Announced at just 10,000 Yen in Japan or 113 USD, the XW-BTS1-W is Pioneer latest Bluetooth Speaker. Sporting a pair of 5W speakers this Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR/A2DP with support of SBC Codec, this new XW-BTS1-W speaker from Pioneer comes with a size of 250×88.5×132.5mm for a weight of 1.1Kg. Elegant, affordable the XW-BTS1-W could have been a real killer if only it would have also been able to run in battery instead of being tethered to an outlet plug.
I do wonder sometimes when a particular device such as a speaker is waterproof, how would it affect the way that you use other devices connected to it? Case in point, CES 2013 saw the announcement of the NUU Splash Bluetooth speaker that is clearly waterproof, helping you enjoy your favorite tunes the next time there is a poolside or beach party, but have you ever gave thought to the device streaming music to it? Is your smartphone or portable media player waterproof? Sure, this would mean additional expenditure on your part to purchase a waterproof case, but surely there are no waterproof notebooks out there – at least, not yet.
I guess this means I will just concentrate on sharing with you what the NUU Splash portable waterproof wireless speaker offers, and you will have to make the decision as to whether to bring one home or not when available. It has an integrated microphone and will work with all Bluetooth devices, manufactured using aircraft-grade aluminum for lightweight toughness and is IP55 certified against dust and low pressure water jets. Accessing volume and track selection controls are a snap, and it even functions as a speakerphone if you desire it to. The NUU Splash has been rated to last for up to 10 hours of continuous playback, or 240 hours on standby. You can choose from green, blue, gray, red and black colors at $99 a pop.
Press Release
[ NUU Splash, the waterproof Bluetooth speaker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Here’s a cool little surprise from the Pepcom floor: the Zagg Origin is a two-in-one speaker system. The smaller of the two fits in the palm of your hand, communicating with your tablet or smartphone via Bluetooth. It’s got some physical buttons on top and an auxiliary port, power button and mini-USB slot on its rear. It also vibrates like crazy when it plays. Drop into the larger dock desktop speaker and the music starts playing through that via the aforementioned vibes. Pretty cool, really. It’s gonna run you around $250 when it launches in roughly seven weeks. Watch video of the origin in action after the break.
Gallery: Zagg Origin hands-on
Continue reading Zagg Origin is two speakers in one (video)
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals
We’ve been seeing Bluetooth speaker after Bluetooth speaker debut as of late, but Felt Audio’s $99 rechargeable Pulse is one of the smallest of its kind. It supports Bluetooth for up to 40 feet, and it pairs with enabled devices in about three seconds. Battery life is rated for about four hours, and the speaker recharges via micro-USB. The controls are intuitive: you can manage calls and change the device’s volume via buttons on the side. A clip on the back can be used as a stand for propping the device up during conf calls and the like.
Felt also showed off its larger Rewind speaker (also for $99), which adds more functionality in the form of built-in earbuds that retract up to three feet. When we cranked up some tunes on an iPhone, the 9.2mm drivers cranked out enough noise to be heard over the raucous CES showroom floor. Both the Pulse and Rewind can attach to optional cases — currently only available for the iPhone, iPod and iPad. Both speakers will be available in April, though pre-orders begin in March. Get a closer look in our hands-on gallery.
Joseph Volpe contributed to this report.
Filed under: Peripherals
Do you like to share your choice of music with the rest of the world, never mind that some of the folks out there think that it is pure torture to listen to artists like Justin Bieber (hey, to each their own, right?), and you tend to perform your sharing using a boombox (if you are old school, of course), or a portable speaker? Portable speakers can be cool, and even cooler with the right kind of music, but to have them tethered to your music playback device like a portable media player or a smartphone is not all that hot. Not in the second decade of the 21st century, anyways. Why not live untethered with a Bluetooth speaker, and here is an idea that you might want to explore – the Urchin Ready 4 Anything (R4A) rugged Bluetooth speaker?
At first glance, you know for sure that the BOOM Movement is no ordinary pair of Bluetooth speakers. Urchin’s Ready 4 Anything (R4A) rugged Bluetooth speaker was specially designed to go with you in style for sure. It has been designed to stand out, and is more than capable of withstanding just whatever you throw at it. Sporting Urchin’s interchangeable silicone skins, it will enable you to have the Urchin gain its distinct clean look, and not only that, it offers shock and water resistance to boot.
The Urchin itself will come with a carbineer so that you are able to hook it to a belt loop or backpack, and if the situation calls for it, there is a suction cup that allows you to stick it to a shower tile, while there is also a screw mount attachment for the dash of a car. Alternatively, it can also be used with the optional bike mount or strap attachment. As for the Urchin’s silicone skin, it has been molded with a hole at the top, allowing it to be easily attached to just about anything with everything from a screw in the wall, to a rope tied around a tree.
You can also opt to turn the Urchin into a hands-free speaker for any Bluetooth enabled phone, thanks to its integrated microphone. Just make sure it supports Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR or higher. The BOOM Urchin will retail for $149.99 when it is made available early next year.
Press Release
[ Urchin Ready 4 Anything (R4A) rugged Bluetooth speaker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Vers Inc, a company that sells products for people concerned about the environment, announced a new Bluetooth speaker today, in the mold of speakers like the Jambox. The Vers 2Q is admittedly handsome–it’s wrapped in a warm wooden cabinet and it’s small enough to fit in your hand. Plus it’s got Bluetooth so it pairs with your phone. But $200 is a steep price for 13 watts of speakers–especially when there isn’t any detail available on the drivers, and the Jambox (which is the same price) is so well-liked. So it’s primarily marketed towards the people that think that wood casing on a gadget makes it more environmentally friendly. Plus, although it’s “handcrafted,” there’s no indication where it’s made–lots of things are handcrafted in factories like Foxconn. The bottom line is whenever you see words like “handcrafted,” you’ve got to understand it’s straight up marketing, unless you’re in a place like twee-Brookyn or Etsy. Speakers can be small-batch, but these Vers speakers definitely are mass produced.
The Vers 2Q are coming soon, and you can sign up to get an email when they’re on sale.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: LiveAudio for JAMBOX Delivers Spatial Sound , Jambox from Jawbone Speaker is fully customizable ,
Bluetooth speakers are getting more and more commonplace these days, thanks to the proliferation of devices that already come with Bluetooth connectivity built in. The £199.99 Block Rocker Bluetooth Speaker might take some aback with its price point, but do not fret – you can be sure every single quid you drop for it will be well worth the investment. With the Block Rocker Bluetooth Speaker, you are able to pair it to just about any other Bluetooth audio device, ranging from smartphones to tablets and notebooks, letting you share your favorite tunes with the rest of the world – or perhaps making a statement in a public place, whether the rest of the folks share your musical tastes or not.
Definitely the ideal device to introduce a little bit of audio wallop to indoor and outdoor soirees. Apart from that, it can also function as a combined amp, PA system and karaoke kit – and just in case you have run out of MP3s to share with the rest of the world, there is always the back up plan of an integrated AM/FM radio. Your Bluetooth-enabled device can reside safely at the top of the Block Rocker for safekeeping, and with a battery life that is rated at 12 hours, you know that this is good enough to sit through the entire night’s partying.
[ Block Rocker Bluetooth Speaker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Clarion’s booth was like other rather underwhelming, but here as well it have at least one little diamond in the rough that we could not ignore with their new 01Drive. Unlike most speaker, the 01Drive is a ceiling speaker, made to be used mainly at home and that can also accommodate any light ceiling easy and without modifications needed! The 01Drive comes in an hexagonal six-drive sharp and will let you stream all your tunes via Bluetooth and this regardless of your device! Not sure if …
The Beats by Dr. Dre badge has usually been attached to headphones and the occasional laptop or smartphone. We’ve never really seen it attached to dedicated speakers, however, and that’s where both an FCC filing and a sighting at UK retailer HMV’s online store raise a few eyebrows. The House that Dre Built appears on the edge of launching the Beats Pill, a Bluetooth wireless speaker with four drivers and a shape that more than explains the medicinal name. While we don’t know just how much of that signature Beats thump we’ll get, we do know from the FCC that the Pill can serve as a speakerphone, carries an aux-in jack and will last for a typical 8.5 hours on its USB-rechargeable lithium-ion battery. There’s also signs of a red version of Beats’ Mixr headphones coming at the same time. HMV has publicly scoured its pages of any trace of a ship date or price for the Pill, but cached copies point to a £170 ($276) price and a release around September 28th — not necessarily trustworthy figures, but they may be in the ballpark. Our only question is whether or not we’ll get a dose of the Pill in the US.
[Thanks, Germaine]
Gallery: Beats Pill speaker (unofficial)
Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio/Video
Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker spotted at FCC and HMV: take one and call Dr. Dre in the morning originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
If Proficient Audio’s new MaxTV MT2 speaker box is anything to go by, the company obviously isn’t enamored with the latest slew of slim, elegant soundbars. As the picture shows, it’s designed to act as a platform for your TV and can support up to 160 pounds — enough for even the biggest of flatscreens. The hard, no-grill design shows off the box’s two 1-inch tweeters, four 2.5-inch mid-range speakers and two 5.25-inch, down-facing subs. Four internal 20-watt, two-channel digital amps take care of the power, and with two of those dedicated to the woofers, we’d expect some serious neighbor-waking bass. It’s not just for your TV either, as the built-in Bluetooth supports audio streaming from any of your favorite gadgets. The soundbar-on-steroids is shipping now for 599 bones, and if that sounds a little steep, Proficient Audio assures you that “once someone hears the difference MaxTV makes, they will buy it.”
Continue reading Proficient Audio launches MaxTV MT2 speaker box, soundbars start job hunt
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Proficient Audio launches MaxTV MT2 speaker box, soundbars start job hunt originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
