NEWS – Things are not slowing down for Focal, the French high fidelity audio company. They’ve just released two new products for 2019—and it’s only February! Stellia is a high-end, closed-back headphone that can compete with the best loudspeakers. Stellia integrates a new generation of speaker drivers, capable of working at low sound levels while […]
Focal focuses on 2019 with two new high-end audio products Read More
REVIEW – Last year, I reviewed the Aiwa Arc-1 headphones and liked them. They’re comfortable and easy to listen to for hours. However, before the Arc-1, Aiwa made a wireless speaker that helped raise them from the ashes of forgotten electronic companies. Since its release, the powerful Aiwa Exos-9 Portable Bluetooth Speaker has garnered a
Aiwa Exos-9 Portable Bluetooth speaker review Read More
REVIEW – Klipsch is a maker of highly regarded speaker systems, yet I’ve only been acquainted with their high-end earphones—the 10Xi and the fantastic X20i. Until now, that is. Klipsch has a line of speakers, amps and headphones under the Klipsch Heritage banner. Their speaker called The Three (is it the The Three?) is Klipsch’s
Klipsch The Three wireless speaker review Read More
REVIEW – I’m not sure anyone has come out with as many different digital audio players (DAP) as FiiO has. In an age where almost everyone (at least here in the US) uses their smartphones for music listening, FiiO has stubbornly stuck to making DAPs in every price range and feature set. What began as
FiiO M7 High-Resolution Lossless Audio Player review Read More
NEWS – Let me begin by saying I do not like wild rats. They are filthy creatures that spread germs and disease, not to mention the damage they do to homes and farms. I have a separate studio building in my one acre backyard where I review and test audio gear as well as do
A humane trap that quickly dispatches mice and rats Read More
REVIEW – Let’s be transparent— I’m a big fan of Grado headphones and earphones. Their 325e headphones are one of my favorite open-backed headphones and the GR10 earphones are a go-to pair I still love and use. However, it’s becoming a wireless world and it appeared that Grado was being left behind—until now, that is.
Grado GW100 Wireless Bluetooth open-back headphones review Read More
NEWS – Back in 2012, I reviewed the Grace Digital Mondo Wi-Fi Music Player and Internet Radio and liked it a lot. Say what you will about the viability of internet radios in today’s world of smartphone radio apps, the still popular Mondo is available from Grace Digital as the improved Mondo+. Grace has now
Grace Digital looks back to move forward with the new Mondo+ Classic internet radio Read More
REVIEW – A year ago, I reviewed Cozmo, the small and cheeky robot from Anki. Cozmo is a lot of fun, but he has his limitations—the main one being that the iOS or Android companion app has to be running at all times for Cozmo to work. Now, Cozmo has a bigger brother—both in size
Anki Vector robot review Read More
REVIEW – Recently, I was invited to Chicago—a trip that allowed me and other tech writers/reviewers a chance to be the first to try out a new and updated Bluetooth cable from Shure—the RMCE-BT2 High-Resolution Bluetooth 5 Earphone Communication Cable. What is it? This mouthful of a named cable is a simple device that can
Shure RMCE-BT2 High-Resolution Bluetooth 5 Earphone Communication Cable review Read More
REVIEW – When I was given the chance to review Focal’s new Elegia headphone, my first thought was to compare it to the slightly more expensive Elear headphone I reviewed earlier this year. The reason was simple: The Elegia is a closed-back design—good for personal listening in public places. The open-back Elear is best for
Focal Elegia Headphone review Read More
NEWS – The loveable, cheeky, teachable (sort of) and attitudinally challenged robot Cozmo now has a brother—a smarter, more engaging and even more teachable sibling. Anki has upped the AI bar with the new small personal robot, Vector. Vector’s name may not be as funny as his older brother’s, but Vector has two years worth
Watch out, Anki’s cheeky little robot Cozmo now has a brother and he speaks Alexa! Read More
REVIEW – When I review many products from one company, it can be hard to differentiate similar efforts. Such has been the case with Master & Dynamic’s various headphones. They are all based on a similar (but beautiful) design esthetic. And they are all excellent headphones—if a bit expensive. This is—and isn’t—different. Master & Dynamic
Master & Dynamic MW07 True Wireless Earphones review Read More
ARTICLE – It’s always fun to be invited to a press introduction of a new product, especially when it is as useful as this: The Shure High-Resolution Bluetooth 5 Earphone Communication Cable—or the Shure RMCE-BT2 cable. Shure wanted a way to allow owners of their detachable SE Sound Isolating Earphones to go wireless without having
There’s a new Bluetooth product from Chicago – for Shure! Read More
NEWS – If you don’t know what a mesh wifi network is, you will. Mesh wifi allows devices to piggyback off one another as part of a network. Originally used mostly by the military and hospitals, mesh networking has now hit the home market. Eero was the first, followed by Google, Luma, and Netgear with
Netgear can now cover your home in mesh wifi with Orbi Read More
REVIEW – Every gadget I have reviewed has one important thing in common: They all use power. It doesn’t matter if it’s a smartphone, Bluetooth speaker or wireless headphones—the batteries eventually need charging. To charge my various devices, I use outlets, hubs, my car and when I’m not around a power source—a battery backup. Let’s
Jackery Explorer 240 Portable Power Station review Read More
REVIEW – In the world of earphones, there is one constant that ties them all together, and it’s this: there is no constant. It may sound contradictory, but hear me out. I have reviewed earphones that are made with dynamic speakers, armature speakers—and hybrids that utilize both speaker designs. These earphones have ranged from a
RevoNext QT3 quad driver hybrid in-ear headphones review Read More
REVIEW – When I’m sticking to a budget and needing to buy something, I sometimes look at the least expensive model from a high-end company rather than the top model from a more middle-range company. That way, I figure I’m getting a better made product at a similar price. That’s the theory I would apply
Bowers & Wilkins 607 speaker review Read More
NEWS – Focal is a French acoustics company that has taken the audio community by storm with their exceptional line of high-end headphones. Clear, Elear and especially Utopia headphones have redefined how good headphones can be. However, these three headphones are open-backed, which is a deal breaker for some. Now, Focal has remedied that with
Focal delivers a new closed-back headphone designed for blissful privacy Read More
NEWS – Does anyone at RHA ever sleep? Every time I wrap up a review or news item, they come out with something new and cool. This time, it’s their first totally wireless earphone, the TrueConnect true wireless in-ear headphone. It comes with an IPX5 rating, so they should be sweat-proof for those warm, outdoor
RHA truly connects with the new TrueConnect wireless in-ear headphones Read More
REVIEW – Does anyone remember Aiwa? Years ago, I installed an Aiwa car CD player in a ‘92 Acura. It was good—not great. Later, Aiwa just about disappeared after Sony bought them. Now they’re back and getting some serious (as in good) attention. First Aiwa released the Exos-9 Bluetooth speaker—a monster speaker that’s getting rave
Aiwa Arc-1 Bluetooth headphones review Read More