- Detachable front panel CD player with bright blue/white screen, red control buttons
- Compatible with CD-R/RW discs
- 4-channel amp (17W x 4 channels); subwoofer pre-amp outputs
- SSIR-EXA tuner with 18 FM and 12 AM presets
- Includes case for detachable front panel
Sony CDXS2010 Slot Load CD Receiver Car Stereo
Boss 647CK 240 Watt MP3/CD Receiver/Speaker Package System
- Single-DIN mounting, Active black mask display, Illuminated control buttons
- PLL synthesized tuner with 30 station presets, USB port / Front panel AUX input, Compatible with audio output of iPod and other MP3 players
- ID3-Tag display, Quartz digital clock, Separate bass and treble
Buy Boss 647CK 240 Watt MP3/CD Receiver/Speaker Package System Now
Good radio for the price. I would buy it again, good for the fixer upper or that run about vehicleCoby KTFDVD1093SVR 10.2-Inch Under-the-Cabinet DVD/CD Player with Digital TV and Radio, Silver
- 10.2" widescreen TFT under-the-cabinet DVD/CD player
- DVD, DVD±R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW and JPEG compatible, Dual ATSC/NTSC tuner for digital and standard broadcast TV reception
- Dual AM/Fm radio, Audio/Video input jacks for video games VCR's or other AV sources
- Convenient front panel and on-screen display, Integrated stereo speakers
- Multiple language, subtitle, and camera angle support, Parental lock control, mounting kit included
- 10.2 in. widescreen TFT LCD swivel/folding screen
- Audio/Video input jack for video games, VCRs or other AV sources
- DVD, DVD±R/RW, CD, CD±R/RW, and JPEG compatible
- Digital AM/FM radio; Remote control
- Dual ATSC/NTSC tuner for digital and standard TV broadcast reception
BTW in terms of channel auto tuning--I read some reviews on another model made by COBY that people were not able to run the auto channel search after doing it the first time when you intitally set it up and the power would go out or you had to retune for whatever reason. You can run the auto scan anytime you want on this tv and it seems to work fine even with the power going out a few times with this tv.
There are not alot of options out there in terms of under-the-cabinet tvs and I did quite a bit of research before deciding to purchase this one. I settled on this one because the price was right and it had a large screen on it. I was somewhat turned off by all the negative reviews for most of the under-the-cabinet tvs but I am glad I decided to purchase this one as I am very happy with what I got. It looks really nice hanging in my kitchen and it doesn't take any space at all when folded up. I have only had the unit for a couple weeks so if I have any problems in the future I will be sure to update. But as of this moment, I would highly recommend this for anyone who has realistic expectations for a LCD tv that is truly meant for the kitchen. For an under-the-cabinet 15inch LCD tv/radio/dvd player for 200.00, I could not be more happy. I am enjoying it and suggest anyone on the fence to give it a try.After doing a lot of research on under cabinet TVs, the Coby 10.2 seemed to make sense. The company claimed to improve the technology with an ATSC tuner for homes with digital cable, however they did not resolve an ongoing problem that dates back two years, that I only learned of after buying this, running coax cable to the kitchen, installing it, and having the product fail. I will not explain it in detail, but warn buyers that if you plan to use this in LCD TV/DVD player ONLY for or as an AV in only source, it works well, So you can send an RCA cable output from your cable box in the other room to this device through it's AV inputs and watch only what the cable box is playing. If you want to use it to also tune in stations, even basic cable stations and you have digital or HDTV channels, the Coby TV is prone to failure. It gives you one shot to auto tune the channels. After it finds available channels, which it did well, if you power off the device and unplug, it will give you a "no database" error message and no longer display the channels. Once this error code appears, according to Coby, it can not be undone and the device's internal chip cannot re-tune channels. Restoring the device to factory settings fails. There is nothing in the manual about this problem, or warnings about it, and they just claim returning it is only option. They claim its a problem with the manufacturing. If you search the internet for this problem with the Coby LCD TV, you will find many postings about it. Buyers beware.My first impression of the Coby Under-The-Cabinet TV/DVD player is that it is flimsy and cheap. The screen is a bit loose and just doesn't feel like it's put together all that well. I'm afraid that one of these days when I'm putting the screen up or down that it's going to break so I have to be very gentle with it.
Now with that said, it has a pretty good picture when watching TV and an "OK" picture when watching a DVD. Don't know why it would be different, but it does seem to be. Maybe it's the DVD's optics. The sound is GREAT when watching TV, but I had to crank up the volume all of the way when I was watching a DVD. Oh, and there's no headphone jack on this. Yes, where I have this mounted I would like a headphone jack even though MOST people who buy one of these really wouldn't care.
OH, and it's REALLY a 10.2 inch, not 10. Amazon needs to change the description.
All in all it's a pretty decent unit. I'd recommend it.After reading all of the other negative feedback about this item, I decided to give it a try myself.
It arrived very quickly. The box itself is constructed rather thin so I did tear it partially when I picked it up around the handle. That would be why there is a handle there... Don't forget to use it.
I opened the box and everything was there except the mounting template... Oh well, I am a man so I continued...
I immediately read the instructions. I did not like the instructions. The installation was easy; however, the wording in the installation instructions appeared funny. It explains to use the mounting template, which I could not find right off the bat because it was wrapped in with the screen under the packing foam. The mounting took about 5 minutes. I forgot to check the side of the cabinet and the size of the player and it turned out I had to offset the player to compensate for the cables coming out of the player on the back wall. I had to mount the front of the player about a 1/4 inch out away from the bottom of the cabinet to give about a 2 1/2 inch gap between the wall and the back of the player.
After all the connections were made, I powered up the tv. (NOTE: There is a FM Radio attenna which I could not plug in. It was as if the attenna plug was smaller than the plug on the player. I ended up not using it and have to make my own antenna to use the FM radio.
The programming portion scared me a little. In many of the other reviews many people said that if you programed it wrong it would brick the player and you could only use if for DVD/CD and FM/AM Radio. After reading the programing instructions I can see why. The programming portion I believe could be aggrivating to some people but it looks very common sense based so there is some guessing with common sense involved. I think to make it easier, they should explain it in better detail and include a step by step photo guide. Auto Progamming the tv took about 5-8 minutes. Be sure to let it run and stop on it's own do not cancel out of it if you think it hangs.
The picture quality is not that bad for a 10.2" however it is somewhat smaller. I started to think about returning it for a 15" but now that it's installed I am going to keep it. I added some photos of the player after I installed it. The TFT display does the normal straight on view. At an angle the screen can appear dark or blank which is normal.
The speaker quality was good and clear. There however is no lows in it. It's about mid range. If you're used to the bass in a surround sound station you would be disappointed but this was for my son to mainly watch so I am not all that worried about it.
There is a little delay when changing modes from DVD/CD TV AV FM/AM and DVD/CD play loading takes a few seconds to perform.
All and All not a bad buy.
Recommendations to you before buying:
1. Be sure there is a cable outlet next to the power outlet (I had to install the cable outlet.)
2. Measure the cabinet space and then subtract about 2 1/2 inches from it to accomodate space for wiring. What you have left over is the true space you have to work with and compare that with the player. Also, you will need to take into consideration as to whether or not there is a lip under the cabinet if so, you need something for spacers to make sure the player is flush on the bottom of the cabinet.
I hope that you find this review helpful and good luck to you on the installation!!
3. Follow the instructions. Meaning read them first a few time through before the installation.I ordered this TV for my newly renovated kitchen and have used it for a month. So far I love it -have not used the radio or DVD yet. The only thing I will say negative is that they did not supply any plastic mounting spacers that go between the TV and the underside of the cabinet to keep the TV mounted under the edge of the cabinet. I cut some 3/4" thick wood pieces to take us this space and it worked fine. Picture qulaity is very good using Verizon Fios cable.
Nokia E71 Unlocked Phone with 3.2 MP Camera, 3G, Media Player, GPS Navigation, Free Voice Navigation
comparison to competitors: function-wise, it has all the features blackberry's and the iphone 3g have. however, the e71 is much smaller than both (just put the e71 side to side with the blackberry curve and the iphone and they both look like monsters compared to the e71). i have no complaints with the 3g and 3.5g (umts/hsdpa), and I'm not sure what the other reviewer was talking about-it must be a network/area dependent problem. i live in the SF bay area and i almost always connect to the 3.5g network with att and the internet is extremely fast, comparable to web browsing on a computer with broadband cable access. i really dont like the all touch screen of the iphone, so i would never consider it. i was debating between the curve and e71, but e71 beats it in both function and form-factor. the e71 has a umts/hsdpa, 3mp camera, and better battery life. all the rest (OS mainly) is just up to personal preference.
concluding remarks: if you ask "why should I get the e71", i would answer with these points based on what "I" feel is most important:
very fast 3G capability
excellent size, feel, and look,
speedy processor with no lag in navigation
improved OS and great computer connection software (nokia pc suite)
long battery life
3MP camera with flash
comes with carrying case, carrying strap, stereo earphones, and data cable
and lastly, did i mention that this is the most beautiful i have ever seen? see one for yourself (i know its hard b/c they dont really have them in stores) and you will love the look and feel of it.Some notes to consider for this phone:
3G -Despite Amazon saying this is the US Version of the phone (which it is,) this phone does NOT work with T-mobile 3G in the US. T-Mobile 3G in the US uses the 1700 mhz spectrum (you can read on wikipedia as for the reasons why) and there are no 3G roaming agreements with AT&Ts 3G spectrum like there is with EDGE. That being said, I have found that EDGE is fast enough for my web browsing and e-mail use (220 kbps+.) Using GSM/EDGE only also more than doubles your battery life, so this is not an entirely bad thing for T-Mobile users. The 10 hours talk-time and 17 day standby is no joke with GSM either.
Network Settings -Nokia has a great website that will text you all the internet, voicemail, and MMS settings for your carrier to the unlocked phone.
Bluetooth Tethering -This phone does not tether with Mac OS 10.4 Tiger. It does tether perfectly with 10.5 Leopard. It tethers with Windows XP via included Nokia PC Suite. It would be nice if a Mac suite were included from Nokia but Apple provides everything necessary with Leopard. It obviously tethers perfectly with Nokia N800/N810.
GPS -The GPS in the phone is first class with both an actual GPS receiver and assisted GPS through cell tower. It works much better than my TomTom One especially indoors. The phone comes with a great program called Maps but the only drawback (and it is a HUGE drawback) is that you have to pay a monthly fee to use any sort of route guidance. You're allowed to see your position and browse maps for free but if you want to plan a route it costs extra. It comes with a 7 day trial that you should save for emergencies in my opinion.
Networks in General -This phone works great on both AT&T and T-Mobile but each has their drawbacks. AT&T has the faster network but limits you to 5Gb/month bandwidth and charges extra to tether. T-Mobile allows actual unlimited data on EDGE and allows free tethering to any device but has the slower "2.75G" EDGE data network. Wifi is available on the phone and works flawlessly.
Third Party Apps -Two must have apps are the S60 Divx player and the Slick IM client (AIM, Jabber, Etc.) The Nokia mail client works great and a third party solution is not necessary.
All in all this is a first class phone whose only missing feature is a touch screen. Depending on your need for a QWERTY keyboard I would say this and the N95 are battling it out for best phone in the world right now.As the first phone to run on the US 3G network (and in some areas even faster 3.5 G), I was wondering how well this would work as a modem for my laptop for accessing the internet.
Guess what? I'm using this regularly now to connect my macbook to the internet! I'm giving up my mobile aircard (which costs about $ 70 per month) and I'm just using my unlimited mobile internet. Another positive no need to take out the usb aircard dongle and insert it into the side of the laptop each time I need to use it!
The connection is fast enough to download video and music (you tube etc. will work fine both on the phone and the tethered mac) but the phone gets hot when it's used as a modem. It also uses a lot of power so for long time use as a modem, I'd keep it plugged into the charger.
Joikuspot is the software I used ($ 25 for a perpetual license) to tether my phone to the macbook so I can use internet.
I'm happy that MS office comes built in. I'm able to import my financial worksheets (even big ones where I do financial modelling) and it still works fast.
Fring works well on these phone much better than on the Nokia N95. With Fring and my Skype call-out account, I can carry on telephone conversations with almost as much clarity as using my skype on the laptop. In the N95 (which is also a great cellphone), the processor isn't fast enough to allow phone conversations the voice quality is so degraded that it's barely understandable. Apparently, Nokia placed a very powerful processor in this machine.
And since it has a fast processor, all the applications open almost instantly and my cousin, a Blackberry curve user was so impressed with the speed he said it's the next phone he'll get.
Another excellent software I like using with this phone is my Salling Clicker. I use it for remotely controlling itunes in my laptop (like when there's a party and I was to change albums or artists from my phone) or clicking to the next slide in my powerpoint presentation or fast forwarding my DVD player to the next chapter.
This is a lot of technology for the money and I highly recommend it to everyone!Ive used this E71 for three months now. Im over my initial high, so here are comments from after the honeymoon:
1) keys are small; needs practice. better to type in one hand. it's like learning to use a typewriter for the first time, but youll get used to it in about three weeks of constant use. set aside the backup phone in the mean time. cant practice by instinct if you have a second phone, for that second number, with conventional keys. youll just be confused.
2) leather case is badly thought of. awkward when you take the phone out. high probability to drop the phone when you pull it out in a hurry. dropped mine several times while driving... i know it's bad to do this but there you go.
3) the red dot for the power button is weirdly misplaced. seems Nokia ran out of same-colored plastic while making this phone, then suddenly saw red plastic remnant from another model. weird but I LOVE IT. brings character to this model.
4) there's a nifty autofocus feature. while in camera mode, press letter t. it substitutes for the half-press in digicams (why is this instruction not in the manual?)
5) there's also a white balance option in the camera. amazing to have that shade option.
6) signal seems to be fluctuating in this phone. I have a second phone, under the same network, which reads a stable high bar, while E71's reception is jumping from 1 bar to four wildly. (is this a hardware or software problem)
7) no blackberry support. demmit, you two companies get your act together.
8) great for internet browsing.
9) i wish there is an indication somewhere to make sure that youre using wifi while surfing; not the expensive network.
10) FANTASTIC battery juice.
11) after charging from power off, do not power on immediately. seems to hang (coming from power off) that way.
12) definitely reasonably priced
13) when you open your appointment note and clicked again, does not automatically turn to edit note (unlike in the e51)
14) should have had that separate ctrl key to have that full ctrl+v, ctrl+z, ctrl+x, full-keyboard experience.
15) not much annoying lags. very responsive.
16) i like very much that the screen turns off after some time to save power. just have to press middle button to see time or if there are any missed calls and messages.
17) also do not turn on while charging. (coming from off). seems to hang.
Great investment overall. But as you can glean, still has a big room for improvement... some of it just firmware-based perhaps.This is the most versatile smartphone on the market but it isn't for everyone. It took me a month of trial and error and of Internet searches to learn how to make all the features work. But for what I wanted, nothing else on the market compares.
The Nokia E71's competitors are the iPhone and the Blackberry, but unlike its competitors, Nokia makes unlocked phones. This means the E71 can be used on any GSM network and, more importantly, it means you don't have to sign up for the expensive data plans of cellular phone companies unless you are sure you need them. This was important to me because I wasn't sure that I did. And after two months, I have found that I almost never do. Owning the E71 is like picking from the ala carte menu at a restaurant rather than ordering the full course meal. You can pick which services you want from your cellular carrier on a daily basis, if you want, without committing yourself to two-year contracts and hundreds of dollars in fees.
As with other smartphones, the E71 serves as phone, PDA, MP3 player, GPS device, and low-resolution video camera all wrapped into a cellphone-sized package with Internet access, email, and games thrown in to boot.
Let me give the specifics that were important to me. First is GPS. After you buy the phone, you go to the Nokia Web site and download for free the mapping software and maps you need. I downloaded a complete U.S. map. This means, when I walk outside and invoke the GPS function, the E71 will spend a few minutes calculating my location and then track my movements on a map. I was on an Interstate the other day and the phone announced that I was exceeding the speed limit. If you want turn by turn directions, you have to subscribe on a monthly basis either from Nokia or from your carrier, but if you are like me and can get close to where you want on your own and only need help with the last few blocks, the E71 will does that for free. Or, if you are lost, it will show you where you are on a map and you can take it from there.
Second, if you want to go online over WiFi at hotspots, the E71 can do that. I wanted something to carry in my pocket at home to alert me to email so I wouldn't have to keep checking my computer. The E71 can use "push" email through WiFi, so whenever you establish a WiFi connection it will check your email and play a tune of your choosing when email arrives.
Third, there are times when having a cellular data connection comes in handy. The E71's can calculate its GPS position in seconds with a few kilobytes of download from the cellular carrier instead of the minutes needed to make that calculation on its own. Or if you are bored and want to check your email and there's no WiFi around, you can tell the E71 to use a cellular network. Now, if you take an unlimited data plan from your carrier and AT&T requires this for the iPhone and Blackberry the cost is $30 per month. But AT&T sells kilobytes for a penny. So, getting my GPS position quickly cost me 6 cents and downloading five emails cost about the same. This is why I concluded that I don't need an unlimited data plan from my carrier. Someone who regularly needs Web access is probably better off with an unlimited data plan.
Fourth, the quality of Nokia products has always been unsurpassed, and the E71 is no exception. The MP3 player is better than the Sansas I own. The camera shouldn't be compared to a dedicated digital camera, but it's perfectly fine for a cellphone camera. The screen is smaller than the iPhones, but I shouldn't need to tell you that. The E71 is somewhat smaller and a lot more rugged. Its battery is user-replaceable and lasts longer than most other smartphones. Plus, a battery costs about $10, so you can carry a spare if you want.
There is a learning curve with the E71 that many will not like. As I said, it took me almost a month to get the features I wanted functioning. What is more, not all those functions are intuitive, and some take too many button presses. But the phone seems less dumbed down than its competitors, so that although it may take some time to figure out how to make it do what you want, you don't have to fork out more money for special software applications to do these things for you.
TrekStor i.Beat Classico FM 2 GB MP3 Player (Black and white)
- Sleek silver digital audio player with 2 GB flash memory and built-in FM tuner
- Supports MP3, WMA, and OGG audio formats; line-in recording to MP3
- Compatible with secure WMA-DRM9 music services; dual headphone jacks for 2 listeners
- 8 preset equalizer settings; 2-color OLED screen; 20 station presets
- Lithium-polymer battery; measures 2.7 x 1.1 x 0.5 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty
The FM recording, on the other hand, is pretty awful. I have a hard time getting a good signal to begin with. When I do get a decent signal, if I press record, the static increases. Wierd.
The microphone recording works extremely well. I have randomly had very static recordings that were definitely introduced by the player somehow. But that didn't happen often.
Mp3 playback is decent, but riddled with infrequent problems like random static (solved by skipping away from the song, and then skipping back to it).
There's a loud *thud* when you turn it on, and another when you turn it off. Sometimes I have the player plugged into my car stereo, and the thud is extremely loud!
Lastly, it's very small, and I used my thumb nail to push most of the "buttons" on the player. That was kind of annoying...
Unfortunately, I can't recommend this player to anyone. It was cool when it worked (which was most of the time), but the fact that it wasn't 99% reliable hurt its reputation with me.
HTC Amaze 4G Android Phone, White (T-Mobile)
This phone is smoking fast. The UI is snappy and I've experienced 0 lag switching between programs even while streaming a movie over the 4G connection. I've downloaded and installed 10+ apps in the past few days including Netflix, a yahoo fantasy football app, a few games, a few social networking and chat apps as well as 3 different game emulators. I had 0 issues with installing any of the apps on this phone. When the 4G connection is active, webpages actually load faster than on my laptop over a local WiFi-n connection.
I've read reviews of HTC phones having issues with the quality of the speaker. I was able to use this phone in the middle of a very noisy state fair, surrounded by screaming kids, rides and other distractions without having to plug my other ear to hear the caller's voice. My friend later told me that he had no issues hearing me either. I find that the speakerphone works well, but the sound quality is better when I flip the phone over. My wife says I sound like I'm on a land line when I use the speakerphone, and the sound coming thru the speaker was not tin-cannish.
The screen is amazing. There's a handy app built into the phone that tells you what is draining the battery the most. After quickly draining the phone (4 hours) a few times, I discovered this app and saw that the screen was eating up 95% of the battery life. Changing the brightness of the screen to the lowest setting greatly increased the battery life, but it still looks great when dimmed.
The camera is snappy. I can take pictures as quickly as I can hit the button and they look amazing. The auto-focus can sometimes be finicky in low-light situations, but overall I have to say this could easily replace my $250 Sony point-and-shoot camera, and I haven't even begun to touch all of the camera modes on the Amaze. The video is fantastic as well. When viewing the 1080p playback on my tv, my family was blown away with the quality of the picture. The sound capture on the video could be a little better, but that is a minor deterrent.
If there is one major drawback to the Amaze, it would have to be POP3 email issues. I found the POP3 email delivery system / syncing adequate at best when using Hotmail and a school email account. Gmail syncs well, so if that is your only email address, you should be fine with this phone. POP3 emails seem to disappear and reappear whenever they want, deleted emails sometimes don't stay deleted and I occasionally receive notifications for emails I've already read. I'm a systems analyst and even when working with T-Mobile support and trying to tweak every syncing setting there is, we could not get this to perform as well as a BlackBerry with regards to email delivery. That being said, the official Hotmail app from Microsoft works without a hitch on this phone. I installed that and it has been smooth sailing ever since.
Battery life is not awesome on this phone if you use it for anything besides email / calls / texting. However, I didn't expect it to be with the qHD Super LCD display and when running everything else that I do (Facebook, games, streaming video, messaging apps, taking pictures/video). I'm getting between 5-6 hours of battery life before I hit the 15% mark. Installing JuiceDefender from the Android Market helped the life, as well as disabling Bluetooth and the GPS connection.
Few other quick points:
The FM radio and MP3s sound wonderful over headphones / earbuds. No distortion.
The GPS navigation works better than my 2 year old Garmin, and syncing Google map directions with calendar entries is easy and helpful.
This phone is slightly weightier than the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S2, but for me this is a bonus. I prefer using a phone that doesn't feel like it could snap in half if I sit on it by accident.
If you are up in the air between the HTC Amaze and the Samsung Galaxy S2, you really can't go wrong either way. Go into a T-Mobile store and play with each as I did to see what your personal preference is. Enjoy!
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Update:
As another reviewer has statedHTC Amaze 4G Android Phone, Black (T-Mobile), the sound quality of recorded video is not that great. Since I've had more time to play with mine I've noticed that in some instances it is very hard to hear people speaking unless they are looking directly at the phone.
I've also seen a remarkable jump in battery life since updating the Amaze with software version 1.36.531.6. I can now use the phone for 12+ hours before hitting 15% most days (in good coverage areas).Most beautiful, highest-quality hardware on the market. You can tell HTC takes a lot of pride in this phone. It's stylized down to the 'Sense' user interface, surely the most impressive UI on any device.
Aside from obvious aesthetic appeal, 'Amaze' is a significant upgrade from the Sensation. HTC addressed most of my gripes w/ Sensation by giving Amaze a hardware camera button, more onboard memory, more RAM & more ghz. Multi-tasking is effortless. Amaze can run a number of memory-intensive programs without as much as hiccup, and does so with style. To put it bluntly, the Amaze throws down the gauntlet.
The device also runs on T-Mobile's 42mbps 4G network, provided you live in one of T-Mobile's 4G regions. I do, and the service is no where near as consistent as their 3G service. The highest download speeds I've reached on SpeedTest is 4mbps download. Theoretically, it can reach much faster speeds & some tests on YouTube have reflected as much as 12. I'm less impressed w/T-Mobile's 4G, but let's not blame that on the Amaze.
As with any device, and impressive as the Amaze is, it comes w/a few disappointments. The ability to shoot in 1080p is a big deal and, as w/the Sensation, the audio recording quality is unacceptable. You can hear a sample by searching YouTube for (HTC Amaze 4G 1080p Camera Test| Booredatwork) or (HTC Amaze 4G 1080p HD Video Sample). HD looks, LD sound. The end result of the video is more important than style & process. So, if you're looking to take advantage of one of this phone's major selling points recording in HD this might not be the best device.
Secondly, although the screen in quarter HD, it's not quite as vivid, bright or impressive as some of it's competition.
iPHONE 4S (Requisite comparison)
The iPhone isn't really in the same league. It's an incredible device, but it's just an app tray squares on a screen. As a result, iPhones are generally far more consistent. They are also less glitch/bug prone than Androids. If you're new to Android, this will take getting used to. The Apple is a bit smoother because it doesn't have to do much more than launch apps. We don't expect a multi-functional SUV to be as smooth as a basic car. iPhones have no widgets, no multiple homescreens, (still) no full flash browser, no customization, no memory card, no removable battery, no keyboard options, no homescreen replacements, smaller screen... You get the idea. iPhones don't do much more than host/open apps. iPhones are well-designed, user-friendly & have wonderful cameras, but they're tract phones. Pretty basic & that has broad appeal. If you think you need Siri, Android already has Vlingo & Iris. If you're a busy career and/or family person, or not too good w/ technology, however, the iPhone is definitely better for you because it takes less time to configure, learn & operate. Not a matter of better/worse. There's something for everyone.
As HTC comes out with a new flagship seemingly every month, however, this phone will not hold its value as well as an iPhone, which is released only once a year. Like Samsung, HTC is known for creating buyers' remorse by coming out with something better only weeks after you pay $100s for their flagship release. Be prepared for that.
ANDROID & de Führer Google
There is *a lot* to configure & customize on a high-end Android. Busy, older folks will either be overwhelmed, or proceed w/o a clue as to what this device can actually do, in spite of having paid for it. Secondly, Androids are *very* Googley. When you sync your Google account, be prepared for folks you've emailed once, 8 years ago, to show up on your phone. If you have a Picasa album, all of your photos will be automatically downloaded to you phone. If you erase them, all of the images will be deleted from Picasa online as well. Even storing phone numbers poses you with questions of storing to phone, SIM card... or Google. The same with calendar entries. Google is very invasive. Android has a lot of options, choices, customization, questions, combinations, permutations... It's like asking for water & the waiter spends 5 minutes asking sparkling or flat?... chilled or room temp?.... w/ or w/o ice?... large or small?... green glass or blue?... with straw or w/o?... It's overkill & obtrusive. Android won't win any prizes for being user-friendly, but it will for being thoroughly customizable.
GALAXY S II
Amaze's only real competition on T-Mobile, at the moment, is Samsung's Galaxy S II. The GS2 has a larger screen which, depending on your tastes & size, may or may not be a plus. The GS2 can be used on AT&T's network, should you hold onto the device long enough to weather the possible merger. The GS2 has the most beautiful screen colors & saturation, but Amaze has slightly higher pixel density. They're both very competitive.
In the end, this is a dual core, HD device. If you provide HD imaging, you should provide the corresponding audio for it. Amaze fails to deliver on the basics decent audio recording for videos. If you're not big on shooting videos w/ the HD shooter, then one is as good as the other. However, as 1080p is one of the primary selling points for this device (& you pay for it), the Amaze takes a significant back seat in audio quality to Galaxy S II. The audio it produces from recorded videos is an embarrassment, frankly. (You can compare video-audio quality for the competition on YouTube as well.) For this reason, I give it 4 stars. This is the only area where Amaze fails to live up to its name. It is, otherwise, an impressive device inside & out.
Buy HTC Amaze 4G Android Phone, White (T-Mobile) Now
...there are a couple of issues.Pros: Blazingly fast, super sharp LCD pixel density...text is notable sharper on this than the Galaxy S2, but the Galaxy has better color saturation so this screen looks a little washed out side by side. Your pick, better color or sharper picture. Sense interface: It just makes sense! It rings louder when it's in your pocket, you can silence the ringer at a meeting instantly by setting it face down, the web browser re-wraps text when you zoom in on web pages (I'm unaware of any other phone browser that does this) which is a HUGE plus for me (on most phones, the text is either too small or doesn't fit on the screen. This phone solves that). The camera really can replace a digital point and shoot (you know the kind, the little pocket ones)...the camera really IS that good.
Cons: Here's the really big one: This phone is cancelled already! They are only selling what is left in stock. There are very few accessories that fit this phone. It's notably heavier than the Galaxy S2. Some users report that the back cover gets squeaky over time. The buttons on the bottom light up which bleeds into the screen at the bottom when you view something dark. The battery life on this is about half that of the Galaxy S2 (when I got it, it would make it about 9-10 hours on a charge. Now that I'm over the wow factor, it lasts morning 'til bed (since I don't fiddle with it and play games on it anymore). Oh, and it's cheaper at T-mobile than here at Amazon!
I love this phone, but know that there will probably only be one more update and then nothing. It is scheduled to get Android 4.0.3 sometime in the next month or 3.
UPDATE: T-Mobile raised the price back to $230 since this review.
Read Best Reviews of HTC Amaze 4G Android Phone, White (T-Mobile) Here
I love this phone. Hands down much better than the IPhone and Galexy SII. The reason I gave an adverage score is because Amazon doesn't send the full package. When you buy yourphone from Wirefly, Newegg or even Tmobile the Htc Amaze come with 16gig SD card. Now... I got my Amaze from Amazon and it was the phoneonlyfor$200.Imagine how mad I was to buy a phone with Zero memory! A brand new 16gig SD card cost about $60. Now my phone has cost me $260. At Tmobile or wirefly the phone cost $220 with the card already.Don't waste your money on Amazon. Phone is missing the SD Card. So buy from a site that come with the card for only 20 bucks more :)
Sony ICF-CS15IPBLK - clock radio (ICFCS15IPBLK) -
- Rich, clear sound
- Charge while you listen
- Pick your player
- Flexible dock connector
- Dock App
I am still using my Walkman and do not have an ipod but I would assume that the sound quality is as good as that produced by the radio. In sum, I found it well worth the price and feel comfortable recommending it.I bought this for use in office and it does a good job at that. Obviously, I do not intend to fill the room with music but the sound is clear and sharp, the remote is easy to use, and it looks good. It is well worth the price.
Soundfreaq SFQ-01W Sound Platform Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (White)
- Signature sound profile crafted for natural bass response, vocal clarity and full stereo separation.
- Docking Apple 30-Pin Connector supports docking iPhone and iPod devices
- Aux in 3.5mm line in jack accepts input from any device with standard headphone jack
- Custom engineered, Kevlar-reinforced 2x4ohm, 2.75" full range drivers balanced drivers, acoustically tuned dual-port chamber or UQ3 processor.
- Bluetooth Wireless Pair and Play to wirelessly stream audio from any compatible A2DP Bluetooth device including .
1. It should work with an iPhone 4 in a bumper case.
2: I should be able to use it with non-Apple devices using the AUX input.
I first purchased the Philips Fidelio DS8500 Speaker Dock with Remote for iPod/iPhone (White/Silver) (Note: I have posted of review there as well) based on the good reviews on Amazon but returned it because it wouldn't allow the iPhone4 to dock with the bumper case and there was an omnipresent hum when I used the AUX input. The sound quality however was excellent. I then purchased the Soundfreaq and was able able to compare it with the Phillips before I shipped the Phillips. Here are my conclusions:
1. Sound: Phillips wins hands down. The bass is fuller and it can be played at a higher volume. Having said that, the Soundfreaq is no laggard. The bass isn't as deep but the sound over all is excellent. My wife listens mostly to older Indian songs and podcasts, neither of which requires big thumping bass. Both genres are more vocal oriented and the Soundfreaq does a good job. I have a different system for my periodic dose of classic rock/metal and any sound dock in this price range will most likely not do the trick anyways.
2. Connectivity and convenience: The Soundfreaq is the outright winner. The iPhone4 connects without any adapters even with the bumper case. No problems! Even better, I don't even need to actually mount the iPhone on the dock because of Bluetooth connectivity. It took 5 7 minutes from the moment I signed the UPS receipt for the box to having a song from the iPhone 4 playing through this dock via bluetooth. It works like a charm. Setup is a breeze and the convenience of Bluetooth is a HUGE plus. Similarly, I was able to connect my Blackberry via Bluetooth, so I no longer need to use the AUX input for my BB. The device can stay in your pocket or you can do something else on it while the music plays through the dock. Also, the AUX input works perfectly with no background hum like the Phillips.
3. FM radio: Works fine on the Soundfreaq. Not present on the Phillips. This isn't a very big differentiator but since I'm spending more for the Soundfreaq, its nice to get more too.
4. Looks/aesthetics: both systems look pretty good. I liked the Phillips but the retro, vacuum-tube radio like design of the Soundfreaq is very nice.
5. iPhone app: Phillips' app is buggy, clunky and is more of a hindrance. Soundfreq app does what it is supposed to and stays out of the way. Neither app needs to be used but the Soundfreq app doesn't irritate like the Phillips.
Conclusions:
1. If you want deeper bass and all round richer sound, go with the Phillips. I am however very satisfied with the Soundfreaq in this department.
2. The convenience of the Soundfreaq cannot be matched by the Phillips. I really like the fact that I can switch on bluetooth on my phone (I don't have it running all the time to conserve battery), connect and I'm in business from anywhere in the room. No wires. No need to even get close to the actual dock.
3. Soundfreaq is more expensive, and more than what I was planning to spend but I think I'm getting decent value for the extra money.
I'm happy with my purchase of the Soundfreaq and more important, the wife loves it. I'm keeping it and will ship back the Phillips.
Buy Soundfreaq SFQ-01W Sound Platform Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (White) Now
After laboring in the satanic mills of Amazon's customer reviews for some five years, I finally have a product that makes me want to sing with joy. So, this is not the technical type review you have probably already seen about the Sound Freaq bluetooth music player.A little confession here: I got this beauty on a one day Amazon special for about one hundred and fifty dollars (trying to avoid the Amazon bot that erases prices and URLs gratuitously supplied by customers) and am I ever happy! Unboxing revealed a well designed package with a really big power brick which was at least as big as the one my laptop uses. I think it's three amps at about eighteen volts with a reasonably long cord. I straightened out the wire antenna, and plugged it in the back to see how it got my local FM. It starts off by scanning from low to high. Got my local classical station, turned up the volume to about 20 out of 30, and listened to some of the best FM I've heard for a while. FM scrunches the dynamic range a bit normally but it looks like the engineers at Sound Freaq have its number: the dynamic range was the best I've heard from FM, so it looks like I'll be able to enjoy my local stations much more now.
I didn't test the external sound input feature nor the iPhone input either. But the bluetooth got my attention right away. I bought this unit to use it with my iPad so after reading the handy quick use guide on the top of the box inside I went online and downloaded the Soundfreaq remote app in the iTunes app store. It's fairly basic as a remote. It has a drop down menu of your iTunes songs. But you don't need the app. After you are paired, just go into the ipod music app and make a selection. You should get the sound immediately.
First, though, set the Sound Freaq unit to bluetooth mode, duh!, a little nicety I forgot it won't pair up unless you do. Next go into your iPad/iPhone/iPod system management (you should know where that is) to make sure bluetooth is ON.
Next, if they are now pairing successfully, all you have to do is touch the SOUND DEVICE bar on the same page to tell the iThingee to pair up. Voilà!
As you are pairing devices, an orange bar in the center of the lower part of your Sound Freaq starts blinking every three seconds and keeps doing so until you turn one of the devices off. Keeps you from wondering if your bluetooth connection is up; it's hard not to notice.
If the Sound Freaq wide dispersion mode is on, you will not be able to adjust the bass and treble. Get out of that feature if you want to adjust manually. Don't know why anyone would want to do that, though. The sound dispersion, base down to one hundred cycles (hertz), and fantastic mids and treble amounts to the best you are ever going to get from a unit this size and price.
As a matter of fact, I placed this on top of my two Polk tower speakers side by side: a good use for them since I never was really happy with their performance coupled with my Onkyo 50 watt receiver. Can you imagine being happier with the Sound Freaq than with a dedicated receiver and tower speakers?
And I don't mean to disparage that fine brand of small radios and CD players made in Framingham, Massachusetts either, but frankly this is a much better deal. My advice is don't pass it up. I'm thinking of getting another for the patio ...
UPDATE:
Have to remember that when attempting to link a bluetooth device such as my cell phone music function or my iPad, set your bluetooth enabled device to searching function, then set the Soundreaq to bluetooth and REMEMBER to press the tiny LINK button on the extreme right side. I haven't had any problem since I started remembering to do that!!
Read Best Reviews of Soundfreaq SFQ-01W Sound Platform Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (White) Here
Great sound, huge base. Clear and sharp. The wireless feature makes it even better. in our home we have Bose wave, bose dock, two diff Sony dock, and tivoli. Tivoi sound is the best, this unit is on the level of bose. Very good buy for around 150.Want Soundfreaq SFQ-01W Sound Platform Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (White) Discount?
What a great sounding piece of equipment!I compared it to a Bose SoundDock and it sounds better than the Bose unit. The Bose unit demo music sounded muddy compared to the SFQ-01 unit playing my own music from my iPhone 4.
The SFQ-1 definitely sounds better than the smaller SFQ-02, with fuller range, richer sound.
In the store I listened to some Dubstep (Swagga by Excision & Datsik) just to see how it would perform and it sounded awesome. The bass reproduction is surprising. I then tried Barbara Hendricks singing Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 and it sounded great too. The vocals were crisp and beautiful. Somehow it wound up in my shopping cart and I brought it home.
I'm listening to Vladimir Horowitz playing Beethoven Piano Sonata #14 "Moonlight" and the sound is amazing.
I also listened to Selena Gomez' Love You Like a Love Song and it sounded great too. Janine Jansen's violin work on "15 Two-part inventions" sounded amazing too.
Incidentally, My MacBook Pro is paired with the SFQ-01 via Bluetooth (i.e. wirelessly). This is going to be so awesome to have the SFQ-01 in my bedroom, the laptop in the living room where it lives, and I have the Apple Remote app on my phone so I can control iTunes on the laptop. Of course I could pair the SFQ-01 with my phone, or just dock the phone in the SFQ-01 and use the SFQ-01 remote to control it. So many great wireless possibilities!
My one complaint: the orange bar blinks on for 3 seconds, then off for 3 seconds and repeats. That's one of my idiosyncrasies, I don't like blinky things. I'm going to contact their tech support to see if there is a way to make it stop doing that.
To summarize:
Great sound.
Great connectivity.
Great styling.
Priced lower than any AirPlay device with many more connectivity options.Read numerous favorable reviews of the Soundfreaq Sound Platform and decided to give it a try. I was looking for a speaker that could be used with my iPhone as well as my computer and was intrigued by the Bluetooth connectivity. The FM radio was a nice bonus as well. After listening for a week, however, I decided to return the unit.
The sound quality, while good, was not great. The speaker has more low end than you'd expect given its size but the highs were not clearly distinguishable to my ear. Tweaking EQ settings in iTunes helped some but not enough for me. At this price point, I'd hoped for better sound.
Additionally, when using Bluetooth, the quality suffers even more. Perhaps Bluetooth simply doesn't have the bandwidth to pass hifi audio but I noticed that cymbals and other high-frequency sounds often "sizzled" in an irritating way.
Lastly, the dock will not accept an iPhone 3GS with a case. My phone has the minimalist Incipio Feather case but even this was too bulky to allow the phone to be docked. Though a minor annoyance, it's still an annoyance nonetheless to remove the case each time you want to dock the phone.
While I loved the aesthetics of the Sound Platform and the principle behind some features (Bluetooth wireless, FM radio), the sound quality wasn't good enough for me to justify the price tag.
Philips AD300/37 Docking Speaker
- Bass Reflex Speaker System delivers a powerful, deeper bass
- Compact design for any space, any lifestyle
- LED clock display for clear time viewing
- Play and charge your iPod/iPhone simultaneously
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If you buy the Phillips docking station in the store it'll cost over $59.00. It's sound is perfect for what I need, it's not a Bose but if you looking for a trustworthy sound system this is it. The reason I didn't buy a Bose system is because I live in a dorm and I was afraid someone would steal it, not that I want someone to steal my Phillips. It's a great sound system for the money. Compared to some of the other docking stations out there, this one is great.Read Best Reviews of Philips AD300/37 Docking Speaker Here
I bought this particular speaker because it doesn't have a "pocket" that the device rests in while it charges. That makes it so you can charge iPhones, iPods and even iPads even with a case or cover on. It works beautifully for all our devices and it's so convenient for all members of our family to just set it on to charge up any time. I keep this speaker in the kitchen so I can listen to music and podcasts while I'm busy in there, but the music often attracts the kids or my husband, and we have a good time being together listening, dancing, cleaning, whatever. The sound is clear and loud. The bass sounds a little stuffy, but I wasn't going for high-end audio quality with this. It was 100 percent worth the money, and I would buy another one. Also, my clock does not display military time. It shows regular 12 hour format.Want Philips AD300/37 Docking Speaker Discount?
The thing worked great for a few months. I imagine the 5 star/happy reviews must have come during this honeymoon period, before the devil entered their equipment. The first sign of its downward spiral: I'd start to play music from my iTunes on it, my phone would claim the music was going, but nothing came out of the speakers. I thought the speakers were shot and mourned the loss of my hard earned money on a piece of crap. About fifteen minutes later, I nearly had a heart attack when the music started playing. Luckily I wasn't doing any home surgery or standing in an oil slick at the time. It still functions like this. I start playing the music, and despite all my wishes and curses at the thing, it won't be told when it should or shouldn't play music. I think it's possessed.I don't remember if this came around the time of an update, as another reviewer mentioned. I know it hasn't been working properly since, maybe late spring or early summer. I don't remember what updates went on around that time.
It quit grabbing the time for about 2 months, and just blinked incessantly. Suddenly it now shows the time. The wrong time. I don't even know how that's possible. I don't remember if it was only military time before this, as others have complained about, but it is now. And I don't have my phone set to military time. I can subtract pretty well, so this doesn't bother me as much. But having to subtract because of military time, and the added incorrect time, now that's way too much work.
I'm not getting rid of it just yet, as it does keep the phone charged and I'm just not ready to cough up more money on a new speaker/iPhone set up just yet. Once it ceases doing that job too (which I expect will be any day now), I'll cast it down into the depths of hell from which it came. And won't be buying any more Philips products.I got this for Christmas last year (2011) to use with my iPhone 4. For the short period of time that the speaker worked, it was awesome. I especially liked that it worked with my protective case on the phone.
Then I did an update of the iOS. Since then it has been a large charging dock on my desk...no sound from the speakers, no time display.
At that time Philips customer service said they would have to work on an update. Now a year later, I called customer support today, 11/20/2012, I was told the same thing.
So if you have an iPhone that you aren't ever going to update the operating system then this is the speaker/dock for you.
NAXA NRC-171 PLL Digital Dual Alarm Clock with AM/FM Radio, Snooze and Large LED Display (Black Lacq
- PLL digital AM/FM radio tuner
- 10 AM and 10 FM radio station presets with dual alarm function
- Large 0.9 inch LED display
- Wake up to radio or alarm with snooze and sleep function
- UL/ETL approved AC adaptor
The first clock/radio purchased would not turn on or allow programming.
Amazon replaced it... second one started working fine, but after several hours when I tried to re-program the preset stations it went crazy.... started flashing and scanning all of the preset stations. After unplugging the power, letting it set for several hours, it would not let me program the time or presets. Sometimes it would let me turn it on but not off.
Returning it to Amazon for refund. Will definitely continue shopping at Amazon.This dual alarm clock is loud! Just what I was looking for. However, I can't figure out how to turn off the alarm on the weekends! I've read the instructions and it only gives information about turning off the alarm after it sounds. When I was trying to figure out how to turn it off for the weekend, I kept getting the radio. Now I unplug it on Friday nights and reset it Sunday evenings. So, if you want to turn off your alarm to sleep in on the weekends, find another dual alarm clock, unless you figure out how to turn it off. I'm keeping it cause it is loud and is the reason why I gave three stars.I hate it, very hard to set and the alarm is very very very very quiet even on the top setting. would return if I could find the box.I bought this clock because it has digital tuning which is what I needed. The functionality is awful and it somehow sets an alarm to go off at midnight every night and it is impossible to reset the alarm so I have to unplug it every day. It was cheap so I guess you get what you pay for.
SONR Labs Speaker Dock for Android Smartphones and MP3 Players
- Includes: Speaker Dock for AndroidTM, remote control, universal AC adapter
- Micro USB and 3.5mm audio connectors combine to give you plug-and-play operation with virtually any Android phone
- 6 watts of crisp, clear treble, delivered by two high-quality speakers
- 10 watts of punchy, booming bass delivered by a sub-woofer
- Innovative cradle design accomodates "landscape" and "portrait" phone position (even when the phone is in a protective case) and minimizes unsightly wires
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Dock works great with my Samsung Galaxy phone. But most importantly it's a plug in interface with no Bluetooth hassles of pairing, interference etc. Great product.Read Best Reviews of SONR Labs Speaker Dock for Android Smartphones and MP3 Players Here
Very needed product A dead simple Android plug in speaker dock with strong fidelity for the price Why has this taken so long? App works fine and pretty intuitive.. the wires are a bit gangly, but I guess it needs to accommodate lots of different Android phone configurations. Recommended.Want SONR Labs Speaker Dock for Android Smartphones and MP3 Players Discount?
UPDATE: After reading some of the reviews, I came across one saying they were having issues using this device with a Samsung Galaxy S2, so I thought I'd add that it is the same device I have. I don't know if not all Galaxy S2's work with it, or if it was something that affected only that person, but I never had any problems using this unit with my phone, nor with my Galaxy Tab 2.0._____________________________________________________________________________
Or maybe I should say simply awesome! Out of the box, plug into the electrical outlet, use jacks attached to device to connect it to Android device, then just start the app you use to play music on your device. The music will start playing on the powerful speaker right away.
I have to say I'm very impressed with the sound quality! If you turn the volume all the way up, it's pretty loud. And it sounds great, no distortions. Downloading the app was a breeze, although I wish the app was available at the Amazon app store, since some of my devices don't have access to Google Play. :( At any rate, once I downloaded the app, it made the remote and the controls on the dock function right away. Well, that is, as soon as I realized that I had to pull the plastic tab to get battery contact on the remote.
So, here are the pros and cons:
Pros
Incredibly easy to set up and use.
Great sound.
Made for Android and not iPhone, iPod, etc. And this is a biggie, since I was getting annoyed that I could only find docks for the Apple stuff.
Sleek and non-intrusive look.
Light weight and small enough so it's easy to carry it around.
Cons
App not available at the Amazon app store.
Has to be plugged into electrical outlet. If it had a rechargeable battery, it would be much more portable.
The device needs to be plugged in. It would be nice if it connected wirelessly.
The price could be a little more affordable. But I'm guessing it will become less expensive once it's been on the market for awhile.
All things considered, I'm in love with this new device and will be buying a few more to spread around the house! :)When the Android Docking Speaker first arrived I was very excited. There aren't many docking stations/speakers for Android. I've never had an iphone and am using this Android phone only on wifi, much like an ipod. I spent some time shopping online and in a local Best Buy (too bad I was completely ignored there or rather, good thing, because I later found this system).
I will be honest, at first I found it to be a disappointing amalgamation of three separate and available products: a small speaker system, a headphone cable, and a micro-usb charger. I thought (and expressed to the CEO of the maker) that it was disappointing that it didn't seem suited more specifically for the Android. I mean, couldn't anyone put these 3 things together?
Then, I downloaded the free SONR app and began using the remote control. That little add-on has changed my perspective completely. Now, I love this device!
I have to go to the device once to turn it on and select a station on Pandora, then I can control the volume, pause and play, and advance to the next song from my desk without getting up. If I want to change stations, sure, I have to go back to the device. But that's not a big deal.
If I put together a speaker system, a headphone cable, and a charger, I would have to get up and go to it every time my phone rings (to adjust or mute the volume or pause the song), or every time I want to a advance to the next song. So, it might be appropriate to say I love the app. But the app came with the device. I am enjoying the entire package.
It has a good sound. It's not going to rock your whole house or play on your patio for that pool party, but for your office, bedroom, kitchen, living room it's definitely adequate.
Denon DRA-N5BK Desktop Networking Music System
- Plug and play your iPod, iPhone via front USB input or built-in iPod dock. Rechargeable even during stand-by
- Airplay wireless music streaming from your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch or from your iTunes music library on your PC/MAC
- Easy to read front panel OEL display which supports 3 languages (English, Spanish, French). Easy to use simple remote controller
- Supports WAV and FLAC 192kHz/24 bit high resolution and gapless audio playback
It's here to stay.
I set the DRA-N5BK up in my finished basement, where I planned to use it. First step was to connect it to my home wi-fi(located on the second floor of the house). I used the WPS button on my router and the back of the Denon, and was connected in about 1 minute.
Next, sign into Pandora. I used the keypad on the remote, like you would text from a phone without a qwerty keyboard, to enter username/password. In less then a minute, all my Pandora channels were available on the Denon, sweet! After selecting a channel, a % counts up to 100 in under 5 seconds, and a song begins to play. There is never any buffering again until you change stations, and even then it only takes a few seconds to spool up.
I also have an online SiriusXM subscription. This was the same experience, signed in and connected with no delay.
The display is easy to read, and provides all pertinent info, including artist, song title, and album name.
I am using Bose 201 speakers, which sounds great. The Denon system has no problem pushing these bookshelf speakers. The 65 watts/channel was more then enough power. I also added the Bic V-80 subwoofer (purchased through Amazon)BIC AMERICA V-80 8" 100 Watt Powered Subwoofer, and with these 3 combined speakers, it is absolutely plenty of power to create great sounding music in the 15'x15' area I have in the basement.
I was also pleased with the sound quality of the Pandora and Sirius feeds. I have a Roku hooked up to my living room setup, and even at moderate volumes, the sound is distorted because of the broadcast quality coming through the wireless connection. Not the case with the Denon, Pandora and Sirius sound crisp even at very high levels.
I have also used the ipod dock on top of the Denon, again no problems at all, I can choose to control the ipod through the Denon, or directly on the ipod.
I thought it would be nice to have an FM tuner built in, then I realized the "Internet Radio" source provided me with all my local radio stations, from NPR, to my local Rock/Pop stations, etc...really impressive.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a straightforward, simple to use, great sounding, 2.1 receiver. It really was worth my money.
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I literally spent weeks searching for an Internet based radio that was capable of delivering room filling sound. All of the most popular ones seemed to be more oriented toward the type you would use as a bedside clock radio with very poor quality speakers. There were some exceptions, such as the Grace Mondo and Logitech Squeezebox Internet radios, but these came with a single mono speaker. Both sounded good, but not capable of room filling sound. That's when I finally discovered the Denon DRA-N5BK Networking Music System. I purchased it with the recommended Denon SC-N5BK speakers and chose not to add a sub-woofer.When the system arrived, I was a little dismayed to discover that the instructions were on a CD-ROM. While I suppose it's not really a big deal, I felt that for the price paid, Denon should have included a print version of the user manual. I just find that when you're setting up a system such as this, it's a lot easier to do so if you have a copy of the manual by your side. I placed a call to Denon expressing my concern. Not only were they understanding, but they also agreed to immediately send me out a print copy of the manual. The very next day I received a large envelope in the mail. It contained not just a print copy of the manual, but a beautiful binder in which it was enclosed. Now that's what I consider class.
Using the manual, I had no problem connecting the speakers and following the clearly written instructions to set up the rest of the system. The manual mentioned how to set up the system using the WPS button on my router, however after calling customer support, I was told that it could be set up without using WPS, which is what I did. After entering my password, the radio connected to the Internet in just a few seconds.
My next step was to sign in to both my SiriusXM and Pandora accounts. Thankfully, once you sign into your accounts, you'll never have to do so again. I say this because using the keypad on the remote is time consuming, especially if you have a long e-mail address and/or password. I won't deduct any stars for this, but do feel that there could be an easier way to sign into accounts. If I had to sign into my accounts every time I used the radio I would have returned it. Thankfully that's not the case.
Both SiriusXM and Pandora worked flawlessly, although the sound quality of SiriusXM is better simply because Pandora streams at only 128 bit rate, while SiriusXM is broadcast live. Using the speakers mentioned above, I have no trouble at all filling up a large room with beautiful, crisp sound that has superb treble as well as mid and low range bass. The sound is astounding, period.
In addition to the stations mentioned above, the radio is capable of tuning into tons of Internet stations, as well as all of your local area stations. It also comes with Apple AirPlay support so you can wirelessly stream audio tracks from any compatible PC, Android device, or Apple mobile device. The music system comes with an iPhone/iPod Touch dock, which works perfectly on all versions except the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch 5th generation. To use those, you'll need to purchase the lightning adapter from Apple to convert the 30 pin connector on the dock to the new 8 pin standard.
The one area that I feel Denon could have improved upon is the display screen. While much less expensive radios, such as the Logitech Squeezebox and the Grace Mondo come with color screens, this one is plain black and white. It displays the album name, artist and song title, but does not display album covers such as on other radios. I'm deducting 1 star, as I feel that for the money paid, the screen should be in color and the album art should be included with the display. Obviously, this has no effect on the quality of the sound, but to me it was a feature that I would have liked.
The bottom line is that the Denon DRA-N5BK Desktop Networking Music System is a top of the line product. It delivers beautiful room filling sound when combined with the recommended Denon speakers and there's no need for an additional sub-woofer. This is an excellent product from an exceptional company. Aside from the screen issue mentioned above, this is pure perfection.
Read Best Reviews of Denon DRA-N5BK Desktop Networking Music System Here
I was in the market for a plain receiver to hook up my turntable to. A friend of mine told me about this unit. After reading I thought it sounded interesting. After buying I'm blown away!!!Internet radio, Pandora, Spotify, XM radio, give you endless options for listening. That coupled with A analog input and a digital optical input this has become my home theater system as well as my turntable receiver. Not to mention Ipod docking station and USB input.
With all these options you figure the catch would have to be a lack of high end sound. NOPE! It sounds great!!! It fills my living room with deep rich sound. I opted for the Denon SC-N5BK speakers that are paired with it.
Cant say enough good things about this unit.
Sony DSXMS60 Marine Digital Media Receiver
- Detachable faceplate with 2-line display and front aux
- Integrated Tune Tray with USB 1-wire input
- MP3/WMA/AAC playback1 with DM+ enhancement technology
- Intuitive Quick-BrowZer and ZAPPIN search features
- Satellite radio/HD Radio ready using Sony Bus
Buy Sony DSXMS60 Marine Digital Media Receiver Now
Love the unit and like most reviewers love the tray and interface. The only negative is that if your using an IPhone the IPhone gets to hot and shuts off. I even turn mine into airplane mode and still gets to hot. Not sure if this counts as a Sony issue or how they could even fix it.Read Best Reviews of Sony DSXMS60 Marine Digital Media Receiver Here
Purchased this to put on my motorcycle. First rain shower I rode in it quit working. Do not make the same mistake I made by thinking "marine" means water proof or water restiant, This unit is neither.When playing the digital media, the unit will turn itself off if you hit any tiny wave, even at idle speed. I suspect most of it's design was borrowed from a unit with a CD player, which might have such a protection circuit to protect the CD. And, of course, you can expect zero service from Sony.My husband HAD this radio in his Jeep Wrangler. After 1 year (forgot to check the weather) YES we had RAIN, and yes the radio NO LONGER WORKS!!! After sitting on hold with Sony for 20mins. they confirmed for 98.00 we could un install it, mail it to TX and they could TRY to fix it or send us a comparable replacement. The guy did say he was very sorry, not as much as I AM for expecting a marine radio to be able to withstand some water. On a side notewhen it DID work it had nice features.
