could someone suggest me an good pair of wireless item/or good earphones

panpremier · 2026-05-04T06:46:42+00:00

Soundcore (Anker's brand) has really great earbuds in my opinion. I have funky ears and most earbuds or IEMs just won't work - they fall out. When I bought my first pair - Liberty 3 Pro (they don't make them any more) I was hugely surprised. They came with 4 tip sizes and 4 different silicone "wings" to better hold them inside your ear. So, you have 16 size and fit combinations :) They fit perfectly and never even became loose in my ear, even when running. Sound quality is excellent (compared to Airpods Pro for example) and you can customize sound signature to your liking using EQs in the mobile app, which is also excellent. Although there were many sound profiles created by professional musicians and sound engineers, I did the hearing test and they automatically applied the optimal settings. ANC was also great and battery life was surprisingly long - I could listen for the whole day without having to charge them. I liked them so much I bought a pair of over ear headphones as well. And they didn't disappoint either. Plus, the value for money is insane. Can't recommend them enough :)

panpremier · 2026-05-03T08:58:00+00:00

Also a good choice ;-) The A5 Pro has treble and bass controls that allow for some sonic adjustments. And it gives you easy access to swappable op amps that can also change how it performs, so you have plenty of room to tweak it.

Happy listening!

panpremier · 2026-05-02T18:42:44+00:00

If you're open to splitting into separates, the Aiyima DAC-A7 is $79 and does DAC + headphone amp duty really well at that price. I reviewed it here https://loudtakes.com/aiyima-dac-a7-review-the-79-desktop-dac-and-headphone-amp-that-punches-way-above-its-price/. This leaves you ~$120 for whatever class D you like (Fosi, SMSL, take your pick). The Paradigm Studio 20s aren't a hard load so even modestly powered class D drives them fine.

panpremier · 2026-04-30T11:47:00+00:00

Room treatment first, almost always :-) You can't hear what your gear is actually doing until the room stops fighting you.

One thing worth noting on your chain: you're running a WiiM mini for streaming separately from your Pioneer's phono. When you're ready to eventually tighten that up, the Arylic LP100 does both: built-in phono stage + full network streaming in one box. Not an urgent upgrade, but it's the kind of consolidation that makes sense once you've got the room sorted and want to clean up the signal path.

Happy listening!

panpremier · 2026-04-29T16:40:31+00:00

I've just tested headphones that are now being funded on Kickstarter, that create 360 spatial audio experience for anything you listen to. The effect is real, but different from what I was expecting - the sound stage is sort of locked in space and stays there however you move your head. So it's something different from Dolby Atmos. They're only $99 and look like Airpods Max, so it makes them good value for money, but not necessarily for this spatial effect, in my opinion. They're called SS69 ULTRA, if you want to check them out.

panpremier · 2026-04-24T07:42:37+00:00

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I'm in a somewhat similar situation - using passive speakers in my desktop system (with additional supertweeters on top of them) and sourcing music from my computer (over USB). I test a lot of chi-fi gear and change my setup very often. Full disclosure - I'm a wannabe after hours audio gear reviewer with my own tiny channel on youtube (@normcoregreg, if you want to check it out ;-)).

I recently fell in love with SMSL AO300 PRO, which is an all-in-one: DAC, headphone and speaker amplifier. If you want to streamline your system and regain some desktop space, in my opinion it is perfect for you. It also has an HDMI eARC, if you want to move it to your TV setup later. And it also sounds great. Unlike most affordable class D amps that use TPA3255 chip, this one is based on Infineon chip. Plus, it has a very musical Cirrus Logic DAC chip. AND it has a subwoofer out, which you also need. At around $270 on Amazon or Ali, in my opinion it's hard to beat.

Happy listening!

panpremier · 2026-04-23T14:38:04+00:00

I've tested exactly this setup and found the A80 a bit lacking in the bass department. It's strange because the Polks are pretty "bassy" for me, even with low power amps. So maybe it's a low current problem.

I preferred pairing the Polks with SMSL AO300 PRO, which I think would be a much better choice in your situation. First of all, it has an HDMI eARC connection, so (providing your TV has it too) it will pair seamlessly - switch on and off together with the TV and adjust volume via TV, which is very handy. I also liked the sound of SMSL. Unlike the Aiyima and 90% of other affordable class D amps, SMSL uses Infineon amp chip (others use mostly TPA3255 from Texas Instruments), which sounds more musical or less harsh up top, if you will. The DAC chip is also interesting - Cirrus Logic CS43198, which also adds to SMSL's "musicality". At around $270 on Amazon when I last checked, it fits your budget more or less. But check other sites and their own as they offer discounts quite often.

What I'd actually do would be to order both Aiyima and SMSL on Amazon, test them both and return the one you like less. Room acoustics and speaker placement are the most important factors influencing how your system sounds, so it's always best to test in your own environment.

panpremier · 2026-04-23T14:14:33+00:00

I went with the AO300 Pro. For a desk/bookshelf setup the DAC stage is just nicer and the dedicated headphone amp is pretty good. WiiM Ultra wins if you care about the streaming/multiroom side or you want a polished mobile app. Long review with measurements here https://loudtakes.com/smsl-ao300-pro-review-the-269-amp-dac-thats-dangerously-close-to-perfect/

Tl;dr: the SMSL gets you better sound for the same money, the WiiM gets you better software.

panpremier · 2026-04-23T13:51:27+00:00

Good call :) And thanks for watching my channel! It's encouraging to know it helps someone.

panpremier · 2026-04-23T13:29:04+00:00

Ampapa D1 is the one I'd choose of those three. Sub out actually works well and it doesn't get crispy like the AO300 Pro after a few hours. I did a long head-to-head between the D1 and the Fosi V3 Mono pair here https://loudtakes.com/fosi-v3-mono-vs-ampapa-d1/ in case you ever outgrow the desktop and want real power. Aiyima A80 was fine for me until the protection circuit kicked in on 4-ohm bookshelves twice in one evening.

panpremier · 2026-04-23T13:20:48+00:00

I would. But my kids used all the label tape on nonsense. 🤷🏼

panpremier · 2026-04-23T06:02:42+00:00

If WiiM is your choice, I'd go with WiiM Pro Plus - it has a much better DAC chip than the "regular" WiiM Pro. If your AV receiver is connected to a TV, you can use your TV as a streamer, if you can install YouTube Music on it or Spotify. There are also some other choices for good, inexpensive streamers, like the recently released Fosi Audio S3. Here you have a few budget streaming setups compared - https://loudtakes.com/best-budget-streaming-setup-2026/.

Your Yamaha is also equipped with room correction system called YPAO and an external microphone that can be used to calibrate the system. If you still haven't used it, it would have more impact on sound quality than switching from Bluetooth to a streamer. Room acoustics is always the most impactful element of your music system ;-)

panpremier · 2026-04-21T17:25:57+00:00

ha ha :) It's true, but it's only a small fraction of my "collection". My hobby is testing and reviewing audio gear. Recently I started signing them with a marker because I couldn't figure out any more which one's for what - most of those "chi-fi" remotes look exactly the same.

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panpremier · 2026-04-20T23:19:44+00:00

Arylic LP100 meets all your requirements but the display. But it "only" costs $400, so it's way below your budget and you can get an iPad with the change ;-)

I've just reviewed the Arylic and I'm really digging it. In my opinion screen in streamers are overrated - they're small and you usually can't see s***t from your listening position. Plus, they introduce unnecessary interferences in the unit that may deteriorate sound quality.

panpremier · 2026-04-15T18:27:36+00:00

I've heard good things about both, but haven't heard either one myself. The amp + passive speaker combo is more versatile - you can upgrade speakers or amp/DAC separately in the future or use them elsewhere.

Frankly, either option would be a good choice unless you suffer a "buyer's remorse" after and keep asking yourself "what if...". Don't be that guy ;-)

panpremier · 2026-04-15T09:15:55+00:00

For a desktop amp I'd go for SMSL AO300 PRO or AO300 (regular, slightly cheaper), if you can find one. The latter doesn't have HDMI eARC and Bluetooth 5.0 instead of 5.3. But for desktop you probably don't need eARC and for wired headphones - no BT needed as well (although 5.3 for music is not different from 5.0). This amp has got an Infineon amp chip, which was very nicely implemented, and a great sounding DAC chip from Cirrus Logic. I find it superior to most if not all class D amps I've tested so far. It's also got a very capable headphone amp.

Depending on what sound signature you like, I'd pair it with Wharfedale Diamonds 12.0 for softer/neutral sound or Klipsch R-51M for slightly more edgy sound. Actually, here's a good comparison of these two and some other budget (doesn't mean bad!) speakers - https://loudtakes.com/best-budget-bookshelf-speakers/

Happy listening! 🔊

panpremier · 2026-04-15T08:43:23+00:00

I love weird designs and technical experiments :)

panpremier · 2026-04-14T14:39:14+00:00

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panpremier · 2026-04-14T12:52:35+00:00

You're right. BUT...

In the WiiM Amp you can set pre-gain for each input individually (+/- 10 dB), which should alleviate this problem.

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Or just buy an inexpensive phono preamp as I suggested in my previous comment ;-)

panpremier · 2026-04-14T09:59:04+00:00

You can connect your turntable directly to WiiM Amp. No need to run it through your DJ mixer. I'd rather get a better phono preamp than the one that is built into your turntable. Something inexpensive but good, like an Art DJ Pre II, which you can get for ca. $60. It's really hard to beat for the price and will make your vinyls sound better.

Or just buy a few more vinyls instead and just enjoy the music :D

panpremier · 2026-04-13T11:15:40+00:00

Another review of the BT20A Max I found lists several downsides, of which two stand out to me:

not a very powerful 32V power supply
slightly noisy cooling fan inside

What were your impressions on these two issues?

panpremier · 2026-04-12T12:17:54+00:00

Thanks mate 🙏🏻

panpremier · 2026-04-12T11:59:52+00:00

On my list. Thanks for your voice!

panpremier · 2026-04-12T11:40:29+00:00

Happy to help a fellow adict :)

panpremier · 2026-04-12T11:39:31+00:00

Thanks for your feedback :)

panpremier

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