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Speakers designed to intimidate

We're not gaming addicts by any stretch, but we're often infatuated with stuff made by Razer because it always manages to look sleek and menacing at the same time. The "Mako" THX speaker system is no exception, looking like the best of villains in all black marked with Razer's distinctive serpentine logo while on display at CES this week.

The Gadgets Weblog cites a report that "a listener could hear quality sound across the room and right next to them" (which is why its remote comes in handy), but we wouldn't mind … Read more

Polk speaks iPod

I'm a big fan of Polk Audio's bookshelf and floor-standing speakers, so when it released two iPod speakers, I just had to check them out. Both are available in black or white.

The miDock Portfolio ($119) is a portable model and is compatible with any iPod via the supplied plastic adapters. It also has an auxiliary input for non-Apple players, though it'll only charge dock connector-equipped iPods. The speaker is pretty small and folds up flat for traveling. It has four 1-inch drivers and runs on four AA batteries or the included AC adapter. I took a … Read more

CS3.7: Jim Thiel's new masterpiece speaker

Conventional wisdom says that a stereo or surround sound system is only as good as its speakers. That's why speaker designers often become celebrities in the world of high-end audio. One such celeb is Jim Thiel, who's been designing speakers for the company he co-founded for 30 years now. He calls his latest high-end creation the CS3.7 and it stands 45-inches tall, 12.5-inches wide, and 21-inches deep, looking more like a sleek piece of modern sculpture when compared to the bland boxes taking up space in Best Buy.

Mr. Thiel's gone to great lengths to … Read more

Whole-house iPod listening for the rest of us

Ever since Sonos opened the door for whole-house iPod wireless network solutions, numerous firms have tried to produce less expensive alternatives that also avoid the DRM issue, such as the conceptually similar but not as pricey Creative XDock systems. But both the Sonos and the Creative XDock require the addition of separate speakers.

Griffin's Evolve is a less ambitious $349 whole-house solution operating in the 900MHz spectrum. But for the money, you get a base that charges and broadcasts your music and video through two included speakers. Essentially, the twin 4-inch-square speakers charge on the transmitter base, then can … Read more

Thiel's first sub-$1000 box speaker

When people think of the high end speaker maker Thiel, affordable isn't the first word that comes to mind (though quality certainly is). But, they're working to change that (the affordable part). For the first time in the company's history, they've introduced a box speaker (i.e. not an in-wall) for under $1,000, the new Coherent Source SCS4 LCR two-way bookshelf speaker. Thiel mounts the two drivers in a coaxial design, which means that its 1-inch metal dome tweeter is mounted in the middle the 6.5-inch woofer. If you didn't know better, you … Read more

Eos beams iPod audio around the house

Crave first spotted this one a few weeks ago, and now Intellitouch has announced its inexpensive, wireless "whole house" iPod speaker system.

The Eos system consists of an iPod dock/base station with integrated speakers and a subwoofer, and separate Wi-Fi speakers. The base station can transmit audio to as many as four wireless speakers; each speaker has a removable power supply so that you can mount it directly on a power outlet or place it on any surface like a bookshelf system. Intellitouch claims that in contrast to existing wireless speaker systems, its GigaWave technology can transmit … Read more

Sharp jumps on the iPod accessory bandwagon

Not to be left out of the ever-growing iPod accessory market, Sharp announced a new line of iPod speaker systems, the iElegance Music Systems. The product line consists of two models, each available in two colors: The DK-A1 and the step-up DK-A10 are white, and both are matched by otherwise identical black models, the DK-A1BK and the DK-A10BK.

Like all the other iPod systems we see, you'll be able to plug your iPod into the dock and play your digital music while also charging up. The boombox-like design makes it look like they'll be easy to cart around, … Read more

Now hear this!

I finally took the big plunge and acquired a new and superfancy computer. Unfortunately, I am now cursed by the demon of bad speakers. Fortunately, I have seen the promised land of audio, and it looks like the Logitech Z-2300. These are the holy grail of computer audio goodness: both affordable and of excellent quality. Given that I am both a music fanatic, and not in possession of a stereo, quality speakers for my computer are a must, and these are just what I need!