LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21, 2008 – Sony today introduced a DJ-style shelf system with a dual dock for iPod® devices called XROSS FADE™. Perfect for mixing and playing music from iPod players, CDs and other music sources, XROSS FADE helps create the ultimate party soundtrack.

Part of the Muteki™ series of stereo systems, the XROSS FADE (model LBT-DJ2i) has an imposing presence and massive output that can fill nearly any room with sound, whether it's in a home, a dorm, or even powering a block party.

This music system has 450 watts of total power output, so aspiring DJs can crank up the volume while still maintaining high quality sound. As its name implies, the XROSS FADE system comes with DJ-style features, including a cross-fader with monitor cue and a built-in two-channel mixer. With this feature, an upcoming track can be checked through headphones to be sure it’s cued properly before playing it aloud. DJs can mix two songs or fade into the next song without missing a beat.

With an interface and two scroll wheel mechanisms that allow for easy menu navigation similar to that of iPod players, users never need to touch their iPod players while scanning for the next track. The XROSS FADE system even has a USB recording function that saves mixing sessions to a USB device in the MP3 format without a PC.

For MP3 files, the system’s MP3 Booster+ feature improves audio quality by restoring sound that is lost during compression. For extra thump, the beat blend feature adds a layer of pre-programmed percussion, drum sounds and drum loops over the mix.

The XROSS FADE system includes traditional shelf system features, such as a CD player, an AM/FM tuner, and a line-in jack for listening to MP3 players. Users can mix music from these sources as well as their iPod players. The system converts CDs and AM/FM radio to MP3 files as well.

With its matte black and chrome finish and appearance similar to a DJ mixing board, the XROSS FADE system is designed to be a statement piece for the bedroom, dorm room or living room. It produces a booming, high-impact sound through a pair of two-way bass reflex speakers and a dual 7-inch subwoofer enclosure.

The S-Airplay has a transmitting range of 164 feet, alarm clock functions and an AM/FM tuner. Each speaker has the option of playing audio from the radio or iPod (or nothing), and each can control playback options remotely. The central dock can connect to your home theater system, allowing another method of playback.

The S-Airplay is available for pre-order now, and will begin shipping in September. For $400 you can get a bundle including one docking station and two wireless speakers. Additional speakers cost $130. [Sony]

SONY UNVEILS WIRELESS MULTI-ROOM
AUDIO SYSTEM FOR IPOD PLAYERS

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 21, 2008 – Sony today took the wraps off its new wireless, multi-room audio system for listening to iPod® players.
The new S-AIRPLAY™ system features Sony’s S-Air™ technology, which provides a practical, wireless multi-room solution without complicated setup requirements. Wireless audio can be transmitted from the system’s main docking station in one room to various rooms throughout the home — up to nearly 164 feet—simply by plugging a separate S-Air wireless speaker into a power outlet.
“This technology makes it easy to listen to music from a compatible iPod without carrying it from room to room,” said Andrew Sivori, director of marketing in the personal audio group at Sony Electronics’ Digital Imaging and Audio Division. “It’s an easy, inexpensive way to get multi-room audio without professional installation.”
S-Air technology delivers audio wirelessly to the included speakers without interfering with other household devices. The system comes with one docking station and two S-Air wireless speakers, but it can transmit to up to 10 speakers simultaneously (additional speakers sold separately).
Equipped with an AM/FM tuner, the S-AIRPLAY system’s dual source feature lets users listen to music from the iPod player or from a radio station. Listeners in one room can hear their favorite radio station, while listeners in another room can enjoy music from the iPod at the same time.
The S-Air wireless speakers include remote control capability for the iPod player’s music tracks so you can advance or go back to previously played songs. The speakers also incorporate sleep timers and an alarm clock function, making them perfect for bedside placement.
To connect to an existing home theater system or television set, the docking station includes composite A/V outputs. It also charges the iPod while it is docked.
Pricing and Availability
Pre-orders for the S-AIRPLAY audio system are now being accepted online at www.sonystyle.com. The system (model AIR-SA20PK) will be available in September for about $400 at Sony Style® retail stores and select retailers nationwide. Additional S-Air wireless speakers will also be available next month for about $130 direct from Sony.

[Made in Design via Technabob]

The Price: $159 with $20 promo code (DS220)

The Verdict: Not too bad. The speakers themselves are adequate, though not as good as their previous wireless iPod dock effort. The 220 functions decently well as an iPod dock, but what you really want this for is its wireless speaker functions.

Imagine plugging in the USB dongle to your laptop—which doesn't have very good speakers—and beaming all audio to the wireless unit across the room. It's a fairly elegant solution to get around the fact that your laptop has less than optimal speakers and aren't easy to substitute by plugging into better ones when you're lounging on the couch.

The only note we have is that the 2.4GHz frequency the dongle uses to communicate is prone to interference, and if you use it on your laptop, you're going to get some intermittent audio. Everything was fine when we worked off an Ethernet connection, but when we fired up our wireless on the laptop, you could definitely tell some interference was going on when music keeps dropping out. Also (on at least the Mac version) you can't control volume via your computer; you have to use the wireless remote.

In the end, $159 isn't too steep a price to pay for wireless speakers that you can easily sync up to your laptop. If they'd fix the wireless interference and add volume control on your computer, we'd be able to recommend this fully. [Mint]

The Price: $250 for the base unit and one satellite, $130 for each additional satellite.

The Verdict: Dreamy. The ability to put music in five separate rooms simultaneously (base + 4 sats) is a dream we've had since we were in elementary school planning on buying our first house. (That's right, other kids wanted to be astronauts, we wanted to be Bruce Wayne, homeowner and bad ass crimefighter.) The base unit has excellent sound, great bass response and SRS WOW! sound enhancement. The satellites are a bit lower quality, but definitely listenable. As a bonus, it also supports all the way back to the 3rd generation iPods—in our opinion, one of the best iPods ever made. Rocktastic.

Shooting iPod music everywhere was cool, but we discovered something way cooler. Step one was plugging our iTunes output from our Mac/PC into the base unit and switching it to AUX input. Step two was using our iPhone and the new Remote app so we could control our iTunes from anywhere inside the house. It's as close to an ultimate audio setup as we could get with equipment this easy and plug-and-play.

Is it worth $250 + $130 for satellites? Think of it as an investment. As long as you're alright with the sound quality and your home isn't any taller than three stories (just about the limit we found for the sound to not cut in and out all the time) you'll be able to use this as a home-wide music solution for years. [EOS Wireless]

One great thing about the set is that you can change the way it does sound depending on room size and TV placement using simple menu options. Oh yeah, and the picture on the 120Hz set wasn't bad either. The 149 comes in two flavors, a 46" for $3300 and a 52" for $3700, out soon. [Mitsubishi]

All for $1500, which is a lot less than ES used to be and a lot less than what the competition charges over at Yamaha and Denon for the really crazy stuff with more than 7 channels. All do 1080/24p and anything easier as well as Dolby Digital, TrueHD, DTS High Res and Master Audio. Upscaling, the real difference in receivers these days, is handled by Faroudja DCDi Cinema tech, not a bad chip at all. More details below.

SONY enhances “elevated standard” audio/video receiver line

WITH THREE NEW MODELS
SAN DIEGO, June 26, 2008 - Sony today introduced three new
audio/video receivers in its “Elevated Standard” (ES) product
line that deliver high-quality sound and video performance.
Engineered for high-end home theaters, the new STR-DA4400ES,
STR-DA3400ES and STR-DA2400ES receivers feature sophisticated
A/V technology supporting 1080/24p video signals, the latest
audio codecs (Dolby® Digital Plus, Dolby® TrueHD, dts® High
Resolution Audio and dts® HD Master Audio) and Faroudja® DCDi
Cinema™ technology for upscaling all video sources to 1080p
when connected via HDMI™ to a compatible high-definition television.
The ES receivers are all designed around a unique construction
platform, digital board and a wide band power amplifier to
maintain the purity of the audio and video signals by minimizing
external vibrations and internal jitter.
“The rapid evolution of audio and video has generated increased
demand for connectivity and high-performance components,” said
Tyler Ishida, director of marketing for Sony Electronics' Digital
Imaging and Audio Division. “This new line of ES receivers
delivers the fidelity, build quality and connectivity expected
for an outstanding cinematic experience in the home.”
The new models utilize a xross media bar™-inspired graphical
user interface for easy content navigation, Sony's Digital
Cinema Auto Calibration for simple surround sound setup, and
BRAVIA® Sync™ for Theatre for easy synchronization of compatible
home theater components.
Sony's DIGITAL MEDIA PORT adds control, networking and connectivity
options for music playback through various accessories, including
a Cradle for iPod (TDM-iP10), a Network Walkman™ cradle, a
PC client device and a Bluetooth® adapter (each is sold separately).
The models are also Sirius® and XM Connect-and-Play™ Ready.
The STR-DA4400ES 7.1 channel receiver has a 120-watt amplifier
(8 ohms, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 0.09 percent THD), six HDMI inputs
and DSD decoding through HDMI. It offers high-definition video
distribution to a second zone, audio distribution to three
zones and picture-in-picture for monitoring of multi-zone output
or an external video source. The model will be available in
August for about $1,500.
The STR-DA3400ES 7.1 channel receiver has a 100-watt power
amplifier (8 ohms, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 0.09 percent THD), four
HDMI inputs, a 12-volt trigger, IR repeater and high-definition
video distribution to a second zone (composite). It will be
available in August for around $1,000.
The STR-DA2400ES 7.1 channel receiver has a 100-watt power
amplifier (8 ohms, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 0.09 percent THD), a basic
icon-driven graphic user interface and four HDMI inputs. The
model will be available next month for about $800.
All ES receivers are supported by a five-year limited manufacturer
warranty and will be available online through www.sonystyle.com
, at Sony Style stores nationwide
and at authorized Sony dealers across the country.

The 47-inch high units have a 70Hz - 35kHz response, and will cost around $1,250, but there's no info on availability. [Yamaha and Akihabaranews]

They have teamed up with Triad speakers to offer units that incorporate the front left, center and right channel speakers underneath your flat-panel television. When you turn on the unit, the artwork retracts to reveal the screen but leaves the speakers masked from view behind a black matte material. Custom sizes and speaker setups are available, but I'm sure that regardless of the configuration you choose, installing VisionArt in your home will not come cheap. Still, it may be a small price to pay for such a seamless solution. [VisionArt via Electronic House]

The subwoofer itself is the receiver/amplifier unit—there is no video source, but adding a DVD or game console wouldn't be hard or cumbersome. The speakers themselves are ridiculously tiny, but if you were wondering, they actually are the same as the ones from the HT10 introduced last year. The sound is very beefy, frankly way louder than we thought. The center channel has an IR receiver, so that you can stash everything else except for those itty bitty speakers, and still run everything. Not bad if you're going for the hidden home-theater thing.

The unit has three 1080p HDMI inputs to keep sources in their hi-def glory, and the system can be extended to multiple rooms by using S-Air wireless speakers. The set has an optional kit to make the included rear speakers wireless too. The HT-IS100 is out in July for $700, press release after the jump. [Sony]

SONY DELIVERS STYLISH SURROUND SOUND SYSTEM FOR HIGH-DEFINITION HOME THEATERS

NEW YORK, June 5, 2008 - Offering a stylish solution for the modern high-definition home theater, Sony today introduced the HT-IS100 BRAVIA Theatre Micro System.

Designed with five incredibly small speakers roughly the size of a golf ball, the new audio/video system delivers a rich surround sound experience that can be easily integrated into a home theater.

The system includes three 1080p HDMI inputs with repeater functionality and support for eight channels of uncompressed audio. It is an ideal complement for Blu-ray Disc players, PlayStation 3 consoles and other high-definition sources. With the ability to add optional wireless rear surround speakers and multi-room wireless speakers that configure automatically, the HT-IS100 system can be set up with fewer wires and without complicated wireless IP settings.

"Consumers want a cinema-like surround sound experience in their homes, but are hesitant to add large equipment that overpowers the d cor," said Tyler Ishida, director of marketing for Sony Electronics' Digital Imaging and Audio Division. "The HT-IS100 packs all the power of a conventional home theater system in five discrete speakers that practically disappear in your living room."

The 5.1 channel system, with 450 watts (RMS) of power, includes a subwoofer with integrated 32-bit S-Master digital amplifier for superb audio performance.
Featuring Sony's S-AIR technology, you can add wireless multi-room listening throughout the home using Sony S-AIR Air Station speakers, which are sold separately. Television audio and music can be transmitted from the main system to multiple rooms throughout the home by connecting the Air Station into a power outlet. An optional speaker kit (WAHT-SA10 sold separately) delivers audio wirelessly to rear speakers, eliminating the need to run speaker wire from the front to the back of the room.

The system features Sony's Digital Media Port, which adds control, networking and connectivity options for music playback through various accessories, including a Cradle for iPod (TDM-iP10), a Network Walkman cradle, a PC client device and a Bluetooth adapter (each is sold separately).

Sony's Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC) simplifies surround sound setup with the push of a button by automatically adjusting speaker frequency, distance and level.
The system also features BRAVIA Sync for Theater, which integrates its operation with select BRAVIA televisions and home theater products for one-touch play. With the touch of a button, you can automatically turn on and switch inputs, synchronizing connected devices to make operation easier.

Equipped with a Dialogue Audio Enhancer with night mode, the system can adjust audio levels for dialogue when the receiver volume is turned low. Additionally, the updated Portable Audio Enhancer feature improves the clarity and depth of digital audio devices connected to the system by adding information to the audio signal that had been removed during compression.

The HT-IS100 system will be available in July for about $700 at Sony Style stores, online through www.sonystyle.com, at military base exchanges and at authorized dealers nationwide. Digital Media Port accessories and thin antenna speaker stands are also available at Sony Style stores and online at www.sonystyle.com.

Each speaker by itself can fit perfectly into a corner (wall-to-wall or wall-to-ceiling) for an easy mounting. And two could make for a pretty interesting impromptu sound bar. Since each unit packs a tweeter and two woofers, the possible mixtures of stereo channel output offer some deal of flexibility beyond that whole "they stick together!" form factor. Look for the Control Now this month for $249 a pop. An outdoor version will be available for $30 more.

INTRODUCING JBL CONTROL NOW™ LOUDSPEAKERS:
UNIQUE INSTALLATION OPTIONS FOR MULTIPLE HOME APPLICATIONS

— 90 Degrees of Pure Ingenuity —

WOODBURY, NY — JBL, Inc., today announced the introduction of its JBL Control NOW™ indoor and JBL Control NOW AW outdoor high-performance loudspeakers. Both models feature a unique quarter-round shape that provides an unprecedented variety of installation possibilities, and incorporate innovative driver technologies to deliver clear, powerful and evenly distributed sound in any listening environment.

The all-new, uniquely versatile design of the JBL Control NOW loudspeakers enables them to be placed virtually anywhere — including areas where other speakers cannot be installed. The drivers are mounted behind a curved quarter-round front section, and the rear of the enclosure has three angled sections that enable the speakers to be corner-mounted between a ceiling and wall or between two walls. They can also be placed either horizontally or vertically on a shelf. The JBL Control NOW has a black finish, and the JBL Control NOW AW is available in a white finish.

Multiple JBL Control NOW speakers can be joined to create half-round, three-quarter-round, or fully round configurations, and they can be hung from a ceiling using an optional pole-mount bracket and standard ceiling-fan hardware. In addition, the speakers can be mounted with third-party stands, using included adapters.

When used in two-, three- or four-speaker arrays, the JBL Control NOW and JBL Control NOW AW can be configured for either single-channel or single-point stereo use, for maximum flexibility in a wide variety of home, multiroom, architectural and background-music applications, including in media rooms, kitchens, decks or patios — or wherever natural, accurate sound with a wide coverage area is desired.

Exclusive JBL® Technologies for Exceptional Sound, Anywhere

JBL Control NOW and JBL Control NOW AW loudspeakers are designed from the ground up to deliver outstanding sound quality in the most challenging installation applications.

Corner-mounting, and some multiunit speaker configurations, can have an adverse effect on frequency response across the listening area. To ensure accurate audio performance even in less-than-optimal acoustic situations, the loudspeakers feature a tweeter mounted in a patented JBL Bi-Radial® horn, and have a newly developed profile that has been optimized to minimize diffraction effects from room surfaces to deliver exceptionally smooth, wide frequency response. The speakers have constant-directivity dispersion when wall-mounted, and omnidirectional characteristics when corner-mounted or grouped in a four-speaker circular array.

The tweeter incorporates a 3/4-inch titanium-laminate diaphragm and a ferrofluid-cooled voice coil that is driven by a high-Gauss neodymium-boron-iron magnet, for high-power-handling capability, and outstanding resolution and transient response.

The tweeter is complemented by two 4-inch woofers that incorporate dual neodymium-boron-iron magnets, which completely surround the voice coil. The design of the woofer's motor structure and suspension was optimized using Finite Element Analysis (FEA), a computer-analysis technique that is used to model complex systems such as loudspeaker drivers by breaking their intricate multipart elements down into smaller pieces, predicting the behavior of these elements, and then combining the behavior of all the elements to arrive at an accurate analysis of the entire system. The use of FEA enabled JBL engineers to design a unique woofer that delivers increased output capability with minimal distortion, even at high volume levels, and provides additional sonic benefits.

To further refine their performance, the JBL Control NOW and JBL Control NOW AW feature enclosures and baffles made from a thermoplastic-composite material that contains both glass and mineral fill, which provides high rigidity and damping. The enclosure's mechanical design utilizes thick walls, cast-aluminum internal bracing and other refinements to minimize internal resonances and acoustical loss.

The JBL Control NOW loudspeakers are currently available at a suggested retail price of $249 each. The Control NOW AW will be available in late June 2008 at a suggested retail price of $279 each.

May 20, 2008 04:00

Keep Your Phone in Your Pocket: Listen to Your Mobile-Phone Music on Logitech's New Wireless Speakers

Logitech Introduces Pure-Fi Mobile Speaker System

FREMONT, Calif. —(Business Wire)— May. 20, 2008 To transform your low-fidelity mobile-phone audio into high-fidelity, stereophonic sound — wirelessly — Logitech (SWX:LOGN)(NASDAQ:LOGI) today announced the Logitech(R) Pure-Fi Mobile(TM) speaker system. Soon you can be listening to your favorite tunes on your mobile phone — even when your phone is in your pocket.
"Millions of people now use a mobile phone to listen to music. If you're one of those people, now you can toss your ear buds aside and pump up the volume," said Mark Schneider, vice president and general manager of Logitech's audio business unit. "So when you're at a party, at the park, or just hanging out at home, your mobile-phone music will always sound great when you use the Pure-Fi Mobile speaker system."

If you have a mobile phone that uses Bluetooth(R) wireless technology with the Advanced Audio Distribution (A2DP) profile, you can stream stereo audio through the compact Pure-Fi Mobile speaker system — up to 33 feet away from your phone. And thanks to the 2-inch high-excursion drivers and dual 2-inch pressure drivers, your mobile-phone music will fill your home, your car or your office with articulate bass and smooth treble.

You can also use Pure-Fi Mobile as a wireless speakerphone. It features two built-in mics — one to pick up vocal nuances and the other to monitor and block unwanted background noise. And you won't need to even pick up the phone — the call-answer and call-end controls on the top of the speakers let you accept or end calls.

When you're ready to hit the road, toss Pure-Fi Mobile into your suitcase, backpack or car and enjoy music wherever you go. The compact, one-piece speaker system comes with a protective case that can also carry charging cables. So you don't unexpectedly lose power, the rechargeable batteries give you approximately 12 hours of playing time as well as a battery-life indicator. Plus, if the batteries run low, just use the included power adaptor or mini-USB cable and keep on rockin'.

And if your favorite audio is on your PC, iPod(R) or other MP3 player, you can enjoy the rich sound of Pure-Fi Mobile by pairing it to your audio source via Bluetooth or by connecting it to the built-in 3.5 mm audio jack — instantly enhancing your listening experience.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech Pure-Fi Mobile speakers are expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in June. The suggested retail price in the U.S. is $149.99.

There's a Mundorf Air motion transformer tweeter, a pair of ScanSpeak midranges, and a Visaton bass driver. I think they're going to be quite expensive, don't you? Oh, and FYI, Olon means all-encompassing in Ancient Greek. And, cue Olon Nothing jokes. [Mythos Audio via audiojunkies]

The standard, which runs $60 and has no separate volume control. There's also a backpack add on for $50, which Wilson seemed unusually amped about (pardon the pun) since he regularly lugs around a giant Boy Scout backpack. Finally, there's a motorcycle pack which has a beefier amp in the back in addition to the stereo speakers, and can supposedly be heard at speeds up to 80MPH, though the rep admitted he hadn't actually tested it. It's $140, but the shame is free. [Giz @ Koreannovation]

• The HT-S4100 is a 5.1 systems that seems to lack HDMI, has a 200 watt sub and that same iPod dock. $479
• The HT-S3100 sub is powered by the receiver and lacks a dock. $379.

UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NJ (04/17/08) — Onkyo has introduced three new packaged home theater systems, each consisting of a flexible HDTV-capable audio-video receiver, five or seven surround-sound loudspeakers, powerful subwoofer, and an included iPod docking station on two of the systems. These systems, popularly called HTiB for "Home Theater in a Box," can be combined with a video display, Blu-Ray or DVD player, and cable/satellite TV box to provide a complete home theater surround sound experience.

The 7.1 channel home theater receiver included with top of the line HT-S5100 offers an amazing range of capabilities at such a modest price point. The HT-R560 receiver has three 1080p compatible HDMI inputs and one output. The HDMI Pass-Thru provides optimal video quality with separate connections for the audio channels. For optimum sound quality, the highly regarded Audyssey 2EQ room correction technology automatically adjusts the sound character and time delay of each speaker relative to the listening positions. Additionally, Audyssey's Dynamic EQ adjusts sound on the fly to optimize sound quality for any volume, particularly at low listening levels.

The HT-S5100 includes advanced Dolby and DTS surround sound processing capabilities, a powerful 130-watts per channel using Onkyo's Wide Range Amplifier Technology (WRAT), seven loudspeakers with outstanding sound quality, and a powerful 290-watt subwoofer and is Sirius Satellite Radio ready. The HT-S5100 system also includes a new dedicated Onkyo iPod dock and charging station, plus the company's new Music Optimizer technology to enhance the dynamic range of MP3 and AAC files which are normally compressed for headphone playback.

The more affordable Onkyo HT-S4100 and HT-S3100 are 5.1-channel systems with HDTV-capable component video switching, DTS and Dolby Digital surround processing, and five loudspeakers. The HT-S4100 has a 200-watt subwoofer and included iPod dock. The HT-S3100's subwoofer is powered by the receiver, and there is no iPod dock with this system.

All three systems include full-function remote controls, and are available in either black or silver finishes.

The Onkyo HT-S5100, HT-S4100 and HT-S3100 will be available in April with suggested retail prices of $579, $479, and $379 each, respectively.

The main appeal of the i931 is it's nostalgia factor, hands down. If you have any sort of infatuation with the 1988, boom-bap era of hip-hop, you can't help but be in love with this thing. And after I spent a few hours with the i931, I was ready to march down to the nearest 7-Eleven, boombox in hand, and yell at the guy behind the counter for D batteries (This boombox takes TEN D batteries, but there's also a power cord, so fear not). The i931 also stays true to the historical design of Lasonic boomboxes. The speaker grates, the cheesy color graphics, the volume knob and power button, all taken from Lasonic designs of the past. The iPod dock even pops open like a tape player and you insert your iPod like a cassette. Awesome.

The iPod function works about as well as you could expect; the menu system is semi-complicated to learn, but functions efficiently with the external button interface, and the window in the dock face makes the screen clearly visible. The i931 is compatible with any iPod up though the 5.5g model iPod and the 1g and 2g iPod Nanos. I assume its also compatible with the iPod Classic and 3g Nano, but I wasn't able to test that, so I cant confirm. There is also an AV out in the back if you want to route video playback to your TV.

On the technical side of things, the i931 has an AM/FM tuner (w/telescoping antenna), 3.5mm stereo auxiliary input, USB input and an SD card reader for direct MP3 playback. It has a glowing spectrum analyzer and a 1/4" headphone jack. The two 15w speakers are powerful and clear, with no distortion until level 35 of a 40 point volume scale (with the bass turned up).This is all controlled by 10 buttons on the right, with the standard array of play/pause, stop, track up/down, random, repeat and function buttons. It also has a folder button for browsing file structures.

There are, however, a few issues I have with the i931. The most glaring problem is the lack of support for the iPod touch and iPhone. They don't close into the iPod dock, and they can't be controlled by the button interface. And the plastic on the door of the dock means you can't get to the touch screen. There are other minor issues like the omittance of the physical EQ sliders (pure nostalgia), which are replaced by presets and bass/treble controls. The AM/FM tuner graphic doesn't actually do anything, and the former tape deck buttons have been replaced with generic graphics that don't do anything. Also odd, is that the i931 will occasionally and randomly shut off during playback. Not enough to be an annoyance, but enough to notice.

That said, the i931 gets a big, fat Giz stamp of approval. The '88-'94 golden era of hip-hop occupies a special place in my heart, and the boombox was one of it's universal symbols. This isn't the most technically advanced or well-built audio gadget around, but that's not what this is about. The i931 gives a nod to the past with it's head in the future, exuding charisma along the way. At $170, you get a that sounds good, and it doesn't break the bank if you buy it just as a novelty item. Personally, this will be one of my favorite gadgets I ever play with. [Lasonic on Giz]

This review is dedicated to Radio Raheem, who was killed on the fictional streets of Brooklyn by the fictional N.Y.P.D.

Video by Chris Mascari