Archive for the 'Audio' Category

Skullcandy Headphones sound great. While some headphones sound great but look ridiculous, and others look awesome but sound lousy, Skullcandy Works SKC18 GI Stereo Headphones do both well!

First and foremost, is the sound quality. Because really, if headphones don’t make your music sound awesome, it doesn’t matter how good they look, you won’t want to use them. They have a 41mm Superior driver, ensuring that your music sounds crisp and excellent even at high volumes. In addition to the great sound, they look awesome, coming with a winter camo pattern and a leather headwrap. Furthermore, they’re super comfortable, resting on your ears and allowing you to listen for hours on end with no discomfort. If that doesn’t meet your standards for excellent headphones, nothing will.

Check out our headphone product guide for more info what to look for in a good pair of headphones.

When implementing speakers into a home audio system, compromises are made along the way in terms of aesthetics. Nothing ruins the décor of a living space like speaker cables all over the floor. Sure, in-wall installations for speaker cables are an option, but that is an added cost and you have to make sure your speaker cable is graded for in-wall installations. Furthermore, this is not an option for people with concrete or brick walls and renters.

An option for those who don’t want the clutter of cables everywhere and can’t or don’t want to go with an in-wall installation is a wireless speaker system. Wireless systems have been the bane of audiophiles for years, and for good reason; many of them were terrible. However, strides have been made with wireless technology over the years and there are quite a few excellent wireless systems to choose from these days.

The JBL on air control 2.4g wireless speaker system is a fine choice for those looking for a wireless solution. You can use them as stereo speakers your iPod, computer or CD player. or as surround speakers in a home theater set-up. The speakers come with a 2.4GHz transmitter that allows for up to 70ft of rich, clear sound without interference. JBL is well known for offering quality speaker products, and this wireless system is no exception.

Denon, the world-renowned manufacturer of superb audio and video equipment recently released the AVR-1909. It’s an entry-level receiver that packs a whole lot of punch for the price.

The AVR-1909 has been getting rave reviews, and it’s easy to see why. Equipped with 3 HDMI v1.3a inputs, it can internally decode the lossless surround sound formats Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The powerful amplifier section has seven channels. Fully driven, it outputs 90 watts a channel, capable of delivering earth shattering 7.1 surround sound. Of course, 5.1 surround sound is adequate if you don’t have or want 7.1. The receiver has the option of driving a 5.1 channel system in your main room in addition to a 2-channel system in a second zone. This is a feature you rarely see in an entry-level receiver. It also does a terrific job with up-converting standard definition material.

There is an in-depth discussion on the AVSforum about this receiver. It’s worth a look for anyone contemplating an entry-level receiver with all the bells and whistles.

If you’re in the market for a new set of computer speakers, but you aren’t interested in a setup with a big, bulky subwoofer that would take up space either under or on your desk, you’re stuck with some slim pickings for quality options. Small computer speakers without subwoofers don’t pack a lot of punch, generally speaking, but you don’t necessarily need to sacrifice quality for size.

The Bose Companion 2 Series II Multimedia Speakers are some of the best two-piece computer speakers available, delivering amazing bass as well as crisp high end sounds from relatively small packages. With dual inputs you’ll be able to plug in both your computer as well as another audio source to them at the same time, letting you use these as both computer speakers and iPod speakers depending on what you’re doing. In the world of small computer speakers, they don’t get much better than this.

I’m no stranger to streaming devices. I’ve owned many different devices from Squeezeboxes to Sonos Multi-Room Music Systems. They all worked fabulously, and I would wholeheartedly recommend them. However, one thing they lacked was video content. If you only cared about music, then devices like the Squeezebox or Sonos would be all you really need. I love music, but many people are always looking for ways to integrate audio and video. Sure, that may be heresy for audio purists, but this is the real world. Devices that can multi-task and serve more than one function will always be welcome.

One device that caught my attention was the Apple TV. My only gripe with the Apple TV when it was initially released was the relatively small (for me at least) 40gb hard-drive and the lack of high definition videos and surround sound. Thankfully, Apple addressed all these issues. They released a 160gb model, and now high definition movie rentals are available, as well as surround sound.

I purchased one about two weeks ago, and the experience so far has been wonderful. Synching the Apple TV to my wireless network and to iTunes was a breeze. The set-up process took less than five minutes. In no time, I was browsing the Apple webstore, watching videos on youtube, streaming HD videos from my macbook and browsing photos on flickr.

I took some photos of the Apple TV and the interface.

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For college students, a recording of all their professors’ lectures is invaluable during finals week. And by the end of the semester all of these recordings will require ample storage space. The digital recorder that will best suit these students’ needs is the Zoom H2 by Samson Tech, which accepts SD memory cards up to 4 GB. When recording in MP3, this allows for up to 138 hours of recording time.

The Zoom H2 also works great for music concerts and personal recordings. Unlike most digital recorders on the market, the Zoom H2 records in stereo—not mono—so the sound quality is excellent. For a college student, the Zoom H2 is the perfect gadget.

* And as with any lecture, make sure you get your professor’s permission before recording.

Grado is a well-known headphone and phonograph cartridge manufacturer. Grado has won accolades and awards for their state of the art headphones. And without question, once you put on a pair of Grado headphones, you will know why they are so revered.

Grado headphones come in three series: The Entry Level Prestige series, The Mid Level Reference series and The Statement Series. The Statement series are the flagship headphones for Grado, and only one headphone actually exists in the series. That would be the GS1000. These are arguably one of the best headphones on the market today at any price point. Unfortunately, the price is simply out of reach for most people.

All is not lost however. There are many top shelf, critically acclaimed headphones in the budget friendly Prestige series. The good thing about Grado is that their headphones, from entry level to their flagship all sound phenomenal.

The Grado SR60 headphone is the introductory headphone in the Prestige series and is more in line with what the average consumer is able to afford. Compared to the headphones most people use daily, these are more than enough for anyone but the discerning audiophile. I say this from experience also because over the years I’ve had many headphones within the Grado family all the way up to the GS1000, and without a shadow of a doubt, the SR60 offers a tremendous value and they sound superb. Sure, they aren’t better than the top of the line Grado headphones, but the sound quality is there. Everything sounds clean, clear and precise with a punchy bass to boot. They are also very comfortable to wear.

A great website for information about headphones in general is Head-Fi. There is a wealth of knowledge here about Grado headphones and just about every well-respected headphone manufacturer on their forums.

If you want to play your guitar where you please, you have two choices: play an acoustic guitar, or lug a heavy, bulky amp around with your electric guitar that you’ll then need to find an outlet to plug in. Given those two choices, choosing an electric might not seem to make much sense. But not all amps are bulky and restrictive.

This Marshall MS2 Portable 2-Watt Mini Guitar Practice Amplifier is the perfect mini amp for the guitarist on the go. It’s small and portable, easily fitting in your guitar bag, and it can run either off an outlet’s power or from a 9 volt battery. This lets you use it just about anywhere. So if you don’t want to use an acoustic guitar just out of necessity, this amp makes your electric a whole lot more portable.

The subwoofer is an integral part home theater. To get the true Low-Frequency Effects (LFE) from movies you need a subwoofer. The regular front channels will not suffice in getting the complete LFE spectrum.

The Boston Acoustics HPS 10SE 10″ Powered Subwoofer is a great solution for those who want an entry level sub without spending an exorbitant amount. The bass response is remarkable. It uses front-firing cones that deliver, clean and clear bass via the proprietary Deep Channel Design (DCD) from Boston Acoustic.

If you are looking for an affordable, entry level sub, this one won’t disappoint.

Denon is well known around the world for manufacturing quality audio and video equipment. Their latest flagship receiver, the AVR-5308CI is no exception to their track record of excellence. At almost 63lbs, it’s a powerhouse.

First and foremost, it is HDMI 1.3, so it will internally decode both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. It delivers 150 Watts per. channel, so power is something it has in spades.

Apart from the raw power of the 5308, it uses Audyssey room correction, which calibrates your speakers to make them sound optimally based on your room and layout.

If you really want the best audio and video experience at any cost, then the 5308 would definitely fit the bill.