04
Nov
2011
Pocket-Lint: It may not pack quite the punch of the Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker but at a fraction of the cost, the Logitech Mini Boombox may be the answer for more financially-challenged smartphone owners wanting a bit more sound from their digital media. (more…)
16
Sep
2011
16
Sep
2011
Engadget HD: What can you get for $300 these days? A bunch of stuff, probably, including the latest soundbar from Yamaha. The YAS-101 Front Surround System offers up 7.1 sound, a built-on 60-watt subwoofer and support for Dolby Digital and DTS. (more…)
02
Aug
2011
What Hi-fi: Martin Logan electrostatic speakers may not be to everyone’s taste, but they certainly look distinctive.
And while they could never be described as cheap, the latest incarnation is at least more affordable than its forebears.
The ElectroMotion ESL (EM-ESL) is described as “the world’s most affordable high performance hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker”, costing £2499 a pair in satin black, or £2900 for the gloss black version. (more…)
02
Aug
2011
What Hi-fi: Klipsch, perhaps best known for its more traditional horn-loaded speakers, has developed a new range of slimline surround speakers for today’s flatscreen TVs.
The Gallery series consists of free-standing or wall-mountable passive designs in four sizes. They can be bought individually, or as part of a home cinema package. (more…)
14
Jul
2011
What Hi-fi: We first saw the new Wharfedale Jade range of speakers at the Bristol Show in February.
Today Wharfedale has confirmed the range will be available from August in a choice of three real-wood veneers: black oak, vintage cherry and piano black. (more…)
11
Jul
2011
Gizmodo: Pioneer makes nice A/V receivers and car audio products, so it’s not entirely shocking to see them move into the PC space. Their first offering will be a pair of 2.0 multimedia speakers and a 2.1 system as well. (more…)
22
Jun
2011
What Hi-fi: Chances are you may have bought a slimline TV, so you want a slimline home cinema system to go with it.
Enter these two new systems from Pioneer, the £700 HTP-SLH500 (above) and £750 HTP-SLH600 (below), both of which come with a slimline VSX-S300 multichannel receiver.
A set of equally compact ‘Sound Wing’ speakers are supplied as part of the package. (more…)
06
Jun
2011
What Hi-fi: We got an inkling B&W was up to something a few weeks ago when an eagle-eyed poster on our Forums spotted top-secret info about a new B&W mini monitor on the web.
Before long, B&W’s PR machine swept into action and had the offending material removed.
Now we can officially reveal that the speaker in question is the new PM1, fitting in between the CM series and flagship 800 Diamond range at £1995 a pair. (more…)
14
Apr
2011
What Hi-fi: Onkyo is introducing a second Spotify-enabled AV receiver, the £800 TX-NR709, which joins the £500 TX-NR609 model launched last month.
The TX-NR709 is a 7.2-channel, THX Select2 Plus design with eight HDMI inputs, dual HDMI outputs, decoding of high-definition audio formats, support for 3D video, an audio return channel and video upscaling to 4K resolution.
There’s a front-mounted USB socket for direct digital connection of of iPod/iPhone and USB mass storage devices. A proprietary universal port enables users to connect Onkyo peripherals.
Being network capable, it can stream audio from a PC or the internet, including Spotify’s Premium service and internet radio stations
Additional features inlcude DSP modes for gaming, Audyssey Dynamic EQ and Dynamic Volume, 7.2 multichannel preamp outputs and TI Burr-Brown PCM1690 192kHz/24-bit DACs.
Also joining the Onkyo stable are two 3D-ready, 5.1 receiver/speaker packages as well as a 5.1 speaker-only set-up.
The HT-S9405THX 5.1 system (£1000) and HT-S6405 (above, £600) will be available in May, as will the SKS-HT648 5.1 speaker package with subwoofer (£300).
Finally, the Onkyo BD-SP309 3D-compatible Blu-ray player (below) is on sale this month for £200. It offers 1080p upscaling, AVCHD and DivX Plus HD (MKV) video support, an ethernet port for home networking connectivity and onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks.
10
Mar
2011
Akihabara News: With a dedicated model for every need, Sony new Speakers for the European market are tailored to give you the best from your computer audio system.
These new models includes the compact SRS-A3 a 2Ch 5W speaker with 57mm driver units as well as the SRS-D4 a 2.1Ch system with a total output of 27W and 46mm Driver unit on the satellite speakers and 95mm on the Subwoofer and finally the SRS-D5, another 2.1Ch system with a 40W output and 60mm Driver units on its pair of satellite speakers and 115mm on its Subwoofer.
04
Feb
2011
T3: Denon’s CEOL network music system effectively consigns the concept of traditional hi-fi to history. In both form and function, this mini is transformative. The CEOL (pronounced kee-ohl) comprises the one-piece RCD-N7 network CD receiver and matching SC-N7 standmount speakers. You can grab both for £530-£600, although if you have speakers you wish to stick with, the RCD-N7 can be purchased solo for up to £500.
The RCD-N7 has an easy to accommodate footprint, but is well appointed. The rear of the unit offers two pairs of substantial binding posts, plus FM/AM tuner connections, an optical digital audio and two auxiliary phono stereo inputs and Ethernet. There’s also a subwoofer output, which may be of use of you opt to buy the bundled SC-N7 speakers.
The fascia features a centre-mounted CD tray and 3-line OLED display. While monochromatic, this is bright enough to read across a large room. On the left front is a USB reader, while on the roof is a concealed iPod/iPhone dock.
The CEOL is a snap to use, despite its sophistication. Just select your chosen audio source by cycling through the dedicated button on the front panel or access it direct via the elegant remote. Once online, the system found all my DLNA devices without issue. File support is excellent. In addition to vanilla-flavoured MP3, the unit can play WMA, WAV, AAC, OGG and FLAC files.
Denon Ceol: Features
With integrated Wi-Fi and LAN, the RCD-N7 can be coaxed onto a home network with the minimum of effort. Internet Radio allows you to browse (good luck with that) the thousands of net radio stations available, many of which offer surprisingly good audio quality. There’s also support for Napster and Last.fm, plus an FM/AM radio should you need it. Oh yes, it also plays CDs.
The CEOL’s biggest party trick though is AirPlay. This is the first hi-fi system to support Apple’s wireless replay system, and once upgraded (a meagre £39) you can stream direct from iTunes on your Mac or PC, or via an iPhone 3GS/4, iPad or iPod Touch. AirPlay allows you to simultaneously stream to as many as six pairs of speakers, although you can’t select a different musical output for different speakers.
While there are several of audio alternatives that do very similar things, the simplicity of AirPlay has a lot going for it. Just select a compatible device from the AirPlay icon on iTunes, pick a Playlist and stream it. I fully expected some installation hassles, but had none.
Denon CEOL: Sound quality
The CEOL is a great sounding music system for the price. Beneath the hood, Denon’s engineers have employed a ‘simple & straight’ circuit design for the N7 which uses the shortest possible signal path for the greatest sonic integrity. CD playback has a grace that is immediately appealing, while high resolution FLAC files sound fabulous. The balance is perfect for pop, rock and dance; it’s like listening to ice cream.
There may have been minor delays rolling out AirPlay software for the CEOL but it was worth the wait. Its integration within the iTune ecosystem is seamless and the result is a multi-room audio solution that challenges Sonos for ease of use. CEOL + Airplay = happiness. One day, all hi-fi systems will work this way.
Denon CEOL launch date: Out now
Denon CEOL price: £530-£600 for entire system, £470-£500 RCD N7, £39 for Airplay upgrade
