Tagged: value gear

7 articles we've published with this tag.

Closed-back headphones on a budget: the giant-killer case nobody makes
Everyone spruiks open-back for detail, but a good closed-back pair under $400 is the smarter buy for most desks, flats and offices. Here's why.
By Dave Okafor
Upgrading a budget turntable: the order that actually saves you money
Cartridge, phono stage, isolation, platter mat — the order you upgrade a budget turntable in matters more than the total you spend.
By Dave Okafor
Cheap DAC chips are basically solved: where your money actually goes now
A $150 DAC and a $2000 DAC often measure almost identically. Here's what the extra money is really buying, and why it's usually not "better sound" in the conversion itself.
By Dave Okafor
Giant-killer desktop rigs: getting 90% of a $3000 headphone setup for $600
You don't need a four-figure DAC/amp stack to hear what good headphones can do. Here's how I'd spend $600 on a desktop rig that gets embarrassingly close to gear costing five times as much.
By Dave Okafor
Cheap multiroom that actually sounds good: building it without the tax
You don't need a five-figure whole-home system. Here's how to build genuinely good multiroom audio on a giant-killer budget.
By Dave Okafor
Building a home cinema budget: the spending order that actually pays off
Where to put the first dollar in a home cinema build, and why most people spend it on the wrong box first. A spending order from twelve years of installs.
By Jonno Fraser
DAC chip specs are marketing. Here's what actually decides sound quality
ESS, AKM or a "flagship" chip name tells you almost nothing about how a DAC sounds. Here's what genuinely separates a good one from a dud, on any budget.
By Dave Okafor