May 18

Asius’ ADEL earbud balloon promises to take some pressure off your poor eardrums

Posted in: audio, earbuds, earphones, Music, research, sound, Today's Chili, video
Listener fatigue: it’s a condition that affects just about everyone who owns a pair of earbuds and one that myriad manufacturers have tried to mitigate with various configurations. According to researchers at Asius Technologies, though, the discomfort you experience after extended periods of earphone listening isn’t caused by faulty design or excessively high volumes, but by “acoustic reflex.” Every time you blast music through earbuds, your ear muscles strain to reduce sound waves by about 50 decibels, encouraging many audiophiles to crank up the volume to even higher, eardrum-rattling levels. To counteract this, Asius has developed something known as the Ambrose Diaphonic Ear Lens (ADEL) — an inflatable polymer balloon that attaches to the ends of earbuds. According to Asius’ Samuel Gido, the inflated ADEL effectively acts as a “second eardrum,” absorbing sound and redirecting it away from the ear’s most sensitive regions. No word yet on when ADEL may be available for commercial use, but head past the break for a video explanation of the technology, along with the full presser.

Continue reading Asius’ ADEL earbud balloon promises to take some pressure off your poor eardrums

Asius’ ADEL earbud balloon promises to take some pressure off your poor eardrums originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 17

Orb Audio modular stereo speaker systems review

Posted in: audio, review, speaker, speakers, Today's Chili

Hey, do you like things that sound good? That’s funny, we do too. In a world jam-packed with mass-produced, perfectly adequate home-theater-in-a-box solutions, it can be really hard to differentiate between speaker solutions for your computer, TV, or stereo system. It takes a lot for small-scale, high-quality systems to stand out and justify their costs, especially when entire surround kits can be had for under a hundred bucks. But like that song said that one time, you can’t put a price tag on love. Orb Audio’s eponymously constructed speakers are little works of art that you can rearrange to suit your taste, budget, and decor — but are they a good solution for you? It’s a good question! Read on to find out just how the Orb family might or might not be the best decision you’ve ever made.

Gallery: Orb Audio modular speaker systems

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Orb Audio modular stereo speaker systems review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 May 2011 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 15

Latest Boxee Box update leaves surround sound speakers silent on stereo sources (Update)

Posted in: audio, boxee, Today's Chili, update

It wasn’t long after the Boxee Box v1.1 update started to roll out that users with surround sound systems found a major issue with it: besides the removal of volume controls (confirmed to return as an optional setting in the next update), there was an undocumented change to the way it handled stereo PCM audio sources for users with surround sound systems. Instead of sending it on to the user’s receiver as a two channel source so it could be processed to fill all the speakers, it is sent as a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio source and only plays audio through the front left and right speakers, with no audio coming from the center channel or rear speakers. That’s a major problem for people trying to watch Netflix streams, MLB.tv, listen to certain lossless audio files or any other stereo audio source and enjoy an audio experience that takes advantage of their setup.

A Boxee developer on AVSForum indicated the change was due to a licensing agreement between the manufacturer of the box, D-Link, and Dolby, and would need to be left up to them for a fix. We’ve reached out to both Boxee and D-Link for word on their issue and while we haven’t received a detailed response (expect more information tomorrow at the earliest), there is a notation on the JIRA bug tracker for the issue by “yuvalt” indicating the team is working on a fix for this and other issues which will hopefully be available within days. Check out the forum threads for more detail on the issue as well as temporary workarounds, we’ll let you know if we get an official response on why this is happening and if / when there’s a fix incoming.

Update: Per Boxee VP of Marketing Andrew Kippen, the problem was the result of a “miscommunication” and a fixed update for that and the volume control toggle will roll out this week. Check after the break for his words verbatim, but owners of the Box can rest easy knowing their surrounds will be back to work shortly.

[Thanks, Neil]

Continue reading Latest Boxee Box update leaves surround sound speakers silent on stereo sources (Update)

Latest Boxee Box update leaves surround sound speakers silent on stereo sources (Update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 May 2011 18:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 11

Google Music Beta walkthrough: what it is and how it works (video)

Posted in: audio, cloud, Google, impressions, preview, reviewed, Software, Today's Chili, video

We made a few predictions about Google’s (then-presumed) music service in our streaming roundup last week, and thanks to the inability of an undisclosed amount of labels to take a whiff of whatever El Goog was cooking, it looks as if we’ve been left with something less robust, but nevertheless intriguing. It’s worth taking a glance at our team editorial on Music Beta by Android to get a feel of what could’ve been, but the reality is this: what was launched today is what we’ve been dealt, and now it’s time to break things down and see how it actually functions in practice.

Care to have a look at a full installation walkthrough, problem reports and two more pennies on how the service stacks up? That, along with tips on fulfilling your hopes and dreams, are tucked away just after the break.

Gallery: Google Music Beta walkthrough on phone, tablet and PC

Continue reading Google Music Beta walkthrough: what it is and how it works (video)

Google Music Beta walkthrough: what it is and how it works (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 06

Ask Engadget: best mini stereo for use with AirPort Express

Posted in: Apple, AskEngadget, audio, Music, Today's Chili

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Gaurav, who can’t seem to contain his excitement for cord-free audio. And we can’t blame him. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“Pretty simple: I am looking to purchase a small stereo system which can fit on a side table, and can connect to AirPort Express. Something stylish, but more importantly, reliable. Thanks!”

Any of you kitchen thrashers care to spill the beans on your preferred system? If so, comments are welcoming one and all down below.

Ask Engadget: best mini stereo for use with AirPort Express originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 May 2011 22:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 05

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air review

Posted in: airplay, Apple, audio, ios, ipad, iPhone, ipod, Music, review, speaker, streaming, Today's Chili
What’s that, an alien egg? Nope. Memory foam iPillow? No, silly, it’s a Zeppelin, a Zeppelin Air more specifically. Bowers & Wilkins brought us the first iPod-centric Zeppelin in the middle of the great iPod dock flood of ’07. A few years later they downsized and brought us a mini version. The logical extension after the advent of AirPlay is here: a Zeppelin that does its thang without wires. We’ve been beaming music to it for a few weeks now — wanna find out how our relationship has been? Click through, captain.

Gallery: Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air

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Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 04

Harman Kardon’s MAS 102 stereo has a petite profile, luxury looks and matching $999 price tag

Posted in: audio, luxury, Music, sound, speakers, Today's Chili

Harman Kardon has departed from its austere design language on occasion and come up with some questionable aesthetic results, but its latest compact stereo system sports the clean and classic lines for which H/K is famed. Of course, looks aren’t everything, so the MAS 102 slings songs at your skull using a two-channel 65W amp, five-inch mid bass drivers, and one-inch waveguided dome tweeters. The MAS 102 also has dual USB ports for accessing digital music and a phono input for those who prefer sourcing tunes from an old school turntable. It’s not all sonic bliss, however, as an optional dock (sold separately) is needed to hook up the iDevice of your choosing. That’s a glaring omission for a stereo that costs just under a grand — but forgiving that flaw should be easy for the form-over-function crowd. More info can be found in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Harman Kardon’s MAS 102 stereo has a petite profile, luxury looks and matching $999 price tag

Harman Kardon’s MAS 102 stereo has a petite profile, luxury looks and matching $999 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 May 2011 22:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 04

Altec Lansing’s Orbit USB Stereo trumps your laptop’s speakers, has split personality

Posted in: audio, hands-on, speaker, speakers, Today's Chili, usb

USB speakers aren’t exactly headline-grabbing gadgets these days, but the fact remains that most laptops could still use a little help on the audio end. If you’re in need of a quick fix for your weak-sounding machine, then Altec Lansing’s $49.95 Orbit USB Stereo (iML247) might be worth your consideration. As the name says for itself, both power and audio input are managed through one USB cord, meaning no batteries are required here. Better yet, when not in use, you can simply fold up the legs, stuff the cables into the hollow ends, and then twist the speakers together to form one smooth tube for storage. Of course, note that this Orbit won’t work with devices sporting the common 3.5mm headphone jack, and obviously don’t expect cinematic sound quality from these tiny canisters — hey, there’s always a trade-off. Hands-on pics in the gallery below.

Gallery: Altec Lansing Orbit USB Stereo

Continue reading Altec Lansing’s Orbit USB Stereo trumps your laptop’s speakers, has split personality

Altec Lansing’s Orbit USB Stereo trumps your laptop’s speakers, has split personality originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 May 2011 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 03

Olympus’ LS-20M boasts dual mics and 1080p recording, split personality

Posted in: 1080p, audio, camcorder, olympus, Today's Chili
Cisco may have washed its hands of pocket camcorders, but Olympus is ready to dive into the market with gusto. The company, best known for its cameras and voice recorders, just brought those two worlds together by announcing the LS-20M, a handheld whose relatively high-end audio specs should help it go toe-to-toe with Zoom. In addition to 1080p video, the LS-20M records 24 bit / 96 hHz Linear PCM audio using a pair of condenser mics. Alas, at $300 it has a small 2-inch screen and no optical zoom, but at least Olympus borrowed four of the visual effects that make its PEN cameras so fun to use. Look for it in June, and in the meantime, hit the PR for more details.

Continue reading Olympus’ LS-20M boasts dual mics and 1080p recording, split personality

Olympus’ LS-20M boasts dual mics and 1080p recording, split personality originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 May 2011 18:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 02

Amar Bose donates majority of Bose Corporation shares to MIT, says thanks for the education

Posted in: audio, education, industry, mit, sound, speakers, study, Today's Chili, university

If you haven’t heard of Dr. Amar Bose directly, you’ve surely heard of his eponymous audio equipment company. Late last week, the 81-year old founder and chairman of Bose Corporation announced that he’s donating the majority of shares in the privately held company to his alma mater, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A member of that college’s graduating class of 1951 and its electrical engineering faculty all the way until 2001, Bose felt compelled to give something back and he’s opted for the most grandiose of gestures. MIT won’t be able to sell its shares in Bose Corp. nor have any say in the way it is run, but it’ll receive dividends as and when they’re paid out, which will then be reinvested in its research and education programs. In making this perpetual endowment public, Amar Bose took the time to credit Professors Y. W. Lee, Norbert Wiener and Jerome Wiesner as his mentors — in the image above, you can see him pictured with Lee (left) and Wiener (right) back in 1955. Chalkboards, that’s where it all began.

Amar Bose donates majority of Bose Corporation shares to MIT, says thanks for the education originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 May 2011 05:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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