, having these in various places around your office, office building, or home... is a win. Think about having one of these mounted underneath a coffee table top near the edge, no one has to reach around going that awkward search for an outlet.

There are different models, and the one I like the most is actually the cheapest. I wish it had a USB-C port like the one you see in black here, but I like the position of the USB ports on the side. The placement of the others isn't horrible, but if you attach them beneath a desk like this one, they wouldn't be as easy in terms of connecting the USB cables (outside of the USB-C). Maybe that's why they have one.

I'd recommend a desk that works well as a work table. I love desks like these because I love big commercial work tables but I also appreciate a good desk. This particular desk is not just a desk that comes in 3 different sizes with the 63" max coming in less than $170, but... you also get the cable management equipped + a headphone holder + a large mousepad + a cup holder + a game & USB controller rack. 

I recommend this desk for those who don't plan to lay the weight on it because this desk can only handle a max capacity of 260 lbs. It's not exactly commercial strength, but at the same time... the average person isn't going to overload their desk with items. So if you like what you see, the sizes range from 63" to 55" at $129.99 to the smallest  44" desk at $94.99.

I was going to wrap this up with the desk, but I completely forget about this adjustable LED double headlight. It has a level of cool based on the look, but it's super functional... delivering 3 color temp options + 10 brightness settings and you can shift it. One of the reasons this is included is because at times you don't want the light in your face and would prefer to focus it on a book or your art, etc.

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iFi Audio NEO Stream... Reviewed!

Before I jump in, shout out to the iFi audio team for sending over this product for review.

Build Quality + Ease of setup: In terms of quality, as soon as you hold this product in your hands... you feel the quality of the build without question. The NEO Stream has some weight to it despite its neat compact form. Even the OptiBox has the same thick aluminum body as the NEO Stream and has a similar design.

The ports are stable, and nothing feels loose (no wiggles here)... which is great for a nice solid connection, and I love the clickiness of the knob when you turn it (feels almost like a really nice combination lock on a safe).

You're able to position the NEO Stream in two ways, flat down with the rubber feet that came packaged with the product, or... standing up by way of placing it on the sturdy aluminum base. In terms of the quality, I believe the iFi Audio team takes pride in the product quality + presentation and even placed this thick rubber wedge over the wifi antennae port to avoid it being compromised because of damage. 

The same applies to the SilentLine retina-grade TFT screen, it has a screen protector on it, and as you'll see in the unboxing below... the padding is even thick and durable in the package... so your product is safe and sound en route (unless something just supernaturally crazy happens during shipment).

The quality doesn't stop there, because the power supply is also solid. This particular plug is the iFi iPower X low-noise power supply that removes electrical noise due to the potential interference from other devices. You'd be surprised of the type of interference you can get from one device to the next, and extreme audiophiles can tell.

I won't lie, in terms of the setup... the OptiBox would've thrown me for a bit of a loop without the instructions, so I'm including them in this review for you. iFi did a great job with the step-by-step instructions not only for the ethernet setup but also the wifi setup... and they're both super easy.

As you see, the back of the iFi NEO Stream, you notice the various options for connection. Below is the video to Wi-Fi Setup (my connection status is white), which I'm currently using with a temporary RCA connection. I'm going to totally switch up my connection once I find or order additional cables. So the current setup is just temporary. I'm wavering between using a 4.4mm cable or AES (for a long-term connection). No need to follow my desired setup if you grab this product, go with the connection that works best for you.

On the digital side, I connected via the USB output to USB-C. You can switch back and forth in the settings.

It's great to have the wifi option, because if you don't have the option of going hardwired... or you simply need that port for another device, you're good to go. If you prefer 5GHz, just make sure that your device isn't that far away from the wifi. For those who don't know: 5GHz delivers faster speeds, but... it doesn't have the reach of the 2.4GHz connection.

Sound: In terms of sound, you get some really nice sound separation without the meshing of sounds (I will give more on this in the next section). Hi-Res audio isn't necessarily a concrete term, because there are no specific defining standards, but... most products labeled as Hi-Res Audio often deliver quality that exceeds cd-quality audio. 

CD quality is 16-bit with a 44.1kHz sample rate.

Hi-Res audio is 24-bit or higher (i.e. 32-bit w/ a 384 kHz sample rate). The NEO Stream supports 32-bit/768kHz PCM.

I'm not an extreme audiophile, but... I have a deep appreciation for great audio, and I think a good portion of people are the same way. They might be able to shrug off the output from a decent pair of headphones or shelf speakers, but... when the sound is hitting in a high-quality way... you get a different reaction because the enjoyment is on another level (the audio is clean).

Loud and rich are two different things. Live in concert won't give you the same feel as the studio, but there's nothing wrong with the experience for what it's worth... it just doesn't sound as good most of the time. At times the speakers are just on full blast at some concerts, and you can't really appreciate the various aspects of the music being performed. This is a similar feeling I have when the volume is high and the quality is low or... average at best from speakers or headphones.

That's the long way of saying the sound separation is quite noticeable with the NEO Stream and it greatly increased my enjoyment. I listened to a variety of audio, including:

Gerald Albright - What You See Is What You Get

Blu + You Podcast Episodes

Listening to episodes of the Blu + You Podcast through the NEO Stream, sounded like I was listening to a live recording taking place. That was freaking cool, and while listening to Gerald Albright's track... I got an even deeper appreciation for his talent on sax and in addition to the other instruments being used in the studio (how can I describe it other than being... clean?). I'm excited to replace the RCA cables... and I'm probably going to go with a 4.4mm cable. Wait until I get into the specs, I found out the why behind it the great audio.

When it comes to the lows, mids, and highs... nothing jumped out as far as bringing more oomph (the bass didn't swallow up any of the other sounds), there was a balance. When it comes to the actual music streaming, you can use various options like... Tidal, YouTube Music, Qobuz, Signalyst, Roon (which works with Tidal, and Qobuz), DLNA, AIO (which is the setting I have), iFi Audio app, and Spotify... which is what I used to play the podcast & music. In the image, you see here, I have the music playing through "SDGT-IFI'S STREAMER".

The iFi Audio app gives you access to a slew... of different radio stations, your own server, music you have on your phone, connected storage, etc. It still needs some work, it's a rigid app, and but when you check out the radio... you will be surprised of all the categories there are. There's even anime radio, and comedy.

By the way, anything you play on the NEO Stream... will appear on the screen. As you see, there's a thumbnail of the Rock Antenna radio station. (I wasn't listening to Nickleback, but it's all good.)

In the box + Features:  This unboxing will show you everything you will receive in this product.

Ultra-Res Wi-Fi/Ethernet network audio streamer with integrated DAC

• By the way, DAC is an acronym for Digital (to) Analog Convertor... which allows you to enjoy your MP3 files + digital vids through analog (wired speakers + wired headphones).

Open-source architecture - works with multiple control apps, constantly evolving platform support

• I want Amazon Music to be an option because I use the app more so than other platforms, followed by Spotify (which is compatible).

Stream the way you want - Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Roon Ready, AirPlay, DLNA/UPnP, NAA and more.

• DLNA also provides plenty of options via certified products/services that allow you to playback recorded audio and music files. Get familiar with these types of services before you jump in to set anything up... because it will ensure a win over the assumption that the product doesn't work.

Supports 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512 - not just via USB/LAN cables but Wi-Fi too*

Full MQA decoding and true-native DSD

• When it comes to MQA decoders, they don't rely on anything else to unpack a file to a certain bit or kHz, but some will (literally) argue that you need an MQA compatible product. Other's will argue back that "full" MQA decoders don't need any help from a secondary device (I'm standing back at this point).
  
  I'm not giving any input of my own on this one, but... I do have something to touch on before we wrap up the review. Before that, let's see what MQA actually has to say about this:
  
  MQA reveals the original master recording. How sweet is that? My first thought was... "daammnnnn", but I listened first before getting into the details.
  
  How does MQA make this possible? They describe it as 'Music Origami'. The music file is folded into 3 parts to make it small enough to stream, during playback the full MQA does the full unfold. The MQA core decoder does 1 unfold, combined with the MQA renderer that unfolds the other 2 parts of the file.
  
  The iFi Audio NEO Stream is a full MQA decoder with the true-native DSD(512).
  
  True-Native DSD delivers hi-res master studio quality sound that allows you to enjoy not only stereo, surround, binaural and all that good stuff (I.e. ASMR binaural experiences). Underhood, you get the True Native DSD Bit-Perfect DXD/PCM thanks to the Burr-Brown chipset that some of the biggest audiophiles prefer.

Custom-designed hardware and software - built for exceptional sound

Fully balanced analog circuitry delivers maximum sonic purity

Four user-selectable digital filters - tailor the sound to suit your music

'Exclusive' streaming modes - dedicated Tidal, Roon, NAA and DLNA modes for optimised performance

USB and S/PDIF interfaces regulated by femto-precision clock to eradicate jitter

Active Noice Cancellation and iPurifier technologies remove distortion from the audio signal

Optical LAN input isolation technology - enhanced sound quality over cabled network connection

Silent Line retina-grade TFT screen with album art display

LAN optical isolation technology - superior sound over Gigabit Ethernet connection

• Enter... the OptiBox.

Ultra-low noise power supply and LAN optical transmitter/receiver

• *Full-strength 5GHz signal required for 385kHz/DSD256 or above over Wi-Fi

Limited 1 Year Warranty

Price: Pricewise, the NEO Stream comes in at $1299, which... for the average person might be quite pricy. For audiophiles craving the highest quality sound, the cost will be a goal to save up for. I understand because while some people are willing to spend big on a PC rig, or more so a TV, audiophiles seek the best audio. There are MQA Core Decoders that far exceed the price of this device, doesn't make them bad... but I don't promote breaking the bank to pay more for less.

I must say that if you're getting your hands on something like a hi-res audio streamer like the iFi Audio NEO Stream, make it make sense by using hi-res headphones or speakers in order to truly hear what the artists created in the freaking studio. A pair of $10 headphones from el Cheapos might sound a tad better than they did before connecting them to this audio streamer, but... you that doesn't give the audio justice. Overall, make your investment worth it... and rock on!

Build Quality + Ease of setup 5

Sound 5

In the box + Features 5

Price 5

5 out of 5 Cool Points

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