Speaker

Mass Fidelity Core portable wireless Bluetooth speaker review

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

I love connecting my iPhone to my little portable speakers so I can bring my music to any party. The technology is great, and the convenience is awesome. But, oftentimes, the sound quality suffers. There are a handful of portable wireless speakers that perform exceptionally well, but none of them provide that true stereo sound that I'm looking for.

So, when I heard about Mass Fidelity's claim that the Core portable wireless speaker simulates stereo quality sound I thought, "yeah right." The company sent us two Core speakers to test out (for the purpose of multi-room use). Frankly, my opinion has changed. We've got a hands-on review of the Core by Mass Fidelity for your reading pleasure today.

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Apple Music integration with Sonos now available as public beta

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 15, 2015

As promised, Apple Music is available on Sonos wireless speakers from today, marking the first official third-party integration of Apple's subscription-based music service.

Available as a public beta, the feature lets you access select Apple Music features on wireless speakers by Sonos, including custom playlists through the For You and New features and Beats 1 radio. Of course, you can also play any song from your Apple Music catalogue through your Sonos speakers.

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The Yamaha YAS-203 delivers great sound at a great price

Lory Gil ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Whether you are watching Star Wars on Blu-Ray or listening to Drake in iTunes, you want your audio to be at its best. Having a home theater system that also lets you play music from your iPhone 6s is even better.

Yamaha's YAS-203 sound bar with subwoofer is a top-of-the-line home theater audio connector with the added benefit of having Bluetooth support, so you can watch movies with full power and switch over to listening to music on your iPhone 6s without skipping a beat.

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Grain Audio PWS.01 is a portable speaker with depth and style

Lory Gil ∙ November 3, 2015

When it comes to portable speakers, a lot of times, convenience trumps sound quality and you end up with a device that you can take anywhere, but doesn't really provide the best listening experience.

Grain Audio has added MaxxAudio sound processing, created by GRAMMY award-winning Waves Audio, to a walnut speaker shell with two two-inch loudspeakers and a bass isolation system that does not compromise sound quality for portability.

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Beats announces light Pill+ wireless speaker, available in November

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 7, 2015

Apple-owned Beats by Dr. Dre today announced its very first wireless speaker since joining the Cupertino firm in May 2014 deal valued at more than $3 billion.

The new Pill+ is Bluetooth-enabled, lighter than its predecessor and comes with a twelve-hour battery that can be used to charge your devices through the USB and USB-C ports found on the back.

The Pill+ is slightly larger than the original Pill speaker and uses the stereo active 2-way crossover system to create an optimized sound field.

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Mass Fidelity Relay review: stream music from your iPhone to your analog speakers

Lory Gil ∙ September 29, 2015

The one thing I detest about streaming music from my iPhone is the subpar audio playback. I come from the record player generation, when people listened to music on vinyl, of which I still have many hundreds. Digital music just sounds flat when played through most portable speakers.

The best way to fix the problem with tinny, flat audio is to invest thousands of dollars in speakers that will play your music the way it is meant to be heard. However, many of us already have a kickass stereo system and aren't looking to buy a new one.

That's where Mass Fidelity's Relay comes in. It is a Bluetooth connected digital-analog converter (DAC) that connects to your existing speaker system for transmitting digital music to an analog stereo. That means, even if your stereo is 40 years old, as long as you can connect traditional RCA cables to it, you can stream music from your iPhone. We've got a hands-on review of the Relay for you today.

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Sonos 5.1 Home Theater System brings true surround sound to your living room

Lory Gil ∙ September 7, 2015

Have you noticed that most television sets these days have terrible audio? Most of the time, you have to take into consideration a new speaker system when buying a new TV. The Sonos 5.1 Home Theater System is a surround sound kit that will turn your music listening experience into a fully immersive one, even if you are playing it through your iPhone 6.

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Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Speaker III brings the party to your people

Lory Gil ∙ September 3, 2015

Now that we have so many choices for our music streaming options, we have to figure out how we are going to transmit those audio waves to our ears. You may want to keep your music private by using headphones, or share your sound with others via a nice quality speaker.

If your speaker needs go beyond you and your close friends, it may be time to invest in a mid-range speaker that will provide enough sound to keep the party going, while still being portable enough to take with you to the next party of the night.

Bose's SoundLink Bluetooth Speaker III is a perfect mix of high-quality, loud audio output and small sized portability.

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Alpatronix AX400 is a tiny speaker with a big sound

Lory Gil ∙ September 2, 2015

When you are hanging out with friend, whether it is a backyard barbeque or a picnic in the park, music always makes the festivities a little more enjoyable. However, packing a heavy, large speaker into your picnic basket isn't exactly convenient.

Alpatronix AX400 Bluetooth speaker is less than five inches long and just over two inches tall. So, you can toss it in with all of your other outdoor gear and barely even notice its existence until you are ready to rock the tunes.

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Review: Inateck MercuryBox Bluetooth speaker

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 30, 2015

One of my biggest beefs with the iPhone and iPad is the lack of love given to sound output quality. Neither device features speakers that face the user, and the speakers that are there produce sound that's just passable in my opinion. It's definitely one of the biggest opportunity areas for improvement when it comes to iOS hardware.

Other devices do a much better job with sound quality. For example, the HTC One M9 features front-facing speakers, as does the just-released Motorola G 3rd-gen. Even tablets like the Nexus 9 feature front-firing speakers that sound relatively good. The iPhone and iPad? Not so much.

But that's okay, because that's what external speakers were made for. In fact, I just got my hands on stylish-looking Bluetooth speaker called the MercuryBox (42.99 with Amazon discount code below). It's from a German company called Inateck, who sent us a sample unit for review.

Is this the perfect device to improve your iPhone's sound output?

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Bose SoundDock Series III is a rich sound system for your entertainment center

Lory Gil ∙ July 27, 2015

When you are sitting around, drinking coffee, listening to music in your living room after a long day at work, the last thing you want is to not be able to hear your music because the kids are playing too loud or the dog won't stop barking. You need a good sound system.

If you really want to fill a room with sound, The Bose SoundDock Series III is exactly what you need to project your iPhone 6's audio throughout the house. Although it is loud enough to act as your main sound system, it is small enough to sit on top of your Blu-Ray player without taking up very much space

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