As an alternative to scrolling through your tracks galore, MoodGrid will make selections based on your mood, be it dark, positive, calm, energetic, or whatever else you might want to enter in. Mood characteristics are mapped along songs that you yourself own and is able to access these songs through Cloud-based music services. Each track’s title and information is displayed on a graphical grid in your car’s user interface. As Vadim Brenner, VP of product and content management for Gracenote says:

“Being able to pinpoint what type of music people want to hear based on their specific mood is the killer app for music services and automakers. Gracenote is dedicated to developing new ways for drivers to safely enjoy all of their music on the open road, and we are grateful to have a partner like Daimler that recognizes the potential of this kind of technology to deliver a more personalized music experience.” – Brenner

We’ll be getting one whole heck of a lot more information on how this system works and in what vehicles it’ll be employed on – or whether or not you’ll be able to pop it right into your vehicle without so much of a screw loose – very soon. Meanwhile here’s my question for you: do you think this is the sort of service you’d like to have in your vehicle? Or do you use your mobile phone to do such tasks as music management? Or a third option, god forbid: do you still listen to the radio?

You’ve of course got a stereo mic/line input, but you’ve also got USB mass storage, USB MIDI/Audio, and USB memory to keep you hooked up to your computer interface. DC in, MIDI in and out, and so many ports you wont know what to do with yourself. You’ve got nine velocity-sensitive rubber pads on the top for tapping and two external dual-trigger inputs for expansion of your taps. Your effects are controlled by four dedicated buttons as well as two real-time control knobs, and the whole device is perfect for dancing in the dark as its all backlit.

This is what the pros use, ladies and gentlemen. Smack it with your drumstick, tap it with your tips, go nuts with the sweetness. The whole thing weighs in at 5 pounds 9 ounces (otherwise known as 2.5 kg) and sizes in at 364 x 331 x 94 mm. That’s about the size of a record album and a half stacked up to about 15 or so albums. You’ll be able to grab software for Windows Vista/XP/7 or Mac OS X 10.6/.5/.4 if you wish for the USB drivers and the Wave Manager (unless you want some 3rd party software, of course), and the whole setup will cost you a cool $990.00 USD and is available now.

The STZ-D10S-L“Solo” is a compact device in light blue colors for the individual user. It supports MP3, WMA, AAC, and LPCM formats. It has 4GB of internal memory, a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, a dock for the iPod or iPhone, and dual 40mm drivers with 5W of power. It runs on six AA batteries and sells for $299 starting in November. The next model is the STZ-D10T-G “Duo”.

The Duo has a sealed and ruggedized design with an iPod and iPhone dock, it supports the same audio formats and has 4GB of internal memory. It also rocks a 2.4-inch LCD and dual 40mm drivers and will sell for $349. The largest of the new audio devices is the STZ-D10Z-R “Crew”. This device has a 3.5-inch screen dual 25mm tweeters, and dual 75mm woofers. It has a total of 40W power and 4GB of internal storage. It will ship in November for $499.

The long range wireless technology is what makes this all possible. The body is weather resistant, and has a built in 8 inch subwoofer, a 100 watt digital amplifier, and it has a backlit top panel for local control. The iCast transmitter is included for wirelessly connecting your iPod or MP3 player. It can also stream music from Mac or PC and can take advantage of internet sources like Pandora and Rhapsody. Its zone 2 output is even compatible with legacy audio devices.

The internal battery will yield 10 to 20 hours of wireless music depending on the volume level. It has a good design that will match just about any setting from a backyard barbeque to just hanging out in the living room. It is available from select distributors and retailers. No pricing is listed on their site or in the press release, but these are pretty high-end and will likely have a high-end price tag to match.

Press release:

CHULA VISTA, Calif., June 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Wait till the music lovers hear this. Soundcast Systems, developer of high performance wireless audio systems and products, announces its new OutCast 3.4 multi-room, multi-source wireless speaker system with subwoofer just in time for summertime home and outdoor entertaining. Your music affordably enjoyed wherever you are—with no wires!

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110610/NY17975 )

Wireless is in. Affordable is in. Portable is in. iPod®/iPhone® access and control is in. So Outcast 3.4 is in! The new system is destined to be the most utilized speaker you’ll ever own, and Soundcast is happy to shout its hefty claim.

OutCast 3.4′s technology lets you easily access and enjoy up to 3-sources of your favorite music in up to 4 separate areas of your home or business. Heck yes, listen both in and outdoors!

The OutCast 3.4 has a powerful wireless broadcast range of up to 300-feet. Clear, precise transmissions easily travel through walls, doors, floors, ceilings and roofs. You enjoy rich, multi-directional, uninterrupted sound anywhere and anytime.

Additional features include:

Tri-amplified, high-definition audio reproduction w/DSP
Long-range, interference-free wireless technology
Internal battery provides 10-to-20 hours of wireless music (+/- power level)
Easy to use backlit top panel keypad for control

You set the stage and command performance with the built-in smart control system. In addition to allowing 3-source music selection and control for your iPod/iPhone/MP3/PC or Mac personal music library, take advantage of Pandora®, Rhapsody®, iTunes®, Radio, HD Radio, Cable Music and even legacy audio sources for the receivers’ zone 2 output. Like magic, music you choose is sent to each Soundcast 3.4-equipped listening area (zone).

The AVR 1565 and 1650 receivers are intended to be entry level systems, they come with 5.1 channel surround sound, Dolby True HD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and 70 watts per channel in the 1565 with 95 watts per channel in the 1650. The AVR 2650 and 3650 are ready for 7.1 channel surround sound and include network connectivity for streaming radio or music content. The 2650 has five HDMI inputs with 90 watts of audio output per channel, while the 3650 has six HDMI inputs with 110 watts per channel. The receivers all follow Harman Kardon brand’s sleek black and brushed silver design, and have the usual color coded connectors to help take some of the confusion out of the set-up process.

With so many consumers upgrading their TVs and Blu-ray players, many homes do not have audio/video systems that can take advantage of what the new technology is capable of. David Slump, president of HARMAN Consumer Division said they are trying to offer “our customers the richest at-home sound and viewing experience possible, suitable for most budgets.” The retail prices range from $479 up to $1099.

Press Release:

STAMFORD, Conn. – HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated (NSYE: HAR), today announced a new audio/video receiver line featuring HDMI® v.1.4a that provides the latest in 3-D enhancements and performance. In addition to enhanced viewing capabilities, the AVR 1565, AVR 1650, AVR 2650 and AVR 3650 feature the Harman Kardon® brand’s proprietary Logic 7® sound processing, providing rich and powerful 360-degree sound.

The AVR 1565 and AVR 1650 are the perfect companion for film, TV and music lovers who are looking for a budget-friendly, yet feature-rich, AVR option. Audiophiles will rejoice as these receivers power 5.1-channel surround systems and feature the latest Dolby® True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio™ decoding technologies that really bring entertainment to life. A great starting AVR system, the 1565 packs a lot of punch with 70 watts per channel, an FM/AM tuner, extensive audio/video connectivity, and three HDMI inputs. The AVR 1650 provides 95 watts of power per channel and also includes an FM stereo, The Bridge IIIP connectivity, additional HDMI input, and EzSet/EQ™ technology, giving movie and music buffs additional flexibility in configuring their ideal home theater setup.

For those looking to take their entertainment to the next level, the AVR 2650 and AVR 3650 can power 7.1-channel surround-sound systems and are packed with the latest and greatest next-generation technology. Both AVRs include network connectivity for Internet radio or music file streaming from a home network and are SIRIUS Satellite Radio®-ready. Additional benefits include Dolby Volume – a home theater volume control, which maintains the same volume level across channels, sources, and content – and multizone functionality for audio playback in multiple rooms. The AVR 3650 goes one step further, providing 110 watts of power per channel and six HDMI inputs – versus 90 watts of power per channel and five HDMI inputs with the AVR 2650 – accommodating every entertainment whim with grace, style, and ease.

“With price points for 3-D TV and Blu-ray continuing to decrease, many consumers are upgrading their TVs and DVD players with these latest technologies. The problem some face is that their existing AVR may not be equipped to maximize all the features and benefits that 3-D and Blu-ray provide, “ said David Slump, president of HARMAN Consumer Division. “The new line of Harman Kardon AVRs takes advantage of the latest home entertainment technologies to offer our customers the richest at-home sound and viewing experience possible, suitable for most budgets.”

These receivers feature the Harman Kardon brand’s sleek black and brushed silver design, perfectly coordinating with any existing Harman Kardon products and home surroundings. Artistically designed and effortless to use, all receivers have color-coded binding-post connectors and easily programmable remotes, making setup and connectivity a breeze.

The MAS 102 is an integrated system with all features in one cabinet. It is capable of connecting to iPods and iPhones with an optional accessory. A CD player is integrated along with an FM tuner. The device has a front USB port and a rear USB port and has other audio inputs, including dual coaxial and dual optical inputs along with a single coaxial digital output.

The front panel has a photo input connector and the clock that is on the front panel has a sleep timer to turn the stereo off at a certain time. A headphone port also allows the user to listen in private. The speakers are matched for quality sound with MMD tweeters and integral waveguides. Harman Kardon promises that the device offers the sound of a full size system with less space.

[via Harman Kardon]

Alternatively there’s a USB 2.0 port for hooking up a non-Apple PMP, while other connectivity includes digital optical input and outputs, analog input and outputs, an aux input and a subwoofer preout.  A front-panel headphone socket and a remote control wrap up the key specs.

Power is 40W x 2 and JVC has used two separate amps, one for each channel, which the company reckons will make all the difference.  Still, if you’re listening to shoddy MP3s in the first place, it probably won’t matter too much.  Out next month for $399.95.

Press Release:

JVC Announces High-Performance Micro Audio System

WAYNE, NJ, September 22, 2010 – JVC today expanded its Procision series of premium-level products with the introduction of a new high-performance micro audio system. The new JVC UX-J51 is a three-piece system that combines class-leading performance with clean, elegant design.

The new JVC UX-J51 is a CD micro component system with a built-in dock for iPod, USB (2.0) input and an FM/AM tuner. It’s comprised of a single main unit and a pair of two-way, bass reflex speakers. Most functions are controlled using flush, top-mounted touch keys illuminated in blue, with the exception of volume, which is handled by a large, silver knob on the main unit’s front panel. A full function remote control is also included.
A key performance feature is the system’s separate left and right channel amplifiers, each rated at 40 watts. The two-way speakers feature a one-inch (2.5cm) soft-dome tweeter and a 4.3-inch (11cm) cone woofer. The audio performance is optimized using CONEQTM technology that matches amplifier and speaker performance to ensure equalized power levels across all frequencies, resulting in a clean, natural sound throughout the listening room.
For system expansion, the UX-J51 includes a digital optical input and output, analog input and output, aux input, and a subwoofer preout. There’s also a headphone jack, FM and AM antenna jacks and banana speaker jacks. The system also features a clock/timer.
The JVC UX-J51 will be available in October for $399.95.

For the rich audiophile a new preamp has been unveiled by Chord Electronics called the CPA 8000 Reference stereo preamplifier. The thing looks like some sort of top-secret encryption machine off a submarine that the president would use to launch nuclear missiles.

It’s in a big, shiny chassis made from what appears to be aluminum and it has front panel controls. The controls give independent adjustment over left and right channel frequencies. A balance knob and volume control are also on the front along with VU meters for both channels and a multi segment input readout. All I know is this thing better sound REALLY good for the asking price of $50,600.

In addition to internet radio, the IS9181 can also stream multiple file types from a Wi-Fi-enabled PC – MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV and Real formats are all fair game.  If you’d rather play music from your iPod, Zen or yes, even your Zune, you can do so via the 3.5mm auxillary jack located on the device.  VTech has even included the ability to receive horoscope text updates from the web – a nod, perhaps, to the 13 year-old girls who have supported VTech by buying their phones.

The IS9181 will be on display at CES, along with the rest of VTech’s 2009 product line.  The price has been pegged at $199.95, and you can get your mits on the device this Spring.

[via Engadget]

The TEAC comes with an Ipod dock that can charge your Ipod as they play. It supports 4th gen Ipod, nano, classic, touch but only works partially on the Iphone 3G. Being an Integrated amp, the unit has three set of analogue audio inputs and can play your favorite AM/FM channels. Videos are only supported via Ipod playback, which also accounts for the sole digital input. The digital amplifier delivers 75/90 watts of class D power with both channels driven into 8 or 4 ohm-speaker configuration.

Also announced is a companion stereo CD player that can read redbook CD, CD-R/RW and support digital media format like MP3 and WMA. The PD-H600 cost exactly the same as the Integrated amp.

Both units are constructed with aluminum chassis with high-rigidity structure and powered by a large toroid power transformer. Just like the rest of TEAC family , you can expect only selected professional audio components are being used in the circuitry design. The set of TEAC will set you back for $2,600 and is slated to be released in December.

NACSound created this interesting speaker, which provides stereo sound from just one speaker. And it’s more than just good-looking. In fact, this speaker can really pump out the tunes. The cones on both the top and bottom of the device have coaxial driver array. Plus, the middle part is an acoustic reflector. This reflector allows the sound field to produce a near perfect stereo image. And you don’t have to hang it up like an old 70′s lamp. In fact, you can suspend it horizontally, if you’d like.

As you might have guessed, this speaker is not cheap. It costs $2,900 and you can select from 14 different finishes.

[via DVICE]

Which would be nice, because a tape deck is about the furthest thing from what a thief would be interested in stealing. Granted this won’t help you out much if you have an expensive GPS unit sitting on the dash or a shiny iPod not so well concealed.

However, if you’re careful and don’t leave your gadgets out, you won’t look quite like the gadget loving person you are. As with all Instructables there are plenty of pictures and details to make the mod easier on you.

[via ubergizmo]

So, there are two bricks, each has a male USB connector and a female headphone jack on them. The USB port on both is used to power the devices and that is all, the headphone jack on one is an input, on the other, an output.

These two devices work on the 2.4GHz band, but use a protocol that isn’t affected by WiFi, microwave ovens, Bluetooth, mobile phones, cordless phones, or any of that other stuff that normally buggers things up. You get one USB charging block for your home outlet to plug one of them into, the speakers they are intended for have powered USB ports on them, so presumably you’d plug the other one into that, then you get a pair of headphone cables with male connections on both ends and one Y-splitter with RCA jacks on the other end.

So, setup is pretty basic and almost completely self explanatory which is nice. So, you hook one end up to your speakers or stereo and the other up to your iPod, computer, cell phone, whatever you want as long as you can jack it into a headphone jack, the downside of this system, and there is pretty much only one considering the range is 100ft. and it can transfer data at up to 340Mbps, is the price which is $149.99.

[via the-gadgeteer]

With the new NFC technology integrated into these speakers all you have to do to connect your device is to touch it to the speaker and viola! You are good to go. Inside there is a Class D amplifier, which is the class that brings you some of the best quality audio, and the pair operate at around 6 watts maximum.

6 watts may not sound like a lot, but my 12 watt Altec Lansing 2.1 system overpowered my 500 watt home stereo, it’s all about how you apply it and Parrot is quite ingenious with their audio equipment. The 650 gram weight of this little pair of speakers includes a rechargeable battery that’s built in and will last you roughly 8 hours of playback before needing a charge. The cost will be £79 sometime this summer when it’s released.

[via Pocket-Lint]

This MP3 Player comes in two capacities, a 4GB version and an 8GB version, both of flash memory. You can also get this player in a range of colors including Solid Black, White, Sky Blue, and Pink, best of all it weighs a mere two ounces!

The player supports a plethora of audio and video formats, Rhapsody, Napster, and Yahoo subscription services, voice recording, text viewer, photo viewer, and more. The full list of A/V formats are as follows: MP3, WMA, ASF, FLAC, and OGG Q10, MPGE, WMV9, and XVID. The battery lasts for 5 hours of video playback or 17 hours of music. So, you get 8 or 4 gigs of storage space integrated, then you get a microSD card slot so you can expand that even further, or play movies recorded from your phone and view pictures taken from your phone. This is a fairly amazing MP 3 Player and it has a reasonable price at $109.99 for the 4GB model or $159.99 for the 8GB version.

[via iRiver]

It has ClearScan technology built in which means with the touch of a button it will scan all the channels and find the one that has the highest possibility of going uninterrupted and giving you the best quality. No more picking a random station and hoping it works, it’ll all be done for you.

Furthermore, it has semi-rigid arm that allows you to position the iPod or iPhone wherever its most convenient for you so you can check on the weather, or your stocks while your driving, or just change what you’re listening to. Lastly, for the best audio quality there is a plain and simply line-out jack to plug directly into your car’s stereo if you have the ability to, if you want one, its 99 Euro, or about $150 USD, and they are available now, even in the US.

Sure its not the most powerful audio editing software, but its better than a lot of the competitors out there, and its free. Regarding the turntable, I believe you can also just plug it into your home stereo or whatever and use it just like a regular turntable.

So, you could rip your old LPs to your iPod or create your latest club mix, there is also a bonded diamond stylus that should reduce the wear on your precious vinyl. If you want one, they’ll be dropping next month for $150.

[via reghardware]

Other than that it has an aluminum casing, black buttons, a 1.3MP webcam, built in mic, stereo loud speakers, and a fingerprint scanner all built in, it doesn’t look too bad as far as laptops go either. The two Intel chips you get to choose from are the Core 2 Duo T5550 or the T8100 (I believe the 5550 is a Merom chip, whereas the 8100 is the Penryn chip).

It comes with 2GB of RAM, your choice of a 160 or 250 gigabyte HDD and with the Peynryn chip, a base price of $1481, with the AMD chip, $1184. There aren’t any details on the P300, but there are pictures, I checked Toshiba’s site in hopes of finding even a mention of these, no luck though.

[via notebookitalia]

But inside each of those dials is a 1.5-inch cone that is actually a speaker. Then there is the piano black glass finish on the front complemented by the brushed aluminum covering the remainder of the product.

In the back there is a 3-inch active subwoofer which makes this a 3.1 unit in all. I presume that since it has the Porsche name on it the audio quality is at least mediocre if not fairly good for a shelf stereo unit. If you want on it will cost you £409 or a little over $800 USD, so it had better sound simply amazing, or have one of those boxer engines tucked away inside, wait, is that the wrong Porsche?

[via RedFerret]

It’s a clamshell phone, which is nice, but for those of you concerned, all of the music controls have been placed on the outside of the phone, so you can control your music without having to open the phone up. Alongside the FM Transmitter there is an FM radio built in, and some cool lights.

There are 8 equalizer presets available, and probably a user programmable one and it comes with a stereo hands-free kit as well. It works on the UMTS/HSDPA 2100 and GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 bands and should be out sometime in June, I want one.

[via PhoneMag]

It has full support for all of the 8-channel linear PCM digital formats except for DSD which is for SACD, a drive for a computer for SACD doesn’t exist, so it’s a moot point. For the complete list, here it is: Dolby Digital EX/Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS ES, DTS HD High Resolution/Master Audio, and DVD-Audio, there is also PCM Stereo support up to 24 bit and 192kHz.

No word on price or availability, but if you are constantly upgrading your Home Theater PC to keep up with the latest and greatest, this is something you’ll definitely want to add to your list of future purchases. I’d be willing to wager that Creative and likely Turtle Beach will have something to compete with this by the time it actually launches.

[via uberreview]

Two iPods is the most obvious solution, but I think there are others. I mean, when I was in high school, there were a few kids who had found a way to remove the lid from their CD player and still make it play and they’d “scratch” them like a record and it would make similar noises, so a pair of those might make for a decent set for a DJ on the go.

I have no idea if the Micro Mixer DJ-4 comes with the audio cables or not, but all it does is connect two devices via headphone jack and provide a couple audio knobs and a single output to connect to a stereo or speakers. You can get one for about $135.

[via gadgettastic]

Kenwood announced trio of slimline CLK compact stereos in Japan today. It plays redbook CD, CD-R/RW, MD media (only on CLK-7i-S) and works with IPOD, MP3 as well as MP3 with USB connection. The top model CLK-7is only available in silver, weighed in 5.7lb and will be selling at 50,000¥ (~$449) The rest of the two CLK-5i-S/W models are available in black or silver finish. It lacks MD support and roughly 1lb lighter than CLK-7is but 10,000 yen cheaper (about $110 USD)

Kenwood presents a new stereo [via akihabaranews]

Sure, that sounds uncomfortable, but both halves are balanced as far as weight goes, and they don’t feel uncomfortable at all. The best part, they are made for jogging, and other such activities, so they don’t jiggle, or move, or otherwise feel like they are going to fall off, trust me I tried it. I mean, “My Plague” by Slipknot came up on my computer and started playing, and I went full on headbanger’s ball style, bending at the waist and flailing up and down just like I was at the concert, and nothing moved.

They are in-ear headphones, so they block out a good portion of the external noise so you don’t have to crank the volume too much to be able to hear the music regardless of your surroundings, I mean they are no Shures, but they are good. Like I said, they are comfortable too.

JayBird Gear was kind enough to send me a pair of the headphones, as well as both the iPod and the “other” adapter. I have an iPod, so it would be senseless to use the adapter that has the headphone jack on it with that, so I connected that adapter to my PC and its working great so far.

Pairing is a Breeze, you put the headphones into pairing mode, and then for the audio jack based adapter there is a power button, turn on that adapter and the two automatically pair with each other. With the iPod adapter, there isn’t even a power button, you just plug it into the dock connector, start playing some music, and once again, the iPod adapter will pair itself and then off you go, playing music wirelessly. Pairing your phone, well that’s just as painless as with any other Bluetooth headset, you just put the headphones into pairing mode, set your phone to find the headset, and then connect, enter the PIN and you are making calls or even listening to music from your phone if your phone has the A2DP Bluetooth profile.

Calls from my Fin appear to be clear, but there doesn’t appear to be much, if any, noise cancellation, and although the person on the other end comes in quite clear, your voice goes out fairly low volume and with an emphasis on the lows, it could be my phone, but I doubt it. But, the music playing capabilities were their primary focus, so, buying them for that function, and then just pairing your phone for convenience, not a bad idea, but buying the set just to talk, well there are better options. But the buttons (volume up and down and the answer/end call button that also serves as the power and mode buttons) are easy to use, a little hard to click, but they feel like they will loosen up a little with regular use.

So, you have your choice of 3 audio sources, an iPod, your phone, or any number of devices with a standard headphone jack. So let’s say you have it paired with your phone, and you are listening to music on your iPod, this thing will automatically mute the iPod’s audio and let the call ring through and give you the option to answer or not. Then when you are done with the call it automatically switched back to the iPod. The same applies if you are listening to music on your phone and a call rings through, it will pause the music and switch to the call.

I think the last thing to cover is what comes in the box, and how much all of this will cost you. In the first box, the one with the actual headphones, you get the headphones, the charging base, a USB cable that connects to the base and your choice of USB power sources, a different set of rubber ear pads, a wall charger with a USB port on it, and a manual. That’s it in that box, the other two adapters are far simpler, there’s the adapter, and then the manual, that’s how it is for both adapters.

Now for the best part, the cost, normally you wouldn’t think cost would be the best part, but I assure you it is. These awesome Bluetooth headphones with Bluetooth 2.0 and the A2DP profile, they’ll cost you a mere $129.99. I am sure it’s possible to use other Bluetooth adapters, but the JayBird ones are really reasonable at $50 each.

So, sure, $129.99 sounds like a lot, but I’ve been looking for a set of Bluetooth headphones for a while now, and you pretty much seem to have two choices, a pair of regular headphones that are attached to some dumb lanyard that goes around your neck and makes you look like a doofus, those you can usually get for $100 plus or minus about $20, or you get the headphones more like these that all the hardware fits on your head, comfortably, and this style ranges from $120 all the way up to $249 and more I’m sure.

So, I really like this, but I don’t have much of a base to compare them to. So, I can only rate them on their individual merits, so they get 4.0 out of 5.0 Gears.

Rating:

4 out of 5 gears

JayBird Bluetooth Stereo Headset [via jaybirdgear]

The Parrot Boombox is a Bluetooth based speaker system that will link to your Bluetooth 2.0 cell phone, MP3 player or even your laptop. It truly fills the room with all of those songs that were so longing to be freed from the mono speaker, low quality sound that a lot of devices deliver.

Having used Parrot devices in the car, I know that the audio quality is top notch. But, streaming music is a whole new ballgame. I was very surprised, and pleased at the volume levels as well as the overall quality of the sound.

I tested the speaker station with a few different phones. All of the phones sounded great, and the connection process was relatively simple. The range from phone to speaker was on par. My only complaint is that it seemed to disconnect with the phones after a relatively short idle time.

The speaker system also had some handy little left and right audio inputs on the back for those of us that are still wired (or if you just want better sound quality)

This gem of a speaker is available now. Look to spend between $280-$300. In my opinion, worth every last penny, considering you can pay $400 for comparable devices.

Overall, a 4 out of 5 Gears.

Rating:

4 out of 5 gears

Other than that, all you need is an audio source that uses a standard headphone jack for its output. You can also by a second speaker, to make it stereo, its not another one of the main unit, it’s a special auxiliary speaker.

The initial setup, without the additional auxiliary speaker, will cost you $199.95. The auxiliary speaker is an extra $99.95 and looks to be another speaker like the main one. Both run on AC with an adapter that comes with it, or you can use 6 D batteries.

Wireless Outdoor Monophonic One-Speaker System [via coolest-gadgets]

It looks like either a guitar amp or some other professional grade speaker that the guy built in a car radio and cup holders, for beer. I assume there is also a fairly hefty battery built in to power the thing, otherwise its portability is decreased to wherever there is an outlet.

But, supposing it has a battery inside, this would be pretty cool, I mean, it would definitely overpower your run of the mill boom box and it portable enough a couple people should be able to carry it. Plus you’d have use of the top as a table and the cupholders, that has to be the best part.

Festival stereo [via MAKE]

The CD player has a TI PCM-1792 DAC in it so you can get the best quality analog signal from your newly purchased Atmosphere album (coming soon, I can’t wait), I mean just imagine hearing Ant’s beats out of this pair with some nice speakers attached. The amp has separate amplifiers and power supply inside so the two don’t combine to create the comparably nasty sound of a shelf stereo or something of that nature.

The amp offers up 190 watts per channel for who knows how many channels, but the sound will be pure and clean. The amp will cost you $1834 and the CD player will run you $1466 and will drop on the Japanese market some time in mid-December.

Yamaha Aims High With CD-S2000 CD Player and A-S2000 Amplifier [via gizmodo]

On top of that it has an upscaling DVD player that will upscale up to 1080p for you. There is an HDMI port for that to play through and there are USB ports for connecting media players, thumb drives, so on and so forth. The best news is after the jump.

It also has WiFi. That means you can conveniently stream audio from any of your computers or even Internet Radio. Power wise its nothing spectacular with 50 watts each for the stereo speakers and 100 watts for the sub. You can get it now for 1250 pounds.

Denon SMART S-302 Wi-Fi DVD home entertainment system [via techdigest]

You can connect MP3 players and other personal media players as well as handheld gaming machines and video cameras. There is even and option to attach a rear back up camera. You can also divvy up your car into at least a couple different audio zones and either play different music in each of them, or play the same music through all of them.

You can customize the background of the unit with a picture if you want too. Other features include a remote, DRIVE-S II which helps prevent interference from vibrations, and a feature that allows you to plug in a karaoke mic and sing along.

Sony launches XAV-W1 in car entertainment unit [via pocket-lint.co.uk]