08
Sep
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The Great Bluetooth Speaker Roundup: 8 Of Our Favorites Compared

Posted by in Accessories, Other Reviews
Last Updated: September 10th, 2012

Bluetooth speakers are rapidly becoming a thing that people, you know, buy. And because of that, a lot of companies have started making them. One of those companies has become the unabashed leader of the pack with a little device called the Jambox. But the Jambox is over a year and a half old. Competitors have started springing up, and some of them are actually quite awesome. And we know Bluetooth speakers aren't a "one size fits all" affair, so we're going to give you some of favorites in a variety shapes, sizes, and styles.

The Scoring System

Unlike some numerical scores, these scores are not cumulative - they're meant to compare multiple aspects of similar products on an absolute scale (battery life gets its own measurement, for obvious reasons).

03
Sep
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Diamond Multimedia AMP1000 Set-Top Box Review: It's Like Putting A Giant Gingerbread Phone In Your Living Room

Posted by in Other Reviews

While GoogleTV still hasn't really taken off, the idea of an Android-powered set-top box is still a good one if properly executed. Diamond Multimedia recently tried its hand at such an execution with the AMP1000 (Android Media Player), its first venture into the Android realm.

But, like with any new project attempt, there is plenty of room for failure. As we've seen so many times before, what seems like a good idea on paper can easily be a disaster in execution.

While I wouldn't go as far as calling the AMP a "disaster," Diamond's attempt at an Android box is... not very good.

03
Sep
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[Quick Review] Satechi BT Lite Headphones: Cutting The Wrong Corner

Posted by in Other Reviews

Satechi is known for offering good products for a good price. Recent examples: an awesome $30 portable Bluetooth speaker, a high-quality headrest mount for tablets, and a whopping 10,000mAh portable charger for just $50. So when the company announced some new lightweight Bluetooth headphones (creatively named "BT Lite Headphones"), it caught my attention.

With the promise of light weight, good features, and quality sound at $45, I cracked open the package with high expectations. At first, the sound produced by the BT Lites is impressive. But run through a range of songs and you start to notice a fatal flaw - one severe enough to prevent a buy recommendation entirely.

26
Aug
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[Lightning Review] SuperTooth Melody Bluetooth Headphones: Wireless, Compact, And That's About It

Posted by in Accessories, Other Reviews

Wireless headphones are a rapidly emerging market, thanks to the continually growing proportion of the population that own Bluetooth-enabled smartphones and tablets. On-ear wireless headphones, in particular, are picking up. We've reviewed several of these style of headphones, and found performance and price to vary wildly. You can spend $30 on a bargain-bin set of wireless headphones, or upwards of $400-500 for some of the name brand audiophile products out there. And at those extremes, it's a little easier to weed out the "real deal" from the junk. But in the middle of the road, around the $80-150 mark, things get a little less clear.

25
Aug
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[Lightning Review] Edifier Prisma BT 2.1 Bluetooth Speaker System: A Quick And Dirty Way To Smarten Up Your Stereo

Posted by in Accessories, Other Reviews

Bluetooth connectivity is an increasingly common feature request in our ever-more smartphone and tablet-centric world. It has grown from the simple communication medium of the god-awful earpieces everyone hates you for wearing into a widely-used wireless audio standard. Portable speakers, cars, and headphones are all latching onto it. But what about your 2.1 system? I know I've always wished I could easily push music to my own stereo setup without messy PC software or dongle attachments. I want it to just work. Luckily, such a thing does exist.

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And if you're in the market for a stereo speaker system, one that's well-suited for a desktop or smaller bedroom television setup - and you demand Bluetooth connectivity - the Prisma BTs are one of your very few choices, though they are a pretty good one.

25
Aug
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[Quick Look] Satechi Car Headrest Mount For Tablets: Pimp Your Ride Without Xzibit

Posted by in Other Reviews

My significant other likes to pretend the next car we buy will have TVs integrated into the headrests to keep our kids occupied on long trips. I can assure you, it will not - after all, that's an option that costs thousands of dollars, and is usually only offered on luxury cars (which we can't afford) and minivans (just no) as it is. But, as it turns out, it's not all that hard to one-up integrated TVs: you can slap on a sleek, adjustable headrest mount.

The benefits of using a mount rather than buying integrated are obvious. The first is, of course, cost - most people can't afford to buy a high-end luxury car or topped-out minivan plus the few thousand dollars it costs for the option.  Even those who can will likely find outdated systems, and one that's probably not touch-driven and definitely doesn't have the flexibility of Android.

24
Aug
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[Lightning Review] Soundfreaq Sound Kick Portable Bluetooth Speaker: An Amazing, No-Frills Product In A World Full Of Pretenders

Posted by in Accessories, Other Reviews
Last Updated: November 11th, 2012

I am sort of becoming the Bluetooth speaker guy here at Android Police, and the more such products I review, the more I find I'm not impressed with a lot of the current market leaders. Most of all, I'm unimpressed with their price-to-performance ratio. So often, Bluetooth speakers overpromise with buzzwords like "amazing clarity," "deep bass," and "rich sound" (how the hell is sound rich?). I get tired of it, especially since most of these promises are meaningless, recycled advertising drivel that belongs on a late-night infomercial. You have to separate reality from marketing-speak. Luckily, today, I haven't had to.

23
Aug
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Satechi Swift Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review: $30 Of Awesome

Posted by in Other Reviews

When it comes to speakers, cost can make a huge difference. Cheaper speakers tend to pack lower-grade materials, while more expensive ones tend to pack better. But every now and then, you'll find a true gem; a speaker that performs well above its price range. And luckily for me, the Satechi Swift is such a gem.

Portable Bluetooth speakers in particular are a dime a dozen, though the most well known is undoubtedly the Jawbone Jambox. It's a good speaker, but with a retail price of nearly $200, you're paying for panache as much as you are for sound. What makes the Swift so special?

22
Aug
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[Quick Review] FIXIE Tablet Stand By Incipio: An Elegant, Minimal, And Modern Stand For Your Mobile Device

Posted by in Other Reviews, Tablets

As a tech writer, I have lots of gadgets. Smartphones, tablets, and all sorts of other fun stuff. Because of this, new accessories aren't something that I'm often super-impressed with. Every once in a while, though, a new product lands in my hands that really is more than I expected. Thus is the case with the FIXIE tablet stand from Incipio ($40).

I know what you're thinking: "wait, you were impressed with... a tablet stand? Really?" In short, yes. I'll be honest with you - when I got the FIXIE stand, I was really expecting just another tablet stand. Most stands work well - after all, they really only need to hold the device to perform the function for which they were created.

16
Aug
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[Review] Phiaton PS 210 BTNC Bluetooth Noise-Cancelling Earbuds

Posted by in Other Reviews
Last Updated: October 9th, 2012

It's no secret that most of us hate cables. We want wireless sync and charging. Wi-Fi. Bluetooth. NFC. The list goes on and on. Why then, would we settle for earbuds that remain physically tethered to our device? We wouldn't. Unfortunately, Bluetooth earbuds aren't nearly as commonplace as their wired counterparts, and they oftentimes costs thrice as much (or more). Still, if you just can't stand the thought of using a wired set of 'buds, it's really your best (and only) option.

Enter a new offering to the Bluetooth earbud arena (available for pre-order now, should be in stores early next week): the Phiaton PS 210 BTNC (MSRP $160).

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