Wireless speakers
 

Actually, in the case of Sony at least, its using IR and not RF. They tout it like its a great advantage, but it causes the line-of-sight problem and aggravates the synchronization problem. The line of sight problem occurs even if its your hair (or your dog's shedded hair) on the emitters etc.... Or a couch, chair, wall, etc. etc. etc. I agree with Mmm or Coltrane or whoever just said to have someone come out and wire your house. Run the wires through the ceiling and out to upper corners and mount the speakers in upper corners (with location optimized, of course, by the technicians).

Hello

Hello

I've has my e3c's for close to a week now. The difference is night and day, compared to the pack-ins. Isolation is terrific, and SQ is pretty great. These are my first audiophile-quality earphones, so I don't have much to compare them to, but I am very, very happy. Unlike NFH, I think the included sleeves are great. I use the large grey soft flex sleeves, and get a good seal. Isolation is better with the foam, but I think that the sound becomes a bit distant with the foamies. Foamies will likely work best in a high noise environment, though. I'm flying next week, and I'll give them a try.

Overall, great product and worth the $$ as an upgrade from the pack-ins.

Wireless speakers
 

Thanks for the input and saving me from a bad experiment.

The benefit of wireless in this case was going to be consolidating systems and running them off the network; right now, we've got multiple systems of varying quality around the house, and cd cases everywhere that our youngest child loves to open up and strew about. The idea of moving to an all digital computer based system and cleaning up the mess (maybe preserving the best separate system in an "adult" room) was one I was playing with as we're probably about to spring for the home theatre system and add yet another audio system to the mix. It's too bad the wireless speakers all seem to suck since they'd be a great solution.

But I should have thought of this while we were in construction mode, cause I'm probably not going to go to the trouble to clean up the mess now. I may have the ability to easily strech wires behind one wall and take care of two rooms that way, but we're trying to keep workers out of the house for a while.

Lesson: got to plan for all the electronic shit as integral to a construction process, and not just the furniture you stick in the space when it's done.

Wireless speakers
 

Ain't that the truth. My older sister and her husband just tore down the parents house and built a rather large replacement. Bought an Apple for the kids and then got em Comcast broadband (payed for a year in advance). Turns out, they didn't get Cable jacks in every room. Eventually, Comcast (in Chicago) was nice enough to come out and drill through the floor from the basement to add a cable connection to a first-floor study (where the Apple was placed).

Still, I'm a bit embarrased that nobody thought to ensure this was done 18-24 months ago when it was on the drawing boards. Particularly the #&^%$&^ builder.

Wireless speakers
 

It's pretty inexcusable. Besides, I thought builders these days looked at "structured wiring" as a great profit center, because they put in about $200 of wire, and mark the price way up, even though they don't do it right (didn't someone here post a while back about ethernet wiring that was connected like phones--in series, rather than hub/spoke?)

Wireless speakers
 

The recent build-out has lots of cabling in it - but not a separate audio cabling.

For our network we still did a cable/wireless mix. Even with jacks in most rooms, they weren't always where we wanted them, especially in the part of the house that was wired 15 years ago.

So I wouldn't count on a builder's one-size fits all wiring system to cover you forever more.

Now, the fact that we didn't cable for a home theatre system when doing the build out was pretty silly of us, but, hey, that's what rugs are for. Until we were built out, we really didn't think we'd go for the big system (since we generally prefer Kayaking to TV). But there's just the perfect place for it...

Wireless speakers
 

Fair enough--most coax wiring is a single cable, though DirectTV takes two cables.

That said, if I were building new, I'd request plastic conduit from a central point to boxes in each room, so that it was easy to pull new wires as they get put in place.

Wireless speakers
 

That's only if you have two tuners. If you just have one tuner in your receiver (which I think that that all do) or TiVo (or only use one of the tuners), you only need one coax drop.

Wireless speakers
 

Every house in my neighborhood was prewired with dual coax cable taps in the family room and all bedrooms, each bedroom has 2 phone jacks (1 by the cable tap and one where you would normally put a phone, and CAT 5. The family rooms had speaker wires pre-run.
It costs them nothing to do while the walls are open and yes, they charge up the ass. Mostly the problem here is that there are no crawl spaces in earthquake country, so once the walls are up it becomes damn near impossible (for a price less than a car) to run speaker wires.

VERIZON
 

Yes, Verizon can design a telephone system but man does a phone company suck at designing a web site. I have been trying to view my bill for 20 minutes now.

VERIZON
 

Whoa! I just did that last night when I got my phone bill. You can ask for your information if you forgot it by providing your telephone number, last 4 of your SSN, and billing zip code.

They send you a new "PIN" as a text message.

No matter. Once I was able to "view" my bill, I still never was able to view it on a call-by-call basis the way it used to be before they cut back on the information in the paper bills.

MP3
 

If I didn't have an IPOD already, I would totally consider this.
That is, if the colors are cool.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Co...mp.hmedium.jpg

There are two THUMPs. The 128 MB version costs $395. The 256MB version, which comes with polarized lenses, costs $495. The glasses themselves come in seven frame/lens color combinations including a special Red Camo/Black Polarized which sells for $545.

Oakley has done a pretty amazing job getting the MP3 player and rechargeable batteries onto a pair of eyeglass frames -- and of making it look really cool. Everything, including the MP3 controls and even the mini-USB 2.0 jack looks like it belongs on a pair of sunglasses.

THUMP weighs only 1.8 ounces. The lithium-ion batteries last up to 6 hours of playing time. Charging is via the USB connection to your computer or via an optional external charger.

THUMP handles MP3 (up to 256K), WMA (up to 192K), plus WMA with DRM, WAV -- although I’m not sure why anyone would choose to store huge, uncompressed WAV files on such a small storage system. Oakley’s claim of up to 4 hours of music (256MB version) or 2 hours (128MB version) is based on songs ripped at an unmusical 128KB.
The eyeglass portion of THUMP deserves some mention too. Oakley’s patented XYZ Optics is known for quality: Their Plutonite lens material blocks 100% of all UVA, UVB, UVC and harmful blue light, plus the lenses exceed ANSI impact resistance requirements.

the rest of the story

MP3
 

If you did, you would become the only chick ever to wear them. That is, if you're a chick.

MP3
 

Two things: 1) every review I've seen says they sound like shit; 2) it says right here that they look like shit.

MP3
 

FYI, my IPOD already sounds like shit. Could it be much worse?
Someday, I'm going to invent an MP3 that sounds like a CD and I'll make millions.

Actually, they look better in person than they do in this ugly color in the pic. I saw them in the Oakley store. They're a little clunky, but if you're skiing or have a hat on, you don't really notice.

MP3
 

are you expecting audiophile quality from your iPod?

BTW, have you tried other encoding mechanisms besides MP3/128kpbs?

MP3
 

If your ipod already sound slike shit, you're definitely not doing something right, especially if you're using the Shure e3c's. I encode with Apple lossless and, while it's not perfect, it's WAY better than MP3.

Your update
 

You guys are going to make me read a manual some day.
I am currently at 320 kbps 48000 khz. Honestly, the bass is crap.
On certain discs anyway. No, I am not looking for audiophile - they're headphones for god's sake. But still, my stupid Panasonic portable CD player sounds better. Of course, I knew this coming in, and I asked for it anyway. All of the reviews I read before I made my decision said - it scratches easily, the headphones are crap and it doesn't sound great. All are true.

Also, some discs are much louder than others. What the hell. I am hesitant to use the "make everything same volume" setting as that usually means it compresses the dynamic range. I may have to try it though.

I guess you pay for convenience and prettiness. Seriously, I'm going to invent another way.

My former next door neighbor claims to have been one of the lead engineers on the IPOD project. Next time I see him, I'm going to have some suggestions.

eta we just bought some more DVD audio discs. The Seal is amazing in 5.1

"Wireless" speakers and music
 

So, I really want to use the multizone capabilities of my receiver in order to put some music to other rooms in my house.

Running wire is hairy; I can either go external, which would involve drilling through concrete block in multiple places. The DirecTV guy said that it was a bear when he did it. For me to do it, it would involve a hammer drill I don't have, a bunch of drill bits I don't have, a lot of work, some creative wire fishing since I am on the second floor and the outside is unaccessible by ladder and concerns about leaks and moisture.

I could go internal, where I would mostly run the wire behind and through cabinets and some access panels, through closets, etc. I think that this will work, but it's also going to be a pain in the ass, and there will still be a stretch between the home theater and the first area where it is easy to hide where I will have to either punch into drywall and patch or remove base moulding and hide the (several) wires behind there. So this isn't really that great of an option either.

Are there any kind of wireless piggyback systems that sound good? Ideally, I'd like to buy one base unit, which would take a pre-amp signal directly at the receiver, broadcast it to those reciver units I select, which would then connect to and power ormal speakers. I am not extremely concerned about sound quality, but I want real speakers with real dimension in the extra rooms, and this seems a relatively seemless way of doing so. Are there any products that could do what I want? Anything close?

I have also considered some kind of more traditional (well, as in the technology of the last five years) setup to wirelessly stream music, like from an Airport or similar, but I really want to be able to pipe everything moving through the receiver (TV, in particular) to all the rooms. Are there other options I'm missing?

"Wireless" speakers and music
 

Is it cinder block? It's really not too hard to drill through. They're mostly hollow, and the cement is fairly porous. If you get a masonry bit, you could probably do it without the hammer too much. Just donn't go through the ends or the middle.

"Wireless" speakers and music
 

It is the solid kind. I think that the material is different from cinder block, but I'm not sure. It took the DirecTV about 20 minutes with a high-RPM rotary drill with a massive titanium tipped bit that he said cost him $100 or so. And he was pushing hard. It also seems like a recipe for getting all kinds of moisture into my walls.

I'm totally getting a new phone, dude.
 

Classic Mac 2D scroller game "Dark Castle" coming to mobile phone near you.

Okay, then, a phone near me. "Dark Castle" was DA BOMB.

The Top 100 Gadgets of All Time.

I don't imagine the comparative rankings mean anything in particular --- ranking the Newton over the sextant might strike some as controversial in the long view.

Did I mention I like guns?
 

They missed some mighty important ones in there.

Like pistols (to say nothing of hand grenades). All things medical (try the stethoscope for one). Some very simple mechanical things, like the adjustable wrench. And all things musical. I think the thumb piano ought to be on the list.

Did I mention I like guns?
 

Like the pop-up porno ad.

Did I mention I like guns?
 

Not a single RT approved gadget in the bunch.

From Nokia
 

What's the deal with these things anyway? Sure, it'd be nice to have a thing that did everything, but I guess you have to choose what thing you want as priority. This things is supposed to be a cell phone with games, but it looks like a gameboy with a phone built in. And I can't see too many guys walking around with this. Over the age of 12 I mean.
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Co...ed.hmedium.jpg

Nokia's N-Gage QD is a cell phone and Web browser in addition to a gaming device, one of a new breed of all-in-one players.

Video games and gaming machines are big business and better than ever. According to Port Washington, N.Y.-based marketing consulting firm NPD Group, for 2004 annual retail sales of video games, which includes portable and console hardware, software and accessories, were $9.9 billion. Even though this reflected a 1 percent decline from 2003, it was the first year that portable-software sales exceeded the $1 billion mark, and total software sales hit $6.2 billion, an increase of 8 percent.

Cool
 

Too bad. I would have bought one.

Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo's new 901i series. These wireless hot rods are capable of four-way videoconferencing and high-speed mobile Internet surfing (up to 384 kilobytes per second). The 901is can send e-mail with attachments as large as 500 kilobytes. They can act as TV remote controls and have 3-D screens with up to 262,144 colors.

Each model has at least a two-megapixel camera and miniature "3-D sound" speakers. One even has a biometric fingerprint sensor to ensure that no one can use the phone but its owner, and three of the five models come with a nifty function called FeliCa, which enables the 901i to serve as a digital wallet. You download cash into the phone's guts, then simply swipe it over a FeliCa reader at the local mini-mart.

There are a few reasons why we don't have phones like the 901i here in the U.S.A. For one, a mobile device is only as advanced as the network it runs on, and our networks are a mess.

No shit.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Co..._f.vmedium.jpg

From Nokia
 

That color is from the light: the QD is actually a carbon-fiber-like grey.

ipod in car
 

yesterday i bought the rig to play the ipod through a cassette player- then I got out to my (new) car and found out I don't have a cassette player.

the Apple store pushed the "play through the radio" rig- which i guess is my only option. Anyone have this? can it do it w/o losing quality and having frequent drops?

ipod in car
 

From my experience, you won't have frequent drops, but you will have trouble finding clear FM frequencies in urban areas, and the dynamic range of FM ain't no great shakes even when it's interference-free.

For the life of me, I don't understand why auto manufacturers aren't putting aux inputs into their OEM stereo heads. How fucking slow are they allowed to be? We've had personal audio devices for about five years.

ipod in car
 

I got the cassette after the radio. Though I sometimes get to drive in areas where there are not too many radio stations to interfere with the lower end of the FM range that is available for the radio option, there were still too many instances of interference. The cassette option seems awkward and funky, but its significantly better quality.

You might be able to make a bazillion if you invent something better. Know any good patent lawyers?

Edited to add: basically what AG said

ipod in car
 

What they said, but jebus--you didn't realize you don't have a cassette player in your car?

If you're a swanky lawyer, and, perforce, have a BMW, there is an "aux in" cable that is not much money and works great. Some other car manufacturers have the same type of thing.

ipod in car
 

I am not a car guy. my eyes got all shiny when I realized I had a 6 disc CD changer. Who owns cassettes anymore.

Well I'm not a car guy but even I know to call bullshit here. BMW is first year decent bonus car.
Could you say this again, but slower and with more explaination. Do you think I might have this? i have a Grand Cherokee.

ipod in car
 

I think i can find an open 4 or 5 points- that's enough isn't it? Or are you saying if you travel you'll tend to enter an area with interference because of this?
Are you saying it will sound for shit anyway? Will it sound as good as my radio?

I Pod (best way to hook into car)
 

It will likely still sound like shit. Although, you may be in luck. This company makes a link adapter for several makes including (gulp) the Chrysler family.

http://www.densionusa.com/x/index.php

From Nokia
 

And yet it still looks like a gameboy. I can't imagine taking calls all day on that thing.

Update - borrowed a $2500 subwoofer over the weekend.
http://www.audiorevolution.com/news/...artinlogan.gif

It was OK. Really deep, tight bass, but didn't have enough upper bass filler for music. Not a good match for the speakers, but good for home theatre.

Also, listened to a $29,000 pair of speakers. They were nice, although a tiny bit forward sounding. But overall, pretty good.
http://www.meridian-audio.com/images...kfront_175.jpg

this is it?
 

http://www.densionusa.com/x/index.ph...407&Itemid=109


The ice>Link Plus plays high quality music from your iPod through your existing car entertainment system's CD changer port

I do have a CD player- i know I do.

this is it?
 

that's the thing, but it looks like no jeeps.

ipod in car
 

You just need one consistent frequency open. Set the transmitter to that freq, and leave it.

In SF, there are almost no open frequencies. If there were, Clear Channel would have bought it and started playing shitty music on it already.

FM does not meet audiophile standards, but if you're the lucky type that can't tell the diff between CD and FM, you should not be an unhappy customer.

The audio cassette adapter remains the best option for those of us without Aux In.