Donald and Jasmine tease the iPod Nano vs. Microsoft Zune Prizefight and discuss a variety of portable audio accouterments, including a pair of headphones, a portable iPhone-compatible speaker, and the best MP3 players for audiobooks.
Also, hear some gab on the new Zune software, and find out who won last week's contest.
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Though they are portable devices, the iPod and the iPhone can make a wonderful source for headphone-free music when connected to a speaker--if you have a player full of great music and personalized playlists, you might as well play it out loud every once in a while. Unfortunately, several of the made-for-iPod systems that have come out in the past few years don't work well with the iPhone, presenting a problem for those with multiple devices.
The upshot is that manufacturers have started to address this issue with iPhone-friendly speaker systems, which are shielded against cell phone interference and … Read more
The digital-audio market is not hurting for portable iPod speakers, which can make sorting through the choices a bit of a hassle. One way to narrow the playing field is to look for models that match the hue of your iPod. Whether you have a black or silver iPod Classic, or a colorful Nano, JBL's On Stage Micro has a paint job to match. This $99 speaker may not pack the low-end wallop of the big boys, but it's cute, compact, and suitable for a bedroom, office, or hotel room. Read the JBL On Stage Micro review.
(Note: … Read more
There is all manner of MP3-friendly luggage on the market, many examples with built-in speakers and some that even resemble an iPod themselves. But venerable winemaker Charles Krug has bested them all, in our opinion, with its special-edition "Krug Escape Artist" champagne trunk.
This accessory will not only hold two bottles of liquid gold but also packs a Samsung T9 media player and a JBL "On Tour Plus" sound system, according to BornRich. Making that all the more enjoyable are a set of four Baccarat flutes and an exclusively designed champagne cooler. What sealed it for … Read more
If Spider-Man were a speaker, he might well take the form of this new model from JBL.
The "Control Now" line features curved units that look kind of like large macaroni noodles or giant leeches, intended to maximize their flexibility so they "can be joined to create half-round, three-quarter-round, or round configurations, and hung from a ceiling using an optional pole-mount bracket and standard ceiling-fan hardware." It's unclear to us how all those contortions play out in terms of sound, but we'll leave that to the audiophiles.
The tweeter is mounted in a "… Read more
Well that didn't take long. Just after we thought we'd come across one of the weirder pieces of sound equipment seen in awhile, along comes another to beat it out in spades. Not only does this system featured at Berlin's IFA trade show have an exceedingly esoteric design, but it's even more exclusive because of its price: $860,608, to be exact, which makes it the "world's most expensive stereo system" in the estimation of BornRich.
The centerpiece of this monstrosity is the Clearaudio "Statement" turntable pictured here for $137,000, … Read more
Amazingly enough, not every bit of technology products involve Apple. There's this other company we've heard of called Nokia, which apparently also makes a few phones too, and some even play music like an iPhone.
Even JBL recognizes that last feature and has created a system to support Nokia's new "5310 Xpress" to maximize the music phone's sound with Odyssey speakers, an equalizer and a built-in amp. JBL's "On Call 5310" also serves as an all-purpose station for the handset with a recharging dock, according to OhGizmo, which says it will … Read more
Desktop speakers come and desktop speakers go, but good design lasts... well, if not forever, at least a mighty long time. Admire the smooth surfaces, enjoy the groovy mathematical curviness, appreciate the metallic sheen as you imagine yourself speeding through the galaxy on your own little cubicle-spaceship, with terrific audio. Ah! Space--the final frontier of hyperbole.
Listed today at one-third its original price of $99, this is a well-liked speaker set for folks who want good audio at a great price and with a very small desk-top footprint.
What: Harman JBL Creature II speaker system How much: $33.51 Shipping: … Read more
First our prayers were answered--now our cup runneth over. Awhile back we began a campaign in favor of wireless home audio systems, thinking that it was kind of ridiculous that the industry was still tethered to cords at this stage of technology history. And even after manufacturers began meeting the demand, some purists remained skeptical about quality from relatively no-name brands.
Now, however, one of the most recognized brands in speaker-dom has joined the wireless fray. JBL has released the "On Air Control 2.4G," which it describes as "a pair of wall-mountable loudspeakers that incorporates a … Read more
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CNET's Galaxy S4 giveaway spectacular!
CNET's publishing another supercharged e-book. "Mastering the Galaxy S4" is almost here, so we're celebrating with a huge S4-related giveaway.
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