Ultra Cool Gadgets » Network

Sonos S5 All-In-One Wireless Music System (Black)

ashish — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:34:45 +0000

The Sonos S5 All-In-One Wireless Music System is a high-performance wireless music system with 5 speakers powered by 5 dedicated digital amplifiers, all in a compact single cabinet. With 2 tweeters, 2 mid-range drivers and 1 subwoofer, the S5 delivers crystal-clear, room-filling sound that rivals much larger, more complicated audio equipment. Plus, the all-digital sound architecture provides precise sound reproduction, just as the artist intended. With the S5 you can quickly add a room of music anywhere you want — simply plug it in and enjoy. And thanks to the S5’s superior wireless range, no room is out of reach.
The S5 Wireless Music System is an easy and affordable way to start sending music all over your home. Add it to your existing Sonos system, or simply purchase a Sonos ZoneBridge to use as a sending unit with the S5 and you’ll be ready to go almost instantly.
- Crystal-Clear, Room-Filling Sound.
- Convenient, All-in-One Solution.
- Instant Access to Endless Music.
- Control It All from Your iPhone and More.
- Best-in-Class Wireless Technology for Multi-Room Music.
- Simple Setup and Expansion.
- New Features and Music Services with Automatic Updates.

Technical Details

- Room-filling, ear-impressing sound with 5 speakers powered by 5 dedicated digital amplifiers.
- Internet connected for unlimited music.
- Control with your iPhone or iPod touch with a free App Store download.
- Expandable system makes it easy to add more S5 players without wires.
- Simple to set up and easy to use.

Customer Feedback

This is my 4th Zone player (see my other gushing review of the Sonos system on the Sonos bundle page), and anytime my wife asks, “how many of these white boxes you really need?”, the answer is always “one more”.
Portability is the key feature of S5. Moving it from Kitchen to backdeck is just a matter of unplugging the power cord and replugging at the new location. It’s all in one box. And the sound quality is not bad either. With all 4 zone players on party mode – some connected to very expensive Klipsch towers – I have ran around to compare the sound quality at various locations. The verdict – this little guy stacks up nicely against the big boys.

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.

Sonos ZoneBridge 100 (BR100)

ashish — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:28:25 +0000

The Sonos ZoneBridge 100 makes setting up your wireless Sonos system wonderfully fast…and easy. Just connect a ZoneBridge to your router to instantly activate SonosNet™, our secure wireless mesh network. Now all your ZonePlayers™ and Controllers will work wirelessly and can be placed anywhere in your house. Although the ZoneBridge doesn’t play music like the ZonePlayer, it’s incredibly cost effective when it comes to extending the range of your Sonos system and expanding the Controller’s wireless coverage. Plus, it’s great for connecting other products to the Internet.
- Instant, Easy Setup of an All-Wireless Sonos System.
- System Flexibility.
- Easy Internet Connectivity for Other Products in the House.
- Automatic Software Updates: Sonos Keeps Getting Better.
- The ZoneBridge is just one part of a complete Sonos digital music system. To make your system complete, you’ll need any combination of Sonos ZonePlayers and Controllers.

Technical Details

- Provides flexibility to place your ZonePlayers in any room of the house and connect them all wirelessly.
- Improve Controller access to SonosNet by placing a ZoneBridge in areas where wireless coverage needs a boost.
- Install a new ZoneBridge with one button-press.
- Easy Internet connectivity for other products in the house.
- Automatic access to new features and music services.

Customer Feedback

The Sonos system is great, but expensive. If you don’t need sound output or input near your router, hook up one of these as the network connection point for the rest of the system. It’s a lot cheaper than a ZonePlayer and it works perfectly.
I initially bought this because my router and my stereo were on opposite sides of my living room. It worked great and didn’t take up much room at all.

Myine Electronics IR001 WiFi Internet Radio Adaptor

ashish — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:04:14 +0000

Meet Ira, the Myine Electronics IR001 Internet Radio Adapter that automatically connects to any wireless Internet network in about 3 minutes–all without the need for a computer. Just take it out of the box, plug it in, and connect it to your home stereo or boom-box with the included audio cables. Ira features over 11,000 stations from just about every country in the world, and you can filter by location or genre to find new stations in under 30 seconds. It delivers NPR or your favorite local channels in fantastic CD-like quality. Ira also includes “On-Demand” (Podcast) programming for many stations so you can listen to your favorite shows when you want. What’s more, the one-touch “Star” button stores up to 40 of your favorite stations for quick access.
- Access over 11,000 free Internet radio stations.
- Search for Internet radio stations by genre or location.
- Clear, CD-like sound quality.
- Supports “On-Demand” features for many Podcasts.
- Store up to 40 of your favorite channels.
- Sets up in minutes.

Technical Details

- Internet Radio Adaptor that connects automatically to any wireless internet network in about 3 minutes without the need of a computer.
- Listen to NPR or your favorite local channels in CD like quality.
- Ira features over 11,000 stations from just about every country in the world. Filter by location or genre to find new stations in under 30 seconds.
- Includes On Demand Podcast programming for many stations so you can listen to your favorite shows when you want.
- One-touch STAR button to store up to 40 of your favorite stations. – Remembers your favorites even if it is unplugged or in case of power loss.

Customer Feedback

It’s a fantastic little product and idea, with portability and ease-of-use in the forefront of internet connected audio players (plus the benefit of not paying for XM or other similar options!). The lack of song tagging and weak reception strength make it just a little tougher to use than it should be however, and drops it down a notch.
The sound is crystal clear and since I connected it to our home theater system, I could hear the bass booming out through the subwoofer and music through all the speakers. I also tried it with the adapter, plugged into a little clock radio and that worked fine too.