boombox
Latest
Gamexpert takes a note from Apple, intros PSP Hifi
It's not as if Apple needs the validation, but peeps in Cupertino: you made it. It's weird enough when companies rip product designs and preface every product with the letter "i," but "peripheral specialist" Gamexpert has gone to the next level by coating what appears to be an iPod Hi-Fi in a glossy black finish, slapping a PSP dock on top, and having the nerve to price it higher than Apple's (first-party) original. The self-proclaimed "ultimate sound experience" for your handheld Sony, the PSP Hifi houses two midrange drivers, a down-firing subwoofer, an aux input (for your iPod, perhaps?), a uninspiring 23 watts of total amplification, and, of course, a place to rest (and charge) your Sony device. While you even get a wireless remote to control the tunes from across the way, claims like "maximum bass extension" paired with its inability to thump below 50Hz seem a tad suspect. Nevertheless, the £199.99 ($376) PSP Hifi will be vying for your accessorizing wallet when it hits stores -- and mostly higher octaves -- soon enough. [Via Tech Digest]
Harman Kardon's Go and Play iPod boombox
Hurrah. Another iPod boombox hits the market. Ok, we shouldn't be so cynical, Harman Kardon's Go and Play, unlike the rest, docks your iPod near-horizontally, reducing the chances that it'll jump out and take off, as it so often does. Besides the stainless steel handle, RF remote, d-cell or AC power playback, and S-Video out, you can also expect the Go and Play to feature a €349 (about $450) deduction in the bank accounts of its takers.
SUBX1 Universal Sirius Boombox
Need a boombox to take your satellite jams wherever you're at in the house? Want to throw back to the 80s and hoist it up on your shoulder? Whichever camp you're in, Sirius has a new boombox looming that reportedly supports the entire array of Sportster units; according to Orbitcast, the SUBX1 Universal Sirius Boombox even supports the Sportster 4, Streamer 3, and any future receivers, and has the usual built-in amp, stereo speakers, and aux input to connect your other DAP of choice. The SUBX1's actual release date is still up in the air, but preliminary estimations indicate a $359.99 pricetag on the boombox / Sportster 4 combo kit. Extract the Sportster 4 and we'll probably see the box going solo for around $190. [Via Orbitcast, thanks nox_EvDo]
Memorex iMove elbows into the iPod boombox market
In a market already crowded with iBooms, iJams, and Hi-Fis, do we really need yet another iPod boombox to choose from? Memorex thinks so, as evidenced by their recent introduction of a 12-watt 'box -- called, unsurprisingly, the iMove -- which accepts fourth and fifth generation 'Pods along with nanos, the iPod photo, and even the good old Mini, plus anything else you can plug into its auxiliary port. Also sporting a remote, AM/FM tuner, and SRS WOW sound enhancement, the iMove can be powered from your car or boat's cigarette lighter, eight D batteries, or a regular wall outlet -- and by using the latter option, you can simultaneously charge whatever iPod you have docked as well. No word yet on a release date, but as long as its cheaper than the Hi-Fi (it is, at around $100) and more polished than models like the Toolbox Player or iBoom (which it seems to be), it should probably be able to eke out some decent sales when it finally hits Wal-mart shelves.[Via fosfor gadgets, thanks Mikael S.]
Sharp's Music Carry QT-MPA10 portable music player
Sharp just announced their new QT (cutie?) MPA10 Music Carry machine. This portable music player features either 512MB or 1GB of flash memory, supports MP3/WMA/WAV playback, and slaps on an FM/AM radio which can be recorded into MP3 format for kicks. Powered by 6 AA batteries, the roughly 16 x 7 x 5-inch, 5-pound (with batteries) player sports a couple of 2W, 8-cm speakers. From the looks of the machine translation, it seems to also playback audio from any device (MP3 player or musicphone) that can operate as a USB mass storage device. And of course, a timer function is included which turns the device on and off automatically throughout the week for use as an alarm clock or wage monkey's cubicle mood enhancer. Let's just hope that Sharp's little box doesn't suffer from the same limitations as that goofy little Philips PSS110. We'll know soon enough as the QT-MPA10 is set to drop in Japan on 16 June for an undisclosed price. [Via Akihabara News]
Sirius announces sleek new Sportster4 radio
To prove that there is still life in the world of consumer electronics outside of videogames and laptops, Sirius broke up today's monotony by announcing an updated version of their Sportster series of Plug and Play satellite radios with 44-minute buffers. The Sportster4, which is small enough to easily transport between home and car, maintains the same recording capacity and features as its predecessors, but adds a new vehicle dock that includes an auxiliary input for your MP3 player. Additional niceties include 30 presets, bundled remote, favorite artist alerts, and game reminders to keep you updated on score changes. Look for the Sportster4 later this month for around $170, with accessories like boombox docks soon to follow.
Home grown boombox bag
Who needs an iPod Hi Fi? Not Shannon Okey. In her book knitgrrl, she shows off a great "boombox" bag she made. The front pocket holds an iPod, which in turn connects to "...a set of cheap Radio Shack speakers" on the bag's interior. I think this is pretty nice (and a heck of a lot lighter than the Hi Fi, I would imagine). Well done, Shannnon![Via Make:Blog]
DIY iPod boom box
The new iPod Hi-Fi looks really cool, but who has $350US sitting around doing nothing? Why now whip up your own solution from the parts you probably have sitting around your house right now? That's what Phillip over at Make:Blog did. Buy hacking an iPod speaker unit together with an old pair of Apple Pro speakers, a modified iPod dock and a nano, he's made himself a working, though slightly unattractive, iPod speaker system. Nicely done. Here is a Flickr set for your viewing pleasure.
Apple announces iPod Hi-Fi
Apple announced the new iPod Hi-Fi at this morning's special event. While it's not terrifically exciting, it's an alternative (albeit a pricey one at $349) to third party iPod speakers. The Hi-Fi features a Universal Dock into which you can slide your iPod and another spot on the back for an iPod shuffle. (If you've got an iPod model without a dock connector, you'll have to buy a separate audio cable to integrate your iPod with the Hi-Fi.)The iPod nano and the iPod with video will display a new Speakers menu for the iPod Hi-Fi. The menu will let you control tone (with settings like normal, treble boost, and bass boost), display large album art on the iPod while the Hi-Fi is playing, and set the iPod backlight to remain on so you can see the album art. Sorry, but apparently there won't be a Speakers menu or tone control for older iPods.Theoretically, the Hi-Fi is portable. It will run on six D-cell batteries "for several hours" according to Steve. However, the size and rectangular design of the Hi-Fi makes it look like it will be awkward to haul around. It's about as big as a breadbox: 17" x 6.6" x 6.9" with hand grips built into the plastic shell. The Hi-Fi will charge your iPod while you're playing music. It includes an Apple Remote to control music playback from across the room. And it's got a combined analog and digital optical input jack, so you can connect it to your computer or to an Airport Express to use as a speaker system for those devices. However, the requisite audio cable is a separate purchase, which is too bad.I'm no sound expert, but I can tell you that Steve was hyping the sound quality of the iPod Hi-Fi during the announcement, and the Apple site touts the Hi-Fi's sound quality across a range of frequencies. It's got two 80 mm speaker cones in dedicated chambers, and a 130 mm woofer for bass tones.To be honest, I'm not likely to run out and buy this updated boombox. I'm happy with my Logitech mm50 portable iPod speaker for now. Have you got a big check left over from the holidays that you're just itching to spend? Will you spend it on this?
