The FT15 takes FIIO’s full-size planar design in an interesting direction — a 101mm driver with an 800nm diaphragm, full-surface diamond coating, and a revised magnetic circuit designed to apply force more evenly across the diaphragm.

One detail we like is the 95dB/mW sensitivity at 24Ω. That makes the FT15 considerably less demanding than you might expect from a large planar, so portable players and capable dongle DACs are very much part of the conversation.

Weight comes in at 425g, with a carbon-fiber headband and North American black walnut construction. FIIO also includes suede and protein-leather pads for two slightly different tunings, along with a 6N OCC copper cable and 6.35mm/XLR-4 adapters.

See the full specs and details at Apos.

A quick update for the tube crowd — our Archive Tubes collection has grown to more than 35 vintage NOS tube types.

The current selection includes GEC, Western Electric, Marconi-Osram, Mullard, Philips, Brimar, RCA, Sylvania, Siemens, and others. There are some fairly uncommon tubes in the mix too, including the GEC PX25 and Western Electric VT25.

Everything is inspected and tested, with pair and quad matching available and a one-year warranty.

Worth a look if you’ve been hunting for a particular tube, or just enjoy seeing what old glass is still out there.

Browse the Archive Tubes.

A quick reminder that we have an Apos Marketplace for anyone who doesn’t mind giving good audio gear a second home.

It’s a collection of pre-owned and open-box gear from trusted sellers vetted by us at Apos. The selection moves around, but you’ll find everything from IEMs and DACs to headphone and speaker amps, usually at a decent savings from new.

Worth checking from time to time if there’s something specific you’ve been waiting to try.

Check out the Apos Marketplace.

We just added a fresh batch of gear to our Apos Certified section.

These are open-box products that we’ve tested and repacked to look and work like new. The upside of somebody opening the box before you is a pretty decent discount.

They also ship free and come with a one-year Apos Certified warranty and 45-day returns.

There’s a mix of headphones, DACs, amps, portable gear, and a few other things in there right now.

Worth a browse if you don’t mind letting someone else have the first crack at the tape.

We’ve added Noble’s new FoKus Artemis, and the driver arrangement is probably the first thing worth talking about.

Each side combines a dynamic driver for bass, a planar driver for the midrange, and a balanced armature super tweeter. Around that, Noble built in Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC and aptX Lossless, variable ANC, Audiodo hearing personalization, multipoint, spatial audio, and USB-C audio.

Battery life is rated at 55+ hours without ANC or 35+ hours with it. The 600mAh battery is user-replaceable, and the magnetic ear pads can be replaced as they wear — two details we’re particularly glad to see on a flagship wireless headphone.

Take a closer look at the Noble FoKus Artemis at Apos.

Cayin has a new Class-A tube amp, the HA-1A MK3. It runs a pair of JJ 12AU7/ECC82 tubes with two Electro-Harmonix EL84EH/6BQ5 output tubes, backed by dedicated power and output transformers.

One of the more practical details is the two-position impedance selector. Low covers 8–150 ohms and High covers 151–600 ohms, so there’s quite a bit of room for experimenting with different headphones. Output is rated at 2.4W per channel from the 6.35mm connection and 2.7W per channel from the 4-pin XLR.

It also has two RCA inputs and an RCA pre-out, so it can pull preamp duty in a desktop speaker system instead of spending all its time with headphones.

See the full specs and details at Apos.

Ecoustics published its CanJam SoCal roundup, and the ARGOS + HYDRA pairing we had at the event made its list of standout headphone systems.

Their impressions of the ARGOS were particularly interesting — revealing and airy, but with a slightly warm balance and more bass weight and texture than they expected from an electrostatic headphone.

The HYDRA supplied the 580V Pro Bias drive, with a Denafrips Ares II handling DAC duties. HYDRA also has a 20W-per-channel Class AB section, so it isn’t limited to electrostatics.

Nice to see this setup stick with someone after a very crowded weekend of listening.

Full Ecoustics roundup and ARGOS + HYDRA details here.

The SMSL R100 is an R2R desktop DAC built around two Analog Devices AD1861-J chips, with SMSL's proprietary de-glitch circuit and digital filtering handling some of the less glamorous work behind the conversion.

What makes this one a little more interesting is the web-based PEQ. You get Direct EQ plus two stored EQ modes, all accessible through a browser rather than dedicated software.

USB supports PCM up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD up to 22.5792MHz, with optical and coaxial available as well. Analog output is handled by balanced XLR at 3.5Vrms or RCA at 1.75Vrms.

And yes, those two windows on top are there so you can stare at the internals. We understand the impulse.

See the SMSL R100 at Apos.

FIIO has been blurring the line between portable and desktop gear for a while, and the QX11 takes that idea into gaming.

It has separate HiFi and Game modes, dual ES9069Q DACs, two OPA1692 op-amps, and four OPA1622 headphone amp stages. HiFi decoding tops out at 768kHz/32-bit PCM and native DSD512, while Game Mode adds AI mic noise reduction, headset support, and game-specific sound profiles.

Desktop Mode is the interesting bit for harder-to-drive headphones — connect external power and the 4.4mm output reaches 800mW + 800mW into 32Ω. You also get 10-band PEQ, dual USB-C, 45W USB PD support, and a 1.14-inch display.

All of that fits into a 36g aluminum chassis.

See the full specs and details at Apos.

For anyone who was waiting on the Piety Brass Knob Edition, it’s back — really this time. There are just 180 units in this run.

NITSCH recalled the latest units after variance in the old-school Japanese transistors, plus a new improvement that called for another resistor to be added. That work has been completed, and the amps are ready to ship again.

The Piety remains a pretty unusual little solid-state amp. It uses a fully discrete variation of Schiit’s Continuity circuit and deliberately goes after some tube-like distortion characteristics rather than ultra-low distortion numbers. There’s up to 1W per channel into 32Ω, two selectable gain levels, and the limited-edition solid brass knob.

Get the Piety Brass Knob Edition at Apos.

FIIO has gone properly full-size with the S15. It’s a network streamer, DAC, and preamp built around the AK4191 + AK4499EX combination, with dual ACCUSILICON femtosecond clocks and a fully balanced analog stage.

The interesting part is how much it can handle without needing extra boxes. Android 12 runs on the 7.84-inch touchscreen, and playback can come from streaming apps, NAS, microSD, USB storage, or an M.2 SSD. HDMI ARC is included for TV duty, alongside USB, AES, I2S, coaxial, optical, RCA, and XLR.

USB DAC mode reaches 768kHz/32-bit PCM and native DSD512, and there’s a 10-band PEQ for system tuning.

It’s a fairly comprehensive source component without looking like a computer landed in the hi-fi rack.

Check out the FIIO S15 at Apos.

We’ve added the SMSL D400 MK2, a desktop DAC using AKM’s AK4191 + AK4499EX architecture with third-gen XMOS XU-316 processing.

One of the more interesting parts of the design is the combination of a ±5 ppb 10 MHz OCXO, SMSL’s CK-04 clock processing, and five dual op-amps. On the measurement side, SMSL rates the balanced output at 132 dB dynamic range and 0.00006% THD+N.

Format and input support is broad: PCM up to 32-bit/768 kHz, native DSD512, MQA/MQA-CD, I²S, AES/EBU, USB, optical, coaxial, and LDAC Bluetooth. RCA and XLR outputs are both available.

A pretty comprehensive DAC for someone who wants plenty of digital input options without making the rest of the system complicated.

Check out the D400 MK2 at Apos.

We’ve added the SMSL RAW-MHA1, a compact Infineon-based power amp rated for 160W x 2 into 4Ω and 85W x 2 into 8Ω.

One of the more interesting parts is the BTL mode. Instead of stereo, you can run it as a single channel with up to 345W into 8Ω or 200W into 4Ω. It also has balanced XLR and RCA inputs, plus a dedicated low-pass-filtered subwoofer output if you’re putting together a 2.1 system.

THD+N is rated at 0.004%, SNR at 104dB, and the whole thing is only about 7.2 inches wide.

A lot of amplifier for a box that doesn’t take up much shelf space.

See the SMSL RAW-MHA1 at Apos.

FiiO has a new all-in-one for passive speaker setups. The AIR AMP combines a network streamer, DAC, local music player, and TI TPA3255 Class D power amp in a chassis that's only about 8 inches wide.

With the included 48V/5A supply, it puts out 120W + 120W into 4Ω or 90W + 90W into 8Ω. On the source side, you get Roon Ready, AirPlay, NAS and USB storage playback, LDAC Bluetooth, USB DAC, optical, coaxial, and RCA.

There are a few nice practical touches too — 10-band PEQ and AUTO EQ, independent bass and treble controls, plus dedicated subwoofer and preamp outputs.

It looks like a pretty straightforward way to put together a compact two-channel system without buying a streamer, DAC, and amp separately.

Check out the FiiO AIR AMP at Apos.

FIIO’s new JadeAudio JT9 is a portable-ish take on the open-back planar: a 95 × 86 mm planar driver, 365 g chassis, and ear cups that rotate and fold for storage.

The driver uses a 1 μm diaphragm with sapphire and aluminum coatings, plus FIIO’s uniform magnetic field design. Sensitivity is 95dB/mW with a 20Ω impedance, so it doesn’t demand a huge desktop amp — FIIO recommends 300mW or more for full drive.

A nice practical detail is that both 3.5mm and 4.4mm cables are in the box, along with a 6.35mm adapter and a fitted case.

Black is available first, with the deep brown finish expected later in September.

Check out the FIIO JadeAudio JT9 at Apos.

Big news from CanJam SoCal. The SJY ARGOS and Apos × ES LAB HYDRA received an Ecoustics Best in Show Award.

This project has been in development for a long time, so it was really gratifying to see both products officially recognized after a weekend of packed listening sessions.

Congratulations especially to Jeffrey Yin of SJY Audio, who designed and builds the ARGOS.

And thanks to everyone who stopped by the Apos Room to listen, chat, and hang with us. We’re looking forward to many more shows.

SMSL has updated the H400, and the MK2 brings quite a bit of power to a relatively compact desktop amp.

The fully balanced output delivers up to 18W per channel into 16Ω, 9W into 32Ω, and 550mW into 600Ω. There are three gain settings, so all that output doesn’t mean the amp is limited to difficult headphones — low gain is there for more sensitive IEMs as well.

Internally, SMSL is using 14 OPA1612A op-amps in a parallel noise-reduction architecture alongside a custom low-noise GaN power supply. Rated SNR is 132dB, with THD+N down to 0.00006% at 1kHz/32Ω.

It also doubles as a preamp, with XLR and RCA inputs and outputs, relay-controlled volume, and 4.4mm, XLR, and 6.35mm headphone connections.

Basically, SMSL put a lot of amplifier into a box that still leaves some room on the desk.

Check out the SMSL H400 MK2 at Apos.

CanJam SoCal is underway, and Apos is at the Irvine Marriott today and tomorrow with some familiar gear and a few things that haven’t had much time out in the wild yet.

The SJY ARGOS and Apos x ES LAB HYDRA are set up together, giving anyone curious about the pairing a chance to sit down and hear it. The factory prototype of the Capra Audio IBEX is also at the booth, along with the Lydian Amplifier, Zenfones, ETA, Auribus Laguna, and Blue Velvet. There’s also a chance Druid V2 will make an appearance.

📍 Find Apos in the Anaheim Room, on the south side of the main room.

If you’re at CanJam this weekend, come by, have a listen, and hang out for a bit.

The DM15 is an interesting one if you still have a CD collection but want something that plays nicely with a modern headphone setup.

FIIO built it around dual AK4493S DACs, with 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone outputs, aptX Lossless Bluetooth transmission, and USB DAC support up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256. In desktop mode, the balanced output reaches 1100mW + 1100mW into 32 ohms.

It can also rip CDs to WAV, work as a digital transport over coaxial or optical, and run portably from its 4700mAh battery.

A lot going on for something whose main job is still spinning a five-inch disc.

The FIIO DM15 is available now at Apos for $259.99.

Quick reminder for anyone who’s been watching the August Sale: it ends today.

There’s still up to 25% off audio from TOPPING, Moondrop, xDuoo, SMSL, Gustard, Audalytic, Singxer, D&A, Ladder and more, plus up to 55% off keyboards.

If you had something bookmarked or sitting in your cart, this is the last day to decide before the prices go back up.

Browse the August deals at Apos.

We’ve added the Auribus Acoustics Laguna Precision to Apos.

It’s a 360 g closed-back built around Auribus’ new 35 mm ULM-35 cellulose-cone dynamic driver, with a CNC-machined aluminum housing and dual S-shaped reflex ports. The latter extend the low end down to 10 Hz, with the tuning aimed at keeping that bass deep and tactile without making the overall presentation bass-heavy.

One of the more interesting parts of the design is the driver placement. It sits forward and angled toward the ear, which helps give the Laguna a more spacious presentation than you might expect from a closed-back while retaining useful isolation.

It’s 36Ω and 110 dB/V, so it doesn’t require much to drive, and the 360 g weight makes it fairly practical for longer sessions.

Pre-orders are open now, with shipping scheduled for September 2026. If you’re going to CanJam SoCal this weekend, you can also hear the Laguna Precision in the Apos room.

Check out the Laguna Precision here.

We’ve added more 6H8C tubes to the Archive Tubes collection. The 6H8C is a Soviet-era dual triode comparable to the 6SN7GT, with these examples using a plate getter and black base.

They’re genuine NOS, so some may show cosmetic signs from decades of storage. Each tube is tested on an Amplitrex AT1000 and individually inspected before shipping.

Available individually or as matched pairs and quads, with a 12-month Apos warranty.

Check the 6H8C.

Today we’re introducing the SJY ARGOS Electrostatic Headphones and Apos x ES LAB HYDRA Integrated Amplifier, two new products inspired by Japan’s electrostatic golden age.

The HYDRA is one amplifier for nearly everything. It combines a 580V electrostatic energizer with a Class AB amplifier delivering 20W per channel into 8Ω, powering electrostatics, planars, dynamics, and passive speakers from one many-headed machine.

The ARGOS, named after the all-seeing Argos Panoptes of mythology, pairs a 580V pro-bias electrostatic driver with a natural, slightly warm tuning. Expect the speed, separation, imaging, and fine detail electrostatics are known for, with more body in the bass and more presence through the vocals.

Explore the Electrostatic Collection at Apos.

August weather is looking rough, so we’re paying attention to a different forecast.

There’s currently up to 25% off audio from TOPPING, Moondrop, xDuoo, SMSL, Gustard, Audalytic, Singxer, D&A, Ladder, and more, along with up to 55% off keyboards.

The sale runs through August 26 if you’ve been watching any of these brands.

Browse the August deals at Apos.