Tuesday, September 16, 2008
News
Sony Ericsson HCB-108 Bluetooth speakerphone launches
Sony offers wireless iPod speaker system: the S-AIR™ PLAY
Jabra A125s Bluetooth Transmitter Review
Transmit music wirelessly from your iPod or iPhone!
This small device (1"3/4 X 1"X .5") and 22grams, is pretty simple to use. It has a dock connector for the iPod, a charging socket (mini USB charging cable included), and a multi-function button (MFB) with a light indicator (LED).
Pairing: Very simple. Once the device is fully charged (6 hours), press and hold the MFB until the LED is solid blue, connect it to your iPod, put your audio device in pairing mode, and the connection will occur within 10 sec to 30 sec. To pause or resume a song press briefly (tap) on the MFB. To turn off the unit press a little longer.
Sound: I actually paired the Jabra 125s with a Parrot Boombox, and I must say that the sound quality was very good. Same with a Parrot Party and a Anycom BSH-100 Bluetooth Stereo Heaset. The wireless range is around 30 ft as claimed by the manufacturer . We have been using this unit for our demos in the store and have never run the battery out !
Bottom line: This device delivers. It's extremely simple to use and does what it is supposed to do: make your iPod wireless! Also great news for the iPhone owners frustated by the lack of Bluetooth stereo capability, the Jabra A125s will provide you the missing A2DP profile (even though the iPhone will tell the unit is not compatible!).
Area of concerns: none.
Pros:
Price
Easy to use
Works with an iPhone
Cons:
Could be a little slimmer
Related article:
is my iPhone A2DP?
Laurent
Saturday, September 13, 2008
New Parrot Minikit Slim and Chic
Coming soon!
Parrot has just introduced the new Parrot minikit hands-free car kit. It's a slim unit (only 3 ounces), hence the name, that also comes with a floral pattern especially designed for women. This one is called "chic"!
Both units should be released by november 2008. A great Christmas present!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Sangean Wi-Fi Internet Radio WFR-20 Review
Listen to the world...for free!
My first contact with the Sangean WFR-20 was the packaging, and I was not the least bit impressed. However, when I opened the box things started to change. The unit looked great, retro but great, with its black lacquered finish and the big "cyclopean" knob right in the front panel.
Using the Internet Radio:
I could not wait to hear how the 2 x 75mm/5 watts loudspeakers would sound. Connecting to my wireless network was fast and easy. The radio then displayed the main mode menu. I selected "Radio Stations" and had a choice of Location, Genre, or BBC, which was set by default in preset one. The station I settled on was streaming at 128 kbps (high quality) and I remembered going whoa!! The sound was really good, rich and loud, beyond my expectation. It was also powerful enough to fill up the room with no distortion.
Next, I started to play around and selected stations from all over the world, either by location or genre. Even at a rate of 16 or 32 kbps the audio quality was pretty decent. The WFR-20 uses the internet radio technology developed by a British company, Reciva. You can log into their website and open an account for free. This will allow you to customize your radio by adding your favorite streams, podcasts, in what is called "My Stuff". You simply have to register your radio by entering its serial number.
PC Streaming:
The WFR-20 is also an audio streamer. You can play your music collection on your PC by connecting in two ways: to folders shared on the network (Windows Shares) or with file server application using the Universal Plug and Play protocol (UPnP): ex Media Player for MP3, WMA, and WAV files.
I used an UPnP and once again the process was real easy and, now as expected, the sound quality excellent.
The big navigation knob takes a little time to get used to, and this is when the remote control came in handy. It is a real plus, no question.
Icing on the cake, this unit also offers:
Dimensions: 11 x 7 x 4.5"
The bottom line:
Internet radios are undoubtedly the future of radio broadcasting. This unit will make its mark in the history of Wi-Fi internet radios. It looks and sounds good, is easy to use, offers many audio solutions: internet radio and PC streaming, audio in and out, Ethernet port and remote control. It is the perfect versatile companion for home, office or a dorm room. Is it worth the price? Absolutely!
Pros:
Sound quality
Easy to use
Well built
12000 radio stations to choose from
Versatile
Remote control
12 presets available
Cons:
No handle, reduces portability
Laurent
wiredforwireless.com
My first contact with the Sangean WFR-20 was the packaging, and I was not the least bit impressed. However, when I opened the box things started to change. The unit looked great, retro but great, with its black lacquered finish and the big "cyclopean" knob right in the front panel.
Using the Internet Radio:
I could not wait to hear how the 2 x 75mm/5 watts loudspeakers would sound. Connecting to my wireless network was fast and easy. The radio then displayed the main mode menu. I selected "Radio Stations" and had a choice of Location, Genre, or BBC, which was set by default in preset one. The station I settled on was streaming at 128 kbps (high quality) and I remembered going whoa!! The sound was really good, rich and loud, beyond my expectation. It was also powerful enough to fill up the room with no distortion.
Next, I started to play around and selected stations from all over the world, either by location or genre. Even at a rate of 16 or 32 kbps the audio quality was pretty decent. The WFR-20 uses the internet radio technology developed by a British company, Reciva. You can log into their website and open an account for free. This will allow you to customize your radio by adding your favorite streams, podcasts, in what is called "My Stuff". You simply have to register your radio by entering its serial number.
PC Streaming:
The WFR-20 is also an audio streamer. You can play your music collection on your PC by connecting in two ways: to folders shared on the network (Windows Shares) or with file server application using the Universal Plug and Play protocol (UPnP): ex Media Player for MP3, WMA, and WAV files.
I used an UPnP and once again the process was real easy and, now as expected, the sound quality excellent.
The big navigation knob takes a little time to get used to, and this is when the remote control came in handy. It is a real plus, no question.
Icing on the cake, this unit also offers:
- An alarm clock, to wake up to the sound of your favorite station,
- A line out for an external amplifier,
- A line in for any audio device connecting via a 3.5mm jack (iPod, CD Player...),
- A headphones jack,
- An Ethernet port if you prefer to wire the unit to your router.
Dimensions: 11 x 7 x 4.5"
The bottom line:
Internet radios are undoubtedly the future of radio broadcasting. This unit will make its mark in the history of Wi-Fi internet radios. It looks and sounds good, is easy to use, offers many audio solutions: internet radio and PC streaming, audio in and out, Ethernet port and remote control. It is the perfect versatile companion for home, office or a dorm room. Is it worth the price? Absolutely!
Pros:
Sound quality
Easy to use
Well built
12000 radio stations to choose from
Versatile
Remote control
12 presets available
Cons:
No handle, reduces portability
Laurent
wiredforwireless.com
What is A2DP?
When reading Bluetooth devices descriptions, you may have come across the abbreviation A2DP, Advanced Audio Distribution Profile. This profile defines how high-quality audio (stereo or mono) can be streamed from one device to another over a Bluetooth connection. If your cell phone/mp3 player, or computer, does not support the A2DP profile, there is still a solution for you.
For any audio device (MP3, CD, iPod,etc) you can purchase a A2DP transmitter, that will allow you to listen to your music collection through Bluetooth Stereo Headphones or Bluetooth Speakers.
For computers, if you are only going to stream music, the A2DP transmitter may be used. However, if you will be streaming music and transferring data, it is best to purchase a Bluetooth USB adapter (dongle).
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