Amazon Echo’s Alexa’s place in the smart home is firmly established and an update to the skill for Harmony remotes brings simplified voice control to home entertainment. Read More
Harmony Speaks Fluent Alexa
Category Archives: Audio Gear
Archeer A320 Review: Bamboo Bluetooth Speaker Will Turn Heads
It’s easy to scoff at the thousands of inexpensive audio products that show up on Amazon. Many are truly awful and prove the old “you get what you pay for” adage. But there are also some gems. The Archeer A320 falls into the latter camp. It’s an inexpensive Bluetooth speaker that looks great thanks to an attractive bamboo and cloth design, and it sounds far better than its selling price suggests it should. Read More
Review: JLab Gravity Bluetooth Neckband Makes Your Old Headphones/Buds Wireless
Wishing your favorite headphones or earbuds were wireless? You can buy the Bluetooth equivalent, but if you’d like to keep those trusty cans and still enjoy the freedom of Bluetooth, JLab Audio has a solution: the $39.99 Gravity Bluetooth Neckband Adaptor. Read More
Give Dad the Gift of Great Audio With the Apogee Groove Portable DAC/Amp
Good audio is an objective experience on paper, and a subjective experience in your ears. The Groove portal DAC/Amp from Apogee Digital delivers on both. Read More
Sleep Headphone Roundup
The last handful of weeks I’ve been testing a pair of sleep headphones. I have a long history of being a light sleeper, often using white noise to eliminate disruptive noises while I’m sleeping. When the other person in the room needs to be able to hear a toddler, however, it’s impossible to keep white noise to a level that’s capable of blocking out external noise without also blocking out the telltale sounds of a toddler stirring. Read More
OV Headphones – Everywhere Sounds Smart
Built-in Amazon Echo and smart sound customization lets OV Headphones create the “connected everywhere” we always wanted. Read More
UE Wonderboom: Waterproof Mini Bluetooth Speaker Delivers
UE Wonderboom is a very capable little speaker that can play all day, take some rough treatment, survive a dunking in water, and even float. Read More
GeekDad Review: Libratone ZIPP Nordic Black Multi-Room Wireless Speaker
Looking for a premium, multi-room wireless audio system? A Father’s Day gift, perhaps? Look no further than the Libratone ZIPP. Read More
Big Announcement for Target and FABRIQ, Alexa’s Sassy Sibling
Beginning May 21, 2017, the FABRIQ speakers will be available for the first time ever in Target’s brick-and-mortar stores! Read More
GeekDad Review: JAM Xterior Max Rugged Bluetooth Speaker
The JAM Xterior Max Rugged Bluetooth speaker offers surprisingly robust audio performance in a compact, ruggedized, and waterproof package. Read More
GeekDad Review: Skybuds Wireless Earbuds
Skybuds offer a more discrete alternative to Apple’s AirPods plus premium sound and features for those who want true wireless Bluetooth earbuds. Read More
Q Acoustics M3 Soundbar: When You Want Room-Filling Sound, But Not 8 Speakers and Lots of Wires
Interested in filling a room with the sound from your media, but not running wires to speakers all over? Maybe a nice sound bar is what you’re looking for. We take a look at the latest offering from UK-maker Q Acoustics, and we like what we hear! Read More
Gadget Bits: Aukey Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Earbuds
Aukey’s new noise-cancelling Bluetooth earbuds perform well at a budget price point for the technology. Read More
Crosley C20: Upgrade Your Turntable in Time for Record Store Day
Record Store Day is this weekend. If you’re looking for a new mid-range turntable to play that vinyl on, the Crosley C20 is worth considering. That’s right, Crosley is going upmarket in pursuit of more demanding record collectors. Read More
AudioQuest JitterBug: Can a USB Filter Really Improve Your Audio?
Can an in-line USB filter improve your hi-fi audio? Read More
GeekDad Review: House of Marley Stir It Up Turntable
Earth Day is on April 22. Record Store Day is on April 22. And the same day—April 22—House of Marley will be celebrating the launch of its first turntable, the sustainably designed Stir It Up. Read More
HyperX Cloud Revolver S Premium Gaming Headset Review
Kingston reveals a new all in one headset the HyperX Cloud Revolver S Premium. Read More
GeekDad Review: Sound BlasterX Katana Soundbar Rocks Your Gaming
Sound BlasterX Katana is a compelling sound bar aimed at gamers, or any situation where you want to upgrade the audio from a TV without blowing the budget or needing another cabinet to house the equipment. Read More
Mid-Fi Headphone Showdown: Audeze Sine vs. Sennheiser HD6XX
The hot new planar magnetic technology versus the classic moving coils: two excellent headphones go head-to-head (literally), and I let you know what you need to understand to choose between them. Read More
GeekDad Review: Soundcast VG1 Premium Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
Soundcast is positioning its VG1 Premium Waterproof Bluetooth speaker toward the upper end of the ultra-compact range. It’s waterproof, ruggedized, equipped with multiple drivers, offers extended battery life, and supports Apple’s Siri. Read More
SmartOmi Hybrid – The Bluetooth Headphones Battery Solution
For the last few months I’ve been living with a unique pair of headphones. The SmartOmi Hybrid manages to be both a traditional pair of plug-in headphones as well as a pair of bluetooth headphones. Read More
AL3+ Freedom Wireless Headphones: A Great Workout Partner
If you have been on a “holy grail” like quest for the perfect pair of Bluetooth workout headphones like I have, then your quest may be over.
Read More
Direct Sound EX-29 Headphones – Extreme Isolation
I was pretty psyched to try out Direct Sound’s EX-29 headphones. When working in a crowded space, trying to catch the nuances of sound as you mix or master, isolation is key. Read More
2016 Bluetooth Speaker Guide: The Best of Portable Wireless Audio
Continuing a tradition I started last year, I’m putting together a collection of some of the best Bluetooth speakers I had the opportunity to test in 2016. Read More
I Think I’m an Audiophile Now: Here Are the Warning Signs So You Can Avoid My Fate
Over years of reviewing earbuds and headphones, I’ve come to understand what the geeks who love sound have been talking about: if you love music, great headphones really make a difference. I’ve become an audiophile, thanks to Yamaha, Bowers & Wilkens, Sennheiser, Creative Labs, MassDrop, and others. Hopefully you can heed my warnings, and avoid losing yourself down the rabbit hole of never being content with cheap gear ever again. Read More
4 Things About Noontec Zoro II Wireless Headphones
These wireless headphones were enough to make me believe that wireless is the wave of the future for sound. Read More
Review: Lucid Audio Amped Pumps Tunes and Ambient Sound
How do you make your Bluetooth headphones stand out? By making sounds stand out. Read More
Inateck Bluetooth Headphones: Connected Without the Hassle
For the last couple of months I’ve been living life with the Inateck BH1001 Bluetooth Headphones and they’ve pretty much replaced my other headphones. It should be known that, before these, I hadn’t used a pair of bluetooth headphones before, so this review will be talking about my experiences but cannot comment on whether they are better or worse than other models. Read More
Gadget Bits: JLab Audio Epic 2 Bluetooth Sports Earbuds Review
The short answer is that they’re pricey, but they provide the best audio I’ve heard in this class, and include many practical improvements. Read More
2015 Bluetooth Speaker Guide: The Best of Portable Wireless Audio
Given the popularity of wireless speakers as gifts, I thought it might be useful to look back at all the models I’ve reviewed over the past 12 months and pick a few standouts. Read More
Sound Gifts for the Audiophile
See what I did there? If you have an audiophile on your holiday shopping list, like I do, then here are a few products that I have tried myself over the past few months. I have also included comments from my family, who have also tried these. Read More
House of Marley, JLab, Jam Audio, and More Great Sounds for the Holidays
Speakers, headphones, and earbuds all make for great holiday gifts. GeekDad Publisher Ken Denmead rounds-up a bunch of review units sent to him over the last couple months. Read More
