If someone were to ask me what the best AirPlay speaker setup is, in most cases I would point them to the Sonos system. It's super easy to set up, especially if you want multiple speakers throughout your house. But if you only need a single speaker and you want the best sound from it, it's hard to beat the current deal…
The Bowers & Wilkins 'zeppelin' family of speakers has always been a popular lineup, and for good reason. Each one has an interesting design, they all sound fantastic, and B&W continually adds awesome new features with each revision. The latest model is the Z2, which resembles their previous Zeppelin Mini model from a few years ago, but now has a Lightning dock…
I recently bought a set of Logitech X-140 computer speakers for my desk at work, and so far, I'm impressed with them. I know what you're thinking — why did someone who links to awesome stuff 7 days a week spend just $25 on a set of computer speakers for their office? Budget issues aside, the simple fact is that these speakers aren't…
Now here is an interesting take on a Bluetooth speaker design. The Bem Wireless Speaker Trio is a set of three 6-inch-cubed speakers plus docking station. Once the speakers have been paired with your Bluetooth device, they can then be carried around or placed anywhere within 125ft of the dock without any interruption in audio. Each speaker emits a little LED glow…
Sonos is well-renowned for their awesome wireless speakers that are almost effortless to set up and use, and now they're releasing a three-feet-wide soundbar called the Playbar. This thing packs six midrange speakers and three tweeters inside, as well as an accelerometer that detects the orientation of the Playbar and adjusts the sound output accordingly. How cool is that? Just like their…
These lovely speakers have recently been dubbed The Wirecutter's favorite bookshelf speakers, and they're not alone in this opinion. The speakers are currently rated 4.7/5 stars on Amazon (out of 43 reviews) and everyone seems to agree that the sound is fantastic. A few of these reviews have mentioned that the bass is so good it pretty much obviates the need to…
We've already featured one speaker from this year's CES, but couldn't resist pointing out another upcoming item: the OD-11 Cloud Speaker. Astute audio enthusiasts may notice that both its name and design are an homage to the original Carlsson OD-11 hi-fi speaker released in 1974. The new design is absolutely gorgeous — combining a minimalist retro aesthetic with a powerful modern sound…
The Transparent Speaker is pretty much what it sounds like. A 6.5-inch subwoofer provides the bass, while two 3-inch full range drivers provide crisp highs and mid-tones. The speakers, digital sound processor, controls and wiring are all exposed within the speaker's glass chassis. It packs to AUX-in jacks, a powered USB port (with additional Bluetooth and Wi-Fi dongles) and a slot to…
The JBL OnBeat Mico is one of the first small, portable sound systems to add support for Apple's new-fangled Lightning connector, found on all of the company's new devices including the iPhone 5, iPod touch and new iPads. In addition to Lightning, the dock comes with USB and audio connectors for just about any device. The dock can be powered by AAA…
With integrated Bluetooth v2.1, the Vers 1Q is a speaker built in to a 3" wood cube with a 30’ range and estimated 10+ hours of battery life. The speaker itself is mono, but when used with a second 1Q, transforms into a 13-watt, stereo sound system. The Kickstarter campaign has been successful, with the team behind the 1Q blowing past their…
If you find yourself often listening to music or watching movies through the built-in speakers on your MacBook or iMac when at your desk, then a compact, well-built, subwoofer may be just the perfect companion. The Twelve South BassJump is a USB-powered audio peripheral that will provide that much needed, much appreciated, low-end thump that your internal speakers don't have. Giving a…
These bad boys are the perfect companion to sit side-by-side with that big computer monitor of yours. Who cares if you're mixing an album or blasting your iTunes library, the point is it'll sound good and you won't make your wallet cry in the process.