HifiMAN HM-801 PMP promises to make audiophiles happy, wallets hurt

Audiophiles can be a particular bunch when it comes to portable media players and, at the very least, can often be found carrying a not-so-discreet portable amp around with their PMP. This new HifiMAN HM-801 device aims to make their lives a tad easier, however, with it combining a Burr-Brown PCM1704 DAC and a OPA627 op-amp in a single modular unit that’ll also let folks swap in their own amp of choice if they so desire. As you might expect, however, while it doesn’t cut any corners when it comes to sound quality (including full support for FLAC and lossless WMA), it’s pretty no frills otherwise, with no video support or other media-related features to speak of, and no internal storage of its own (you’ll have to rely on SDHC cards). At $700, it unsurprisingly also doesn’t come cheap, although Head-Fi.org forum members that pre-order it in advance of the June release can at least save $100.

[Via SlashGear]

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HifiMAN HM-801 PMP promises to make audiophiles happy, wallets hurt originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 May 2009 19:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy Camaro evidently nabs Microsoft Zune support

You’ve heard of Chevrolet, right? You know — that struggling automaker underneath the General Motors umbrella? For those who’ve long given up their ties to muscle cars in favor of the kid-friendly minivan or Earth-friendly hybrid, you may not even know that a revitalized Camaro is just around the bend. Based on some hands-on time with a production vehicle at an undisclosed dealer, Microsoft’s Zune integrates perfectly into the sound system, and said integration is supposedly a standard feature on the car. What’s more is that we’re told some 27 other GM models will also include Zune support from the factory as they launch in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia through 2011, though details beyond that are scant. Hope they cooked in support for the Zune HD, ya dig?

[Via Zune Insider]

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Chevy Camaro evidently nabs Microsoft Zune support originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 23:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s OLED Walkman priced in the US… sort of

We wouldn’t carve this in stone quite yet, but we’d say that points-to-dollars conversion from Sony’s official ‘Rewards’ site is pretty legitimate. The outfit’s highly anticipated OLED Walkman, which we had the pleasure of toying with earlier this week, is now listed in 16GB and 32GB forms at SonyRewards. While no ship date is given, we are told that the smaller of the two will run members 29,995 points, while the larger one demands an extra 10,000. For those who only speak real currency (you know, like Schrute Bucks), that translates to $299.95 and $399.95, respectively. Furthermore, the first official OLED Walkman accessories have popped up, proving that a leather case / kickstand, clear screen protector and a hard plastic shell will be made available. Oh, and Sony — any moment now would be great for a confirmation.

[Via SonyInsider]

Read – 16GB OLED Walkman
Read – 32GB OLED Walkman

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Sony’s OLED Walkman priced in the US… sort of originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 May 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony OLED Walkman impressions

Considering that we’re holding a Japanese unit in our hands, our impressions of Sony’s OLED Walkman will be somewhat limited. That said, we figured it prudent to pass along our initial judgments until the US model shows up sometime between tomorrow and next century. After giving the flashy PMP a photo shoot yesterday, we spent the rest of the day (and night, we won’t even front) toying with Sony’s most hyped Walkman in quite some time. Eager to hear just how fantastic / horrible this critter is? Follow us past the break for our two pennies.

Continue reading Sony OLED Walkman impressions

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Sony OLED Walkman impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 May 2009 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cowon’s 32GB S9 PMP goes on sale in America

We knew you’d do the right thing Cowon, we just knew it. Barely a fortnight after the company introduced its most capacious S9 to date over in South Korea, said player has made its way stateside… at least that’s the impression that we get. Listed now as “in stock” on Amazon, the 32GB Titanium / Black unit is shown as being sold by JetAudio, which just so happens to be Cowon’s official online home for sales. If you surf over to the S9 section on JetAudio’s website, however, the 16GB model is still listed as the largest one available. We’re guessing the latter’s admin hasn’t had time to update things between that Friday night rave and that six pack of Dos Equis on Saturday, but we hear Amazon has a pretty good reputation, anyway.

[Via PMP Today]

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Cowon’s 32GB S9 PMP goes on sale in America originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 May 2009 04:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Podio speakered PMP for cyclists sure to cause accidents, impromptu dance parties

We’ve seen plenty of speaker / PMP combos around these part, but the Podio — which looks kind of like a hairdryer to us — is designed for the cyclist on-the-go who just can’t bike without jamming to Green Day at a semi-loud volume. The Podio comes with a harness to attach it to the bike’s handlebars, and boasts a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that gets somewhere between nine and twenty hours of use per charge. The whole thing weighs 139 grams, boasts 2GB of onboard storage, and has a 1.5 watt speaker to get the party started. There are no details on pricing or availability as of now, but we’ll let you know when they come around — err… are on the market. One more photo after the break.

[Via Oh! Gizmo]

Continue reading Podio speakered PMP for cyclists sure to cause accidents, impromptu dance parties

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Podio speakered PMP for cyclists sure to cause accidents, impromptu dance parties originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 May 2009 02:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos 2 gets official in US, new color leaks out

Oh sure, you could already get your paws around the Archos 2 flash-based PMP if you really, really wanted to, but we’re still thrilled to see the company come clean and begin offering it up on its own website. As of now, prospective buyers in the United States of America can “soon” select the 8GB version in black or white for $59.99, while the 16GB model arrives in the same color options for $40 more. In related news, ArchosLounge has shots of a new blue model, though there’s obviously no way to procure that bad boy just yet. Then again, there’s always Colorware

[Via ArchosLounge, thanks Bernard]

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Archos 2 gets official in US, new color leaks out originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chuwi M70’s 7-inch PMP reviewed, said to be large and in charge

Chuwi M70's 7-inch PMP reviewed, said to be large and in charge

Many PMPs are svelte, portable things that feel good in the hand and not too bad in a pocket. The same cannot be said for the 8GB Chuwi M70, a PMP packing a 7-inch, 700 x 480 widescreen LCD and not much else. In a review at MP4 Nation Blog that screen gets high marks, as does the ability to play video up to 1280 x 720 smoothly, but build quality is apparently a disappointment, and those dimensions make it something less than totally portable. The device hasn’t officially been released in the US, but if you’ve got room in your heart for a PMP with a little extra to love they can be found online for under $120. Get hunting.

[Thanks, Tom]

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Chuwi M70’s 7-inch PMP reviewed, said to be large and in charge originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung plays catch-up with 32GB P3

With Cowon’s S9 going 32GB a couple of weeks ago, and the iPod touch doing 32GB for eons, Samsung’s finally matching its touchscreen brethren with the 32GB P3. Unfortunately, it’s only available in Korea at the moment, for the quite reasonable price of 389,000 won — about $291 US. On an unrelated note: we hear it’s nice over there this time of year.

[Via PMP Today]

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Samsung plays catch-up with 32GB P3 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Viliv S5 reviewed, is mostly smiles with good video playback

You’ve seen its introduction, its unboxing — in two different languages, no less — and maybe even fancied the pre-order page. Now Pocketables has what appears to be one of the first full-fledged review of the Viliv S5, and the verdict? It’s quite a sturdy and well-built MID, with surprisingly good battery life and video performance from the Intel Atom Z520 processor (same one as found in the Vaio P). The virtual keyboard leaves a lot to be desired for, and it’s a shame to hear the joystick’s mouse functionality is limited to four directions, but despite these complaints and a $599 price tag, the conclusion is still a overwhelmingly positive for those who like the form factor. Hit up the read link for the full examination.

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Viliv S5 reviewed, is mostly smiles with good video playback originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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