With the season changing, allergies are coming to life, so it is the perfect time to try the Honeywell Bluetooth True HEPA Air Purifier.
The purifier can be controlled from a top panel or wirelessly after pairing it with an iOS or Android device.
With the smartphone app, you can track local pollen counts and use that information to adjust the cleaning levels. Modes and alerts allow you to customize cleaning settings according to allergen levels to help reduce the presence of indoor allergens. The alerts include levels of outside pollen and mold in your area.
The app also enables features such as automatically turning the purifier on and off at specific times and schedules.
While I’m far from an expert in allergies — I don’t suffer from many — I will say, this is an easy device for allergy sufferers to use. Controlling it is like any other simple home electronic device, and it’s designed to use in almost any room in the home.
An internal fan continuously draws in airborne pollutants, which pass through the activated carbon filter, trapping large particles and absorbing VOCs, (volatile organic compounds) gasses and odors. Then the air passes through the HEPA filter to captures the small particles, such as dust. The clean filtered and fresh-smelling air is then sent back into the room.
Measuring 20.08-by-10.83-by-22.38-inches, it won’t take up much space and doesn’t have to be centrally located. It’s recommended for use in rooms up to 310 square feet.
Specifics, according to Honeywell: the True HEPA filter effectively captures up to 99.97percent of microscopic allergens as small as 0.3 microns. It features an auto VOC sensor that operates the air purifier automatically. The highly effective filters help reduce odors, VOCs, and certain germs.
honeywellpluggedin.com $259.99
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There’s nothing not to like about the retro-looking Electrohome Signature turntable, officially named the Signature Vinyl Record Player Classic Turntable Stereo System,
The belt-driven turntable plays 33 1/3, 45 and 78 revolutions per minute for 7, 10 and 12-inch vinyls.
The old school cabinet (17.9-by-13.5-by-12.1-inches) is real wood with a rich walnut finish. Records play with a conical-shaped sapphire needle, and the powerful sound comes from four high-performance speakers inside the front facing acoustic speaker chamber.
The top side player has a phonograph lid, which lifts to expose the turntable.
There might be others, but this is the first complete system I’ve tried, which plays records, has a built-in AM/FM radio, CD player and a modern day USB port for playing MP3’s. An auxiliary port lets you connect a smartphones, tablet or most any other portable media player.
Radio stations are displayed on a front facing AM/FM dial scale and controlled with a large tuning dial on the right side. Volume is controlled with a turning dial on the left.
You can even record from CD’s or vinyl to a USB device with the push of a button.
Internal memory enables the sound system to store up to 99 MP3s and 20 CD tracks.
The Electrohome system gave my music collection a great test; maybe the next version will have an 8-track player to make it even more old-school. And yes, I still have a case of 8-track tapes, eagerly waiting to be tested.
electrohome.com $199.99
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Sennheiser’s HD1 In-ear wireless earbuds were announced earlier this year, and they were absolutely worth the wait to try. Not only is the sound great, but they also have a comfortable fit and an attractive leather neckband.
The sound is crystal clear, just as I’ve come to expect from Sennheiser products. Every type of music came through as clear and precise as can be with the right amount of bass.
But past the great sound, the look and design can’t be ignored with the red stitched sheepskin Nappa leather neckband.
The vibrating neckband doesn’t give you a massage but instead alerts you to an incoming call from the paired Bluetooth 4 or NFC-enabled device. You can pair up to two devices simultaneously.
I’m somewhat new to the neckband earbuds, and I’ve tried some that felt like the neckband was pulling down when I had the attached earbuds in my ears. The HD1 headphones are perfect with a few inches of extra cable attached to the earbuds to ensure the neckband doesn’t pull down while in use.
A three-button remote and a microphone are built into the side of the neckband to control calls and music.
The earbuds have a mirrored chrome finish and come with four different sizes of adapters for the right fit. You can expect about 10 hours of use before a 1.5-hour fast charge is needed. A hard-shell carrying case is included.
en-us.sennheiser.com $199.95
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Contact Gregg Ellman at greggellman@mac.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greggellman
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