Hasta La Gadget!

You’re sick of audio docks, we know. So are we. But as much as we wanted to skip merrily along beyond Logitech’s S715i set, we couldn’t help but note that it’s something of a rarity. Whereas most other iDevice speakers tend to keep themselves safely tethered to the nearest wall plug, this unit claims it can get an ambitious eight hours of music playback from its battery, while boasting a whopping eight drivers (two rear-firing ones on the back) in total, including a pair of “laser-tuned” neodymium 3-inchers for midrange delivery. We could hardly gauge audio quality in our noisy environment, but we’ll say this much: Logitech isn’t fooling around with the volume the S715i can put out. Even our video after the break doesn’t do justice to the surprising roar you can generate from this otherwise compact package.

A standard 3.5mm audio input will let you stray outside of the Apple product family if you wish, and there’s a bundled remote too. Yet, in spite of all these goodies, we still can’t recommend this as a sage purchase at Logitech’s lofty $150 price. Don’t get us wrong, the S715i looks neat, just not that neat. We also managed to grab a few images of its family mate, the Z515 Bluetooth speaker, which similarly rolls on its own power (for up to 10 hours, it’s claimed) and captures tunes from your nearest Bluetooth-equipped device. It’s another well built and easily portable little thing, priced at $60 $100 by Logitech.

Continue reading Logitech S715i and Z515 portable speakers hands-on (video)

Logitech S715i and Z515 portable speakers hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 07:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Altec Lansing’s Octiv Mini just a wee bit too bantam for your needs? Fret not, as the same company has just issued a jumbo-sized version by the name of Octiv Duo ($99.95; ships in October). As the title implies, this iPod / iPhone speaker dock is capable of holding (and charging) a pair of iDevices, and a third unit can be juiced as well through the integrated USB port. If your pal’s Sansa Fuze+ somehow ends up over at your place, the model-agnostic auxiliary port should suffice. Oddly enough, it’s a free accompanying app that really sells this thing — the Music Mix application shuffles songs from both players and allows users to set the percentage of music played from each iPhone or iPod while docked, ensuring that you and your SO never stop bickering about who has the better playlist. In related news, the outfit has also introduced a trio of Muzx headphones, with the Core, Extra and Ultra editions shipping between now and next month for $29.99, $49.95 and $99.95 in order of mention. More details on each, along with a video of Music Mix in action, await you just beyond the break.

Continue reading Altec Lansing intros Octiv Duo iPod speaker dock and Muzx earbuds

Altec Lansing intros Octiv Duo iPod speaker dock and Muzx earbuds originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 04:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audiophiles are quick to name the umpteen flavors of Dolby, but at the risk of oversimplifying things a tad, there are just three types of surround sound today — each easily identified by their plug. Virtual surround uses just simple stereo jacks, emulating multiple channels from two, while digital surround travels across optical or coaxial S/PDIF cables (or HDMI) and has to be decoded. Finally, there’s analog surround sound — the cheapest solution of all — where you basically just plug a pair of dumb speakers into each of front, rear and center 3.5mm sockets on your existing PC sound card. Unsurprisingly, the $100 Logitech Z506 speakers use this last technique to deliver their true 5.1 sound, but that’s no reason to count them out. The question is, do they deliver enough bang, boom and tweet for the buck? Read on to find out.

Continue reading Logitech Z506 review

Logitech Z506 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Logitech has a history of pumping out better-than-average PC speakers at below-average prices, and the outfit’s at it once more with the Z623 system. This simplistic setup is a 2.1 rig, complete with a pair of mobile satellites and a ported subwoofer. Logi’s marketing this as the perfect setup for PC users and bedroom home theaters, and it’s including RCA / 3.5mm input sockets along with an inbuilt headphone jack. All told, you’re getting 200 watts (RMS) of power, and we’re guessing that prominent THX logo factors into the $149.99 asking price. If that’s still lower than you were expecting, you can fetch these for your own flat this September in the US and Europe. Oh, and there’s a promo video just past the break… you know, if you’re into that type of thing.

Continue reading Logitech intros Z623 2.1 speaker system for $150, gloats about THX certification

Logitech intros Z623 2.1 speaker system for $150, gloats about THX certification originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If Stanley Kubrick had decided to make the plumbing in 2001’s Discovery One spaceship visible, it would have looked like this. These gorgeous speakers are hand-built by Etsy seller Ikymagoo, and are little more than cleverly-joined sections of PVC-pipe with a pair of speakers shoved in the ends.

The Ikyaudio Sea Cucumbers Audio Speakers use three-inch magnesium/aluminum alloy drivers in the ends, and the tail of the caterpillar-like curls has a hole in the end which acts as a bass-port. The amp is connected via binding posts (and you’ll need an amp – these speakers are unpowered) and Ikymagoo says they have a “nice sound and a very good sound stage, lots of low end bass for a small speaker.”

The Lady pegged them as Japanese in styling right away, and suggested I clear out the living-room and put in some tatami-mats, a couple cushions and these speakers. I would have to pay for this, of course, and the Ikyaudios are a rather steep $200 a pair, so I’d probably make my own.

Lucky for me, Ikymagoo has posted an extensive how-to on his speaker constructions At DIY Audio Projects, complete with a video of the prototypes in action. It actually looks pretty easy, but if you would rather get a pair of these instead, they also come in red and yellow.

Ikyaudio White Sea Cucumbers Audio Speakers [Etsy via Make]

See Also:

• JVC DIY Speakers Miss the Point
• Hi-Fido, A Dog-Shaped Ceramic Speaker
• A-Box, A Speaker For Real Men
• Whole Lotta Love: B&W Zeppelin Computer Speakers

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