Audio Tech [view: normal]

Remember that HDAiR adapter we reviewed with exceptionally high hopes earlier this year? Yeah, it wasn't exactly the dream device we wanted, but it seems as if Atlona may have just remedied the primary gripe we had against it. The all-new HDAiR wireless USB-to-VGA / HDMI adapter is essentially the same one as before, but this time audio is involved. In response to widespread demand for the feature, the outfit has added the ability to output audio in both 3.5mm analog, as well as embedded on the HDMI output. This one's also compatible with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, and it's still using the tried-and-true UWB protocol to sling content. If you managed to hold off on the first guy, this one's available to order now for $219....

Our podcast (which, if you haven't heard, is award-nominated now -- please give us your vote every day until the end of November) returns to the series of tubes this afternoon on Ustream, and the great Michael "Belfaire" Sacco is coming along with it. Turpster, Sacco and I will chat about night elf mohawks, and what's up with the patch 3.3 PTR (including how to get the gear and some axe that peop...

Michael Jackson stiffed the people who installed his TV system at Neverland, this according to a brand spankin' new creditor's claim.

According to a claim filed yesterday, a company called Video & Audio Center (VAC) installed electronic audio and video equipment at Neverland Ranch in late 2003 and early 2004. We're told the company rewired the house, installed plasma TVs and put speakers all over ...

Yeah, so we made that word up -- what of it? Olive's decidedly pricey Opus No. 4 is receiving an update today, and while you'll easily recognize the looks, this new slab will be called by its new name: 4HD. According to the company, this 2TB music server now features 24-bit sound and a 192kHz sample rate courtesy of the Burr-Brown PCM1792A DAC, which should provide right around 250 times the reso...

Outside of factory keyboards, there's hardly anything more boring than a set of PC speakers. They're typically unsightly, add to the rat's nest of wires behind your rig and force you into a life of dependency. And then there's Bowers & Wilkins, a company that excels at pumping out products with lust-worthy designs. Somehow or another, the outfit responsible for the dirigible-inspired iPod sound s...

Yamaha seems to be pushing its newly unveiled yAired technology pretty hard, with the second system to sport it unveiled just weeks after the first. The $399.95 MCR-140 is far from being the most stylish mini stereo we've seen -- in fact, it's probably one of the ugliest -- but it is available in a rainbow's worth of hues (or just ten), and it does talk to iPods and subwoofers sans cabling. Aside...

For people that really appreciate top quality audio, there is one name that is synonymous with high end audio, and that is Bose. Bose audio equipment is known for delivering top notch audio, and when you are looking to give your audio set up a boost, Bose is the way to go.

Since Bose is considered to be among the best, its products can sometimes be a bit pricey, so it's great when you find these Bo...

Once you've actually decided what hardware to purchase, avoided the perilous purchasing decisions involved in finding cables, but actually setting it up can trip up the newbies among us. Suck is our friend David's problem, trying to figure out if lossless audio is a possibility for his HDMI-less receiver:

"I read your article and I would like further advice. I have the brand new PS3, which I'm g...

En el podcast de esta ocasión las palabras escritas sobran. Últimamente hemos tenido la suerte de probar dispositivos tan interesantes como el Nokia Booklet 3G, Palm Pre y Droid. Nuestra emoción es evidente, y al mismo tiempo la decepción de descubrir que algunos de los gadgets más esperados a la final no son tan prácticos como pensábamos.

No te pierdas este nuevo y entretenido podcast en el qu...

NXT's flat-panel speaker technology doesn't get an awful lot of love these days in the high-end audio realm, but that's not to say some outfits aren't putting it to good use. Take SMK-Link Electronics, for instance, who just pushed out the most spectacular must-have product ever for the traveling salesperson in your life. The five-pound GoSpeak! Pro is little more than a fold-out speaker system,...

If Stanley Kubrick and the Beastie Boys ever got together and decided to design an iPod dock, it would probably look a lot like the latest monolithic, instant-party machine to hit the market.

Brothers' new 'Wall of Sound' iPod speaker (sharing the name of Phil Spector's legendary production technique heard on classics like the Crystals' 'Da Doo Ron Ron') is the perfect way to intimidate friends...

Believe it or not, digital media and iPods aren't the most popular way to consume audio entertainment. In fact, it's not even close. The most popular source of audio media, according to the Council for Research Excellence (PDF), is good ol' broadcast radio.

According to the study, which followed around 300 adults in five U.S. cities, some 77-percent of Americans listen to some broadcast radio on...

What we have here today isn't just another pair of ordinary headphones: Sony Ericsson's MH907s are button-free, minimalistic headphones that activate upon the magical touch of your skin. Well, your ears to be precise. You must bear in mind that the MH907s are exclusive to Fast port-equipped Sony Ericsson phones thus excluding the forthcoming XPERIA X10 -- so chances are you're already not intere...

When we first heard about the Kanex HDMI + digital audio converter a few weeks ago, I was eager to give it a trial run and see if it managed to deliver on the promise of integrated audio with HDMI video. I've been playing with the $70 unit for a few days now, and the answer is a qualified yes: it does the job, but depending on your home theater setup you may be able to get by with a less expensiv...

A día de hoy colocar un hilo musical en casa es algo que ha quedado completamente anticuado, y es que teniendo una maravillosa red WiFi, ¿quién quiere cables? El Sonos Zoneplayer S5 te ayuda a llevar la música a todos los rincones de casa, siempre y cuando tengas una estación como esta en la habitación deseada.

Para facilitar su gestión, siempre puedes instalar la aplicación para el iPhone con...

If you aren't well-versed in a native language, traveling to another country can be intimidating. But two new iPhone applications seek to remedy that anxiety by translating foreign languages on the fly. More interesting, the apps use two different methods -- audio or images.

PicTranslator, which supports more than 10 languages, can translate text that appears in a picture you've taken with the ...

Sleek Audio earbuds have always had a certain allure, but for most, the sticker shock alone was enough to turn 'em away. Now, however, the boutique audio shop has punched out its very first set that's tailor made for the budget-minded, and at $79.99, the SA1 offers an awful lot of value (on paper, anyway). Much like the pricier SA6 and CT6 models, the SA1 also ships with Kleer wireless technology...

Smart playlists have been a feature of iTunes since version 3.0 (circa 2002), and they provide a means for you to create automatically-updated playlists that fit a certain criteria. For me, they serve as a hands-off way to stay up-to-date on my latest music and Podcasts, as well as a repository for a certain genre of music. To create a smart playlist, click on "File" and select "New Smart Playli...

Here in the UK, it's getting pretty chilly on the willy compared to a month ago, or so. The warm memories of the summer are slowly dwindling to the reality of earlier, darker evenings (the clocks have just gone forward) as well as tentative first visits from our old friend Jack Frost. Generally speaking, the cold grasp of winter is steadily fastening on us (or not).

But we are blessed with a fe...

Hey, you, reading this blog. You like playing World of Warcraft? You like listening to the sounds of the game as you do it? You got ears and a distinct predilection for playing in either the Horde or Alliance faction? Then boy do we have a headset for you: the Creative World of Warcraft Wireless gaming headset is going to be the hottest thing you can put on your head since the trucker hat, and he...

We've heard plenty of spurious claims made about so-called "high-end" products -- most often in the world of audio and video. High-end HDMI cables hijack consumers for their cash, and phrases like "gold-plated" and "silver content soldered" get tossed around as if they actually meant something -- all in an age when most connections are digital (and therefore less susceptible to signal degradation...

Ein Team mit dem charmanten Namen Wondering Boys hat diesen barock anmutenden Tisch konzipiert, der zugleich auch Audiosystem mit eingebautem iPod-Dock ist. Woher der Strom für die Lautsprecher kommt? Egal, besonders vor dem schrottigen Hintergrund macht sich der Tisch mit seinen adrett gedrechselten Beinen einfach gut, viel besser jedenfalls als in der Computergrafik in der untenstehenden Galeri...

Skullcandy is a brand-name in music listening devices, including headphones, earbuds, MP3 players, hands-free devices and more. Founded in 2003, the highly-successful Skullcandy company was founded on the principle of creating portable audio equipment suited to an active, athletic lifestyle, with a particular emphasis on sports like snowboarding and skateboarding. Skullcandy's products are aimed a...

Anyone stumbling into a Best Buy looking for some sort of wireless speaker solution has probably been ushered over to the Rocketfish section, but up until now, only a few devices have been available. Now, the Best Buy staple is introducing an all-encompassing system that aims to cut the (speaker) cable to all of your speakers. The wireless whole home audio system, which is obviously only availabl...

Anyone stumbling into a Best Buy looking for some sort of wireless speaker solution has probably been ushered over to the Rocketfish section, but up until now, only a few devices have been available. Now, the Best Buy staple is introducing an all-encompassing system that aims to cut the (speaker) cable to all of your speakers. The wireless whole home audio system, which is obviously only availabl...