Portable Media Players Reviews
Teac TN-570-B Turntable Review
by Audrey Liang - April 4, 2016
Review
Do you want to enjoy high-quality vinyl music again? Or how about transferring the high quality sound of vinyl to your digital devices? Equipped with an Analog to Digital (A/D) converter and a USB output, the Teac TN-570-B Turntable makes your music listening experience dreams come true. With the two outputs, you can save your vinyl collection to your PC/Mac, CD, DVD’s or other media devices while keeping the same quality as your vinyl records.
When you see the Teac TN-570-B Turntable for the first time, you’ll be surprised by its elegance. The TN-570-B has a dual-material chassis to include artificial marble and high-density Medium-density Fibreboard (MDF). This two-layer structure decreases inherent resonant frequencies to provide a vivid vinyl sound. On top of the chassis is a 16mm-thick acrylic platter that suppresses unwanted sympathetic vibrations. At the bottom of the TN-570-B is a honeycomb-shaped case, which also helps to provide a pure and clean sound. The four machined aluminum feet can be adjusted independently with different heights in order to stabilize the turntable on uneven surfaces.
As Teac’s flagship belt-drive turntable, the TN-570-B has advantages compared to traditional belt-drive and direct-drive turntables. Employing the new Platter Rotation Sensing Servo System (PRS3), the TN-570-B can avoid possible pulsing by capturing platter rotation speed and controlling motor speed. The device employs a flat-type belt to generate motor drive with quiet performance and durability. It also has a static-balanced S-shaped tone-arm with flexibility to fit the height of different shells and cartridges. The tone-arm also has a PR-Triple C conductor which captures every signal in the vinyl record.
When using the TN-570-B Turntable, you don’t need to worry about the volume thanks to its built-in phono-equalizing amplifier. It doesn’t matter if you’re an audiophile or a casual lover of high-quality music; this turntable will satisfy your desires to travel back in time and listen to music the way it was intended to be.
Highlights
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Cogging-free Belt-drive with Platter Rotation Sensing Servo System (PRS3)
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Sleek Resonance-free Dual Material Compound by Marble Stone and High-density MDF
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Crystal Clear Acrylic Platter that merges elegance with silence
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High-precision Spindle with Anti-static Carbon-coated base
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Large Torque Motor with a floating structure
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Height Adjustable Anti-skating Tone-arm with PC-Triple C Wiring
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Universal Head-shell
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OPA1602 SoundPlus® Op-amp for Built-in Phono EQ Amplifier
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Built-in A/D Converter by Cirrus Logic with 24-bit/192kHz via Optical Digital Output and 16-bit/48kHz USB Digital Output
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Height Adjustable Feet
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Machined Aluminum EP Adapter
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Optional Reversible Static-free "WASHI" Turntable Sheet (sold separately)
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1-year warranty
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Sleek and elegant design
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A/D converter and a USB enable digital copy of vinyl records
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Many features to abate noises and reproduce quality sound
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Feet can be adjusted independently with different heights
Pros
Score
9.4
Cons
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Lower torque compared to direct-drive turntables
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Not suitable for scratch uses
Samsung 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Review
by Mikael Romo - February 29, 2016
Review
It's movie night with the family, and you want to show them a cinematic experience they can feast their eyes on. For those of you with home theaters (or want to make one) and only want the highest quality, behold the clearest clear and sharpest sharp with the Samsung 4K Ultra Blu-ray player. If paired with a 4K television, won't even have to buy a movie ticket to lose yourself in a visually immersive good time.
Slip your movie into the disc slot or stream a movie from Netflix, and this Blu-ray player will yield 4X the resolution of standard HD, engaging you in a TV watching experience unlike what you've been used to on standard Blu-ray. What's unique about this Blu-ray player is that it offers 3840x2160 pixel resolution, four times that of 1080p HDTV so you get a clearer, sharper picture quality.
The HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology contrasts colors and shades so that darks are darker and brights are brighter, allowing the eye to appreciate greater detail. If that wasn't enough, the device also boasts a greater range of color expression, which works with HDR to express vibrant, more contrasted colors. If you have a 3D HDTV and 3D enabled movies, you can play them on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player as well. Although 4K Blu-ray disks have yet to be more common, in the meantime, this device will upscale lower resolution media to near Ultra High Definition. And of course, 4K digital content from streaming services will display in native 4K resolution.
So not only does the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player perform to higher standards, it's also a smart Blu-ray player, which means you can access apps and streaming services to catch up on your beloved dramas or kick back and relax with an Ultra HD movie night. Don't own 4K content yet? The player is backwards compatible so you can enjoy standard Blu-ray, DVD's and CD's. All things considered, Samsung 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is a fine addition to any home theater system
Highlights
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New 4K Ultra HD Standard
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High Dynamic Range (HDR) allows for a greater range of color contrast and brightness
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4K Ultra HD upscaling enhances video performance to HDTV-compliant 4K Ultra
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Wide Color Range - Ultra HD Blu-ray reveals rich, detailed colors to experience full 3D content when you pair this Blu-ray player with a 3D HDTV - 3D disc needed for 3D playback
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Curved construction with brushed-metal look as an aesthetic addition to your home theater system
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Wi-Fi enabled - access web browser and watch 4k movies and shows from your favorite streaming services
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2 HDMI ports, 1 Ethernet port, 1 Optical Digital Audio Output
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Backwards compatible with standard Blu-ray, DVD, and CD's
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Allows for CD ripping
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Comes with universal remote controller
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Warranty dependent on retailer
Pros
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Picture quality superior to old HD Blu-ray
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Backwards compatible with older media
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Upscales lower resolution media to near Ultra HD
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Smart Blu-ray player offer streaming apps
Score
9.6
Cons
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Not too many 4K Blu-ray discs yet available for usage with player
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The plastic finish of the shell yields fingernail marks
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Manufacturer does not provide warranty
Highlights
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Music wherever you go.
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More gaming power to play with
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4” high-resolution Retina Display
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64-bit A8 processor with M8 motion processor
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A8 chip. Satisfy your need for speed
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Accessories
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6 stunning colors
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FaceTime HD Camera
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8 MP rear camera with 120 fps slo-mo video
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iOS 8.4 operating system
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Extremely light and pocketable
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Sharp display and excellent design
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Many color options
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Improved cameras with new features
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Uses the A8 iPhone 6 processor making it more future-proof
Pros
Cons
9.4
Score
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Same screen size as previous model
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No built-in GPS
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Not enough storage for large games or movies
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The 16GB model lacks rear-facing camera, color options, or wrist strip
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No TouchID or Apple Pay
Apple iPod Touch
Review
by Eljohn Macaranas - September 2015
Three years ago, the lines between an iPod and an iPhone were pretty distinct. The last iPod came with a measly 5 MP camera, the old iPhone 4S’ processor, and a hideous built-in loop. With sales for iPhones continually rising and iPod sales slowly falling, many foresaw the last “iTouch” as the final “iTouch.”
While it keeps the old 4” retina display and the same old design sans the failed Loop, it’s what on the inside that counts. The 64-bit A8 processor makes multi-tasking and launching apps faster than ever before. Think it’s a small deal? Try running the iOS 9 beta on the last Pod Touch. It’s a nightmare. Trust me. This iteration is snappy and lightning fast and future-proof. It also comes with a gig of RAM, twice as much as the last gen.
Adding a M8 processor is also a welcome change. Go out on runs with your iPod? Great. With new sensors, this iPod will count your steps and other workout stats in the Health app.
The cameras have been vastly improved. Aside from being bumped from 5 to 8 megapixels, the rear camera now shoots 120 fps slow-motion videos. The front camera has also been given a rework that’ll make your selfies better lit and more in-focus.
It comes shipped with iOS 8.4 and Apple Music so in addition to getting the world’s most intuitive operating system (at least according to Apple) users also get a taste of Apple’s new music service. Fitting as the iPod was made just for music over a decade ago.
The iPod Touch (2015) comes in space grey, gold, silver, blue, red, and pink, and with anywhere from 16 to 128GB. To be frank, this iPod Touch makes the case for its existence. It can go toe to toe with even today’s iPhone.
Highlights
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Beautifully designed and highly rigid case
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DSEE HX upscales music to High Resolution quality
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128GB of built-in memory
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Micro SD card slot
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LDAC: High quality wireless listening
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High quality internal components
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Up to 33 hours of High-Resolution Audio or 60 hours of MP3 playback
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Supports High-Resolution Audio formats as well as popular formats like MP3, WAV, AIFF, WMA, AAC, HE-ACC, FLAC, ALAC
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Extremely well designed and built
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New High-Resolution audio format
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Improves the quality of your existing music
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Long battery life
Pros
Cons
9.2
Score
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Nonstandard power charger
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You'll need headphones or speakers that supports high-resolution audio
Sony NW-ZX2 Walkmans
Review
by Larry Hamilton - July 2015
The NW-ZX2 is an exercise in quality. Enjoy High-Resolution Audio to its fullest. Even compressed audio files are upscaled closer to High-Resolution Audio for a rich studio sound. And with over 33 hours’ playback, you can keep the music coming anywhere you go.
The richness and musical fidelity of High-Resolution Audio has gone mobile. Through technologies developed by Sony, you’ll hear what you’ve been missing: The S-Master™ HX digital amp cuts distortion and noise across a wide range of frequencies and DSEE HX™ upscales your existing music to near high-resolution sound quality.
In addition to playing studio-quality High-Resolution Audio, the NW-ZX2 Walkman® also improves the sound of all your existing music. DSEE HX™ restores lost detail to MP3s and other compressed music files, giving you back the full experience of the original recording, whether you listen to Dvorak or electronic music.
LDAC is a new audio technology from Sony that allows you to enjoy high quality wireless audio via Bluetooth. With 3x the data transmitted, LDAC provides an enhanced wireless listening experience for all your music.
An aluminium frame and rubber grip on the back make it easy to hold, filling the hand effortlessly, and the high stiffness and low contact resistance of the gold-plated copper chassis help produce clear and powerful sound in the low frequency range.
A reinforced power line provides conductivity that’s more energy efficient and less susceptible to noise, for sound that feels more extensive and powerful.
The Sony Walkman NW-ZX1 is a high-end portable media player, featuring a 1GHz dual-core processor and running Android 4.1. The NW-ZX1 support a variety of connectivity features such as WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC for easy pairing with speakers.
8.0
Highlights
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Beautifully designed
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Apple EarPods
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Loop comes color-matched to your iPod touch
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4-inch Retina display
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The best camera ever on an iPod touch
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Dual-core A5 chip
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Plays music and video
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Games and apps
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Share and stay connected
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AirPlay - From one widescreen to another
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Bluetooth
Pros
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Good-quality screen
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Superb apps and games library
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Much-improved camera
Cons
9.5
Score
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No external speakerss for music
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Alarm speakers are low
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No external volume button
Apple iPod Touch
Review
by David Priede - June 14, 2015
For the first time, iPod touch is made from the same kind of anodized aluminum used in the MacBook line. And it’s made the same way too: By machining the enclosure from a single piece of aluminum. The first thing you’ll notice about iPod touch is its barely-there weight. Then its supersmooth finish. Then all those Apple details — like the highly polished beveled edges. And iPod touch is made from one of the strongest grades of aluminum there is. Which means that it not only looks and feels incredible, it’s tough enough to tag along on more than a few nights out.
There’s a reason these iPod touch colors are so incredibly rich and vibrant. It’s because they’re bonded right to the aluminum — not just painted on the surface. So you see saturated color that still lets the luster of the metal shine through. Which gives you a material that shows off the color, and a color that shows off the material.
The Retina display is tall but not wide. That means everything you do on iPod touch can be a one‑handed operation, and your thumb has room to roam. The display is advanced, with finger‑friendly Multi‑Touch technology built into the glass instead of beneath it. So less gets between you and your games, music, messages — whatever you love to see and do.
The iPod touch loop is a colorful way to keep your iPod touch at the ready.* That’s perfect for when you want to shoot from a hard-to-reach camera angle (and don’t want to risk it falling out of your hand). Flip iPod touch up to type a quick iMessage. Or just sport it when you’re pocketless. The loop also keeps your iPod touch safe, so you don’t have to worry about a slip, fumble, drop, or overzealous robot dance.
Creating one-earbud-fits-all headphones is a challenge. That’s because everyone’s ears are different. So when Apple engineers were designing the EarPods, they didn’t start with the speaker, they started with the ear. Unlike traditional circular earbuds, the design of the Apple EarPods is based on the geometry of the ear. Which makes them more comfortable for more people than any other earbud-style headphones.
Good design takes into account environmental impact. That’s why nearly every Apple product — including iPod touch — is made from highly recyclable materials like aluminum. iPod touch is also free of toxic materials such as lead, brominated flame retardants (BFRs), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and uses arsenic-free glass for its mercury-free display. In fact, reducing toxins is so important to us that we even disassemble products and test all their components in our Cupertino lab to make sure our suppliers meet our environmental standards.
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