For those looking for fantastic sound I highly recommend a pair of Grado SR60 headphones. The sound they produce is fantastic and, more importantly, doesn’t “fatigue” your ears. Most headphones I can stand for about 30 minutes before having to take them off. However, after receiving these as a gift recently I found myself listening to Jazz for hours without a hitch! A must buy for any audio enthusiast.
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One of the little known places on the web to find true bargains when it comes to home audio is the Cambridge Soundworks Clearance outlet. I check the site periodically and was ecstatic to see that they are once again offering the Soundworks Radio 705 (brand new) for a reduced price of $39.99! That is almost 70% off the retail price of $119.99.
I have purchased 2 of these radios and have been blown away by the quality of sound they produce. While the radio is fantastic, the sound is so spectacular that it is well worth the $40 to use as a speaker for an iPod! Grab one before they are gone!
It appears that resellers of Paradigm Speakers (one of my favorite speaker brands) have finally wised up and raised prices. Don’t get me wrong - I wish they hadn’t, but I had always been perplexed by how inexpensive these speakers were. A recent visit to my local dealer (the only one in town) confirmed this, as the new lineup features a more expensive Paradigm Atom (the least expensive of the Monitor line) and a pricier Paradigm Titan (one of my absolute favorites).
But don’t despair, discriminating buyers can still find prior versions of these speakers on ebay for a steal. I recommend, for the price, the Paradigm Titan v.3 (I owned these for years and was extremely happy with them). However, even despite the recent price hike, I still think the current models are a fantastic bargain for the price.
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Here’s another find for those looking for great sound at a reasonable price. Thinkgeek has the Sonic Impact T-amp for $69.99 (if you can ever find it in stock!). The unit is a class T amplifier which, based on all of the information I have found online, has blown reviewers away ever since it was released in ‘05. You’ll need high efficiency speakers to get the most out of it - but it sounds like it is well worth it.
According to the audio reviews, the price to performance ratio is almost unbelievable. And, while I am a firm believer in “no free lunches”, this may be one of those rare hidden gems you should jump on before it’s gone.
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I’ve long been a fan of Cambridge Soundworks - a brand well known for creating high quality speakers (audio nerds and wanna-be audio nerds like myself will recognize the name of company cofounder Henry Kloss).
I’m an even bigger fan of the fact that the company (now owned by Creative) has decided to sell their products direct to customers again - cutting out any additional cost associated with distributors (the middle-men).
Bargain hunters will like their clearance section, where they resell open box and refurbished speakers (all of which have been thoroughly tested). I’ve already blown quite a bit of coin on some fantastic deals like a pair of the Classic Series Model Six speakers for $127.49. To be honest, these speakers sound incredible - especially given the price.
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Finally, for everyone who has toiled countless hours stringing audio cable around their living room (i.e., me), the wait is over. I found the Amphony Wireless Digital T-Amp at one of my favorite sites, ThinkGeek.com. Instead of running cables from your amplifier or receiver to your rear surround sound channels, you can now send the signal via wireless!
I know, I know, you’ve probably heard wireless speakers at your local electronics store and they sound awful. But this is different - you provide your favorite speakers, they provide the wireless transmitter and high quality amp. Amphony promises excellent digital sound up to 150 feet away via its class-T amplifier. Plus, since it transmits at 5.8 GHz it won’t mess with your wireless network!
I know, I know, I’m on a home audio kick lately. But I bought the Cambridge Soundworks Computer Speaker System a couple of years ago and it has, hands down, been the best set of PC speakers I have owned.
One of the things I want to help readers out with is getting a good product for a good price. At $80 bucks for a system designed by audio legend Henry Kloss I think this one definitely fits the bill! Read the reviews from customers on the Cambridge Soundworks site here.
If you’re in the market for a pair of speakers, save yourself the time and hassle of wading through the myriad of different kinds at specialty audio stores. It’s a well know fact that many turn out to be overpriced for the quality of sound that they belch out.
My 2 cents? - if you burn $100 bills in your fireplace during the winter to stay warm, then I would say definitely go with a pair of B&W floorstanding speakers (they are worth it if you have the cash). But, if you’re like me you need to get the best sound for the best price.
The system is comprised of a base unit with iPod docking station and built in high fidelity amplifier. However, it also has a wireless unit that can stream music directly from your iPod.
I like this idea, since I constantly struggle with a bird’s nest of wires around my desk and work area. This allows you to plug the small unit into the wall and stream to the digital amp up to 100 feet away (so I can relocate the wires to the other side of the room). In addition, you can also plug your computer directly into the amplifier via USB, as well as use the line in jack to play CDs or plug into your favorite game console.