Acoustic Research’s Santa Clara Bluetooth stereo speaker is the speaker for the outdoor season.
It’s built with an IPX weather-resistant case, enabling it to withstand quick showers.
Cosmetically it looks like an outdoor light fixture with a built-in hook on top so it can hang from a pole, ceiling or just about anywhere.
The two-way driver speaker system is built into the body of the Santa Clara and gives you 10-watts of great sound from any angle.
The top of the speaker has a 360-degree light for close area lighting, which can be kept on normal light or changed to a color mode.
It you want a complete system, the Santa Claras are built to connect a pair of speakers via Bluetooth.
The built-in rechargeable battery will last for up to 14 hours before a charge is needed.
www.arspeakers.com $149.99
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The 808 NRG Glo speaker not only sounds great, but also pulses to the beat of your music with a glowing LCD light ring.
A recent press release described the speaker as an energy drink, which after using the portable 5.5-by-2.2-inch Bluetooth speaker, you can see why. The powerful sound coming from the can-shaped speaker is crystal clear with the right amount of bass for listening on-the-go.
There’s a built-in rechargeable battery, which will last for about 12 hours, depending on your volume level.
The light show is cool at first and definitely an attention getter and can be changed to just a solid light or other modes with the glo button.
A grill with hexagonal holes is on top covering the speaker, a rubber bottom keeps the speaker in place. If you want a direct connection there is a 3.5 mm aux port on the bottom.
www.808Audio.com $50
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Headphones are such a fashion statement these days, almost more important than the sound. The Phiaton MS 300 BA earbuds have both the sound and a unique look.
They are available in red or white with what I’d call a see-through design so you can see inside the speaker, which is a cool design.
They fit inside your ear on an angle, which is a design I really like because it helps keep the speakers in place. You get extra sets of earbud tips to ensure the right fit.
The sound is produced from what Phiaton calls a Hybrid Dual Driver to combine a balanced armature driver and dynamic driver in one.
There’s a lot of other technology built into the earbuds. The balanced armature driver is for high frequency tones.
The low Frequency Pass Filter is described as able to filter high frequency sound waves from the Dynamic Driver, allowing the driver to hone in on low frequency precision and improved bass. This enables the Hybrid Dual Driver to enhance sound quality along the entire frequency spectrum.
It all adds up to a really great crisp sound at any volume. While they aren’t noise cancelling, as I write this at 36,000 feet I have all the outside airplane noise drowned out by the great sound.
The speaker cord is tangle-free, has a music selection control and an inline mic for hands-free calls. A carrying pouch is included.
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Contact Gregg Ellman at greggellman@mac.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greggellman
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