SchwarzTech » Speakers/Audio

JBL Reference 220 Earphones

Eric Schwarz — Mon, 21 May 2007 04:00:33 +0000

Even with Apple's "updated" earbuds, many users are not satisfied with the original equipment that comes with their iPods. Sometimes they don't fit well, don't sound as good as some alternatives, or get damaged or lost. No matter what, many people are looking for replacements...

Altec Lansing FX4021

Eric Schwarz — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 07:29:47 +0000

A few years back, we took a look at Altec Lansing's FX6021, a speaker system that screams Power Mac G5. With an appropriately-proportionate price tag, you got a nice set of speakers that fit in well with your system. Unfortunately, there are more people with a Mac mini budget, and Altec Lansing has released a slightly cheaper product, the FX4021...

UpBeat Audio Boostaroo Revolution

Eric Schwarz — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 13:00:54 +0000

Audio splitters have existed for years, and offered an easy way to share audio between two or more users. Unfortunately, depending on the headphones and the device, the volume might not be up to snuff. UpBeat Audio’s Boostaroo Revolution is a compact amplifier and splitter—a device designed for any iPod, MP3 player, DVD player, or [...]

Griffin iMic II

Eric Schwarz — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 13:00:04 +0000

A few months ago, we reviewed Griffin’s iMic. Last month, a newer model was announced that offered the same capabilities with an updated design. Besides being smaller, the new iMic (we’ll call it the iMic II) has text labels for the input, output, and level selector switch. It’s also white to match all the current [...]

Harman/Kardon SoundSticks II

Eric Schwarz — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 14:00:57 +0000

Back in the old days, Apple used to include speakers with many of their computers. The problem with these, known as the Pro Speakers, was that they required a special jack, since the computer provided the power. Since there were only two satellites, Harman/Kardon offered a USB-based subwoofer for this setup, called the iSub. This [...]

JBL Creature II

Eric Schwarz — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 14:00:13 +0000

We’ve tested an array of speakers, both designed specifically for iPods and more generic systems that will work with almost any computer, audio player, TV, or stereo. The one problem we found with the latter is that many speaker systems failed to match current Apple products. Since the sound quality is the most important criteria, [...]