MusicDock
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Orbitsound T14 soundbar debuts at CES, will take its sweet time getting to market (hands-on)
You'll be forgiven for being a little misty on who exactly Orbitsound is -- the British company has only sold its T12 soundbar in the domestic market -- but today it's reminding everyone of its presence with a brand new product for CES-goers in the T14 you see above. The company's patented "spatial stereo" sound is still the big selling point, promising a revolutionary aural experience that eliminates the need to occupy the traditional sweet spot for enjoying stereo sound. That's achieved via six 2.5-inch drivers and a studio-class amp that "senses" surrounding acoustic conditions and calibrates output for best results. A bold claim, to be sure, but you'd expect no less for something that will cost $600 when it becomes Orbitsound's first global launch later this year. Wireless technology is also put to good use, with the T14 communicating through the air with its accompanying subwoofer and wireless iPod / iPhone dock. We'll be tracking one down while here in Vegas and trying to figure out just how spaced out its sound really is. %Gallery-112590%
Logitech S715i and Z515 portable speakers hands-on (video)
You're sick of audio docks, we know. So are we. But as much as we wanted to skip merrily along beyond Logitech's S715i set, we couldn't help but note that it's something of a rarity. Whereas most other iDevice speakers tend to keep themselves safely tethered to the nearest wall plug, this unit claims it can get an ambitious eight hours of music playback from its battery, while boasting a whopping eight drivers (two rear-firing ones on the back) in total, including a pair of "laser-tuned" neodymium 3-inchers for midrange delivery. We could hardly gauge audio quality in our noisy environment, but we'll say this much: Logitech isn't fooling around with the volume the S715i can put out. Even our video after the break doesn't do justice to the surprising roar you can generate from this otherwise compact package. A standard 3.5mm audio input will let you stray outside of the Apple product family if you wish, and there's a bundled remote too. Yet, in spite of all these goodies, we still can't recommend this as a sage purchase at Logitech's lofty $150 price. Don't get us wrong, the S715i looks neat, just not that neat. We also managed to grab a few images of its family mate, the Z515 Bluetooth speaker, which similarly rolls on its own power (for up to 10 hours, it's claimed) and captures tunes from your nearest Bluetooth-equipped device. It's another well built and easily portable little thing, priced at $60 $100 by Logitech. %Gallery-102488%%Gallery-102492%
Integrated Mobile Electronics' universal iMe dock gets price, ship date
We know, it's pretty difficult to remember all the way back to November of last year, but for those who need a refresher, Integrated Mobile Electronics' iMe docking station enables one device to accept a multitude of DAPs / PMPs within your car. The company hopes that folks with various players (or various riders) will enjoy not having to rewire their vehicle for every single unit, and apparently, the iMe is entering production and should be in customers' hands "within six to eight weeks." Dubbed an "integrated package," it should play nice with devices from Apple, Microsoft and SanDisk from day one, while a variety of other players should get support in the future. Potential buyers can even specify what vehicle they own in order to receive a system "specifically engineered to work with their setup," and while the iMe station itself will cost $249.99, each additional dock will run you a stiff $89.99. [Warning: PDF read link]
HTC TyTN Music Dock charges, syncs, and delights
While we don't expect the Hong Kong-derived HTC TyTN Music Dock to produce the same level of audio fidelity as Orange's Bluetooth variety, we'll admit that getting a dock, charger, and paperweight for 28 bucks isn't such a bad deal. The device sports a charging / syncing cradle for your HTC TyTN (Hermes), i-mate JasJam, Qtek 9600, O2 XDA Trion, Dopod CHT 9000, Orange SPV M3100, or Cingular 8525, as well as touting a pair of stereo speakers, 3.5-millimeter line in jack, and that oh-so-important LED illumination. You'll even get a stereo cable to save you a trip to Radio Shack, but the lack of a headphone port (or line-out) sort of puts a damper on things. Nevertheless, the HTC TyTN Music Dock can be picked up now for HK$190 ($28), but the overseas shipping just might kill the deal.
