Audio Reviews

This has been one of the greatest cameras until...problems...And I have two of them! On fast re-wind they will sometimes destroy the tape. On both, I only re-wind on slow rewind. Now one will not accept a tape at all. I think someone rewound on fast and hurt the mechanism somehow. A call to Cannon did not admit that they have problems. Still trying to determine cost to fix...if possible. I am reading others on internet with Elura 40 which is similar and they are having problems with totally destroying the tape and $600 to repair??????

To be somewhat fair, I use mine with a helmet camera, carrying the camcorder on my chest. I have not crashed on it but it is not a perfect lifestyle. As a back-up, I bought another... Almost out of the box I had the rewind problems. I could live with those...until now! Changing brands of tapes made no difference.

I use the picture MMC side alot, but remember that it is only 2.0 megpixles and can't take much blowing up. But the pictures are e-mail friendly. The digital zoom is AWSOME!

Other than Tape problems, where you can loose everything, a great camera! 5 stars and falling fast!

This Canon Elura is the best camera iv'e seen my whole life from Canon. Its good quality pixels is so much better than the sony brand, and its small size and new mini-DV ability is sumething everyone needs to get out of the dark age of cameras!

I need an Adapter ( power adapter) for CANON MV20 ( Canon DM-MV20E , it writes on the battery spot ). My cam is same as ELURA but the difference is that MV20 is" PAL System " and ELURA is on " NTSC System ". I guess that Power Adapter would be same for both types.If someone knows where could I find a product please let me know. Camera is perfect, no doubt.

As an avid jogger, I really enjoy my neckphones small size, light weight, and portability. I got these for 30$ and added a 128 MB card which has worked flawlessly. That gives me over two hours of music at a very good bitrate. While the sound quality is only average and the radio has problems with reception, for a light, easy MP3 player, this model is excellent.

First off, i though i was buying the sencond generation, but i find after some testing, this is really a good value for a great player. The software was easy to install, and i was off and 'toasting' my mmc card in less than 30 minutes. Overall, they are heavier than other headphones, and extend farther to the side than most headphones, but you don't notice it. There is no skipping (being its an mp3) and the sound is good. I got better quality with these than my sony ones, even without the bass functions. There are 2 buttons, stop/play and Fast forward, but little more is needed. I find you can repeat songs by pressing the play button twice at the end of a song.
After a few hours of running/working out, i don't notice it at all, even though sprinting or heavy jogging will make them bounce, i have yet to have them fall off.
The radio does nothing, i can only get AM stations, and MAYBY some FM if i have my hand at the headphones, and it could really go without.
Overall, this is a good player. It comes with a 32 MB MMC card, and takes a max of 64 MB for about 50 for the memory card. Even with the lack of function and/or display, you don't notice it and begin to enjoy not having to hold onto a discman or a MP3 player. A definate buy for those lookin for a good MP3 player

I have had a set for a while and love them! I added a 128mb card to my old set and it worked well before being misplaced. I ordered a new set for a friend, and we have tried several 128 mb cards and can't get them to work. I think the first was San Disk and must have been compatible. Now, with the new ones, I cant get them to format. I also can't find the patch on the Microsoft website for XP. Can someone tell me if they have had the same problem and how it was resolved? Which MMC brands have you found to be compatible? Thank you.

This Nike FM radio isn't bad. It's small, it's light, and it's pretty cool looking.
But, if you live in a city (like New York City in this case), the reception sucks.
The thing is this: it doesn't allow you to switch the receiption mode. Some walkman type devices let you switch between 'city' and 'normal'. This one doesn't, and it really could use it.
I commute from New Jersey to NYC and while the receiption is very good for 75 percent of the trip, when I close in on NYC, the static really kicks in. In NYC, it's horrible. I can't get some of the stations at all when on the island of Manhattan.
If you live in a city, beware of this FM tuner. Outside the cities, enjoy!

This was the smallest decent quality fm radio I could find and I'm very happy with it so far. It's straightforward and easy to use, the headphone design keeps the cord from getting in your way when you're working out, and the reception is very good. My only complaints are that the headphones aren't adjustable (not a huge problem, but for smaller people, they aren't as comfortable as they might be) and the radio emits a high pitched "beep" everytime you use the up or down arrows to change stations (one beep per decimal point, which is a lot if you're going from 97.1 to 107.9!). Another minor complaint is that you have to push the buttons really hard, but that's probably because of the waterproof casing.

All in all, a very good radio. I'd recommend it.

This radio is really nice. It gets really good reception even in my old gym which was like a concrete square. The arm band is really nice to. The only thing that is bad about this is the headphones. They are absolutly horrible! They are uncomfortable and do not stay in your ears. If you get a good pari of headphones you will be very satisfied with this radio. It is really simple and can store up to 10 radio stations. It is also very durable (I have already dropped it a few times). It is also a good price for a Nike radio! I would recommend it!

I've had this cable for about 6 months. It made an immediate difference to my system. It sounds clear, transparent, smooth. Also, I like the directional indicators on the cable which help in installation.

My only gripe is that the connectors are cheaply made. When one of the "grab" pins broke off, I realized the connector is not all metal construction (like you would expect for the price). The pin was made of plastic - quite a disappointment. I hoped for better at this price.

After buying a Toshiba SD2200 DVD player, I didn't want to use "el cheapo" cables. I only wanted the best. That's were Monster came in with their high-performance audio interconnects. I compared the cable to the ones the came with the player and the difference was like night and day. I could not believe my ears! If you are looking for some high-resolution audio cables for your new home theater and you don't have optical or digital connections, this is the best route to take. Sure it may not be cost-effective, but who really cares, eh? You are a audiophile.

Just go out and buy some of these right now, you won't regret it!

These cables are excelent. They reproduce bass, middle and highs very clearly and in a soft way. They sound very good and natural. I think the guys who had problems should had checked their equipments, room accoustic and speakers before review this product.

OK - I hate to say it... but you get what you pay for. I paid $$$ for mine from [local store] in Burnsville MN. The sound from my Panasonic SC-PM28 bookshelf stereo just isn't as robust and full as other bookshelf systems I have heard. The sound is OK... good clarity in upper and middle tones but the bass is on the weak side. Listening to vocal music the system sounds fine, but get into more complex music such as classical and the sound is a little flat - almost like the system can't deliver the full richness and complete range from low bass to high. Other disappointment is you cannot put different speakers on this system. Salesman told me it would wreck both the stereo and the better quality speakers. If you are on a budget and really can't spend more than $$$ this is a good system... but if you can afford it, you will be more satisfied with something that has better quality speakers.

The Panasonic SC-PM28 is a wonderful system with only the essentials and nothing more. The sound on the high-quality speakers is amazing - radio, cd's and mp3's on cd's sound great from low to high frequencies. MP3 file names are displayed on the display which is really useful if you are scrolling through hundred of songs on a disc. The five disc changer is a treat because it allows up to 2000 songs to be stored (using MP3's). 140 watts is definitely sufficient to fill any small to mid-size room with vibrant sound. The system also is pretty stylish, unlike the tacky boom-boxes with flashing lights and robotic/spaceship features that all the electronics companies are doing these days. This is perfect for any dorm room, office, lounge, apartment, or as the main stereo in a house. The casette player on top is a little outdated, but potentially handy if needed (recording from the radio, playing tapes...what are those anyways?! etc.) On the downside, the system has a slightly bulky remote (but it works fine.) Also, the clock doesn't stay on after powering off. Overall, a great stereo system with thoughtful design and the typically superb audio engineering one would expect from Panasonic.

I bought this stereo overseas, and was blown away by the clarity of sound. I liked the sophisticated appearance (no piling on of plastic and such) and easy-to-read display. When I shipped the unit home, the USPS managed to wreck it, and by that time the model was out of production. I spent months looking for another one, and finally found it, only to realize how much I missed the powerful sound and clean lines--all the newer micro system models looked cheap and gaudy in comparison. No system is perfect--if you only listen to hip-hop or bass heavy music, this probably isn't the system for you. But if you like guitar rock, pop, or jazz, this system does an amazing job. The design is the best around, and the cd changer is relatively quiet compared to other models. The only question I would ask Panasonic is about the tape function--do they even sell cassettes anymore? Hmmm. I bought this item twice and would buy it again any day.

hi i had the 64MB version of the Rover....
it was good, had a good price, but now, its TERRIBLE...
i dropped it at waist-height, it wasnt the type of thing you'd expect to do anything to it...but it just stopped playing MP3s....i contacted tech support...and they said that it wasnt covered in the warranty...
it acts as though it has no mp3s on it...displaying the red light... and Smartdisk won't even repair it for a fee or of no charge...
I've had that thing for less than 5 months- it should last a LOT longer than that...
there was also nothing in the warranty about physical damage of any kind...

if you do get this product, also note the terrible way of switching songs, or raising the volume

This is a real bargain ... It plugs directly into your pc using the usb port and behaves like another hard dive. No need to mess with software or wires. It's a real snap to drag and drop files from your pc to the Rover. It holds a lot of music files at 128 mb, especially if you rip 'em using mp3pro or wma. All this in a device the size of a cigarette lighter.
Downside: its design is too simple. Volume control and reverse/forward are on the same dial. The dial is hard to turn. When you want to skip a song you might just end up turning it up to earsplitting volumes or turning it off. This is something the manufacturer has to fix. Otherwise, a nifty little gadget.

This unit is great! It is extremely easy to use, and delivers exactly what was promised and expected.

As others have said, the single control for play/pause, next/previous track, and volume is a little strange, but okay. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is due to the combined control and lack of FF/REW.

Sure, a display would be great, but I'm sure it would cost more, be bigger, and eat batteries. The ultimate feature is that it can be used as a USB drive as well. No cables, no drivers, no nothing -- it worked like magic for me on 2000 and XP (and it supports other OSes too).

I guess it doesn't support WMA (I haven't tried, but it's not mentioned anywhere), but that's okay too since most music is in the MP3 format and there are also programs to convert WMAs to MP3s. I've tried several different bitrates and it's handled every one of them; it can even play MP3s that my PocketPC won't play.

The construction seems fine. It's plastic, but light. I thought the headphones sounded fine. I'm confident that I made the right choice buying this unit.

Now, I'm a gadget freak. I considered buying a portable DVD player so I could watch movies on the road without dragging along a laptop. When I saw this little beauty, it seemed an obvious alternative! I already had a decent MP3 jukebox, so video was my main draw here.

First, the good stuff. The quality of the video is great! Solid colors will show some artifacts, but nothing too horrible. Don't expect DVD quality here, but it's quite reasonable for the type of device and amount of compression being done.

The included recording device works great. A little tricky to figure out the interface for recording, but once I did, had no problems recording off my TV.

Sound quality of MP3s is fine. Nothing to write home about, but okay. There's a decent playlist feature and the usual play modes. I tend to get lost in the menus though.

So, some negatives. I'll try to include stuff other people haven't mentioned. A big one for me is that you can't bookmark a video! That means if you don't finish watching it, you have to remember where you were and forward to get to that spot! Absolutely horrendous. Even my little Palm device can bookmark a video. At least the new upgrade has fast forward feature that will get there quickly.

I also find battery life to be much worse than reported. My first one was so bad, I returned it thinking the battery was bad. The new one is just as bad, I get maybe 1-1/2 hour of video playback. Not even enough to watch most movies. Even most DVD players (known battery hogs) are better than this. MP3 playing is certainly better, with the screen off, but I definitely don't get anywhere near 10 hours (or even the 8 that some report). Worse, the new model has a button that does not seem to work well, I have to press extra hard to activate its functions. So there's a good chance this one will go back as well. Just wish there was a reasonably decent alternative!

The music functions are pretty inadequate. It doesn't seem to sort my records in proper track order (alphabetical instead), which is really frustrating, not sure if there is a setting for this, but any decent MP3 player should do it by default. As mentioned before, the menuing is really counter intuitive at times and I often find myself unable to find the playback screen to forward to the next song. No quick mute feature that I could find either.

Overall, it's main plus is that there just aren't many great PVPs out yet. It wouldn't take much to improve this one, but right now, it's a tough sell for me.

The Arcos is fantastic! Although I do not own one myself, my friend owns one and I get regular use out of it... what a cool dude. But to the point of my entry: When you first get the Arcos, DON'T go straight into using it without charging the battery first. This is what my friend did, and we figured this is what cause the battery to be so pathetic. He re-ordered and CHARGED the new one first, resulting in a better battery. So remember to charge the Arcos BEFORE you use it 4 the first time.

First let me say that I had delivery of my Archos AV340 one week PRIOR to the Amazon estimated arrival date! Way to go Amazon. Excellent price, too.

The AV340 is to the older Archos models as a kitchen knife is to a Swiss Army Knife. Sitting on mine right now are several hundred jazz recordings, hundreds of family photos, some family videos, the extended dvd versions of both Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, the complete stage works of Samuel Beckett (3 dvds)...well, get the picture? And yes, the video recorder does over-ride any copy protection, both vhs and DVD. The user interface is quite simple, though as with previous Archos models it does take several clicks to get to specific items much like a PC. But this is essentially a PC, so manuevering through screens seems quite natural. Loading tons of recordings onto the hd is painless, simply drag and drop. The hd shows up in XP just like any other drive.

I also purchased the camera attachment which is, again, quite simple to use. It snaps onto the side of the base unit and shows up immediately on the interface screen. The still and video quality is quite good with the proper lighting. Commercial videos copied to the hd look perfect on the small screen. Blowing up to a large screen is not the way to go. When viewed on my Toshiba 50+ inch screen the picture quality greatly diminished. Still photos looked okay, but you wouldn't want to watch a film that way. But why do this anyway?

The unit itself is a bit bulkier than the previous versions of the already bulky Jukebox series. This baby will not fit in your shirt pocket. I was rather disappointed that Archos did not include a carrying case, though curiously the camera attachment did come with a case for the whole shebang. I use the case from my Jukebox, which works quite well with the AV340.

Be sure to purchase a PDA screen protector. The unit itself is very solid but offers no protection for the screen. A case and protector are a must.

Archos reverts back to their previous ways by attaching the interface connector cover with a piece of string. Come on guys, for this price couldn't you spare a metal clip?

Last, a previous review states that the batteries are not replaceable. According to Archos they are not. However, there is an online company that sells replacements and instructions on how to do this. I have not purchased one, but it looks quite simple, and would certainly extend movie viewing time.

So what you get here is an MP3, WAV, and WMA player and recorder, a vcr (with a built in timer), a great clear screen, an excellent user interface, and a 40GB hd for about $100-$150 more than an iPOD. Throw in about another $175 (got mine for $150)and you add a video camera and a 3.3 pixel digital still camera. Oh, and it will work on any tv in the world and over-rides dvd region codes. Just like my Swiss Army Knife, the Archos AV340 is big and bulky, but I wouldn't be without it.

I thought that the Audiovox 1705 Personal DVD Player was a pretty good unit for the price. It is solidly built though the DVD door feels rather flimsy like it would break easily even with normal use. The control buttons have a good solid feel. Having all of the cables included makes this unit a good deal. It definitely makes this unit more versatile right out of the box.

Just keep in mind that this is a PERSONAL DVD player. (It says so right on the box.) The sound quality out of the tiny speakers is horrible. The video is crisp and clear but if you're out at an angle, the picture darkens and is hard to see. But if you're viewing alone, with good pair of headphones (you'll need to buy your own), this little unit is quite a pleasant surprise. It can be engrossing. It's almost like having your own personal home theater on your lap.

I haven't owned it long enough to judge reliability but I'll say this much. If you have a problem, the user's manual will be of little help. The user's manual is pretty bad.

out of the headphones. Are we supposed to be hearing the DVD turn while watching with a headphone?

I bought this at Sam's Club (actually the 1708 model which is the same) for $228. It's everything I wanted. The picture quality is great and quite affordable. A bit too heavy and bulky but I just wanted something to keep the kids entertained on the plane or road trips.
The remote lets you turn the subtitles and other functions on and off without stopping the movie. I love that. It's annoying that you can not charge the battery and watch the movie at the same time. The charge lasted the whole Godfather movie. All and all I like it.

I recently bought the AudioVox portable DVD player and I have taken it on many trips. It has worked flawlessly. Here are my Pro's and Con's.

Pros: Outstanding value, includes car kit and many different useful wires, sleek design, reliable, great picture, big screen, and easy to use.

Cons: Cannot scan forward or backward, you can only skip scenes, no battery indicator that I can find....thats all

Overall, I highly recommend this DVD player, I was a
little skeptical at first, but this turned out to be a great buy.

These speakers may be alright to some people. They were the first 6.1 computer multimedia speakers on the market, but they were NOT the best. Klipsch, Logitech, and even Cambridge are all working on high-end speakers that support 6.1 digital sound. Why avoid these speakers? Because even for the price, they don't deliver a good enough quality range! The lows are VERY dull due to the low quality subwoofer and the highs are very squeaky due to the paper-cup-type cones for the speaker's drivers. Since there is not much 6.1 audio available to the general public right now, there isn't much value added to these speakers just because there are seven speakers instead of six. Truthfully, I wouldn't listen to Creative. If you bought these speakers beacuse Creative said they paired well with the Audigy 2, I suggest you return them. These speakers will not sound any better than any Logitech or Klipsch speaker system that you install into an Audigy 2. Take that HorsePlop creative tells you and throw it into a can. These speakers are not worth the value or the bundle with the amazing Audigy 2 sound card. If you REALLY want a 6.1 system that can play 6.1 digital sound for all your music, games, and DVDs, wait for a newer 6.1 model from a high-end provider such as Klipsch, Logitech, or Cambridge. These speakers are no more than a trick to get un-aware buyers to think that these speakers paired with an Audigy 2 will sound phenominal. Not true folks! Don't buy them!

Although in the past I have appreciated Creative Lab products, these speakers had to go back after a week because of the continual, and quite audible, hissing noise they made when no program was running, even at low volume levels. I have a Dell machine with an Audigy 2 sound card, and I tried to troubleshoot the problem by swapping out four sets of speakers on the machine, including some that are over 6 years old. No other speakers demonstrated the hissing problem. I am not sure if this is a quality control issue, or a poor shielding issue, but having three speakers constantly hissing within 18 inches of your ears gets old pretty quick.

I would describe the sound quality as very good considering the price point. Don't expect tremendous quality, but you also won't be breaking the bank.

I spent months looking for an adequate 5.1 speaker set to go with my system without having to break the bank!!
I looked at the Logitech Z640 (boy that stuff sells like cheap dirt), I also looked at the inspire 5200, altec lancing and Monsoon 505-H.

Well after listening to them all; the inspire 5200 caught my attention because of the quality of its sound reproduction and clean base.

The monsoon could be turned up all the way with out loosing it quality but it did not sound as good as the inspire though it had good base and looked cool (depending on your taste).

The Altec Lancing sounded great also; the Logitech had the worst sound quality (like cardboard paper was used to make its speakers). Its base was not bad though.

I finally settled on the 6600 because it was 6.1 even though I was not going to buy an audigy 2 card, I figured that I will finally be able to squeeze everything out of my SB live 5.1 digital. I am not using the center rear speaker.

The 5200 sounded great and since the 6600 is more modern, more powerful and cost approximately 20.00 more, I went with it.

These speakers sound great.
It is quite loud 1/2 way up.
Games like UT2003, Jedi Knight 2 and NOLF2 sound great with 5.1 enabled.
I have not tested them with a DVD movie yet but the base from my VCDs sound excellent.
The base is not going to rock your house, but the speaker set will definitely bother your neighbors if turned up 70% of the way.

...

If you don't want to break the bank and want to be sure you get the most resent technology from creative get these; you don't need the audigy 2 unless you are interested in 6.1 surround sound, 5.1 is what is supported the most today.

Monster could sell ice to Eskimos

I do agree that cables make a difference when electronis devices are involved, however a fibre optic cable will not make one iota of difference to the sound quality when compared to another - no questions, full stop.

An illustration of how some people will buy anything is the crazy guy who said his picture improved!

Enough said

Alot of people say that Monster Cable is overrated. True, they are expensive. I use Monster Cable accessories because I know what kind of improvements to expect from them. Often times, the people here who have issues with Monster Cable, or any sort of a/v cable for that matter, often times do not have high performance a/v equipment. While I'm far from one of those theaterphiles who get paid to test new equipment in specific soundrooms, I do know enough to be able to distinguish what I (emphasis on I) sounds/looks better for my specific needs. Bottom line, Monster cables are a step up from the cables you'll receive with your equipment and will be more distinguishable if you have the right components. I use these digital cables because I have surround sound speakers and a Samsung receiver. If you're someone who does not have or plan on using surround sound, then you probably don't want to shell out money for this digital cable.

If you haven't spent a decent amount of money on your sound system, don't buy optical cable. I hear many people complain about how they can't tell the difference between RCA and optical, but when I see what they're using for a receiver and speakers, the problem is obvious. You're stereo system is only as good as its weakest link, and optical cable is intended for high-end stereo equipment. It's that simple. If you're balking at the price you're spending on optical cable, you probably haven't invested enough money into your stereo equipment for it to really make a difference.
That said, if you do decide to go optical, Monster is an easy choice. Although I'm sure they hike up the price a bit on name alone, they do make some of the best audio cable out there, optical or otherwise. I've noticed marked improvement in the sound quality from both my DVD and even MP3 player. If you want to take a chance with a less known brand for a cheaper price, good luck, but I'm willing to spend a little more for quality.