Category: Home Audio

Sonos ZonePlayer S5 (Homebody; Under $1,000) Ideal someone who wants to play their PC's music in the kitchen, living room or other room without having to configure a complicated media extender, the compact all-in-one Sonos ZonePlayer S5 ($399) is by far the most affordable wireless networkable speaker system in the company's lineup, with high-performance audio that rivals Bose's SoundDock ...

"High-end" and "iPod dock" are seldom combined, but Wadia Digital has made it so with its 170iTransport, a squat little component that can turn Apple's portable audio and video capabilities into a stellar home media server. The first product to offer iPod's native digital audio output--over SP/DIF coaxial cable, included--the 170i enables your compressed music collection sound purer than it ...

The iPhone increasing lets you do many things, but playing a real piano in real time so far hasn't been one of them -- at least until this past week at CEATEC, the annual consumer electronics show held in Tokyo, Japan, which we were fortunate enough to attend. On display at the Yamaha booth was one of the more impressive iPhone apps we've seen to date: Called Finger Piano Share, since it lets ...

Question: I use my computer for most of my TV and movie watching and music listening, but my machine's built-in speakers sound bloody awful. I want a set of computer speakers that sounds good whether cranked up loud or turned down soft. And I don't want to spend a fortune. Advice: The underpowered speakers built into laptops and desktops can suck the life out of any video or song. They're too ...

A reader writes: I want a decent-sounding audiophile table radio that can not only handle my iPod, but also wake me up in the morning! The Bose Wave radio II looks nice, but I'm not sure I want to spend more than $300 on this. Just tell me what to get! Sure, Bose's Wave radio II sounds great, but do you really want to shell out $350 for a high-end clock radio that doesn't interface directly ...

At the risk of sounding like a crabby old man, let's just say that you kids -- with your little white iPod headphones and cheapie home theater systems -- have no idea what you're missing. And as for MP3s, oh, don't even get us started mister (or missie). Okay, you can find top-notch audio gear with some amazing new capabilities these days. Yet even over forty years ago, audio engineers had ...

What it is: Hulu Desktop is a free, Flash-based application for Mac and Windows that plays video from the Hulu Web site, including full episodes and clips from ABC, Fox, and NBC television shows, plus a smattering of movies. What we like about it: Hulu desktop brings a high level of polish to what was already a fantastic video site. Once you get the hang of the left-to-right organization, ...

Back in the analog days, dads across the land would come home after a long day at work and spend hours fiddling with their high-end audio equipment, attempting to coax the perfect sound from their vinyl collection. To celebrate 60 years in the high-end audio business, McIntosh has released updated versions of two classic stereo components from the 1960s, the MC75 tube amplifier and the C22 ...

Amazon Video on Demand has been in private beta on the Roku Video Player for about a month now, but now everyone can stream rentals and purchases to their TVs. The free Roku update enabling the service will roll out this week, and once it's installed, you'll be able to browse, rent, and purchase any of Amazon's 40,000 movies and TV shows. The interface is an extension of the familiar Netflix ...

Sirius XM is preparing to file for bankruptcy and could do so within days, the New York Times reports. According to the article, the move might be a calculated act to pressure Dish Network and EchoStar owner Charles Ergen into making an offer for acquisition. The Wall Street Journal says he offered to purchase the merged satellite radio group late last year and was then brushed off. Despite ...

Rapper, actor and, now, high-fidelity pioneer Ludacris will release his latest album 'Theater of the Mind' on DVD in high-definition surround sound next month, Monster Cable Products CEO Noah Lee and the Atlanta MC announced earlier today at CES. As you'll see in the video after the break below, we were able to sit down with the multi-talented star to discuss his latest project. Explaining ...

So you're either giving, or you're about to receive, an HDTV and want something to keep the whole family busy this holiday? Well, you're in luck (sort of), since HD versions of some holiday classics have started to make their way onto Blu-ray discs. Surprisingly, there isn't much in the way of TV classics like 'Rudolf, the Red Nose Reindeer' or 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' but here are five ...

Ever wish you could make any audio setup wireless? We checked out the i2i Stream wireless audio system that essentially takes the place of a cord and allows you to stream audio from nearly any source. The kit comes with two combination transmitter/receiver devices and when you want to make a music source wireless, you simply connect the output to one of these small devices using the included ...

It seems that not a day goes by when some new iPod speaker dock doesn't come out, but only so often do such products come from loudspeaker companies that have been around since the days of cassettes and LPs. Bose and B&W have offered up their models, but only now is Boston Acoustics getting into the iPod speaker game with this week's release of the i-DS2, a simple, one-piece iPod speaker ...

With the possible exceptions of ramen and the occasional sixer of Natty Ice, there's nothing quite as essential for the scholarly life as music. And with all your music on your iPod, a quality dock can be just the thing to give your dorm room the moodiness it so desperately needs. Check out this handful of winners. Next >> ...