Latest wireless audio gadgets such as iPods, wireless headphones and cell phones support new wireless protocols. These protocols are supposed to eliminate the cord and deliver perfect high-fidelity audio. We will review some of the latest devices to discover which applications they work for.

Several products are available with wireless already built in while some others, in particular streaming audio products, frequently have optional wireless capability. Latest touch-screen iPods and iPhones already have WiFi and Bluetooth built in.

Bluetooth is a relatively low-cost solution but has some pitfalls which are frequently overlooked.

1) Short range

Bluetooth devices normally merely have a 30-foot range which confines Bluetooth to single-room applications.

2) Audio compression because of limited data rate

Bluetooth offers a maximum reliable data rate of approximately 1 Mbps only. This rate is not high enough to broadcast uncompressed CD-quality audio. Therefore Bluetooth wireless devices apply audio compression. The audio will be degraded to some degree as a consequence of the audio compression. For this reason higher-end audio equipment normally does not use Bluetooth wireless audio.

3) Audio latency

Because of audio compression, Bluetooth will cause a signal delay of at least 10 ms which will cause the audio to be somewhat out of sync in case of video and real-time applications. This is again less of a problem for MP3 players.

4) No multiple headphone support

Bluetooth is fairly restricted in regard to supporting streaming to many headphones. Streaming to numerous headphones is helpful for several people wanting to listen to the same transmitter. This is less of a dilemma for MP3 player applications.

Uncompressed audio streaming is supported by WiFi. WiFi is a very widespread protocol. On the other hand, WiFi also has limitations regarding simultaneous transmission to several receivers. Because of the relatively high power consumption it is hardly ever utilized in wireless headphones however. WiFi is suitable for streaming audio from a PC however because almost all PCs have WiFi access.

Home wireless speaker devices and wireless amplifiers generally employ proprietary protocols. These protocols are especially engineered for real-time audio applications. On the other hand, entry-level wireless speakers and headphones still utilize FM transmission. FM transmission suffers from rather high audio distortion and noise / static.

More advanced wireless protocols are based on digital formats which eliminate audio degradation and incorporate sophisticated features including error correction to cope with interference from competing wireless devices.

Latest-generation wireless amplifiers utilize uncompressed audio transmission. Latest protocols also allow streaming to an infinite number of receivers. This enables whole-house audio distribution.

The audio latency of these wireless amplifiers is normally between 1 ms and 20 ms. A small-latency amplifier is vital for home theater audio. This assures that all speakers will be in sync. Typically newer generation wireless audio transmitters will work at 2.4 GHz. Some transmitters, such as Amphony’s line of devices, work at the less crowded 5.8 GHz frequency band.

Wireless amplifiers offer different levels of audio quality, output power and standby power. Digital amplifiers typically offer a power efficiency of a minimum of 80% and standby power consumption of less than 5 Watts which keeps them cool during operation and helps save energy. However, some Class-D amps have rather high audio distortion. Audiophile wireless amplifiers offer an audio distortion of 0.05% or less.

The Aura BluNote is a speaker set that accepts music streams via the Blutooth A2DP format, making it compatible with a wide variety of devices including PCs, laptops, mobiles, gaming consoles, and portable media players. It thankfully comes with a 3.5mm input jack for devices that don’t support Bluetooth.

Courtesy Spracht

Make Spracht wants you to know that the BluNote can store up to 8 Bluetooth device profiles, runs on an AC adapter or 4 AA batteries (both are included in the package), promises good audio quality through its Stereo Widening and Bass Boost functionality. On top of that, as a speaker, the BluNote also supports hands-free, conference-type calls when hooked up to a mobile phone.

A full review to follow if and when Spracht sends in a demo unit. In the meantime you can check out the product page and buy the BluNote here for $99.

Post from: The Gadget Blog

The Samsung Code is almost here. The Samsung Code is a new, full QWERTY handset for US Cellular & MetroPCS. The smartphone runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard & features a decent sized QVGA display. The QWERTY keyboard is fairly compact, so those of you with large fingers may have a little trouble.

The Samsung Code’s feature list includes: EVDO Rev. 0, a 2 megapixel camera with video capabilities, video & MP3 players, microSD slot, 128 MB RAM / 128 MB ROM, IE Mobile with HTML support, Bluetooth 2.0, E911 GPS, USB, predictive text input, picture messaging, full QWERTY keyboard & of course the Windows Mobile 6.1 OS. The Samsung Code should attract a varied group of users from the messaging crowd to business folks. As long as the pricing isn’t sky-high, it’s a worthwhile handset.

If you find driving an automobile to be an ultimately boring and mundane experience, you might think about adding an in-dash DVD player with iPod and Bluetooth connections — if only to have something to take your eyes off the road for a while.

Amazon is selling a 7-inch JVC double-DIN stereo for $269.99 with free shipping, today only. That’s down from the normal price of $379.99.

It’s got just about every feature you could think of, too: CD/DVD playback, radio, USB flash memory drive and standard hard drive support, iPod support, Bluetooth, wireless remote, touchscreen, and an onboard 50W x 4 amp.

Just needs GPS — that’s about all that’s missing. But who needs to know how to get anywhere when you can just watch movies in the car all day?

JVC KW-AVX710 [Amazon]

The T-Mobile Samsung Highlight is almost here. The T-Mobile Samsung Highlight is a brand new touchscreen handset with a special emphasis on messaging. If it looks vaguely familiar to you, that’s probably because it looks remarkably like a slender HTC Touch. The feature sets aren’t really comparable between the two phones, but the Samsung Highlight is still a very good looking handset and packs in a fair amount of features.

Features on the T-Mobile Samsung Highlight will include: a 3.1 megapixel camera with auto-focus, video support, Bluetooth, GPS, microSD slot, video messaging, USB 2.0 port, multimedia player, instant & text messaging, web2go & mobile backup. The word is that it will be a very inexpensive handset, which would be a tremendous benefit for this new phone. With a decent amount of features & lower entry price, the Samsung Highlight is definitely worth taking a look at.