iPod and iTunes Reviews

A pair of Apple Remotes

Richard Senior — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 13:54:00 +0000

The Apple Remote is a very beautiful thing. Small and light, it feels just right in your hand. Although made from cheap plastic it seems as plush (but nowhere near as heavy) as my Bang & Olufsen remote. It works really well, you don't even need to point it at your iPod Hi-Fi or FrontRow equipped Mac to get it to work... which creates a little problem.

I set up my iPod Hi-Fi in my bedroom, along with my wife's new 24inch iMac. So I tried to turn up the volume of my Hi-Fi and you've guessed it the Mac goes up accordingly. So what to do?

To set your iPod Hi-Fi to work only with the included remote:

"Connect your iPod Hi-Fi to an electrical outlet. If your iPod Hi-Fi has batteries, you do not need to connect it to an outlet. Make sure other products that are compatible (see above) with the remote are not in range, and hold the remote close to your iPod Hi-Fi (about 3 to 4 inches away). Press and hold the Menu and Next/Fast-forward buttons on the remote simultaneously for about six seconds. The status light blinks green several times. Your iPod Hi-Fi now works only with the paired remote."

Learn more from Apple

You can also pair the remote with your iMac or other Apple Remote equipped device in a similar manner. The only problem being is trying to remember which remote is which. My solution was to leave the shiny plastic protective wrapper on the iMac remote, but a permanent marker could also be used.

I reckon that someone will eventually make some nifty icon stickers for this purpose... except I have just copywritten the idea! lol

Zune - iPod Killer Mk2

Richard Senior — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:47:00 +0000

The Apple monopoly over digital media players is set to fall if Microsoft's plans fall into place. Their new Zune device has a 30GB hard disk, and is available in iPod white and black, and in a rare case of Microsoft innovation, erm, brown...

Microsoft's iPod Killer MK1 - PlaysForSure

PlaysForSure (catchy name) was Microsoft's MK1 iPod killer. Like the Windows operating system, Microsoft coded it, and waited for the rush of developers to make devices that could utilise it. Zune is their MK2 iPod killer, it has also killed off PlaysForSure too, as songs from this system will not work on Zune.

"Microsoft is starting over. Never mind all the poor slobs who bought big PlaysForSure music collections. Never mind the PlaysForSure companies who now find themselves competing with their former leader. Their reward for buying into Microsoft's original vision? A great big 'So long, suckas!' It was bad enough when there were two incompatible copy-protection standards: iTunes and PlaysForSure. Now there will be three. (Although Microsoft is shutting its own PlaysForSure music store next week, it insists that the PlaysForSure program itself will live on.)"
NY Times - David Pogue

So, what happens when they kill Zune off? Will iPod killer MK3 support Zune files? Who knows but I wouldn't risk buying one. Even if I could as Zune is not available in the UK yet.

The Zune Social Club

One thing that that does seperate Zune from the iPod is it's wireless capabilities, it can be used to transmit music (and photos) to other Zune users, albeit for 3 days, then it wipes the tune - even if it was your own recording, this is just not for DRM protected files! It also has an FM Radio built in, and a bigger screen than the iPod.

What gets me though is what makes the iPod special to me, is the AddressBook and iCal intergration, plus the use of the iPod hard drive as a portable data carrier. Zune won't do this. It also doesn't work with Windows Media Player, you have to use a similar but less powerful player that Microsoft have developed to work with the Zune.

The iPod may not be perfect, but I really can't see Zune killing it off, I'll wait for the 3rd generation of iPod Killer, but I won't hold my breath.

Zune Discussion

iPod Hi-Fi Review

Richard Senior — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 01:01:00 +0000

I finally caved in and bought an Apple iPod Hi-Fi. I wanted something to replace my somewhat limited passive Sony speakers, dub don't really rock my boat on these tinny, but useful Sony mini speakers. I hoped to find that the iPod Hi-Fi would give me a decent sound for my bedroom, kitchen and living room. So, am I, a happy Apple iPod Hi-Fi customer?

Burn the grill

The iPod Hi-Fi comes with a protective/decorative grill, which needn't have been in the box, apart from when your carrying it about. So, on second thoughts, keep it safe, and use it when you travel. The Apple iPod Hi-Fi sound opens up when you remove the grill, particularly at low volume levels. A lot of the high end air seems to be lost when donning the iPod Hi-Fi speaker grill. Without the grill the iPod Hi-Fi's sound is well rounded, a very polished audio performer. Don't know if they'll replace my Yamaha NS10 Studio Monitors, but this is a very solid performer. Great for hotel room mixing sessions and on the tour bus.

Hi-Fi not as we know it, Jim

This is a new definition of Hi-Fi according to Apple, and I somewhat agree. Sure it ain't got the potential for a truly wide stereo spread, as even my little Sony's. But it sounds polished, deep and full even at low volume, making it ideal for round the house. Buy a few spare power leads, to leave strategically round your house, and before you can say BASS you have a very capable, easily carried, sound system. The included Apple Remote makes it Homer friendly, and the remote works, quickly with a pleasant snap, next track. Boom Box anyone?

Plays nice with other iPods

My fifth generation iPod Video works flawlessly with the iPod Hi-Fi, a new function called Speakers apears in new iPods, and you can choose between 3 EQ settings, and display "large" album art from music on your iPod.

And your Mac too

It will connect optically to other said eqipped devices, like your Airport Express or optical audio output from your cd player, dvd or Mac. It will accept a well aimed stereo min jack too, if you can afford to lose the digital connection, but makes it extremely useful.

One week on, all is groovy

I am listening to some great music while writing this review. This device is perfect for my lifestyle, yeah mon, bring on the dub, reggae, rock, blues, indie and all that jazz, sounding sweet on my stereo speaker and my neighbours don't want to kill me! Which makes it sound even sweeter. Peace.

Verdict: It's a Boom Box

Done by Apple. Sure, it ROCKS. Respect.

Buy the iPod Hi-Fi from the UK Apple Store.

Fatman iTube iPod Valve Amplifier

Richard Senior — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 16:29:00 +0000

Fatman iTube iPod Amplifier

This looks like being a really cool product. It combines 2 things that I am fond of: the Apple iPod, and Valve (aka Tube) amplifiers.

Valves are magical things, don't get me wrong - I love digital, low voltage circuits. I don't think a valve powered iPod would be a great idea. Yet when used in amplifiers, they do something to the sound, that engineers have struggled to emulate with transistors and software. Logic Pro's Guitar Amp Pro and N.I's Guitar Rig, do a pretty good emulation. But if you heard a nice tube amp, like a Class A Vox AC30, Fender, Marshall or one of the boutique, hand-wired varieties being used in anger, you would soon realise that nothing quite gets that 'brown' sound, like a tube amp.

So, a remote-controlled, valve powered amplifier and iPod dock, is getting me very excited. It's made by Fatman, part of Pro Audio group TL Audio, so I would expect good things from them. I haven't had a chance to listen to them yet, but my bet is that the iTube and a decent pair of monitor speakers would be a very sweet sounding combo. Not quite as portable as an Apple iPod Hi-Fi, but probably a very sweet sound. We'll have to wait and see when the iTube starts shipping next month.

iTube Features

iTube Vacuum Tube Amplifier
iTube Docking Station
Brush / Glove for cleaning
Power cable
Audio cable to connect Docking Station and Amplifier
Banana Plug speaker cables
Aux source audio cable for connecting CD player etc
Video cable to connect from docking station to TV
Power Output 13Wx2
Frequency Response 20Hz - 20KHz (±1.5Db)
Harmonic Distortion 0.5%
Signal-To-Noise Ratio 86Db
Input Impedance 100K
Output Impedance 4ohm, 8ohm
Valve Type 2x6N1(ECC85) 1x6E2(EM87)

Fat Links

Fatman iTube Discussion
Fatman Site

Tangle Tamers i-springs

Richard Senior — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 19:20:00 +0000

Tangle Tamers i-springs

It's easy to spot an iPod user, they usually have the stock white buds. Fashion editors and muggers love the white leads, which are not as bad as many hi-fi anoraks will have you believe. They do have one problem though, they can tangle easily. I haven't had too much of a problem, just a minor inconvenience. Tangle Tamers i-springs are a simple dual spring device that make the standard iPod buds and many other headphones, slinky, funky and tangle free.

Made in Britain

The iPod was designed by a Briton - Jonathan Ive, ( George W did NOT design the iPod ). So it seems rather fitting that some other Britons have developed something that can actually improve your iPod experience. It refreshingly doesn't cost more than an iPod itself.

i-springs a go go

The Tangle Tamers slide over your existing headphones and give them a pliable feel that helps stop them tangling up and also makes them seem more expensive than they really are. Available in a variety of hot colours including Metal Guru, Purple Haze or my conservative choice of Purely White, they jazz up your phones and are a lot of fun. At about the same cost as a set of guitar strings they are cheap, cheerful and very useful.

Learn more about the Tangle Tamers i-springs or join in the discussion.

iPod nano 1GB

Richard Senior — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 11:48:00 +0000

Apple iPod nano 1GB review

The Apple iPod nano was introduced, just in time for the holiday season in September 2005. It replaced the iPod mini, which up until that point had been Apple's best selling variety of iPod. The Apple nano 1GB is the latest and cutest iPod on the block. Yet, despite what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in quality and value. Compared to the current largest iPod - the 60GB iPod with video. The nano lacks video support but very little else. The 1GB nano will only hold about 240 songs but in most situations the iPod nano's diminutive size and weight are a real advantage when compared to it's larger siblings.

Small but perfectly formed

Yes, size matters and when it comes to personal music players, size is everything. Will it fit in your pocket? A regular iPod will in most; a nano will fit anywhere. It is lighter than helium, but there is nothing light weight about it's feature set. It will play back audio of the following types: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4), Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF. So it will keep music producers and regular listeners happy. Audio quality is excellent, compared to a 60GB iPod video it may be not quite as well rounded and polished, but there is not a lot in it. For such a lightweight device this is an audio heavyweight.

What's in the box?

No dock or charger - just like the iPod Video but not such a great surprise as this is a lot more affordable than a 60GB iPod video. The nano comes with a slim vinyl case, ear buds, ear bud covers, usb lead, iPod dock adapter, stickers, quick start guide and CD installer.

Now Playing

Despite the nano's impossibly small form factor I found it very easy to use ergonomically. The 1.5 inch display is a delight, showing 176 x 132 crisp and clean pixels. When lit, the display is bright and clear; otherwise it's very difficult to read. In actual use though I found it to be lovely and surprisingly vivid. The nano is a brisk little performer too. It seems faster loader and updating than the 60GB video iPod. This is probably due to it's solid-state flash memory of the nano. Regular iPods use a miniature Hard Drive, like a smaller version of the one inside your PC or Mac. These use moving parts and are susceptible to failure. The flash memory should prove very reliable on the nano, and it is this technology that has made it possible to make such a small but powerful music player. It uses less power than a mini hard drive, hence the iPod nano's small footprint.

Sporty Pod

It is also useful for the lock feature and also for the Stopwatch function, which seeing as the nano is so small and light, could make the nano the choice for anyone who is into sports: athlete, cyclist, or anybody who likes to time something.

iPod nano 1GB conclusion

The 1GB iPod nano is currently the smallest and cheapest variety of nano. It will only hold about 240 tunes but this is not too much of a problem as you can always make your own playlists to "Auto-Fill" your iPod with the best music on your iTunes library. It doesn't have the shuffle's Autofill option though, which will as the name suggests, ll your iPod with it's max of songs automatically. I prefer to create playlists though, and this slight drawback in comparison to the shuffle is it's superb screen. The nano is altogether prettier and more expensive looking to use than the shuffle. The shuffle is a pure out and out music player. This minimalism could very well agree with erm, minimalists and purists but I prefer having to option to see what was playing, view my contacts, calendar, pictures, and play games, read notes and books.

iPod shoot out

If money is tight, then a shuffle is the best iPod, if you can stretch to a nano, you get a lot more of the whole iPod experience with one. What it lacks in features is more than augmented by it's ever so lovely size and lack of weight. Arguably the best iPod Apple make is the nano. It won't hold all your tunes, play videos, record audio and other cool things that a 5th generation iPod will allow, but it's trump card is it's size. It's perfectly small but not throwaway like a shuffle, it could be your new best friend.

iPod Hi-Fi Boom Box

Richard Senior — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 12:20:00 +0000

Apple iPod Hi-Fi - Boom Box Announced

Apple announced their latest addition to their iPod range - the iPod Hi-Fi. Marketed as "Home stereo. Reinvented." by Apple, although some of us might disagree.

Hi-Fi or Lo-Fi?

Apple have made a big deal about the audio quality of the iPod Hi-Fi. I haven't even heard one yet, so it really is unfair to comment, but I will anyway. I spent a very horrible time in Apple's Regent Street store recently. What struck me was how shabby the shop was. I know it is extremely popular shop, but I suspect they could afford a cleaner. Sue and I were followed around the shop by 3 burly Apple bouncers which did not help with the retail experience either. I tried out all the iPod Boom Box's on display. The only one that I thought sounded good was the Bose SoundDock Digital Music System. Not amazing, by any stretch of the imagination, but good for it's form factor - but at a price. Having said that the London Apple Store is not great from an acoustic point of view either, which astounds me as music is such a large part of Apple's business.

Woofers and Tweeters, Sir?

The iPod Hi-Fi looks very much like the centre channel of a home cinema system. It consists of a 130-mm (5 inch) "sub-woofer" which does not look earth shattering from a bass point of view, and 2 x 80-mm (3 inch) "wide-range" speakers. Apple describe the iPod Hi-Fi as "Introducing the stereo for the new century. With several patents pending, iPod Hi-Fi features innovative acoustic design wrapped inside an astounding form factor. And as your ears will attest, good things really do come in small packages." So Apple could well have pulled off something special from an acoustic point of view. I suspect that the stereo separation will be quite poor however.

Portability

The iPod Hi-Fi is a one piece unit and has built in carrying handles, but I wouldn't call it portable. It will run off 6 D Batteries, but I wouldn't fancy walking around with this on my shoulder. I don't think the iPod dock idea is really suited for this purpose either, neither does B&Massa "The ipod dock is an appalling piece of design for a device intended to be semi-portable, and looks like an erect, rectangular penis sticking out of a giant, swollen, cuboid scrotum."

It produces a healthy maximum peak sound pressure level of 108 dB at 1 m (AC) or 102 dB at 1 m on battery power. It will be interesting to see how well this device performs in real life though.

What's in the box?

iPod Hi-Fi and removable grille
Apple Remote
10 iPod Universal Dock Adapters
AC power cord
Product documentation and user guide

What should have been in the box...

Built in Airport Airtunes receiver
A built in radio preferably DAB - you can't use the iPod Radio Remote using the Hi-Fi dock!

iPod Hi-Fi Conclusion

The iPod Hi-Fi is not a product I was expecting from Apple. Neither was the iPod Radio. It has an interesting design but I think it is flawed in several areas. It is incredibly expensive and offers nothing truly remarkable. We will have to see if it's sound quality makes up for any other short-falls though. I like the analogue/digital aux input, the small form factor, but for this price it should have had a DAB radio and a built in Air Tunes reciever.

iPod Hi-Fi Resources

iPod FM Radio Remote

Richard Senior — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 17:36:00 +0000

Apple iPod FM Radio Remote - A review

My Apple iPod is gorgeous. It can hold about a trillion mp3 tracks, it plays videos, podcasts and I can even walk around with Ricky Gervais in my ear-holes, but can I tune into X FM or pirate radio on it? Not a chance. So like many other iPodaholics, I have been hoping that Apple would pack a Radio into the iPod. In my opinion they could very easily have done that, along with a microphone while they are at it. They didn't though, the Apple Marketing guru's have probably decided that they could squeeze a few more dollars from us. My first and second iPod came with a remote, and the second came with a dock too. The fifth generation iPod comes with neither. There have been a few third-party FM tuners you can bolt on to your iPod, but this is the first Apple Radio

Wires and Headphones

On opening the Apple Radio Remote, I was struck by two things: lots of wires and an extra pair of white Apple headphones.

Tune In

After plugging the dock end into my iPod, a new menu item appears - Radio. Tuning is easy enough, until I tried to tune into KISS 100, the closest I could get was 100.1MHZ. Swearing a little, I consulted the manual and found that I should set the iPod's Radio Region to Europe (under the Settings Menu - it defaults to USA). This proved invaluable as I can now tune into most UK stations. I live in a bad area for radio reception, and I have mixed results with regards to the quality of the signal. It's not bad, but it is nothing to write home about either.

The "Free" Headphones

The free Apple buds are there for at least two reasons. They come with a shorter lead length, which helps keep the tangles to a minimum, as you have extra wire length with the remote. I think they are tuned to the remote too, in other words they form part of the FM radio antenna. When I tried my normal buds, I got poor reception. So this means you have to use these headphones, with the radio. This is a bummer if you have replaced the stock buds with your preferred brand, then you will need to take two pairs of headphones along with the iPod Radio. This sucks, it really reminds me of why I like the iPod anyway - the lack of wires. It is this minimal quality that I am sure Jonathan Ive and Crew work hard at achieving in their design, it seems that this Apple Radio Remote is the most un-Apple like thing I have ever bought from Cupertino.

Radio Remote Conclusion

The Apple iPod Radio Remote may lack a little Apple polish, you can't use it in your dock, you have to use the bundled phones and you have to carry more wires with you, it doesn't do AM radio and only comes in white. It is a way of getting radio onto your iPod though, so if you just have to have FM, then this may keep you tuned in and happy.

iPod Video

Richard Senior — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 17:43:00 +0000

iPod Video - A Review

The iPod Video is my third and best ever iPod. It replaces a 2002 vintage 10GB model and a 2003 30GB Dock connector iPod. All of my iPods are still going strong and have now been inherited by other members of my family. My new fifth generation iPod is thinner, lighter and has some exciting and also some worrying features when compared to it's older bretheren. Stop Press: I have also done an Apple iPod Video review from a musician's perspective.

Out of the box

I'll never forget getting my first iPod. The cube shaped box was beautifully packaged and contained headphones, remote and a portable charger. My second iPod went one better with the introduction of a useful dock. The latest 60GB model came in a much smaller package. At first I was pleased, it is a lot more eco-friendly than it's predecessors packaging. As I unpacked the contents, I realised how Apple had made these space savings. There is no dock nor a charger! My heart sank, what's more Apple have ditched Firewire in favour of USB 2.0. So my first impressions were not good, not good at all.

Universal Dock

The iPod comes with a plastic dock adapter which will allow it to sit pretty on the new universal dock - which is available to buy at extra cost, as is a USB battery charger. Luckily I have a USB charger which I bought for my daughter's iPod shuffle, but I still am left feeling slightly cheated. One of the great things about the iPod is the ability to take your music anywhere, but if you want to take it on holiday you will have to either budget for a USB charger or take along your Mac or PC - not ideal. It also comes in a lightweight vinyl case, which again seems cheap when compared to the original deluxe black iPod cases. In actual fact I really like the case now, as I can operate the iPod without slipping it out of it's grey vinyl protector.

Video killed the MP3 star

When I first heard about video iPods, I was a little bit dismayed. One of the great things about the iPod and in particular the shuffle is that there is no video display. I like that, I am not a big fan of MTV as style often will prevail over substance. Music is best played through good headpones/speakers with one's eyes closed. Yet, once again I am pleased to be wrong. It has propelled the iPod as a media player, TV shows, Music Videos and more are now available to buy from the now stangely titled iTunes Music Store. The iPod Video will play back only certain types of video though, namely MPEG-4 and H.264 video at resolutions up to 320x240. The 2.5inch TFT screen is quite simply gorgeous, it is bright and very clear in use.

Let the music play

Plugging in the standard white Apple phones caused another happy surprise. The iPod rocks in volume, it seems considerably louder than my previous models, I now have the volume at about 3/4 as opposed to flat out as I would normally drive my phones. It supports all the usual flavours of audio files, MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless and WAV, so unless you have a large WMV collection you should be happy. I am not happy though. I don't steal music, but still can not transfer the contents of my old iPod to my new one. In the end I got the excellent iPod RIP to back up my old iPod music to my iTunes library. I use a PowerBook, so I found it useful to delete songs off the internal drive to save valuable disk space. I have about 20GB of music, and it all transferred across with no problems.

iPod Extras

I use the Apple address book for my contacts and the iPod Video displays this information very clearly as it does the calender info. One new extra is the Stopwatch which I think is pretty useful and well implemented. It also has a collection of games, including a Music Quiz, which tests your knowledge of your own music collection.

iPod Video Conclusion

My initial concerns have largely been nulled. USB 2.0 is not as fast as Firewire, I can't use my iPod as a boot drive, and am not sure how well it will work carrying data to my friends and families Macs anymore. My iTalk and iCombi will not work now as the iPod Video lacks a remote connector. The good news is that my 60GB iPod Video plays music with aplomb, has a very good battery life and is thinner and better ergonomicaly than my previous iPod. The iPod Video also plays videos, which is already spawning a new artform the iPod Video. It will be used for Instructional Video's like the excellent Guitar Lessons you can get from the iTMS and I have even produced my own music video for you lucky, lucky iPod Video owners. Life is good, and so is the iPod Video, it would be near perfect if it came with a Dock, Charger and had a built-in microphone and bluetooth. Incidently I bought a white iPod, it like previous iPods scratches more than any DJ and I reckon the white colour will hide these a little better than the black one. The black one does look cool though...

iPod Video Links

iPod Hoodie - Hoodies

Richard Senior — Fri, 25 Nov 2005 09:58:00 +0000

iPod in the hood

When I first saw the iPod Hoodie on the Gadget Show I thought "what a great iPod cover, probably expensive" - how wrong I was about the cost! You can get your hands on one of these for around £ 10.00.

The iPod Hoodie arrived on a cold, miserable morning. The first thing I did when I opened it was smile. Then I held it and I smiled even more!

My iPod Hoodie experience

It was time to strip off! I peeled the bright pink rubbery cover from my 1st generation iPod realizing quite quickly how 'out of date' I was. I then slipped it straight into the soft snug iPod Hoodie and my smile turned into a huge, beaming grin.

The iPod Hoodies come in an athletic grey colour outer with a very soft inner which is so snug it makes you want to climb inside of it! Complete with a 'Hoodies' tag on the side for the label worshippers out there.

Teenage approval

My teenage daughter (as you know teenagers know everything and are obviously more 'with it' than adults) saw it and immediately insisted that the iPod Hoodie would suit her 3rd generation iPod more than mine. She took the Hoodie and fitted it on her own. Yes, it fitted perfectly. Unfortunately, much to her disgust the iPod Hoodie went straight back on my 'ageing' iPod.

Who has the best looking iPod in the house now eh!

Who knows? Santa might put an iPod Hoodie in her stocking this christmas. It certainly won't break the bank and more importantly it is guaranteed to make her smile - isn't that what it's all about?

The iPod Hoodie comes in two sizes - Hoodie and Hoodie Mini.

The Hoodie will fit ALL iPods except for the Mini, Shuffle and Nano.
The Hoodie Mini fits the iPod Mini.
Best of all, the iPod is 'Made in Britain' :-).

My verdict on the iPod Hoodie

It's very cool and made me smile, my iPod looks bad, which means good - get with it daddeo; it's affordable; it's perfect for any age - even me! I love it.

icombi iPod bluetooth headphones

Richard Senior — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 17:58:00 +0000

icombi iPod bluetooth headphones

Wires are great, they carry our telephone calls, power our gadgets and connect our iPod to it's headphones. Well that was before the iCombi. The iCombi is a bluetooth transmitter (AP11H) and a set of bluetooth headphones. The idea being that you can ditch those tangle-prone iPod headphones and listen to your iPod wirelessly via the magic of bluetooth technology.

Set your iPod free

The iCombi will work with any iPod with a remote connector. Just connect the bluetooth dongle (the transmitter/receiver) to your remote input on the iPod. Turn on your headphones and you can listen to your favourite music wirelessly. It really is a lot of fun. The behind the neck headphones are reasonably light and I found them to be comfortable. The range seems to be about 10 - 20 feet in my flat, but for me the iCombi is an excellent way to listen to music on my bicycle without the pesky white headphones getting tangled up in my gears.

So, now I can keep my iPod out of sight in my backpack or in a coat pocket. No leads are visible and neither is my iPod. This new found wireless freedom is incredibly exciting and a lot of fun.

How does the iCombi sound?

Sound quality is a lot better than I expected. Occasionally I got a small glitch in use; where the signal would stop for less than a second. 99 percent of the time it worked flawlessly. These are open-backed headphones and seem as loud as the standard Apple buds. There is a little loss of quality, I wouldn't like to master my recordings using them but I think most people would be more than happy with these sonically. They sound fine with my music collection anyway. Die hard HiFi geeks may prefer a set of wired phones like the top of the range Sennheisers, but for me, these iCombi phones do the job; and this ever-so-slight loss in definition is more than made up for by the freedom they provide.

Fun for all the family

One of the fun parts of the iCombi is letting your friends and family have a go! If they are not used to over the neck phones, they will normally try and fit them over their head - made me laugh anyway! Everyone that tried the headphones liked them and wouldn't give them back.

Wireless iPod controls too!

Not only does the iCombi provide a wireless transmitter, but the headphones have forward, back, play, pause and volume buttons. So you can skip tracks, rewind etc. without touching your iPod. I found the skip and volume buttons a little fiddly at first, but now I don't have a problem using them. The device also does not restrict access to the iPod lock button, so it can be locked or unlocked in use - which is good if you want to leave your ipod out of sight in your backpack.

Will it kill my battery?

My iPod is over two years old and the battery is not as good as it was. Even so, I got 3.5 hours of continual use out of my iPod before the battery gave up. I was amazed I got that long out of my iPod. The headset will last for 11 hours and are rechargeable via the charger supplied and also via usb if you prefer from your computer. The iPod dongle is powered from the iPod's battery.

Is the iCombi for you?

It's quite an expensive device, but the freedom it offers is exceptional. I think it's only a matter of time before Apple build-in bluetooth to their iPods. The iCombi will set your remote control jack equipped iPod free. That freedom doesn't come cheap, but then again nor do iPods..

Apple iPod Shuffle

Richard Senior — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 13:17:00 +0000

I remember being blown away when I first saw the original Apple iPod 5GB. I really wanted one. Luckily my work gave me a second generation 10GB iPod as a Christmas bonus (now replaced by a 30GB dock model). I carried it everywhere. I like to cycle, and although cycling with AC/DC blasting through your eardrums is not the safest thing you can do - it's one of my favourite pleasures. There is one small problem though. Where do you put your iPod? In a pocket can get restrictive and I thought it unwise to mount one on my handlebars as my bike's road tyres are inflated to 120psi - which makes for a bumpy ride for it's delicate components.

iPod Shuffle to the rescue

The iPod shuffle is available in 2 versions - 512MB and 1GB. I bought a 1GB model, which will hold about 240 tunes. It has no display, so all you can do is skip to the next song, you can't browse like it's larger siblings. Yet this simplicity is it's trump card. Apple say that "Life is Random" and I like that. I like the surprise factor of the random playlist "autofill" feature. I also like it's loud output - it seems louder than my 30GB model. It uses flash memory so there is no delicate battery munching disk drive like the regular iPod, so is great for jogging, cycling and for days on the beach. It's white headphones might attract muggers, but if it happened to me, I would give it to them without a struggle - I would fight to the end to save my 30GB as I keep personal data on it. It comes complete with a lanyard (translation: a piece of string) so you can wear it like a hi-tech medallion man - which is perfect for cycling. It's so light you can forget your wearing it. You can get an armband holder for it too, if you want to look like Sporty Spice.

Sweet Shuffle Sounds

The supplied headphones are OK. They are often slated in reviews but all in-ear headphones vary depending upon who's lug-holes they are residing in. I prefer Sennheiser MX500's and the more retro PX100's which may not have the white Apple buds, catwalk prowess - but will help deter muggers and other pond-life. It really is a great sounding music player. No complaints there. The design is great, unless you have a G3 iMac or clam shell iBook - the usb connector will not fit, without a extension cable - not cool. Also if you want to take it on holiday or on a long trip, you'll need to drag along your computer or buy a wall charger - which then puts the price nearer to an iPod mini.

Californian Cool

Overall it is a fantastic music player and a cheap way to buy an iPod. An extremely portable, back to basics music player made by those clever Cupertino designers.

Learn more about the Shuffle from the UK Apple Store

Monster iCable iPod Cable

Richard Senior — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 08:56:00 +0000

The Monster iCable iPod Cable is an elegant way of connecting your iPod to your hi-fi. This 7ft long lead is the best quality cable available to listen to your iPod playlists through your stereo.

Monster Quality

Monster Cable are famous for their quality cables and leads. The cable of choice of musicians and engineers, you can be assured a quality audio connection when you hook up with a Monster Cable. Gold plated plugs ensure reliable trouble free connections and the 7ft long lead is a good length for most users. Twisted pair cabling improves noise rejection and the RCA plugs feature split-tip pin contacts for reliable contact pressure.

Not just for the iPod

The good news is that this cable will work with any stereo mini jack device - like your computer or even a Walkman. So if you are looking for a quality iPod connection, you need look no further. The Monster iCable iPod Cable will provide years of trouble free service and quality audio delivery. If you want to connect an iPod, iPod Shuffle, MP3 player, Walkman, Diskman or your PowerBook or iBook to your home stereo - this is the lead for you. It comes with a pouch for the lead, so you can show it off round your mates too.

Learn more about the iCable from the UK Apple Store

Monster iSplitter iPod Adapter

Richard Senior — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 10:45:00 +0000

The Monster iSplitter Mini Y-Adapter for iPod is a superb way of sharing your iPod music. The simple Y adapter makes sharing easy. Plug the single jack into your iPod output or dock, and you can plug two pairs of headphones in at the same time. So you and a friend can enjoy the shared experience of your iPod, just leaving one problem - what are you going to listen to? It is at this juncture that it could all get nasty.

Made for sharing

I find this cable extremely useful. I use it all the time for sharing not only my iPod music, but my PowerBook output, my Digidesign M Box output when recording music and for many other purposes. I have two sets of little iPod speakers, some passive Sony speakers and a Monster iSpeaker. Using the Monster iSplitter I can drive both pairs at once.

Monster Quality

Like many other products from Monster Cable, this is a well designed, well made product, that should last years. It is small, compact and the audio quality is superb. Ideally it is best to use two matching pairs of headphones when using the iSplitter, but it is not essential. Now all you need is a friend to share your music with!

Learn more about the Monster iSplitter Adapter from the UK Apple Store.

Apple iPod nano

Richard Senior — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 18:52:00 +0000

Apple today introduced the iPod nano. Available in two sizes 2GB and 4GB, and in Black or White, this diminutive music player can hold up to 1000 songs or 25,000 photos. Slimmer than Kate Moss on the Atkins Diet it is syncs via a USB interface to iTunes and comes with a dock connector. The iPod nano is available to buy immediately from the Apple Store.

Holds up to 1,000 songs and full-colour album art
Only 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.27 inches and 1.5 ounces
Bright 1.5-inch colour LCD display
Up to 14 hours of battery life⁽¹⁾
Apple Click Wheel
Charges and syncs via USB
Accessory-compatible Dock connector
Completely skip-free playback
Works with Mac OS X or Windows 2000/XP
Plays music, podcasts and audiobooks
Holds up to 25,000 photos
Syncs contacts, calendars and to-do lists

Learn more about the iPod nano

Buy the iPod nano from the Apple Store UK