iPods & Portable Players

Review: A Portable Boombox That Will Knock Your Socks Off
How can something so small be so powerful? This was the question we asked ourselves as we tested the Soundmatters Foxl personal loudspeakers. Do not let this candy-bar speaker fool you: it is one of the best portable speakers we have seen (or heard) to date.

Big Capacity For A Small Sansa Player
The new Sandisk MP3 player is a ‘mini’ version of the View that we have reviewed in May. But just because it is smaller doesn’t mean that it cannot perform as well as its big brother. We check out Sandisk’s latest offering, the Sansa Fuze, and see how its features and functions add up.

Review: The DJ Gadget That Makes You Look Real Cool
Ok, so you are a club DJ trying to figure out what tunes you can play for your upcoming gig. In most cases, you would have to rely on your LPs and turntable to help you get the job done. But if inspiration hits you in unexpected places, you need a gadget that can help you visualise and mix your ideas. This is where the Pacemaker steps in.

Movies On-The-Go With Teac DVD Boombox
At first glance, the Teac boombox looks just like any other portable radio: it can play CDs, has an FM/AM tuner, and uses eight C batteries for added portability. However, the company has included additional features to make sure that users get the lot. The Smarthouse team finds out whether this device is well worth the purchase.

Wake Up With Philips iPod Clock
With a plethora of iPod speakers in the market, manufacturers must come up with simple products that are easy to use. The new Philips DC200 functions just like any other clock radio, except that it can play your music files via its USB and iPod docking ports.

Anywhere Music With Portable JBL Speakers
Portable speakers have an advantage over large speaker systems as they can easily be brought to the backyard, the park, or even the beach. The JBL On Tour XT comes with four speakers and claims to combine many proprietary technologies to provide users with the ‘highest quality sound.’ But the question is, can it really? The SmartHouse Team finds out.

SanDisk MP3 Player Upsizes On Storage
Most MP3 players are hard-drive based, meaning the amount of storage they come with is all they'll ever have. The SanDisk Sansa View is different, it comes with a microSD card slot which lets you upsize your storage as needed. We check out whether this could this be the future-proof MP3 player of choice.

Small Creative Music Player With Big Speakers
A lot of portable music player owners use docking stations or portable speakers to play their music. Although these products set the mood in parties or gatherings, users would have to drag it along wherever they are going. Creative has addressed that issue by releasing the Zen Stone Plus, a portable media player that comes with a built-in speaker for instant music sharing anywhere.

Sony Walkman Not So Nice At The Price
The Sony Walkman (NWZ-A818) sounds great, but will its overall performance be able to justify its relatively expensive price tag? We listen to this small wonder and find out what’s in store for those willing to take the plunge.

Sony Walks The Walk With New MP3 Walkman
Sony’s new Walkman MP3 player makes do without its SonicStage software and aims to provide users with a player that works without much of a hitch. And even if Sony is a little bit delayed in terms of delivering a solid music and video player for the ever dominant iPod market, the Walkman NWZ-S615F is still better late than never.

Is The Touch Screen iPod Worth Buying? First Review
Forget the touch-sensitive wheel that set Apple’s iPod family apart from the rest of the music and video players in the market. The iPod Touch is here and will definitely change the way we look at portable media players. But can we afford the change?

Logitech's Best Portable Speakers
Logitech’s new Pure-Fi Anywhere is a compact speaker system that you can bring along to outdoor trips this summer, as it comes with a built-in rechargeable battery and a handy travelling case.

Athena iPod Speaker Sings Out
While the Athena iVoice looks like “one of those” iPod speakers being sold in the market today, will its features and sound output be enough to put it into the spotlight and become an audio jewel worth recommending?

Easy Way To Broadcast Your iPod Tunes
The latest version of the Belkin TuneCast universal FM transmitter is an easy way of playing your songs stored in your iPod (or other MP3 player) on any stereo with an FM stereo receiver.

Archos Portable Media Player: Full Test
The SmartHouse team auditions a pocket theatre and PVR, also known as a portable video and music player; the Archos AV500.

JVC's Dog Of An MP3 Player
Japanese CE Company JVC have openly admitted that they manufacture poor quality products but their latest MP3 player should never have seen the light of day.

First Look New Toshiba Gigabeat S
Toshiba the Company that is set to make the new Microsoft portable "Zune" music player has finally launched its own gigabeat S series of portable, digital audio and video players that allow users to store and watch recorded TV programs, video and photos, as well as listen to music*. They promised it back at CES 2006.

iBall Wireless Audio For iPods
Rolling into view this week comes Oregon Scientific’s innovative iBall - a wireless audio system for your iPod.

The Little Player That Could
With a few modifications, the SanDisk e200 could be a killer.

Cyruslink LinkCentre Review
Cyrus, the manufacturer of many compact and downright musical hi-fi separates, has a techie brother.

Samsung Takes On Apple iPod
Samsung is joining the likes of Sony in a battle to knock the iPod off its MP3 throne.

Jamo i300 iPod Speaker Review
The Jamo i300 is the most like a set of PC speakers from the iPod docks available, yet is so versatile it could also be pressed into service as a stereo replacement.

Apple iPod Hi-Fi: First Review
We take a quick look at the brand new iPod Hi-fi in the SmartHouse offices, under 'Australian conditions', to find out if it indeed cuts the musical mustard.

This iPod Proves I’m a Moron Too
COMMENT: I too make a living writing about technology, I too bought my wife an iPod, I too am a moron.