Yamaha PDX-60BL Speaker Dock for iPod and iPhone, 1 Each (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the next generation of iPod sound docks! I own a Logitech and a Bose sound dock. They both have their good and bad points, but neither of them offers the capability of this product...namely, the ability to have complete control of all iPod functions, using the iPod itself, at a remote distance from the sound box. The remote controls on all other units serve mainly as volume controllers, with the user having to approach the sound box to see what's going on on the iPod's screen. And though this is obviously anecdotal, I would testify that the Yamaha's sound quality outstrips both my Bose Sound Dock II, which has the typical Bose "muffled," soft, basey, quality, and my Logitech PureFi II, which has very good crisp sound at low levels but rapidly loses quality as the volume goes up (and has other well-documented issues as well). The Yamaha appears to have a wide frequency range and the ability to hold the sound quality with increased volume. The Yamaha also offers you the option to plug your iPod directly into the sound box itself, as you do with other brands, and use the separate, included hand-held to control the functions if you prefer. All is not perfect. If I am not mistaken, the hand-held transmitter, which hold your iPod, is RF (radio frequency) operated, but responds in a line-of-site manner, akin to an infrared system. If you block the transmitter with an obstruction, even your own body, the sound will be disrupted. Still, this is a minor limitation, considering the complete control available. This was a gift purchase for my spouse, but it is so impressive I wouldn't be surprised to see one appearing for my own use in the future. Kudos Yamaha! (note that this product is only compatible with later generation iPod models which use USB connectors)

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The Yamaha PDX-60 is a powered speaker dock that virtually every iPhone or iPod fan who wants to enjoy a higher sound quality with a powerful output needs to have! The PDX-30 is certified as a "works with iPhone" product, and comes with a card-type remote control for additional convenience.

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Klipsch LightSpeaker System 5.2.2 Wireless Sound and Efficient LED Lighting Review

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(More customer reviews)The first thing that struck me about this product is the quality of it's manufacture. These speakers were solid and well made. Below I will address the various information that is important to know.

PACKAGING AND INSTRUCTIONS:
As with any product what we first see is the packaging it comes in. This speaker system was no exception.
An expensive product, should be well packed and these speakers were in separate boxes within the main box, well cushioned. The various components were also well packed and obvious to find. The overall box when you open it, the first thing you see is the setup information. This card was the full length of the box and succinctly told you the steps you needed to complete installation. I thought this was all well done. Under that was the user's manual that if you had issues you could refer to.

INSTALLATION:
First of all you need to be sure you have the right spot to install these. They go into 5 or 6" recessed lighting tubes. The manufacturers provided two size flanges that could go on the end of the speaker/lights that would work with either of these sizes. One thing we found while installing these, is you could actually not get them properly seated in the light socket(not deep enough) and they would not work. It was the user's manual that alerted me to this and we resolved the issue. Another thing I found was, we could not use the metal arms spread out to stabilize the speaker in the recessed outlet, as the spread was too far. We had to keep them pulled in.

I liked the fact that the instructions warned me upfront that most recessed lighting fixtures had adjustable depths. I didn't know that. In telling me that I knew enough to adjust them and that is what took to get the speakers installed deep enough. You have to finesse this a bit and get the proper mix of deep enough while holding the flange flush to the ceiling and properly engaged to work. It took us about an hour to get both speakers properly installed. It was somewhat fatiguing as these speaker/lights have some heft to them. But, not a major problem.

Once installed properly the main unit quickly detected the speakers and they worked well. You can control the volume of the speakers and the brightness of the lights. You also have the abililty to choose two inputs. There is also a remote provided and this mimicked the controls on the base unit. Handy if you are not easily able to reach the base unit.

USAGE:
Once we had them up and synched to the base unit, everything worked fine. We are now planning on having these hook both to the radio as well as an ipod and you can do this as there are two inputs as well as the appropriate cables. I was pleased with the sound quality, but I'm no audiophile. Since the speakers were small and not only behind the lights but the light lens a more discerning listener might have concerns. I did not.

RANGE:
I have noticed that these speakers do not have much in the way of bass, so your music can sound a bit tinny. Not surprising due to their size.
OTHER POINTS:
Since we used these units in our kitchen on recessed lights over the countertop, which has 4 lights, in order to work you need to have that circuit on. This means the two lights that don't have the speakers in them need to be on all the time, that we use the speakers. The lights in the speakers can be turned off independently. At this time, I don't think that is a problem, as I kept the ones over the primary work area as non-speakered lights.

The speakers have convex covers on the LED light inside. This makes the light they shine down a bit different than the lights in the recesses. I find this light is more diffuse. Another reason why I did not put these lights over the primary work area. I would have to make it very bright to be the the most useful. The LED lights can get bright enough, but it seemed almost too bright in order to get the proper coverage. Too bad there was not a concave lens option for these speaker/lights to address this.

SUMMARY:
All in all we are pleased with this system. I will write more as we use it more.


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Wireless speaker system installs in minutes like a ceiling light bulb and allows enjoyment of music anywhere while saving energy & money

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Panasonic SC-BT230 5.1 Surround Sound System Review

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(More customer reviews)Panasonic's SC-BT230 is a vertitable jack-of-all-trades: this thing plays CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray Discs, but it also has a built-in iPod dock which is compatible with iPod, iPod Touch and iPhone for playback of music, photos *and* videos through your home theater system and TV. But wait, there's more! It also includes built-in amplification, five speakers and a subwoofer for discrete 5.1 channel surround sound, has on-board decoding of the latest audio codecs (DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD, etc.), does a nice job upconverting DVDs to 1080p resolution, streams Netflix, Amazon VOD and YouTube, and has a built-in FM tuner.
If you want to use it with a cable or satellite box, a TV's built in ATSC tuner or a gaming system, then just plug it into one of the unit's two fiberoptic digital inputs (for full 5.1 channel compatibility) or use the one analog stereo input. Set-up is pretty simple: the speaker wires are all included and all are terminated in proprietary, color-coded connectors that plug into the back of the main unit. I would have liked to see matching colors on the other ends of the cables as well as on the rear, center and surround channel speakers themselves, but hey, you can't have everything (I mean... where would you put it?). At least the speaker wires are labeled "+" and "-" so you won't be plugging in the speakers out of phase from each other (which can have a nasty effect on the sound). The only other cable you'll need is HDMI (not included) which connects the system to your HDTV. A composite video connection is also available for hooking the unit up to older analog TVs (though you'll only get standard def output this way). With the HDMI cable connected, set-up was a breeze as the TV and HTiB system communicated via VIERA Link (more on that later) to automatically set the screen shape (16:9) and resolution (1080p).
For a $399 packaged system (available even cheaper on Amazon) that includes a built-in Blu-ray player, the sound quality was much better than I expected. The bass is solid, if not really extended and there was very little thumpiness or boom. The tiny little center speaker actually does a pretty good job reproducing dialog and the main front and surround speakers (which are identical to each other, slightly smaller than the center speaker) can put out a surprisingly high volume level. "Avatar" on Blu-ray was a sonic and visual splendor with this system hooked up to a 46-inch VIERA 1080p HDTV. The spoken word was easily audible (whether in English or Na'vi), and the explosions and gun fire produced a deep rumble that actually made our floor shake a little bit. The built-in FM tuner was a bit thin-sounding with only average reception but for casual radio listening, it gets the job done.
Where the system has some flaws is in its actual operation, particularly if you start taking advantage of multiple inputs. Navigating iPod content, for example, is pretty tricky. Inserting the iPod into its dock and hitting the "iPod" button on the remote is simple enough, bringing up a music menu which lists things like playlists and artist selections on the big screen. The unit's remote can be used to navigate through the songs and other content on your iPod. But to get to the higher level iPod menu (where photos and videos are also available), you need to know to hit the "sub-menu" button on the remote. And if you do want to view iPod videos, then you need to hook up a separate composite video cable (included) to your TV. Also, selecting from the other inputs (other than Blu-ray) can be a chore. There is a little "Radio/Ext In" button on the remote that cycles through the available inputs. But it's slow to lock on incoming signals and the text that appears on the LCD readout on the front of the unit is fairly cryptic -- "DIG-IN-1" -- huh? You can also bring up a list of available inputs on the TV screen, but again, this option is not that easy to find.
And if you hook the unit up to a newer TV (from Panasonic or even other brands) with the HDMI cable, then the HDMI-CEC feature (called "VIERA Link" on the Panasonic) can be both a boon and a curse. HDMI-CEC can allow you to operate the functions of the HTiB from a TV's remote control (which is handy) but it also makes certain choices for you about how everything in the system should work together. For the most part, this is helpful (like when you insert a Blu-ray Disc and VIERA Link automatically switches the TV to the correct input) but in some cases, it's annoying, like if you want to listen to music on your iPod, and then you turn off the TV, it shuts down the receiver automatically. Doh. This can be disabled (or behavior modified) in either the HTiB or TV's set-up menu, but unsophisticated users might not be able to figure out what's going on.
Boot-up and loading speeds are a bit slower than we're used to seeing on current generation standalone Blu-ray players, but certainly faster than the early players. Also, a firmware update that we performed took longer than expected (maybe 15 minutes?) with very little indication of what was going on, other than a green flashing light and "SRD" on the display.
Network set-up for us via a wired cable was a breeze (sorry, no built-in WiFi). The player was able to get a dynamic address and DNS info set up automatically. Our very first connections to YouTube and Netflix went through without a hitch and soon we were streaming HD movies from Netflix for free (well, free with a Netflix DVD or Blu-ray rental plan that is). The "VIERA Cast" button on the remote goes right to the IPTV features (Netflix, YouTube, etc.) so those should be easy enough for people to find.
For a pretty small investment, this little HTiB system offers an excellent upgrade to a TV's built-in speakers, while also feeding your HDTV with some fine 1080p HD material on Blu-ray Disc as well as a number of web-based streaming options. Pandora internet music streaming is not available yet but should be coming in a future firmware upgrade. The operational idiosyncrasies are easy enough to get used to, once you figure them out. All in all, it's an excellent choice for a full-featured but inexpensive little home theater system.

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Get your home theater going right out of the box with the Panasonic SC-BT230 home entertainment system, which includes a Blu-ray Disc player/amplifier plus a complete 5.1-channel surround sound speaker system (including one subwoofer, one center channel speaker, and four satellite speakers).

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Sony AIR-SA20PK S-AirPlay Digital Wireless Speaker System for iPod (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I had high hopes for this product --- needed a way to put sound throughout my small house and functionality seemed great (the ability to use different modes in different rooms, ability to use remote with each of the speaker units to control the ipod, etc.) Unfortunately, it did not work as well as hoped.
The base and speakers had a hard time talking to each other, and they were only 50-60 ft apart and in a relatively unobstructed path. Had to move the base closer and align the speaker so that it was in a more direct visual view. Still, with people in the room it would fade in and out. Not sure if this is because I have wireless internet in the house, which the manual says might interfere, but who that would be looking for wireless speakers doesn't have wireless internet??
The sound quality is very good. Not quite as good as my Bose docking station, but I was pleasantly surprised. The other big downside for me with the sound, however, and the last straw that prompted me to return the product, is the volume level. The highest setting is not all that loud. Fine if you are in the same room... but sometimes I would crank up the volume on my Bose docking station and listen to the music in other rooms or outside ... can't really do this with the Sony.

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The Sony AIR-SA20PK S-AIRPLAY is an easy-to-use, plug-and-play system that lets you enjoy your iPod music out loud throughout your home. Simply plug the two supplied AIR-SA15 receiver/speakers into a power outlet and the included S-AIR Dock for iPod transmits your stored music with CD-quality sound throughout your home. The Dock for iPod is even capable of transmitting two signals simultaneously so that one speaker can play your iPod music while the other plays an AM/FM radio station. The S-AIR PLAY is compatible with most iPod models. Additionally, each speaker includes controls for volume and the audio source, an LCD display that lets you view track info, and a convenient clock and alarm.

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iLive iS809B Wireless Speaker System with Dock for iPod (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The speaker set as a whole works very well once you get it up and running. The set I purchased comes with 4 speakers and one dock. I found that 2 of my speakers have white LED indicator lights while the other 2 speakers have blue LED indicator lights, which is a bit odd. In any case, I found the speakers difficult to pair, for those with trouble try these steps:
1. Have all speakers and dock near each other within arms reach.
2. Plug all speakers and dock into an outlet and turn them on, dock and speakers will blink slowly.
3. Turn the speaker volumes to medium-low, when they come out of the box they are at max volume and will make a very loud beep when it tries pairing.
Alright, this is when coordination is key:
Each speaker has a pairing button, when you hold the pairing button down for 3 seconds, the speaker will make a beeping tone once every half-second while it searches for the dock, it will attempt to pair for about 10 seconds. The dock has a pairing button on it's left side. When you hold the pairing button down for 3 seconds, the status light will blink rapidly as it searches for the speakers for 10 seconds. You can see how this requires some coordination...
4. Using one hand on a pair of speakers, press and hold the pairing button on the speakers to initiate pairing (beeping sounds start).
5. Repeat step 4 on another pair of speakers.
6. Quickly press and hold the pairing button on the dock.
7. If you are able to do this fast enough, all 4 speakers will make a long sustained tone indicating that they have been paired.
8. Dock your ipod and give it a whirl, if you find that one or more speaker(s) is not outputting sound, you did not go through the steps fast enough... Repeat steps 4-7 again but FASTER!
I found that the speakers and docks, once paired, will not lose pairing (THANK GOODNESS!) even if you unplug them for an extended period of time, although the clock on the dock will reset unless you install 2 AAA's in the dock (not included).
Sound quality wise, I tried moving the speakers around my 1 story house and found that I got clear reception everywhere I went. The speakers do not produce the best sound in the world, they definitely do not measure up to my Klipsch speakers, but they sound decent once I up the treble to 5 and the bass to 3. Also, you can leave the speakers on and turn off the dock, they will not make any static sounds like many 900Hz wireless speakers do, they go into standby instead. Turning on the dock causes the speakers to spring into action.
The remote also appears to not use IR but will work wirelessly. You do not need to point the remote at the dock for it to work. In fact, I found that I could walk clear to the other side of my house and still be able to control the dock.
I'm overall very happy with this set of speakers. Pairing was a pain, but once I got it up and running they work decently, the range and ability for the remote to work anywhere was a definite plus.
Update: Discovered that when you play soft sounding music, the speakers will go into standby within 10 seconds. When the music gets louder, the speakers re-engage. This behavior is rather annoying, I wished that they would stay engaged while the base station is on.
Update 2-10-11: Speakers are still going strong. To resolve the issue of the speakers going into standby with soft music, I turned up the volume on the base station and turned down the volume on the individual speakers (end result of keeping the same output volume). It seems the speakers need a certain threshold of input sound or else they will go into standby.
Also, I discovered that the docking station will interfere with wireless networks, which makes sense as most wireless networks and these speakers operate on the 2.4Ghz frequency. When I place the dock near a computer that is using the wireless network, the computer will completely lose its connection until the dock is turned off.
I am still happy with these speakers, they have been on for the last 2 years, never turned off. I have since moved to a larger two story home, still works like a charm.

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Enjoy your favorite iPod tunes indoors and out with this wireless system. Wireless 2.4GHz provides plenty of range, and advanced hi-fi sound with Channel Purity ensures optimal sound. The included long-range remote controls volume, EQ, and iPod functions. Select between mono and stereo, adjust speaker volume independently, and power each speaker with the included AC cords or batteries.

Play and Charge Your iPod The IS809B's dock lets you enjoy your favorite iPod tunes. In the meantime, it charges your iPod, so it's ready to go when you are.
Complete Wireless System The IS809B system is designed to give you maximum placement options, and the ability to add more speakers. The digital 2.4GHz ISM wireless transmitter boasts a range of 20 feet (line of sight) or 90 feet indoors, and a white-backlit LCD display with digital clock keeps you on time.
The wireless speakers feature independent volume settings, a left/right/mono selector depending on your setup, and are weather resistant for outdoor use. With the ability to pair up to 20 speakers, you can broadcast your tunes all over the house.
Remote Included The included remote offers control of volume, EQ, and iPod functions, and features a range to match that of the speakers.
Auxiliary Input Connect external audio devices such as MP3 or CD players using the auxiliary input.
AC or DC Power The IS809B speakers will run on the included power cables, or you can insert six D batteries per speaker (not included) when no outlet is available.
What's in the Box IS809B Main Unit, Two Speakers, Wireless Remote Control, Docking Brackets for iPod, Documentation

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EOS 100T1RB Wireless Audio System with Universal iPod Docking Base and Remote Speaker (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have an older house with walls that fall apart if I start putting holes through them for moving speaker wire around. I have been waiting for worthwhile wireless speakers for some time. While EOS may not be perfect, I have been impressed with the clarity, range, and ease of use.
Pro's:
- Easy to use and very intuitive. I was playing music within 3 minutes of taking it out of the box.
- The wireless speaker worked over 100 feet away on a different floor
- Recharging the iPod Nano Gen 1(which fit just fine) was a nice, convenient feature.
- remote was handy. Ability to add up to 4 speakers is a great option
- several friends have commented on how nice it looks, sounds, and how they wish they had one in their home (we've been using ours in the kitchen)
- no skipping in any of the music; the wireless did not interfere with my 2.4 Ghz phone or wireless modem signals.
Con's:
- no off switch; there are blue lights on the base unit and antenna when it is plugged in as well as the antenna on the wireless speaker when plugged in. Seems like a waste of energy.
- the wireless speaker's volume is not controllable via the remote. Only the base unit is controlled by the remote. You can adjust volume on the top of the wireless speaker
If wireless speakers is what you are after, the EOS is a good option.

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Designed as a digital wireless stereo speaker system for the iPod, the Eos wireless audio system offers an easy solution for a unified whole-home speaker system without the wires. The system comes complete with a base station/speaker with universal dock for an iPod, and one wireless remote speaker with simple plug-and-play technology. The system can expand to up to four wireless speakers with a wireless range up to 150-feet indoors and up to 300-feet outdoors. For added convenience, the system also includes an infrared remote control and auxiliary line input for playing other audio devices. The dock will charge your iPod even when the system is off.

The Eos Base Station Transmitter It all starts here! The Eos base station transmitter broadcasts interference-free CD quality audio throughout your home, inside and out--up to 150 feet to up to 4 wireless speakers...all while charging your iPod via the Universal Dock. The base station also boasts a great sounding 2.1 stereo speaker system, with two tweeters, a ported down firing subwoofer and SRS WOW! sound enhancement technology.
With Eos, you can broadcast music from your iPod or connect to Eos' auxiliary analog 3.5mm input to broadcast audio from any audio source (XM or Sirius Satellite radio, San Disk or Zune MP3 players, computers, CD players, stereos...anything with an audio output. )
An Infrared remote is also included for base station iPod control.
The "WOW" Factor Eos incorporates SRS WOW!, an award-winning, patented technology that significantly enhances the quality all audio material. SRS WOW! restores detail and purity to digitally compressed audio and provides immersive 3D surround sound from stereo speakers.
SRS WOW! makes up for the limitations inherent in smaller speakers by providing a panoramic three-dimensional audio image that extends the sound in both the horizontal and vertical planes well beyond the speakers the physical placement of the speakers themselves. As a result, we can dramatically improve Eos' audio performance without enlarging the speaker size. The SRS WOW! technology is embedded in the Eos base station and transmitted to all Eos wireless stereo speakers.
Eos Wireless Stereo Speakers Wireless multi-room audio has never been easier. Just plug an Eos wireless speaker into any wall outlet, inside or out and turn up the volume...that's all. Want to move your music to another place? Just unplug it and plug it in somewhere else, it's that easy. The Eos base station allow you to add up to four wireless speakers anywhere around your home. The rugged design of the Eos wireless stereo speakers makes them perfect for indoor or outdoor use.
Speaker Design The design of the wireless remote speaker features a removable, integrated power supply that allows the speaker to mount directly on a wall power outlet without mounting brackets. By removing the power supply from its cavity on the rear of the cabinet, the stereo remote speaker can sit independently on a counter top or bookshelf. The supported surround sound feature improves dynamic audio performance, expands the size of the audio image and improves low frequency sounds.
Signal Proprietary wireless transmission technology uses a dynamic frequency hopping modulation scheme that operates in the 2400 to 2483 GHz frequency for advanced error protection and correction, allowing the speaker to operate free of interference from Wi-Fi signals, Bluetooth signals, or cordless telephones. The system comes backed by a 1-year manufacturer's warranty.
What's in the Box Stereo base station, wireless stereo speaker, and IR remote control (iPod not included).

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Creative D200 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Review

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(More customer reviews)Absolutely love this speaker. Incredible sound, especially at the price. I tested the D100's and found them not to handle all types of music well but the D200 handles anything I throw at it. Sounds almost as good as my home theater set up. Handles, highs, lows, and mids equally well. Very easy to connect. Hasn't lost signal for me yet. Highly recommend.

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The Creative D200 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker wirelessly delivers stereo audio from your smartphone, notebook, or other Bluetooth-enabled device. High-performance digital amplifiers and drivers are housed within the sturdy single-shell chassis to yield distortion-free sound. Additionally, the clean, classic design makes the speaker a handsome addition to your home.

Note: For PCs and laptops not equipped with built-in Bluetooth, the Creative Bluetooth Audio BT-D1 USB transmitter (sold separately) can be paired with the D200 to stream music wirelessly.

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