It could be argued that the Jawbone Jambox started the portable speaker craze. But did you know that the science and engineering behind Jambox’s success came from Soundmatters—a small audio company begun by a NASA engineer? It’s true. The late Dr. Godehard Guenther developed the Soundmatters FoxL speaker, the predecessor to so many speakers we […]
Soundmatters’ Moment has arrived Read More
When it comes to backpacks and luggage, ecbc is a name that people trust because of their quality and airport/TSA friendly design. Even though the ecbc Sparrow Garment bag has been a favorite among travelers, ecbc has decided to improve it by introducing the Sparrow II. The Sparrow II kicks off ecbc’s next generation of stylish,
ecbc Sparrow II garment bag can make flying less stressful Read More
If you’ve owned any of Creative’s Sound Blaster Roar Bluetooth speakers, you know that they put out amazing sound for their size and their price. However, the latest iRoar version is not the bargain the earlier Roar speakers are. It’s use of premium materials and upgraded audio has placed it on another level—right up there
Creative iRoar Rock docking subwoofer review Read More
After watching others make waterproof portable speakers, a company known for making speakers and electronics for boats and other extreme outdoor uses has decided to make their own portable stereo speaker themselves—that also streams Bluetooth. New Zealand company Fusion (a Garmin company) has developed and released the StereoActive speaker, the world’s first purpose-built watersport stereo.
Fusion introduces a portable stereo designed for life and fun on the water Read More
Roav may be a weird name, but it could become a household word if accessory maker Anker has its way. Anker’s goal for the Roav smart driving system is to help you drive smarter while keeping you safe using connected devices made for any car. The Dashtop computer, Roav Cam, and Roav Guard monitors the
Roam the country in safety with Roav smart driving system Read More
It’s easy to make great speakers—at a cost. And it’s easy to make affordable speakers—at the expense of audio quality. Yet, Audioengine manages to achieve both of these objectives repeatedly. And they’ve done it again with the new HD3 Wireless Music System. “Classic speaker design with no plastic, full stereo sound, whole-house wireless and no
Audioengine expands its HD series with the HD3 Wireless Music System Read More
I stopped trying to keep up with Braven ages ago. Just when you think this prolific portable speaker company couldn’t come up with any more speakers—Wham! They deliver a completely new line of speakers. I’m surprised, but I shouldn’t be. Lately, Braven has been concentrating on the outdoor market by offering tough and waterproof, yet
Braven hits a triple with new wireless speakers Read More
When it comes to protecting electronic gadgets, I can be one slightly paranoid customer. And when it comes to protecting smartphones, I become very paranoid. After my iPhone was delivered, it stayed in its box until I could get to my local ATT store and choose a case. I was happy to see that the
Speck Presidio Grip iPhone 7 case review Read More
Let’s talk blowers. I know what you might be thinking—why would anyone bother reviewing a blower? They either work or not. That’s what I initially thought. EGO, a cordless outdoor power equipment maker, offered one of their products for review and I left it up to them to choose. Imagine my surprise—and disappointment—when I opened
EGO Power+ 530 CFM Blower review Read More
Everyone seems to be jumping on the wireless headphone bandwagon, including premium audio company, Master & Dynamic. Their new MW50 Wireless on-ear headphone is their second wireless model, closely following the successful over-ear MW60. The MW50 Wireless on-ear headphones use some of the same materials as other Master & Dynamic headphones: Stainless steel, leather and
The new Master & Dynamic MW50 wireless on-ear headphone is made for portability Read More
With all the Braven Bluetooth speakers I’ve reviewed, I’m amazed how each speaker has its own “personality” in both how it handles and sounds. Some Braven speakers excel in bass, some are more tuned for vocals. You might think that they would strive for a similar sound signature across their speaker line, but I’m now
Braven BRV-Blade Bluetooth speaker review Read More
It’s always interesting to see high-end audio companies enter the world of portable speakers. They almost always up the game by bringing a level of quality and detail that cheaper companies sometimes miss. Oppo Digital is known for their planar magnetic headphones and have branched out by introducing the Sonica Wi-Fi speaker system. It’s called
OPPO Digital introduces the Sonica Wi-Fi speaker Read More
Monster got its start making expensive audio cables before teaming with Dr. Dre to make Beats headphones. When that relation soured, Monster and Beats went their separate ways and well, we know what happened—Beats were bought by Apple and Monster continued making headphones under their own name. Then, Monster entered the huge portable Bluetooth speaker
Monster Blaster Bluetooth Boombox speaker review Read More
I may review (mostly) audio products, but I’m also an unrepentant Apple junkie and am always interested in accessories for my various Apple products. Which brings me to iMac shelving. Yeah, I know—a shelf for an iMac? It’s not as farfetched as you might think. As part of a Kickstarter campaign, I recently received the
PRISM Designs Float Shelf review Read More
Wireless home speaker systems use a home’s existing WiFi to stream music throughout many rooms in a home or to just a few rooms. It all depends on how it’s set up and budget constraints. Sonos is one of the first and more popular brands of wireless speakers. As streaming music has become more viable
Raumfeld wireless speaker system review Read More
Once again, Creative can’t leave well enough alone. As if the iRoar didn’’t put out enough bass from such a small package, Creative decided to build a subwoofer for it. Yeah. If you’ve ever heard an iRoar, you would be scratching your head, too. But, here it is—the iRoar Rock—and if you have an iRoar
Creative lowers the boom with the iRoar Rock Read More
Invisible zippers. That’s what initially struck me when I first saw the new Waterfield Designs Bolt Backpack. When I unpacked and inspected it, I couldn’t find the zippers. Only when I noticed the leather zipper pulls, did I see how ingenious the disappearing zippers are. It’s really cool. But that’s not the only cool thing
WaterField Designs Bolt backpack review Read More
In my review of the new Focal Listen headphone, I mentioned that it was at the bottom rung (so to speak) of three new headphones from the French company Focal. Further up the ladder were the Elear and Utopia headphones—both very different headphones and both much, much more expensive. When I was given the chance
Focal Elear headphone review Read More
If it’s true that good things come in small packages, then today, better things come in small packages. Bowers and Wilkins has released the new and improved P3 Series 2 headphone. I reviewed the original P3 and said that, “The P3 headphones are a big step up for people on the move. Their warmth, detail
Bowers & Wilkins new P3 Series 2 headphone is a better thing in a small package Read More
When I reviewed the Focal Spirit Classic, Professional and One S headphones, I marveled how a French maker of insanely expensive speakers could manage to produce affordable headphones. Yes, they’re expensive, but not when compared to their heritage. Well, that’s all changed. Focal has released three new headphones and while the Elear (review coming) headphone
Focal Listen headphones review Read More