Audiophile slang
Giant killer
Also called giant-killer, budget king
A giant killer is a relatively affordable product that competes with, or beats, gear costing many times more. The phrase is praise for value, and a warning that price and performance are only loosely connected in audio.
Every era has its giant killers: the Koss Porta Pro, the budget IEMs of the Chi-Fi boom, a twenty-dollar dongle DAC that measures like a thousand-dollar one. The label tends to attach to products whose measurements or tuning match far pricier gear.
It is also overused: calling something a giant killer is cheap, and reviewers reach for it often. On audiophila., members tag signal chains "Giant Killer" when the system punches above its cost. Whether a giant killer is actually Endgame material is for the listener to decide.
Where you’ll see this on tonistry.
- Members tag their chains Giant Killer.