boombox
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Boston Acoustics takes a shot with Duo-i iPod boombox
Believe it or not, the deluge of iPod sound systems has died down in the past couple of months, but that's not to say newcomers won't join the absolutely oversaturated market. Case in point: Boston Acoustics is offering up an AM / FM Stereo Radio with iPod dock, which packs a pair of 3.5-inch full-range drivers, BassTrac low-frequency processing, twin auxiliary ports for connecting other DAPs / PMPs, line and stereo headphone outputs and a fancy display that automatically adjusts to ambient light. Furthermore, you'll find dual independent alarm clocks, a "touch" (slam?) sensitive snooze bar and a wireless remote to keep your derriere planted. As for pricing, this one's pretty much par for the course at $199.99.[Via Tech Digest]
Elonex offers up Cube Play boombox, eXentia pro all-in-one PC
It's been nearly three years since Elonex delivered its original eXentia Media Center PC, but now the firm is hitting back with a new iteration along with an interesting boombox. The £999 ($2,045) eXentia pro all-in-one PC (pictured after the jump) boasts a 22-inch LCD and packs a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, DVD writer, integrated WiFi / Bluetooth and Windows Vista. As for the Cube Play (£179; $366), you'll find a fairly standard looking home stereo system with an eye-catching seven-inch LCD stuffed right in the middle of the action. What's that for, you say? Probably for you to check out DVDs or OTA Freeview broadcasts courtesy of the built-in DVD player and DVB TV tuner, that's what. Furthermore, the unit packs AV outputs, a USB port for loading up media, an FM tuner and a wireless remote. We'd say you could go on and pick up either right away, but both look to be out of stock for the time being.[Thanks, Alex]Read - Elonex Cube PlayRead - Elonex eXentia pro
iStuff offers up Domino 2.1 iPod speaker station
Considering that the trendy white iPod HiFi is no more, it's no surprise to see another company filling the void with a rectangular iPod speaker station of its own. The iStuff Domino 2.1 sports an eerily familiar layout, 30 total watts of amplification, a pair of two-inch wide-range drivers coupled with two three-inch magnetically shielded fiberglass cone subwoofers, an S-Video output, USB connector, 3.5-millimeter auxiliary input and RCA stereo outs. Furthermore, this unit claims to play nice with the newest family of iPods, comes with a wireless remote and can be snapped up right now for £99.99 ($204).[Via iLounge]
Ministry of Sound's latest boombox plays nice with iPod, flash cards
Merely months after doling out a fresh new DAP, Ministry of Sound is making sure the boombox lovers get their fix, too. Available now, the MOSMC1319P micro system includes a pair of two-way speakers and boasts 20 total watts of amplification, a built-in iPod dock, FM tuner, USB interface, VFD function display, a preset equalizer, and a wireless remote. Furthermore, this unit plays nice with MP3 / WMA / WAV and even handles audio stored on your SD or MMC flash card. It's all yours for £87.99 ($177).[Via ShinyShiny]
Philips intros WAC3500D Streamium home stereo
The goods from Philips just keep on comin', but it's not like we're kvetching or anything. On deck is the WAC3500D, the firm's latest Streamium home stereo, which weds an 80GB internal hard drive, iPod connectivity, and a USB port to create a fairly well appointed audio center. Additionally, the device touts the ability to "receive, play, and store MP3 or WMA tracks saved on a PC," rip CDs to the HDD in a variety of bitrates, and view ID3 tags on the backlit LCD. All music kept on the system can be wirelessly streamed "to up to five WiFi stations located anywhere in the house," and the built-in Class D digital amplifier drives the dual two-ways speakers. Currently, the WAC3500D is available in Europe for around £260 ($522).
DIY "beatbox" drives old neighbors crazy
We're pretty sure that he meant "boombox", but regardless, this funky little hack from music enthusiast Gregor Dauth will be making him a lot of new friends at the next break-dancing competition. For this feat of audiophile-DIY, Dauth gutted an old Grundig tape machine, added four 150-watt speakers, installed an amp he purchased on eBay, and flashed it all up with some blue fiber-optic lighting. The end-result? More ass-shaking low-end then you could possibly want.[Via hackaday]
Boston Innovative's iMep boombox sports iPod dock and LCD
We know, the iPod boombox market is entirely over saturated as it is, but Boston Innovative's latest attempt at joining the fray is so fully featured (and oh-so-cheesy), we can't help but check it out. The fire engine red device can purportedly be snapped up in black as well, and features a built-in iPod dock, seven-inch LCD, CD / DVD player, stereo speakers, integrated NTSC TV tuner, an AM / FM radio tuner, USB port, and support for SD, MMC, and MS flash cards. Notably, you'll also find optical and coaxial digital audio outs alongside the typical composite video output, as well as a connection for an external television or radio antenna. A couple of models enable users to pick a flip-up screen or a front-mounted display, and while we wouldn't count on the sound quality to be anything worthy of praise, you can pick one up for your next excursion for $300.[Via CNET]
Yamada stuffs seven-inch LCD into HTV-200XU boombox
Cramming Bluetooth, iPod capabilities, or even entirely too many speakers into a boombox are all fair game, but Yamada's latest rendition manages to include a seven-inch LCD for an all-in-one home threatre for the studio apartment set. Sure, we've seen LCDs big and small within sound systems before, but this media-centric conglomerate actually takes the video side of its duties quite seriously; you'll find support for DVB-T, DivX, DVDs, and MPEG4 movie files, while it even provides for a 5.1 output to cap off the "theater going experience." Additionally, the system purportedly hooks up to your TV if the built-in screen begins to hurt your retinas, rips your CDs, and also plays nice with MP3s, JPEGs, and FM radio when your video collection runs dry. The system itself reportedly packs 30-watts of RMS power, connects to your PC via USB, and will set you back around €220 ($300).[Via CNET]
Blaupunkt's Velocity 2Go boombox is car-mountable
Although it has been quite some time since Blaupunkt made any substantial noise in the CE biz, the audio outfit is back in full force with the forthcoming Velocity 2Go lineup. The flashy (albeit ill-favored) boombox sports a carry-handle design for those throwback moments of atop-the-shoulder sidewalk strutting, and also features a car-docking solution with the bundled straps or QuickOut mounting kit. Specs wise, the unit operates on rechargeable AA cells, touts a "die-cast aluminum" enclosure, and sports 3.5-millimeter / RCA input jacks to play nice with just about any external audio source in the book. Dubbed the "world's first mobile active speaker system," the device also rocks a built-in active subwoofer to fill in the lows, and while the Velocity2Go 5 (£249.99; $499) will get things rockin' with 80-watts of RMS power, the Velocity2Go 6 (£299.99; $599) purportedly ups the volume by four decibels in case you can tell the difference. Click on through for a shot of the rear.[Via CNET]
Parrot introduces Bluetooth Boombox
Parrot's a long, long way from home (wireless car gadgets) these days, but it looks like they're settling down nicely in Bluetooth-device-land. Their latest device, a Bluetooth 2.1 compliant boombox with a rather clever monicker: Boombox. Capable of playing back A2DP audio (or wired RCA) in 60 watt sound, the Boombox also has a magnetic speaker grille. Unfortunately Parrot hasn't listed price or release date, but we've got a hands-on gallery for you.%Gallery-2316%
The Minigigi AV-11 "boom box" goes thud
Won't somebody please think of the children and put an end to these new minigigi players spilling out of Korea? It's bad enough that they have to rip (unsuccessfully) the design from Philip's PSS110 for their new AV-11 "boom box," but now they've gone and added some dubious "MP4" video playback capability into the mix. While they claim support for WAV, ASF, and AVI video at 24fps on the 2-inch, 26k color LCD, that's likely only after conversion into some oddball format first. The player packs an FM tuner, support for MP3 and WMA audio, and USB and line-in jacks presumably for recording content direct to SD cards. The unit can be powered off the mains or run for up to 10 hours off Li-Ion battery. Hopefully, it includes an alarm clock function too, cause you're not going to fill a room with sound off those 4W speakers. No word on pricing or availability... as if you care.
Sony's new Muteki line of "party in a box" shelf systems
If you thought the current generation of molded-plastic-gone-wild shelf audio boomboxes was getting out of hand, you might want to avert your eyes from this Muteki extravagance. Sony's targeting Latin culture with these four new stereos, which are designed with banging Quinceaneras and Cinco de Mayo parties mind. The LBT-ZX80D tops it out with 880 watts, a karaoke "game" feature, three DVD player, DivX and MP3 support, TV out and Dolby Digital surround sound. The 720 watt LBT-ZX9 loses the DVD capabilities, and spins five CDs instead, while both systems include DJ-ish features and sound effects. The LBT-ZX6 includes 560 watts and a mic input, along with gaming audio features, while the MHC-LX1000 does 520 watts and three CDs. Those two "stripped down" Muteki units go for $400 each and are available now, while the LBT-ZX9 will go for $600 in March and LBT-ZX80D will follow in May for $700.
Sony intros bevy of Bluetooth / A2DP-enabled stereo systems
Apparently Sony has hopped on the "more the merrier" bandwagon, as its steady stream of new kit continues to roll out. The latest set of releases sees a few new wireless boomboxes, presumably crafted for those who aren't keen on wrapping a set of Bluetooth-enabled cans around their dome in order to hear their tunes. The low-end CMT-BX5BT mini system touts wooden stereo speaker cabinets, an AM / FM tuner, built-in CD / MP3 disc player, ID3 tag support, external LCD, 15-watts of amplification, bass reflex system, 30 station presets, and a musical alarm clock to boot. The CMT-HX7BT ups the ante by adding satellite radio readiness and a 50-watt S-Master digital amplifier, while the flagship CMT-DH7BT packs all of the aforementioned niceties plus an integrated DVD player. Closing out the pack is the ZS-BT1 wireless boombox, which seems to be tailored more for portable / outdoor use considering its A2DP support, shuffle feature for CDs / MP3s, ten-key remote control, and Mega Bass technology. The CMT trio will all be available in April from $150 to $300, while the $150 ZS-BT1 won't land until August.[Via Pocket-Lint] %Gallery-1831%
Switched On: A tube for toting your tunes
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment: Here's to the frugal ones -- the discounters, the copycats, the bean counters, the followers who knock off established flagships, the ones who do things cheaply. They're not fond of design patents and they have no respect for the sine qua non. You can mock them, ridicule their brands, deride their usability or quality. But the only thing you can't do is lowball them. Because they sell things. They push the average price downward. And while some may see in them the parasitic blight of top-tier corporations, we see the efficiency of low overhead and outsourced manufacturing. Because the ones who are bold enough to try selling commoditized products for less are the ones who do.
