SlashGear 2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Audio Equipment

There are three different ways you’re going it give the gift of audio this holiday season, the first being the massive amount of smart devices out there with their own external speaker – so many do these days that it’s taken for granted – see: all of the smartphones, notebooks, and tablets we’ve worked with for several years – they’re all able to play music, imagine that! The second way you’re going to give the gift of audio is with speakers galore, starting with the Jawbone BIG Jambox and/or the Jawbone Jambox standard edition – or with custom color combinations if you wish with the company’s new “The Remix” initiative – it’s fun stuff!

Stand-alone speakers are almost always a good gift for that random person in your life in need of a “just because” gift: check the iFrogz Boost Nearfeild audio speaker for example. If you’ve got a smartphone, not even necessarily if you’ve got an iPhone, your gift receiver will be amazed at the hot sound enhancement that occurs with this fabulous unique technology. We also suggest you take a peek at House of Marley for some bright and fabulous audio equipment – see their showing in our Redemption Song on-ear headphones review as well as our review of the massive Bag of Rhythm. Noone else will have those gifts to give at your party, you can bet!

Other highly approved stand-alone speakers we’ve had a peek at and enjoyed include, first, the SuperTooth Disco 2 – the original Disco and the Disco 2 remain out and about in our office on the regular. They’re out because they’re extremely simple to use and they’re both compact in shape – they’re just that nice. The Libratone Zipp has been an entirely reliable speaker made to work first and foremost with wireless commands from your iPhone or iPad.

Another of the most unique and creative of speakers we’ve got here is HiddenRadio – a speaker that connects to your smartphone (if you wish) then plays music louder or softer based on how high or low the knob is on the device. For those of you who want to go just about as wireless as a non-battery device will bring you, you’ll want to see the Sonos collection for music in your home – and stay tuned to SlashGear for a review of the Sonos SUB – it’s bumping right now for real.

For those of you that don’t want to spend too much cash but do want to afford a pair of headphones rather than a tiny pair of earbuds, there’s always the greatness of Tenqa Remxd – a hot ticket indeed for very, very few dollars from you. Moving up the scale as far as headphone quality goes we’ve got (in no particular order), Marshall Major Pitch Black headphones, ThinkSound ms01 monitor series earbuds, the Jabra Supreme-UC Bluetooth headset (wireless greatness), and don’t forget the Monster Inspiration Active Noise Cancellation Headphones – they’re beastly!

The folks at Plantronics have been hitting it correct this year with gems such as the BackBeat Go wireless earbuds and the lovely Plantronics m55 bluetooth headset to kick up the market in the quality sector. This year Apple also revealed their own new and updated pair of earbuds called Apple Earpods – they drown your eardrums in lovely warm sound! The team at V-MODA has been coming correct this year too with such beasts as the V-MODA Limited Edition Crossfade LP2 headphones as well as the slightly newer and slightly smaller V-MODA Crossfade M-80 White Pearl headphones – both are powerful and made with extra high-quality materials to boot!

IMG_6416-580x386
image0045-580x296
sonos_play3_0-580x411
P1290126-580x427
image0034
libratone_zipp_review_sg_17-573x500
slashgear_00153-580x374
image00014-580x409
slashgear_0017
slashgear_prometheus_00001-580x387
ds712_plus_slashgear_00041-580x382
first-19
IMG_5314-580x409
P1260276-580x418
image00114-580x374
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
onswitch-580x438
planner-580x396
image0034


SlashGear 2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Audio Equipment is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Tweet-Speaking Radio Brings the Latest News and Random Rants

Twitter is probably the most up-to-date source of both the most useless as well as the important issues of the day; it’s like a thousand free radio stations where some broadcast nothing but ads while the rest have schizophrenic DJs and reporters. So… it’s not like a radio station at all. But I still find this tweet-speaking radio to be an awesome mod.

volume and noise twitter radio by sean hathaway

The not-radio was made by Sean Hathaway, who calls his device “Volume and Noise.” It has a wooden case from an antique radio but its innards and display have been upgraded with equipment like a newer amplifier, an Arduino microcontroller and a meter that shows the number of tweets per minute.

volume and noise twitter radio by sean hathaway 2 175x175
volume and noise twitter radio by sean hathaway 3 175x175
volume and noise twitter radio by sean hathaway 4 175x175
volume and noise twitter radio by sean hathaway 175x175

It filters tweets based on user-defined search terms and then converts them to speech using synthetic voices. In the video below Volume and Noise is tuned in to political search terms. I like the addition of static and tuning sound effects.

I wonder if it would be possible to order it to make a voice command that tells the radio to save or mail a link to the tweet it just read. That way it would be even more useful.

[via MAKE]


The Chiptastic Chiptune List Will Have You Buried in 8-Bit Tunes for Months

If you’re into retro style beep and bleeps and beats, then here’s a fun way to discover lots of cool chiptune acts – many of whom you’ve never heard of before. A group of chiptune artists and fans has compiled the Chiptastic Chipmusic List, or as I like to call it The Ultimate Chiptune List.

chiptune list

The Facebook-compiled list currently showcases over 360 different chiptune performers, including links to their websites, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, or Facebook pages, as well as links to a number of streaming chipmusic radio stations. Whether you’re into chiptunes or just like retro gaming, you’ll discover all kinds of sweet new electronic music by clicking around to the artists on the list. Some of my faves: Abducted by SharksMario Frog Suit, I Set My Pixels on Fire, Solarbear and PandaSTAR.

And while we’re on the subject of chiptunes, here’s some cool sounds from the monthly Philadelphia chipmusic showcase show 8static:

After you’re done listening to the concert footage above, head on over to the Chiptastic Chipmusic List on Facebook. Be sure to post a comment below and us know who your favorites are!

[Thanks for the tip, Jesse!]


Volume And Noise Invention Reads Out Tweets

I have yet to lose the amazement at reading some of the tweets that folks, er, tweet about, and the most recent faux pas that I read came from the United Nations themselves in the form of a typo, touching on the sensitivities of a 1-state solution in the Middle East concerning Israel and Palestine, before an apology was issued. Well, the Volume And Noise is a creation by artist Sean Hathaway as part of a social-media-themed project, where it will bring Twitter and one of the oldest forms of communication together.

Constructed within the casework of a 1930s vintage Philco radio, Hathaway’s idea of fusing both generations together rely on an Arduino processor to pick up some tweets, followed by reading them aloud thanks to a text to speech program. Individual tweets will be read in a different voice so that one can differentiate between them, and Sean even threw in static and AM radio tuning noises for that added bit of reality. No idea on how irritating it can be to listen in on random tweets, but at least you have the choice of playing around with the Tweets Per Minute knob that lets you control the frequency of tweets being read.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Geneva WorldRadio Unveiled, Gocen plays sheet music in real time,

PS Plus Members Get 1-Year Music Unlimited Premium Subscription For $1 Monthly

If you are a PS Plus member, then it is definitely time for a heads up – just what can you get for a buck these days? Not much at all, although sometimes you might come across offers and deals at fast food joints that let you pick up a burger at that price point. Well, PS Plus members, for just $1 each month, you will be able to enjoy a 1 year Music Unlimited premium subscription, now how about that? It is said that this is a limited time offer only, although you do need to fork out the $12 annual fee beforehand (which is where the $1 a month calculation comes in), resulting in helping you save more than $100 each year based off the normal price of $9.99 a month.

If you so happen to be a Premium subscriber, you can then access all the features found in the cloud-based music service as well as the entire catalog of over 18 million songs which can be streamed ad-free across multiple devices, where among them include the PS3, PSP, PS Vita, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod, Android smartphone and tablets among others.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Volume And Noise Invention Reads Out Tweets, Geneva WorldRadio Unveiled,

ASUS Echelon Camo Edition Gaming Headset: Not Exactly Invisible

I don’t know when I started liking camo-patterned stuff, but it was a long time ago. I’ve got plenty of US army pants and shirts to prove my obsession. As camo goes, the digital camo on these headphones looks pretty good and while it won’t protect you from getting fragged, you’ll still look good.

asus echelon camo edition with mic extended

The ASUS Echelon Camo Edition Gaming Headset is aimed at PC gaming enthusiasts. The Echelon camo is inspired by digital camouflage patterns that are popular in games and real-world military apparel. But it’s not all about looks. This headset has got 50mm neodymium magnet drivers to make those explosions sound nice and loud. The ear cups are comfortable and isolate up to 30 dB of noise, allowing you to block out the real world while you blow stuff up in the virtual one. Its braided cord will allow some flexibility, and it will probably not end up tangled like most of your headphones.

ASUS hasn’t announced the price or release date yet for the Echelon Camo headset, but I’d expect it to arrive very soon.


JayBird BlueBuds X premium micro-sized earbuds blast forth

JayBird has launched its premium micro-sized earbuds, the BlueBuds X. These earbuds are Bluetooth-enabled, and are the official training headphones of the USA Triathlon, indicating their usefulness for athletes who want to listen to music without dealing with a headphone cord. You can pick up a pair of BlueBuds X for $169.99.

The BlueBuds X feature PureSound, a white noise filter that removes the white noise generated by earbud headphones. This feature aims to stomp on the listener fatigue that commonly results from the white noise, producing a more enjoyable listening experience for longer periods of time. Meanwhile, the Signal Plus feature helps the audio remain stable via a “clear constant signal” to the accompanying Bluetooth player.

These little in-ear headphones feature approximately 8 hours of battery life, more than long enough for a week’s worth of workouts for most users. Keep in mind, this battery life is coming from a pair of micro earbuds that look scarcely large enough to include any sort of battery, let alone one that provides hours of playback. IPhone users can monitor battery life via an onscreen icon; charging is achieved with a micro-USB cable.

The BlueBuds X come with a lifetime warranty against sweat, which appears to be a fancy way of saying that they’re sweat-proof. They’re specifically designed to fit well for use during sports, while their micro-size makes them unobtrusive and comfortable; they can be used both over and under ear, depending on preference. As says the press release, these earbuds are “lock and loaded ready for anything you can dish out.”

2f3223
agaweg
erwewr
herr
j6445
herter


JayBird BlueBuds X premium micro-sized earbuds blast forth is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


This Portable Bluetooth Speaker Is Different Because It Looks Weird and You Can’t Break it

The world is seething with a billion cheap, portable Bluetooth speakers. To differentiate itself from the pack, Boom Movement has created this thing. It’s called the Urchin, and the silicone cloaked beast looks as bizarre as its name implies. It’s also certified shock and water-resistant. More »

Prototype Plugg radio dabbles in DAB, lets you put a cork in it

Prototype Plugg radio dabbles in DAB, lets you put a cork in it

Clicking off the radio to rid your ears of an annoying DJ or an overplayed pop song is easy enough, but it could be more satisfying. How? Well, you could stuff a literal cork in your radio, of course. Normal speakers wouldn’t be phased by mere wine stopper, but by design, the DAB compatible Plugg is. The project is the brainchild of Skrekkøgle, a pair of Norwegian designers, and was built to investigate the “physical and metaphorical interaction with electronic devices.” The DIY project features a pair of volume buttons and the obvious cork for an on / off switch. There aren’t any build instructions and the prototype isn’t available for sale, but inspired builders can get a look at the speaker’s construction (including a trip to the 3D printer) on the team’s Flickr page. Head past the break to see the final product in action.

Continue reading Prototype Plugg radio dabbles in DAB, lets you put a cork in it

Filed under:

Comments

Via: Designboom

Source: Skrekkøgle, Flickr

Krell teams with 2014 Acura RLX as home audio hits the automobile

This week at the Los Angeles Auto Show the folks at Krell Industries have announced that they’re bringing on their high-end performance audio system knowhow to the auto industry for the very first time. They’ll be doing with first with the fabulous 2014 Acura RLX, and will indeed be replicating the home theater system power they’re known for in this vehicle by the time it rolls out inside 2013. With 30 years of knowhow under their belt, we’re pumped up to hear just how great this system aims to be.


With Krell, you know you’ve got super-accurate three-dimensional dynamic sound from top to bottom, in and out, no matter where you’re sitting. Inside a room with Krell across the board, you’ve got a beast of a system without a doubt. Here in the 2014 Acura RLX, you’ll have a completely original system tuned precisely for this vehicle alone.

“We’ve been in business for more than 30 years; we’re well known for making the highest-performance audio products for the home and we are excited to bring our sound quality to the automotive environment. Every aspect of the system’s design was dissected and optimized to achieve a system that is sonically breathtaking.” – Krell Industries President Bill McKiegan

The setup will include many of the same high-powered technologies here in the vehicle that Krell implements in their home audio packages. Starting this party is a set of high quality bipolar power transistors, this implementation resulting in an amplifier 1/3 less distorted than what Krell notes is “a leading competitor’s flagship luxury car amplifier.” This setup also works with both headroom as well as power enough to work with the road and any sort of environment – you’ll hear that album no matter what.

You’ll be working with Zylon mid bass drivers – six of them – made with the world’s strongest super fiber made specifically for speaker manufacturing. This material is made to hold still when the audio is off (instantly) and make all the right moves when the sound makes it so. Less vibration once the sound stops means a cleaner sound in the end – it’s just that simple.

The tweeters you’ve got in this system are made of lightweight magnesium cones created to enhance musical detail and extend high frequencies without making your eardrums bleed from harshness. To keep vibration at a minimum and strength at its maximum, all metal grilles are employed over each speaker.

To top it all off, there’s a carbon fiber composite subwoofer to provide many fine beats. With this beast you’ll have 100 Watts of low frequency sound with “substantial impact” and an extremely clear delivery. Jeff Conrad, Vice President and General Manager of Acura Sales has made it clear that they intend this system to “set the bar for performance audio in the automotive world.”


Krell teams with 2014 Acura RLX as home audio hits the automobile is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.