Posted 08/27/08 at 01:00:00 PM by Michael Brown

TBI Audio Systems bowled us over last year with its passive Majestic Diamond peakers; the company recently sent us the follow-up to those speakers (the Majestic Diamond IR) along with the new hybrid-powered Millennia MG3 Class D amplifier. (Buying the components as a package shaves $100 off the cost of acquiring them separately.)

Hybrid power means the amp can operate on either A/C power (using the included power supply) or eight AA batteries (not included). Plugging in the power adapter shuts off the batteries (but it won’t refresh any rechargeable batteries you might be using). Add a set of strong passive speakers and a digital media player capable of playing tracks encoded using a lossless codec (we used Cowon’s FLAC-friendly A3) and you have a fabulous audio system you can listen to just about anywhere.

Read on for the full review.

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mobile, hardware, consumer electronics

Posted 06/19/08 at 01:28:26 PM by Michael Brown

Axiom Audio’s Audiobyte speakers have convinced us it’s time to retire the M-Audio Studiophile LX4 system we’ve long used as a reference point for speaker reviews. They also surprised us in a number of ways: They’re made in Canada, not China; the amplifier comes in its own enclosure, as opposed to being hidden in one of the speaker cabinets; and the subwoofer is passive! We think we're in love.

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speakers, hardware, consumer electronics, kick ass, reviews, Axiom Audio, Audiobyte, kick-ass

Posted 04/11/08 at 12:06:34 PM by Michael Brown

If you think deploying a subwoofer is a prerequisite to obtaining big-time bass, you haven’t heard Audioengine’s A5 speakers. And if you’re convinced you need huge cabinets for thumping bass, you haven’t heard the company’s new diminutive A2 system.

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speakers, Desktop, consumer electronics, audioengine, kevlar, reviews

Posted 03/17/08 at 12:33:11 PM by Michael Brown

Soundcast has embedded its wireless iPod streaming technology inside a fantastic battery-powered, self-amplified outdoor speaker. It’s pricey, but building a good wired outdoor system would cost as much—even if you do the work yourself.

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streaming, speakers, consumer electronics, outdoor, weatherized, reviews

Posted 03/03/08 at 02:18:38 PM by Michael Brown

It’s been 10 years since my first Tannoy encounter. I auditioned the company’s exquisite studio monitors as an associate editor at Electronic Musician, and the acoustic bliss I experienced then lingers still. With that remembrance renewed, I couldn’t wait to hear Tannoy’s i30. Boy, was I disappointed.

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speakers, consumer electronics, ipod docks, tannoy, reviews

Posted 02/08/08 at 05:05:34 PM by Michael Brown

We’ve been around long enough to never say “never.” That’s why we decided to take a look at Logitech’s new Z-Cinema speakers. They tap your PC’s audio through its USB port, and they rely on digital signal processing trickery to deliver a good audio experience—two of our biggest pet peeves with “multimedia” speakers. But we like ‘em anyway.

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speakers, logitech, usb speakers, reviews, z-cinema

Posted 02/08/08 at 12:26:05 PM by Michael Brown

If you think a deploying a subwoofer is a prerequisite to obtaining big-time bass, you haven’t heard Audioengine’s A5 speakers. And if you’re convinced you at least need cabinets as big as those of the A5, you haven’t heard the diminutive Audioengine A2.

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speakers, reviews, audioengine a2

Posted 02/04/08 at 04:38:52 PM by Michael Brown

You’ll find the THX logo stamped on a host of products, but Razer’s Mako is the first consumer speaker system that THX—led by THX Chief Scientist Laurie Fincham—has designed from the ground up.

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speakers, razer, subwoofer, 2.1, tweeter, midrange, reviews, mako