Riva Audio Turbo X Bluetooth Speaker Review And Price

The Turbo X is filled with all sorts of features, only one of which we’d consider frivolous: A wave of the hand over the top of the speaker will “wake up” on-board controls, which basically means they light up – the touch-capacitive keys also illuminate as soon as you touch one. Otherwise, the Turbo X is loaded with useful stuff.

For instance, the namesake Turbo button increases loudness and bass so the speaker can play as loud as a claimed 100 decibels without blowing itself up (to say nothing of your eardrums). We can vouch that the button certainly does increase loudness, but we think most folks won’t need it while indoors unless there’s a big party going on. Outdoors, where the extra beef helps the speaker sound much bigger than it is, the Turbo button makes a little more sense. We just wish engaging it didn’t make the ridiculous “vroooom” sound effect you can hear in the video above.

Riva Audio Turbo X Bluetooth Speaker

Based purely on sound quality, my top three portable Bluetooth speaker picks would be the Bowers & Wilkins T7, Bang & Olufsen A2, and the Riva Turbo X. Each of these three has its own admirable sonic characteristics, making a “which is best” determination very difficult. But in the end, the one I want to take home and live with on the long term is the Turbo X. This speaker just does it for me.

The A2 is a much snazzier looking speaker than the Turbo X (hey, it’s Bang & Olufsen), is far more portable thanks to its soft leather strap and light weight, and puts out an impressive amount of bass, but it lacks the warmth and depth I crave. The T7, on the other hand, has a more uniform, balanced sound, a respectable amount of bass, and a very cool aesthetic, but it lacks the punch and power the Turbo X has, and its battery falls a good eight hours short of the Turbo X’s.

The Turbo X may not be the most fetching speaker on the block, but it certainly isn’t rough on the eyes, either. It’s got killer battery life and, with the addition of Riva’s carrying case, is just as portable as the A2 and T7. What really cinches the deal for the Turbo X is the right blend of sonic power, punch, presence, balance, and detail. It’s a speaker made by musicians, and it sounds like it.

The funny thing about us musicians is that we want to hear honesty from a speaker — music the way it was made to sound. We want faithful reproduction, not sculpted art. The sculpting has already been done by the mixing and mastering professionals who recorded and produced the music, it doesn’t need to be re­-sculpted. In fact, the best thing a speaker can do is just get out of the way, and the Turbo X does that better than any other Bluetooth speaker I’ve tested thus far – and I’ve tested a lot.

Price Range [$299.00]

Best KEF Egg Wireless high-quality 24-bit Digital Music System Review

As a fully self-contained speaker system, the Egg comes with both a high-quality 24-bit/96kHz DAC capable of playing back many high-resolution digital audio files, and a 50-watt digital amplifier, all built right in. The USB connection will be useful when connecting to a desktop or laptop computer, while the digital optical/3.5 mm hybrid jack allows digital connections to televisions and analog connections to nearly anything else you can think of. For streaming, the Egg offers a Bluetooth 4.1 wireless connection with aptX decoding for devices that support the codec.

Best KEF Egg Wireless

I invariably get asked for purchasing advice on a wide range of audio and video products, but recently, I’m getting asked a lot more questions about computer speakers. It turns out, many people are buying big monitors and converting their computers from mere email and Web surfing machines to full-blown entertainment systems. This tells me that speakers like the KEF Egg have a potential audience. But when I bring up the Egg in conversation, the price tends to be a little … off-putting. I think that’s because folks usually think of computer speakers as relatively inexpensive packages that come with subwoofers that make a lot of boom. It’s true, those inexpensive systems will make a good deal of boom, but not a whole lot else. Dialog tends to sound chunky, sound effects are often too loud, and, musically speaking, well … there’s just not much to get excited about.

Those are all great things, but they are things that I think will only appeal to those who are very serious about sound quality. Fortunately, those are the same sort of folks who won’t balk at the notion of $500 for such a versatile speaker system.

So, while I have no reservations whatsoever about giving the KEF Egg my full, unfettered recommendation (and an Editor’s Choice badge,) I do so with the desire that the reader understand I know this system isn’t for everyone. Though, I will say, once you hear it, you may not be able to accept anything else for your multimedia needs. The Egg is just that good.

Price Range [ $499.99 ] on Amazon

Sennheiser Urbanite XL Over-Ear Headphones (Denim) Review and Price

Features Sennheiser Urbanite XL Over-Ear Headphones

Serious Sound Quality – massive bass with clarity across the entire range.
Built Tough – Solid construction using premium stainless steel hinges and aluminium sliders mean Urbanite is built to last.
Take control – Urbanite controls your music and calls with IOS or Android devices.
On the go – Fold ‘em up and take ‘em everywhere.
Sennheiser URBANITE XL wants to pamper you – XL ear-pads simply feel better (only for XL models).
Compatible with all ears – the Sennheiser URBANITE is available with a detachable cable that features a 3-button remote control and an integrated microphone. There are versions for Apple iOS and Android devices, such as Samsung Galaxy, so that all ears may enjoy the same level of pleasure.
Committed to loving your ears – 2-years international warranty

Related Article : Nokia MD-12 Portable Wireless Speaker

• Transducer Principle : Dynamic, closed back 
• Ear Coupling : Circum-aural 
• Frequency Response : 16-22,000 Hz 
• Impedance : 18 Ω 
• Sound Pressure Level (SPL) : 110 dB (1 kHz/1 Vrms)Smart in-line remote 
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) : <0.5% (1 kHz, 100 dB SPL) 
• Volume Control / Microphone Type : Smart in-line remote with omni-directional microphone 
• Connectors : 3.5mm low profile angled plug 
• Weight : 11.1 oz. (315g) 
• Accessories : Soft Pouch

Price Range : $169.99

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Nokia MD-12 Portable Wireless Speaker Review and Price

Big sound, small size

Don't let its size fool you—this little guy packs a punch. Engineered with the latest technology, the MD-12 has an actuator built in, creating a big bass effect when you set on nearly any surface.
With NFC (Near Field Communication) included, just tap your NFC-enabled phone to the speaker and the music starts flowing. Or use Bluetooth and stream your tunes wirelessly and dance the night away with a guaranteed 15 hours of music play on the rechargeable battery. All this in a speaker that's just 1.5 inches high and weighs only 6.3 ounces.

Nokia MD-12 Portable Specifications

• Brand  :  Nokia
• Item Weight  :  100 g
• Product Dimensions  :  10 x 10 x 5 cm
• Item model number :   MD-12GN
• Series  :  MD-12
• Color  :  Green
• Number of USB 2.0 Ports  :  1
• Voltage  :  3.7 volts
• Wattage  :  1 watts
• Lithium Battery Energy Content  :  1020 milliamp_hours

Related Article :  Headphone Technology Generate Sound with Carbon Nanotubes

Price Range : $29.99

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New Headphone Technology Generate Sound with Carbon Nanotubes

You'd suppose that speaker technology was practically noncontinuous, providing it's been around for concerning as long as any technology, , ,ever. because it seems, there is still additional to be down. a replacement reasonably earphone faucets into the ability of carbon nanotubes so as to deliver sounds, with a little internal speaker relying not on moving elements, however manufacturing audio "through the thermoacoustic result." in keeping with a replacement report, the fullerene speakers might even hit a sweet spot in terms of valuation.

Essentially, the new invention bypasses moving elements and instead depends on enlargement and contraction of air to form sound. “We found that process the nanotube film into skinny yarn arrays doesn’t weaken the thermoacoustic result however will greatly improve the device hardiness and sturdiness. and therefore the new style mounts the fullerene structures on element chips that square measure compatible with existing producing ways. The thermoacoustic chips may be simply integrated into circuit boards for speakers with different electronic parts, like management circuits." that is in keeping with rule dynasty, a applied scientist at Tsinghua University.

It's robust to mention if any of this can be on a fast-track to business unharness, however it will introduce some attention-grabbing proposals. maybe Beats: fullerene Edition square measure in your future, after all.

Source [ hothardware.com ]

Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic Review and Price

Second welcome surprise: Bass. In my tests, Muse's "Uprising" had all the kick drum and midbass rumble it had been speculated to have. In Metallica's mastered-for-iTunes "Hate Train," I might still hear the kick drum even with the guitars crushing down, albeit barely. On The Knife's "Silent Shout," our normal bass check track, there's really some good tail "boom" on the 808 kick drum, though some details within the bass synth behind the kick drum square measure to a small degree lost and distorted at higher volumes. Okay, there is still not a lot of low-end extension. Hip-hop, rap, and different electronic music lovers, to not mention classical listeners trying to vibrate their skulls with a pipe organ's low notes or rumbling percussive instrument rolls, ought to stick to AN in-ear rubber-tipped set – even an affordable try, as a result of the tight seal you get mechanically enhances those frequencies. however there's really some low-end extension, that is shocking, significantly once you switch up the amount. the sole factor I worry concerning here is that whereas the EarPods will get pretty loud, they do not very punch till you switch 'em up, that isn't sensible for your hearing. Watch the amount dial and play to a small degree with the atomic weight if you wish a lot of bass.

Otherwise, the EarPods sound fine, however by no suggests that exceptional. you do not get plenty of midrange or high-end detail. In fact, from the midrange on up, they sound plenty just like the original Apple earbuds, although they seem to be a bit drum sander and a lot of elaborated. there is conjointly some slight perceptible harshness within the higher midrange, however it is not offensive. and that is expected given the £25 tag. Metric's "Youth while not Youth" had plenty of energy, and did not distort the least bit (aside from the track’s meant distortion). Ludovico Einaudi's "A Fuoco" lacked a way of air round the instruments that you'd get with higher-end earphones, and you do not hear the small noises that indicate a bow on strings, however a minimum of the piano and string sound sleek and natural.

Note that there is conjointly some sound outpouring that near  individuals can hear. it is a bit quite you will get with in-canal earbuds, however to a small degree but with the regular Apple earbuds. Also, for a similar reason, the EarPods do not block out a lot of external noise; if you wish one thing that minimises train or plane noise, for instance, come with AN in-canal style or a noise-cancelling try. Finally, for phone calls, voices measured fine in each directions, with a heat tone within the earphone. Transmissions through the inline mike were clear and well balanced, if slightly muffled.

The EarPods not excellent - far from it - but in several cases, you are doing not get hold of them as a result of they come with the iPod and iPhone. and lots of missteps are often forgiven at a value of £ twenty five. certainly improved the sound on the old earbuds, particularly on low-end. It's just a shame that the new EarPods seem to still be fit lugholes problematic for a few individuals.

Note that Apple still sells the original "classic" earphones for identical value of £ twenty five. Steer clear of them and take EarPods instead, you will be glad you did. And you would be gladder if they come free with a new iPod or iPhone.

Price Range : £25

apple.com

Harman Kardon AE Best Performance In-ear Headphones Review and Price

The overall response of the AE is a lot of delicate and reserved than recent models just like the advisedly bass-heavy Denon Urban Raver AH-C300. The AE not solely contains a less intense bass response, however its high frequency response additionally seems to be less exaggerated. this is often to not say, however, that the AE lacks power or clarity.

On deep bass tracks just like the Knife's "Silent Shout," the earphones ne'er distort, even at most volume (a level you're hopefully not coming up with on exploring a lot of for your eardrums' sake), and therefore the low frequencies ar delivered with a particular boost – simply nothing on the extent of the Urban Raver. On tracks with vital thump, like Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church within the Wild," the sub bass frequencies ar well-represented once a distorted synth bass enters the song, however the middle frequencies additionally shine, adding further power to the attack of the persistent kick drum beat. On instrumental tracks, like John Adams' classical piece, "The Chairman Dances," the mids once more take centre stage, with the lower register strings and percussion adding the occasional deeper bass presence to the combination – it's ne'er overwhelming or too skinny of a sound. Some purists might need that the bass was dialled back a shade a lot of, however the sound signature here is sort of balanced and articulate while not being too crisp or bright.

Design

Harman Kardon keeps things distributed and trendy within the style department, with rounded rectangular, black and matte metallic-coloured earpieces connected to a skinny black cable. A three-button remote on the proper ear's cable handles phone calls, volume, Play/Pause, and Track Navigation controls. solely the center button includes a raised marker, and it's laborious to feel wherever one button ends and therefore the next begins. Since you cannot simply consider the compartment once carrying the AE, this can be a small annoyance.

The earphones integrate controls for Apple devices. The electro-acoustic transducer is constructed into the proper earphone, and decision clarity is comparable alternative iPhone remotes – not nice, however passable. enclosed within the box ar 3 pairs of semiconducting material eartips in numerous sizes, a try of obey foam tips, and a prime quality snap-shut carrying case with cushioned compartments to carry the earpieces firmly in situ (a feature sometimes found within cases for higher-end gear). Recently, electro-acoustic transducer designers are creating refined enhancements to audio cables, utilising artifact or new plastic coatings to scale back tangling and retain form. The AE, however, doesn't use this kind of evolved cable. Instead, we've got an easy, simply tangled and quite coil-prone cable. The AE appearance smart, however the rigid cable itself sounds like AN afterthought.

If you are looking to pay less, the Shure SE215 (priced at around £75) contains a comparable sound signature. Compared with the equally priced Bowers & Wilkins C5, the AE sounds additional refined – it focuses on mids and providing ample bass response and articulation, however it offers less bass and crisp high-end than the C5. Both the Bowers & Wilkins C5 and AE provide a response that's off from really flat, therefore deciding that combine sounds higher could be a matter of private preference. I realize the additional graven sound signature of the C5 exciting, and its match is considerably safer. Still, the Harman Kardon AE could be a bit cheaper, and positively a worthy contestant – its audio performance is clean and matched with its value, and also the pro-gear look of the case is an additional bonus.

Price Range : £129.95

uk.harmankardon.com

Bluetooth Headphones from Beats by Dr. Dre - Beats Wireless Review

While this Beats by Dr Dre offering looks great and offers powerful audio, it is a tad pricey, and cost-wise it pushes into the realm of headphones that are usually more devoted to accurate audio reproduction. When you pay for Beats, you are paying for powerful audio, but also for looks and Dr Dre's implicit endorsement.

However, there’s no doubting that this is an excellent wireless choice for the target audience of bass lovers, with its distortion-free, thumping sound, not to mention passive/wired functionality. But I can't help feeling it would have been nice to see these headphones pitched a bit lower than the £200 mark, as opposed to over it.

Performance

Audiophiles and purists tend to prefer headphones with flat responses or less exaggerated bass response, and are not likely to enjoy the Wireless Beats. These headphones have serious low-end, to the extent that classical music such as John Adams' "The Chairman Dances" can occasionally sound almost comical, with the already ominous, intense presence of lower register strings, brass, and percussion boosted to the point where they sound more like massive synthesisers rather than acoustic instruments, overpowering the rest of the mix with added rumble and resonance. If the world were only for audio purists, though, what a boring world it would be. The Beats line works best, generally, with modern mixes for pop, rock, and hip hop, where deep, sub-bass frequencies are often par for the course. Not only can the Beats Wireless reproduce intense low end, like the electronic synth beat at the opening of the Knife's "Silent Shout" without a hint of distortion at maximum volume (on both the sound source and the headphones), but it sounds good doing so.

It may not be the most accurate reproduction of sound, but it can feel as if you're in a club or at a concert when playing Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild" or Lower Dens' "Brains." If the intense thump of the kick drum or rumble of a bass line is what you're looking for, who cares what audiophiles say? The Beats Wireless delivers the rest of the frequency range with a reasonable enough level of integrity so that you can enjoy being a bass fiend without sacrificing too much clarity, though some mixes can lean towards the muddy end of the spectrum.

Design

Beats does branding better than most, and you immediately know what you're looking at. The headphones boast a shiny plastic band and "b" logo, combined with either white or black frames with grey and red highlights. The black, supra-aural (on-ear) earpads for the Beats Wireless are plush and comfortable, and though they sit on the ear, they are almost (but not quite) large enough to enclose it like a circumaural pair would. Most headphone pairs with well-cushioned earcups also have well-padded headbands, but the interior of the Beats Wireless headband employs a thin, rubbery cushion that offers very little in the way of comfort. For short listening periods, you're unlikely to notice, but wear these for an hour or so, and it can start to feel like it's pressing on your skull a little too much.

Included with the headphones is a USB charging cable, a 3.5mm audio cable with phone controls, a cleaning cloth, and a padded zip-up carrying case that the headphones fold into. Both cables (and the cloth) are the trademark Beats red. The inclusion of the audio cable is a thoughtful move – one that manufacturers often skip. This allows you to use the headphones in passive mode, without depleting the battery (or when the battery has already been depleted). The Beats by Dr Dre Wireless headphones offer support for Bluetooth SBC, aptX, and AAC codecs, and pairing with Bluetooth mobile devices is a simple and quick process.

Price : £210
uk.beatsbydre.com

Harman Kardon CL Silver Black Headband Headsets Review

Harman Kardon has produced a good looking and great sounding pair of headphones here. Bass, mids and highs are handled with aplomb, all without any real distortion evident (save for at maximum ear-blasting volume, but even then it’s very rare). The smartly designed carry pouch and removable headbands are definite bonuses, the only real niggle being on the comfort front when it comes to longer listening sessions.

Performance

The Harman Kardon CL packs a nice punch, delivering rich, deep bass without going overboard, combined with crisp highs and plenty of definition in the mids. Unsurprisingly, the same can be said about Harman Kardon's excellent Soundsticks III, though those are computer speakers. The CL does produce the slightest hint of distortion at absolute maximum volume on some tracks with seriously deep bass, but the distortion is so negligible and barely noticeable – and that listening level is so unsafe for human ears – we're not going to dwell on this other than to briefly mention it. Basically the CL offers powerful, clean playback for 95 per cent of the music out there at absolute maximum volume, and all music at just one volume notch below, which is still a higher volume level than you should be listening at. Pop, rock, and hip hop all sound fantastic on the CL. David Bowie's "Golden Years" lets the excellent, hard-panned guitar work shine, while the headphones still provide plenty of clarity for his excellent vocals, and just the right amount of thump and low-end from the rhythm section. Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild" has a beat that the CL delivers with an intensity that at times feels like it could match a massive club PA system, but clarity always seems to be the priority, so with all of these genres, things are never muddy. This brings us to the primary difference between the B&W P3 and the Harman Kardon CL. The CL's clarity comes from its crisp highs and well-defined mids. There's some exaggeration there, for sure, but it's not over-the-top and it never sounds harsh. The P3 never sounds bad, either, but it delivers a quite different sound signature. Both pairs have substantial bass response, but the P3 couples its low-end with far less sculpting in the high frequencies. Side by side on the same tracks, you might think the P3 even sounds a bit muffled, but on its own, it sounds fantastic, as well – it simply doesn't boost the highs and mids with the same intensity as the CL. If you've whittled your shopping down to these two pairs, that’s the primary difference between their sonic performance.

Design

As we’ve already mentioned, a quick look at the CL, and one headphone pair immediately springs to mind: The Bowers & Wilkins P5 Mobile Hi-Fi headphones. Both pairs are on-ear (supra-aural) headphones with rectangular earpads and a design that feels simultaneously retro – in the space age sense – and modern, thanks to the use of black leather and metallic accents. However, it's the Bowers & Wilkins P3 that the Harman Kardon CL matches up with in terms of price, with both costing bang on £170. And for this price, HK gives you a few more extras than the B&W set. The CL, which folds down flat like many modern headphones, features a removable cable – which helps increase the value of the pair, as you can replace the cable without having to replace the headphones if it's the only thing that is damaged – as well as a removable headband. The metallic headband acts as a sort of shock mount for the secondary padded leather headband that sits underneath it, which is the part that actually touches your head.

The CL ships with a far nicer case than the equally-priced P3. The P3's is sturdy and small, but it's sometimes a struggle to fit the headphones completely into its tight confines, whereas the CL's case isn’t as deep, but it’s larger. It looks like a black leather daily planner from some angles. There’s no need for a deep case here because when the CL's earcups fold down flat, the headphones become quite narrow. That said, the P3's case probably protects the headphones better, if you manage to stuff them entirely in there. But the CL's carrying pouch is one of the classiest accessories we've seen accompanying a pair of headphones, so that's got to count for something. The iOS controls and microphone built into the cable, along the left ear, allow for answering and ending calls, as well as adjusting the volume and navigating tracks. Call clarity is fine.

Price : £170
uk.harmankardon.com

Sennheiser MM 550-X Wireless Bluetooth Headphones Review

The Sennheiser MM 550-X is an extremely flexible set of headphones. You're paying for all this technology, of course, and not all of the money is going into the actual sound quality. The MM 550-X sounds good enough that you'll feel like it's money well spent, especially when using it wirelessly. Its active noise cancellation, while not class leading, is still fairly effective – but sadly, it messes with the overall sound quality. If you want the best in this department, and don’t need a wireless pair, then you’re best off looking at something like the older Bose QuietComfort 15.

If you don't specifically need Bluetooth compatibility or active noise cancellation, then you might find a better option elsewhere within the Sennheiser range. The Sennheiser RS 220 is pitched around the same price, and offers stellar sound and comfort, although it’s really designed for home use. At around £120, the Sennheiser MM 100 is a more affordable and practical wireless option that still delivers solid performance.


Design, accessories and controls

The MM 550-X is a closed, around-the-ear design, and weighs 180 grams with the battery inserted. Both the earcups and the headband are heavily padded, and the soft padding feels quite comfortable. You get quite a lot of passive noise cancelling just from the tight seal the earcups form with the MM 550-X on your head. The headset is also a bit lighter than some larger pairs of wired headphones, like the venerable Sennheiser HD 650 and the Bose QuietComfort 15. Even so, it feels quite rugged; the plastic, folding hinges in the headband and around the earcups in particular look especially sturdy. Sennheiser packs in a number of accessories here, too. In addition to the headphones themselves and the rechargeable battery, you get a USB charging cable, a power plug with adapters for different countries, a stereo audio cable (2.5mm to 3.5mm) for use in wired mode, a quarter inch headphone adapter, an in-flight adapter for use with double mono jacks on airplanes, and a rugged, zippered cloth carrying case. The manual comes as a PDF file burned onto an included CD.

The controls are extremely easy to use even with the headphones on your ear. The centre of the oversized five-way control pad on the right earcup is large enough for an entire fingertip, and features a raised plastic circle around it, so that you can't miss it. Top and bottom control the volume, while left and right skip to the next track in either direction, all on devices that support remote control over Bluetooth. You can also hold down the Skip buttons to fast-forward or rewind the track. The bottom of the right earcup houses Bluetooth, NoiseGuard, and SRS buttons (more on these in a moment), as well as a 2.5mm jack for using the headphones in a wired configuration. The left earcup only has a covered micro USB charger port. Hold down the multifunction button for five seconds, and the MM 550-X goes into pairing mode. You'll never miss that; not only does the control pad pulse red and blue, but the SRS and Bluetooth buttons light up as well. I had no problem pairing the MM 550-X with an Apple iPhone 4. The Multifunction button also handles accepting, rejecting, and ending calls, and you can transfer the ongoing call between the phone and the headphones – or activate voice dialling by pressing and holding the Bluetooth button.


Sound quality and noise cancellation

Sennheiser's big pitch with the MM 550-X is apt-X audio encoding, which the company claims delivers wireless audio quality that is indistinguishable from the highest quality wired connection. Here's the trick, though: It only works if the sound source also supports apt-X. My iPhone 4 doesn't, but even so, I heard pristine audio in both wired and wireless modes. Both modes sounded virtually identical. I detected the tiniest hint of compression artifacts in wireless mode, in a slightly more closed soundstage. There was also a touch of occasional harshness, but I had to strain to hear it. Aside from that, sound quality was excellent overall. In The Knife's "Silent Shout," our standard bass test track, I heard a touch of distortion at top volumes, but none at normal listening levels – or even beyond. The overall sonic signature was warm, with a full-bodied low-end, exceptional low-end extension, a smooth midrange, and airy highs that didn't stick out but were still full of detail. On Queen of the Stone Age's "The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret," it was easy to hear the multiple guitars and other instruments across the soundstage, while the rhythm section still had plenty of punch.

With NoiseGuard switched on, the MM 550-X did a nice job of muting some strong office fans of various sizes. But you could still hear them more than you could with, say, the Bose QuietComfort 15. My main issue with NoiseGuard, though, was the reduction in fidelity; it turned the MM 550-X into an average pair of headphones you could buy for less than £50, in terms of sound quality. The warmth disappeared, I heard the typical artifacts in the midrange that often betray active noise compensation, and nearly all of the MM 550-X's marvellous bass extension vaporised. Bose QuietComfort models are by no means musically neutral, but they seem to do a better job of compensating for the active noise cancellation circuitry.

TalkThrough and other features

The TalkThrough function takes the audio recorded from the tiny mics and actually pumps it into the earcups. This way, you can hear what's going on around you without removing the headset, while still filtering out more distant background noise. You activate this by just briefly pressing the NoiseGuard button, instead of holding it down. When you do this, the music is paused so you can talk to someone in the room; turn off TalkThrough, and the music will begin playing again. Then there’s the SRS button. With SRS WOW HD engaged, the highs are exaggerated in the 5KHz region, as if you're listening to a cassette on a car stereo, with little top-end air or detail around them. The button also amplifies the bass even further, but with extra mud, as if the “bass” control on a cheap mini system is turned up without much in the way of granularity. My recommendation: Leave it off.

According to Sennheiser, the battery should provide 8 hours of continuous listening with Bluetooth and NoiseGuard (active noise cancellation) enabled, 10 hours over Bluetooth without NoiseGuard, and 20 hours in wired mode with NoiseGuard activated. It will last forever in wired mode without noise cancellation, because then it works just like a regular pair of headphones. The LED indicator flashes red when the battery is almost dead. One other minor quirk: You need to take care when disconnecting the micro USB charging cable. Otherwise, you'll pull the battery clear out of the left ear cup, which isn't good if you don't notice it, and then leave the house without the battery inside. But there's a reason for this design: You can charge the battery pack either when it's inside the earcup or out, since the battery itself contains the micro USB charger port.

Price : £350
sennheiser.co.uk

Sonos Sub Wireless Subwoofer Review

When Sonos first came to market, there really was nothing outside the realm of custom installs that came close, in terms of features and functionality. Times have changed a little now, and many competing offerings have hit the market, most notably Apple’s AirPlay system, and most recently, Google’s Nexus Q sphere.Although Sonos is always evolving its products, you won’t see new kit arriving every month, or even every year. So, when Sonos does release a new component, the media, the industry and customers tend to take notice. And this particular new component is very cool, even by Sonos’ own standards.

The Sonos Sub, as its name suggests, is a wireless subwoofer that has been designed to complement your existing Sonos install. Of course whether you need the Sub depends entirely on how you’ve implemented Sonos. If you’re primarily using Connect players (formerly ZP-90) hooked up to your existing hi-fi systems, you won’t need the Sonos Sub. But if you’re using a ConnectAmp or one of the all-in-one solutions – Play:5 or Play:3 – the Sub could be your ideal partner.

Like all Sonos kit, the Sub is simple and quick to setup. Once you’ve placed it in your desired room, you simply select the option to add a new component via your Sonos controller. Once the Sub is discovered you’ll be asked which zone you’d like it attached to. You then need to configure the Sub for the setup in the room you’ve assigned it to. Remember what I said at the beginning of this review about Sonos kit not being expensive? Well, even I have to admit that the price of the Sonos Sub is a little steep at £599 – that puts it in Rel Serie T7 territory!

But the relative cost of an audiophile subwoofer isn’t really the point. If you’re already invested in Sonos, and rely on the system for your multi-room music needs, traditional components and speakers are probably of little interest to you. And if you want to get the very best sound from your Sonos install, the wireless Sub really will transform your listening experience. There’s no getting away from the fact that the Sonos Sub is an expensive piece of kit, but the difference it can make to the sound quality of your Sonos setup is astonishing. Is it worth the money? It depends on how important sound quality is to you. If, like me, you have Sonos components throughout your house, I wouldn’t suggest putting a Sub in every room. But in your main living room, where you entertain or just kick back and listen to music, the Sub is a worthwhile investment.

Bowers & Wilkins P3s Headphone Review

Eventually Bowers & Wilkins put its decades of loudspeaker experience into headphones, producing the superb P5s, which were as comfortable as they were beautiful, with sound quality to match. And recently Bowers & Wilkins invited a group of journalists to the World famous Abbey Road Studios, where the company debuted its latest set of headphones, the P3s. Although it's easy to think of the P3s as simply a more compact incarnation of the P5s, that couldn't be further from the truth. Bowers & Wilkins has designed the P3s from the ground up, with everything from the drivers to the housing, and even the material used for the ear pads being completely new. There's no denying that the P3s look superb, finished in aluminium, chrome and rubber. The ear pads and head cushion are made from a bespoke fabric, manufactured by the same company that makes B&W's speaker grilles. Put simply, the P3s are a triumph of industrial design that will complement the iPhone 4S that the majority of buyers will undoubtedly plug them into. To cater for those iPhone users, the P3s ship with a cable that comes equipped with remote controls for play/pause and volume, along with a microphone for hands free calling duties. Don't worry if you don't have an iPhone, because the P3s ship with two cables - one for Apple phones and players, and the other for any other devices.

Although having two cables in the box is a nice touch, I do find the cable slightly short, and would have appreciated an extension. That said, I only struggle with the cable length because I tend to carry my iPhone in a cargo pocket on my trousers, so it really depends on your personal carrying habits. Like the P5s before them, the P3s are unbelievably comfortable to wear, even for extended periods. You can't avoid warm ears when using over-the-ear headphones, but the P3s manage to maintain a comfortably close fit without causing any unpleasant sweatiness. The P3s also feel incredibly light, while the beautifully engineered adjustment sliders make it simple to set them just right for you. The headband cushion allows you to create a pretty tight fit without causing discomfort, so they never slip or shift around once you place them on your head. As always, though, the most important aspect of a pair of headphones is sound quality, and here the story remains mostly positive. Since the P3s are clearly aimed at iPhone users, I spent a significant amount of time with them plugged into my 4S. On top of that, I've been using the P3s while working at my desk, plugged into the superb Arcam rPAC external DAC / headphone amp.

The Bowers & Wilkins P3s produce a very pleasant sound, almost as if they've been tuned to appeal to the largest number of potential buyers. That's all well and good, but it also means that these headphones don't really excel in any particular area, so if you're looking for a particular sound signature from your cans, the middle-of-the-road nature of the P3s might cause you to look elsewhere. Don't get me wrong here, though, I'm not saying that the P3s sound bad, far from it in fact. I've been listening to the P3s every day for the past couple of weeks and I've enjoyed every minute, but they don't produce the kind of crystal clear, cohesive sound that I get from my Shure SE530 earphones. But I'm not really surprised by that fact - when the SE530s launched, they cost over £400, while the P3s will retail at £169 when they launch in June.


The weakest link in the P3's aural arsenal is the handling of low frequencies. That's not to say that you can't enjoy music with a strong, thumping bass line, just that it can come across slightly muffled and muddy - not enough to spoil the experience, but still noticeable. Coldplay's debut album, Parachutes, sounds mellow and smooth through the P3s. The piano on Trouble is beautifully reproduced, while Chris Martin's vocals sit above the rest of the mix, but not in a distracting manner. If you want to hear just how good these headphones can sound, this track and album as a whole are a good place to start. By contrast, the characteristics of the P3s complemented The Prodigy's, The Fat of the Land perfectly. Breath can only be described as a full-on assault on your senses, especially with the volume pumped up, and the P3s gave it a sense urgency and presence that's often lacking when listening through headphones. When I closed my eyes I could imagine myself at a club or concert with the floor vibrating below my feet and my eardrums straining under the pressure of that relentless bass. The P3s turn their hand to rock extremely well too. Firing up Nirvana's Heart Shaped Box, from the album In Utero, proved to be a real treat. The overdriven guitars, the prominent bass line and Kurt Cobain's hauntingly desperate vocals merge into a superbly cohesive ensemble.

If you're not a fan of in-ear audio, and you're looking for supremely comfortable, beautifully designed and great sounding headphones, the P3s are definitely worth considering. As always though, it's always worth listening to a few of your favourite tracks first.

Arcam rPAC Best Performance Review, Specs and Price

A computer manufacturer, even one with a strong history in audio - yes I'm talking to you Apple - is primarily concerned with computing performance and usability, not with the audio quality from the headphone socket. As such, components such as the DAC and amplification circuitry will be far from ideal if audio quality is important to you. The Arcam rPAC is a compact external DAC and headphone amplifier that will pump pure, clean and, quite simply, beautiful music to your ears. But what's amazing about the rPAC is that you can pick one up for under £150!

Of course there are ways to bypass the internal audio circuitry in a computer, with higher-end soundcards and media-based notebooks sporting digital audio outputs in either optical or coaxial flavours. However, it's a common misconception that a digital audio signal is as good as perfect, with S/PDIF solutions subject to jitter. The introduction of asynchronous USB has all-but eliminated digital jitter, by taking timing control away from the computer. An external DAC employing asynchronous USB will essentially tell the computer when to send data, and thus remove the issue of out-of-phase clocks that cause jitter.

So, it is possible to extract a very clean audio signal from your computer by using an external DAC connected via asynchronous USB. Unfortunately such external DACs have traditionally been very expensive, that is, until now. Before I get into the specifics, let me make one thing clear - I love the rPAC. In all honesty, I don't ever want this little black box to leave my desk. But when the day does come to return this review sample, I'll be buying an rPAC for myself.

What's so special about the rPAC? Well, while there's a host of other external DACs with integrated headphone amps on the market, most of them are trying to be all things to all men. Most will be battery operated so you can use them on the move, many will include optical digital inputs for versatility, and very few of them will sport an asynchronous USB connection - not at this price point anyway.

Arcam rPAC - Specifications & Performance :

Arcam rPAC Specifications 

At the heart of the rPAC is a TI Burr-Brown PCM5102 DAC chipset, the same one used to such good effect in the drDock. Arcam throws out numerous stats which certainly look good on paper (see below), but the highlights are the support for 24bit depth, sample rates up to 96kHz, a frequency response of 10Hz to 20kHz and headphone output power up to 138mW - enough to power the vast majority of headphones without issue.

On top of this is RF suppression which combats the interference created by high frequency radio bands inside a computer from the likes of the power cables, ports and the internal microphone. The cherry on the top is the inclusion of asynchronous USB which reduces the noise and jitter associated with USB music sources. This problem occurs due to the computer being responsible for the timing in the playback. Asynchronous technology bypasses that by using its own precision clock circuits to control the timing inside the DAC. 

Technical Specification :

• DAC Chipset TI Burr-Brown PCM5102

• Input USB (Asynchronous)

• Frequency response 10Hz - 20khz,±0.1dB

• Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise 0.002%

• Signal-to-noise ratio (A-Weighted) 106dB (24-bit)

• Line output level 2.15Vrms / 2x RCA / Photo sockets (gold plated)

• Supported sample rates 44.1kHz,48kHz,88.2kHz,96kHz

• Bit depth 16-bit and 24-bit

• Heandphone output power 138mW

Performance

Upgrading from a typical onboard sound card to the rPAC results in immediately obvious improvement across the board. Like the drDock, the rPAC brings greater clarity, depth and deeper, more resonant bass. Moreover, the general background hiss and audiological grime that poor quality computer audio is covered in is essentially eliminated. A crude analogy would like listening to music from behind a closed window then opening it.

If we can level a criticism it is that the treble does occasionally sound a little shrill, but we found this only on tracks with particularly wild sonic make-ups such as A Lily's 'Lights Shone Brighter, My Delicate Sun Is My Sparklin' Sun' which is hardly representative of the vast majority of music!

It should also be noted that the rPAC isn't only at home with music. Any audio emanating from your computer will be given the once over, so it will enhance everything from streaming video services like Sky Go, and BBC iPlayer particularly when watching good quality content like films on the former and nature documentaries on the latter (not to mention Later With Jools Holland). Internet Radio also receives a welcome and much needed boost whether it is music focused or simply conversation based like BBC Radio 5 Live. In short we found no situation where our computer's audio output did not enjoy substantial benefit.

That's not to say that the rPAC doesn't deliver with more punchy, bass heavy source material. D'Angelo's Brown Sugar pours forth from the rPAC like honey. The leading bass line surrounds you like a warm blanket, while the snare cracks like a whip over the top. In fact, the rPAC made me remember just how superb the production is on this track, and the album as a whole.

Switching genre to something more rock focussed caused no problems for the rPAC either, with Temple of the Dog's self titled album coming through with a loud, full-throttled presence. Despite Chris Cornell's vocals sitting way up front in the mix, there's a superb cohesion to the arrangements highlighted by the rPAC, especially on the opening track, Say Hello to Heaven.

I could go on, but rest assured that the rPAC will transform whatever you pump through it, regardless of genre. It's like some arcane, black magic box that performs mysterious miracles - you might not know how it does it, but you'll be very pleased that it does.

Price: £149

Arcam