Cables are a much debated topic in the audio industry, I am a believer in small changes between cables and that synergy is king. The Thor Silver II adds a little extra sparkle up top without sounding harsh or ruining the dynamics of your headphones of choice.

The M1 is the perfect player for everyday easy listening and also for sports use. It's size and aftermarket case allow you to clip it to an armband, and the bluetooth support allows you to go wireless when out jogging.

The Shanling UP is a superb High Resolution DAC/Amp for portable use, if you have some good headphones, you are not hearing their full potential out of a phone. This will change that, the UP with give you the clarity, detail and soundstage that your phone simply cannot.

Pioneer's new SE-CH9T earphones are pretty straight-laced if compared to some previous models such as the 'Club Sound' SE-CX8, and we're tempted to suggest that Pioneer is growing up. However since Pioneer turns 80 next year, we won't.

For the price the Nuforce uDAC5 is an excellent piece of kit, it would be perfect for a coffee shop setup, or a small office rig, it is also perfect as a DAC for active desktop monitors and to feed an external amp at home.

Prices for top of the range Headphones have been pushing up and up recently, but if you wish to keep your feet on the ground then the Focal Elear is one of the best which can be had for under a grand.

Now for the price, the Edifier H850 is possibly best in class, most headphones around this range have boosted bass, or non-existent highs, these do not. These actually have good balance across the board.

We've been treated to a few of Shanling's products lately; as well as the excellent M1 and M2S players, this little amp promises to give brands like Fiio a run for their money!

The Dunu DK-3001 is a very well done hybrid IEM, the bass is dynamic and punchy, with excellent and realistic body. The midrange is well layered and very detailed, with and hint of smoothness to it. The highs are always present, yet not fatiguing.

The Dita Dream are a fun sounding IEM where everything is on a level playing field, nothing sticks out and nothing is missing. They are incredibly detailed, yet not analytical, however they do allow great insight into the recording should you want to analyse it.

The Oriveti New Primacy has a bit of a mid forward sound signature, with excellent clarity and air throughout the range, the bass digs deep and is very articulate.

MrSpeakers' Aeon is a very capable headphone which is worthy of the high price, and equally suitable for use outdoors as well as relaxing at home.

The SoundMAGIC ST80 can compete with the big boys, like the Sennheiser HD1 in-ear wireless, the ST80 have a bass oriented sound signature but with good clarity overall.

The Shanling M2s is a highly capable, small footprint, high resolution DAP that is feature packed and has superb sonic abilities, do not look further for a sub £300 player.

A poor seal will result in significant loss of audio quality. In this article Steve gives hints and tips on achieving a perfect seal of your in-ear headphones to obtain high fidelity music playback.