Sound and Vision Magazine

It's no secret that we're big fans of Oppo's line of universal players; in fact, we suggested last year that the company's BDP-93 would likely be the last disc player you'd ever need to buy.

Well, we were wrong. The just-announced BDP-103 ($499) and BDP-105 ($1,199) replace the BDP-93 and 95, and add enough new features to the enticing Oppo package that we just might have to rethink our position.

While we are big fans of the small companies who've stepped up in recent years to build ever-better headphone amps for use on the go, there are times we would prefer to carry a single device.

Does HTC have us covered?

Logitech's 2008 acquisition of IEM leader Ultimate Ears was an interesting move given the ultra-high end and music professional orientation of the brand, and even more interesting is the fact that while the new Logitech UE lineup does include an IEM offering, the majority of the rebranded line lives outside the ear — and well outside it, in some cases.

Yamaha's hi-fi headphones of years past have many devotees (my own first pair of good cans was the much-loved HP-1), and while the company's mainly been concentrating on lower-end models for some years now, they've gone upscale again with today's announcement of three new Pro models, the 300, 400, and 500, which hearken ba