We recently reviewed the Zoom Q3HD, a pocket cam (like your Flips and Playsports) with a little extra love given to the audio side of things. Olympus has decided to take that route as well with its new LS-20M… a pocket cam with a little extra love given to the audio side of things. What, I said it was the same route. → Read More
Short version: Not bad, but the “3D” effect isn’t very compelling, and the lack of extra features makes the $200 price unpalatable. → Read More
Short version: An attractive and portable mic for when you want to capture a little more depth and warmth than the one built into your laptop, webcam, or headset. → Read More
They aren’t producing that many CD players these days, but that’s not the only reason the U-K525LT, announced [JP] by Kenwood for the Japanese market today, stands out. The other is that it has a nice wooden casing, made of African Mutenye teak. → Read More
Short version: Beautifully styled, modern, and very loud, but USB issues take this from a cool and functional device to a questionable one. (Update: TDK released a firmware update the day after this review published which fixes the USB issues. I installed it myself and it works perfectly; devices will ship with updated firmware starting now, and owners should be able to download the update at… → Read More
I’ve seen Psyko at the last two CESes, both times with their original product, a headset that uses a totally unique system to provide real surround sound. But they’ve finally put out two new headsets, both refinements to the original design. → Read More
Looks like the cassette tape could be undergoing a renaissance thanks to Thanko. The Cassette Mate from Thanko, connects to a PC and rips cassette audio. The included software comes with all the features one would need to convert audio and split up tracks. The Cassette Mate costs only $30 and is available here. [via Ubergizmo] → Read More
So Nikon just put out its new D5100, a consumer-oriented movie and photo machine that competes with Canon’s T3i for consumers looking for both great stills and cinematic video. But a problem DSLRs face with video is the poor sound quality — they generally have weak little pinhole mics that suck wind and sound worse than cell phones. You can get a third-party mic, but it looks like Nikon… → Read More
I think we can all agree that while bass is an important part of most music, there is a limit past which it is pointless to amplify that part of the sound spectrum. This video is about going so far beyond that point that the sound starts being measured in gut punches rather than decibels. That poor phonebook never had a chance. → Read More
Gemini is known for making some pretty cool DJ equipment and mixers. Today they released FirstMix, a USB DJ controller with two scratch wheels, rotaries and a cross fader. The controller sources music from iTunes or any other music library and plays them in the included Cross LE DJ software. The controller also works with Traktor, Virtual DJ and Algoriddim’s DJAY and other popular DJ software. → Read More
All of us at CrunchGear can testify that Logitech makes solid audio gear. The Z623s are a good deal, the G35 headset is a monster, and Greg says he’s been using the Z5500 5.1 system happily for several years now. Well, Logitech’s new Z906 is meant to replace that last one: it’s a brand-new 500-watt 5.1 system selling for the totally reasonable price of $350 not quite as reasonable but still okay… → Read More
Short version: These tiny speakers are more powerful than you’d think, but still not quite capable enough for anything but casual use around the house. Gamers at the very least will be disappointed, though they’re handy for the occasional TV show or spontaneous music-sharing moment. → Read More
Short version: These headphones are expensive, but they’re also light, compact, and sound great. Pro tip: opt for the Kleer version, as it adds both range and fidelity for a pretty reasonable increase in price. → Read More
Distinctive yet tasteful desktop speakers are hard to come by; I was always slightly jealous of my Mac friends and their cool Harmon Kardon Soundsticks (not that they were only for Mac, but you know what I mean), since the best PC speakers from Logitech and Klipsch have always been… not ugly, certainly, but not stylish, either. → Read More
Looking for a new headset for your 360 audio pleasures? You might have heard of the Chimaera when it was announced back at CES. They weren’t quite fully baked back then, but they’re ready for your dollar now. I just hope you’re well-provided with said dollars, because these wireless surround sound headphones ain’t cheap. → Read More
Antec is mostly known for their PC cases and components, but a lot of those manufacturers have been getting into other games over the last few years, and some, like Corsair, have actually come up with some really well-reviewed audio gear. Antec’s soundscience rockus system (yes, they have it in all lower-case, because they’re emo) was just announced, and hopes to put itself onto desktops around… → Read More
If you’re at all into the digital music creation world, be it via MIDI, virtualized drum kits and synths, or what have you, this app probably deserves your attention. It’s a visual interface and performance tool that uses… I really can’t tell what sort of visual metaphor for controlling the various aspects of your music. It certainly looks like a very unique tool, and the video’s worth a watch… → Read More
I’m not quite sure I buy the physics behind these speakers entirely. The idea is that instead of simply vibrating a driver at the correct frequencies and projecting those vibrations out into the room, you use ultrasonic waves to vibrate only the air molecules along a path, and things outside of that path won’t hear the sound. → Read More
Home theater aficionados probably won’t be interested in this minimal setup, but I kind of like it. The five-speaker-plus-sub thing is great if you’ve got a room for it, or can afford to outfit it correctly, but for the average apartment-dweller or someone who just doesn’t care that much about surround sound, a good soundbar like this SB 16 from Harmon Kardon could be just what the doctor ordered. → Read More
A good pair of portable speakers is hard to find. Well, not that hard, but non-powered speakers that produce good sound and yet fit comfortably in a bag aren’t exactly littering the ground. Razer looks to remedy this with their Ferox sound system, a pair of egg-shaped speakers that open up at the top and provide “360 degree omni-directional acoustics.”
We’ll forgive them for using that phrase. → Read More
Short version: A versatile and useful pocket cam for people who value the audio portion of their video, but its high price may make those on the fence opt for a cheaper, more rugged model. → Read More
This isn’t the first turntable we’ve seen that’s been stripped down to its bare parts, but it has the distinction of being more a deconstruction than a compacting of function. The Crosley Revolution and others like it take the whole turntable idea and crush it into a single slab, but this concept from R.D. Silva seems to keep the structure of the classic record player but remove anything… → Read More
This system isn’t itself new, but I think they only actually started selling them recently. Either way, what really matters is that you can make your stereo look like the French Flag, or the Enterprise. Go ahead, configure your own here (or see real life pictures here). Cost? Probably about a gazillion dollars. [via Notcot] → Read More
Short version: An attractive and compact pair of headphones, not revolutionary by any means, but powerful and portable, and hey, they say “Marshall” on them. → Read More
TDK recently relaunched itself as a modern tech and audio brand, so stop thinking of them as the people who made your cassette tapes, and start thinking of them as the people who made these awesome boomboxes. These are the coolest digital audio amps I’ve seen since the A-Box. They cost a grip, though, as you might expect. → Read More
Wow, this thing is cool. I’m not really even sure what’s going on here, but I’m told this is a speaker that is essentially printed onto this millimeter-thick ceramic substrate. I reviewed some ceramic speakers a while back, and saw some glass ones the other day, but this is a whole other world. How does it even vibrate?! [via Gizmag] → Read More
This probably isn’t up your alley if you’re into listening to really awesome, fairly loud music all the time, but if you rely on your iPod or iPhone and don’t need a lot of volume, the Koostik might be your style.
It’s based on similar principles as acoustic guitars and other wood instruments: sound is channeled from where it is emitted from the phone to those big holes there, where it comes out… → Read More
Olive makes really nice, fairly expensive audio gear for audiophiles who still haven’t gone digital. While this is a shrinking market, I guess there are enough oldsters out there who still haven’t ripped their copy of A Farewell to Kings so this is for them. It’s basically a 2TB hard drive with built-in optical drive. You pop in a disk, it records the audio, and then plays it… → Read More
It was way back at E3 that I saw newcomer Nox Audio’s first gaming headsets, the Specialist and the Scout. I reviewed the Specialist shortly after, and pronounced it excellent. The Scout has apparently had some production issues, since it’s taken five months to come to market, but it’s now available to purchase. → Read More
Short version: Simple, convenient, and sounds decent, but reception issues might limit its utility for you. → Read More
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