Vestalife Ladybug Portable Speaker Dock
July 16, 2009 by Technorati Search for: mp3 players · Leave a Comment
Universal Apple iPod USB Charger Kit USB Retractable Hotsync Cable USB Home Travel Charger USB 12V Cigarette Lighter Charger
June 18, 2009 by Mp3 Players Review · Leave a Comment
Designed specifically for iPod with dock connector only including iPod 3G, 4G, iPod Mini, iPod Photo, iPod nano, iPod (video).
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Works Fine
The first shipment contained items that didn’t work at all. The customer service was very responsive and sent out a full replacement kit right away. It works fine.
4 Stars worked fine so far
It seems to be made of cheap materials, but it works and for the price i didn’t expect much more. Would buy again.
5 Stars Great product for the price!
I always hated that I could only charge my iPod with my computer, which meant when I went on vacation, I’d have to bring my laptop just for that purpose. But when I found this three-way charger for only $5, I had to get it. So far, it works fine, fits into my iPod, charges, and when I use my computer again, there are no complications. I’d say it’s definitely a great value for the price.
5 Stars Works for me
Quick shipping, received product as described. Shipping is higher to make up for the low price, but if you’re not in a big rush, it still works out cheaper than buying one at the electronics store.
5 Stars i pod charger kit
I ordered the charger kit so my son didn’t have to use my computer for recharging. Besides we forgot to properly eject the ipod a few times which messed it up. The wall outlet charger solves that problem beautifully. We also can listen to the ipod in the car. Everything is working fine and the price was half of what the kit was offered for at Costco.
Monster iCarPlay Wireless Plus FM Transmitter Charger for iPod
June 10, 2009 by Mp3 Players Review · Leave a Comment
Monster iCarPlay Wireless Plus FM Transmitter Charger for iPod
Why fumble with CDs when you can play your iPod in the car on virtually any FM radio station? Now you can do that and keep your iPod charged at the same time with iCarPlay Wireless Plus. Programmable, backlit station presets make it fast and easy to set and change stations on the go. With some other FM transmitters, finding an FM frequency clear enough to play your iPod through can be tough especially while driving through different areas and terrain. But since you can tune iCarPlay Wireless Plus to almost any FM station, you have full FM tuning flexibility in getting the best sound, free of interference. Simply tune your car radio to any clear FM station, tune iCarPlay Wireless Plus to the same station, hit play on your iPod and you’re ready to roll. Change presets any time you need a clearer station. For added flexibility and convenience, Monster Smart Digital Charging technology rapidly charges your iPod, and then switches to a trickle charge to optimize its performance. It all makes iCarPlay Wireless Plus the best way to enjoy full stereo sound from your iPod in your car, no matter where your travels take you. Compatible with – iPods with Dock Connector (including iPod mini) – iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, iPod Mini, iPod Video, iPod Photo, iPod U2, iPod 4th Gen with click wheel, iPod 3rd Gen with dock
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars does not charge ipod nano 4G
The transmitter itself works very well but I was very disappointed to find out that it does not charge my new ipod nano 4G even though it states it charges. I called Monster and they said that it indeed does NOT charge the new ipod nano even though it does not state that anywhere on its product information.
2 Stars Static
It works ok, about half of the time. Even with the option of 3 different radio stations I get plenty of static. I wouldn’t recommend this product.
5 Stars Monster iCarPlay the best!
The Monster iCarPlay is the third such item I have bought to use in cars with my iPod. In over a month of using it in a large urban area (Washington, DC ‘burbs mostly) I’ve had clear sound & reception from my iPod. Only once, has there been sound bleed,at a stop light) and we moved the car a foot or less, the sound was fine! I gave up using my previous in-car FM transmitters because I couldn’t take the sound bleed, but this is great! Really pleased! And I’ve only programed one station so far — haven’t needed to do the others yet!
4 Stars Monster iCarPlay iPod FM Transmitter
Great product!
The gold plated connectors allow for FM transmission with little or no static at all. I love how it charges my ipod while it’s connected. I had a monster iCarPlay before for a year and i tried the DLO Dock Station after that but it was horrible! I just wish the connecter was easier to remove from the cigarette lighter. It seems i have to really yank at it and i fear this may ultimately break the iCarPlay. But i love it and use it whenever i go anywhere!
3 Stars mountainous areas are iffy
It was really good for the most part, near populated areas but, once you get into the mountains it cuts in and out and alot of static noise
KEF Picoforte 1 Speaker Dock System for iPod Black
May 24, 2009 by Mp3 Players Review · Leave a Comment
KEF Picoforte 1 Speaker Dock System for iPod Black
The New KEF Picoforte 1 Digital Component Audio System including the KEF 1001 speakers delivers big sound from the smallest package. KEF has 45 innovative years of award winning high-end loudspeaker design, and it all goes into the new KEF Picoforte 1 iPod docking station. The result is a compact component audio system with a no-compromise sound output for the way we live today. Simply dock and play to fill the room with vibrant, detailed sound that will revolutionize the way you experience your iPod. The iPod charges as it plays, so you enjoy music without interruption. Its sleek, slender design fits almost any room’s décor. And the included remote lets you control the iPod system from across the room. Furthermore, KEF Uni-Q “sit anywhere” technology means that you can enjoy the same rich stereo image wherever you sit. The compact and flexible Picoforte is designed to be simple to set up, while having the flexibility to adapt to your personal environment. The system is supplied with a more than generous supply of speaker cable, so that speakers can be positioned as far apart as you desire. The optional subwoofer connection means that bass lovers have their dreams answered, and the S-Video connection means that you can use a TV screen to display song titles (in a range of supported languages) or even play movies (where supported). Compatible with the following models: iPod 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G; iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great Sound and Looks – Outclasses almost everything else at its price point
Every product is good at a certain price. At its $400 list, the PicoForte 1 was not a great value, but at anything below $200, it’s a steal. KEF (Kent Engineering and Foundry) is an old-line, British manufacturer of some well respected and expensive high end speakers. In fact, I own a pair of floor standing KEF104/2, which were made in the mid 80’s and are still considered by audiophiles to be one of the best speakers ever produced. So I was intrigued to see KEF offering the PicoForte 1 for the iPod. At the current price, I was willing to try out this product despite the fact that, as of this writing, there isn’t even a single review on it.
The PicoForte 1 arrived quickly from Vanns via Amazon. The unit was very well packaged, with its two metal speakers protected inside cloth bags and everything well laid out in a styrofoam case. If you are considering this for a gift, the packaging and unboxing really does make for a good presentation. From the get-go, this units reeks of quality. What differentiates it from most other sub $500 systems is the material – no cheap plastic – just metal. It is heavier and has a considerably nicer appearance than most other iPod speaker units I have seen. Though the PicoForte 1 is small, the sound is surprisingly full and clear. The small, heavy, solid-metal speaker cabinets have unremovable metal grills and can play loud enough to fill a small to medium sized room. The sound quality is also a step above most units of this size. The mids and treble can be described as clear, sweet and precise, unlike the muddy and often bloated and fatiguing sound typical of almost any speaker crying out from a plastic enclosure. Bass extension from the 3 inch driver is definitely limited, but still clear as far as it goes. There is both a sonic and a physical integrity that is rarely found in units of this size and price. The PicoForte 1 trounces the Bose Soundock/Soundock two in sound-quality, price, and fit and finish, but trails it badly in number of Amazon reviews – the Soundock having hundreds, while this will be the PicoForte’s first. Bose SoundDock digital music system for iPod (White) I can also compare the PicoForte 1 to the highly rated Logitec Pure-Fi Anywhere Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere Compact Speakers for iPod (Black) (2006 model) which I own and use for travel as it can run on batteries. The all-plastic Purefi unit sounds good and can fill a hotel room with sound and is very good for spoken audio podcasts and acceptable for music. The KEF outclasses this unit sonically, but of course the KEF is not a portable. If your music listening absolutely requires volume and a lot of bass, then the JBL 2.1 Creature (and newer versions of this system) is one that I both own and can recommend. JBL – Spot 2.1 Speaker System I bought the JBL Creature from Amazon for about $40 (!) and it has hundreds of Amazon reviews from satisfied users. For deep bass and room filling volume, the JBL is hard to beat. But it does not have the same sonic integrity that the Picoforte 1 has.
In my opinion, the PicoForte is best employed as a bedside, near-field iPod music system because it delivers high quality sound, even at low volumes, and its small speakers offer versatility in placement. Using the small, credit card style remote with its 18, bubble-type buttons works fairly well, but takes a little getting used to, especially in the dark. It allows you to operate almost all of the iPod’s functions, however, navigation is slower and definitely more cumbersome than using the iPod directly. From considerable personal experience, I have discovered that the remote can be easily misplaced. I am now in the habit of parking it in a space directly in front of the amp unit after each use. BTW, I can confirm that the new iPod classic version 6 works well with the PicoForte, however, I have not tried any of its video out functions. I can state with certainty that my 6G iPod classic both charges and functions via the remote just as well as my earlier iPods do. I also have a 4G and 5G iPod and all work well with the PicoForte. The benefit of getting sound from the iPod’s line out dock is that you bypass the noisy amplifier/headphone circuitry and tap into a signal earlier in the signal path which is more pristine. The PicoForte 1 has a class D amplifier that puts out 35 watts per stereo channel which is very good, considering the small size of this unit. At the very lowest sound levels the amp emits a clearly audible hiss in the background. Fortunately, as you increase the volume, the hiss increases only slightly – you won’t be able to hear it at all with music at a moderate volume.
Now a few words about my setup. While this unit will certainly deliver very listenable background music while you are going about your routine in your kitchen or den, the PicoForte really excels in near-field listening positions. If you set this unit up in the headboard of your bed, you may be in for a real treat. Place the speakers several inches away from your ears, making sure the tweeters are at ear level. If you can imagine a sort of headphone set up, but using these little speakers instead of ear-cups, you will be on the right track. With the speakers on either side of your head, about 6 to 12 inches away from each ear, pointing directly at your earholes, you can get some truly amazing imaging and take full advantage of the systems excellent sonic clarity. Listening to classical or acoustic jazz in this position, lying on my back, head on my pillow, and speakers towed in and close to each ear, the sound is almost magical. Similar to a headphone experience, some music images inside my head, however the soundstage is huge; far exceeding what even the best headphones can do. I can clearly hear the air and space in the room where the music was recorded. The reverberations and echos in recordings stand out, which really brings the music to life in a 3D sort of way. In normal listening circumstances, you are only getting maybe 25% of the sound directly radiating from the speaker cones – the remaining 75% of the sound is reflected to your ears off the walls, floor and furniture causing all sorts of degradation in sound. This is the problem that near-field listening overcomes. Near-field listening is used in recording studios so that the engineer can hear exactly what is going on in a mix without the interference from colorations created by the room. The PicoFortes are especially good for near-field listening because the speaker has the tweeter embedded in the center of the woofer cone. KEF calls this Uni-Q . This avoids sonic confusion from having sound emanating from two positions as is the case with most speakers that have a separate woofer and tweeter. For near field listening, having the sound emanate from the same point is a real advantage.
KEF also makes a higher priced PicoForte 3, with upgraded speakers featuring a similar Uni-Q driver. The PicoForte 1’s amplifier unit looks to be exactly the same as KEF’s more up-market model. The Picoforte 3 (rated at the same 35 watts per channel as the PicoForte 1) lists for $600 but is discounted only to $500 (as of this writing). [[ASIN:B000VT0LZ4 KEF PicoForte 3 Black iPod Docking Speaker System The Picoforte 1 appears to be the genuine bargain. At this price you are getting something that I suspect will likely last longer, sound better and look better than any other similar option I know of. And you can introduce yourself to a smidgen of what the audiophile experience is about.
I will close with a tip; always rip your music at the highest bit rate you can – Apple lossless being the best. MP3s ripped at 128 bits can sound pretty awful on a good system. Currently, there is some advantage in having small file sizes so that you can squeeze more music on your iPod. But remember that hard drives and RAM are doubling in size every year. Several years from now you will be glad you opted for high quality sound instead of efficiency of size, which will have no utility. One more tip. The stock speaker wire that comes with the PicoForte is long and thin. I believe I improved the sound quality maybe 5 to 10% by replacing it with a much shorter, much thicker gage of wire that I bought from an audio shop for about $15.
Altec Lansing iM-237 Orbit Portable Speaker!
May 23, 2009 by Technorati Search for: mp3 players · Leave a Comment