CambridgeSoundworks
Latest
Cambridge Soundworks Oontz XL and Ultra hands-on
That slick-looking piece of hardware we know you looked at while clicking in here is Cambridge Soundworks' Bluetooth Oontz XL. Also on display was its bigger brother -- at least as far as price and battery is concerned -- the Oontz Ultra. The Oontz XL rings in at $149 and has been battery tested to run for 10 hours. The Oontz Ultra lacks the garish orange swath of branding but picks up an extra 6-hours of battery life, speakerphone functionality and the requisite price bump bringing it up to $199. Both of the Oontz portable speakers sounded good even in a room filled with constant aural distraction, heck, the fact we could hear them at all was a bit of a surprise. The housing is soft touch plastic with a metal grill up front, power, Bluetooth and volume buttons up top and DC in, AUX in and a USB port on the back. No word on when these'll hit retail but we'll update should we find out more. James Trew contributed to this report
Creative quietly intros MovieWorks HD iPod dock
Not that Creative hasn't dabbled in the HD iPod dock arena before, but it's been awhile since the company has introduced a new one. Quietly, secretly, the outfit has pushed a fresh one out in the Cambridge Soundworks line, and it's satisfactorily titled MovieWorks HD. The device does about what you'd expect by outputting iPod video and audio (via HDMI) onto one's TV and / or sound system, though Creative points out that this one is the only one with its own Xtreme Fidelity, X-Fi Crystallize and X-Fi CMSS-3D technology -- so yeah, take that for whatever it's worth. Those who detest cables can also snag the optional wireless receiver, but first you'll need to pony up $249.99 for the dock itself.[Via eipZENter]
Cambridge SoundWorks intros i765 radio / iPod dock
Those looking for a few more features than your standard iPod dock has to offer may want to take a gander at Cambridge Soundworks' new i765 system, which packs in a CD / DVD player and a radio in addition to the usual accommodations for your iPod of choice (including the touch and other recent models). That DVD player, of course, means you'll also be able to hook the unit up to your TV, although it appears that you'll have to make do with either s-video or composite cables. Otherwise, you can expect a sizable LCD display that provides track details, along with a standard remote control, and a built-in powered subwoofer that Cambridge Soundworks claims will help to deliver "rich, natural sound" that's capable of "filling any room of the home." All that sound doesn't come cheap, however, with this system setting you back a full $500.
Cambridge SoundWorks 820HD radio premieres at CEDIA
Cambridge SoundWorks has thrown its hat into the HD Radio ring with its 820HD, which debuted last week at CEDIA. HD Radio, the new digital radio format, for those of you keeping score at home, is now available from about 1,000 stations who are simulcasting in HD and in traditional formats -- which is still less than 10 percent of all American radio. Furthermore, the price of a new HD radio still remains significantly higher than a pocket or tabletop analog radio. How much higher? Well, this newest offering will set you back $300 when it becomes available in November -- and that little $20 "transistor" radio your Mom gave you in 1987 still works great, doesn't it? So yes, we're still listening to National Public Radio and baseball games in analog, thank you very much.[Via PC World]
