boombox
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Cignias NAO Symphony wireless iPod boombox gets unboxed
Cignias' NAO Symphony still doesn't seem to be widely available following its CES unveiling, but our good pal Dave Zatz looks to have sourced one from the wild, wild abyss. He did the world a favor by hosting up unboxing shots and a few first impressions, noting that this "sophisticated" iPod speaker dock actually interests him far more than most of those me-too offerings cluttering shelves today. Unfortunately, he's still working on getting the iPhone app to connect to a hidden SSID, but feel free to hit the source link and peruse the image gallery while he gets that ironed out. Update: This is now available directly from Cignias.
JVC unveils a wide array of ominous iPod docks
For those about to dock, JVC has plenty iPod / iPhone sound systems coming out this year. First off, the company has unloaded a pair of shelf systems with dual iPod docks that each sport a USB port for mass storage playback and the requisite audio input, video output, CD player, and AM/FM receiver. Either get the UX-F3 (60 watts) for $200 when it comes out in May, or drop $400 for the 230 watt NX-D2 with Sound Turbo for "wall-shaking, bone shattering, low frequency performance." (Woah!) For nano fans, the SP-A130 is a compact powered speaker available in the four iPod nano 5G colors. Get yours in March for $29.95. If you spend a lot of time in bed (or wakin' up), the new RD-N1 ($130) CD player/tuner/iPod dock is one-piece tuner / CD player /clock radio with front facing audio input. Available in April. If you want to save a few bucks, the RA-P1 eschews the CD player and is priced for $60. Available in April. Last but certainly not least, the JVC Kaboom! is an iPod dock / boombox with USB for external media playback, CD player (with WMA and MP3 playback), FM tuner, and front audio input. Available this month for $300. PR after the break.
iLive storms back with 33 new iPod / iPhone-friendly audio products
Man, we'd usually say it's been a hot minute since we heard from iLive, but when you're pushing a full year, that's just a woeful understatement. Nevertheless, the peripheral outfit is hitting back in a big way here at CES, tossing out no fewer than 33 new iPod and iPhone-compatible audio products. We won't bother detailing the lower-end gear, but a few of the highlights include the iTDP610B bar speakers with built-in DVD player -- which touts a motorized door that opens to reveal the iPhone dock and to load and unload a DVD-- and the iHP310B micro audio system. The former can be had in two sizes (32- or 37-inch) for $199.99, while the latter is pegged at $99.99. Peep that source link if you're hungry for more, and give the gallery a look for some visual eye candy to accompany it. %Gallery-81533%
Band Hero clothing and accessories head to Xbox Live Marketplace
We might normally scoff at the array of Xbox Live Avatar clothing being made available for Band Hero – a near ubiquitous occurrence with game releases for the Xbox 360 these days. Not today though, friends. Nope, today we have the opportunity to get our Avatar a totally rad, Say Anything style boombox. We know, we know – finally. For the low, low price of 240 ($3), you too can be as cool as Lloyd Dobler (though there's no promise of landing a lady as fine as Diane Court with said item). We suppose you could pick up the other stuff too, available for 80 ($1) to 240 ($3), if you're into that kinda thing. You could get a microphone or a shirt or a ... just get the boombox, alright? You don't wanna end up being given a pen and getting told how "valuable the friendship" is, do you? Hmm?
Altec Lansing Mix iMT800 really wants to be a boombox, isn't
Gaze upon Altec Lansing's history of iPod / iPhone docks, and you shall see no hint, not even the subtle off-white coloring of an implication, that the company would go this boombastic with its latest offering. The Mix iMT800 might not quite have the necessary panache to compete with the Lasonic i931, but it still talks a good fight. With a 5.25-inch side-firing subwoofer, it should live up to its boast of "towering volume," while a pair of useful 3.5mm line inputs will allow you to jack in non-Apple players too. We've got a couple more images after the break, including the totally rad remote and mean-looking woofer, and if you like what you see, they're available now for $299. [Via CNET]
Retro Cassette Stereo Mini Speaker gives a (tinny) voice to iPods
Those poor, poor speakerless iPod Nanos, Minis and the like -- how long have they had to suffer without a set of ultra-awesome speakers to give life to their music? Sure, there've been plenty of pretenders for the crown, but nothing quite as elaborately detailed as this Retro Cassette Stereo Mini Speaker. You read that right folks, stereo -- that means two, count 'em, two sweetly ornate sources of utterly unimpressive sound. Has the iPhone 3GS got an app for that? 'Course not. Read link details the full features, such as blister packaging (always good to know), and provides you with the means to acquire one in exchange for $32. Most righteous, no? [Via Gear Diary]
TapeScape robot borrows a page from Soundwave's audiobook
Impressive robots are basically everyday fare around here, but we're always excited to see some DIY modding action like the above. This guy, called the TapeScape Audio robot, turns an everyday, old-timey boombox (remember those?) into a truck-like robot that's pretty charming. Needing almost no parts outside of the innards of the boombox plus two servos, this rolling rover's got a tape head mounted to it that is continually dragged over the audio tape, causing the truck to make little sounds as it goes along. There's a video of the peppy dude in action after the break, and hit the read link for full instructions if you just have to construct one of your own.[Via Make]
LEGO Boombox looks sweet, still can't make your kid's music sound good
The collaboration between LEGO and Digital Blue has already produced a couple of interesting gadgets for the wee ones, so here's another one to add to the stack. The LEGO Boombox is a decidedly low-techish CD player / AM/FM radio, with two 1 watt speakers, and a few buttons to boot. The saving grace of this little guy is obviously its shape -- which is awesome -- but we really need to know if its going to come in other colors (like hot pink) before we can think about buying it. This bad boy is going to be available sometime this summer, and it'll run $39.99
Sony's CMT-LX30iR USB micro system loves on Apple devices
Sony caved long ago and began producing sound systems for devices Designed in California™, so it's no real shock to see it delivering yet another variant that handles iPods and iPhones. The CMT-LX30iR, which has yet to be certified as real by Sony in North America, will purportedly aim at lower-end consumers by giving 'em just ten total watts of oomph, a slot-loading CD player, FM / AM radio, line-in and a headphone jack. There's also a remarkably basic 1-line LCD and a few equalizer presets, and the one-touch CD-to-USB Sync Recording is a fine touch. The unit has surfaced over on Amazon's German portal for €161 ($202), though we've no idea how pricey it'll be (or what it'll be called, for that matter) whenever Sony decides to take a hint and ship it stateside.
Kenwood takes a note from Bose with DTS Surround Sensation CD system
If you weren't well versed on logos (and you were illiterate, too), you'd probably assume that the music system pictured above was just another overpriced Bose that could be yours for nine low payments of $49.99. In fact, it's a new Kenwood-branded CD system that will purportedly be able to simulate surround sound from just two speakers. The system will include the DTS Surround Sensation technology, a slot for audio CDs and a rather vanilla display. Beyond that, we're left to simply wonder, as Kenwood is remaining mum on critical details like pricing, release date, RMS, driver size, frequency range and input / output options. Wow, that kind of dodgy secretiveness reeks of some other company we know of... but we're sure it's not intentional. (Right?) [Via Impress]
iLuv rolls out iHD171 HD radio with iPhone / iPod dock, iTunes tagging
iLuv has been on quite the roll of late with these radio clocks and whatnot, though we're a touch more excited than usual about the iHD171. For starters, this one tunes into HD Radio stations (you know, given how FM is so 2006), and it also plays nice with dock-connecting iPods and iPhones. You'll find twin alarms for keeping couples happy, a front-panel display, iTunes tagging support, jAura speaker technology, an auxiliary line input (3.5-millimeter jack) and twin 4-watt drivers. If all that's enough for you to exchange $199.99 for, you can do just that next month. Full release is after the jump.
ASUS officially launches iPod-friendly AIR3 internet radio
Not that this debut is anything shocking (thanks, FCC!), but we're still stoked to see ASUS get all official with its AIR3 sound system. Sure, it's not exactly treading on new ground, but for those looking for a touch more functionality in their iPod sound system, the internet radio inclusion is one that's much appreciated. ASUS talks pretty big about the device's audio prowess, noting that it utilizes a Texas Instruments Class-D amplifier and HDSS (High Definition Sound Standard) certified drivers. Also of note, the unit includes S-Video / composite video outs and supports UPnP sharing via 802.11b/g WiFi or Ethernet; if that's not enough to catch your eye, there's also a useful auxiliary input and built-in weather forecast display that pulls down updates from the world wide web. As ASUS always does, we're left hangin' sans a price or release date, but we suppose it's teaching us a lesson in patience... or something.[Via iPodNN]
Genius bringing WiFi boombox, night vision IP camera concepts to CES 2009
You may be inclined to just associate Genius with corporate-level mice, ho hum speakers and the occasional pen tablet, but the outfit is looking to expand its horizons at CES next month. It'll be bringing along a pair of concepts that are evidently leaning towards release in the mysterious future, the first of which is a 2.4 GHz Wireless Stereo Speaker System. The three-piece package presumably contains two satellites and a subwoofer, with the knobs and ports maintaining a low profile. The wireless range reaches up to 100-feet and the inbuilt 3.5-millimeter auxiliary jack ensures that practically any source will work. Moving on, we've got the IP Cam 350TR, which is constructed with "the most advanced night vision technology to secure any home or office efficiently." The integrated light sensor automatically fires up six infrared LEDs when in a dark / dim environment, and there's also a microphone tucked away to capture live audio. Pricing for both is listed as TBA, which isn't shocking given the "concept" status; full release is after the jump.
Lasonic and Rap-Up team for the Limited Edition i931 boombox
Lasonic's iPod dock masquerading as a ghetto blaster is nothing we haven't seen before, but the new Limited Edition i931 with Rap-Up branding... well, it's so "fabulous" we couldn't resist. Weighing in at about 25 pounds, this behemoth boasts two 12-inch speakers, it docks and charges your iPod, and it's going to look semi-fly doing it, too. It's also got an AM/FM tuner, EQs, an alarm clock -- you know, the works. This hulking "high performance portable music system" is destined to make you nostalgic for a simpler time of miniscule MP3 players with teensy little earbuds. It's $189 and available now.[Via Rap-Up]
Sirius SUBX2 boombox spotted early, ready for Dock & Play radios
Pardon us while we shed a tear of sentimental joy, but we honestly never thought we'd see a proper successor to the now-dated SUBX1 Universal Sirius Boombox. Lo and behold, the predictably named SUBX2 has surfaced, and while the design isn't anything to write home about, we suspect it'll get the job done in crunch time. Little is known outside of the obvious -- it's black, there are a couple of drivers in there, an auxiliary input / headphone jack will flank the front and it'll purportedly play nice with all current Sirius radios. Check the read link for a few more looks, and try to contain your excitement while we wait for a release date.[Via Orbitcast]
Sony's latest boombox treats your iPod like a mixtape
We've seen the iPod-as-cassette-tape design in older speaker docks like Altec Lansing's inMotion iM7 bazooka tube before, but Sony's bringing it back with its new ZS-S4iP boombox, which appears designed for only iPhone and iPod touch owners. Apart from the novelty of hitting eject to insert and remove your player, it's pretty much the generically boring CD boombox it looks like, although you do get MP3 CD playback. It's preordering in black and white in Australia for about AU$179 ($142), should make it Stateside in October.
Sharp debuts all new line of boomboxes at CEDIA
Shortly after Sony pumped out a funky fresh new boombox of its own, along comes Sharp with a stable of its own. The outfit has just unveiled the CD-DK890N and CD-DK891N sound systems, both of which feature iPod compatibility (via an integrated dock), 250-watts of amplification, AM / FM tuners, a five-disc CD changer and X Bass for a little extra bottom end. It's also introducing the 600-watt CD-G14000, the much more minuscule CD-MPX880 and the XL-DK257N / XL-DK227N micro-audio systems. The whole lot is available now with prices ranging from $139.99 o $329.99, and yep, the full release is after the jump.
Sony expands Muteki family with DJ-style LBT-DJ2i XROSS FADE music system
Man, we didn't even know the Muteki moniker was still in existence. Nevertheless, Sony has just added a big, bad member to said congregation with the LBT-DJ2i XROSS FADE. This rather beastly music system packs 450 total watts of power, a CD player, AM / FM tuners, a line-in jack, a pair of 2-way shelf speakers, a dual 7-inch subwoofer enclosure and the ability to convert CDs / radio to MP3 files. And that's just the beginning. Aspiring DJs will also find a bundled cross-fader with monitor cue and a built-in two-channel mixer, and the iPod-lovin' interface ensures that you'll never have to touch your PMPs once they're mounted. There's also a USB recording function to save mix sessions to a USB device in ATRAC MP3 format. Too bad this setup will cost you half a grand when it ships next month. Check the full release after the cut.
Radiopaq Rp5 does DAB, FM and internet radio
Look out, Pure Digital -- you've got a new rival in town. Radiopaq, best known for bringing thousands of internet radio stations and podcasts to listeners via the web, has decided to hop into the hardware game. The Rp5 tabletop radio features a five-way speaker system, digital / analog processors, a headphone jack, remote control and a rather stylish design. There's also an integrated WiFi module for tuning into the outfit's website and even sucking down news, weather and traffic information. Of course, the more traditional FM / DAB tuners are there as well, making this one quite the multifaceted box. Word on the British streets has this one pegged for a September launch at £250 ($468).[Via Pocket-lint]
Gear4 Duo iPod speaker system touts removable front panel
Gear4 has been known to unleash a few unorthodox speaker systems, but the forthcoming Duo is particularly impressive -- in finding a way to somehow differentiate itself in the expansive pool of alternatives, that is. At first glance, it doesn't appear to differ much from every other one out there, but give that front panel a tug, and off comes a portable speaker system with its own rechargeable batteries, auxiliary port and power supply. When you arrive back, just reattach the magnetically-held panel and listen as the bass kicks in without missing a beat. Apparently the unit is set to go on sale on June 1st for £150 ($290), though we haven't heard if it'll ever arrive on US soil.
