Seems like everybody in the music industry has their own headphone brand now, and SMS Audio and 50 Cent have teamed up for his brand.  The line has earbuds and wireless or wired over-ear headphones, and 50 Cent’s line has a difference.  For every domestic sale of headphones from the SMS Audio website, a donation of 250 meals will be made to Feeding America.  The Sync by 50 are the wireless over-ear entry in the line.  They are available in black, silver obsidian, and white.  They feature 40mm drivers, memory foam cushions, and passive noise cancellation.  Their 3.5mm wireless transmitter lets you move up to 50 feet away from the music source, while still enjoying the 16-bit lossless digital sound.  They have full on-board controls with bass boost, volume control, and mute; there’s a wired mic cable, too.  You can connect up to four pairs of headphones to a single source.  The Sync by 50 come with a hard-shell carrying case and sell for $399.95.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Headphones and earbuds, Wireless

Give Dad the Gift of Sound with SMS Audio Sync by 50 Wireless Headphones originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 25, 2012 at 2:00 pm.

The weeSteady is a polished stainless steel grip that attaches to a standard sized tripod socket providing extra stabilization while recording video with small point and shoot cameras, iPhones and other smart phones. Gripping the weeSteady as shown in that first picture provides for a more natural shooting posture, which translates to less shake. To use it with your small point and shoot camera, you just screw it into the tripod mount. Smart phone and iPhone users will need a tripod adapter for their device that is not included with the weeSteady. This is a crowd funded project on indigogo. They are seeking $9000 to bring the product to market. I think it looks really slick, but I’m not sure I’d want to carry it around with me. What do you guys think?

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Video

weeSteady – Tool for Jiggle-free Video Capture originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 25, 2012 at 10:00 am.

The Stem Innovation iZON Remote Room Monitor is a WiFi based camera that has been designed to work specifically with iOS devices. The idea is to place the iZON camera in a desired location and then view it remotely using your iPhone or iPad. I’ve been trying one out for a couple of weeks now and am ready to share my opinion on its features and performance.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Package Contents

iZON camera & base
2 screws/wall anchors
Power supply
6ft USB cable
4in USB extension cable
Quick Start Guide

The iZON is a White tube shaped plastic camera with a microphone and status LED on the front.

On the back you’ll find a reset switch and USB connector.

A magnetic base allows you to position the camera on any flat surface either freestanding or by permanently attaching the base with the included screws. Since the base is magnetic, you can easily adjust the angle of the camera. It’s possible to attach the base to a wall, but it’s not easy to position the viewing angle. Attaching it to the ceiling is a better idea as there is an option to flip the video. I actually think that  Vue has a better design of this same domed magnetic base idea.

Setting up  the camera is simple. First connect the iZON camera with the included USB cable and AC adapter into a outlet. Make sure your WiFi network is operational and then download and install the free Stem:Connect app on your iPhone or iPad and follow the prompts.

Once setup, you will see a thumbnail view of your camera in the app. The icons next to the thumbnail allow you to toggle motion detection, audio detection and the LED status light on the front of the camera. Tapping the thumbnail takes you into the live view.

With the current app, the iZON captures QVGA resolution video at 10fps. QVGA is 320×240 resolution. A planned update to the app this summer is supposed to boost video to VGA (640×480) 30fps. While the video looks semi decent, the problem is that it’s EXTREMELY laggy. I’m not talking 1 or 5 seconds, which would be completely forgivable. I’m talking 20-30 seconds and even long at times. I’ve reviewed a few different WiFi cameras and this is the first one that I’ve tested that is that slow. Stem Innovation states that a 802.11n network with upload speeds of 2 Mbps (384Kbps required) is recommended. I have a T1 line, which is 1.5 Mbps up/down and have no trouble with the Dropcam, Dlink or Vue cams.

If you can deal with the streaming lag, there is still more that may disappoint you. First of all you can only watch live video on your iPhone or iPad. There’s no way to watch it on a webpage via your laptop, desktop computer or other non-iOS device. I guess this isn’t a huge deal, but what is annoying is that you can only watch video for 5 minutes at a time when you’re not watching it through the same network that the camera is connected to. They call the iZON a room monitor, but you can’t really do serious monitoring if you can only watch it for 5 minutes at a time. You only run into this limitation when you’re accessing the camera from your iPhone or iPad using 3G or another WiFi network.

The app has the ability to notify you when it detects motion, audio or if it goes offline. The notification is just a popup message on your iPhone or iPad.

The motion detection feature can be customized to detect motion in a specific area of the camera’s “vision”.

If you have a private YouTube account, you can have the motion alerts upload 30 seconds of video. Otherwise, the alerts are pretty useless because all they show you is the date and time the alert was detected. It doesn’t show you the actual video clip unless you have YouTube uploading configured. That said, I connected the iZON to my regular YouTube acct and couldn’t get it to upload video. I’ve even tried manually recording a clip by tapping the REC button on the streaming screen. Still nothing.

I finally decided to create a brand new YouTube account and try that, and it finally started working. But now I have another problem… I can’t turn off video uploading because it keeps telling me it can’t login to my YouTube account even though it’s continuing to upload video every time motion is detected.

Here’s an example of an uploaded video.

Watching the uploaded YouTube videos through the Stem:Connect app is painful as it continues to require me to type in my username and password each time I want to view a video. If that wasn’t bad enough, after I type that info in, it takes another 15 or so seconds to connect.

Just a note… The only settings that you can change remotely (when you’re not on the same network as the camera) is to toggle the audio, motion and power notifications. You can’t change any of the other settings, which is strange. And 7 times out of 10, I have problems  changing the other settings as the app crashes whenever I’d try to go into the advanced settings list.

The iZON has some potential, but as is, the iOS application is buggy and video is too way laggy. My advice is to skip the iZON for now and go for the Dropcam or Dlink, which have iOS, Android apps and can also be accessed through any web browser on any computer. My personal favorite is the Dropcam. See links for these other WiFi cameras below.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Surveillance

Stem Innovation iZON Remote Room Monitor Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 21, 2012 at 8:23 pm.

The CLIPPER Bluetooth Stereo Headset from Jabra is a hybrid stereo Bluetooth/wired earbuds system that lets you listen to music and take phone calls.  The CLIPPER’s Bluetooth device attaches to your clothing or bag.  It attaches automatically with any device that supports Auto Pairing, and it streams music from most any Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, tablet, MP3 player, or computer.  It can pair with two Bluetooth devices simultaneously.  The CLIPPER has an omni-directional microphone with noise filter; a button on the CLIPPER mutes/unmutes the mic.  It has simple controls that control playback of music and that are used to make and take phone calls.  The rechargeable battery gives you up to 6 hours of music/talk time and up to 8 days of standby.

It works with any earphones with a 3.5mm connector, but it comes with a pair of “noise-cancelling ear buds that blackout external sounds so you can hear your favorite songs clearly and take calls without being disturbed by surrounding noises.”  The CLIPPER comes in black and in four new trendy colors: white, pink, turquoise and tangerine.  To celebrate the new colors, anyone who purchases the Jabra CLIPPER on Amazon.com will automatically receive a $15 MP3 credit to Amazon Music Store. This limited time offer ends on Monday, June 18^th.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Bluetooth Gear, News

Tagged: bluetooth headset, stereo

Jabra CLIPPER Bluetooth Stereo Headset – Plus Free Music from Amazon originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 17, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

Most every phone, tablet, MP3 player, and computer these days have built-in speakers so you can hear audio without having to use headphones.  Most of those built-in speakers are woefully inadequate for anything but listening while you’re within a couple of feet of your device.  There are a plethora of external speakers available to boost the audio of your portable devices.  There are cheap little mono speakers that are hardly better than the built-in speakers to expensive, hi-fidelity speaker systems.  There are wired, USB, and Bluetooth speakers.  G-PROJECT contacted The Gadgeteer to see if we wanted to review their mono, Bluetooth speaker, the G-GO.  I was happy to be selected to give the G-GO speaker a try.

The G-GO speaker has a ruggedized body, so you can take it along without worrying about damage.  It’s water-resistant, so it was designed for use “in kitchen, bathroom, beach, pool, patio and other environments with potential exposure to water.”  It’s not submersible, nor is it designed for prolonged or high-pressure exposure to water, but it is safe from splashing on all sides.

It has a plastic body, two speakers on the front, and locking doors on the back (for connectors) and on the bottom (for batteries).  The speakers don’t have a grill to protect them, but there are two clear plastic bars that run along the front of them.  The G-GO is available in blue, black, or white.  I received the blue.

Specifications

• Class 2 Bluetooth Range:  33ft (10m)
• Supported Bluetooth profile: A2DP
• Power: 2 X 3W <10% THD
• Approximate battery life: 8 hours, but varies with volume level and audio content
• Power adapter AC input:  100-240V 50-60Hz
• Power adapter DC output: 9V 1.8A
• Batteries: 4 AA (not included)
• USB jack DC power: 5V 1A
• Water resistance level: IPX4

There are no specifications about music reproduction that I could find.

According to Wikipedia, the water resistance IPX4 rating indicates “Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect.”  The testing parameters are defined to be:

• Test duration: 5 minutes
• Water volume: 10 litres per minute
• Pressure: 80–100 kN/m²

The G-GO speaker comes with an AC power supply, a user’s guide, and a warranty sheet.

This side of the G-GO is plain, but you can see the built-in handle.  The body of the speaker is a colored plastic, blue in this case.  The dark gray areas have a rubberized coating.

All the controls for the speaker are located on this side.  From the top, they are:  power on/off, volume up, volume down, EQ selection, play/pause, skip to next track, skip to last track, and Bluetooth pairing (breaks the current pairing and puts the speaker back in pairing mode).  The buttons are all sealed with a rubbery coating for water resistance.

Because it connects via Bluetooth and has no device-specific docks, you should be able to use this with most any device that supports the Bluetooth A2DP profile.

The back has some speaker grills and a locking door, seen at the bottom, below the built-in handle.

When opened, you’ll find the DC power-in port and an audio-in port so you can use the speakers with non-Bluetooth devices.  The 3.5mm audio-in cable is not provided.  The USB port can be used to charge your mobile device.  You cannot sync with this USB port.

There’s a rubber gasket around these connectors that obviously seals this area when the lid is locked down.  I’m not sure how the water resistance is impacted when this is open to connect the power line or a non-Bluetooth device.  I would imagine that water resistance on the back would be negatively impacted with this door open.

Another locking door is found on the bottom of the G-GO speaker.

Open this panel to insert 4 AA batteries.  The batteries allow you to carry the G-GO along with you when you go outdoors.  I would imagine that operating on batteries (and with a Bluetooth connection) would give you the greatest water resistance.  You should get about 8 hours of playback on a set of batteries, depending on the volume level and with the audio content.

These batteries won’t be charged by the AC power supply.

Pairing the G-GO speaker to my MacBook Pro was easy.  I simply turned on the speaker, and it entered pairing mode and was quickly found by my MBP.  I opened up the Bluetooth controls on my MBP, and selected the G-GO from the list of detected devices.  The G-GO beeped to indicate pairing, but the blue LED on the front didn’t stop blinking until I had selected the G-GO speakers as my audio output device.  Once paired, the G-GO connected up automatically with my MBP each time I powered the speaker back on.

As you might expect from a relatively inexpensive, mono speaker, it did not produce high-fidelity sound.  Without a subwoofer, there wasn’t a lot of bottom end, and the bass was lacking.  However, the sound was better and much louder than my MBP could produce.  When I maxed out the volume, the sound did distort.  Turning it down a bit took care of the distortion, though.

I tried listening to a variety of song of various styles.  The G-GO sounded good with all types of music.  I tried the EQ button on the side, and I found that the sound did improve, depending on the selection.  The manual describes the presets as 1=flat, 2=rock, 3= pop, and 4=jazz..  The white status light on the front will blink quickly to show which preset is being selected – 1, 2, 3, or 4 blinks to match the EQ setting.  I didn’t pay attention to the preset, just pressed the button until I thought it sounded good.

When your device is connected via Bluetooth, you can use the buttons on the side to control playback.  There are play/pause, skip to next track, and skip to previous track buttons.  These buttons will not control devices connected via the audio-in connector.

To test the water-resistance, I set the G-Go speaker on my porch while it was raining.  The location was shielded, but not completely protected from the rain.  I left it out there for about 10 minutes.  When I brought it in, there were water drops over the body of the G-GO speaker.  I put a set of batteries in, and the speaker connected to my computer and played songs with no problems.

The G-GO speaker connected just as easily to my iPad (3rd generation).  It took a couple of seconds to discover the speaker and a couple more to pair.  Playback controls worked with the iPad just as they had worked with my MBP.   I had an email come in while I was listening to music with the speaker, and I heard the notification sound.

I connected it to my iPhone 4, and it worked just as with my iPad.  When a call came in, the sound from the G-GO was muted, then my phone rang.  I answered the call from my phone, as the speaker has no speakerphone capabilities.  When I hung up the call, the song continued on the speaker.

The specifications promised a 30-ft range when connected with Bluetooth.  While running on battery power, I connected the speaker to my computer via Bluetooth and carried it around my house.  I have a small, one-story house, but I have incredibly thick plaster, lathe, and metal mesh walls.  I found that I experienced cutouts of the sound in every room of the house, other than the living room where my computer was.

The G-Project G-GO speaker doesn’t sound like you’re at Carnegie Hall, but you can’t expect that for $70.  It’s a great solution for adding sound in rooms where you might hesitate to put other speakers because of possible exposure to water.  It would be great to take outside while you’re gardening or washing the car or to use near the pool.  The sound is good, although lacking in the bass range.  The volume is much louder than the built-in speakers of any of my devices.  And if you are using it with your phone, at least an iPhone, you won’t have to worry about missed calls.  Sounds like a good deal to me!

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth speakers, water-resistant

G-PROJECT G-GO Portable Wireless Speaker Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 17, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Apple TVs are great – you can stream video from iTunes, Netflix, your home computer, and you can display content from your iPad to your TV using AirPlay and AirPlay Mirroring.  But Apple TVs have only HDMI output, so you can’t use it with every display.  The ATV Pro from Kanex is an HDMI to VGA adapter with audio support (3.5mm audio-out).  Plug it between your Apple TV and a VGA projector or a monitor and skip expensive upgrades to HDMI equipment.  It supports 480i/576i/480p/576i/720p/720i/1080i/1080p video resolutions.  You can use the ATV Pro at home, in the classroom, or in the boardroom.  The ATV Pro is $59.00.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: HDMI converter, Video Streaming

Kanex ATV Pro Adapter for Apple TV originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 16, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

If you love music and are less than satisfied with the quality of what you’re hearing, you might consider adding a digital audio convertor (DAC) to your system or computer. DACs are slowly becoming popular among serious music listeners with many companies are now making them for every budget. Let’s look at a new entry from an established speaker company, Audioengine. They are known for their excellent, but affordable speakers (If you haven’t heard their monster-sounding A5 speakers, you are missing something). Will the new D1 Premium 24-Bit DAC/Headphone amp help you rediscover your music? In a word: Yes.

For almost 2 years, I have been using various DACs when reviewing headphones or earphones. I consider DACs essential and I tell everyone who will listen why I think so. But it’s not lost on me that most people will never buy a DAC because their music sounds just fine and hey, they don’t really need one. I feel sorry for these people.

Before we get into the review, let’s look at why you might want a DAC at all. When you listen to music that comes from a digital source, eventually it will be converted to an analog signal (soundwaves). You can’t hear digital. A DAC is what performs this conversion. So your iPod, computer soundcard, iPhone or whatever you plug your earbuds into has a DAC. OK, then why would you want to spend extra money on a DAC if you already have one in your digital device? That’s easy: Quality.

Music sounds better using an external DAC, period. The DACs used in iPods, sound cards, etc., are relatively cheap. They get the job done and if your music collection consists of lower resolution – 128kb or less – MP3s, save your money. If you have higher resolution files in other formats, such as FLAC, AAC or WAV, then a good DAC can bring out more information. Cymbals can shimmer, bass notes will be crisp instead of muddy, emotion from vocals will sound intimate and involving. DACs take what’s there and make it “more.”

With so many companies making DACs, what makes Audioengine’s special? Not a whole lot, except that the build quality is really good, it sounds great and the price is affordable. It’s unusual to have all that in one product. That’s what makes the D1 special.

Setting up the D1 couldn’t be much easier. There is no external power supply. USB does it all. Connect the USB cord, change your sound output setting (if necessary) and you are good to go. There are 3 input options: Standard RCA (red/white) for external speakers, Optical (toslink) and the already mentioned USB. It can be paired with a TV, Apple TV, DVD/BluRay player or CD player. To be honest, I only use the D1 as a desktop device connected to my MacPro using headphones. The front of the D1 has a lighted on/off button, headphone jack and volume knob. It’s all very simple and efficient.

The deck-of-cards sized D1 is solid with its rounded aluminum housing capped by hard, rubberized front and back panels. The aluminum keeps the weight down. It also comes with a 2ft USB cable and a microfiber draw-string bag which comes in handy for commuting.

Even though I’m concentrating on the DAC, the D1 also houses a powerful and loud headphone amp. The volume button has never been set beyond the 10 o’clock position. I want to note that I used Grado GR10 and Atomic Floyd SuperDarts earphones along with Decibel, a high resolution audio player for Mac while using the D1.

What’s interesting about the D1 is that when you hear it, you won’t be jumping up and down with excitement about dramatic audio improvements. The D1 excels in subtleness, meaning that you begin to notice things you may have missed before. Instruments sound more distinct from one another and take on more character. It’s like the music comes alive. It’s only when you disconnect the D1 that you notice how lifeless everything suddenly sounds. The D1 has an effortless quality that sounds relaxed and smooth. You can easily be spoiled by it.

The D1 will process digital audio at any bit depth up to 24 bits and any sample rate to 192KHz. What this means in English is that the D1 can handle anything a human ear can actually hear.

I spent some time listening to an Apple Lossless rip of This Mortal Coil’s 80s gothic classic album,”Filigree and Shadow.” This recording is full of aural light and shadow. Listening with headphones is a completely different experience than with speakers. With headphones, the D1 reveals all kinds of lost detail. There’s so more much going on that it sounded re-recorded. I just heard things I had never heard before. Again, it’s the subtle aspects that are highlighted by the D1.

The piano in Simon and Garfunkel’s remastered “Bridge Over Troubles Waters” sounds as if it’s being played live in your head. Each sounded note from a struck key has a reverb that doesn’t intrude into the next note. For the first time, I enjoyed the piano even more than Garfunkel’s angelic vocals.

The Audioengine D1 DAC/Amp is relatively inexpensive as DACs go. Even so, at $169, it’s not an impulse buy. You have to decide if the improvement the D1 offers is worth it to you. Audioengine does offer a 30-day audition with full refund if you aren’t satisfied. But I have to say that I can’t imagine anyone who loves music taking Audioengine’s return offer. The D1 is an addictive audio upgrade.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Amp, digital audio convertor, toslink

Audioengine D1 Premium 24-Bit DAC/Headphone Amp Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 13, 2012 at 11:00 am.

If you love everything about your tablet or smartphone or computer except for its wimpy sound, the iWOW Universal from SRS Labs is an inexpensive way to boost your sound quality.  Last year, we reviewed the Apple-specific iWOW 3D audio enhancer, and SRS Labs responded to the request for a non-device specific enhancer.  The iWOW-U hardware device connects between the 3.5mm audio-out connector on your mobile device, tablet, or computer and the 3.5mm audio plug on your headphones or earbuds “to offer an amazing HD-quality listening experience for all music, movies, games or other audio tracks.”

• Delivers natural and immersive HD-quality sound with substantial bass enhancement
• Dynamically locates and restores audio details buried in source material
• Support for inline answer / end toggle buttons and other basic inline playback function controls
• Professionally tuned presets let you adjust the audio settings to your liking and select speaker settings – headphones or car/external speakers
• Internal long-life Lithium-polymer battery provides up to 6 hours of battery life
• Standard mini-USB charging port, for convenient charging

The iWOW Universal is $69.99.  The iWOW-UF with changeable colored faceplates is $79.99.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: audio gear

Bring a High-Quality Audio Experience to All Your Devices With the SRS iWOW Universal originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 10, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

The Rukus Solar is Etón’s first Bluetooth wireless speaker with an integrated solar panel. Pair any Bluetooth-enabled device – Smartphones, tablets, etc – to wirelessly stream music and never run out of power as long as you have sunlight. A 40 square-inch high-efficiency solar panel is built right into the speaker and can fully recharge the internal batteries with 6 hours of direct sunlight. Get one now for $150.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Bluetooth Gear, News

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Solar

What’s all the Rukus about the Etón Rukus? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 8, 2012 at 3:00 pm.

In my X-mini KAI Capsule Speaker review I mentioned two things that I considered might be worth pointing out.  The first was the price. When I reviewed the KAI  I showed it around to a lot of my mates. The universal opinion was ” Oooh I love the size! Oooh I love the sound! Oooh, the price….I don’t love it that much!”. Second was the fact that the mono speaker might not be enough for stereo “purists”. When X-mini saw this they offered to send me review units of two others of their speakers, the II Capsule Speaker and the MAX II Capsule Speaker from their range that addressed these concerns.  Will they meet the grade ? Read on…….

A quick comparison

KAI, II Capsule, MAX II

Above you can see the differences in size between the three models.  The II Capsule  is slightly smaller than the KAI while each MAX II is the largest in the series.

X-mini II Capsule Speaker

The X-mini II Capsule Speaker is the predecessor of the Kai without the Bluetooth connectivity. The same 40mm speaker, the same 2.5W of power and the same Bass Xpansion System.  It’s slightly lighter at 83.5g , and smaller at 60 mm×44mm (closed resonator), and is rated at a higher 12 hours of music, though from my experience if running “conservatively”,  the built in battery lasts quite a bit longer. And the price……..well it’s SGD$49.90 ($29.90US), compared with SGD$139 ($99US) – so over 2/3rds less than the KAI. And for all you fashionistas out there, it’s available in 9 different colours so you can accessorize (black, blue, orange, pink, purple, red, green, silver and white).

Just like the KAI, it has the integrated (albeit short 11.5cm) 3.5mm stereo connector, Buddyjack port (more on that later), and a USB port for charging, and the longer stereo cable (58cm),  but other than that, there’s only an on/off switch and a rotary volume dial. The II Capsule is made of a painted plastic whereas the KAI is has a much nicer matte rubberised finish.

Once again running this from a variety of devices, with many different genres of music, the II Capsule demonstrated the same aural qualities as the KAI.  Crisp and clear with a bass that certainly exceeds what you expect from something this small. If you don’t need Bluetooth connectivity (which in the X-mini range certainly comes at a price) and want a tiny and portable mono sound solution, then the II Capsule is definitely worth considering.

The only concern I have is the open driver unit like with the Kai.  I’m still really scared that something’s going to get in and pierce the cone even when it’s stored in its supplied pouch.

X-Mini MAX II Capsule Speaker

For those stereo “purists”, the MAX II Capsule may be the answer. One of the trade-offs you’ll have with stereo is having to carry two speakers with you so you’ll have additional size and weight and also the associated cables. The neat thing about the MAX II is that the speakers connect together for storage and transport via a couple of small magnets in the bottom.  Available in black, red or white, at 65.8mm×53.4 mm (closed resonator) and weighing in at 178g, they’re not going to take up too much space or add too much weight in your gadget bag. Like the capsule speaker above , each speaker independently puts out 2.5W and is rated for 12 hours of music (again  conservative as I’ve been running these 9 hours a day for the last week). Pricing is SGD$74.90 (approx $50US).

A single cable gives you all the connectors you’ll need: 1 X USB, 2 X miniUSB, and a 3.5mm audio. The cable is around 75cm in length and includes a rotary volume knob built in. The cable itself might be the “weak point” of the MAX II. It’s a fairly specific cable and while you can get replacement cables from X-mini, if it dies on  you there’s not a lot you can do to jury rig up a replacement. Note too that there’s a left and right plug on the multi-cable and I’ve actually rigged them up incorrectly above.   The cable is easy to set up but a bit unwielding and messy, though in the picture above I have everything pretty close together, something you’re not going to do if you separate everything out for stereo sound. Also supplied is a soft pouch to fit all this equipment into when you’re on the move.

Rather than a “flat” speaker like the two mono offerings, the MAX IIs have an angled driver in them.  It’s not a big angle and is designed to assist in directing the sound out towards the listener. Not surprisingly, each speaker in the stereo pair performs very similarly to an individual II Capsule speaker or KAI.  So you can expect clear, bright, and distinct mids and highs with sufficient bass for most genres of music or movie soundtracks.  If you crank it up enough, you can get those speakers “dancing”. Low’s appeared to be deeper than the II Capsule; however, this may be because you’re getting double the bass with two speakers. The stereo sounds fatter and fuller than the mono offerings, but I suppose this is really to be expected running in stereo.

Once again, and perhaps it’s just me as I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere else, but the MAX IIs have even less (no) protection of the speaker – the cones are completely exposed. A ripped or torn cone can’t be a good thing, can it?

Buddy Jack

Buddy Jacking is the capability to connect one X-mini speaker to another whether it be a mono or stereo speaker.  Connecting two mono speakers  still gives you two mono signals, but it’s amazing how much difference it makes to the volume and fullness of the sound.  In the above example, I can still use Bluetooth to remotely control my music player via the KAI.

Similarly I can connect the MAX IIs to the KAI.  Buddy Jacking this way results in the  MAX IIs outputting stereo but the KAI was still putting out mono sound.  If you want true stereo sound you don’t really want a mixed mono sound in the middle to “muddy” the separation.  Again though, the addition of two sets of speakers made the output volume substantially fuller. This function can also be used to connect your Bluetooth device to a home stereo or something similar.

Stereo separation aside (especially given that it’s not really what this function is about), if you had multiple X-minis and want to pump up the volume at a gathering, this feature is very handy to fill that space with a “bigger” and “fuller” sound.

The last option is to connect them all together for 4 X the sound and because the MAX IIs are the master I’m getting full stereo sound.

In summary

Both sets of speakers met my expectations built from my review of the KAI.  Clear and crisp mids and highs, sufficient bass to let you know it’s there, and certainly more prominent than you’d expect from such a small driver.  My mates are all blown away (not quite literally ) by the sound quality that comes out of all the X-mini range. Okay, they’re not going to satisfy a high-fidelity fanatic, and the bass isn’t going to rattle your teeth or burst your eardrums, but if that’s what you’re after you won’t be looking at these anyway. They’re aimed at the on the move sound enthusiast who wants a good balance between size, weight, and sound. If you need to share some tunes, or need to pump out more volume than the built-in speaker in your player, phone, or tablet currently puts out, then they certainly fit the bill.  If you’re in the market for this sort of speaker, either of these speakers is a really good option. If  Bluetooth isn’t important to you, they definitely come at a better price point than the KAI but with the same great quality and sound. If you need to fill a space with sound and you (or your mates) have multiple units, the Buddy Jack system works extremely well to further pump up the volume and “enhance” the sound.

Be warned though, like all market-leading and “trendy” products, there  are many reports of pirated and counterfeit versions of these out there with varying build and sound quality. Ensure you purchase either directly from X-mini or from an authorised distributor/reseller.

“Sound beyond size”…….you betcha.

Both speakers are available from the X-mini Estore

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Speakers

X-mini II Capsule and MAX II Capsule Speaker Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 8, 2012 at 11:12 am.

One of the most valuable public speaking tips I have ever gotten was that sheer volume is a powerful ally. It allows you to roll right over room or ambient noise, it allows the listeners to more easily focus on the message, it allows you to better modulate your tone for effect, and it gives you something to do with your hands if you can’t or don’t want to use a headset or lapel mike.

Since I teach classes part time, and since the classes are often in less-than-perfect settings, I have long wished for a good portable PA/music system, so I jumped at the chance to try out the Europort EPA40 handheld PA system from Behringer.

Behringer has an excellent reputation in audio equipment, everything from professional mixers to high end speakers to small guitar interfaces, so they pretty much know both what the customers want and how to make good stuff. The Europort EPA40 is their only ‘handheld’ PA system (they also offer ‘portable’ systems that are larger and more powerful).

There are only a few parts in the box. The base unit is sort of a football shape with an integral handle, and includes:

• Front-mounted 5″ full-range but lightweight loudspeaker.
• 12vDC 2.6 amp hour sealed lead acid battery that lasts 8 hours and recharges in 4. (6FM2.6-E04)
• Control panel with lit power button, 1/8″ ‘line in’ jack, 1/4″ ‘mic in’ jack, ‘power’ jack, volume control, and LEDs for charging and low battery.
• Removable shoulder strap with storage space in the base.
• 8.5″ x 7.1″ x 11.2″. 5/7lbs (2.6kg)

Unit ready for use

Main speaker

Battery and shoulder strap storage

There is a microphone included- the Behringer Super Cardioid XM1800S:

• “Presence lift in critical mid-range gives you maximum voice projection”, which I think means it is tuned to make voices sound good.
• Balanced low-noise XLR filter
• Two-stage pop filter
• Feedback suppression
• 80 to 15000Hz response
• 600 ohms impedance
• XLR connector

Microphone and cable

Control panel

The kit also includes a 3′ coiled cord (XLR to 1/4″ mono male) and a recharging cable. Some reviews mention a mike holder, but there was not one in my package. There was also a catalog, instructions in multiple languages for the amp, English instructions for the mic, and a few other pieces of paper included.

The EPA40 is easy to assemble and use, the trickiest part is getting the battery installed, and that is only because it is not immediately obvious how to orient it and it is a snug fit. The battery is held in place with sort of a slotted gate plastic piece that seems rather cheap.  The Plexiglass gate piece has a piece of protective paper on it covering some self-adhesive film on the plexi; they seem to have re-purposed a part from some other device, but it does the job well without adding bulk or weight. It is a pretty light unit with a long strap, so it would be easy to carry on a shoulder for outdoor use for extended periods. There is a little bit of rattle and play when shaken, but overall is pretty solid.

The sound quality is not bad. It is obviously tuned for voice clarity more than perfect music reproduction, so most things sound a bit… hollow? Voice comes across nicely, and music is OK but nothing to get too excited about. Oddly, when you use the ‘line in’ jack, the volume on the unit is bypassed and only the volume control on your player changes anything. On the other hand, it does amplify the music well above what your player can output on its own or with non-amplified speakers. You can play music and still use the microphone, which comes in handy for some of my applications (playing music to keep the rhythm while teaching technique for example).

It is indeed loud! Of course, the louder it gets, the more interference becomes a problem. For example, hanging it from your shoulder only lets you go to about 25% before you start hearing squeals and hums. As with most systems like this, the more ‘behind’ the speaker you are, the better. 25% or so was all I needed in a classroom that was about 30×30 feet.

While it is a good microphone, it is not a top of the line model and amplifies the sounds you make handling it – setting it down without turning it off can sound like a small explosion! It has some decent heft to it and a simple on/off control. I am hoping to get a good headset mic to use for classes so I don’t have to haul that heavy thing around all the time, but I don’t have any other mics to try right now.

The unit lists at $218 but is generally available for about $100. For the full $200+ price, I would have expected a little better design from it. Not only does it just plain look rather clunky, I am bothered by the lack of on-board storage for the mic or charger. The storage space available, designed for the shoulder strap, has lots of interior space but a rather small opening that the top of the mic or the ‘brick’ part of the charger just plain don’t fit in. There is also no place to hang the mic when doing a shoulder carry. Some sort of hanging bracket on the shoulder strap or on the unit itself would be really, really handy, considering that it is at least partly designed to be used while standing. I also would love to see a ‘line out’ jack for a supplemental speaker (in a large room, having the sound come from multiple locations usually means better coverage and lets you drop the overall volume a bit.)

A concern in several reviews is that the lead acid battery does not have a long service life and is hard to find replacements for. While it was fairly easy to find the operating specs of it, finding spares was a different story. You will get much better battery life if you charge it after each use and store it with a fully charged battery (source: Battery University. Note, this does not apply to all types of batteries.)

While better storage and an upgraded battery would make this a better machine, there is little doubt that it is pretty nice as it sits. I’ve used it successfully in classes a few times so far and it did what I needed it to do without breaking a sweat.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Amp, Amplifier, loudspeaker, PA

Behringer Europort EPA40 Handheld PA System Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 5, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

Bowers and Wilkins are known for their very good – and very expensive – audio speakers. In recent years,they have aggressively ventured into the world of iDevices with the Zeppelin Air, P5 headphones and C5 earphones (see related links for our reviews). However, most people will never pay $300 for the P5 headphones, no matter how good they sound. And they do sound very good! So B&W has come out with a (somewhat) less expensive, but much more portable pair of headphones; the P3.

The P3s were made for commuting, since they are smaller and lighter than the P5s, and fold neatly for storage into a hard-shell case. They come in white or black, both with brushed aluminum accents. As with many B&W products, the P3s are well designed and solid looking.

The P3s use redesigned drivers and magnets that take advantage of the smaller dimensions. B&W says that, “The P3’s speaker diaphragms have been positioned to ensure uniform airflow, resulting in less distortion and ensures a more accurate, natural sound.” Even the ear cushion fabric was specifically designed for better sound and uses memory foam for a more comfortable fit.

The P3 headphones come with two removable cables; one with a mic for iPhones and one without for all other phones and MP3 players. They will be available in June 2012 and will retail for $199 US.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Headphones

B&W P3 Headphones Are Built for Commuting originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 5, 2012 at 10:00 am.

The HDTV-Support Multimedia Player from Gadget4All doesn’t connect to any online media services, but it will let you play your own media from CF, SD, MS, and XD data cards, hard drives, or flash drives with no computer and no internet connection required.  It supports a variety of formats for video (in HD / PAL / NTSC)  and music playback and a variety of image file types for photo slideshows on your HDTV.  It supports NTFS and FAT32 files and Windows 2000/XP/VISTA and Mac OS 10.2 or higher.  It comes with a remote control, power adapter, and cables (apparently outputs component video).  It’s currently available at Gadget4All for $69.99.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: HD TV, multimedia

HDTV-Support Multimedia Player from Gadget4All originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 4, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

If you’re looking for a speaker dock that’s sure to cost more than your iPad, look no further than the Beoplay A3 from Bang & Olufsen.  The Beoplay A3 is made of ABS plastic and aluminum; it comes with rubber collars to work with any iPad.  It’s a 2.1 stereo system with three 0.5″ tweeters and 1 2″ woofer.  The Beoplay A3 senses its orientation – horizontal or vertical – and activates the appropriate speakers for the best stereo sound.  It reproduces 60-15000 Hz.  Firmware can be upgraded via B&O’s online Setup Utility app.  It comes with an AC adapter, and it has an internal battery for up to 5 hours of playback.  It even acts as an alarm clock.  It’s not available yet, and pricing isn’t known, but you can sign up to be notified when they are available for purchase.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPad, sound dock

Beoplay A3 iPad Adaptive Stereo Dock for iPad originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 4, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

Jawbone’s Bluetooth Jambox Smartspeaker is a miracle. Hearing this tiny speaker (and also Soundmatter’s FoxL – on which the Jambox is based) for the first time will quite literally make your jaw drop. So will the price: $200. That’s a lot for a portable speaker of any size, much less one that is only six inches long. Still, the Jambox sells well. So well in fact, that Jawbone decided to make an encore; a bigger Jambox. The BIG JAMBOX Bluetooth Smartspeaker is exactly what its name says. It has the same design as the Jambox, but in a bigger size with bigger buttons, bigger speakers and much bigger sound.  With its dual bass radiators, it rivals much larger speakers in decibles. It has a 15-hour rechargeable battery and built-in 360-degree omnidirectional microphone with echo-cancellation for use as a wireless speakerphone.

But wait, that’s not all: the BIG Jambox has LiveAudio, a technology that makes speakers sound more dimensional. The BIG JAMBOX is the first available product to feature this new audio trick.

The BIG JAMBOX Smartspeaker comes in three colors and grill patterns: Graphite Hex, White Wave and Red Dot. Accessories include a 36″ stereo cable, a 60″ micro USB cable, a wall charger and a quick start guide. A carrying case is sold separately. It measures 10.1″ long, 3.2″ wide and 3.7″ high, and weighs 2.7 lbs. So while it can be moved around, it isn’t as portable as the original Jambox.

The BIG JAMBOX is currently only available for pre-order on Jawbone.com for $299 and should ship after May 15.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Speaker

Jawbone’s BIG JAMBOX is Well, Bigger originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 3, 2012 at 8:05 am.

The new Divoom iBase Dock Station for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad from Satechi can charge your Apple iOS device.  It has four full-range neodymium dynamic drivers inside to deliver high quality audio for music playback.  The Divoom is round, with a 6.25″ diameter.  A small vertical support near the 30-pin connector keeps your iOS device secure.  There’s also a 3.5mm aux-in jack for use with other audio devices; a 3.5mm audio cable is included.  The Divoom is $44.99 at Satechi or for $49.99 at Amazon.com.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Docking speakers, iPad/iPhone/iPod touch app

Satechi Announces the Divoom iBase Dock Station with Stereo Sound for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 2, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

From Koss, the Striva offers an ultra compact WiFi earpiece solution. Using WiFi (not Bluetooth), the earpieces can be used to stream internet radio stations directly to the headphones, using the Content Access Point (CAP) stream from you smartphone, tablet or MP3 player.  Or you can use them as standard headphones by plugging them into any stereo device using the included audio cable.

The earpieces last for 2 hours in wiFi mode or 1.2 hours in CAP mode and can be used within 300 feet (in optimal conditions) from your WiFi access point.

Available for $500 from the Koss Store

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Headphones, WiFi

Koss Striva Wireless Earphones originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 2, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

I love my Droid, but sometimes I see an iPhone gadget that makes me just a little envious.  Add this boom mic to that growing list.  There are, at last count, about three million iPhone lens attachments, wheels, filters and other doo dads for capturing the best visuals from your phone.  Unless you have an ADR studio in your basement, recording the best possible sound during your production is just as key as picture.  Photojojo now has available a boom mic attachment that gets inserted into the headphone jack and adjusts to be held in place, even over an existing case.  The mic has a switch for toggling between long-distance ambient sound and a more precise up close and personal sound for interviews or dialogue.  The mic itself is a pocket-sized 4 inches and runs on a single AAA battery.  It’s available now for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch for $40.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: boom mic, iPhone accessory

Perfect Picture Deserves Perfect Sound originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 1, 2012 at 8:00 am.

I’m going to make an admission:  I’m not a big fan of video.  I mean who wants to sit through hours of boring footage just to get to those few exciting moments? And who can be bothered editing their video to capture just the highlights? Of course digital video, YouTube, and the proliferation of video-capable devices makes editing heaps easier these days (much easier than connecting two VHS recorders together ).  And lets face it, some things you really do need video rather than still photos. Highlight Hunter is program  that  attempts to automate the tedious process of finding and isolating  highlights in your long hours of footage.  Does it work?  Find out after the break.

Highlight Hunter works in 3 stages:

• Record your footage
• Bookmark your highlights by placing something (normally your hand) over the lens for 1 sec after something significant has happened
• Run Highlight Hunter over your video and it will clip out the preceding (user definable) seconds before the bookmark.

Highlight Hunter provides a list of supported cameras, however it should work with any device that’s capable of taking video, whether it’s a POV, P&S, MILC, DSLR or phone.  (Don’t you love acronyms? )   They do state that most of the testing they’ve done is on H.264, MPEG-4, and AVC HD, so if your camera outputs in some format that’s a bit different, you may have issues.

To test the system, I took a video of my 10 minute trip to work.  After I passed each traffic light, I bookmarked by getting my son to place his over the lens of the camera (safety first folks ). The video was recorded on a Swann Freestyle HD POV camera in 1080p and the final file was 935,966KB.

Operation is easy, just choose your source movie, choose your highlights destination, and hit Start Scan.

There are some options and before starting my scan.  I chose 5 seconds snippets before the bookmark and left it at the default medium detection setting.

On an i5 Toshiba R700, the detection and saving took around 5 minutes. Time isn’t really an issue as you just hit scan and it just runs, there’s no user interaction required at all.  If you needed to, you could just leave overnight.

And here’s my highlight files.  Do you get the feeling they’d like you to upgrade to Premium?  So Highlight Hunter found 8 highlights; however, I know that there are 5 traffic lights on the journey. Each 5 second highlight file was about 8MB in size and in Quicktime format.

So at first glance the results look pretty good.  You can see where the program might be confused by the dark car in front filling the frame, and then the dark going into the carpark.  Trouble is it has missed two traffic light all together. There are 5 traffic lights on the route, and Highlight Hunter has only picked up 3.

So the next thing to try was to pump up the detection level from medium to looser.  This resulted in 19 highlights. This now picks up all the traffic lights plus 14 other bookmarks. It’s pretty easy though to remove the 14 false positives even for a video editing newb like me with basic Microsoft Movie Maker.

Don’t like those “discrete” watermarks on your video? $29.99 will purchase the Premium version, which not only removes the watermarks but also gives you faster scanning speeds, prioritized support and free upgrades for 1 year.  Each license is tied to one PC, but by upgrading to Premium for $10 extra you can obtain usage on an additonal PC.  You can see above that using Premium will also change it so that each highlight includes the time frame in which the clip appears.

Using the Premium version certainly sped up the whole detection and highlight production process.  It took around 1/2 the time of the unregistered copy. There was no difference in the detection however, it still found 19 highlights. I don’t have the work process or skills to remove the hand at the end of each segment but I’m guessing that someone with a more established video editing routine could easily and quickly get rid of them.

So Highlight Hunters seems to work extremely well, though you are better to err on the side of caution and loosen up the boomarking detection so that you get more false positives and don’t miss any of your bookmarks. Changing to lower  light conditions or having dark coloured objects move into your frame may also set a highlight, but these highlights are easy to remove from your final footage.  I can see where this would be a useful program for all sorts of video situations: sports, concerts, kid-related activities, almost anywhere video footage can be taken.

The biggest concern I have about the whole concept is if you actually want your full footage to watch.  When ever there’s a highlight, your footage will be ruined by a hand being held over the lens.  So let’s say you film your child’s play and you highlight every time your child appears on stage so you can send a highlight package to the grandparents.  But if you want to watch the whole play, you’ll get hands over the lens every time your child appears. Perhaps they need to develop a complementary product that removes the 1 second palm.

Will this mean I might start taking more video footage? I’m not really sure yet, only time will tell, but it certainly does assist in reducing the time and effort required to edit your videos.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Digital Cameras and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Digital Video Camera, video editing

Highlight Hunter Software Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 30, 2012 at 11:00 am.

The AeroPad Two dock station for iPad from Jarre Technologies is another beautiful audio device.  The AeroPad Two has a 30-pin connector for use with Apple’s iPhones, iPods, and iPads.  It has a 3.5mm audio jack to attach non-Apple devices and a USB input with WMA, AIFF, WAVE  and MP3 decoder.  It has four speakers (30 W RMS) and a subwoofer (80 W RMS) inside its chromium-finished stainless steel body, with your choice of bamboo, black, or white front.  As you can tell from the picture, the AeroPad Two is large – measuring 33.86″ X 11.81″.  You can pre-order the AeroPad Two now for € 699 (about $925 US).  Availability is scheduled for September, 2012, and worldwide delivery is free.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Docking speakers

Jarre AeroPad Two Dock Station for iPad originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 29, 2012 at 9:00 am.

I may not know a lot about audio technology, but I know what I like when it comes to audio equipment.  And I like the Rubicon Atomic AD/DA Preamp from Antelope Audio.  (Click the picture for a better view.)  Ignoring all its features for a moment, this has to be the most gorgeous piece of audio equipment I’ve ever seen.  (Eat your hearts out B&O!)  The Rubicon has tons of high-tech features:  64-bit acoustically focused clocking jitter management technology, 384kHz A/D & D/A converters, custom USB 2.0 chip streaming up to 480 Mbits/384kHz with recording option, ultra-linear, dual stage headphone amps, gold-plated stepped relay volume attenuator matched to 0.05dB for all volume levels, Ethernet connectivity – it even has a 10M Rubidium Atomic Clock, providing 100,000 times more accurate reference.  I’m not sure what a lot of this means, but I’m pretty sure it means the Rubicon is going to be expensive.  There’s no price listed yet for the “world’s first 384 kHz converter, phono stage preamp and headphone amplifier with an integrated atomic clock.” You can check it out if you’ll be at the High End Show in Munich, Germany, May 3-6.

Think how beautiful the Rubicon would look with Orb Audio speakers…

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Amplifier, audio gear

Antelope Audio Rubicon Atomic AD/DA Preamp originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 26, 2012 at 10:00 am.

In 1981 I remember getting my first Walkman, a device that changed how and where people listened to music. It was your own personal music library that could be carried with you where ever you went to be listened to with headphones. In 1981 I also remember buying my first set of external speakers as well. Let’s face it, in reality music tends to be a social medium. I mean we discuss it, we go to concerts, dances and jam sessions and it’s very rare you go to any sort of party where there’s no music at all.  With the portability and storage of devices these days, the ability to carry around a heap of music or movies is even easier. There are occasions though when you want to play your music out loud, where headphones aren’t appropriate, or you want to share your tunes or movies with others, and it’s here where most inbuilt speakers fall short . Most devices, smartphones and tablets all tend to have fairly average and quiet internal speaker ability and let’s face it, even a lot of notebooks have fairly anemic sound. The X-mini speaker range from Xmi, including the KAI Capsule Speaker, attempts to address this issue.

If you need to share your music, there’s no end to the number of speakers and docking stations available.  The problem is many of these solutions tend to be not overly portable.  Xmi is a Singapore-based company that started in 2006 and have become well-known for their X-mini portable sound solutions. The X-mini range of both mono and stereo speakers are made to address the tricky balance between size and sound. While previous models were wired only, the KAI adds Bluetooth capability to give a completely wireless solution.

The KAI is nicely packaged in a clear plastic hard case.

Included  is a carry bag and charging audio cable, which has a standard USB head, mini USB head and 3.5mm stereo plug. It’s a nice touch that the cable comes included with a small Velcro tie to keep things neat and tidy. It’s also nice that they put in a flyer for the charity Children International; more corporations should do this sort of stuff. Kudos, guys.

The KAI is small and easily portable. Made with a matte rubberised exterior, it feels solid and well made. It’s powered by a 40mm magnetically-shielded speaker at 2.5W and weighs in at 92.5g. With the resonator closed, it’s 50.0mm X 62.0mm, so it doesn’t take up much space at all on your desk or in your gadget bag. It’s worth noting that Xmi won Red Dot Design Awards in both 2008 and 2011 for their designs.

Where this differs from most capsule-type speakers is that by opening up the KAI, you extend an accordion bass reflex portion out to enable their patented Bass Xpansion System.

Want to use your KAI with a non-Bluetooth enabled device? Integrated into the base is a 3.5mm cable – nice, neat and tidy. It tucks away and you don’t have to worry about carrying or remembering to bring an additional cable with you.  However, the cable is quite short (11.5cm), which means that even picking up your device to change a setting can be tricky.  You can also use the included miniUSB charging-to-audio cable, which is longer (58cm), but this means having to carry this cable with you.

All the controls are on the base of the capsule.  In wired mode, none of the controls do anything – contrary to the instruction sheet that says you can control the volume. I’ve confirmed this with X-mini, and they’re going to amend the manual. In Bluetooth mode you can control volume, skip/back your song, pause play and answer/hangup from phone calls using the rocker switch.  On the right is a mute button, really handy if you want to quickly mute the sound if say you get a landline phone call in the office.  Bluetooth control is great because it means that you don’t have to use your device to change things, which in my case means I don’t have to turn on my phone, put in a lock code, find the media player, then poke away at the screen.

Further around is the power switch, which also allows you to choose wired or Bluetooth mode.  Pairing your device is easy: turn the switch to Bluetooth, do a scan on your device, discover it and pair. No painful pairing codes or anything like that, and it supports A2DP stereo. The stated range is 10 metres, however even in an open room with my HTC Desire, I found that the sound started breaking up at around 7-8 metres.  Don’t forget that range will be determined by the Bluetooth on your device as well. No biggie, as I can’t see myself ever really wanting my speaker and device being that far apart anyway.

Next is an LED that gives you power status: blue for charged and dimmed blue when running out of juice.  It also shows red while charging and blue when charged. Recharging is accomplished via the miniUSB port and takes around 2.5 hours. When charged, the unit is quoted as giving up to 8 hours playtime wired or 4 hours on Bluetooth. I’ve had it running on battery, both with Bluetooth and wired, for 9 hours a day for the last 5 days in my office (albeit at a fairly low background volume). There’s still juice for the weekend, so the stated runtime is conservative and most likely based on having it cranked the whole time.

Lastly is the Buddyjack port and built in microphone for speakerphone mode. Buddyjack allows you to add additional speakers to your sound. If you add another X-Mini mono speaker this still won’t give you stereo sound, just “multiplied” sound. The 3.5mm Buddyjack port can also be connected to an external audio system, such as your portable stereo speakers or home sound system, and still be Bluetooth controlled.

The microphone doesn’t have any noise cancellation technology built in, but that didn’t seem to be an issue when tested in a quiet office environment. I didn’t tell the callers that I was on a speakerphone and they never asked or had any issues hearing me. The calling party comes through loud and clear via the speaker, as would be expected.

Of course all these features aren’t worth squat if the sound output is substandard. During my test period, I listened to an assortment of music from classical, live, instrumental and vocal up to modern rap and Heavy Metal (real 60s/70s Heavy Metal not this stuff the youth listen to today ) I also threw in a few movies, again everything from more vocal-centric movies to action movies with  heavy explosions. Testing was done on a smartphone (HTC Desire), an MP3 player (River T6), an Android tablet (Thinkpad Tablet), and notebook (Toshiba R700) via both Bluetooth and wire.

Across all devices and genres mids and highs are crisp and clear. Snares, highhats, rimshots, triangles all “pop”. Vocals (spoken and singing ) are always clear and crisp. It’s hard to describe how crisp the sound is in words. The bass isn’t going to make your eardrums bleed, but it’s amazing how much there is given that the driver is really only the size of a normal tweeter. The bass expansion resonator definitely makes a big difference with the lower frequencies. Close the KAI and you can immediately hear the difference in mids and bass.

Size compared with an Shuffle 2G

Compared with a Bluetooth connection, connecting the cable drives the speaker a bit harder at the same player output volume, and I couldn’t hear a discernible difference between sound quality. For me Bluetooth connectivity is the preferred option, as the added versatility of position and control outweighs any additional loudness via wired. The amount of sound from the unit via either method is more than sufficient for personal use and will easily fill a small/medium sized room – even without turning it up to 11 Please do note, I’m no audiophile, but I do know what I like and what sounds good to me

It’s worth noting that there’s a number of factors that come into play with the quality of the sound you’ll achieve:

• Source file – GIGO
• The player you’re using and what equalization options you have or use.
• Any speaker that you overdrive will distort, and if you turn the KAI up loud enough your speaker will start “dancing”. At this stage sound is distorted, highs “CRACK” rather than “pop” . The trick is to get the right mix of volumes between the output of your device and the output of the KAI. Another annoyance if it starts “dancing” is that the hard rubber feet start “clacking” on the surface.
•  The surface and position of your KAI can assist in enhancing the bass. Hard solid-wood surfaces work well, corners or close to walls works, and even putting the speaker on an empty box will assist in more bass. Being wireless assists with easily being able to do this as you don’t have to place the speaker next to your player.
• Your personal ears (and I admit mine may be a bit stuffed from too many years of scuba diving, concerts and playing in bands in my younger days)

A few things that would make it a bit more “friendly” to me:

• The rocker switch to change volume/tracks is a bit sensitive and a few times I went to change the volume but instead changed track (long flick changes volume, short flick changes track).
• It would have been nice if they’d used microUSB to charge instead of miniUSB as this is much more standard these days with smartphones and players. The miniUSB is just now another cable I need to carry around with me to charge it, as all the rest of my devices use microUSB.
• It would be nice to have a more graduated battery (early) warning.
• I’m a bit worried about the exposed speaker.  The supplied bag will protect it a bit when thrown into my gadget bag, but I’m concerned I might end up with a hole in the speaker from something sharp.
• I’m in two minds about the price. Their wired-only version of the same unit is around 1/3 of the price, so you’re paying quite a premium to get wireless connectivity and a speakerphone. I’ve shown this to many people during the test period, they all love the size, they all love the sound, but when you tell them the price it’s “Oh, I don’t love it that much” .

One thing that might put people off this unit is that the sound is only mono, but to me it’s not such a big deal. I’m often moving around a lot doing things while listening to music, so I’m really not going to get any advantage from full stereo separation.

All in all, the size and portability, the ability to control your music player from the KAI, the speakerphone capability and Bluetooth dongle ability, and of course, the quality and crispness of the sound makes this a really versatile device. It’s never going to replace a good set of headphones or a good stereo system, but due to its fantastic balance of size and sound, it’s found a permanent place on my desk at work, at home, and in my gadget bag to supplement the weak speakers on my devices. During the testing period I’ve definitely had fun getting some of my own back on the kids as usually I have to put up with hearing their music all the time  In my opinion the sound (both volume and quality) that the KAI puts out far exceeds what you’d think you could get out of such a small portable unit. It certainly lives up to Xmi’s slogan of “Sound Beyond Size”  .

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth speakers, Portable speakers

X-Mini KAI Capsule Speaker Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 24, 2012 at 2:00 pm.

The iHome iDM5 is a Bluetooth keyboard speaker system for smartphones and tablets. It features a full sized keyboard along with speakers and a microphone that offer speakerphone and streaming audio capability. The speakers have SoundClear® Voice echo cancellation and Music 3D technology along with SRS TruBass sound enhancement. If all that doesn’t get you interested, the iDM5 also provides 2 powered USB ports so you can use it to charge two devices. Is it just me, or does this device remind you of the Commodore 64? If you’re interested in the iHOme iDM5 space saving keyboard / speaker combo, you can buy one now for $129.99.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Bluetooth Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPad, Keyboard, Speakers

iHome Releases iDM5 Executive Work Station originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 24, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

The Broadcaster from LiveStream allows you to stream live HD video directly from any camera supporting  HDMI out. Powered by 3 AA batteries, the unit can be mounted to the camera and will stream video via Wi-Fi or a 3G or 4G USB modem.  Supporting 1080i, 720p and 480i resolutions, the Broadcaster encodes the signal in real-time using H.264 and AAC audio.  The stream can be controlled via the built-in LCD panel, through the Livestream Web based platform, or via iPhone app.

Pre-order for $495; delivery begins May 31.  Purchase includes 3 months unlimited live streaming; price is $45/month after the promotional period.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Digital Cameras and Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Video Camera, Video Streaming

Live HD Broadcasting for Any Camera with Live Stream Broadcaster originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 21, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

Do you remember those travel alarm clocks that looked like leather-covered makeup compacts and opened up to display a small alarm clock for the hotel nightstand?  The Sound System Model XS from Geneva reminds me of those small clocks.  This small, 6.2″ × 4″ × 4.5″, 1.1 pound system closes up into a faux leather-covered shell to fit in your suitcase or gear bag.  It opens up to function as an alarm clock, FM radio, and external speakers for your smartphone or tablet.  It has Bluetooth and a 3.5mm audio line-in to connect your device.  When in Bluetooth and line-in mode, the Model XS is “powered by digital amplifiers for optimal audio performance;” in FM mode, it is ” powered by an analog amplifier for optimal radio reception.”  The 6W 2.25″ woofer and two 3W 1″ tweeters produce 80-20,000K, “true HiFi sound.”  The Model XS has a built-in 2700 mA lithium battery, and it comes with an AC adapter to charge the battery and power the unit.  The Model XS is available in black, white, or red for $249.95 from Geneva.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Alarm Clock, External speakers

Geneva Sound System Model XS Has Bluetooth, FM, Alarm Clock, Speakers, and Amplifier in One Small Package originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 19, 2012 at 1:00 pm.