Violectric doesn’t chase spec-sheet arms races the way the Chinese DAC/amp makers do — it builds amplifier circuits descended from the genuinely revered V200 and V280 series and wraps them in casework machined to a standard most of this category doesn’t bother with. The DHA V226 is the entry point into that world, and “entry point” here still means a £1,230 desktop centrepiece.
Topping built its reputation on the idea that measurements matter more than marketing, and the DX5 II is that philosophy poured into a £299 box. It’s a DAC, a headphone amp and a preamp in one, and it arrives with enough clean power on tap that I had to double-check the price. This is the kind of product that makes the mid-tier desktop DAC/amp market genuinely awkward for everyone above it.
Topping has a habit of turning up in a price bracket and quietly resetting what’s expected there, and the DX1 II — landing in the UK this summer at £119 via Electromod — is the latest example. No power brick, no fuss, just a small aluminium box that pulls everything it needs from USB-C and still finds over a watt of balanced output on the other end.
The budget desktop DAC/amp category used to mean picking your compromise. FiiO’s K11 is the point where that stops being true: a sub-£110 box that puts out more power than desktop amps twice its price, wrapped in a chassis that actually looks like it belongs on a desk rather than apologising for being there.
This is part two of three in my Geshelli Labs special. We started with the J2S DAC; today it’s the Archel 3S Pro, the middle child of Geshelli’s headphone amplifier range. At $369.99 base, the Archel 3S Pro sits below the flagship Erish 3 Pro in the lineup but does something the Erish doesn’t — it gives you tone controls. Real, proper, hardware Baxandall bass and treble knobs. In 2026. From a small audiophile shop. I love everything about this idea.
This is the third and final review in my Geshelli Labs special. We’ve done the J2S DAC, we’ve done the Archel 3S Pro mid-tier amp, and now we arrive at the flagship of the headphone amplifier range — the Erish 3 Pro. It is the most expensive of the three pieces in this stack at $549.99, and unlike the Archel 3S Pro it doesn’t have tone controls, doesn’t have RCA input, doesn’t have a single-ended headphone output. It is balanced in, balanced out, and that’s it. This is Geshelli stripping away everything that isn’t the signal path and going for it.
This is the first in a short series of three reviews looking at the current Geshelli Labs lineup. Geshelli is a husband-and-wife operation out of Florida — Geno builds the gear, Shelley runs the shop, and the whole thing has the feel of a small workshop where someone actually picks up the phone when you ring. After living with their J2S DAC, Archel 3S Pro and Erish 3 Pro for a few weeks I wanted to write each one up properly, because there’s something genuinely lovable about what they’re doing.
Cambridge Audio has been a cornerstone of British HiFi since 1968. The CXN100 is their latest network streamer, and it represents everything the company does well — serious engineering at a price that doesn’t require selling the family silver. As a fellow Brit, I have a soft spot for Cambridge Audio’s no-nonsense approach.
Handsome in that understated British way. The CXN100 has a full-width HiFi component design with a colour display, brushed aluminium front panel, and solid construction. It looks the part sitting in a traditional HiFi stack, and the build quality reflects Cambridge Audio’s decades of manufacturing experience.
The Bluesound Node has been the go-to recommendation for audiophile streaming for years. The Node X ups the ante with an improved DAC section and MQA-free future-proofing. Built on the BluOS platform — one of the most mature multi-room audio ecosystems available — it’s the establishment choice for serious streaming.
Sleek, compact, and well-built. The Node X has a subtle redesign with a touch-sensitive top panel and clean lines that blend into any living room setup. Build quality is a step up from the WiiM — it feels more premium, with better material choices and a heavier, more solid chassis.
WiiM has done to streaming what Schiit did to amplification — taken a category dominated by expensive products and delivered exceptional performance at a price that embarrasses the competition. The Ultra is their flagship, and it’s sent shockwaves through the streaming world.
Compact and attractive with a touchscreen display that actually works well. The Ultra packs streaming, DAC, preamp, and headphone amp into a surprisingly small package. Build quality is good — solid plastic and metal construction that feels well-made without being premium. Connectivity is excellent: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, USB, optical, coaxial, and HDMI ARC. Outputs include RCA, optical, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.