Category Archives: Speakers

Review of the RockDoc Bluetooth Speaker by Pitbull

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A few weeks ago I was contacted by the people behind this speaker requesting I review the RockDoc Bluetooth speaker endorsed by Pitbull. When I got the email I nearly laughed out loud at my desk. Someone asking me to review a speaker by Pitbull, the rapper? I love rap music, more than most people would probably understand or believe, and I even like a few songs he is featured on but he’s never made my list of rappers I love.

RockDoc Bluetooth Speaker Pitbull

Luckily for him, me, the RockDoc marketing team and VisionTek (the people that actually make it) the RockDoc Bluetooth is something I actually really do like to listen to. No one was more surprised than me. It isn’t a perfect speaker but at less than $60 on Amazon, the VisionTek RockDoc Bluetooth speaker over performs. At the end of the review I have links for a 15% discount as well as a way you can win one of these! Continue reading →

Kanto Yaro speaker review

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So you took advantage of Black Friday and picked up a sweet 50 inch HDTV, a Angry Birds-toting Roku 2 XS and a great Xbox bundle. But what good are all these new toys if the audio coming out of them is flat, boring and anemic?

In November, I received an email from the people at Kanto Speakers asking me if I would be interested in reviewing their new speaker system. It’s called the Kanto Yaro, a two-channel audio system, made especially for owners of streaming setup boxes like the Apple TV, utilizing audio technology by the venerable Bang & Olufsen (the makers of beautiful speaker systems I could never dream of affording). I of course said “YES!”

Kanto Yaro digital stereo system
Kanto Yaro digital stereo system

The Yaro is a breeze to setup, dramatically improves on the stock audio from your television and does it with panache. But does its performance match the $330 price tag?

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BoomBotix BB1 and BB2 Review

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Earlier this year I wrote a review of Aliph’s Jambox, a $200 Bluetooth speaker made with Apple’s iDevices in mind. The review, as you might remember, is very much favorable. The sound, build and design quality on this minuscule speaker is absolutely top-notch.

The only real issues I have with the Jambox is the price. While I do not find it overpriced for what it provides, especially considering the features, it is the first product I reviewed that required a use case section. My conclusion for the Jambox is basically this; buy it if you are a…

  • traveling salesman that puts on presentations and hates the crappy audio he gets
  • business with the need for a great conference call system on the go
  • person with money to blow and a peculiar need for portable sound

The device I am reviewing today is the quirky cousin or even the black sheep to the Jambox. The devices I’m writing about today cost $100-140 less and has looks that don’t necessarily kill but definitely stun.

BoomBotix BB2 Duo
BoomBotix Duo

The devices I am reviewing today are the BoomBotix BB1 and BoomBotix BB2 ($40/$60). They do exactly what they advertise and do it with a certain je ne sais quoi that absolutely reflects the style and personality of the people behind BoomBotix.

If you are a regular reader of this blog you probably know that when it comes to audio, I am a stickler for high quality sound. If you are looking for an “audiophile” speaker for your iPhone, this isn’t where you want to go. However, if you are looking for a great little speaker that puts out some solid tunes, is affordable, as portable as George Costanza‘s wallet and has a style all its own, I urge you to read on. Continue reading →

Jawbone JAMBOX Review

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Unless you have had your head in the sand for the last five years you know the name Jawbone, the bluetooth headset with the infamous NoiseAssassin technology. The name “NoiseAssassin” takes greater importance (is even scarier) when paired with ti’s definition “[an] adaptive signal processing technology, which was originally developed for DARPA…”

Government conspiracy theories aside, the technology behind Aliph‘s headsets has been an industry leader since its inception. The JAMBOX represents a diversion for the company from headsets to speakers. And for a first effort, it isn’t so bad.

The JAMBOX is a marvel of design and sound output versus physical size. It is feature-rich and about as sexy as a tiny speaker can get. It is also too expensive for what it actually accomplishes (depending on your use case).

If you’re looking for a bedside iPhone speaker/alarm/dock system that just might fill a room with sound, charge your iPhone and not costa  bundle, check out the offerings from Altec Lansing, Logitech, Klipsch and iHome. For the full review, read on.

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