VortexBox 1TB Automatic CD ripping NAS Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this gadget after a considerable amount of frustration with a Netgear ReadyNAs I had expected to use as a server for my Logitech Squeezebox Duet. The ReadyNAS supposedly performs this function but with a large collection of files it is simply too slow to keep up with indexing and searching etc. Plus ripping my 2,000+ CDs was a real chore. I read about this product and jumped on it.
Well, within a week of getting my Vortexbox appliance, all my CDs are in my mini storage, my Levinson 31.5 transport sold on eBay, and my entire CD collection is now available to me throughout my home without the slightest issues, disappointments or problems.
I initially corresponded with the manufacturer a few times with questions about configuring this device to suit my particular needs I got immediate, understanding an useful help. I cannot speak more highly of the builder. In fact, I sent a modest voluntary donation to them as I felt the help I got was above-and-beyond. Since I became familiar with this gadget, I have had zero issues, it has been up and running for over sixty days without a reboot, issue, glitch etc. You just pop a CD in the slot and it will rip it to flac and/or any almost any other format you care to have.
Useful tip: if you are ripping a large collection disable the creation of MP3 copies (the system rips to both flac and mp3 by default). This will speed up the tedious job of ripping enormously and you can go back later on and create MP3 versions of any or all of your stuff as a background task when you're done transcribing your collection. Info on how this is done is on the manufacturer's simple but very useful web site.
Anyway, this is a great product from nice people and if anything happened to it I'd buy another in a flash.

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Your entire music collection, available anywhere in your home! VortexBox is designed to store your entire CD and Media collection in one easy to access location. With an integrated CD ripping engine and a huge amount of storage, the VortexBox is a single device connected to your home network, allowing blissful music management. It really couldn't be any easier - simply insert an audio CD into the DVD/CD burn drive. The CD is converted within a few minutes, added to the media library, shared on your network. You can then access your music from your Logitech SqueezeBox , iTunes, Windows Media Player, or other Media Player. VortexBox is easy to configure: just plug it into your home router and browse to the easy to use interface through your favorite web browser. Available in 500 GB or 1 TB (1000 GB) capacities, VortexBox distributes your entire collection throughout your home and has plenty of room to grow. Watch anything, anywhere at home. VortexBox doesn't only stream music. Add movies, TV Shows, and other content to its storage to stream to any part of your house. Works with Logitech Squeezebox, Sonos, XBMC or ReQuest server. VortexBox includes Slimserver for media serving to any network connected audio device.

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APC BE550R 550VA Back-UPS ES 8-Outlet Battery Backup System Review

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(More customer reviews)At first, I thought this thing was the tops. It performed well in several power outages/fuse problems/spikes (I'm in a 1939 building & my office has mostly original wiring). After about 8 months, half of the plugs quit working altogether. I moved my important stuff to the other 3 plugs and took everything else off backup. We didn't have a power outage for a long time, so I don't know when the backup quit working on the rest, but it doesn't work anymore, although the alarm still sounds and the power light is still on. But anything plugged in will shut off with a power loss. Overall, I've owned it less than a year and a half. At this point, it's a very expensive extension cord. But the price has gone way down (it's less than half what I paid) from when I purchased mine. Either way, I'm paying more and going for a different brand for the replacement.

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Apc Be550r Back-Ups Es 8-Outlet 550va 8-Outlets;Output Power Capacity: 550va/330w ;470 Joules ;Features Phone, Fax, Modem & Dsl Protection ;Up To 44 Min Battery Backup Time For Safe Shutdown When Power Is Lost ;Includes Power chute File-Saving, Auto Shutdown Software ; $75,000 Lifetime Equipment Protection Policy

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Sony BRAVIA Theater System (DAVHDX576WF) - Black Review

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(More customer reviews)Sony DAV-HDX576WF Home Theater System
Overview:
Another "Home Theater in a Box" design (HTIB), the Sony DAV-HDX576WF tries to be all things to all people and does satisfactorily in some areas and poorly in others, so a mixed bag. The basic components are the following:
(1) Receiver (Main Unit). You get a basic 5.1 surround sound receiver facilitating six sources or inputs: DVD, TUNER, AUX, SAT/CABLE, TV, and DMPORT. The DVD player and AM/FM tuner are built in to the receiver. These internal sources in more detail are configured as follows:
* DVD: The internal DVD has five trays to hold five DVDs or CDs. The DVD outputs 5.1 surround sound through the 576 wireless surround sound speaker system, and outputs video three ways: HDMI, component, or composite. You can use the DVD/CD player to play Data-CD or Data-DVD disks that have MP3 song files or JPEG image files.
* TUNER: The internal FM tuner stores 20 stations, and the AM tuner stores 10. Reception is strong and clear if the antennas are positioned well.
The other four sources facilitated by the receiver are external (AUX, SAT/CABLE, TV, DMPORT). Three of the four external sources are audio only (AUX, SAT/CABLE, TV). One is both audio and video (DMPORT), but the video is composite quality only. Of these four external sources, one is accessed on the front panel (AUX) and the remaining three on the back. The types of external source inputs are as follows:
* AUX: front input, miniature stereo phono (audio only)
* SAT/CABLE: RCA stereo (audio only)
* TV: RCA stereo, or digital coaxial, or digital optical (audio only)
* DMPORT: proprietary connection for MP3 player dock (audio and video)
Note that the three output ports on the back of the 576 are: (1) video only, and (2) hardwired internally to just the DVD player = are not configurable to output any other sources (except the composite also can output from the MP3 player). To repeat for clarity and emphasis on the three video outputs:
* Digital HDMI Out (internal DVD only, video only)
* Component Y-Pb/Cb-Pr/Cr Out (internal DVD only)
* Composite RCA Out (internal DVD or MP3 player only)
Finally, you do have one other out port, the miniature stereo phono headphones connection on the front of the 576. Using this connection mutes all the external speakers, naturally.
(2) Speakers. You get a 5.1 surround sound speaker set, the front stereo pair on stands, a ported, passive subwoofer, and two smaller surround speakers that are wired to a small amp that communicates with the main amp wirelessly. Thus, be aware that you need an AC outlet near where you want to put the surround speakers for the surround amp. Connections are bare wires into all speakers, marked for polarity, but color-coded plugs into the main unit that fit only one way to insure proper polarity. The front stereo speaker stands have to be assembled, which takes a little time, with one part about threading the wire into the stand not quite so obvious. Once all connections are made, setup goes fairly well. The autocalibration mic has plenty of cord (perhaps 13-14 feet) to work even a large den. The mic at least gets the estimated distances pretty good, but the individual speaker level settings were way off. I had to go back and redo all levels manually. I did this autocalibration several times just to make sure I had not missed anything, and every time I still had to adjust the levels of the speakers manually. You might have to do this as well.
(3) Wireless Surround. Surround sound to the rear speakers is wireless. The main unit comes with a wireless transceiver that broadcasts surround audio on the 2.4 GHz band to the surround amp wireless receiver. The surround amp is quite oddly shaped, to be honest (over a foot long! 13.5" x 3.5" x 4" LxWxH). The surround speakers, in fact, are wired. That is, these speakers are hooked into this oddly shaped surround amp by running speaker wires from wherever the surround amp is to each speaker's terminals. Hence, the surround sound is only "partially" wireless. Also, seems that Sony has not provided enough wire really to run the speakers, especially not if you have to do something like go up and over a door frame. I had to add a length of my own speaker wire to get to a corner just 12 feet away as the crow flies. Setting up the wireless system is straightforward, and, following instructions carefully, goes without a hitch. You have three ID switches (A, B, C) to choose from to match up among your wireless units (to distinguish from other possible S-AIR units in the neighborhood, but the conflict could hardly occur given limitations of range, unless in a small apartment).
(4) Digital Media Port Adaptor. This is a fancy name for an MP3 dock. The dock is connected to the main unit via a proprietary cable that carries audio and video (composite quality only). Though advertised for Apple iPod, the unit basically really is for Sony products. The main unit's remote controls many elements of the MP3 transport (Play, Stop, Pause, Track Forward, Track Back) and menu (Previous Menu, Next Menu, Up Folder/Item, Down Folder/Item).
(5) S-AIR Receiver. This wireless unit looks like a table radio, and that basically is its function. You have a small, self-amplified stereo speaker system that receives its sound from the 576 main unit. You can set up the S-AIR unit in two modes:
* "Party Mode." The S-AIR joins in with the main unit and tunes in whatever the main unit is doing.
* "Separate Mode." The S-AIR operates independently of the main unit.
Buttons on the top of the S-AIR unit control transport functions of the source dialed in on the S-AIR when in "Separate Mode." For example, if someone is watching a DVD movie on the main unit in the den, someone else in a different room with the S-AIR receiver theoretically could be listening to the main unit's FM tuner and changing stations, or can be listening to a playlist on the MP3 player in the main unit's MP3 dock and controlling transport, such as play, pause, stop, previous and next track. Finally, the S-AIR even can function when the main unit is off (in "Standby" mode). This option is set in the main unit's system menu.
Evaluation:
(1) Audio. The sound is generally satisfactory, being smooth and fairly accurate if the bass is not pushed. Good, flat sound overall probably is the chief factor that sets this HTIB apart from others in the class. Two caveats apply, one minor, the other more serious.
* Subwoofer. First, on the minor side, the passive subwoofer is decent for musical frequencies, even though still a little soft and muddled for my tastes (not quite punchy enough). This subwoofer, however, is at a distinct disadvantage with handling the boom, thunder, and roar of low frequency movie sound effects. Fortunately, I just happened to have a Velodyne CT-100 active subwoofer lying around that has sophisticated circuitry allowing speaker level inputs with audio pass through. So I took the speaker level subwoofer out from the Sony 576 straight into the Velodyne, then passed through the same signal on out to the Sony passive subwoofer. (In this way the Sony amp sees no extra impedence load at all, so is completely unaware of the Velodyne's existence in the circuitry.) I have the Velodyne set to kick in only at those lower frequencies for movie sound effects, and the Sony subwoofer handling just the higher musical frequencies. With this adaptation, I am more satisfied with the audio performance, especially action movies. Your requirements and tastes may be different.
* Equalization. Though the 576's sound is generally OK, just a little dash of EQ would have gone a long way to really making her shine. One distinct downside to the 576 is that the audio allows no EQ settings of any kind anywhere--not even those cheap presets found on many HTIB (such as "Rock," "Classical," "Easy Listening," "Stadium," "Theater"). The user has no option to adjust any EQ. This inability is quite significant given that any room anywhere of any size and configuration will have its own "sound print" (frequency difficiencies) de facto that need to be compensated for to have accurate, clean sound.
(2) Wireless. The S-AIR wireless system broadcasts on the 2.4 GHz band. When some 576 users reported no conflict with their 2.4 GHz wireless computer networks, I thought I was free and clear. Not so. The S-AIR circuitry is supposed to search out a clearer signal in its frequency range to avoid such conflicts, but mine just did not work. I definitely had wireless conflicts with my computer network, and the S-AIR never did get happy until I completely relocated my computer wireless setup. Therefore, I would advise caution about consideration of this HTIB with its wireless surround if you are running anything wireless at 2.4 GHz in the same room or nearby (including phones).
(3) S-AIR Receiver. All sounds very promising with this S-AIR receiver, which is sort of like a remote radio, but reality bites. I found the S-AIR unit in the end a poor system and rather useless. I will mention several critical items that seemed to doom the unit for my use anyway:
* Performance. The S-AIR unit really does not work well. The maximum reception distance is 25-27 feet, and that is line of sight. Somewhere between 27-30 feet, the unit no longer can lock in the signal. I can lock in from my den to my dinette wetbar, which is about 27 feet and line of sight. If I move just a few feet more to the AC socket on the far dinette wall, about 30 feet, the unit simply refuses to lock in. My two cordless phones in the den and dinette are 900 MHz, so not in conflict. To facilitate the wireless of the 576, I moved my 2.4 GHz computer wireless network out of the den due to conflicts between the computer wireless and the...Read more›

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The Sony DAV-HDX576WF BRAVIA Theatre System has an integrated 5 disc DVD/CD changer with the capability to upscale your DVD's to a Full 1080p output using the HDMI connection to your BRAVIA TV set. Adding to the incredible functionality is great styling with Floor Standing speakers and with the included S-AIR wireless surround receiver you get simple wireless capability for the rear surround speakers or multi-room listening with the S-AIR wireless receiver/speaker system.

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Denon AVR4310CI 7.1-Channel Multi-Zone Home Theater Receiver with Networking Capability and 1080p HDMI Connectivity Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this only 2 weeks ago, so this is a preliminary report:
From my testing so far:
Pros:
1. Great sound; drastic (positive) improvement over previous Denon 1508 I had in this setup.
2. Video: The upconversion from any source to HDMI is good and works without a hassle. (The worst case testing of standard cable to 1080p doesn't look good and is more grainy than I would have liked; but standard DVD looks fantastic on my Panasonic 1080p plasma with this receiver).
3. Audussey setup: was quite easy (just took some 10 minutes) and once done, had done a good job of measuring distances and capacities of speakers I have (Martin Logan Aeons for the front, Vignette for the center, ML Grotto for the sub, but a low end polk audio for surrounds in my 5.1 setup), and correctly set the relative power etc for the speakers. I can see the difference in one of the side chairs in my listening setup.
4. On screen GUI: Great improvement over my previous Denon/Marantz etc. Again this works flawlessly, and the GUI, while it can be improved, is good enough for most people.
5. The remote: the primary remote, after you get used to it, is great. Now I could dispose of my Panasonic TV remote as well as my DVD player's remotes and just use one remote effortlessly. I also have a Harmony remote that I stopped using long time ago, and this remote is better than the harmony remote in my experience (one simple reason is that harmony remembers the state of the equipment and expects you to use only the remote always; so if you do manual change, for e.g, walk up to the TV and switch it on, harmony gets confused!). Again a great improvement over previous/lower end Denon models.
5. Network access/firmware upgrade: just having these features is a plus (BUT...I had lot of issues with this - that I am covering below)
6. Ipod direct connectivity using front USB input: great again. (I was able to connect both iphone first gen and a ipod video 5th gen as well as a ipod nano 3rd gen and use them correctly using the onscreen menu). There is an audio improvement mode that improves the compressed mp3 music ("Restorer" - has 4 modes - off or no processing, 64, 96bit and HQ - high quality?)
7. Several inputs - 6 HDMI inputs there is even a set of front inputs - hdmi, composite,USB inputs for convenience.
8. Doesn't get too hot! I tried pushing this - a higher volume on my sub-4 ohm Martin Logans and no sweat! Receiver does get hot but not too hot that you will burn your fingers! This is one big reason I bought this receiver - my experience with other brand rececivers was quite bad - at 75-90 watt/channel, these receivers trip my house fuses frequently; Denon (both my old 1508 at 75 watts and 4310 now at 130 watts) does admirably well in this regard and I have no complaints - only superlative praises for the efficiency and power handling of Denon.
Now for the CONS and the problems I encountered:
1. Poor, unfinished, mediocre web access - while it does allow you to change the source, do the setup of components, control multi zones, volume control etc using [...] (browser) access), it looks very primitive - not one that you expect in a 2000$ receiver.
2. NET/USB and other network Modes: Several bugs here - let me try a few,, but I am not finished finding them yet!
a. Doesn't recognize any NAS drives in the home network; only sees Windows media servers in the network! So to play music in a NAS drive, I have to first add it to a WMP library and then I can play that from Denon. This is more a feature request than a bug.
b. While navigating through list of songs/albums etc, there is no page up/page down keys and so going down one entry at a time and lack of search is a pain when you have thousands of songs.
c. There is a minor bug in playing media server/USB files: while the display goes to sleep after a minute or so, the album art stays in the screen in the same place - this will be bad for plasma TVs!
d. Ipod troubles: I have a first generation iphone and so when I connect that, there is a warning on iphone that says this device is not compatible and so I should put the phone in airplane mode. Say no to this screen and it continues to work normally! Not sure if it is apple's bug or denon's bug! But Denon is recognizing older ipods to current generation.
Quite a few problems I saw with NET/USB/Media server/internet radio have been solved with the firmware updates over the last month..
I want to give 4.5 stars, only because most of the problems I saw can be fixed by software updates (I hope Denon will act fast), and the rest, the most important thing for me - audio quality, video quality, power handling - are worth 6 stars.
I haven't got to testing Audussey DSX - the height and wider channel features presented by this receiver. I will update this review as I test more features...
Update: July 2010: After almost a year and several firmware upgrades later, I still haven't tested the Audissey DSX feature. But the problems I noted with media server/Net are still there - in particular, the media server is still sooooo slow, I can't really use it. In fact, my Denon is wired to the wireless router. Sharing music between my systems using wireless on Windows 7 pcs/notebooks is reasonably (much) faster but Denon is quite slow - literally takes several seconds for each key press. Internet radio, napster, usb drives etc are quite useable (no issues there).
The http screens for this receiver are still primitive - no changes there. You will still need the on-screen menus if you want to make changes. The best you can do with http access is to change the input, change volume/mute (more like a simple remote).
Ultimately, the sound quality is great and audio performance of this receiver rocks - the sole reason for my buying this receiver. In spite of all the other small issues I mentioned, the sound quality and power performance (runs quite cool for the power it handles) is one of the best I have seen at this price range.
UPDATE: 11/26/2010: With the latest firmware updates, the network access and Ipod/USB access etc seem to have improved several fold. Now access to media on my NAS box in the home network is quite snappy, and I can play a song in a couple of seconds after selecting the song.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Denon AVR4310CI 7.1-Channel Multi-Zone Home Theater Receiver with Networking Capability and 1080p HDMI Connectivity

The new AVR-4310CI is a technological tour de force, designed for consumers wanting to network their AV system. Ethernet connectivity opens up your AV system to host of exciting capabilities like audio and jpeg photo streaming and Internet radio. Additionally, subscription music services like Rhapsody and Napster are supported. The AVR4310CI packs a punch with 7-channels of onboard amplification producing 910-watts of total power (130 per channel). The amplifiers can be assigned for 7.1 channel surround sound, or a 5.1 channel system in the 'main" room and power a pair of speakers in a second 'zone". This only scratches the surface of the AVR4310CI Multi-zone (3) / multi-source (3) capability. Enhanced power amp assign features, second and third zone programming feature allow the AVR4310 to be the hub of a sophisticated whole house system. For video connectivity, the AVR4310CI is equipped with 1080p compatible HDMI 1.3a Repeating technology, delivering both audio and video to your HDTV with single HDMI cable. This HDMI connectivity supports the latest generation surround sound formats available on Blu-ray disc, including Dolby TrueHD and DD+, dts-HD and dts-HR. Also included is Dolby Laboratories new Pro Logic IIz Matrix decoding featuring front height effects channels that expands front soundstage. The AVR4310CI boasts a number of Audyssey technologies, and is the first to offer Audyssey DXS processing. DSX (Dynamic Surround Expansion adds front height and/or width channels to expand the soundstage. Advanced Audyssey MultEQ XT analyzes a speaker systems interaction with room acoustics at 8 positions, and then delivers custom tailored correction processing to optimize clarity and tonal balance throughout the listening space. Audyssey Dynamic Volume is an automatic volume-leveling system that tracks audio dynamics to eliminate the irritating volume swings between TV shows and commercials.

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Panasonic SH-FX50 Wireless Receiver Module Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently purchased this unit to go with my SC-HT930 surround sound system. It is worth purchasing so you don't have to run speaker wire to the back of the room. I hid the receiver behind my couch and it still gave out a strong enough signal. I'm very glad I purchased it and it works great.

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Thanks to the Panasonic SH-FX50 rear wireless receiver and transmitter, you can eliminate wire connections made from the main unit of your home theater system to the back of the room. Simply add this model to a compatible Panasonic home theater system and you'll be able to form a wireless connection between the main unit and the surround speakers; just set up your wireless receiver at the back of the room and connect your rear surround speakers to it.
It provides a stable, reliable wireless connection between the main system and the rear speakers via 2.4 GHz frequency. It delivers plenty of full surround sound with 70 watts per channel from the digital amplifier located in the digital receiver. The SH-FX50 is compatible with Panasonic SC-HT930, SC-HT830V and SC-HT730 home theater systems.

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NETGEAR Powerline AV Adapter with Ethernet Switch Review

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(More customer reviews)I picked up one of these along with the V101 in a combo package to run my Xbox 360 and DirecTV DVR downstairs from the cable modem and router in my upstairs office. I had been using wireless networking for the past several years but had issues with wireless failing from time to time and went through 3 routers over 3 years accordingly. Since the wired portion of the routers worked just fine at retirement in each case, I thought I'd give an alternative a try. I researched a few different brands and finally settled on Netgear's Powerline offering. I specifically went with the ones rated for 200Mb for HD streaming options.
I am very satisfied with the performance so far. The Windows Media Center functionality with my Xbox 360 is finally performing in a manner that I expected. With wireless I was getting VERY slow response in the Media Center menu but it operates much more smoothly with the Powerline adapter connected.
I ordered an additional adapter for a computer and DirecTV DVR in another room of my home and all 3 devices are operating well together with excellent connection speed. In addition, setup was completely simple. It was literally plug and play. No configuration required whatsoever.
I would definitely suggest this product line without reservation.

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Perfect for connecting HDTVs, Blu-ray players, DVRs, and game consoles to your home network and the Internet; Extends a high speed Internet connection to any power outlet1; Provides wired reliability with no new wires; Connects up to 4 devices

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Yamaha RX-N600 Digital Network-Ready Home Theater Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had this unit for about 2 weeks now. Sound is as good as anything in this price range. I was coming from a Sony 900 series receiver which was failing. This is my first Yamaha. No other manufacturers had networking capability that didn't cost 3 times as much. Plan on spending most of a day setting this up unless you do that kind of thing often.
Most of my comments center around the networking and USB functions because that's why I bought it, to perhaps eliminate my PC as a music source and go direct from this receiver. We'll, it kinda works... The remote is a bit of a sore spot too as with just a bit more functionality it could have been really good, I could have gotten down to one remote but unfortunately it does not control my cable set top box.
Strengths
*Works great with my Sony VCR, remote controls everything nicely.
*Ipod dock (an extra item purchased separately) seems to work very well. Does not play Ipod video though. Remote controls this too
*Nice remote, after you figure it out it is pretty logical. Controls 3 of my 4 components nicely.
*Internet radio is a real winner, seems to have jillions of stations arranged fairly logically by locale. It would be very difficult to duplicate this on your PC unless you enrolled in a pay service. Its like having a short wave radio.
Near misses
*Remote works great with my Sony DVD player, but make sure you have the side switch on "source" to control play, fast forward, etc. Otherwise you won't be able to move the cursor through DVD menus that appear in the movie menu and make choices on how the movie plays.
*If the Remote could just have a little learning it would be great. You won't know if it will control your unit until you try it out. The list of remote codes that Yamaha supplies is vague, does not list models just a bunch of codes for each manufacturer. You just have to try each one for your manufacturer and see if any work. Hit or miss.
*Net/USB did not work with my Creative Zen Nomad jukebox MP3 player, but did work with a Corsair Memory 2gb flash voyager stick. Go figure. I did notice recently that I can set my Zen to act as a mass storgae unit, and to be fair I have not tried that yet.
Weaknesses
*Network music does not work with Microsoft Media Player 11, only 10. I called Yamaha and they said Media Player 11 was not supported. The N600 does not connect reliably to the media library store, sometimes it works fine, sometimes it errors out or just shows an empty list. Very finicky. Media player 11 is in beta so beware, it will become mainsteam shortly and is not supported. I'm not sure if/how Yamaha will remedy this for me.
*Plays wave, WMA and MP3 but not Itunes
*Crude character interface display for the Net/USB functions, like looking at a pong game on an old IBM CGA PC. About as much functionality as a typical MP3 player, you have to scroll through a page at a time in everything. A pain in the neck if you have a large music collection
*Will not control my Motorola DCT700 Comcast cable box, I tried all the Motorola codes and Yamaha says that's all there is, if they don't work you are outta luck. I am.
*Remote has no learning capability.
*Limited inputs for other components, but enough for what I need
*Documentation is OK but the manual is all there is. There is no FAQ or deeper level of detail on their website or anywhere else that I could find. You have to call Yamaha and you will get a live person, but from what I found from 2 calls is they didn't know any more than the manual.
Conclusion: Would I buy this again? Probably not because the networking is so limited, and that was the main reason I selected this model. If you buy a good receiver and go with an attached high quality PC/soundcard you'd be better off.The Yamaha interface does not come anywhere close to the ease of use and nice presentation you get on any PC media player program. That's like comparing a typewriter to using a PC with Word. The USB feature is nice but could be a lot better if it supported more devices.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha RX-N600 Digital Network-Ready Home Theater Receiver

The RX-N600 is the first Yamaha receiver to offer network receiver functions. Using network connection and Windows Media Connect ver.2 technology, it lets you play MP3, WMA and WAV music from a remote PC. You can also listen to any of the thousands of stations available on Internet radio.

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Samsung SWA-4000 Wireless Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this product for use with the Samsung HT-Z310T 5.1-Channel Home Theater Surround Sound System.
Samsung HT-Z310T 5.1-Channel Home Theater Surround Sound System (Set of Seven, Black)
Even though the directions were sparse, using this was as simple as plugging in the rear speakers to the unit, plugging in the unit and inserting the transmitter card into the back of the Samsung Home Theater control unit.
At first I thought I didn't setup the unit properly because I didn't hear any sound from the rear speakers, but then I realized I just needed to set the Samsung Home Theater system to the right audio mode in order to get it to work. For example, the Dolby 5.1 mode only works if you are using a media such as the DVD or XBox360 that supports Dolby 5.1 to hear the rear speakers. If your source is something like a component audio device or coaxial cable you need to change the audio mode to "Cinema" or one of the other effects modes to use the rear speakers through the wireless link.
Most of the sources I have for my TV are Dolby 5.1 anyways, so when moving to a coaxial DirectTV player that doesn't do 5.1 I don't change the mode, I just go without the rear speakers -- it doesn't really bother me. The cool thing about this wireless unit is that when you shutdown the Home Theater system, the wireless unit senses the shutdown and puts itself into "standby" mode, thereby drawing very little power.
I've had the Samsung Home Theater and this wireless transmitter for two months now and I've had no problems. Very satisfied with the sound quality -- I've got an optical audio out from the TV to the Home Theater system and the rear speakers sound fantastic when driven by this wireless unit.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung SWA-4000 Wireless Receiver

Samsung wireless rear stereo amplifier receives 2.4GHz signals from DVD changer/receiver. It is designed to work with compatible Samsung home theater systems. It has 2-channel rear amplifier with transmission range up to 33 feet. It includes TX card to insert in DVD changer/receiver.

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D-Link DSM-320 Wireless Media Player, Audio/Photo/Video, 802.11g Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My expectations were fairly low after having read all the other reviews, but I really liked the option that you get from adding a home media drive from D-Link to this set-up (DSM 602H/4H). I've been waiting for a media server that doesn't require me to keep my PC running in my bedroom 24/7. The network drive from D-Link and this media server looked like an awesome combination.
In an effort not to repeat everything that's already been said ... here are the things I believe haven't been mentioned yet ... first and foremost, don't expect to spend any less than a solid weekend getting this up and running .. and even after you do I expect multiple hours will be spent updating firmware etc. over the next few months (at least I hope there are firmware updates coming)
The physical connection was easy and intuitive, but getting the player up and running and connected to my wireless network was a royal pain. I tried to use my media drive as it is advertised by D-link, but apparantly that's not possible without a firmware update. Of course, that firmware update is still in beta release ... do I need to say more. It actually royally p*sses me off that D-Link advertise the combination of the media home drive and the media server, before they can actually deliver that option. I wrote a glowing review of the home media drive, but that was before I updated the firmware to enable use with the media server ... after the firmware was updated, I can't access the management interface for the drive for more than one or two pages before the device has to be restarted (read pull power plug and re-insert) .. the drive doesn't seem to stream the media evenly, so every single song comes across with large gaps where nothing is playing ... pictures don't come across in the right format and shows up on the screen in some oddly twisted aspect ratio ... the media server software that's resident in the media drive firmware update apparantly doesn't read ID3 tags correctly either; it doesn't pick up genres, and artist and album data isn't alphabitized
On a slight possitive note, the media server software running off my PC works much better. It streams evenly, ID3 tags seem correct and pictures are correctly formatted. I still haven't been able to stream a single movie across the media server, but that's personally less of an issue for me personally.
Oh, and although I didn't want to repeat other reviewers .. I have to say this ... THE REMOTE CONTROL ABSOLUTELY STINKS ... worst piece of hardware I've ever held in my hand ... period ... and that includes all those awefull Sony-Ericson phones I've tried over the years ;-)

Click Here to see more reviews about: D-Link DSM-320 Wireless Media Player, Audio/Photo/Video, 802.11g

D-Link's DSM-320 Wireless Media Adapter is a next generation multimedia product that streams all your favorite media files to your home entertainment center.It supports 802.11g wireless standards with transfer speeds up to 54Mbps. The DSM-320 supports all popular media formats including MP3, WAV, and WMA for audio files, MPEG1/2/4, AVI, and DivX4/5 for video, and JPEG, GIF, BMP, and PNG for images. Plug the DSM-320 directly into your TV to easily access all your media content through the user-friendly TV interface with the included remote control.Experience your digital media like never before with the DSM-320 Wireless Media Adapter.

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Panasonic SH-FX60 Rear Wireless upgrade Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The SH-FX60 is a recommended accessory for a Panasonic home theater. First off, the consumer should appreciate that this kit makes it so that the rear surround sound speakers have a wireless connection with the main unit. Wires still connect the two rear speakers to a wireless receiver unit. While the descriptor 'wireless' may be less than entirely accurate, this setup is all most consumers will ever need. Second, the system works very well. The audio signal is strong and clear. Unlike with the SH-FX80 (wireless second room speaker), the volume can be adjusted through the SH-FX60. Third, the range is excellent. My setup has the wireless receiver about twenty feet away from the main theater unit. Fourth, the kit is simple to install. The SH-FX60 Rear Wireless Upgrade Kit delivers what it promises.

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Rear Wirelessfor SC-HT50, SC-HT940, SC-HT740, SC-HT440, SC-HTHT40

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Cisco-Linksys WMA11B Wireless Digital Media Adapter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)...
First Impressions:
Nice packaging. Nice looking device, it's not much bigger than a four port hub. It has both the Cisco and LinkSys logos on the face. Vertical or horizontal mount. The package contained the device, quick setup poster, and a CD.
Installation:
I have an existing server, running Win2K Server, that I store my MP3 collection on. This product works by installing an agent on a PC and then connecting the device over a hard wired LAN or WiFi (802.11b). My setup allows me to use either LAN or WiFi and of course I chose the wired setup for max bandwidth and so I could actually listen to music and use my phone or microwave without dropping packets and thus songs. The agent installation was flawless and the media adapter and my server were talking within a few minutes after cracking up the box. Once the agent is installed on a PC, you really only have one option: Point the agent to your media. So of course I decided to point it to my entire (29 gig) mp3 collection which began in a single MP3 folder. Well, it starts to "Search" and then simply would disappear. No error, no nothing. Ok, maybe my collection was too big, so I start dragging my genre folders which were maybe 1 gig a piece...same thing happend. Ok...so I decide to drag a single album over to the agent and finally it seems to take the 6 songs in the folder and I rush over to my TV to fire up the device...it was able to play three of the songs and then the entire folder disappeared and thus I had no music to pull up anymore. After a few reboots and trying different folders I had similar results. My trade, I'm an IT guy...so there were no 'technical user' issues...I can assure you of that. To this day the device is flakey. It forgets entire folders for no reason at any given time. I've even loaded XP with similar results.
Audio:
The sound is on par with my expectations, though I wish for the price the device would have at least coax digital out. Your stuck with a pair of RCA, which I hooked a pair of Monster cables up to for optimal sound. The unit is equipped with an Intel StrongArm 400 MhZ (The same processor the latest PocketPCs use) and thus is pretty good at decoding and playing the MP3/WMAs.
Display:
The menus are sloppy. There is absolutely no customization on for menus either. There are NO visualizations while songs are playing. You can't see anything important like bit rate or most of an ID3 tag (genre, year, etc.). You are stuck with an unsizable screen that shows you the track name and album name and running time. That's it. Plus they use such a huge display, that a band or song title with a long name (13 chars +) gets lopped off. Sloppy stuff all around on the visuals. Again, I expect more.
Photos:
Photos are displayed well. No real problems here. The device sure could flip through them faster though with this processor. One plus is the ability to play MP3s while viewing photos. However, some lag does occur on larger photos. Whether this is due to bandwidth, processor, or a combination I'll leave up to the "engineers" over at Linksys to figure out and hopefully fix over the next decade or so...
Support:
This is where the stars began to seriously dive. ... I doubt the engineers who designed this paper weight released this as a stable product under their free will. It's a joke.
Conclusion:
... I would recommend looking at the new Gateway DVD/MP3 network device or waiting as this market opens up more. We will all want to stream over DivX movies, MP3s, and every other type of media soon. I'm just going to wait a few years while they refine this technology better.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cisco-Linksys WMA11B Wireless Digital Media Adapter

The Linksys Wireless-B media adapter lets you bring the digital pictures and music stored on your computer to your home entertainment center, without running cables through the house. Using a wireless connection, the media adapter displaysyour digital photographs on the TV for the whole family to enjoy. And your digital music collection is finally freed from those little computer speakers and can play in full glory through your stereo system.
The Wireless-B media adapter sits by your home stereo and television and connects to them using standard consumer electronics cables. Then it connects to your home network by Wireless-B (802.11b) wireless networking or, if you prefer, it can be connected via standard 10/100 Ethernet cabling. Using the included remote c ontrol and the user-friendly menus on your TV, you can browse through the digital pictures on your computer by folder, filename, or thumbnail. You can view pictures one at a time, or watch an automatically created slideshow of all the pictures in a given folder. The media adapter supports five popular picture formats: JPG, GIF, TIF, and BMP. Use the remote control's Zoom button to get a close-up of the details in your pictures. You can also use the remote to browse your MP3- or WMA-formatted music collection by title, artist, genre, folder, or playlist. Choose the music you want, and let the Wireless-B media adapter play it through your stereo system. You can even let music play in the background while you browse your pictures.
Power and Simplicity

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NETGEAR Wireless Digital Music Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Now that I have this set up it does exactly what I wanted it to very well -- that is, in a wired network environment, it streams all the mp3 files that I have on my PC's hard drive through my traditional two-channel audio setup. It has a number of limitations: it doesn't support Internet radio, except for a paid service, and it doesn't support various rights-protected data formats. But it does do the one thing I bought it for extremely well: allowing me to enjoy my entire music collection in an organized, well catalogued way, through my home audio system.
As this whole field of products is still pretty new, I also didn't want to spend more money on one of the more advanced systems -- it seems that the customer feedback on all of these media players remains pretty mixed. So I stuck with something relatively simple, and this little box does what I want for a reasonable price. (Previously I was using my iPod on a docking station, connected to my stereo...for the modest price of this Netgear player I've now liberated the iPod that previously was wired up to my stereo.)
A couple of cautions:
1. A lot of the customer problems cited here at Amazon seem to relate to problems with wireless transmission. I did not even try to set this up in a wireless network; I just hard-wired it into the network port I had installed in my living room. I have had a lot of frustration in my home w/wireless devices so finally just gave up and dropped in wiring for a home network while I was having other electrical work done in my house. I am glad I bit the bullet -- the wired network is saving me a lot of time and trouble. This Netgear product is just one example of the kinds of things that are very happy tethered to a wire that seem to be much more problematic when they are wireless.
2. Throw away the software disk that comes with the hardware -- don't install it!. Instead, download the new software and firmware that is on Netgear's site. I couldn't get this to work at all at first -- tech support advised me to uninstall the provided software, download the software update on their site, and start over. This got more complicated than it sounds because I'd already built a database of songs for the Netgear and I had to hunt down this database file and kill it, too...it got a little bit tricky...so it took me a couple of hours in all to get this fixed. Had I started with the new software posted on Netgear's site, I would have had the whole thing done in 20 minutes. In any case, just go right to netgear's site and download their new software, and don't use the junk they ship with the product.
I also found netgear's tech support to be very, very good -- they answered the phone quickly (on Christmas Eve!) and were extremely helpful and patient.

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NETGEAR's Wireless Digital Music Player lets you enjoy your digital music files stored on your computers and unlimited, worldwide Internet radio with your friends and family throughout your home. It connects your existing home stereo to your home computer network so you can listen to the digital music collection from any PC on your home stereo system. You can also listen to music directly from a 30,000 track digital jukebox using the RHPSODY service (only available in U.S.) or hear thousands of Internet radio stations even when your PCs are turned off. Easy-to-install software on one PC automatically finds all your music files on any networked PC and collects them into one complete database. The remote control and stylish user interface let you sit on the couch and wirelessly stream MP3s or Windows Media format files from any PC on your home network straight to your stereo! The MP101 supports many PC operating systems, not just Windows XP, and the LCD display means you don't need to turn on your TV when you want to listen to music.

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Rocketfish Wireless Rear Speaker Kit RF-WHTIB - Wireless audio delivery system for rear speakers Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Just hooked this up a week ago for our RCA 5.1 Home Theater 5-DVD Entertainment System in a 500 square foot living room and it works fine! In fact it works better than I expected!
The hook up was really simple. I'm not sure what qualifies as "cheap wiring" in light of what the other reviewer says, but the kit came with sufficient wiring and the wiring connectors in the kit are universal so you can add your own expensive wiring (like we did) or simply use the ones on your existing home theater system.
Although the hook up was simple, it took us a few minutes after the kit was hooked up to realize that the rear surround speakers
ONLY work when the source on your home theater system is playing surround sound music or movies. When one of the FM stations was on and playing we didn't get any sound from the rear speaker (only a slight hiss-but nothing distracting).
However, when we put the X-Men 3 DVD in and pressed play the living room came alive with rich Surround Sound.
This is how we came to understand not all sources will give you Surround Sound on the Rocketfish wireless kit. It has nothing to do with the performance of the RocketFish kit which would be the thing you would obviously blame first.
Also Note: Like most home theater systems our RCA home theater system has a changeable preset for "Stereo" , "Subwoofer" and "Surround" along with the Equalizer settings. "Stereo" was our defaulted setting so we had to change it to Surround Mode to get the full effect of the kit. Because of this the Rear Surround speakers when hooked up thru the Rocketfish Kit ONLY works well when our RCA system is set specifically in Surround Mode and the Stereo Mode is turned off. This would explain why many reviewers give this bad reviews on the basis that the units are non functioning when they first hook it up.
This is not in the Rocketfish manual but for the kit to work correctly you need to have
1) A source that gives surround sound (DVD, FM station, TV show, CD, etc...) on home theater system
2) You need to switch your home theater system settings from Stereo to Surround mode or completely turn off Stereo Mode.
3) You also need to have a 5.1 home theater system that is capable of 5.1 Surround Sound Mode.
When all these conditions are met, the Rocketfish Wireless kit works well. And if your source is not playing surround sound you can easily turn off the surround speakers at the rear by turning off the Rocketfish kit or switching your Home Theater System's settings back to Stereo. Easy!
We did NOT have any interference between the RocketrFish kit and our in-home Internet 802.11 a/b.g WiFi set up. Which is sometimes a main problem of these Surround Wireless kits. Pros:
Easy Set Up, Rich Sound, Looks Cool, Low Profile, No WIRES across living room floor! Works best for 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound Movies and Music DVDs and TV Shows.
Cons:
Manuals should give more information concerning compatibility of 5.1 Surround Sound. FM and CD Source Music playback on the Surround Sound is not as rich as Movie/Music DVDs and TV Shows. But I guess that is what Stereo Mode is for. Stereo Mode = CD and FM playback and Surround Mode = Movie/Music DVDs and TV shows. Simple.
The Bottom Line:
If you like to get the Movie Theater effect of Movies and Music DVDs in your living room, minus the wires then this kit is for you!


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This wireless kit sends rich sound to your home entertainment system speakers while eliminating ugly and cumbersome wires. Just plug the sender into your home theater and your rear speakers into the receiver.

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Actiontec MegaPlug 200 Mbps AV Powerline Ethernet Adapter and 4-Port Hub Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)ActionTec plug Av
Very Easy to set up if you had all the instructions.
A quick review and as typical for me an update will follow. I had everything set up and truly believed the Quick Start Guide when it said no configuration required. Unfortunately.... I first disabled my wireless card in the Windows Control Panel just so I would not have any conflicts. Then I plugged in the two devices as described above. The LEDs on both boxes were green and red, sometimes green and yellow. The Guide said "Make sure both lights turn solid green". The guide warns you not to plug the devices into any outlet that is surge protected or filtered, which I did not. Oh well I said, I started moving both boxes into different outlets and could not get both "link" lights to turn green unless they were plugged into the same outlet. Rats I said. There is no explanation in the guide at all as to what to do when the lights are not both green. NO troubleshooting guide at all. I tried to hook up to the Web, but nothing happened.
Here I will save you the trouble of the hour long process that followed, and just tell how you can save yourself the trouble I had
1. It does not really matter what color the "link" light is. It is only the quality of connection indicator. Please go to the [...] website and download the user manual for the HPE400AVP. There is no manual and no CD with the box you buy and in my case it was the critical missing step. Here is the lights portion of the manual
Red means the condition is poor and less than 50Mpbs,
Orange indicates a fair line condition of 50-100Mbps,
Green means the line is in good condition with over 100Mbps throughput.
Of course since I was using wireless previously in a remote location with a 18 Mpbs transfer speed, even a Red light meant a vastly improved connection. The connection speed varies for me between yellow and red, and always is better than the wireless. My wireless was a Linksys WRT54G with the power setting at 75mw, the distance involved was about 50ft with 3 walls in between.
2. There are small black buttons on both boxes, but NO explanation in the User Guide as to what they do. You have to download the manual for that. They are the security enable keys, and you have to go thru a sequence of four timed presses to set it up. In my trials of various outlets in the house, I must have pressed one or both, but in a wrong sequence and must have messed up the communications, hence even with the connection established, I could not connect to the web. At the time I still thought that it was because I had red lights and they needed to be green. I had to reset both boxes using a pin.
3. At this point following the reset, even though the link light on both boxes was red, the Internet magically appeared. So the setup is truly plug and play, unless like me you believe the dreaded step #13 in the quick setup guide "Make sure both lights are green " or you accidentally press the security buttons.
Finally when set up, and even with my troubles it only took an hour. The connection speed to the web as judged by [...] was 50% faster than my best wireless connection and 3 times better than my worst connection. Great product, and only a one star downgrade for no packaged in manual or CD.
Lastly you may also try the following steps to improve your speed at lower costs.
1. Get an antenna with gain for the router and your wireless card (10-30$, 50% improvement)
2. Change the wireless channel in the router utility (G networks conflict with 2.4 ghz cordless phones)
3. Move the antenna even slightly for possible improvement, Use a utility like network stumbler to fine tune the position
4. If available for your wireless router, get an open source custom firmware for it which will allow you to fine tune the antenna transmit power (I use Tomato).
UPDATE
5. Get an inexpensive N standard router with multiple antennas (used to be called MIMO multiple in multiple out). I have picked up one recently and now all my remaining computers have a better signal as well. While you will not get speds higher than G standard of 54mb, you will get closer to nominal. You would ned a N adapter in the pc as well to get all the benefits.
Happy Powerline and Wireless networking.


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Actiontec MegaPlug 200 Mbps AV Powerline Ethernet Adapter and 4-Port Hub Kit

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JBL Control 2.4G On Air Wireless Speaker System (Pair) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Here's the good news: The sound quality is nice. The frequency response seems very detailed, and these diminutive speakers pack more bass than looks would suggest. No complaints about the sound quality.
Here's the bad news: These speakers have MANY very serious flaws that make them unusable.
1) The speakers have a timeout mechanism - they go into a standby mode if the sound stops transmitting. That's fine, but the standby mode mechanism is very overeager: the speakers often enter standby if the music volume stops, or even if the volume just gets a little too quiet, for a short period of time - even as little as 5 seconds. So the speakers can go into standby even during a quiet section of otherwise loud music, and the wakeup process is not trivial: it may take 10 seconds or more to reacquire the signal once the music kicks in again. Worse, this quirk is hard-coded and not adjustable; you can't disable or adjust the standby mechanism.
In short, these $200+ speakers have a tendency to cut out the music for 25 seconds or more when it dips too low. That is a fatal flaw. And it's not the only one:
2) These speakers will SHUT DOWN your Wi-Fi network. I have a very recent 802.11g router (a Motorola SBG900), and when there's music streaming to the speakers, my bandwidth drops from a steady 200kbps to about 5kbps. Seriously. If I unplug the transmitters (which are 10' away from both the router and the receiving computer), my bandwidth comes to life; if I plug 'em in again, my bandwidth vanishes immediately. It's terrible.
3) JBL made some very strange choices with regard to the cabling. The cable from the right speaker to the left is about 25 feet long - a bizarrely long connection for such small speakers - and unless you want to splice it, you're going to have a rat's-nest tangle of excess cable hanging somewhere between or behind the speakers. Meanwhile, the power cable is only about 18" between the active speaker and the power brick; and the power cable coming out of the brick is only about 3' long. As a result, if you mount the speakers 6' high, you'll have a massive black brick with a glowing green LED dangling at about 3', and probably a hookup to a longer power cable about 1' off the floor. It's quite sad; JBL must not have tried to actually mount these speakers before they shipped 'em out.
4) Speaking of mounting: The speakers come with wall mounting brackets that look sturdy at first glance. However, the speakers are very boxy - about 5" deep - so they'll project noticeably from the wall. Much worse, the mounting bracket is very poorly designed. For example, the speakers mount on a ball-and-socket bolt that's *way* too long - you'll see an extra 1.5" inches of bolt projecting from the wall mounting, for no particular reason. (In fact, JBL doesn't seem to trust the integrity of the bracket; they include a camera-strap-like thing for fastening the speaker to the bracket, in case it fails. Creepy.)
5) Want to buy extra speakers and dial 'em in to the same channel? Of course you do; it's wireless, right? Well, not so fast. First, JBL won't sell you *just* the speakers, so you have to buy a whole 'nother set - including a second transmitter - at full price. Second, the wireless setup has a hard limit of two speaker sets per transmitter channel. I own three sets of these speakers, and only two connect to the transmitter at any one time. I don't know why; it's completely capricious, and it severely limits the extensibility of the system.
It's really tragic that JBL made such terrible ancillary choices, because the prime virtue of these speakers - the sound quality - is very nice. But the convenience and sound quality aren't worth the hassles... particularly at such a high price point.
Bottom line: Avoid. Avoid at all costs. These things are FATALLY flawed. JBL needs to recall them and fix them... and if they don't, I'm certainly never buying their equipment again.
- David Stein


Click Here to see more reviews about: JBL Control 2.4G On Air Wireless Speaker System (Pair)

Add a pair of speakers in the bedroom, in the kitchen, in the garage or on the patio.JBL On Air Control 2.4G wireless speaker system combines high-performance sound quality with wireless-installation convenience.The unit includes a pair of wall-mountable loudspeakers that incorporate a wireless transceiver and amplifier, a transmitter/receiver module, and a remote control.This system is ideal for a host of wireless-speaker applications, including use as the surround channels in a multichannel home theater, as a second-room music system, and as a high-quality wireless speaker system for computers and digital music players.The On Air Control 2.4G utilizes the 2.4GHz frequency range for interference-free transmission, and the transmitter/receiver module can be used with up to two pairs of JBL On Air speakers.The active speaker system includes a mini-jack input for connection to a second local audio source and a subwoofer output that enables the speakers to be used as part of a 2.1-channel satellite/subwoofer audio system.The 100mm polylaminate woofer produces rich, deep bass response, while the 12mm titanium-laminate tweeter delivers sparkling, clear high frequencies throughout the listening room.Easy-to-use wall brackets are included.

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Adesso 2.4 GHZ WIRELESS SLIMTOUCH TOUCHPAD MINI KEYBOARD SILVER W/BLACK KEYS ( WKB-4000US ) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This unit will deliver silky smooth operation consistently if you follow these tips.
1. Don't forget to hit a key twice (recommend SHIFT) to wake it up.
2. If you are dropping keys or have choppy mouse movements:
A. Try swapping with known good batteries.
B. Reposition the USB adapter. I got much better range by using an USB extension cable to relocate the adapter. Just moving the adapter six inches away from the computer case made all the difference. It eliminated keyboard dead zones.
C. Avoid wireless conflicts between the keyboard and wireless router by locking your router to a different wireless channel. Try channel 11. I found lower channels would conflict with the unit. Conflict issue is indicated by choppy mouse movements coinciding with wireless activity. Possibly wireless phones or microwaves could interfere too.
D. Switch wireless router's operating modes away from 802.11b. Try 802.11g-only or 802.11n-only if possible. I was able to more channels wireless router channels when I changed modes.
E. If shortcut keys ( Alt- ) aren't working, it's because num-lock is on. I prefer to set the BIOS to turn off num-lock when booting.
F. 802.11 wireless activity will interfere with operation. Look for ways to reduce 802.11 activity.
G. Best to have a clear line of sight between keyboard and USB adapter. A couch's back or a body can greatly weaken the signal.
3. If the unit is dead, you may have accidentally pushed the USB adapter's tiny "sw" button. It's used to pair with your keyboard. Re-pair by pushing sw again and pressing keyboard's FN key within 15 seconds.
Thanks to the myriad of reviews, product works exactly as expected. Yes, it works well with Vista without drivers. Yes, it makes a great HTPC wireless keyboard. Yes, it has a flimsy feel. Yes, its a bit too expensive and needs competition.
I'm using a D-Link DIR-655 Wireless N Router. Excellent device. Recommended.

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Adesso 2.4GHz RF Wireless Mini USB KeyboardYou now can bring the keyboard to where you are most comfortable without any angle or direction limits. Ideal for living room multimedia PCs, conference rooms, mobile, workgroup project environments and modern office environments. The Wireless SlimTouch Mini touchpad keyboard featuring 2.4GHz RF connectivity, an ultra-slim, ultra-stylish design with clean lines, and an integrated touchpad. The Adesso Wireless SlimTouch Mini keyboard fits beautifully with contemporary PC systems, flat LCD monitors and Tablet PC's in modern office environments. It can sit in a conference room or office and can instantly go mobile easily fitting in a briefcase or backpack. When on the road, the USB mini-receiver plugs directly into a notebook or another PC providing connectivity up to 20 feet away.

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Creative Labs Xmod Wireless Music System with X-Fi Technology Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Xmod Wireless comes in 2 parts, a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter connects very simply to your PC via USB and it functions as a USB soundcard, applying X-Fi sound enhancement to any sound or music that is passed through it. Compressed audio like AAC, WMA and MP3 files are upscaled to 24 bit quality and surround sound effects can be added.
You have to experience this to appreciate it. It really does make your music sound better. Sometimes the improvement is more subtle than at other times, but the quality X-Fi provides really shines when you connect the receiver end of the Xmod Wireless to a good set of speakers that you might have in your theater or family room.
So, on to part 2 of the package. The wireless receiver. This enables you to control and listen to your music anywhere you place the receiver in your house. Your PC music collection is streamed around the house with top notch quality and fidelity. I have my receiver connected to my theater setup and the sound is fantastic. You can purchase additional receivers if you'd like to play your music in multiple rooms.
Cool things about the package overall. The range is great and there is no lag. Plus, it just works. You don't need to have your own network or anything running already. Just turn on the receiver and transmitter and away you go, nothing to fuss with. If you do have a network running, this won't interfere with it at all. I think both units are stylish as well. They fit right in with high end equipment and they are pretty small.
You also get a remote for each side and there are inputs so that you can connect an MP3 player. With the remotes, you can skip tracks, pause tracks, turn on and off the X-Fi features, etc.
I don't really have any negatives other than the price, but I still think it's worth it. Sonos has products with similar features that cost up to $1000. Xmod Wireless gives you what you need with better audio technology for a lot less. It would also be nice to have a small display on the receiver unit so you can see what you are browsing.
Overall, Xmod Wireless is highly recommended. The unique combination of a driverless and simple to use USB soundcard with a high quality streaming device is an excellent way to introduce your PC to your home theater setup or to any room of your house.


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Play music from your PC wirelessly in any room, Make your MP3s sound better than CDs, Connect in seconds - no configuration needed.

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