Guides
Does Touching the Cable Make Noise? Microphonics Explained and How to Reduce It (with the KEYSION 24G Cable)
A cable that thumps against your clothes but goes silent when you hold still is showing microphonics, not a fault. This guide explains the mechanical vibration behind it, how to tell it apart from electrical hiss, and the fit and cable changes that genuinely help.
Hum When You Plug Into a PC? Where Ground Loop Noise Comes From and How to Fix It (with the KEYSION 02 Pro)
A steady hum after plugging into a PC or an external monitor usually points to a ground loop, not a broken DAC. This guide separates it from ordinary hiss and ranks the fixes, from breaking the loop to isolation and balanced wiring, with a step-by-step check.
Do Adapters Ruin Sound Quality? How to Use 6.35mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm Adapters the Right Way (with the KEYSION J2Jack01)
A passive adapter barely changes the sound on its own; what really decides the outcome is plug type and pin wiring. Going from 6.35mm to 3.5mm is simple mechanical matching, while a single-ended 3.5mm signal will never turn balanced just because it reaches a 4.4mm jack. This guide sorts out what works and where the traps are.
Dongle DAC silent on a PC or console? How to choose between UAC1 and UAC2 (KEYSION 02 Pro and X1 as examples)
If your dongle DAC stays silent on a PC or console, the device usually isn't broken—the USB Audio Class (UAC) just doesn't match. Here's how UAC1 and UAC2 differ, where the 96kHz ceiling comes from, and when to switch back to UAC1 by hand.
How Do Ear Pad Materials Change the Sound? Protein Leather vs Velour vs Genuine Leather (KEYSION 02 Tested)
For anyone swapping ear pads, or wondering why their headphones have too much or too little bass. The material changes frequency response and isolation through seal, absorption and how the inner wall reflects sound: protein leather gives full but slightly stuffy bass, velour breathes and opens the soundstage while leaking low end, and genuine leather sits between them. This article compares all three and explains what thickness and perforation do.
What Is Transient Response, and Why It Shapes How Drums and Piano Sound (KEYSION 02 Tested)
For anyone who finds drum hits smeared or piano notes stuck together but cannot say why. Transient response is how fast a diaphragm follows a sudden signal change, measured as rise time and decay time, and it decides punch and instrument separation. This article covers the definition, how four driver types differ, and how to judge it yourself with a fixed set of tracks.
FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF: What Actually Differs? How the Four Lossless Formats Work, and How to Pick (Tested on KEYSION 02)
For anyone sorting a local library and stuck on which lossless format to keep. FLAC, ALAC, WAV and AIFF decode to the same PCM stream; the real gaps are file size, tagging and device support. Here's a measured comparison, plus picks by use case.
What Are Asynchronous USB and Jitter? Does Clock Jitter Really Affect Sound Quality (KEYSION 02 Pro Test)
Jitter is a real timing error, but modern DACs have mostly pushed it below the audible threshold. This article explains the differences between Synchronous, Adaptive, and Asynchronous USB, the order of magnitude of jitter thresholds, and when a clock is actually worth paying for.
Do Eartip Materials Change the Sound? Silicone, Foam, and Hybrid Tips Compared (KEYSION 30A Test)
Eartip material mainly changes bass sealing and treble quantity, while the midrange stays roughly in place. Using public isolation and frequency response data, this article breaks down silicone, foam, and hybrid tips, and gives a check order: seal first, material second.
What Is Soundstage and Imaging? How Headphones Create a Sense of Space
Soundstage is the width, depth and height of the sound field. Imaging is how precisely instruments and vocals are positioned. They're not the same thing — some headphones have a wide stage but blurry imaging, others have sharp imaging but a small space. Driver type, enclosure design, tuning, and even your DAC/amp all play a role. A low-distortion source like the KEYSION 02 helps imaging feel more solid.
Open-Back vs Closed-Back Headphones: Which Design Fits Your Listening Style
The real difference between open-back and closed-back headphones isn't about which sounds better — it's about where you listen and what you prefer. Open-backed models leak sound but have a wider soundstage, best for private listening. Closed-back designs isolate well and deliver more bass, ideal for commuting and offices. Paired with a DAC/amp like the KEYSION 02 Pro, both types can reach their full potential.
How to Calculate Headphone Amp Power: How Many Milliwatts Does Your Headphone Need (KEYSION 02 Pro and 02 Measured)
Driving power is not a mystery — sensitivity, impedance, and your target SPL decide how many milliwatts you need. This post gives the formula and a quick-reference table for common headphones, then checks both against measured output from the KEYSION 02 Pro (551mW@32Ω) and the 02 (361mW@32Ω).