Gadgety News

Hey baby - I’m lovin’ your spheres!

You want balls? You want great sounding balls?

Check out these love globes that Grundig are pitching at IFA 2008.

The Audiorama 900 spherical speaker system is all you’ll need to finish off that retro chic along with your egg chair and zebra print chaise longue.

The speakers create a 360° sound projection and can be either floor mounted or hung from the ceiling. 

Available in black or white for swanky bachelor pads everywhere……what? no red?

You dig?

EuroTech have just launched their new iPod docking station, the movieCENTER.

As the name suggests you can connect your iPod to the dock and then get your iPod content through your stereo or TV.

They claim that the device incorporates

“powerful processing technology that transforms iPod movies and music into a more realistic and immersive experience”.

This technology includes:

• TruBass processing for subwoofer like performance from ordinary stereo or TV speakers.
• Dialog Clarity tool that creates a virtual center speaker “that lets you hear even the quietest whisper in crystal clear detail no matter how much background action there is“
• There is also a tool to process surround sound.

The movieCENTER comprises a compact black dock and remote control, a shielded audio cable with gold-plated connectors, component and composite video outputs and a USB input.

The Xitel movieCENTER is available in the UK now for £59.99.

Keeping on the subject of top-notch and pricey Hi-Fi equipment how about this Montegiro Lusso turntable?

Made up of three height-adjustable shiny cones made from alternate layers of acrylic and aluminum, and a larger, up-ened cone that supports the platter it kinda looks like an Alessi dining set.

The arm is, of course, a Da Vinci Nobile carbon-fiber unit which holds a MG1 titanium cartridge.

A special (!) version of the £25,000 turntable has another cone.  This supports a second, nine-inch SME 5009 tonearm.

audiojunkies

As beautiful as it’s simplicity the GRAAF GM-50 integrated amplifier is all about the details.

They rely on the coupling of a substantial 15 mm aluminium panel with a transparent crystal that allows you to see its glowing soul of 4 valves. The LED indicators show the selected source through a side window for an added stylish nod to aesthetics.

The amp can accommodate up to six line sources: two of them with balanced outputs.

The overall design is based around those four KT88 valves working in push pull operation for a gripping and full-bodied 50W of power. These work in Class A-AB and each of the valves has its own automatic bias control system for the best performance whilst in operation.

The GM50 brings GRAAF’s renowned quality of valve sound and technology to a new breed of integrated amplifier. It has a full, impeccably detailed and powerful sound that will perform fantastically whether you listen to Lamb or Lamb of God.

It looks like the GM50 is already proving to be a highly desirable product amongst audio lovers and I can hear and see why!

Dip into your pocket to the tune of around a grand per valve and it can be yours.

When I first saw this disc spinner I thought to myself, “what the flippin eck is that!!??!!” (or similar), and then when I saw that it costs $12,000 (around £6,000) I said something akin to “how much!!??!!”.

If its sci-fi looks still win you over and you have that six grand to spend on a CD player you’ll need to know that it’s made by Chinese company Shanling, who specialise in this kind of thing apparently.

For your hard-earned you get four amplification valves, two remote controls (two - surly not his ‘n’ hers!), gold-plated tube legs as well as it all being covered in lovely aluminium alloy.

Didn’t feel it neccessary to mention the multitude of lights.

If anyone wants to send me one you can get them from Shanling’s site!

T3

Pagani, better known for their Zonda supercar has gone into the luxury audio market and produced a carbon fiber-and-brushed aluminum stereo system.

There is a nod to their rather nippy car in the 350 watt speakers - slightly reminiscent of the quad exhaust dontcha think? 

Known for taking a different approach they’ve loaded this system with two turntables (one for 45rpm, one for 33rpm), as well as a power amp, stereo amp and CD player.

The system was unveiled at the Geneva car show last week. 

The price?  If you have to ask, you can’t afford it bucko!! 

Sybarites

Krell, the makers of high-end audio gear in the States, are planning to bring their £1,300 iPod dock to Blighty!

The Krell KID iPod Dock hits our shores this month.  They promise the sweetest possible sound from your little MP3 juke box.

Krell says, this is “the first product of its kind to utilise the fully differential output of the internal DAC for iPod devices”. 

I’m still not sure how good a £100 iPod will sound - even through almost one-and-a-half-grads worth of dock - I’m guessing that if you’re not using lossless audio on that iPod you may as well not bother.

If you’re short of space and can’t quite squeeze in a mini hi-fi system but love your tunes I suppose it’s not a bad buy.  :0)

Do you long for the day when you have to look up to be eye to tweeter?  Dream of having to stand on a chair to clean the top  of your living room speakers?

Then the Anthony Gallo Acoustics‘ Nucleus Reference 5LS are for you.  The stats start quite normal at 7-inches wide, 11-inches deep but then things get silly when you read that they stand a staggering 78-inches high!

The cabs contain twelve aluminum, rear-firing 4-inch subwoofers, eight 4-inch carbon fiber midrange drivers and seven CDT II tweeters. There’s no info yet with regards to power handling or frequency response.  Apparently though you wont need a monster amp in order to fill a room with sound - just a decently high ceiling.

I’m throwing a little gathering at my place next week and have been musing over what, if I had the cash, would I have to make the party a little better using gadgets and gizmos that I’ve spotted over the last year or so.

Sure, I have a decent Hi-Fi set up, the tele needs updating, I have a puter that is being replaced in the new year, as is the streamer.

There will of course be booze - but there must be a better, more gadgety way to supply it other than a bottle/can from the fridge.

Here’s a list, in no particular order, that I would like to have at my next gathering:

Audio 

Now, there should be decent tunes and some visuals at any good party - but what should they be produced by? 

First up would be the R2D2 Projector. It looks great, would certainly be a talking point and will project DVD’s onto a wall or screen.

More seriously is the music (well to me anyhow) and if I could chalk anything on to my wishlist it would be a Lima Antila CD Player combined with the Tucana Amp. Expensive but such realistic reproduction - I’d probably opt to put them through something like Kef’s XQ speakers. They would add a little warmth but not loose any of the definition. That’s the CD’s sorted but………

We are in the digital age and from my archive of MP3’s (it’s almost embarrising how many I have) I’d have tunes streaming through a Sonus Streamer set-up methinks.

Entertainment

I’ve always wanted a full-sized arcade machine and still do. So an obvious addition would be an Apex Stand-up console. Beautiful!

There would be the expected Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii consoles – of course hooked up to 47″ Phillips Ambilight LCDs

Sup up!

As I wasn’t quick enough to snap up a Veuve Cliquot/Porsche champagne tower I’ve opted for a few slightly more realistic Phillips PerfectDraft pumps and a selection of lagers and beers.

 I’m pretty sure that little lot would improve the party - what would you add or change?