California · New York · The Verge
They also have solid ANC (a show floor is great for testing that) and an 8-band EQ, and they’re comfortable
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Mainstream headphones are good but boring now.
Key facts
- Fosi Audio had wired in-ears for under $150 that sounded good for the price, plus an interesting portable CD player
- The reporter tried a pair of $1,449 HiFiMan Arya headphones with an onboard Wi-Fi receiver
- They also have solid ANC (a show floor is great for testing that) and an 8-band EQ, and they’re comfortable
- So on August 29th, the reporter braved the 405 from Los Angeles down to Irvine, California
Summary
The reporter has been reviewing headphones for a long time, and the reporter has listened to everything from the barely serviceable to multi-thousand-dollar open-back headphones. Most are perfectly good, great, even, but they lack a distinct character. Something to remind me why the reporter fell in love with headphones to begin with, landing me in this crazy career. CanJam is a small audio show produced by Head-Fi.org, the largest audio-focused online forum, with multiple events a year at different places around the world, including London, Shanghai, New York City, Dubai, and Southern California. In all their years covering A/V gear, the reporter has never made it to a CanJam. CanJam SoCal 2026 was in a convention space at the Irvine Marriott. They also have a six-conductor cable that by itself is more expensive than most people’s earbuds, and include a microfiber cloth, IEM cleaning tool, and nine different tip options. Not every product at CanJam is that far out of reach, though.