Feb 06
A team of former Google employees are taking on Sonos with a new music streamer, aiming to do for whole-home media playback what Google’s own Chromecast did for easy video … Continue reading
Oct 09
Sonos‘ upcoming – and currently unannounced – Play:1 speaker, the $199.99 entry-level model to the streaming media range, has been caught on sale early. A Target shopper flagged up the prematurely stocked speaker to The Verge, having spotted it in their local store already on the shelves in black and white. Full details of the […]
Jul 11
Philips has revealed its latest iPhone speaker dock, the Philips DS8400, offering both Lightning and Bluetooth connectivity for the terminally indecisive. The new dock, which has an internal battery for standalone use, can dock with an iPhone or stream music from any Bluetooth A2DP-compliant phone, PMP, tablet, or other gadget.
Inside the curved casing there are two 3-inch full-range drivers, with each getting its own bass pipe for emphasizing the low-end. Philips also claims that the shape of the speaker-dock – with no squared-off sides either front or back – reduces sound reflections and unwanted vibrations.
On the audio side, the DS8400 sucks a digital audio input from the iPhone, rather than analog, for what Philips says is better overall sound, and the dock works with the SoundStudio app for iOS which includes a graphic equalizer and “MySound” system. There, dragging a finger around an onscreen grid adjusts the sound according to whether listeners prefer it to be “powerful”, “warm”, “bright”, or “clear”.
The app also offers internet radio playback, though of course you could also find that through many iPhone (or Bluetooth streaming device) apps. On the back, there’s an aux-in connection for wired non-Apple devices.
Battery life is an estimated five hours from a full charge, and Philips includes a mains power dock onto which the DS8400 sits to rejuice. A remote is included.
Philips says the DS8400 iPhone speaker-dock will go on sale this month, priced at £250 ($377). No word on US launch plans at this stage.
Philips DS8400 iPhone speaker-dock packs Bluetooth, Lightning & a battery is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Apr 10
Ferrari by Logic3 launches its Scuderia FS1 Air Speaker Dock equipped with Airplay
Posted in: Today's ChiliFerrari by Logic3 has just launched its new speaker dock, the Scuderia FS1 Air. The Scuderia FS1 Air comes equipped with Airplay, so you can stream music wirelessly from your iOS devices, or from iTunes. The 2.1 speaker system is Bluetooth capable as well, so if you don’t have an iOS device, you can still wirelessly stream music straight from your Android device, Windows Phone 8 device, or Blackberry 10 device.
THe FS1 Air has a very compact design, meaning its designed to fit into any area in your home or in your office. It has Class HD Technology, an amplifier that delivers high power density and high efficiency, combined with a Digital Signal Processor, which controls the equalization and crossover of your music, to create the best performance possible and best tone quality for your music.
Of course, if you don’t want to wirelessly stream your music to the Scuderia FS1, you can always plug your music device in via the 3.5mm jack available on the device, or dock your iOS devices on the 30-pin connector. The Scuderia FS1 Air Speaker Dock was inspired by the Scuderia Ferrari racing team, as well as the Ferrari itself. You can tell by the speaker’s beautiful curves, black and red color scheme, and the quality of music the device can produce.
Ashvin Patel, CEO of Logic3, says, “We designed the FS1 Air to offer a sophisticated solution that provides a crisp and powerful audio experience.” We first heard about the Scuderia FS1 Air Speaker Dock way back at CES this year. Previously, we expected the device to cost about $549.00, however, the price has been confirmed to be $649.00. It’s quite expensive for an audio dock, but it’s something audiophiles will want to have in their collection.
Ferrari by Logic3 launches its Scuderia FS1 Air Speaker Dock equipped with Airplay is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Sep 28
Maserati and high-end speaker manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins have announced a deal to fit top-spec audio equipment in the Italian marque’s cars, and they’ve celebrated the news with a bizarre new piece of music. The collaboration will see a new audio system developed especially for Maserati cars, hitting options lists sometime in 2013, as well as a range of home audio kit bearing the Maserati brand.
Technical details are sparse, though B&W isn’t a stranger to in-car audio. The company already supplies Jaguar with multiple systems, with the setup in the XJ consisting of a full twenty speakers paired with a fifteen-channel amp.
For Maserati’s purposes, the B&W installation will have to compete with the car firm’s hardly quiet engines, known for producing some impressive noise of their own. That challenge seemingly inspired a one-off piece of music, “Seven Notes,” based on the seven notes apparently produced by Maserati’s powerplant.
“Seven Notes”:
Cue a trip to the Abbey Road studios, plenty of microphones, and some mixing expertise from Howie B, and you come up with the track in the video above. More details on how B&W and Maserati made it in the making-of video below.
“Making of Seven Notes”:
Maserati and B&W mark in-car audio deal with “Seven Notes” engine music is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 31
“Music,” the wise Madonna once sang, “makes the people come together,” and although it may look like the tail-end of a Pagani Zonda, the Philips FWP3200D DJ-Dock attempts to do just that. A combination speaker system and dual-deck docking station, the DJ-Dock takes two iPhones or iPods in its rotatable bays – which can be swiveled for either a user standing behind, or positioned for communal control at a party – and includes integrated lighting effects.
The flashing speaker rings can be user-selected to glow either red, blue or purple, or indeed an alternating combination, and they pulse in time to the beat of the music. A matching FWP1000 speaker kit can be daisy-chained too, adding a further 240W of amplification and matching lighting.
Connectivity includes USB and and aux-in port, for use with non-Apple media players, and there’s an included remote control which can be used to switch between the lighting modes. A microphone input is also supplied, and there’s support for the Algoriddim djay app for iPhone and iPod touch. T
he usual DJ controller buttons and sliders are present and correct, including a channel fader for switching between the sources, treble/bass controls, and a “power boosting” MAX Sound mode for getting the thumpiest audio from the 300W amplification. Speakers consist of 2-inch tweeters and 5.25-inch woofers, and there’s an FM tuner if you’ve got nothing worth listening to on your phone.
The Philips FWP3200D DJ-Dock is available in the UK now, priced at £299.99 ($470). The FWP1000 speaker kit is also available, priced at £199.99 ($314).
Philips FWP3200D DJ-Dock makes you the communal deadmau5 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 30
I’m going to go right ahead and assume that most of the people checking out this review are here because they’re confused about why SlashGear would review a vinyl record player. I think that’s fair to wonder. There are two reasons, the first of which is the fact that this record player not only has audio input via a convenient little smartphone dock. The second is this: I’ve still got a massive stack of records that I want to play, and I’m certain that there’s a massive population of readers out there that have their own, too – you don’t just throw those things away!
The primary function of this beast is indeed playing vinyl records. You can break out your old collection of 33 1/3 platters or your 45s and you’ll have a fabulous time spinning all night long. You’ve got a detachable 45 converter, hardcore screw speed adjuster, and a switch for the different locked-in speeds you need. The arm on this player also can be lifted and lowered by a mechanical arm, there’s a lock for the player arm, and once your album is done playing, the arm does automatically return to its dock.
The 45 RPM adapter sits in the box solid if you don’t need to use it and is just as easy to utilize when you do need it as any built-in adapter I’ve ever used. And it’s got a sticker on it too, just incase you have no idea what it is.
The lid of the box has a latch that locks in place if you want to keep it open, and if you prefer to play a record with the top closed, you can do that too – it wont affect the sound quality at all.
On the left of the machine you’ve got a hideaway dock which has room to feature your smartphone or MP3 player – or media player, if you prefer. This dock has enough room for a standard smartphone, not quite enough room for a Galaxy Note. You can put an iPhone in there, an HTC smartphone, a Motorola device, or even a BlackBerry if you’re feeling strange. The only thing you need to connect to the device to get music out of it is a standard headphone jack.
From there you’ve only to head to the front of this beast to flip the Phono switch to “iPod/Aux in” as they’ve labeled it, and you’ll be good to go. Volume, Bass, and Balance (between the two built-in speakers) all work perfectly well as a good headphone-jack-utilizing device should.
Another item you might have noticed up front is the USB port (cable included with the set). With the correct drivers installed on your computer, you’re able to use this device to import sound. The wheels should be cranking in your cranium right about now, all you vinyl owners out there, because yes, yes indeed, you can use this player to import all your old albums into your computer so that you can push them (with your computer) to your other devices. It’s as simple as it gets without using one of those fancy vinyl-to-cd devices that audiophiles certainly aren’t the most fond of.
On the back of this beast you’ll find another AUX-in port for those of you that have speaker wires and don’t want to have to use the iPod dock to connect your larger devices. The back of the player also has a door behind which you can hide your power cord, the power cord required to make the whole player work. This isn’t quite a wireless record player – but it’s size and the fact that the switches up front are rather pointy should have made that clear well before now.
Wrap-Up
The sound quality on this machine is generous, but not perfect. You’re not going to purchase this beast for your friend who needs to hear every nuance and expect them to be happy with the speakers that exist on this machine. Then again, the average vinyl record lover isn’t in it for the high detail, they’re in it for the warm feeling of the media, which this device certainly does project.
The whole unit is covered with a faux snake sort of rubbery covering, there are bumpers on the bottom and the back so that if you do indeed need to transport it around, you’ll be covered for setting it down on the ground. The whole unit is solid, it certainly does what it sets out to do, and it’s worth what it costs for sure. Go out and grab one for $196.57 from Pyle Audio’s online store or your favorite online retailer right now! And hope to heck your parents didn’t toss out your KISS collection in the meantime.
Pyle Audio PLTTB8UI Record Player Review is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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