Ryan Waniata
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Waniata is an audio engineer, musician, composer, and all-around lover of all things tech, audio, and cinema. Hailing originally from Montana, Ryan received his bachelor's degree from the University of Montana in composition and technology. He later studied audio engineering at the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Tempe, AZ, then packed up for Nashville, where he spent a couple of years playing and recording music in various studios and local venues. Ryan now makes his home in Portland, OR. Please reach out to The Manual editorial staff with any questions or comments about Ryan’s work.
Astell & Kern Shows Off Spanking New Luxury Audio Awesomeness in the SP1000 Hi-Res Player
The luxury audio specialists at Astell & Kern unveiled the company's all-new line of hi-res portable audio players, the A&ultima line this week.
Beyerdynamic Unchains Audiophile Sound with Xelento Wireless In-Ears
Audiophile sound and wireless headphones are rarely uttered in the same sentence, but Beyerdynamic hopes to change all that with the new Xelento Wireless, which sports premium components and a gorgeous design.
RHA unveils three gorgeous new gifts to the headphone gods
RHA unveiled two new headphone models, as well as the company's first-ever portable headphone amplifier and DAC, the Dacamp L1, ahead of IFA 2016.
Yamaha’s latest cheap-seats sound bar looks better, connects faster
Yamaha unveils its latest sound bar aimed at the cheap seats, the new Yamaha YAS-106, which offers a slimmer design, HDMI connection, & Bluetooth streaming.
Booze and vinyl make a beautiful baby in the EGB2 record console
Vinyl and booze are two of our favorite things, and these gems come together brilliantly in the new EGB2 turntable console from Luno.
Samson’s Z55 studio headphones offer brilliantly-balanced sound for less
We check out Samson's brilliant yet affordable new pro reference studio headphones, the Z55.
Hi-fi Corner: Shure’s KSE1500 electrostats will blow your mind
Shure unleashes eight years of grueling R&D in its first electrostatic earphones, a remarkable pair of in-ears with mind-blowing sound quality (and a kingly price).
Hi-Fi Corner: Let Shure’s SHA900 portable amp take you to church
Shure’s SHA900 portable headphone amp is sleek and provides supremely realistic reproduction of all your music, but you'd better bring your gold card.
Hi-Fi Corner: Change the way you hear with these amazing wireless earbuds
Doppler Labs’ new Here Active Listening system offers a brilliantly simple way to enhance the sonic world around you in real time.
Hi-Fi Corner: 1More’s Triple Driver in-ears offer brilliant sound for $100
China-based 1More bursts onto the U.S. headphone seen with its new Triple Driver in-ear headphones, which look great, and sounds even better for just $100.
Hi-fi corner: Astell&Kern gets smooth with the new AK320 hi-res audio player
Astell&Kern comes through once again with one of the finest hi-res portable audio players on the market in the new $1,800 AK320.
Hi-Fi Corner: KEF’s brilliant M100 bring the sound and the swagger
KEF's M100 are crafted from quality components, mixing style and substance into a lovely cocktail at the $150 price point.
Hi-fi Corner: Audeze goes direct to Lightning with new EL-8 Titanium cans
Audeze has added a new bag of tricks to its EL-8 headphones, in the form of a new Lightning cable with DAC and amplification built right in.
These crazy wireless earphones mold to fit in hot water
Decibullz, the magical molding earphones that conform to your ears with the power of hot water.
Hi-Fi Corner: Yamaha’s powerful new R-N602 takes multiroom up a notch
Yamaha has unveiled its latest Hi-Fi receiver as a part of the company's new MusicCast multiroom home theater system, the R-N602.
Hi-fi corner: Take the studio along with the Reference Remastered in-ears
Ultimate Ears Pro, pioneers in the world of in-ear monitors, have teamed up once again with the engineers at Capital Studios for a new Reference Monitor.
Hi-fi Corner: Behold the most expensive headphones in the world
The new Orpheus come with a Carrara marble stand, and a $55,000 price tag, making them the most expensive headphones in the world.
Hi-fi Corner: KEF’s stylish M400 give you bass with balance
KEF brings the bass and the style to the forefront in the company's latest pair of headphones, the M400.
Hi-fi Corner: Sony’s STR-ZA5000ES will bring your home theater to church
Sony reveals the company's new flagship receiver, the STR-ZA5000ES.
Klipsch’s R6 and R6i in-ear headphone line expands into snazzy new on-ears
Klipsch rolls its hit R6 and R6i in-ear headphones into an on-ear version, with memory foam pads, and a leather-sheathed band that folds for storage.
Hi-Fi Corner: Spread the sound around with Yamaha’s RX-S601 receiver
Yamaha rolls out the latest component in its new multiroom MusicCast system, the diminutive RX-S601 network AV receiver. Small, but powerful, the S601 packs a bevy of features and 5.1 channel surround for $650.
Hi-fi Corner: Show-off your turntable in style with Turntable Station
Line Phono has come up with a sleek and simple console aimed to stack up your turntable, vinyl collection, and amplifier into a tight space.
Fashion and form shine in V-Moda’s Crossfade Wireless cans
V-Moda cuts the cord to create the new Crossfade Wireless headphones, bringing style, substance, and durability to the crowded market.
Hi-Fi Corner: Parrot Zik 3 debut in Europe with wireless charging, Apple watch control
Parrot, maker of both drones and headphones, announced an update to it's insanely popular line of wireless noise cancelling headphones with the Zik 3.
Hi-Fi Corner: Slim down your sound with Def Tech’s W Studio Micro sound bar
Def Tech unveils a remarkably slim and stylish sound bar that boasts Play-Fi connection for multiroom sound over your Wi-Fi network.
Hi-Fi Corner: Masked in marble, Sennheiser’s new audiophile cans define sonic luxury
Sennheiser held an elite event in London to unveil its latest headphones, which come with a tube amplifier wrapped in Carrara marble.
Hi-Fi Corner: Yamaha’s $1,700 YSP-5600 is the Rolls Royce of sound bars
Yamaha's latest sound bar is its most ambitious effort yet loaded with dozens of the company's sound projection beam drivers, and touting support for Dolby Atmos surround sound, along with all the spoils of the new MusicCast multi-room audio system.
Hi-Fi Corner: Make that turntable sing with Yamaha’s A-S1100 integrated amp
Yamaha shows off its latest integrated amp for the audiophile set, the A-S1100.
Hi-fi Corner: This stylish cast iron turntable is 100 pounds of awesome
Fern & Roby offer a new entry in the field of most coveted turntables on earth in this cast iron 100 pound chunk of sonic excellence.
Hi-Fi Corner: Astell&Kern’s AK380 audio player is hi-res opulence incarnate
Astell&Kern ups the ante in the portable high resolution audio market once again, demoting the $2,500 AK240 for a new flagship in the AK380.
Hi-Fi Corner: RHA’s gorgeous T20 premiere an all new driver system
Offering all the features of their predecessor the T10i, along with an innovative new driver system, RHA's T20 headphones are poised to dazzle.
Hi-Fi Corner: Yamaha’s RX-V379 receiver can power your home theater for less
Most receivers we showcase start at the $1,000 price point or higher. But Yamaha's new RX-V379 offers 4K passthrough, Bluetooth, and more, all for just $300. Why pay more if you don't have to?
Hi-Fi Corner: Astell&Kern’s new AK Jr portable makes hi-res affordable(ish)
Image used with permission by copyright holder Astell&Kern makes some of the most gorgeous pieces of high resolution portable gear — inside and out — that you’ll find on the market. But for many listeners, even the company’s entry level units have approached the point of being cost prohibitive. Not anymore. AK today introduced the […]
Hi-Fi Corner: AIAIAI’s TMA-2 modular let you customize your cans
AIAIA's latest evolution in headphones builds on past models to create an adaptable headphone that allows you to choose your own design.
Hi-Fi corner: RHA’s steely T10i tender big bass without sacrificing clarity or detail
RHA's T10i are a classy set of earbuds crafted from mold-injected steel and outfitted with custom filters, all delivered in an attractive package.
Hi-Fi Corner: Outfit your home in style with the W7 multi-room speaker
Definitive Technology's premium new W7 speaker is a wireless cube of sound that offers multi-room functionality like Sonos, but open source.
Hi-Fi Corner: Onkyo waxes nostalgic with the CP-1050 turntable
Onkyo joins the ranks of so many electronics companies these days, heading back to the old ways with a new turntable, the classically-styled CP-1050
Hi-Fi Corner: Check out Bang & Olufsen’s $600 Bluetooth basket of sound
Can Bang & Olufsen's second take at a Bluetooth speaker raise your expectations of what a portable speaker can be?
Give your smartphone a breather and play with Ray’s Super Remote instead
Sleek, simple, and power-packed with versatility, this pricey universal remote aims to end your clicker clutter once and for all.
Sonos Play:1 goes kind of blue for Blue Note Records’ 75th
Sonos' Play: 1 speaker gets a colorful paint job, and an exclusive jazz playlist curated by Blue Note Records artists.
Craving God-like control of your whole home? Meet NEEO
The world of universal smart remotes is about to get more interesting thanks to NEEO, an app/hardware combination offering control of over 30,000 devices.
Hi-Fi Corner: Samsung’s new audio lab creates gorgeous multi-room speakers
Check out our first hand impressions of Samsung's new 360 degree multi-room speaker pods, fresh from the company's newly-built audio lab.
Hi-fi Corner: Pioneer’s SP-SB03 Speaker Base makes your TV worth listening to
The brilliantly nuanced Andrew Jones SP-SB03 Speaker Base from Pioneer is one of the best sounding compact home theater solutions on the market.
Hi-fi Corner: Trade out your clunky gear for this silver sonic jack-of-all-trades
The Sprout offers a multitude of ways to play, from wireless streaming to vinyl, as well as premium amplification for loud speakers and headphones.
Put the ‘theater’ in home theater with Denon’s $3,000 Dolby Atmos receiver
With Dolby Atmos, 9 channels of potent sound, and high-resolution streaming, Denon's new $3K receiver is the stuff of home theater dreams.
Hi-fi Corner: This is no carafe, but a futuristic speaker that shoots sound in all directions
This wireless sonic rocket offers a host of features to fill your room with sound, including high-res audio compatibility, and multi-zone capabilities.
Martin Logan’s new electrostat will blow your mind and your bank account
Martin Logan took the cover off of its latest innovation, the Neolith, a new speaker that employs the largest electrostatic transducer ML has ever created.
B&O’s new portable speaker begs audiophiles to believe in Bluetooth
For its first take on the Bluetooth genre, B&O brought out all the stops, packing 180 watts of power into a slim and elegant portable speaker.
Skip the trip to Canada and gaze instead upon the gorgeous Niagara loudspeakers
Waterfall Audio's Niagara speakers provide a gorgeous blend of exceptional sound quality, and high art, with a $40K price tag to match.
The Weekly DT- Antrumbra’s Ambilight
Antrumba Glow is designed to sit behind a computer monitor (or a TV) and project ambient light that flows in tandem with the images on screen.