#64 - A $120 hi-fi rack that DOESN'T look awful

This episode brought to you by AudioQuest 👉 https://bit.ly/4fIkmaU w/ 6moons' Srajan Ebaen 0:00 Intro 0:46 Shanling 7:37 Virtual Hi-Fi 14:05 Co-linear Acoustics 30:45 FitUEyes 51:04 Bluesound 58:32 Qualio Audio 1:03:12 Hiby 1:10:03 iFi / SilentPower 1:20:00 Exact Express & Furutech 👉 As discussed in this episode... Shanling 🛒 https://amzn.to/4fsQTTM 📖 https://darko.audio/2025/08/shanlings-cd80-ii-is-a-359-tray-loading-cd-player/ Bluesound 🛒 https://amzn.to/4fvnqbN 📖 https://darko.audio/2025/06/bluesound-teases-home-theatre-leaning-powernode/ Hiby 🛒 https://amzn.to/3HulRyl 📖 https://darko.audio/2025/07/hibys-uc10-is-a-29-usb-s-pdif-converter-for-smartphones-tablets/ FituEyes 🛒 https://amzn.to/3UmdNCQ 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/fitueyes-eiffel-rack Virtual Hifi 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/virtual-hifi-viper CoLinear Aocustics: 📖 https://colinear-acoustics.co.uk/about Qualio Audio: 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/qualio-iq30 Exact Express 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/exact-express-earth-jumpers Furutech 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/furutech-flow-28 iFi / SIlentPower 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/silentpower-omni-usb

w/ Twittering Machines' Michael Lavorgna 👉 This episode brought to you by Bowers & Wilkins https://bit.ly/4ggz8X0 👉 Darko's choices: Was (Not Was) - Out Come The Freaks (1984) 🛒 https://amzn.to/44gVK6H 📖 https://www.discogs.com/master/55697-Was-Not-Was-The-Woodwork-Squeaks Thin White Rope - The Ruby Sea (1991) 🛒 https://amzn.to/3GaMEPO 📖 https://www.discogs.com/master/236818-Thin-White-Rope-The-Ruby-Sea Fila Brazillia - Maim That Tune (1995) 📖 https://filabraz.bandcamp.com/album/maim-that-tune-30th-anniversary-re-master 📖 https://www.discogs.com/master/67440-Fila-Brazillia-Maim-That-Tune Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning (2005) 🛒 https://amzn.to/4la9pm1 📖 https://www.discogs.com/master/3010-Bright-Eyes-Im-Wide-Awake-Its-Morning Thomas Fehlmann - Gute Luft (2010) 🛒 https://amzn.to/4nAyOXH 📖 https://www.discogs.com/master/238758-Thomas-Fehlmann-Gute-Luft Automat - Ostwest (2016) 🛒 https://amzn.to/4lz473T 📖 https://www.discogs.com/master/1091919-Automat-Ostwest Bohren und Der Club of Gore - Bohren for Beginners (2016/2022) 🛒 https://amzn.to/4eCtAq5 📖 https://www.discogs.com/master/2079847-Bohren-Und-Der-Club-Of-Gore-Bohren-For-Beginners 👉 Lavorgna's choices: Mal Waldron - The Quest (1962) 🛒 https://amzn.to/4eVSaml 📖 https://www.discogs.com/master/288946-Mal-Waldron-With-Eric-Dolphy-And-Booker-Ervin-The-Quest The Birthday Party - The Friend Catcher 12" (1983) 📖 https://www.discogs.com/release/377249-The-Birthday-Party-The-Friend-Catcher Einstürzende Neubauten - Yü-Gung (1985) 📖 https://www.discogs.com/master/7604-Einst%C3%BCrzende-Neubauten-Y%C3%BC-Gung Martha Argerich - Bach (2000) 📖 https://www.discogs.com/master/295073-Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Martha-Argerich-Toccata-BWV-911Partita-BWV-826Englische-Suite-No2-BWV-807 Lonely Guest - Lonely Guest (2021) 🛒 https://amzn.to/44ghrDU 📖 https://www.discogs.com/master/2381503-Lonely-Guest-Lonely-Guest Jessica Pratt - Here in the Pitch (2024) 🛒 https://amzn.to/4kq4Vq2 📖 https://www.discogs.com/master/3474940-Jessica-Pratt-Here-In-The-Pitch 👉 Substack for music discovery: Ben Cardew / Line Noise on Substack https://linenoise.substack.com/ Philip Sherburne on Substack https://substack.com/@philipsherburne Shawn Reynaldo / First Floor on Substack https://firstfloor.substack.com/ Darko.Audio may earn a small commission from items purchased via affiliate links, as indicated by a '🛒'. Darko.Audio is an Amazon Associates Program member, an Audio Advice Program member and a Howl Program member.

This episode brought to you by AudioQuest 👉 https://bit.ly/4fIkmaU w/ 6moons' Srajan Ebaen 0:00 Intro 0:51 Zu Audio 4:09 Sennheiser & aptX Lossless 11:11 3D-printed speakers 26:08 Cambridge Audio 34:10 Stack Audio 41:04 Chord Electronics 50:50 OnFilter 1:07:05 Pixies & R.E.M. 👉 As discussed in this episode... Sennheiser BTD 700 (Yes, I mistakenly call it the 'BDT 700' in this episode 🙄 ) 🛒 https://amzn.to/4jRNYEG 📖 https://darko.audio/2025/06/add-aptx-lossless-to-any-smartphone-for-e50/ Chord Electronics Suze Amp system 📖 https://darko.audio/2025/06/chords-suzi-turns-the-hugo-2-2go-into-a-streaming-amplifier/ Cambridge Audio MXW 70 📖 https://darko.audio/2025/06/cambridges-mxw70-is-a-599-class-d-power-amplifier/ Stack Audio: 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/stack-audio-rack-use/ 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/stack-audio-auva-70/ 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/stack-audio-vinyl-helpers/ Virtual Hifi: 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/virtual-hifi-vibron/ 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/virtual-hifi-viper/ OnFilter: 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/onfilter/ Darko.Audio may earn a small commission from items purchased via affiliate links, as indicated by a '🛒'.

This episode is brought to you by AudioQuest 👉 https://bit.ly/4fIkmaU w/ 6moons' Srajan Ebaen This episode of the Darko.Audio podcast with 6moons' Srajan Ebaen is audio only. Why? Because the subject matter is what we might call 'inside baseball'. Srajan and I pull apart the hi-fi show model to question what we can learn from hi-fi show demos as they currently stand; and how the limitations of show demos prevent the press from relaying meaningful insight to their audiences.

This episode brought to you by Munich High-End 2025 👉 https://www.highendsociety.de/high-end-44.html w/ 6moons' Srajan Ebaen 0:00 Intro 0:59 Pro-Ject 8:46 Kinki Studio 20:02 Shanling 29:57 Meze 47:28 Musical Fidelity 55:33 DMAX 👉 As discussed in this episode... Pro-Ject Flatten It 📖 https://darko.audio/2025/03/say-buh-bye-to-warped-vinyl-with-pro-jects-flatten-it/ Musical Fidelity X-Tube 📖 https://darko.audio/2025/03/how-to-add-tubes-to-any-dac-streamer-or-cd-player-for-e499/ Shanling Onix Zenith XST20 📖 https://darko.audio/2025/03/the-onix-zenith-xst20-is-a-new-sacd-transport-from-shanling/ Kinki Studio x Vinshine Tai Hang 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/tai-hang/ Meze Poet 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/meze-poet/ DMAX PH61 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/dmax-ph61/ Cables and power products by AudioQuest 🛒 https://audioadvice.io/Audioquest Hi-fi furniture and speaker stands by Solid Steel 🛒 https://howl.me/ckbW9947Hdi Room treatment by Vicoustic 📖 https://audioadvice.io/Vicoustic Darko.Audio may earn a small commission from items purchased via affiliate links, as indicated by a '🛒'.

w/ Auralic's ex-CEO Xuanqian Wang This episode brought to you by High-End Munich 2025 👉 https://www.highendsociety.de/high-end-44.html Auralic Aquila X3 👉 https://darko.audio/2025/01/auralic-readies-aquila-x3-network-streamer/ Auralic Aquila X3 online configuration tool 👉 http://x3.auralic.com/

w/ Vivid Audio's Laurence Dickie This episode is brought to you by Bowers & Wilkins TW IEMs: 👉 https://bit.ly/4ggz8X0 Vivid Kaya series 👉 https://vividaudio.com/kaya/

This episode is brought to you by AudioQuest: 👉 https://bit.ly/4fIkmaU w/ 6moons' Srajan Ebaen 0:00 Intro 0:42 Auralic 24:10 Zu Audio 37:48 T+A 46:54 Aune 59:34 FiiO / Snowski 1:04:23 LAiV 👉 As discussed in this podcast AURALIC Aquila X3 📖 https://darko.audio/2025/01/auralic-readies-aquila-x3-network-streamer/ FiiO / Snowski Retro Nano 📖 https://darko.audio/2025/01/a-usb-bluetooth-dac-that-looks-like-a-cassette-tape/ T+A Pulsar S130 📖 https://darko.audio/2025/01/tas-pulsar-s-130-are-designed-for-sub-optimal-listening-rooms/ Zu Method monitor & sub: 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/zu-method/ Aune S17Pro Evo 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/aune-s17pro-evo/ Laiv µDDC 📖 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/laiv-uddc/ ☕️ PATREON www.patreon.com/johndarko

w/ Eelco Grimm 👉 https://www.grimmaudio.com/ This episode is brought to you by T+A: 👉 https://www.ta-hifi.de/

This episode is brought to you by AudioQuest: 👉 https://bit.ly/3S9qPmf w/ 6moons' Srajan Ebaen ☕️ PATREON www.patreon.com/johndarko 📖 OJAS x KLIPSCH kO-R1 https://www.klipsch.com/uk/products/klipsch-ojas-ko-r1-ko-r1-2-way-multicell-loudspeaker 📖 Aune SR7000 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/aune-sr-7000/ 📖 Aune AR5000 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/aune-ar5000/ 📖 Focal Diva Utopia https://darko.audio/2024/10/focals-diva-utopia-is-future-fi-for-cashed-up-listeners/ 📖 Singxer SA-90 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/singxer-sa-90/ 📖 Shanling CR60 https://darko.audio/2024/09/shanlings-cr60-is-a-269-cd-transport-cd-ripper/ 📖 Voxativ Hagen2 https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/voxativ-hagen-2/