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All posts tagged "sound"


Friday, October 21, 2011

The Sweet Sound of Quality: Win a Set of $399 Audioengine A5+ Speakers

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Events" @ 09:00 AM

http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Aud...5-Plus#overview

I may be selling these sites and working full time for HTC now, but who says I can't have a little more fun giving away a great prize before I go? Last week I posted about the new Audioengine A5+ powered desktop speakers; the generous folks at Audioengine have offered up a set of these new speakers for a contest. With dual inputs (3.5mm and RCA, the latter of which is easily converted to an addition 3.5mm input with a cable) and a USB charging port, the A5+ speakers are a great companion to an endless variety of devices: desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, and yes, even the humble Zune. Ringing in at $399 USD, these are high-quality speakers that I guarantee will blow you away.

How do you win this contest? Simply post a comment to this discussion thread (one entry per person) telling me what your current audio solution for speakers is and how the Audioengine A5+ speakers will be better. One winner will be randomly selected from amongst all the entries and they'll get to chose either a set of black or white A5+ speakers. Due to the size and weight of this prize, it will only be shipped within the continental USA. The contest will remain open until Friday the 28th at 12 PM mountain time (GMT -7).

Best of luck everyone, and I look forward to reading some interesting entries. :-)

UPDATE: The contest is now over, and the winner is ITforSmallBiz. Thanks to everyone for entering!


Saturday, July 12, 2008

Do All MP3 Players Sound Alike?

Posted by Adam Krebs in "Digital Home Talk" @ 08:45 AM

http://mobilitysite.com/2008/07/do-...ers-sound-alike

"Recently I read a review of an mp3 player where the author purposely chose not to discuss sound quality because, in the author’s words, 'The chosen player has a great deal to do with how you access your music, but very little to do with how it sounds…' That got me thinking. Do all mp3 players sound alike? They are all digital, so it’s the same 1’s and 0’s playing the music, so how can there be a difference in sound quality? I have tested some mp3 players myself and have noticed drastic differences. I have trouble believing that mp3 players don’t influence sound quality that much. They have different components, circuitry, software and build tolerances, so how can there not be a difference?"

Mobility Site's Steve Laser writes on a very important topic in the portable media player discussion. I seem to recall that in 2001 when the iPod came out, other players on the market were focusing on more faithfully recreating their digital sound and used higher-quality audio parts and software decoders. The iPod on the other hand, was more focused on affordability and battery life, and went the "walkman" route in supporting a technology that was "good enough" for most people. Laser poses the question to audiophiles and tech reviewers from around the net, with surprising variance in their responses.


Wednesday, May 23, 2007

4 Out of 6 Prefer the Sound of the Zune Over the iPod

Posted by Damion Chaplin in "Zune Hardware" @ 05:00 PM

http://www.cliczune.com/2007/05/audio_quality_r.html

"Which one is better? The Zune or the iPod? Difficult to say but CNET-Crave found a way to avoid fan bias. They did a simple "Coke-Pepsi challenge" with people in the street. Participants had to listen to each player and tell them which one sounds the best. Of course, just like the old "Coke-Pepsi challenge", they didn’t know what player they were listening to. Results of the test: iPod: 2 and Zune: 4. So, based on a very small number of people, the Zune has a much better sound quality."

Much as I love the Zune (and dislike all things Apple), I think it would have a little more fair to ask a few more people. Like maybe 10? In any case, I'm glad to see the Zune hold its own in a 'blind' listening test. So, do you concur? Do you find the Zune to have superior sound quality to the iPod? I know the sound quality of the Zune is very good, but I've never owned an iPod to compare it to...


Wednesday, March 14, 2007

MacWay's i.Sound MovieTime Universal Dock

Posted by Damion Chaplin in "Zune Accessories" @ 02:00 PM

http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20070313/isound-movietime-universal-a-dock-for-your-ipod-zune-and-psp/

"The i.Sound MovieTime is a light and compact system that can be carried with you anywhere you want, as long as you have 4 AA batteries. The i.Sound works with an AC adapter too, of course, if you’re not planning on taking it on the road. The 1.25” speakers have two Neodymium magnets per channel and can rock a party if you want to, with a total power of 12 watts RMS. The dock has also an optional Surround Effect and has the standard buttons for controlling your media in the front."

Another day, another stereo dock. What sets this one apart from all the rest is not only the universal connector (allowing you to connect the 'leading brand' of PMP as well as your Zune), but the fact that it runs on batteries. I've mentioned before that I find it odd there aren't more portable boombox-style stereos out there with docks on them. It would seem like a natural match, especially with Microsoft's 'Social' campaign. It's available from MacWay's site (in French) for 59 euros (about $79USD).

Tags: dock, sound, i.sound

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