Tag: Speaker

It seems that just about every day, another company jumps into the fray with another iPod dock, so it’s good to see one that stands out a little bit. Smart Design’s Dragon I iPod dock has a unique style that certainly isn’t shy.

LCD television maker HANNSpree is best known for their fun and funky line of TVs for kids rooms. Now, they’re getting a bit more serious by entering the HDTV market. The $1150 HANNSvibewhite is a 32-inch LCD television with a chunky, contemporary design, highlighted by white and black accents.

Usually, I just write off most stuff that mall-dweller The Sharper Image puts out as either too pedestrian, too tacky or both. However, I’m gonna give them a break on this one. Their new iTower Omega is actually quite striking, integrating an entire iPod-ready stereo system into a handsome looking black tower.

LG is showing off their new HT752TP “flat home theater” system which claims the unique distinction of producing “10.1” virtual surround sound. The system simulates additional channels in between its standard 5 speaker surround setup, to produce the illusion of 10 individual speaker locations.

This unique iPod holder out of Japan looks like a china cup, but actually features a speaker built into the bottom. The MusicMug from I.D.E.A. is a ceramic enclosure with a special (un-amplified) speaker that’s optimized for playback directly from the output of your iPod.

Flat panel speakers using NXT technology aren’t anything new, but these new speakers from TDK distinguish themselves by being so small and slim that you can slip them into your pocket. These TDK Xa-10 flat speakers measure just 3.15″ (w) x 4.6″ (h) x 0.63″ (d) and weigh just 2.43 ounces each.

If you’re just too darned lazy to set up a complete home theater system, this piece of furniture might be just what the doctor ordered. The Evesham Sound Stage X1 is not only designed to hold your widescreen flat panel television, but it’s a complete 5.1 surround sound system.

Sure, there are countless “home theater in a box” systems out there, but most of them are generic, cheap looking silver boxes that look like something that only belongs on a shelf at your local Best Buy.

One of the biggest problems with home electronic gear is hiding all the wires associated with your projects. Sure, there are cable management solutions such as cord channels, cable ties and ugly wiremold systems, but none of them look nearly as nice as running all your cables in the walls.

Single-box surround systems seem to be all the rage these days, with systems like Yamaha’s YSP line of sound projectors and the iLive Virtual Surround System recently in the news. Now Philips has revealed their entry into the virtual surround market with their Ambisound HTS8100 system.

In the market for a complete home theater setup without a lot of clutter? The iLive iHTD8817DT DVD Virtual Surround Sound Speaker Bar (now that’s a mouthful,) is a complete home theater in one piece of hardware.

With a name like The VIBRO Sounder, I wasn’t sure if this was an audio device or a marital aid. It actually turns out to be a sonic transducer that turns any nearby surface into a loudspeaker.

Looking for speakers that really make a statement? Dutch designers Sander Mulder, Dave Keune from Buro Vormkrijgers have created these surreal speakers that are so wrong, they’re right. I’ll just let the picture do the talking (or woofing).