Signals

Audiophile or sport? MEE Audio has two new headphone offerings that lets you choose one or the other (but not both).

The XDP-100R is already available in some overseas markets (most notably in Japan, where enthusiasm for hi-res audio is very healthy) but now the player is available for us nephews and nieces of Uncle Sam.

Everyone and their brother (and mother) are making headphones these days, but Audio-Technica has been doing it for far longer than most. They continue to refine their designs, and are showing five new or upgraded headphones in their High Fidelity line.

Beyer’s T5p was an excellent headphone and gained a certain audiophile following. According to Beyer, the Second Generation version offers improved tuning with slightly more bass, and some different building materials, as well as the ability to operate in a balanced mode.

MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) is continuing its march toward sonic superiority. It announced that new partners will provide MQA content, and that HTC is demonstrating a smartphone equipped with a "proof of concept" MQA decoder.

The UHD Alliance, a coalition of 30+ companies, is developing the technical standards that define the ecosystem of 4K Ultra HD television comprising displays, content, and distribution. The group has previously published various specifications, but the complete 4K Ultra HD specification has only just been completed, and will be debuted at the upcoming CES in 2016. The spec took forever to hammer out because of a curious disparity in display technologies. Exactly what the hold up? Brightness.