Accessories
Photos: Sony NAS-Z200iR and CMT-Z100iR all-in-one iPod speakers 
Sony on Tuesday announced the European-only NAS-Z200iR and CMT-Z100iR all-in-one iPod speakers, which feature a built-in iPod dock, slot-loading CD player, AM/FM radio, analogue audio input port and USB port compatible with a Sony Walkman or any other MP3 player.
The higher-end NAS-Z200iR also includes additional network streaming functionality, including PC streaming and Internet radio via Wi-Fi. Continue reading...
Photos: iBasso D10 tested, revolutionises Apple's AirPort Express
Back in May we introduced you to iBasso's D2. To many people, it's an external USB soundcard; to others it's a DAC (digital to analogue converter). And to some, it's just a great headphone amp. In fact, it's all three. It transforms music played from any computer, from weedy and flat to rich and explosive.
The iBasso D10 extends this functionality to Apple's AirPort Express, or any other audio device that outputs digital audio via optical or coaxial cables. Continue reading...
Photos: RothDock wireless iPod dock tested
Purple alert! Purple alert! (What's a purple alert?) We've unearthed an iPod dock that doesn't bore the bejeezus out of us.
Praise be to Roth Audio for conjuring the RothDock from its hat of ineffable talent. It's a completely wireless dock that beams audio right through the ether -- no more blindly navigating iPod menus because the screen's too small and too far across the room to see. Continue reading...
HDMI 1.4: Throw it all away and start again
HDMI is rather like sleep: a gigantic waste of time, but essential because there's basically no alternative. If we could take a pill and never sleep again but still feel refreshed each morning, you can bet we would. And if there was any other sort of cable that could get 1080p video and lossless audio to the rest of our AV gear, you can be sure we'd take advantage of it. Sadly, there isn't and the onward march of progress means we must re-invent the HDMI standard to make use of new advances in technology.
So, what's changed in HDMI 1.4? Firstly and inevitably, it's a new size connector. Yes, that's right -- not only will you have to buy new equipment and new cables, but you'll also not be able to use new, HDMI 1.4 cables with older HDMI 1.3a equipment -- not without an adaptor at least. This decision is apparently to enable smaller devices, such as camcorders, to have HDMI 1.4 connections on them. If you're aware of HDMI, you'll know mini HDMI cables have existed for some time, but HDMI 1.4 is a totally different size to even these cables. Continue reading...
Spider Camera Holster: Redefining 'shoot from the hip'
Bags and backpacks may be efficient ways to carry your equipment, but even the slingiest of sling bags can still be hard to manoeuvre, and neck straps can chafe after a while. Photographer Shai Eynav felt the pain and did something about it: he's developed what looks like a variant on a mobile-phone holster that lets you hang your digital SLR from your belt.
The Spider Camera Holster takes a veteran design -- a post that slides down into a well, leaving the attached object to dangle and rotate freely -- and adapts it to work with the tripod socket on a camera.
It's a novel approach with some merit, although we think our trousers would be around our knees if we tried it with a lens as heavy as the one pictured. We can also imagine the bruises on our thighs caused by a large pro dSLR like the Nikon D3.
Slated to ship this summer, the Spider Camera Holster is currently priceless. Continue reading...
Photos: Atomic Floyd HiDefJax tested
Oh hello, you've caught us testing the best Atomic Floyds we've heard to date. How fortunate for you.
By now, we've heard a few Atomic Floyds. This HiDefJax model is gorgeous-looking, crafted from aluminium and lathered in questionable hyperbole. For us, they're pick of the Floyd range. Continue reading...
Photos: iBasso D2 DAC headphone amp tested
The D2 from iBasso splices two pieces of high-end audio gear into audiophile matrimony. Comprising both an external USB sound processor (DAC) for your PC or Mac, and an impressive headphone amplifier, the D2 has for the past month replaced our beloved Woo Audio 2 amplifier.
The question we know you're asking is, could I expense one to the government? The answer is of course, as long as you're an MP. Otherwise it'll cost you £165 of your own money from hifiheadphones.co.uk. Continue reading...
Hands-on with SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone
After some serious procrastination in the development process, Sling Media has finally released SlingPlayer Mobile for the iPhone. The app works with your Slingbox at home, and lets you control and watch streamed video from your satellite or Freeview box and PVR on your iPhone or iPod touch.
All of the functionality found in previous SlingPlayer Mobile platforms is still intact. You'll have access to a menu bar that'll let you use a remote-like interface on-screen to control your box, as well as switch Sling devices and manage your favourite channels. What's new are a few gestures that'll allow you to scroll through them more easily. Continue reading...
Hands-on with Sony Ericsson's HBH-IS800 stereo Bluetooth headphones
Sony Ericsson's HBH-IS800 stereo Bluetooth headphones pack everything into such a teeny-tiny package, we would never have spotted them as wireless. Gone are the ear cufflinks that mark you out as a plonker with the Etymotic ETY8 -- these are as miniaturised as the future was always supposed to be.
The HBH-IS800 headphones are earbuds, with each bud beefed up to about 3cm long to contain the battery and Bluetooth receiver. They're connected by a short cord that nestles behind your neck and sports a microphone for hands-free calls, and a tiny button for answering and hanging up.Continue reading...
Klipsch Image S4: CNET UK favourites get affordable
One of our favourite earphones of all time are the Klipsch Image X5s. We gave them a CNET UK Editors' Choice award. We even gave a pair away in a competition. But for some people, £129 for earphones is just a little too steep. Enter the Klipsch Image S4.
These new sound-isolating earphones will be landing in the UK at the start of June. Prices aren't confirmed for this country, but as they're just $80 (£55) in the US, we expect they'll be significantly more affordable thant the high-end X5s or flagship X10s.Continue reading...
