Honest Audiophile Reference Gear and Music
Updated: Sep 13
A question I get asked often is, what gear and music do I use to review and compare? In most reviews, I mention what gear I used but I don't always mention what is my benchmark gear.
Below is a list of gear and music that I use for each and every review. Most of the gear has been reviewed on YouTube and some on the website. The gear listed is broken out into benchmark and alternate; benchmark is ALWAYS used and alternate is used if applicable for price, specs or configurations or another reason.
Benchmark Gear (All purchased with personal funds):
DAC: Mytek Liberty DAC II Amplifier: Mytek Liberty THX AAA HPA
DROP THX AAA One USB Dongles: Periodic Audio Rhodium Hiby FC3
DAP: Sony NW-WM1a
Hiby R5 Gen2
Headphones: Audeze LCD-5
MrSpeakers Ether C Sennheiser HD600 Rode NTH-100
Audeze LCD-2 Closed
Austrian Audio Hi-X60 In-Ear Monitors: CTM (Clear Tune Monitors) Da Vinci X SoftEars Studio4
Tin Hifi T2 Alternate Gear (Some purchased, most gifted): DAC: Audeze Deckard
Aune X1s GT
SMSL DO300
JDS Labs Atom DAC+
Amplifier: Tor Audio Roger
JDS Labs Atom AMP+ Dongles: Moondrop Dawn
Hiby FC4
Hidizs XO
DAP: Sony NW-A105
Headphones: Hifiman Arya Stealth Hifiman Ananda Sennheiser HD660s Hifiman Sundara Meze 99 Classics AKG K275 DROP Sennheiser HD8xx
Audio-Technica R70x
In-Ear Monitors: Fearless Audio Roland ADV-Sound M5-12D Empire Ears ESR Moondrop Blessing 2
JQ 4U Pro
Moondrop Kato
Etymotic ER2SE Kotori Dauntless DUNU Titan S Drop Plus Universal
Reference Music:
https://www.thehonestaudiophile.com/post/does-your-music-preference-impact-your-sound-impressions
Tingvall Trio “Beat” - Beat by Tingvall Trio (songwhip.com)
Sinne Eeg “We’ve Just Begun” - We've Just Begun by Sinne Eeg, The Danish Radio Big Band (songwhip.com)
Molly Johnson “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” - What a Little Moonlight Can Do by Molly Johnson (songwhip.com)
Leslie Odom Jr. “Under Pressure” - Under Pressure by Leslie Odom Jr. (songwhip.com)
Eric Clapton “Change the World” - Change the World by Eric Clapton (songwhip.com)
Yo Yo Ma “Ecstasy of Gold” - Sergio Leone Suite: Ecstasy of Gold from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" by Yo-Yo Ma, Ennio Morricone, Roma Sinfonietta (songwhip.com)
Adam Baldych “Spem in Alium” - Spem in Alium by Adam Baldych (songwhip.com)
Pain of Salvation “Stress” - Stress by Pain of Salvation (songwhip.com)
Michael Buble “When I Fall in Love” - When I Fall in Love by Michael Bublé (songwhip.com)
Patricia Barber “Code Cool” - Code Cool by Patricia Barber (songwhip.com)
Christian Scott “New New Orleans” - New New Orleans (King Adjuah Stomp) by Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah (songwhip.com)
Tool “Chocolate Chip Trip” - Chocolate Chip Trip by TOOL (songwhip.com)
Hans Zimmer “Why So Serious” - Why so Serious? by Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard (songwhip.com)
Marcus Miller “No Limit” - No Limit by Marcus Miller (songwhip.com)
Dave Holland Quartet “Conference Of The Birds”- Conference Of The Birds by Dave Holland Quartet (songwhip.com)
Ilhan Eshkeri “47 Ronin”- 47 Ronin by Ilan Eshkeri (songwhip.com)
Hans Zimmer “2049” - 2049 by Hans Zimmer, Benjamin Wallfisch (songwhip.com)
Cher “Believe” - Believe by Cher (songwhip.com)
Stanley Clarke “Passenger 57 main title” - Passenger 57 Main Title by Stanley Clarke (songwhip.com)
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra “The Pine of the Appian Way” - https://tidal.com/browse/track/12064811
Houston Person “You are my Sunshine” - You Are My Sunshine by Houston Person, Ron Carter (songwhip.com)
Playlist link for Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/5bbf80ce-33f3-4222-a1fc-6539a95415d6