Loudspeaker company Bowers & Wilkins has announced its latest set of computer speakers, the MM-1. Each speaker integrates one 3-inch woofer and a 1-inch tweeter, with each driver powered by a dedicated 18W amplifier. The tweeters feature B&W's Nautilus tube-loaded design claimed to dampen resonance and improve high-frequency sounds.
LaCie and loudspeaker manufacturer Cabassee have announced the Sound2 Speakers, a new USB-powered speaker system. The set is designed to be used with any computer, iPhone, iPod or other media player, with plug-and-play connection to avoid setup hassle. The system integrates a Class D digital amplifier with magnetic shielding, which reaches a total output of 15W per speaker. Cabasse's Wide Band Drivers provide a frequency response reaching from 80Hz to 20kHz, while a bass reflex design helps enhance the low-end sound.
Designer Joey Roth has announced the Ceramic Speakers, a pair of cone-styled speakers made from porcelain, cork and Baltic birch. The set includes an amplifier based on the Tripath 2024 T-Amp, with a mix of gold plating, stainless steel sheet metal and cast iron. The system uses 1/8-inch jacks, and 16-gauge oxygen-free copper speaker cables with banana plug connectors.
GizFever has introduced three new products to its line of mobile phone accessories, the All-in-One USB Power/Data Link Cable, MultiFunctional Mobile Speaker, and the Multifunctional Digital Solar Charger II. The all-in-one USB cable enables users to power, recharge and transfer data from mobile phones such as the iPod and iPhone 3G, along with other portable gaming and music devices. The cable comes with seven different connectors including one for the DS Lite, PSP and a 5-pin mini USB; the cord itself stands approximately 138cm long.
iLive has unveiled two new bar speakers with integrated iPod docks, DVD players and AM/FM radio, the iT319B and iT209B. The iT319B is a 3.1-channel speaker system with a built-in subwoofer and SRS TruSound technology, capable of upconverting the DVDs it plays to 1080p. It includes 10 radio station presets, and a remote which can be used to control both the speaker and a docked iPod. A line-in jack allows for additional audio devices.
Koyono has released the latest addition to its Apple accessory line, the Chill Pill. The device, used with an iPod, iPhone, or notebook, is made of two speakers that magnetically connect in order to reduce size for storage. The Chill Pill uses a rechargeable internal battery and can be used for up to 8 hours.
Today's featured deal of the day from DealNN is on the Altec Lansing inMotion Digital Mini-Theater from Marketwarehouse.com. It is regularly priced at $349, but has been reduced to $119 with FREE shipping. It features two 3" neodymium speakers, a built-in 4-inch side-fireing subwoofer and a 8.5-inch widescreen display for viewing photos and videos from dockable iPods.
Mackie has introduced two new high-definition loudspeakers, the 1800W HD1531, and 1600W HD1521. Both speakers incorporate the company’s acoustic correction processing that delivers transducer time alignment and phase correction, and features a 15-inch neodymium woofer with 3-inch voice coil, and a 1.75-inch titanium compression driver with heat-treated titanium diaphragm. Also integrated is Mackie’s fast-recovery circuitry, which helps the amp recover from the occasional aggressive transient, to provide clean audio under most situations.
Buffalo and Kokuyo have partnered to release the Otokoro iPod mini-dice speaker (model: BSSP05I). Designed to resemble small dice, each speaker stands 28mm in-width by 28mm in-height, and offers 1W output and 160Hz-20kHz frequency response. In order to use the speaker, simply set the iPod onto the dock connector, and the device works off the iPods power supply. In addition, users can adjust the volume of the speakers by pressing the top buttons near the dock.
Deals from DealNN today showcase a variety of products from MacBooks to iPod docking stations. OnSale.com has reduced the price on the white Logitech Pure-Fi anywhere compact speakers for iPod from $127.99 to $75.99. This docking station is compatible with most dockable iPods and includes a travel case and wireless remote.
Today's featured DealNN deal is available this weekend only J&R.com. The JBL Spyro speaker system is regularly priced at $129.99, but for this weekend only get it for $49.99. Featuring a pair of flower shaped speakers and a subwoofer with one touch volume controls, the Spyro speaker system can be used with almost any multimedia source via the stereo mini jack.
Featured DealNN deals for today include printers, hard drives, GPS units and more. Most noteworthy today is the Sound Labs iMaingo portable iPod speaker case. This protective iPod case fits most iPod models and has built-in speakers making it possible to listen to music without headphones. For today only J&R.com reduced the price on this item from $39.99 to $14.99.
JVC is promoting three new home theater systems at CES, the TH-G31, G41 and G51. All three feature 5.1-channel surround speakers, with power rated at 1,000W; these attach to a receiver which decodes DTS and Dolby Digital input, while providing HDMI video output and 1080p upconversion. A front-facing auxiliary input allows additional connections. The G31 is the simplest of the three, providing no extra improvements.
Electronics builder Memorex has announced a collection of new audio-video systems, generally focused around support for Apple handhelds. The Mi9490P is nominally a slot-loading CD player with an FM radio, but also features a dock on top which supports both iPods and iPhones. Output is rated at 30W, and the stereo also features an LCD with track display and adjustable equalizer settings. A related system is the Mi4290P, an alarm clock. Though it drops the CD player and equalizer, and is capable of just 10W of output, the clock retains an FM tuner and LCD display along with support for iPods and iPhones. Dual alarms allow couples to wake at different times.
Many people use whatever keyboard happens to come with their computer. Apple’s standard keyboard may be acceptable, for instance, but you may want a more versatile keyboard -- say, one that lets you play and control your favorite songs through built-in speakers. An example of this comes from Verbatim, and is dubbed the TuneBoard.
In brief: Several companies are now offering some last-minute discounts. DRO is offering a 20 percent discount on all goods; Spekal has reduced the price of its iPanda and iPig speakers, and MacUpdate has brought an additional app into its holiday bundle. AT&T, meanwhile, is now offering refurbished models of the iPhone 3G online.
Scandyna Speakers has released a pink version of its iPod Dock Pack. Consisting of two 100W Micropod SE Speakers and one 15W stereo dock, users are able to charge an iPod while listening to music. The Dock Pack comes complete with seven inserts for various iPod models, an infrared remote control, and two speaker cables.
Cygnett has released its latest product for iPods and other media players, the GrooveBassball portable speaker. The device integrates a rechargeable battery, claimed to last for three hours of playback time. The speaker resembles the shape of a ball, but extends when the end is twisted. The additional length is designed to improve bass response. A USB cable is included for recharging the lithium-ion cells. Any MP3 player or device with a 3.5mm jack can be connected.
Hercules has unveiled the XPS 2.150, the latest addition to its line of multimedia speakers. The system features two eight-watt compact satellite speakers and a 16-watt wooden subwoofer. The magnetically-shielded satellites feature a gloss black finish with orange driver cones and a back-lit control knob. Users can adjust the ported subwoofer separately, with bass controls and an on/off switch.
iHome has unveiled the iHM77, a stereo speaker system that can be connected to iPods, iPhones, notebooks, or any other device with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The speakers feature integrated amplifiers powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Both sides attach magnetically at the base for transportation, in the general form of a capsule, and can be extended for improved low-frequency response while in use.
Klipsch has debuted a new line of speakers, the Icon V series, born out of collaboration with Best Buy. The new speakers include the VF-35 and VF-36 floorstanders, VB-15 bookshelf, VC-25 center channel, and VS-14 surround models. The slim solid black cabinets and simple exterior give the speakers an understated aesthetic appearance. The new X-Tractrix tweeters are claimed to offer a smoother dispersion pattern and wide sound presentation, while still horn-loaded for use with standard A/V receivers.
Altec Lansing on Wednesday unveiled its new corporate logo, and the first offerings with its new industrial design ideals, including three mobile audio speaker systems, and a peculiar-looking set for computers. The FX3022 Expressionist Bass speaker system provides users with two 10-inch high speaker towers, with 1.5-inch drivers and 4-inch woofers built into each. Audio controls sit on top of the left speaker. The FX3022 speakers will sell for $130 in October, and will be available in either black or white.
Boston Acoustics has unveiled the Horizon iDS2 iPod Speaker system with two built-in 3 1/2 inch full-range speakers and 60 watts of power. Measuring roughly 5- by 13- by 6-inches, the speaker/dock comes in black or white models; customers can order grilles in a variety of colors to match room decor.
Intempo will release a new iPod dock, the Fusion, in mid-September according to Tech Digest. This dock features a new look, sculptured to dock any size iPod without blocking access to the controls. Intempo added an FM player to the Fusion that will also play DAB signals. The Fusion features two 25-watt speakers and a built in subwoofer.
Electronics builder Yamaha has released the YSP-3050, a new speakerbar in its Digital Sound Projector line. Like other speakerbars, the 3050 attempts to mimic separate surround speakers through a single unit, by using a multitude of tiny drivers aimed in different directions; the 3050 has has some 21 drivers, with 23 amplifiers and two woofers. This allows 5.1-channel sound under codecs such as SRS, DTS Neo:6 and Dolby Digital. People can additionally switch to a variety of unique combinations, such as My Beam, which isolates sound to a single listener.
Genius on Tuesday unveiled the SP-T1200 speaker set, a system that incorporates touch-based audio controls, while maintaining an affordable price. The 30-watt system offers a connection for headphones, and features treble, bass, and mute controls that use touch to function, rather than a physical button. Genius indicates that the speakers are quite compact, making them ideal for laptop users. The SP-T1200 speakers sell for $100, available from select retailers.
UK-based Gear4 on Thursday announced the release of its newest iPod dock, the BlackBox 24/7. The new dock is a 12-hour clock with alarm functionality, has a built-in FM radio tuner, and will play music and charge all iPods with docks. An auxiliary input allows the twin 2.75-inch speakers to play music from more traditional MP3 players as well.
Axiom Audio has announced the availability of its special edition Axiom Garage Speaker—a bookshelf unit. The device is tread-patterned, brushed silver exterior, and is comprised of a 1" titanium tweeter and 6.5" aluminum woofer, each speaker features anti-standing-wave cabinetry and vortex porting. The speakers will play with as little as a 10-watt amplifier, or can handle as much as 175 watts of input power. Axiom Garage Speakers also include a threaded mounting receptacle that accepts most speaker brackets including the company’s Full Metal Bracket. For horizontal mounting situations, Axioms Ceiling Bracket can be used. Axiom Garage Speakers are priced at $375 per pair.
In the old days, a complete stereo system might require a turntable, tape deck, CD player, receiver, and speakers. Nowadays, such stereo systems with multiple components taking up entire shelves seem as antiquated as a television set with vacuum tubes. For most people, their entire music collection fits comfortably on their favorite digital music player. However, music players require headphones or ear buds. If you want to share your music with others, you need a set of speakers such as Sierra Sound’s iN Studio 5.0 Smart Speakers.
Sony on Thursday unveiled the HT-IS100 Bravia Theatre Micro System, consisting of five miniscule speakers that the company claims are roughly the size of a golf ball. The system comes with three 1080p inputs with repeater functionality, with support for eight channels of audio, with the ability to add optional wireless rear surround speakers, which are automatically configurable. In addition to the five tiny speakers, the HT-IS100 also includes a subwoofer, with built-in 32-bit S-Master digital amplifier.
Scandyna on Thursday unveiled the Dock Pack, a combined set that bundles its high-end iPod dock with the Micropod SE speakers. The Dock features a 2x15 watt RMS Class T amplifier and seven inserts for various iPods, while being operated by remote control. The amp also features an output line for an optional subwoofer, and the included power adapter charges the iPod as it plays. Scandyna is selling the setup for $300 in over 30 countries.
Most people like the idea of taking their music with them wherever they go. While it’s easy to listen to music through headphones or ear buds, you might want to share your favorite tunes with others. Since it’s not always practical (or desirable) to share a pair of headphones with someone else, Logitech offers its Pure-Fi Mobile speakers, which can connect to any Bluetooth-enabled phone, MP3 player, or personal computer with a USB port.
Notebook and all-in-one computers, such as the iMac, include built-in speakers that provide modest audio quality. Sometimes however, that quality muffles the true sound of your music or movies. For those who demand higher-quality audio without paying the price for high-end speakers, the $199 Alesis M1Active 320USB speakers may do the trick.
Peripheral maker Creative Labs has introduced a new speaker setup for iPods, the TravelSound for iPod nano. As opposed to most such speaker systems, which rely on separate, desktop-sized satellites, the TravelSound meshes two channels into a single body, in which the Nano docks flush. The speaker is also designed to be tiny enough to be handheld, or carried in pockets, purses or luggage. Each channel produces 700mW of RMS power, with a frequency response of 180Hz to 20KHz.
In brief: We have a review of the Tannoy i30 iPod speaker system, Apple refreshes the "Macintosh" trademark, a 36-hour iPhone programming marathon takes place and iSync phone plugins gets new device support ... We have posted a review of the Tannoy i30 iPod speaker system. This heavy-duty speaker system has an oval shape that is flat from the front view, but extends the oval in the back, complete with an inset hidden handle. The clean front design has not a button to be seen; so all the controls are on the small remote. The front is graced with two non-removable gray grills that cover 4-inch iCT, Inductive Coupling Technology , speakers and an iPod dock, under which is a gray TANNOY label. When removed from its suitcase-like box, the sheer weight of the speaker system is impressive, as is the simple packaging.
After some delay, iLuv has announced that it is finally shipping its i399 iPod speaker dock. The system produces 45W of RMS output across 2.1 channels, and can both play and charge an iPod at the same time; "most dockable iPods" are supported, excluding those of the first three generations. The Shuffle and other sound sources are supported through an auxiliary 3.5mm input, and an integrated FM tuner supports up to 20 presets.
Having announced it at the CES expo in January, IntelliTouch is now shipping its Eos wireless iPod speaker system. At the core is a base station, which provides 2.1-channel sound, using at its source any iPod or iPhone with Apple's standard USB dock connector; owners can alternately pipe in sound from the Shuffle, and other devices such as computers, through an auxiliary cable input. Output is enhanced through SRS WOW! technology.
Alloysoft recently unveiled Signal 1.1, an update to its remote control application, adding support for AirTunes and several other features. Users can now tap on an album to display additional controls for multiple speakers, allowing them to toggle the master setting or any sets of AirTunes-enabled speakers they have. Signal 1.1 is available from the Alloysoft website, selling for $25, while current users of RemoteAmp are able to receive a 40% discount if they upgrade.
Sony today unveiled a pair of 'personal field speakers' (site not updated) that act similar to headphones as well as new multimedia speakers designed to produce high quality audio. The company's new PFR-V1 personal field speakers are designed to create a listening field around the ears, projecting music through two 1-inch die-cast aluminum speakers connected with a headband made of lightweight duralumin metal. Sony's PFR-V1 personal field speakers are slated for shipment in April for around $500.
In brief: We have a review of the Logic3 JiveBox, Apple comes in 12th in Web traffic, the IK Multimedia Plug and Mix promo has been announced, dates have been set for the Lasso Developer Conference 2008, and Aperture/Sony Alpha 700 RAW tests have been posted ... We have posted a review of the Logic3 JiveBox. This all-in-one cube houses a 2.1 speaker system that delivers a surprising amount of volume for such a compact system. The JiveBox comes complete with IR remote, 3.5mm line in cable, AC adapter, and an assortment of docking cradle plates to fit various iPod sizes new and old. The focal point of the JiveBox is the 7-inch glossy black block that encases all of the speakers and neatly hides the cables underneath the unit. A changeable glowing LED light strip that can be changed to red, blue, or green complements its simple design.
DLO has begun shipping its latest audio system, the Portable Speakers for iPhone. Although they can be used with any device that has a 3.5mm headphone jack, the system has a stand specially built for the iPhone, in part because listeners can tilt their iPhone vertically or horizontally to suit their tastes. The speakers are additionally powered by an amplifier that omits TDMA interference, a problem unique to cellphone audio.
Grace Digital recently unveiled a new line of iPod accessories, starting with the Hybrid PA-40Ti, a tube-based amplifier that combines retro technology with a modern industrial design. The amplifier features a four-channel input selector, allowing users to hook up phono, CD, or auxiliary audio connections, in addition to iPod connectivity. High quality speaker wire connectors, as well as a subwoofer and stereo headphone port handle output. Grace is selling the PA-40Ti for $450 through its website.
ezGear's contribution to the Macworld Expo comes in the form of several products. At the forefront is the XL90 Sound Bar, which combines two tweeters, four mid-range speakers and a separately-vented subwoofer. Its amp supplies 35W of power, and in addition to docking all iPods and iPhones, it tunes in AM/FM radio and can accept input from TVs and CD players. It should ship in March for $300.
Bluetooth purveyors BlueAnt have announced two new devices through the CES expo in Las Vegas. The first of these is the V1 Voice Controlled Headset, which as its name implies, allows users to control "most" functions through audio commands rather than pushing buttons. Pressing a single button activates the voice system, which will list available commands if the user asks for help. The headset uses Bluetooth 2.1, and actually supports connections with two phones simultaneously, by switching to the ringing phone when necessary. The V1 comes with car/desk and USB chargers, and can handle up to six hours of talk time, or 200 hours (over eight days) of standby. It should be available soon for $119.
Griffin yesterday unveiled several new products at CES, with the releases centered on home, personal, and automotive audio products, with a few power-related items as well. Griffin’s popular iTrip saw another revision, dubbed the iTrip AutoPilot with SmartScan. The updated iTrip FM transceiver displays RDS information on any capable car stereo, while the new SmartScan technology automatically seeks out the three best FM frequencies to broadcast over. The new AutoPilot charger puts music controls within easy reach of the driver; the controls sit on the back of the charging unit. iTrip AutoPilot with SmartScan will ship during the second quarter for $100.
JBL today unveiled a slew of music docks designed for Apple's iPod and iPhone. The company revealed no less than six different docking stations with built-in speakers due to ship at various times between now and Winter of 2008. The company's new offerings include the JBL On Time 200ID, JBL On Stage IIIP, On Time 400IHD, On Stage 200ID and On Stage 400ID, and JBL Duet 200. The company also announced that it is offering its JBL On Stage Micro in new color variations.
mStation today announced several additions to its product lineup in time for CES 2008, with new iPod and iPhone cases and a new incarnation of its 2.1 Stereo Orb. The mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb II comes in several new colors that compliment the look and feel of the 3G iPod nanos, with a choice of the following: red, black, green, pink, and silver. The speaker system is compatible with any iPod and the iPhone, as well as being able to sync with iTunes through the included USB connection. Users can control the unit with a 10-key remote, or through the embedded controls on the Orb II itself. The mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb II will be available during the first quarter of 2008 for $130.
Aerielle today launched its i2i Stream Digital Music Broadcaster, a device that allows users to listen to music wirelessly by streaming music content from any audio device. The company will demonstrate the device streaming CD quality sound for the first time at CES next week. "Whether it's friends hanging out and listening to a single iPod or the desire to stream music wirelessly to speakers in the home, the i2i Stream is the perfect solution," said Art Cohen, president and CEO of Aerielle. The i2i Stream is already available for $70, with 2-packs priced at $130.
A new iPod docking station and speaker system from InTempo features built-in dual band DAB digital and FM radio. DAB is a digital broadcasting spectrum used primarily in Europe that purportedly offers better audio fidelity and other enhanced features relative to FM. The new system is available in glossy "piano" black and has a 30 watt output, including a 15 watt subwoofer. The RDI is compatible with the iPod family and MP3 players and will play, sync and charge. The "DAB-dock" also has an alarm with sleep and snooze. All functionality, including the bass and treble, can be controlled either manually or with the 23-key remote control. The RDI retails at £129.99 (about $265) from Amazon, Comet and John Lewis. The RDI will not charge the iPod Shuffle.
