Geek Treat of the Week philips’ Fidelio speakers for iOS – such as the DS9 – have gotten a big thumbs-up from us in the past, and now philips has released a new range specifically designed for Android devices.
I got my hands on the top-of-the-range Fidelio AS851, which comes in at £200, but there’s also a smaller model called the AS351 priced at £129, and a little bedside jobbie called the AS111 for just 70 quid.
The AS851 docks some – but not all – Android phones
You don’t have to worry about the sound, as the AS851 provides 30W worth of the same warm, detailed sound we’ve come to expect from the Fidelio range. However, the Android side of things isn’t quite so neat and tidy. Read the rest of this entry »
Review I reviewed Sharp’s first Quattron TV last year, and although it was rather pricey I was impressed by the image quality that it provided thanks to its innovative addition of a fourth yellow pixel to the standard mix of red, green and blue.
Jaundiced view? Sharp’s Quattron LC-40LE831E screen features yellow pixels
But while Sharp was doing its own thing with yellow pixels, the rest of the industry was focusing on 3D and Internet connectivity, leaving Sharp looking a little bit behind the curve in those areas. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Pure has pumped out tabletop digital radios and pocket portables for yonks, but largely avoided micro hi-fi. The notable execptions being its DMX and Legato products a few years ago, the inexpensive DAB-equipped Sirocco 150 in 2009, and this new 550 model.
Beat combo: Pure’s Sirocco 550
Compared to its forerunner, the 550 has a smaller main unit but beefier amplification, an integrated iPod/iPhone dock and, notably, wireless internet. With this you can access more than 18,000 internet radio stations, podcasts, on-demand programmes (including BBC catch-up), an ambient noises library, audio files from shared devices on your network and any songs you’ve bought using Pure’s cloud-based Lounge service. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Ten years ago, investing in a PC TV tuner seemed a neat way of watching while you work – integrating the gogglebox with laptop or Desktop duties. Today, the idea is more questionable given access to on-line video streaming and download services from the likes of YouTube and the BBC iPlayer respectively.
PCTV’s Nanostick T2: for those with an HD habit
So why should you fork out £80 PCTV Systems’ NanoStick T2 USB tuner when your web browser gets more channels? One good reason is that if you’re on the move and you miss your telly, then using a dedicated tuner, rather than streaming, isn’t going to cost you dearly for mobile data usage. Another plus point is that the Nanostick is a rather rare beast among portable tuners, as it is capabable of receving Freeview HD channels. Read the rest of this entry »
Review There’s a renaissance in audiophile grade Blu-ray players happening at the moment. Arcam’s exotic BDP100 got the ball rolling, and now the Oppo BDP-95EU, Marantz UD7006 and this here Cambridge audio Azur 751BD are hot on its heels. I must confess to being excited. While I like cheap-as-chips electronics as much as the next guy, nothing stokes my system-lust quite as much as a black tie disc spinner.
Tipping the scales at 5kg, the 751BD appears hewn from solid metal. A good sign as rigidity usually begets fidelity. Equally reassuring is the provision of two HDMI outputs. Owners of non-3D compatible AV receivers can use the second output to decode DTS HD MA and Dolby TrueHD lossless audio, while 3D video squirts out of the first to a compatible display. Read the rest of this entry »
