Home Audio

JVC Announces NX-BX3 iPod and iPhone Nightstand Speaker


JVC NX-BX3

The latest in gadget news has to do with JVC's new tabletop home theater sound system, the NX-BX3 for iPods and iPhones. It's JVC's first 2x30W sound system for iPod and iPhone, and is designed to replace your actual nightstand!

Available in both black and white, the NX-BX3 has a weight of 20kg for a size of 500x300x110mm and offers all the features that can be found in other iPhone/iPod speaker docks. It sports an FM tuner and SRS StudioSound HD for around $400.

The next time you buy an iPod dock, ask yourself this important question: can I put a lamp on it? It can hold glasses or a flower vase on its top -- really, the sky's the limit (plus some general weight restrictions) when it comes to the things you can place on top of it.

The dock arrives in Japan this month, and will follow in the US this summer.Read more

Griffin Twenty Audio Amplifier Gives Any Speaker AirPlay Support


 Griffin Technology Twenty Audio Amplifier

CES 2012 is over but coverage from the trade show certainly isn't. New from Griffin Technology is Twenty, an audio amplifier for Airport Express. Twenty will send digital audio from iTunes – wirelessly – to an existing set of speakers using an Airport Express wireless base station and Apple's AirPlay wireless audio/video protocol. Twenty does this by capturing the AirPlay stream, decoding it, and then sending the lossless, amplified sound through speakers. Cool, huh?

Twenty boasts a zero-configuration audio set-up that streams Apple Lossless sound from iTunes or any other AirPlay-enabled app (Pandora, Spotify, last.fm, etc.) to the your speakers via a low-profile digital amplifier. It features a 2.1 channel sound system with 20 watts output per channel and also supports a powered subwoofer with an automatic active crossover at 80 Hz.

"The Griffin Twenty is the easiest, best-sounding solution for consumers who have speakers that are not AirPlay-enabled but still want to stream high-fidelity audio wirelessly," said Mark Rowan, President of Griffin Technology. "Not only can users stream from their iTunes library, they can easily connect with any AirPlay-enabled iOS device."Read more

NAD VISO 1 Receives Good Design Award


 NAD VISO 1

NAD Electronics received a Christmas present of their own this holiday season! The company's NAD VISO 1 wireless music system was selected for a 2011 Good Design International Award in the electronics category.

NAD's VISO 1 is a high-end wireless sound system developed for those who demand the best in sound. Priced at $700, the music system works with virtually any device that is Bluetooth-enabled: iPod, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, along with any smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

Featuring NAD's highest-end Direct Digital DAC/amplifier technology (the same used in their $6000 Masters Series M2 DAC/Amplifier), digital music sounds better than you could ever imagine. Digital Direct Amplifier technology bypasses the analog circuits of the iPod (or other device) to deliver excellent sound on a pure digital platform.Read more

Last Minute Holiday Deal: Buy the Sonos PLAY:3 or PLAY:5, Get a Target Gift Card


 Sonos PLAY:3 with Android

Are you still looking for gift for the music lover on your holiday gift list? Target has a last minute deal on the popular Sonos PLAY:3 and PLAY:5 music systems. Head to your local Target (or online at www.target.com) and you will get a $30 Target gift card with the purchase of a PLAY:3 (featured in our Great Gifts for Home Entertainment Holiday Gift Guide) or if you buy a PLAY:5 you'll get a $40 Target gift card! This is a great deal for one of the season's hottest gifts.

Sonos PLAY:3
The PLAY:3 is a small all-in-one wireless music system. It packs in a tweeter, two mids, and a single bass radiator to deliver wall-to-wall HiFi sound - even though it measures just 5.2 x 10.5 x 6.3 inches!

Priced at $299, the PLAY:3 is the most affordable all-in-one system from Sonos. Connected to the Internet, you can play (for free) over 100,000 radio stations, as well as all the digital music stored on your computer, including your iTunes library. PLAY:3 also has access to music streaming services from AUPEO, iheartradio, Last.fm, MOG, Napster, Pandora, Rdio, Rhapsody, SiriusXM Internet Radio, Spotify, Stitcher SmartRadio, TuneIn, Wolfgang’s Vault, and more. All of this is wirelessly controlled via the free Sonos Controller Apps for Android, iPhone and iPad, or the included Sonos Controller for Mac or PC. Read more

Great Gifts for Home Entertainment


 Epson MegaPlex MG-50

From HDTVs to great sounding table top radios and more, here are some of the best gadgets to keep you and your guests entertained this holiday season.

Epson MegaPlex MG-50
This holiday season set all of the content on your phone free by sharing it on a big screen indoors or out with the MegaPlex MG-50 combo projector. Equipped with a high-quality projector, stereo speakers and a built-in dock for iPod, iPhone and iPad, the MegaPlex makes it easy to project baby's first steps, family photo memories and even your favorite videos on a big wall, making for an unforgettable holiday occasion and "mega" memories that will last a lifetime. Catering to the new digital lifestyle, the MegaPlex is changing the way movies, gaming, slideshows, presentations, music, and more are shared – whether inside for a movie-like setting or even outdoors! Read more

Clarus Audiophile Collection Cables Deliver the Best Listening Experience Possible


 Clarus Audiophile Collection

Let's face it – audiophiles can be a discriminating bunch. They want the best in everything; HDTV, sound system, speakers, even the A/V cables must provide the ultimate listening experience. There's a new line of high-end audio, video, digital, speaker and power cables from Gordon J. Gow Technologies (manufacturer of Tributaries cables) that are sure to please audiophiles worldwide – the Clarus Audiophile Collection.

What makes the Clarus Audiophile Collection so special? For starters, they're made from Pure Copper by Ohno Continuous Casting (PCOCC) – the purest copper in the world. They also feature CNC-machined gold-plated connectors, individually insulated cable strands and precision impedances. In addition, the cables are designed with three different conductor types – solid heavy-gauge conductors, flat conductors and spiral-ribbon conductors. By designing the cables with multiple strand sizes and shapes, clarity is greatly improved for a more enhanced, open sound. Simply put, the Clarus Audiophile Collection is truly in a class by itself. Read more

iLuv Outs ArtStation Pro Audio Dock for Samsung GALAXY Tablets


 iLuv iSM524 ArtStation Pro

Everywhere you turn, there's a new audio dock for iPads. What about some of the other tablets out there? iLuv, thanks to a new partnership with Samsung, just introduced the first audio docking station for Samsung GALAXY Tablets - the iSM524 ArtStation Pro.

The ArtStation Pro boasts iLuv's jAura Sound technology which is experienced through the acoustically tuned 2-way speaker system. The dock features an articulating arm that rotates to adjust to landscape and portrait mode, and can also be tilted for comfortable viewing. The included remote control lets you skip through audio and video tracks and adjust the volume, and it conveniently stores (magnetically) against the back of the system when not in use. Of course, the ArtStation Pro also charges your Samsung GALAXY Tab when docked.

The iLuv iSM524 is compatible with Samsung GALAXY Tab 7-inch (version 2), 7.7-inch, 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch. It has an MSRP of $149.99.Read more

Sonos Gets Android Tablet Support, Slacker Radio and More with New Update


 Sonos app on Kindle Fire

Sonos Wireless HiFi System owners can now use an Android Tablet to control music in their home, thanks to a new software update. And that's just one of many new features found in the Sonos System Software 3.6 update, which the company released today.

The Sonos Controller for Android app now has Android tablet support, letting you control Sonos from any Android tablet running 2.2 or higher, including the brand new Kindle Fire, HTC Flyer, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Sony Tablet S, and others (previously you could control the system with an app for Android smartphone, iPad or iPhone). New features have also been added, such as alarms, music library management and Twitter support. You can download it free from Android Market.

Sonos also announced that Slacker Radio is now available as a free music service on Sonos (in the United States and Canada), for access to over 150 stations with the ability to create unlimited custom stations to stream throughout the house. You can also choose to upgrade to Slacker Radio Plus for ad-free music streaming or Slacker Premium Radio for more features like on-demand access to millions of songs, albums and artists and the ability to create custom playlists. Subscribers can also personalize their ESPN Radio stations with their favorite shows, plus team and sports updates. Learn more about Slacker on Sonos at slacker.com/Sonos. Read more

Onkyo Unveils the CS-345 CD Mini System with iPod/iPhone Dock


 Onkyo CS-345 CD Mini System

Onkyo has a new compact home music system for iPod and iPhone users – the CS-345 CD Mini System. Perfect for a bedroom, office, dorm room or anywhere else you want crisp, room-filling sound, the system is packed with everything you need - two loudspeakers, a CD player, FM/AM radio, and a built-in dock for your iPod or iPhone.

The CS-345's digital power amplifier drives not one, but a pair of two-way loudspeakers, with each speaker boasting a separate dome tweeter. The 4-inch woofer is housed in a bass-reflex enclosure, delivering impressive bass for a system this size. But it doesn't stop there. The system's power amplifier also features ActiveBass Control, which automatically adjusts bass depending on the volume, while Super Bass adds gravity to the music.

As far as compatibility is concerned, the CS-345's built-in dock supports iPod classic, iPod touch (Gen1-4), iPod nano (Gen2-6), and iPhone, iPhone 3G/3GS/4. A video output jack is also included, so you can connect your iPod/iPhone to your TV and view videos located on your iPod on your big screen TV. The CD player supports CD, MP3 CD, CD-R, and CD-RW, and the system's stereo input jacks allow for playback from Android devices and other electronics. A subwoofer output and a front-panel headphone jack are also included.Read more

Integra's Remote App for Android Now Available


 Integra Android

Integra announced this week its first application for the Android mobile platform. Integra’s Remote App for Android operates over a wireless local network and allows Integra network A/V receiver owners to stream music stored on an Android device directly to their Integra receiver.

Using the app, Integra owners can browse networked content without needing to view on-screen menus on a connected display. Instead, the touch-screen GUI on their Android device is used to navigate menus and control a variety of functions, such as selecting the input source or adjusting the volume and tone. Users will also be able to control output in individual zones in a multi-room distributed audio set-up. In addition, the new app enables any internet radio services that are supported by recent Integra receivers to be directly controlled from an Android device.

Available immediately as a free download from the Android market, the Remote App for Android is compatible with all of Integra network A/V receivers released in 2010 and 2011.

Syndicate content