Review: Schiit Lyr 3

Last Updated: July 5, 2018

Rule number one when writing a Schiit review: don’t make jokes about the name. They’ve not only heard them all before, they probably wrote most of them. Rule number two: don’t expect a newer version of a product to even be close to what the old one was.

Review: Solis SO-8000

Last Updated: May 18, 2018

Did you know that you can still buy actual hi-fi systems? As in, two speakers and a dedicated CD/tape-deck/AM-FM tower - the kind of thing you used to see in dorm rooms in the 1990s. On that note: meet the SO8000.

Sennheiser GSP 370 Review

Last Updated: February 19, 2020

The Sennheiser GSP 370 has a reputation as a beast. We’ve never tested a pair of Sennheiser headphones we didn’t like; however, we wanted to put these through the nine circles of headset Hell.

Review: FiiO Q5

Last Updated: March 27, 2019

Convincing people to carry around a portable amplifier in addition to a phone is a bit like asking Usain Bolt to strap rockets to his feet. Yes, it will technically make him faster, but it’s also cumbersome and annoying, and will probably explode.

KEF LSX Speaker Review

Last Updated: October 9, 2023

KEF make some of the finest speakers in the world, as anyone who has heard the $30,000 Blades will attest to. But they also make much more affordable models that deliver killer sound without killing your wallet.

Amplifier vs. AV Receiver: Which One to Buy

Last Updated: October 10, 2023

One of the most common questions we get here at The Master Switch is whether someone should buy an A/V receiver or an amplifier for their setup.

Review: Grado SR325e

Last Updated: July 4, 2018

Grado's SR325e headphones might not be the newest model, but the company recently shared a little bit of their cachet with us at The Master Switch, and since these headphones are still very much available, we decided we’d give them a full review.

ZMF Aeolus Review

Last Updated: August 22, 2019

Zach Mehrbach is the closest thing the headphone world has to a rockstar. He is one of the most highly regarded engineers in the business – at audio shows, his stall is always heaving with fans wanting to check out his latest creation.

Review: AudioQuest NightHawk Carbon

Last Updated: July 4, 2018

It’s always a bit of a gamble, calling something cool. Cool is such an ephemeral term. After all, Limp Bizkit were once cool. So were Capri pants, ironic T-shirts, Blackberries. The Audioquest NightHawk Carbons are cool, and always will be.

CanJam NYC 2018 - Day 2

Last Updated: February 18, 2018

Our show report for the second day of the amazing CanJam 2018 - the biggest headphone meetup of the them all, live from Times Square in New York City.

Review: Astell & Kern AK380

Last Updated: May 16, 2018

In the month or so we spent with Astell & Kern’s AK380 player, the most common question from those who saw it – after a few minutes spent marvelling at its stunning good looks – was the price point.

How to Choose a Digital Audio Player

Last Updated: January 30, 2020

Digital Audio Players - also known as DAPs - are a lot of fun. They’re sleek, well-made slabs of metal that can not only contain every music file you have, but usually stream the ones you don’t.

SVS Prime Pinnacle Review: A Floorstanding Monster

Last Updated: May 25, 2021

It’s always difficult when you name a speaker something like Pinnacle. Not only do you have to deliver something that really does sound like it’s reached the heights of what is possible...

Kanto TUK Review

Last Updated: October 9, 2023

We have a soft spot for Kanto, and not just because they come from Coquitlam - a town no more than a few miles away from our offices in Vancouver, BC. We have a soft spot for them because they make genuinely fantastic wireless speakers.

Review: Polk Audio MagniFi

Last Updated: June 2, 2016

Despite its lack of subtlety, there’s no question that the MagniFi soundbar system is a cut above. It offers extraordinary value for money, delivering both an excellent bar and a very capable subwoofer in one package.
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