Ultra Cool Gadgets » Music Player

Sonos ZonePlayer ZP90 Add-On Player

ashish — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:47:29 +0000

The reason Sonos works so flawlessly all over the house is because Sonos has designed a complete multi-room music system from the ground up. From the flexibility of the ZonePlayers to the ubiquity of the handheld and desktop Controller, no other company gets multi-room music like Sonos. The Sonos system lets you play the same song in different rooms with perfect synchronicity. Or you can play different songs in different rooms and please everyone in the house.
The Sonos ZonePlayer 90 lets you play all the music you want, all over your house, on all the audio equipment you already own — your home theater receiver, stereo system, powered speakers, and more. Just connect the ZP90 to any amplified audio device in any room and it’s instantly part of the wireless Sonos system. The ZP90’s digital and analog outputs deliver superior sound to every room. And with the ZP90’s superior wireless range, no room is out of reach. The ZP90 is super small, so it will fit just about anywhere. Plus, every ZP90 includes the Sonos Desktop Controller software for the ultimate in control and convenience.

Technical Details

- Connects to all your favorite audio equipment.
- Best-in-class wireless technology for multi-room music.
- Instant access to endless music.
- Simple setup.
- New features and music services with automatic updates.

Customer Feedback

Overall, I did feel the Sonos setup offered the best usability. The setup was a breeze, the software very use-friendly and easy to quickly find what you want and play it on the appropriate player(s). Another real treat was the iPhone application, which lets me use my phone as the remote and eliminates the need for the costly and bulky controller. Rhapsody, Pandora, and Last.fm are the 3 major music services offered, and all work very well.
However, there were two shortcomings when compared to the Squeezebox. The first is the requirement that at least one of the Sonos players be hard-wired in to the network. The Second was not having support for the Slacker music service.

Logitech Squeezebox Boom All-in-One Network Music Player / Wi-Fi Internet Radio

ashish — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:50:52 +0000

If you love digital music, but wish it could be as simple as just turning on the radio, Logitech Squeezebox Boom lets you listen to Internet radio, music services and even your own music files. Just turn it on, pick the station, the artist, the podcast or the playlist and go. It’s a player that’s easy to use, easy to play anywhere in your house. With Logitech Squeezebox you can listen to everything your computer can play – without the computer as a middleman.
If your radio tastes have no geographic limitations, the Logitech Squeezebox Boom lets you listen to music, news and sports from every corner of the internet. Tune into a jazz station from Paris, sports coverage from Chicago, or NPR news. All without being stuck in front of your computer.
Stream songs stored on your PC or Mac through the Squeezebox Boom in your kitchen, bedroom or any room in your house.

Technical Details

- Built-in high-fidelity amplifier and speakers for crystal-clear, room-filling sound.
- Mysqueezebox.com provides easy wireless access to thousands of Internet radio stations and music services.
- Compact, all-in-one design with wireless networking for clutter-free audio in any room.
- Included 3.5mm line-in cord works with iPod and other MP3 Players.
- Seven-day alarm wakes you to your favorite Internet radio station or music playlist.

Customer Feedback

Overall I must say I am more than impressed with the Boom, especially for the price. I am already thinking about adding one to the baby’s room so that I have a stereo in there I can remotely control from my Duet/PC to play soothing music while still being able to listen to my tunes when I have to wake up with her.
If you are looking for a small network music player that you can move to the various rooms of the house then the Boom is definitely worth looking into…Now, don’t expect room filling sound in a 50×50 banquet hall, but for bedrooms etc… it is pretty awesome.

Logitech Squeezebox Radio Music Player with Color Screen (Black)

ashish — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:27:09 +0000

Starting now, you can listen to music, news and sports from every corner of the globe, all without a computer. It’s easy with the Logitech Squeezebox Radio. Just turn it on and tune in to thousands of free Internet radio stations, the hottest online music services, even your own personal music collection. Your listening options are as limitless as the Internet—in any room where you have a Wi-Fi connection.
- Your all-in-one Wi-Fi music player—no computer, no clutter, and no limits.
- High-quality audio with built-in premium speakers—big sound in a small package.
- Vivid color screen for easy browsing at the turn of a dial.
- Free SqueezeNetwork for direct access to a world of Internet stations and music services.
- Connects to Facebook for sharing music recommendations with friends.
- Easy setup connects you to Internet stations in minutes.
- Line-in cord lets you plug in your iPod.
- Convenient seven-day alarm and auto-dimming display.

Customer Feedback

As far as sound quality goes, it is far better than expected. There is virtually no distortion even at maximum volume. I even plugged a set of Computer Speakers into the Headphone Jack and it didn’t make that much of a difference. The Base levels aren’t that deep, but they are there.
I haven’t tested the Wireless strength extensively yet, but I was able to hook it up in the garage (1 Floor below and 50 feet from the router) and the signal strength was near full.

Technical Details

- Listen to infinite music, news and sports from every corner of the globe with this easy-to-use, all-in-one Wi-Fi music player–all without a computer.
- Start listening to free Internet radio stations, online music services, and your personal iTunes collection in minutes–connects easily to your home network via Wi-Fi.
- Bring full, high-quality sound to any room with an ultra-compact design that fits easily on your night table or kitchen counter.
- Just turn the dial to browse radio stations, music tracks and even album art, displayed on the full-color screen.
- Recommend music to Facebook friends instantly right from your Squeezebox.

iriver P7 16 GB Multimedia Player (Silver)

ashish — Thu, 27 May 2010 08:53:39 +0000

Sleek and modern PMP, Light and rigid Aluminum Metal body. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION: Display: 4.3” TFT + Touch WQVGA, Display Resolution: 480X272, Storage Type: Flash Memory, Built-In Storage Capacity: 8/16GB, Expansion Memory Slot: Micro SD Digital Audio Formats: MP3, WMA, OGG, ASF, FLAC, APE, WAV, AC-3 and AAC, Digital Video Formats: MPEG, DivX, RM, RMVB and H.264, Digital FM Radio Tuner: 76.0MHz ~ 108.0MHz, Equalizer Presets: 7 Preset EQ, User 5EQ, SRS WOW, Battery Type: Internal 2500mAh battery (Li-Polymer), Battery Life: 50 Hrs Audio Playback/ 7 Hrs Video of Playback,Weight: 6.1 oz (173g), Dimension: 2.88” x 4.4” x 0.5”, Connection Type: USB 2.0, Ultra Fast Data Transfer. Required O/S: Windows 2000 / Windows XP/ Vista,*Windows 98 / ME not support. FM radio and FM recording, Voice Recording, Firmware Upgradeable. PACKAGE INCLUDES: P7 Device, Stereo Earphone, Stylus Pen, USB 2.0 Cable, Installation CD, Quick Start Guide, Warranty Card.

Technical Details

- Display: 4.3 TFT + Touch WQVGA with Display Resolution: 480X272.
- Light and rigid Aluminum Metal body.
- Built-In Storage Capacity: 8/16GB and Expansion Micro SD Memory Slot.
- 50 Hrs Audio Playback/ 7 Hrs Video of Playback.
- Digital Video Formats: MPEG, DivX, RM, RMVB and H.264 and Digital Audio Formats: MP3, WMA, OGG, ASF, FLAC, APE, WAV, AC-3 and AAC.

Customer Feedback

This player has style. Not everybody may fall in love with it, but it has more style than any small gadget I’ve used in a long time.
Playing music and videos is simple and straightforward, the main thing I was looking for in a player. Boot-up time is very short, thumbs up. Subtitle support? Check! Battery life? Excellent.
I have three complaints. First, the player is too picky about video format encoding. Second, a proprietary USB port… not again! There is no reason to use yet another unique cable to connect to a USB port. A mini-USB would work perfectly well for this device. Finally, touch sensitivity of the screen is terrible. You have to touch, then press, then press again, then jam your finger into the screen really hard and hope it works.