If you’ve ever used your iPhone in conjunction with something that includes speakers (e.g. car stereo, home stereo, alarm clock, powered speakers hooked up to the dock) then you know how annoying the sound of the GSM signal interfering with the music can be (yes, that’s what that is). Thanks to Altec Lansing’s T612 you can now enjoy your iPhone’s music as it was meant to be without all that darn interference.
What is the Altec Lansing T612?
Essentially, it’s a compact desktop stereo with an iPhone/iPod dock built-in to it. What’s special about the T612 is that Altec Lansing has included special shielding to prevent the iPhone’s GSM signal from invading the system’s audio. No more turning on Airplane mode and missing those ever so important text messages or calls. Oh ya, the T612 will stop the music when there’s an incoming call and slightly lower the volume for incoming texts insuring you don’t miss a beat when rocking out.
Can the T612 work without the iPhone or iPod?
Yes, but it’s primarily designed to be used with one of the two. Included on the rear of the device (see picture) is an AUX/HEADPHONE in. Altec also included a 6″ AUX cord for plugging in headphone-to-headphone.
How’s the sound quality?
Unfortunately, the sound quality is just mediocre at best. If you listen to country and soft rock you’ll be some what satisfied, but the T612 can’t handle low bass so hip-hop and rap are probably out. Furthermore, the T612 tends to distort when approaching max volume - usually an indicator of not enough ampage. Whilst listening to ‘classical’ at max volume there were noticeable audio vibrations. At low volume, though, the T612 performed satisfactorily and was a nice addition to my small kitchen - it’s not ideal for large rooms. Fortunately, you can manipulate the bass and treble settings, but I found it tough to find a setting to satisfy all music genres. The T612 includes four speakers: two tweeters for highs, and two drivers for mids and bass. The T612’s sound quality is probably on par with some of iHome’s larger alarm clocks, although it lacks the associated functionality. It should be interesting to see how the T612 stacks up against the yet to be released iHome iP99BR iPhone Alarm clock/stereo.
Any design flaws?
Actually, it’s quite well put together. It’s not too heavy - could be lugged from room-to-room - and since the only cord necessary is the power pack (the power pack is located mid cord making it compatible with older sockets and heavily populated power strips), it’s a pretty mobile device. Altec Lansing outfitted the back of the device with a rubber finish, which makes it easy to grab and less fragile when transporting. Volume, bass, and treble levels are indicated by 5 blue LEDs located behind its mesh face. The volume has 50 levels (5 increments per LED), while the bass and treble have 10 each (2 increments per LED). The LEDs illuminate for a few seconds after volume, bass, or treble have been adjusted.
Is there a remote?
Absolutely. You can skip songs ahead and back, adjust volume, pause music, and power on/off. The remote’s footprint is equal to that of a pack of gum, and no thicker then two sticks of gum. In other words, it’s small, takes one of those over sized watch-like batteries, and may be easy to lose if you’re of the forgetful type. A mount or dock for the remote would’ve been a welcome addition.
Anything else?
One more thing. The T612 is wall mountable as evidenced by the three holes on its back. Unfortunately, I can’t find (online) the necessary bracket(s) to do so, and it doesn’t appear to be included in the package.
Would you recommend buying it?
For me, it doesn’t meet my sound quality or versatility needs (I would want an alarm clock and radio for the price). But if you can’t wait for the iHome iP99BR, which may or may not sound better, and can’t stand switching to airplane mode then hop aboard the Altec Lansing T612.
Audioengine was kind enough to send me their newest product: the AW1. My experience to date has been fantastic. Read on for more details, but be sure to watch my first ever video review. I know, I know, it’s not the most polished of video reviews, but it’s my first one so take it easy on me.
What are the AW1s ?
The AW1s are what Audioengine calls a ‘premium wireless audio adapter’. I prefer to call them a wireless stereo solution. In essence, they allow you to stream audio to your speakers or stereo system wirelessly from any audio source that has a headphone ‘out’.
How do they work?
Well, technically they work over the 802.11 frequency. Yes, the same one that your WiFi operates over. Don’t worry, though, I tested them and they won’t interfere with your WiFi. Range is spec’d at 100 feet. I was able to wirelessly transmit music without any problems at 40 feet and through walls.
Ok, I meant how do they function?
To see a quick setup check out the video review. There’s a sender ‘dongle’ that plugs into an audio source and sends a signal to the ‘receiver dongle’. The ‘receiver dongle’, which is powered by the included AC adapter, outputs through an included headphone jack, which subsequently connects to your stereo or speakers. The ’sender dongle’ can work two ways:
1) you can plug it into your computer’s USB port, and as long as you set your ‘audio out’ to the ‘AW1′ it will stream wirelessly to the ‘receiver dongle’
2) you can power it from your computer’s USB port (or use the iPhone’s AC adapter) and plug your device (iPod, Mp3 player, etc) into the headphone jack out using the included headphone cord. Note that the headphone jack on the ’sender dongle’ will override your computer’s USB audio out.
Ok, I get it, but how do they sound?
They sound freakin’ awesome. In my testing the receiver source sounded a little bit more tinny then than the original source, but nothing to bat an eye lash at.
Are they easy to use?
Super easy to use. Your grandma could set these things up. I was literally wirelessly streaming music within 2 minutes of opening the box. The only complicated part is deciding how you wanna set them up (i.e. what you want to plug them into).
So they sound awesome, but there has to be some draw backs?
Too true. A few things to note. First off they are on the expensive side, $150, but they do exactly what they’re supposed to and sound great. The other notable draw back, is that you’ll need powered speakers or a stereo system to make these things work. So don’t think you can setup any pair of speakers and have wireless music. Furthermore, the included AC adapter for the ‘receiver dongle’ is just a plug, so you’ll need to insure that you have a lengthy headphone cord or extension cord in case your speakers aren’t close to an outlet. If you already own a pair of Audioengine’s A5 speakers then you’ll be able to power the ‘receiver dongle’ from its USB port. Lastly, you can’t buy the ‘receiver dongles’ separately (just yet) and the ’sender dongle’ isn’t compatible with the iPod’s or iPhone’s proprietary serial port (fingers crossed).
Do I need any special hardware, or a computer for that matter?
Nope. You can use the AW1 computer free, but an optimal setup (in my opinion) is a laptop or desktop with USB ports to stream audio. Works great with iTunes!
Where can I buy them?
You can buy them directly from Audioengine’s website or you can find them at other major e-tailers such at Amazon.com.
This has to be one of the oddest stereo systems I’ve ever seen: The Bandai Little Jammer Meets Kenwood Pro. I’ll be honest, I’m not even sure you can play CDs on this thing, but for $570 you’d better be. What is it? It’s 6 ‘Little Jammers’ each perched on their own speaker. They play along to the provided music in a mechanical like manner. Also included is a remote controller for wireless ‘Little Jammer’ operation, and you can set an alarm if you like to be awoken by obnoxious big band music. Me, I’d end up smashing a ‘jammer’ if I woke up to this crap.
Sony announced a barrage of products a few days ago. One of the more notable additions to their line up (at least I think so) was the S-Air Speaker system that allowed wireless streaming of music into any room (up to 164′) from a Sony compatible system. But is it streaming or is it just a chincy wireless speaker (AIR-SA10) with a clock and a few other options on it? The Sony Style website doesn’t have specs so I really don’t know. If its streaming then the audio will be tighter since the signal will be digital and converted at the S-Air Speaker. If it’s not, and just a boring old wireless speaker, again minus the clock, then the sound quality will probably blow because the signal has to go through multiple translation of digital to analog - this degrades the sound quality, - as opposed to once in the streaming case. Looking closer at the on screen display, there appears to be a signal bar indicating the former.
More info here and will be available March 28th for $120.
Ever install a home theater system to have the girlfriend or wife complain how ghastly it looks placed next to her Abelias? Well, if you’re building a home and got the foresight (about your spouses dislikes and the moving in thing) then check out the Lucidity speakers by Seura. Installed behind the dry wall, the Lucidity mount to the included Revloc mounting plate. Each speaker can ‘energize’ up to a 200′ square foot wall. Not all surfaces can be ‘energized’ (don’t stick it to something that’s gonna rattle). Apparently, they were originally developed for the military. Military? Wonder what they’d use it for, and why does interrogation pop into my head.
More info here, but no word on pricing or availability.
If you read my review then you’ll know that these speakers are the ‘bomb’. From now until Cyber Monday (that’s the Monday after Thanks Giving) I’ll be giving away a pair of Audioengine A2 speakers ($200 value) courtesy of the wonderful guys at Audioengine.
If you’re looking to purchase a pair of A2s (in the event that you don’t win) then make sure to use our very own GadgetReview discount (10% off)! Available here.
To win, simply add a comment and tell us the following:
Age
Favorite website (aside from GadgetReview)
What would make GadgetReview a better website
What color speakers you want (white or black)
Lastly, make sure to include your email when commenting, otherwise I won’t be able to reach you in the event that you win
Contest Rules:
One entry per person (you can enter twice, but it won’t help you…probably hurt you since I’ll think you’re a doosh for entering twice).
Contest is only open to residents in the continental USA (shipping reasons)
Contest ends 11.59pm 11/26/07
Update: The contest winner…drum roll please…is Ryan Fitzpatrick! Congrats! Ryan, keep an eye out for an email as I’ll be looking for your address.
What’s that you say? I can’t hear you over the AudioEngine A2s!
I said the ‘Audioengine A2’s are a clear representation of good things do come in small sizes’.
I won’t dispute that the price tag ($199) is a little steep for a pair of computer or book shelf speakers, but where can you find Kevlar, a glossy finish, and self powered for that price. Furthermore, I was pleasantly surprised by AudioEngine’s packaging job. They took it a step further and placed the necessary cords in suede like bags (see pics). They also provided the headphone-to-headphone cord in two different lengths - which in my experience is the least likely of cords one would have lieing around - although I noticed that the headphone jacks aren’t iPhone compatible (errr - more upset with Apple). Ok moving on…
Performance
The AudioEngine A2’s deliver some top notch sound. The timbre quality is almost there, but simply lack the final finish because of their small size. Put it up to any ‘tower speaker’ and judge them on a sliding scale and they’re sure to compete, if not beat. The bass ports on these things are super slim and can literally blow your hair back (check out the below video). I ran the A2’s off my Macbook - figured why not since they’re intended for computers and iPods - and cranked the volume to max. With my iTunes and computer at max volume I did manage to achieve some minute distortion in the highs, but was once again pleasantly surprised with how well they held out. The bass held tight but couldn’t hit the low-lows you’d experience from a dedicated subwoofer (no surprise there considering the speakers frequency range).
Design
These things are rock solid. The glossy finish and sans grill look is killer. As a result they’ll fit in with the professor’s bookshelf or on the dorm room desk lined with beer cans. The slim bass ports are a nice touch, and reduce speaker size all the while maintaining sound quality. Kevlar ain’t so bad either. This insures long lasting woofers that shouldn’t blow for ‘time to come’.
Conclusion
I gotta give it to AudioEngine. They’ve built a solid pair that rock out some top notch sound quality at l-o-u-d. The buzzing in the power pack/converter (not in the speakers/audio) was a little disconcerting, but hopefully an isolated incident and not a representation of poor grounding (not sure exactly how this would work but in my experience this is the case). The lack of the USB plug (aka iPod/iPhone) hookup is a little annoying, but considering the other options available (RCA or headphone) I really can’t make a good case. I am gonna have to mark the AudioEngine A2’s with a ‘buy’!
Update: The buzzing in the power supply seems to have subsided. I spoke with the founder of AudioEngine and they’ve sold hundreds without a reported problem. I am going to write it off as an isolated incident.
So back in Feb 2006 we featured AudioEngines A5s. These things are were kick ass and super notable due to the top loading headphone and USB jack, and rear AC plug for Airport Express or whatever you wanna plug in. To get themselves onto computer desktops and into dorm rooms, they’ve crafted a new set of speakers called the A2s. They’ve removed a few features while maintaining the same sound quality (review to come) and dropped the price point to a more palatable $199. You won’t get the AC plug or USB input, but you’ll score a mini-jack and RCA input. For $150 less I’d gladly sacrifice the power adapter and hold on to the bullet proof woofers.
