You might think that after reviewing the ginormous Braven BRV-XXL, it would be a letdown following that up with a review of the much, much smaller BRV-1M speaker. But that would be a wrong assumption. Yes, the BRV-XXL sounds better—a lot better than the BRV-1M. So what? It ought to—it’s over ten times bigger and […]
Braven BRV-1M portable Bluetooth speaker review Read More
Say what you will about Creative Labs; they sure know how to milk a product line. In 2014, I reviewed the Creative Roar Bluetooth speaker and fell in love with its ability to sound as good as the current (at the time) portable Bose speakers at a fraction of the price. Yeah, it had some
Creative iRoar Wireless Intelligent Speaker review Read More
British audio company Rock Jaw’s Genus earphones impressed me not only with audio that sounded better than the price would indicate, but the Genus also offered a set of filters for the ultimate customization. However, as I’ve discovered with most earphones that come with filters—once you find one you like, that’s the one you stick
Rock Jaw Audio Clarito earphones review Read More
In the world of headphones, there are a few different technologies that are used to reproduce music. By far, the most common are dynamic speaker headphones—basically a miniature speaker sitting right next to your ear. Then there’s planer-magnetic headphones which are (usually) far more accurate than dynamic speakers minus the bass kick (again, usually). Finally,
Sharkk Bravo Hybrid Electrostatic Headphones review Read More
It’s almost comical. One of the best in-ear headphones (earphones) available at any price comes in a package that isn’t nearly as nice as some of the cheapest headphones available. Not only that, there’s an embarrassing selection of only three pairs of tips, no mic and … no case? Are you kidding me? Okay, they
Grado GR10e in-ear headphones review Read More
Just when I finished reviewing the huge Braven BRV-XXL, they released the smallest of the Braven family; the Braven 105 Active. The 105 is made for just that—an active lifestyle. While you could conceivably get more exercise jogging while carrying the 18 lb. BRV-XXL, it’s obviously not practical—and just plain weird. The Braven 105, however,
The Braven 105 Bluetooth speaker is as active as you are Read More
In 2013, I reviewed the Meze 73 Classics headphones. I liked the sound and the use of wood for the ear cups. It helped project a warm and friendly audio quality that was easy to listen to for hours. All this holds true for the new 99 Classics headphone. Meze has trimmed their entire headphone
Meze 99 Classics headphone review Read More
I’m getting tired of repeating myself, but here goes: Braven speakers make some of the best speakers I’ve reviewed, blah, blah, blah. With all the Braven reviews I’ve written, it’s beginning to sound trite, but it is true. Over the past few years, I’ve watched Braven evolve from a maker of the really good small,
Braven BRV-XXL Bluetooth speaker review Read More
For 7 years, I’ve owned—and still use—the Klipsch X10i in-ear headphone (earphone). It quickly became one of my all-time favorite earphones for a couple of important reasons. The X10i sounds fantastic and they are the most comfortable pair of earphones I have ever used, period. They’re even more comfortable than my custom in-ear monitors that
Klipsch X20i in-ear headphones review Read More
It’s always interesting when a new brand of lawn equipment comes out of nowhere and captures the imagination—and wallets—of consumers. Introduced in 2014, EGO has spent the last ten years researching and developing the Power+ platform, resulting in a line of cordless outdoor yard equipment with the power and performance of gas without the noise,
EGO cuts the cord but not the power with new outdoor products Read More
I’ve written about Braven so much over the past few years that it’s no surprise when they continue to release new speaker after new speaker. Do these people ever sleep? One look at their website and you begin to realize that Braven means Bluetooth. I will soon be reviewing their new small and chunky BRV-1M,
Braven sharpens its speaker line with the new BRV-Blade Read More
I’ve reviewed a few noise canceling headphones over the years and one constant in all those reviews is that noise canceling alters the sound of whatever music you’re playing—and not in a good way. It seems to be the nature of the beast—if you want to block out distracting noise, be prepared to pay the
AKG N60NC noise canceling headphone review Read More
When is a monster really a monster? The cable/speaker company Monster (of course) may have just answered that question with the new Monster Blaster BoomBox. The Monster Blaster recalls the glory years of the classic 80s BoomBox, but with a modern design and the latest in Bluetooth technology. With deep bass, the Monster Blaster has
In an increasingly crowded world of portable Bluetooth devices, a few speakers manage to stand apart from the crowd—some for good reasons and some for bad. A company called Maqe (pronounced make) has come up with a unique way to set its new SoundJump speaker apart from the me-too crowd. Sure, it’s a gimmick, but
Maqe SoundJump wireless Bluetooth speaker review Read More
After reviewing their entire line of headphones, I always wondered why a renowned French speaker company such as Focal would make home speakers costing almost $200,000 (!) and yet make their headphones reasonably priced. Granted, the Focal Spirit Classic headphones are not cheap at $400, but comparatively speaking, that’s downright affordable. So it’s no surprise
Focal reaches for utopia with a new line of high end headphones Read More
Okay, let’s state an obvious fact: Father’s Day is around the corner and dads like stuff. And many dads (like me) like electronic stuff. If your dad—or husband who is also a dad—enjoys music, maybe this is the year to consider headphones for that Father’s Day gift. Headphones come in all varieties of type, looks,
Fathers like stuff. Master & Dynamic makes great stuff. Read More
A year ago, I reviewed the over-ear Pendulumic STANCE S1+ (their only headphone model) and came away quite impressed. Pendulumic has now introduced the on-ear TACH T1 headphone with upgraded battery management and better noise isolation. The headband is also more traditional looking and softer feeling.
Pendulumic TACH T1 has an unusual name for a serious headphone Read More
Hi, my name is Bill Henderson and I’m an addict. I confess, I am a coffee addict. Ironically, I don’t drink it for the caffeine kick. Caffeine has no effect on me. I drink it for the taste. I like coffee. Currently my household uses a Keurig style maker made by Cuisinart. It’s a basic
The Ninja Coffee Bar can turn you into a barista Read More
I’ve always been a fan of digital audio converters (DAC). They can make good headphones and earphones sound better by bringing out the best they have to offer. Audio listening is only as good as the weakest link, so if you’re wondering whether those expensive headphones can sound as good as advertised, upgrading the DAC
iFi Nano iDSD DAC and Headphone Amp review Read More
Is it me or does the name “Campfire Audio” sound a like bit like an oxymoron? High-end audio and the natural world of a camp fires don’t seem to go together—or do they? When you consider that nothing is more organic or natural as sound, then maybe comparing sound to fire isn’t much of a
Campfire Audio shoots for the stars Read More