Sonos 250 Bundle Wireless Music Review

These days people are seeking a lot from their gadgets, they are looking for integrated home entertainment gadgets including multi room sound systems. The goal is simple: have a system that can seamlessly deliver music from a variety of sources in multiple rooms around your home. Sounds very futuristic but is actually very achievable.

 

 

 

 

 

There are a number of manufactures that provide multi room systems and these include Sonos who have a range of products available for every room in the house. We have been testing the Sonos 250 bundle which includes the zp90 zone player, the zp120 zone player and controller.

These three products when combined with the Sonos zone bridge will connect to your wireless network to create a Sonos network around your house. The ZP90 is an unamplified unit that will connect to your existing home theatre; the Zp120 is an amplified unit that provides an output of 55w per channel so you can add a set of hefty speakers to it.

All of the equipment is robust, well designed and very pleasing on the eye. Sonos have gone with the classic white with all their products meaning it will fit in any modern home with ease. We love that the zone players all look similar, they even look cool when you are not using them.

The sound quality from both units was very clear and worked well at quiet and loud levels. We played around a lot with the remote and toggled music on and off in each room, we tried playing from different sources in each room and also ran them in sync. In all examples the system worked really well.

Setting up the system is very simple and can all be controlled from the supplied Sonos coloured controller. This thing is a real beauty and will provoke envy from any visitor to your home as it sits in its recharging cradle, more importantly it is extremely easy to use. You can easily search and select music independently for each room. Sonos include options to listen to internet radio stations including last.fm and Sirius and you can even use paid subscription services like Napster.

 

 

Another cool feature is that your player can automatically update your twitter account with what you are listening too. New features like this are being added all the time and you will be sure to get them because your Sonos system automatically updates meaning you will have an up to date system forever.

If you have the cash to spare we would highly recommend Sonos, alternatives include Logitech’s Squeeze box range.

We have also reviewed the Sonos iphone APP and Sonos S5, both of which are great products (the app is a free version of the Sonos controller featured in this review).

Intempo Bluetooth Speaker System Review

It is difficult to buy a gadget that does not have built-in Bluetooth connectivity these days. Modern games consoles use it to connect their controllers wirelessly, mobile phones can share data and play games over a Bluetooth connection and PCs can interact with a wide variety of peripherals via Bluetooth. Given that most portable devices, including mobile phones, can now play back music via Bluetooth, it makes sense that you would want to use this talent for more than just your own personal enjoyment via a Bluetooth headset. As such the Intempo Bluetooth speaker system is a great value way to share your music with the world and most importantly of all it can do this without the need for messy wires snaking their way all over the place and getting easily lost.

Design
The Intempo Bluetooth Speaker System borrows its looks from a number of more expensive iPod docks that have gone before it. It is slightly curved and features a black speaker cover with a chrome bezel surrounding the edge on the front. The rear is black plastic and the whole thing is made up of smooth surfaces, curves and bulges. The only sign that this is a wireless device is the little antennae that juts out from the top left hand side. This spoils the otherwise clean lines of the speakers, but it’s a sacrifice Intempo have had to make in order to provide the best Bluetooth range possible and most will not consider it to be a particular problem.

All of the controls and inputs are found on the right hand edge of the speaker system, though the only options you have are a volume wheel and on/off switch, a 3.5mm line in and an AC power port. The silver bezel bears the Intempo name and the Bluetooth logo is proudly displayed, but otherwise it is a fairly subtle and modern-looking device.

 

 

In the Box
The Intempo Bluetooth Speaker System comes with just two items, aside from the documentation to help you get started; a power adaptor and a 3.5mm connector cable for any non-Bluetooth devices to use. This keeps things nice and simple, but as the inclusion of the power adaptor suggests, this is not in itself a portable device. It is designed for static use around the house rather than as a portable Bluetooth Speaker System. However, it is nice that the speakers are also compatible with mp3 players which require a wired connection.

Bluetooth Playback
Once you turn on the Intempo Bluetooth Speaker System it will automatically broadcast a Bluetooth signal that any compatible device will be able to detect. If you are playing back music from a mobile phone you will need to turn on the device’s own Bluetooth connectivity first. Then you need to go into the list of the music files stored on the phone, select the song of your choice and enter the options menu. Here you will need to choose playback over Bluetooth, though you will need to refer to the guidelines stipulated in the handbook of your own mobile phone for more detailed information. In most cases your phone will then scan for other Bluetooth devices and detect the Intempo speakers, allowing for playback.

Intempo say that the Bluetooth Speaker System has a range of 10m, so you could be quite a distance away from the speakers and still enjoy wireless music playback. In practice this means that you can place your phone anywhere within the same room and maintain the Bluetooth connection to the speakers. Moving into other rooms or placing things in between the two may reduce the range. However, for most situations this 10m limit will be more than enough.

Sound Quality
The Intempo Bluetooth Speaker System has a 10 watt rating, which means that whilst it does not produce the loudest sound in the world it will be adequate for use in a living room as an alternative to a CD player or mp3 dock. The bass levels are also acceptable considering the price and capabilities of this handset, though it is clear that this is not designed to please those overly concerned with high fidelity or wide frequencies.

Conclusion
The Intempo Bluetooth Speaker System is an incredibly convenient way to unlock the music that is stored on your phone. Sometimes Bluetooth headsets just do not cut the mustard and you want to play something out loud, which is where this gadget comes in and performs admirably. If you are sick of having to dive into a draw and pull out a wire every time you want to listen to music then this elegant, modern solution provided by Intempo will be a godsend. As long as you are not expecting ear-splitting volume or gut-shaking bass then you will be more than happy with what is on offer here. Available from mobile fun.

Powermat Brings Wireless Charging Home

Wireless charging has been discussed and brought to the forefront of technology over the past couple of years. In the future all electronic appliances will be able to be recharged or even just powered through the air but until then there are gadgets that can deliver the next best thing, charging without cables by placing your device on a mat.

Powermat have been designing and building wireless charging stations for some time now and their recent efforts have taken a major step forward by combining function with aesthetics.  The mat works by forming a connection between a jacket placed on your device and the mat itself. Power mat have even included precise magnets so that an optimal connection is made this in turn means your device will charge just a quickly as if you had plugged it in.

In the past other products have failed because they could only charge one device at a time. Thankfully powermat has no such trouble as it can charge up to four at a time, three are wireless and one can be added via a USB input.

The powermat is a large step forward in wireless technology and we can definitely see the benefits it brings, imagine you can just come home and plonk your mobile on the mat and it will be fully charged when you pick it back up later in the day. Genius! It is available from the powermat website at a very reasonable price of £69.99

Skullcandy Asym Headphones review

Skullcandy have already established a name for themselves as designers of hardwearing, high quality and attractive earphones of all shapes and sizes (i.e. over ear and in ear models). The ‘Asym’ model is an in ear piece, designed as a lightweight, comfortable option for those exercising or playing active sports, that are inconspicuous while also being attractive when examined. To achieve this final aim, the Aysm earphones are designed to fit smoothly within the ear, so that they barely stick out at all once inserted. The ‘attractive’ aspect comes from the nimble angled design, distinguishing them from ’straight out’ conventional earbuds, like those used in the iPod. The upper part of the wire, the insulation leading to the head of the earphones, is also coloured in a choice of different colours (black, pink and white casings), which are smart enough to avoid making an overt fashion statement, but which does add a touch of style to both male and female users. The earphones’ design allows you to easily hide the wire from sight by positioning it over the top of the ear, rather than letting it dangle straight down. This feature also makes the Asym headphones very suited to the most active sports, where over ear models would normally fall off and inner ear models would fall out. The style of the Asym headphones is finished off nicely by the Skullcandy logo, which comprises, unsurprisingly, of a metallic stylised skull.

With sports use in mind for the Skullcandy Asym headphones, the cable has been thoughtfully designed at only four feet long, enough to reach to a pocket, a belt clip, or into a rucksack, while avoiding moving around as you move, or catching on arms or objects. If you are intending on using this model in combination with a television or a computer, however, a standard headphone extension is recommended, as this length is not enough for you to sit comfortably from the screen and is thus a minor criticism of the design. One of the performance areas that Skullcandy have tried to improve upon with the Asym model over previous models such as the ‘Smokin’ model, is the bass response. One of the common complaints of standard manufacturer headphones is that the sound can be tinny and treble heavy. The Skullcandy Asym headphones offer a noticeable emphasis on bass sounds and perform well in terms of distortion when bass levels are turned up on your MP3 player. Of course, if your taste in music is more classical than R’n'B, you can manually lower you MP3’s bass settings to achieve a more neutral sound.

Quality of the manufactured headphones, as with other models from Headcandy, offers challenging competition to other models in the same price range. As the head of the headphones is larger than most other in ear models, they can take some getting used to before they feel ‘right’, but it is this design that ensures they fit snugly within the natural shape of the ear and do not fall out. The ‘user experience’ of the Asym headphones is very good, with a soft carry case, a choice of three different rubber tip sizes and – unusually for a relatively basic bit of technology – a user manual. The manual helps you get to grips with Skullcandy’s innovative system for keeping the headphones securely in place – keeping the principle behind the Aysm (as in, we all have ‘asymmetrical’ ears that deserve fitted headphones) in tact. Once you have become used to fitting them correctly, they fit easily underneath hats and even crash helmets and allow you to avoid worrying about them becoming loose from your ear and causing any discomfort. The Asym headphones offer noticeable sound reduction to the background environment, even when turned off. However, they are not designed to be fully sound blocking as some models, like the ‘Full Metal Jacket’ model aim to do (although this is very difficult to achieve on in ear models and is usually only a feature of high end over ear ‘cans’). Instead, the Asym headphones let in a certain amount of environmental noise to help keep you aware of what is going on around you if, for example, you are using them whilst out cycling or jogging. If conditions change around you (e.g. you enter a park having travelled along a busy road), you are able to easily increase the volume with the in line switch built into the cord. With a standard gold plated 3.5 mm jack, the Skullcandy Asym will fit most MP3 players and make a superior alternative to those included by the manufacturer, available from mobile fun.

Sony X Series Walkman review

In the year 1978 the co-chairman of Sony decided that it would suit him well to be able to hear his favourite operas as he travelled on his transpacific plane journeys, and so, the Sony Walkman was born. For decades it not only dominated the portable music market but was the only option for anyone who wished to enjoy their music on the move. The Sony Walkman has changed a lot from the original cassette player, but to say it still dominates the market would be very far from the truth. The launch of the iPod and a variety of other MP3 players from leading technology providers has pushed Sony further and further from the limelight. Their only hope now seems to be to try something drastic and, as such, they have launched the Sony X series; straight into the feeding ground of the market-dominating iPod Touch. A stroke of genius or another failed attempt to add to the pile of Sony Walkman flops? To discover that we’ll need to find out exactly what the new series of Walkman offers.

The Sony Walkman X series boasts a 3 inch OLED touch screen, Wi-Fi internet access and digital noise cancelling. On first glance the new Walkman looks as attractive as you’d expect from a modern MP3 player. Its appearance is not so design focused as the iPod but comes across as having a more serious audio image. The screen size is smaller than the iPod Touch’s 3.5 inches but that shouldn’t put you off as the images are far crisper and more vibrant than its rival. The device gives the impression of being solidly built, complete with a unique glaze on the sides to please your fingertips as you hold it, and perhaps even save it dropping with over-exuberant touch screen action.

There are two models in the X series, one 16GB in size (costing £209) and one boasting an impressive 32GB (though costing a rather hefty £279), suitable for those with a larger than average music collection. The 16GB offering to the series would be able to store up to 4,000 songs or 60 hours of video. Double these figures for the 32GB model and you’re talking about an impressive amount of music.

An OLED (or Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen thrashes the closest rival out of the water in terms of picture clarity, providing an excellent platform for watching videos or studying pictures. Although the touch screen is generally responsive it is a little basic in comparison to the Touch’s, occasionally missing contact or taking longer to respond. The screen is also prone to smudging which could lead to prolonged periods of rubbing it on your jeans before showing it off. Fortunately not every action needs to utilise the touch screen. An assortment of hardware buttons on the top of the X series enables you to play, pause or skip with ease without endlessly removing the device from your pocket.

Possibly the pièce de résistance of the new Walkman is in the way that it plays music (what you’d expect from an MP3 player really!). Sony has added a new feature in their attempt to smite the giant Apple; that of in-built digital noise cancelling software. Pressing the switch on the right-hand side of the Walkman instantly provides a dulling of external noise even greater than that of the included headphones – that already do a reasonable job of cutting out the clatter. Unfortunately the noise cancelling is only compatible with the headphones that Sony does provide, so if you’re looking to use your own you won’t be able to enjoy this funky feature.

With Wi-Fi built into the X series, a web browser and a YouTube client you’ll be able to while away the hours browsing in whatever way you wish. The only barrier you may encounter is that of the somewhat frustrating keyboard. The headache of actually entering the required text might put you off struggling to search for that YouTube video that you so desperately desire to see. If you can get through the frustration you will probably be impressed with the fast-loading list of hits returned by your search.

Creative’s new earphones range, elegant colour styling as standard!

There are more important things to worry about than the colour of your MP3 player earphones but sometimes there are certain items that are wants and not needs. Just like selecting the most attractive cover for your beloved media player or MP3 there is something to be said for getting a little bit of extra colour and style for the earphones. The Creative EP-630 or Creative EP-650 earphones deliver just that a splash of colour, that provides that extra bit of elegant styling which is undoubtedly as individual and different as you are.

The Creative EP-630 or Creative EP-650 earphones says so much more about you than just the plain everyday white or black in-ear earphones, it screams attention to detail, individuality and ok some might say it also screams more money than sense but we don’t think that is necessarily true. If these were just very basic like the bog standard earphones that most personal audio players come with then there might be a point of fact with that, but the Creative EP-630 or Creative EP-650 earphones are manufactured to deliver a fantastic sound quality, clear crisp audio, sound isolation, rich bass with a high quality music playback via the gold-plated 1.2m Copper Oxygen-Free cable no matter what your music tastes are.

Yes it’s true you could manage without spending in between £19.99 to £24.99 on the Creative EP-630 or Creative EP-650 depending on the style selected, but what you get is a range of exciting colours that will compliment your personal MP3 or audio player perfectly and if you are particularly bothered by small details you could in fact have a different colour to suit an outfit or gym clothes but with an excellent sound quality to match the obvious style advantages. The colour range is inspired by the sea and the names reflect this, so you can choose from Mediterranean Red, Pacific Blue, Pearl Black, Arctic White and Atlantic Green and the Creative EP-650 comes in a stylish chrome finish called Mercury Abyss. The Creative EP-630 or Creative EP-650 also comes complete with additional size silicon earbuds so that you have the most comfortable fit for your ear.

Itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny Apple iPod Shuffle

Apple have launched their new, and well rather diminutive third generation iPod Shuffle at a rather awkward time, companies and families are cost cutting to save money in what is a rather bleak economic climate, so it must therefore be a difficult job to try to add value to your products whilst still making them saleable. The general public are becoming a little more shrewd and not parting with their hard earned cash quite as freely, therefore Apple clearly had a bit of a brainwave with the development of the new iPod Shuffle.

The reason why the latest iPod Shuffle is such an interesting design concept and a likely success for Apple is that they have managed to shrink the product down to half the size of its predecessor, yet still whack the price up to £59. Adding to the genius is that the whole novelty value of the tiny, tiny iPod Shuffle which will undoubtedly make consumers want to rush out and buy one to replace their previous model.

The tiny body of the Apple iPod Shuffle doesn’t even have room for the buttons to operate the gadget so these have been added to the headphone cable. It is possible to change track, turn volume up and down, change playlist etc all from the iPod shuffle headset, although it has to be said that it is not possible to use any other headset to operate the iPod Shuffle other than another special Apple headset which uses the same technology but comes at a hefty additional price of £54. Another moot point is that Apple no longer include the mini docking USB charger for the iPod Shuffle instead there is another tiny piece of equipment a roughly 2” long USB connector that links the iPod shuffle headset to the PC for charging and synching.

The new iPod Shuffle will allow up to ten hours of playback on one single charge, will allow for synching to other playlists and will store up to 1,000 songs. There is also a clever voice over technology included in the tiny package which will tell the user what the playlist is and the song being played.

Joggers music heaven, Sony Walkman NWZ-W202 wireless MP3 player

Just found a fabulous MP3 player for all you fitness fanatics, this smart little gadget will allow you to keep entertained whilst working out, and best of all there are no wires to get tangled, crossed or if you are on a running machine to trip you up. No need to get bored senseless running, cycling or working out at the gym, the Sony Walkman NWZ-W202 will provide you with great musical entertainment whilst you keep fit, walk or cycle to work, cut the grass, decorate or clean the house in fact any physical activity that requires hands free operation. The Sony Walkman NWZ-W202 is effectively a headset with the MP3 player attached to the ear pieces, but is small and unobtrusive.

The Sony Walkman NWZ-W202 is perfect for keeping you from going ga-ga when you are on the move. Lightweight, comfortable and compact the NWZ-W202 is so small and easy to store that when you are not using it won’t end up a jumbled spaghetti mess. The 2GB NWZ-W202 will store up to 500 music tracks and supports AAC, WMA and MP3. Music can be dragged and dropped to the file on the MP3 player using a PC. Changing tracks isn’t a problem as the Sony Walkman NWZ-W202 uses the latest Sony technology called ‘Zappin’, which provides the first few seconds of playback of music to allow for finding preferred tracks.

Once charge of the Sony Walkman NWZ-W202 will provide 12 hours of audio playback and this clever little unit also will allow for a fast charge of just 3 minutes that will give 90 minutes of playback times. The playback is of a good quality but don’t expect to be able to change the headset as it is a fixed unit. The Sony Walkman NWZ-W202 is priced at only £59 so it won’t exactly break the bank.

Carl Zeiss Cinemizer Plus Works With iPhone

Carl Zeiss has recently been ploughing a lot of time and effort into the creation of Nokia lenses and the such, but that’s not all they get up to in the world of optics. One of the more recent additions to the Carl Zeiss portfolio, in fact, is the Cinemizer Plus headset; compatible with iPhone, iPod, and several other handheld devices it can replay video footage into the headset (also known as glasses) and the two tiny plug in ear phones offer audio accompaniment.

Wearing the headset and watching footage over it is, apparently, the equivalent to watching a 45 inch display sat six foot away so the £399 price tag is really more than reasonable. The biggest thing to note about the Cinemizer Plus range though is that this is the first headset that officially carries the works with iPhone badge although earlier models have been able to show off a works with iPod badge too.

Adapters come with the Cinemizer so that you can plug it into either the standard iPhone or the 3G version, and adapters for the iPod too. What’s more, each eye has its own focus tweaking button so you can get exactly the right settings even if you have dodgy eyesight in one eye and not the other. The built in batter offers up to 4 hours of playback time and because it has its own battery it means that you won’t be draining that of your iPhone or iPod while watching the latest TV or film.

Sony X Series MP3 Player Released Today

The Sony X Series Walkman, the latest in what is becoming a reasonably long line of touch screen MP3 players, is released in stores today and on the face of it everything looks pretty good. It offers the functionality to, as we’ve come to expect from such devices, listen to music, view pictures, and watch video clips. However, Sony has opted to offer OLED screen and has digital noise cancelling technology as standard and includes an FM radio (for the majority that’s not likely to be a deciding factor, but for others it will ensure that the Sony stands out above the iPod Touch).

The OLED screen is an impressive addition and it will make video clips and high resolution pictures all the better to look at. What’s more, it boasts considerably less power usage and Sony even claim that you will be able to enjoy up to 50% more video playback when compared to the same device without an OLED screen.

The other big boast from the Sony X Series is that it offers noise cancelling technology. Sony mp3 players and audio devices generally pack an impressive audio sound as it is, but this added feature which claims to reduce up to 96% of background noise improves things even further. And while the FM tuner may not be a major selling point to all of us, it will almost certainly be popular with those of us that enjoy listening to the news, weather, and sports while we’re on the move. And, let’s face it, for the minimal cost and effort that it actually takes to add one, Sony has probably made the right move.

Available from pretty much all stores, the 16GB version of the X Series will cost a shade over £200 while the whopping 32GB version will be nearer £270.

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