iProng: Five stars for iP1

Wirelessaudioblog is no one to criticize website names.  I'm not exactly lighting up the world with my literal blog title.  But I can't help but think iProng is a bbq poker-set I saw being sold on Sky Mall.  Whatever the case, they performed a thorough and enthusiastic review of iHome's iP1.

None of this is to denigrate any of the competing products out there, some of which are excellent in their own right. But improbable as it may seem for a newcomer in this price range, the iP1 immediately becomes the new king of the hill

There were a couple insightful comments on the Bongiovi DPS technology:

I’ve seen plenty of cheaper stereo systems that included a button that would either enhance the bass or expand the spatiality of the audio, such options have generally had a synthetic quality to them, much like how a digital zoom on a camera is better than nothing but is really just a poor man’s substitute for a true optical zoom. But with the iP1, the Bongiovi button is a whole different creature, monitoring the music’s frequency spectrum for peaks and valleys and accentuating them appropriately.

Further:

...there was almost always a noticeable and desirable improvement when the B button was activated. I suspect that much like how the “enhance” button in iPhoto will occasionally turn a photo purple in its attempts to improve the color and light balance, there is perhaps the oddball occasional song that actually sounds worse with the iP1’s B button activated – but after having tested more than fifty songs from various eras and genres, I couldn’t find one.

Again, it's gratifying to see media folks appreciate what the iP1 has brought to the compoetitive landscape.

Review: iHome iP1 : iProng Magazine.

The leader of the pack (imo).

The Plantronics take on Avnera's first gen AudioMagic chips seems to capture the yellow jersey.  Logitech, Creative, and Freetalk may very well still be selling at a strong clip, but the feature set and execution of the .Audio 995 seems to resonate with consumers more than the others – who admittedly are getting long in the tooth.

Just ran across these user reviews over at Amazon, and they made my day, and so I think they are worth reading...

From Chris Zee Shutterbug:

Let me start with something that amazed me. I plugged the USB dongle into the computer, started Itunes, hit play and music started coming from the headphones!!! I did not have to configure a single thing. [...] That level of ease of operation has to be commended.

From Jennifer:

I love these headphones. I got them for my teenage son, but when he told me to listen to the great sound they became mine! The sound quality is incredible. [...] My son used them for World of Warcraft and he said the sound was awesome. He wants them back...but I've found a great hiding place and I am keeping them!

From CR Swanson:

I've reviewed three different headphones for Amazon Vine, including the three-hundered dollar Monster Beats, and this is, by far, the best of the bunch. They're comfy, they have great sound quality and the wireless mode just can't be beat!

From P Colin McGraw (with a gripe for balance):

I usually use wired headsets, and it feels freeing to be able to walk around the room listening to music, not having to navigate to iTunes with my mouse to fast forward as I get tangled in a headphone's cord. In fact, I'd actually use this headset even if I didn't need a microphone for just the awesome wireless headphone capabilities!

If I had to dig deep for a negative, I guess it would be the comfort. [...] the pads on your ears are designed to go ON TOP of your ears instead of AROUND them. It basically smooshes your ears to the side of your head, which you don't mind at first with the soft pads, but it gets uncomfortable after awhile.

Overall, it's hard to find a flaw with these and I'd wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone looking for a headset with or without a mic! It would be hard to design this headset any better and it's a great value!

There is another review, that gave 2 out of 5 stars (when 4/5 is the average over 8 reviews) – feel free to check it out – but from what I know of our technology, he is experiencing a busted antenna, probably a maunfacturing defect...  No other reason why he'd be getting garbagey sound while he moves.  Also, the output power of the headset compared to a 2.4GHz cordless telephone is not even close!  So if he is looking for a source for his wireless-G woes.. he should direct his attention elsewhere.  That's the spectrum monster.  Also he should switch to Skype and junk the 20th century technology.

Only one issue as Vizio Soundbar VSB210WS is reviewed on I4U (scored 8 out of 10)

Eight out of ten ain't too shabby! I've written much about the Vizio soundbar and the next paragraph is no exception, but it's nice to hear someone else's take on products that wirelessaudioblog holds dear.  That said, a little more of my warm air follows...

I live the review, generally, but I do take umbrage with one major stated "con" of theirs.  That is, they complained of too few inputs to the soundbar.  Well, the intent is to us the stereo output from the TV itself.  HDTV's nowadays have plenty of AV inputs in them and provide all the AV switching most folks would need to switch between AV sources such as set-top boxes, DVD players, BD players, game consoles etc.  I actually think for anyone with a modern flat-panel HDTV, this "con" stated by I4U is more or less a moot point.  Anyone without a newer HDTV probably isn't going the route of a soundbar.

Otherwise, I4U gives us the best write-up of the Vizio piece I've seen to date.

If you like what you read, head down to Costco now.  I saw them there last week.

Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless Headset, a review of Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless Headset

A solid review of the ClearChat.  Read the comments too.

Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless Headset, a review of Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless Headset

YouTube - Audioengine AW1 Review

YouTube - Audioengine AW1 Review.