Sumvision Android TV Box Cyclone Android X4 AMLogic Quad Core Android 4 : You can buy cheaper

Only just realised how to leave a review. . :(hubby bought this gadget to turn our ‘normal’ tv into a sort of smart one. We’ve also taken the box abroad (very small size so non intrusive) and loaded stuff to watch onto a pen drive. Also good to store your pics on a pendrive and take the gadget up to family/relatives and you can replay all on their big tv :).

I liked this product and it does the job but there is a lot more cheaper products out here that can do the same.

I have owned this box for over two months now and would feel 100% confident recommending it. Very well built, the small size is ideal if space is limited, comes loaded with new flux i player etc and its very easy to use with plenty of online guides on installing additional sites on to kodi. I haven’t experienced any streaming issues which was a concern when purchasing. It is also possible to download a app to your mobile to turn your smart phone into a remote to be able to control kodi when the app is open. For the price is a must have item.

Comment based on using other android manufacturers for two years. Having experienced this unit for a few weeks i would recommend purchase. Easy to use, fast and unobtrusive in size. The remote is very basis and the android best used with a mini keyboard.

Had this 2 days now so i may upgrade future rating but currently i’m not overly impressed. I’m new to this area of tv streaming and there are no instructions on how to proceed, so it’s a real struggle downloading relevant apps. The batteries for the remote were flat and caused initial confusion as i thought the unit was simply not responding. I have virtual keyboards in chinese (i presume there’s a way of changing that but not yet discovered). Even iplayer was out of date and needed an upgrade. Certainly not plug and play.

Ok but search keyboard in the apps like show box is not english only chinese and it wont let me change it google search keyboard is in english so ok for downloading apps also tried to view some 3d films i have on a flash drive and cannot find the driver in settings or media centre had different android boxes before this is the worst.

Amazing how such a small box can do so much. Will be very easy to pack for the holidays. Although the remote is basic it is all i need for basic functions. My only gripe at the moment and i hope someone can help me, is that for some reason the on screen keyboard is still in english but when you type a letter it appears on screen as a chinese character.It was set in english from the beginning so i don’t understand how this could have happened. I have searched online for the answer and have been advised to hold shift and press space (the same advice i found on the box’s on screen settings) but how can you do this when there is no shift key?. Apart from that the box is great but may be getting returned if i can’t get keyboard to revert to english. Would give 4/5 stars if this problem gets resolved.

For a small and cost-effective device that’s fast and easy to use with android installed, this is a great purchase. Haven’t had any problems using it and have recommended this purchase to several of my friends and colleagues.

• Go on buy one you know you want to
• Great Android box
• excellent

Sumvision Android TV Box Cyclone Android X4 AMLogic Quad Core Android 4.4 XBMC KODI 14.2 Media Streamer Player Smart TV Box for your HDMI HD TV

• Make sure this fits
  by entering your model number.
• Cyclone Android x4 is great value entertainment using Quad Core AMLogic Power with 1GB Memory, 8GB Storage and comes loaded with Android 4.4. There is also 1 Micro SD/SDHC Slot and 2 X USB Ports to enable use of an usb keyboard.
• KODI 14.2 XBMC Media Player: Cyclone Android X4 users can experience rich entertainment from the XBMC KODI 14.2 media player. Stream from internet, network storage or playback digital media locally. KODI XBMC is fully compatible with Cyclone Android X4 player.
• HEVC-High Efficiency Video Coding: Cyclone Android X4 use the new H.265 video compression technology. H.265 has a higher compression ratio than the older H.254.
• Thousands of Android APK’s for you to use. Enjoy gaming, social networking, surfing the net and many more.
• The box contains: Media Player, Remote Control, Power USB Cable, Power Supply, AV Cable and CD Manual.

The only problem with this player so far is that when using kodi some videos play over zoomed or on half the screen or even a quarter of the screen the latest kodi was supposed to fix this it didnt ,however if playing video from a harddrive almost all video is fine the odd one that needs stretching to fill the screen can be done from within the player ie vlc while the vid is playing i cannot find an easy way to do this if watching a vid in kodi. The devs on the net say the problem is to do with the codecs in certain amlogic boxes rather than kodi its an irritation i guess i will have to live with until i can afford an nvidia shield unless somebody out there knows a fix13/11/15 fix was easy once figured out just turn off the amlogic hardware acceleration.

I bought this after some time looking at all the boxes available (mindboggling amount) i’ve had other sumvision products before so i went with this as a trusted manufacturer. I wasn’t disappointed, has all the power required. Do buy a keyboard for it as with all android boxes its difficult to navigate and type without one. No hdmi supplied either but this is standard.

Does everything and more, only complaint is that there is no stop, pause, forward or rewind on the remote control you need to access them onscreen. Good value for money, good service from seller arrived within two days of placing my order.

I received this on time about three weeks ago. I purchased a wireless keyboard also as the remote that come’s with it is very basic. You may need a hdmi cable also, which i happened to have. It took me a bit of time to set it up as the manual (on cd) that comes with it is extremely basic. Thank heavens for youtube videos. I have set up showbox and mobdro on it so far, but so far so good. Also when i started typing it was in chinese, i did manage to change it to english thankfully. I’m very happy with my purchase, definitely worth the money, but do buy a wireless keyboard to make life easier. I’m taking one star off due to the lack of set up instructions.

This is the second of these boxes i have bought. Loads of tutorials online if you need help adding add ons butvsimple to use and would highly recommend it.

I have bought 3 of these now, one for my daughter and 2 for our house. Plenty of youtube videos to tell you how to get the best out of them but to be fair i mainly use mine to get showbox onto my tv.

This box perfect for kodi is not slow like people are saying. This box is brilliant and kodi works ok. Some of the addons do not work that’s because of geo ,they are for usa only not uk. Do not listen to some of the rubbish people are putting on the reviews.

Great wee box from the start has kodi on. It already but needed to be updated with the playstore also would of been nice to see kodi all ready and setup but it not hard to find a video to set it up also cheep price for a simple box.

This is amazing for the price one i got it set up watched a couple of you tube vid how to set up no lagging or pixel-ling or buffering good 1080p playback. My internet is very good with a very good router so this might be why its so good plus net fiber 80mb/s speed considering getting another one. If you have slow broad band dont botherhad a problem with one box with kodi caused a black screen if you go to apps uninstall kodi and reinstall it as the version pre installed on box is 14 old out of date new one is 16 works fine i got 3 of these boxes all work fine.

4 – you can’t upgrade kodi beyond 16. Often i have to power off and on again as it doesn’t work. Regularly need to clear out the cache otherwise buffering issues will occur.

I decided on this unit after reading the reviews and i am also a novice when it comes to android so i found it a struggle setting it up on kodi ,thanks to some brilliant videos on youtube i am finally getting to grips with it. Everything appears to be working as it should and an add on mini keyboard/ mouse is a must to replace the remote that is supplied with it. I would say yes this is a nice compact tv box and would recommend it. Next day delivery from amazon is excellent.

I’ve got 3 different makes of these boxes and this is the best so far. It’s small but compact, seems to have more weight to it than others that are bigger. Only drawback is, it doesn’t come loaded with all most popular add-ons but these are easy to install and there are plenty of simple to follow tutorials on youtube.

Works a treat if you have an old tv that you need to add some digital content too. Not the fastest thing on the planet and it does struggle to load things like iplayer. But good for streaming from a nas box or something like that.

Had to return as was causing issues with my sony tv. Tv with switch off and on when sumvision box was turned on. Contacted sumvision said it could be a faulty hdmi socket on the box.

My first android box, and i’m pretty impressed. It’s really tiny, but it’s really quick and stable implementation of android. Comes preloaded with kodi, which is the main app that i planned to use on it. I use a 1tb wd passport hard drive to store media on, and it works flawlesslyonly issue that ii have is that when the unit is turned off (into standby), the usb ports remain powered, so the hard drive is still powered. Not a huge issue, but it’s a bit annoying and inconvenient.

Got this box as a replacement for my ageing mobie dazzle and for under £35 its a great little box. Had it set up in less than 20 mins and if you don’t know how to get the best from the box there are plenty of tutorials on you tube,.

One of the best items i have ever bought from amazon. Takes a little bit of time and knowledge to set up, but help is available for set up on youtube. Access to every sporting event, tv show, or movie is possible for free.

Received this product before throughly reading all the reviews, quite a few didn’t rate this highly. I already have a different android box and wanted one for my bedroom. You take it out of the box, plus it in, plug in the hdmi, switch it on and voila. I had to tinker about with kodi by deleting the version on the box and downloading another one, but it works brilliantly and just as well as my other. If you are unsure how to set things up on it just google it (that’s what i did), it’s amazing what things you can do with it – the world of tv and movies is your oyster with this box, you can watch anything you like. I would highly recommend this little box for the price you’re not gonna get any better.

Ordered the sumvision android tv box, it arrived the next day, considering i do not have amazon prime i think the service provided was excellent. On to the android box itself, small, compact but delivers a big punch technologically, easy to set up, plug & play. It does not come with any instructions you really don’t need any (plenty of online tutorials if needed). I would recommend buying a mini wireless keyboard you can get one for under a tenner as the remote is a bit basic. This is a product that i am going to recommend to friends & family who are considering buying an android tv box, for the price and service provided it was money well spent.

The post Sumvision Android TV Box Cyclone Android X4 AMLogic Quad Core Android 4 : You can buy cheaper appeared first on Home AV.

Buy from AMAZON

KEF EGG Wireless Digital Music System – – Expensive but worth it

I have to agree with j’s review on this one. They aren’t suited to desktop use due to them going into standby after some time without a signal. You then have to manually turn them back on. I also had mixed feelings about the sound. Mids and highs are really good and because of this they show fantastic clarity and detail, bass i found slightly underwhelming. There is a sub woofer output and, if used, i’m sure could really compliment them. I also wasn’t keen on the fixed (at one end), non-standard speaker cable that wasn’t long enough for my desk. All that considered, they weren’t what i was looking for but i appreciated how they sounded.

These are great desktop speakers, to me they have a very different sound signature than anything else i have listened to. They really put you front and centre of the music making listening to live recordings feel very intimate. These are great for using as desktop speakers with one caveat – you get the automatic sleep disabled by kef (see end of the review). The sound is clear with good separation and they don’t seem to be too fussy about the source either which is good for streaming services and lossy formats. Overall it’s a very rich sound, other reviews point to a lack of bass but honestly, i don’t hear that at all, they won’t make your teeth rattle with bass, but they are accurate and sound like a much bigger speaker than they actually are. I mainly use them for listening to music, watching movies and playing computer games. I have them connected to a macbook pro via usb and a ps4 via optical, sometimes switching the usb over to the pc if i’m playing on a game. Bluetooth works well too for connectivity to mobile devices. The 1 start removed was because these speakers turn themselves off after about 15 mins with no activity, so i would pause the music while i took a phone call or something, then have to turn the speakers back on and reselect the audio device on the computer. It is made this way to comply with eu regulations, they effect lots of stuff made and sold in the eu, its the reason why you can’t buy a powerful vacuum cleaner anymore too.

The sound of the speakers is great, but they are useless to me. After getting home from the retailer and plugging them into my desktop, i found that they turn themselves off after a short period of no sound signal. I use my desktop for meditation sessions of half an hour and use a little script for that – there’s the sound of a bell as the start signal and after 30 minutes there’s supposed to be forest sounds to mark the end of the session. The egg turns itself off after 15 minutes thoughmy desktop is also my alarm clock to get up in the morning with a music playlist i want at that time – also not possible because of this. I wish the seller in the shop had told me about this ‘feature’, because i would not have bought themif keg would provide a way to bypass the software that turns off the speakers it would be acceptable, but since they don’t, i will have to bring ’em back to the shop. Exe file that made the bypass, so adding two stars to my review now, form 2 to 4 in total :-).

Great quality and depth of sound.

These kef speakers sounds great if you compare them with a pair of cheap low end 2. 0 desktop setup, but not at all against their competition at this price point. Yes, the soundstage is very good, with nice mids and the treble offering very crisp detail (but a bit too bright and overemphasized sometimes though. )but the bass is very dissapointing even for this woofer size. It lacks presence, definition and even control, showing an ugly overboost at 140hzi had the opportunity to compare this speakers vs audioengine2, b&w mm-1 and ik iloud micro monitori think the b&w mm-1 are the best with a more controled, detailed and balanced sound. The audioengine2 are cheaper and maybe offers the better value for the price. The ik has a decent overall sound featuring the best bass performance by far, goes very loud and are the best suited for use with games or movies without adding a subwoofer. Definitely, this product offers interesting connectivity options (bluethooth, optical, usb. ) but regarding to audio quality, there are better options for the price.

This review is mainly for the amazon warehouse deal which i hope not to use again on electrical or complex goods. Unfortunately stopped working after less than 3 months. Sound pretty good – obviously when fed good quality files or feeds. Editthe repairs were covered by the manufacturers 2 year warranty and was fixed for free labour and parts (heavy so about £26 in postal charges).

• [1 Year of use] Great Desktop Speakers
• Great sound, great build – Sadly impossible to use as a reliable set of PC speakers!
• Cool and Concise

Unfortunately these speakers don’t do what they say on the tin. They are heavily touted as wireless (bluetooth) and for use with laptops (as shown on the kef website). As many of the new laptops have less usb ports now this is a great option – if it worked. However, they regularly turn themselves into standby mode (not at set times either, just when they feel like it, it seems) and often don’t reconnect to the laptop when you turn them back on. So you have to go through the faf of getting them recognised and connected again. Also, if you run itunes whilst they are off, it brings up an audio error warning (as it can’t detect the speakers). If you then turn them on the program crashes, so you have to shut it down, make sure the speakers are on, and then run the program again. I saw another reviewer had the same problem and received a driver update from kef which turned off the auto standby feature and solved most of the problem. Ok, not great to buy an expensive product that doesn’t do what it should but at least it can be easily overcome i hoped. However, when i contacted kef they said they could not send out the driver updated but that i had to send the speakers in to them or go to their shop to have it done in case the software damaged the computer.

It has been a long wait but at last a pair of speakers that are genuinely scaled down hifi to use with a mac. They are so good i can even use them to balance tracks when mastering on logic. Supplemented by a subwoofer to add a little heft to the bottom octave they are simply stunning. I also have for my main system the kef ls50 and the similarities are there to hear. Clearly the ls50 scales up a bigger soundstage simply because they are bigger and several feet away from the listening position, but what matters to me with the eggs is the integrity of the sound, a believable and deep soundstage and an undeniable sense of energy and mojo. These are not sterile and flat sounding and the tweeters genuinely have an extended response. Headbangers might not like them because they do not go hugely loud and completely lack the cursed upper bass boom, bang and grind that so many speakers suffer from. I am now considering another pair to use with the tv.

Sound is no way loud enough, my old creative speakers were louder. Sound distorts at higher volumes and certainly doesn’t fill my small room.

I’m another one with mixed feelings about these, on the one hand they sound incredible on usb listening to music at 24bit96khz and they are easily a five star product but i have issues with them cutting out running certain applications together and to be honest they do lack a bit in the lower frequencies. The detail and clarity as well as the stereo separation is probably the best i’ve heard. Its just the issues you have over usb. I guess if you just want to listen to music with these i’d highly recommend them but for me they just have a couple of niggles that have moved them to the bedroom and just using as a great bluetooth speaker, whilst my ruark mr1s are back in front of the computer.

Bought to replace aging soundsticks. Sound quality – that everyone raves about – i found to be merely adequate. This thing really needs a sub. Worse, the cable that connects the two speakers in limited in length and that restricts where they can be placed (i have a multiple monitor setup so space is restricted). They are bulkier than the soundsticks. One end is fixed, the other plugs into the left-hand speaker. But perhaps the biggest disappointment was that they just don’t have enough bass and they’re not loud enough. I’m no audiophile but would be willing to pay for quality. But in this case just for music playback on a mac, adding the cost of a sub makes it just too much of a stretch. Note that i do have the kef hts-3005se 5.

Features of KEF EGG Wireless Digital Music System – White

• Make sure this fits
  by entering your model number.
• Wireless, high resolution sound
• One system for every use
• Designed and engineered to precision with KEF
• Stream tracks wirelessly via Bluetooth
• Listen to your music the way it’s meant to be heard

---

From the manufacturer

‘Of all art, music is the most indefinable and the most expressive, the most insubstantial and the most immediate, the most transitory and the most imperishable. Transformed to a dance of electrons along a wire, its ghost lives on. When KEF returns music to its rightful habituation, your ears and mind, they aim to do so in the most natural way they can … without drama, without exaggeration, without artifice.’ Raymond Cooke, KEF founder

KEF EGG Wireless Digital Music System

KEF, one of the originators of British Hi-Fi sound, has for over 50 years pioneered award-winners from professional studio monitors, to the legendary Reference Series and the recent ground-breaking MUON, BLADE and LS50. Every KEF speaker, large or small, epitomises the seamless integration of innovative engineering and outstanding design. The EGG Wireless Digital Music System is no exception.

Giving you the ability to stream tracks wirelessly over Bluetooth aptX or bringing your TV to live, KEF’s EGG Wireless Digital Music System delivers pure, clear KEF quality sound. As a complete ‘plug-and-play’ system with built-in amp and DAC, it allows you to enjoy your music with the depth, clarity and detail of true high resolution sound.

View larger

Wireless/ High Resolution Sound

For enjoying high resolution sound from virtually any source, the active KEF EGG Wireless Digital Music System gives music lovers a complete audio solution that combines the supremely accurate definition of KEF’s Uni-Q driver array with the ability to stream tracks wirelessly via Bluetooth aptX. With an integrated amplifier and DAC, 94kHz/24-bit mini USB input, distortion-free digital speaker connection and optical connection to your TV, it fulfils every requirement for a flexible, compact, high resolution main sound system. Crammed with innovative acoustic technologies, the EGG uses KEF’s ‘sit anywhere’ Uni-Q driver array with its patented ‘tangerine’ waveguide: wide dispersion, fluent detailing and astonishing clarity.

Great Quality Streaming As wireless speakers for your computer or mobile device, the EGG lets you stream your music in full stereo to a standard no single box system could ever match. Using the 96kHz/24-bit mini USB input gives you true high resolution response.	Beautiful Design With KEF’s legendary build quality, precision and attention to detail, nothing has been overlooked in the quest to deliver flawless high resolution sound. A distinctive elliptical cabinet ensures that not only does the EGG sound good, it looks good too.	Fantastic TV Sound For TV sound, the KEF EGG massively outperforms even the best on-board speakers. With minimal controls and connections, the EGG Wireless Digital Music System is incredibly easy to set up for any listening environment.

Make sure this fits
by entering your model number.

I didn’t buy these from amazon, preferring to buy them in person at my local independent hi if store. I bought them primarily as a second listening source and tv connection in my downstairs sitting room when i can’t use the main hi to in the lounge. The set up in the lounge cost around £1000 about 10 years ago, so i was expecting the kef’s not be to able to match themset up is easy as pie, unbox, connect power and wires, search for kef egg on bluetooth, select and go. What i wasn’t expecting was a breathtaking sound that beats a £1000 set up. They don’t go down that low bass wise so for films you may need to get a subwoofer, and plug in, but for music the bass is reasonable but incredibly punchy and tight. The main delight is the transparency and clarity of the mid and upper end. It’s very bright without being brash or trebly, and provides an insight to the music i have yet to hear on anything i’ve owned. Playing something well recorded and they provide a sumptuous sound stage that is hard to describe without underselling these speakers. Even stodgy 80’s recordings sound vibrant and alive. I’ve sat enthralled picking out nuances on records i’ve owned for 40 years.

Setup——-simple to set up. Simply connect the speakers using the included cable, plug in, turn on, select the desired input mode and off you go. Sound quality——————–excellent. Whether you are using these via bluetooth (for the best bluetooth sound quality make sure you device supports aptx) or via usb, the quality is exceptional. For the price, size and functionality i think you’d struggle to find a better pair of speakers. Desktop specifics————————the maindrawback from my experience (hence the 4 rather than 5*) is that the speakers seem to be quite temperamental when connected to a pc via usb. They automatically turn themselves off if no signal is sent to them after a couple of minutes. This is expected behaviour, and i have noticed that they turn themselves back on if you start to play something again (sometimes. So while irritating, it is at least ‘expected’.

Annoyingly they turn off after only a few minutes which can be a little frustrating but otherwise perfect for my home office.

I had the ruark desktop speakers which won 2014 whathifi awards and i am so glad that i upgraded to these. The difference in quality is clear. They won 2015 what hifi awards for a good reason. Love them and i am extremely particular about the quality of tech i buy.

Got these the next day after recommendation by hi fi specialist they are great got the kef subwoofer for added bass and these have recently won desktop what hifi award so very pleased great for music films and games.

Great sound and good quality build, however impossible to use as reliable pc speakers because they seem to be more concerned about preserving power than actually functioning as speakers. The systems keeps going into standby mode after 10-15 minutes of silence. That’s right, not maybe like you might expect when you lock the computer or switch it off, or perhaps after a few hours, no, after literally just a few minutes. You then have to manually switch them on again with the remote or by pressing the power button on the right speaker. No way to configure this differently in windows power settings to disable this function. Why anybody thought that was a good idea for a pc speaker system, especially hard coding this extremely short time it takes to switch off, is beyond me. Bottom line: if you rely on sound being readily available, from your pc, such as for audible alerts or whatever else, and you don’t constantly play a sound – which let’s face it nobody does – these will let you down.

Wireless, high resolution sound

Great design and most importantly a great sound.

Nice speakers a bit temperamental setting up.

Delightfully clear and warm sound with power beyond their size. Acoustic, classical, folk and some rock sound stunning – every note, beat and tap of the high hat come through with clarity and warmth. Basslines and left hand side of keyboards have surprising weight. They don’t fair so well with dance and heavier rock/metal. Here the speakers get a bit crowded and lose the separation shown in acoustic and vocal tracks. Bass is there but falls short if you want to really feel it. They do have a sub-woofer out though. Plenty of volume too – 10-15% at desk is fine and 25% will full a medium size room for normal listening. For the space i have and music i listen to these are perfect and way ahead of anything else i’ve heard.

I usually don’t do many reviews but this time i have to pay respect to those beauties. I read 5 stars rating everywhere (but those guys are always sponsored), i knew kef quality so i thought i would give it a go…boom: finally someone has cracked the next generation hifi. Forget sono etc… that was the first thing i thought when i first listen to the egg. It simply ticks all the boxes:- sound quality: i make my own music and my standard is studio speakers (£2000 set). Beautiful: detailed highs and punchy mids. For me it’s the active technology: you get handpicked digital to analog converter linked to 2*25w amps almost directly connected to the speakers. That means limited filtering which makes quality lose, no trying to match electronics at home (kef engineers have done it for me and i believe they are way more qualified than me), no search for cables, no 5 different power cables and associated spaghetti etc…- integration: this tweeter and coaxial setup is magic. You have negligible loss of details while you move in the room. All my speaker have been directional.

I understand that they sleep, but i have found that slightly annoying when one is in the habit of having speakers permanently ‘at the ready’. However great sound, lovely appearance and prompt delivery.

Having read the reviews of this product i took a chance and ordered despite having not heard them myself elsewhere. I could not be happier with them. The sound is clear and has actually allowed me to hear extra detail on a number of tracks i have owned for many years. Clear and concise without distortion and a nice level of bass, these are certainly enough for use in a living room as sole speakers without a woofer. Size wise they fit neatly on top of a narrow bookcase without being overbearing, and in fact add a nice retro vibe to the room if they are relatively prominent. Minor niggles to be aware of:running them from bluetooth the quality is dependent on your device being within range, as taking them too far can cause some breakup as the signal varies. The volume control on the remote control appears to be very subtle and in small increments, however those on the base unit work very well. I’d suggest setting the volume on the speaker and the device to the highest setting and then adjusting it from your device.

One system for every use

Designed and engineered to precision with KEF

Stream tracks wirelessly via Bluetooth

The post KEF EGG Wireless Digital Music System – – Expensive but worth it appeared first on Home AV.

Buy from AMAZON

EASYTONE Google Internet TV Box – Great value for money from a very caring company

Great product, very fast delivery.

The backlit keyboard broke in 1 month but it was replaced by an air mouse by the seller. The box works like a charm and using the right app you can get live tv on it. I would highly recommend it. Great seller and great experience.

The best i’ve had out of 5 box’s. I would tell any 1who likes tv box’s to get this 1. Grate company to as if u e mail them they get back 2 u with in a few hours.

I like this little media box. Even though the first box i received turned out to be somewhat faulty. Fortunately, my dissatisfaction with the faulty unit was very quickly quelled by this company’s fantastic customer service. They were most concerned and most accommodating. Whatever hiccups i had the first time i received this box was resoundingly put to bed when i received their replacement. Absolutely no issues whatsoever and living up to the other excellent reviews.

Hi qulity item, working very good, quick delivery and very good response from supplier. I would highly recommend to buy.

Working ok some movies on showbox dont work but kodi working well overall no complaints.

• V good piece of kit
• Great value for money from a very caring company
• I am satisfied with the performance

I’ve had several android boxes over the past few years and this one is (imho) the best one yet. The combination of the remote and keypad keyboard means you have far more control making a lot more apps usable. At first the keyboard did not work though, until i noticed that the battery has a large space about it and the battery kept falling out of place – a small piece of folded cardboard solved this. All in all though its a nifty little box, seems very responsive and runs fairly quickly. Would be nice to have more than 2 usb slots though, especially as the keyboard dongle takes one straight away.

Excellent piece of equipment. My first time buying something like this.

The initial box had problems with the connection to the internet. I had to disconnect the power supply to reset it each time i wanted to switch it on. The supplier replaced it promptly, i did not have any problems with the replacement. It works quite well, i am satisfied with the performance. In spite of the initial problem i give it 5 stars for the performance and the assistance of the supplier.

I like the tv box very much but the remote control isn’t very good. When i use the colour codes it doesn’t work. The dongle for the other control doesn’t seem to work either.

The box is brilliant happy customer at the moment .

Features of EASYTONE Google Internet TV Box, Android 7.1.2 TV Box Quad-core 1GB RAM 8GB ROM Support 4k Ultra HD/H.265/3D Smart Set top boxes with Backlit Mini Wireless Keyboard (Updated Version 2019)

• Make sure this fits
  by entering your model number.
• Android 7.1 OS:The latest android 7.1.2 TV box operation is more stable than other android system, compatible with the latest android applications and it’s easier to install or uninstall, no buffering or hang time, which improves users’ experience
• More Powerful and Speedy:Android box is built with 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM, Quad core Cortex-A53 up to 2.0 GHz and Penta Core Mali-450 750MHz GPU provide you with ultra-fast running speed and professional graphic processing ability
• Clear View:H.265 hardware decoding can save 50% of bandwidth resources,4k 2k output which provides you high definition viewing and fluent video playing, making it as the highest resolution signal available for home movies
• Practical Media Player:Android TV box is a practical home TV box,it supports millions of android apps, users can surf the internet with browsers and have a communication with the world through all kinds of apps
• Wireless keyboard:Comes with 2.4Ghz backlit mini wireless keyboard remote mouse to replace your traditional full keyboard and mouse perfectly! Mini and easy to control, comfortable for working or playing, it’s be excellent when you play games and surf the internet

Make sure this fits
by entering your model number.

Can download all usual android apps on it. To a completely techno virgin like my wife, she struggled and gave up setting it up.

Good unit, very complicated interface but plays all formats.

Worth the money, after the initial set up.

The keypad don’t work and no what to get intuch with seller.

Excellent product, quick response, very good customer service, highly recommended,.

My mum loves this box, she can’t rate it enough – thank you for making my mam happy, cheers.

Android 7.1 OS:The latest android 7.1.2 TV box operation is more stable than other android system, compatible with the latest android applications and it’s easier to install or uninstall, no buffering or hang time, which improves users’ experience

Brought the box loaded kodi add on and away we wenthad a fire stick prior to this not a patch on this baby .

In the box is the tv box itself, the power lead, the remote, and a hdmi lead. No batteries are provided for the remote so you will need a pair of aaato get the most out of the box you might want to access more apps to sit alongside the preinstalled ones. They are available from the play store amongst other places. All the major streaming services are available including but not limited to, itv player, iplayer, all 4, demand 5 etc. In order to make the process of addition and removing apps and addons simple. I recommend attaching a mouse and keyboard. The box features two usb ports on the side that can be used for flash memory drives or to attach a mouse and keyboard. Using the remote for this process is both difficult and time consuming, with a mouse and keyboard it is simple. The box can connect to the internet via wi-fi or ethernet cable. I have connected via a power line adapters and the streaming speed is excellent.

Just remember to open back of keypad and place the usb dongle into the unit,then the keyboard works.

I like the mini keyboard which has made it easier to navigate the menus, it is easy to use and gives good picture quality on playback. This only the second player i have used so not much to compare with but for the price it is good value for the money.

Fine to start with then began constantly overheating and crashing.

More Powerful and Speedy:Android box is built with 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM, Quad core Cortex-A53 up to 2.0 GHz and Penta Core Mali-450 750MHz GPU provide you with ultra-fast running speed and professional graphic processing ability

Loved it would recamend it to anyone very very really really good.

Very good quality product, easy to set up and the steaming quality is remarkable. I would like highlight the fact that the seller is always available, very responsive and he can address any query you may have.

Very quick delivery thank you.

Clear View:H.265 hardware decoding can save 50% of bandwidth resources,4k 2k output which provides you high definition viewing and fluent video playing, making it as the highest resolution signal available for home movies

Practical Media Player:Android TV box is a practical home TV box,it supports millions of android apps, users can surf the internet with browsers and have a communication with the world through all kinds of apps

The post EASYTONE Google Internet TV Box – Great value for money from a very caring company appeared first on Home AV.

Buy from AMAZON

Electric Jukebox system – – Five Stars

Electric jukebox has revolutionised my listening to music at home. I now enjoy music that i haven’t played in ages (my cds are half in storage and i haven’t moved on technologically) and discovering new artistes. Very easy plug and play (3 steps) great for dinner parties and bigger occasions and most importantly, a lovely gift for anyone who loves music but is scared of technology.

Good piece of kit easy to set up and the choice of music is great for all ages.

This item is fantastic, i so recomend it to anyone who loves their music.

Good product but have had it 12 months and don’t know how to top it up.

I am a luddite and dreaded doing the setting up part. But it really was easy peasy. Having a blast going down memory lane and listening to all my old favourites.

Item was delivered in good time/a great little machine with plenty of scope. It’s great fun checking out music of favourite artists of yesteryear as well as a good range of up to date artists.

Got this for my dads birthday he loves it.

Anyone who likes music will love this, brought for my dad has a christmas present he listens to it non stop.

Great item received within 24 hours. Very easy to set up, i certainly recommend. Amazon delivery service is second to none.

Fantastic just what i wanted can’t stop playing it.

Bit difficult to control the curser.

I paid the full retail price for this item. Watch what price it says at click out. Check if reduction in price is total price.

Everything you need in the box and very easy to install. Even the 1-year free music pass and setting up the wifi was easy. Only thing we had issues with was that it froze a couple of times soon after arrival – realised that this was because the handset needed charging. Voice search doesn’t seem to work too well – easier to do it by text search but the amount of music by artists is amazing.

I caught the end of a demo while i was in selfridges and was really impressed with the simplicity, the visuals and that you can just speak into a mike and the track is played – as if were on a turnstile. I am not an impulsive buyer so i looked online and saw that it was backedby robbie williams, alesha dixon, stephen fry etc and decided to go for it. At the time it wasn’t on the selfridges website (it is now) so i ordered it from amazon. The colour i preferred – charcoal which is really stylish had sold out so i bought it in blue as i wanted it quickly for a family/friends get together. It arrived by prime in a beautiful box and i was able to get it going in minutes even though i am a technophobe. It is so much fun and easy to use and the sound is great – you just need a tv and wifi. I do not like subscriptions so that is another major plus. I think this would appeal to people who buy or used to buy cds. With the electric jukebox you can play whatever tracks you want from an album and then switch to different albums easily if you don’t like all the tracks – without the storage issues of hundreds of cds and trying to find the one you want when you want it. You can create your own playlists although there are some really useful pre-programmed – party, workout, chill, dinner party – it even has music suggestions for a wedding ceremony and reception.

Bought for my dad as christmas present he’s a dj and he loves it.

Easy to set up and good fun music i want any time.

Not bad but can be quite difficult to navigate at times.

Rapid delivery very happy .

Reviews from purchasers :

• Electric jukebox
• Item was delivered in good time/ A great little machine with plenty of scope
• Overall good

Very pleased with this purchase no problems on set up just one problem after one year you have to start paying.

This is an incredible device. If you love creating mixtapes and want to explore different versions of songs, you have access to almost the whole world of music. And not just music, anything that has been published as a recording is here. I’ve even found the speeches of winston churchill and interviews with the beatles. Whether you like popular music or your interest in music is away from the mainstream, you have access to an unbelievable range of recordings. You don’t have to buy a cd and find you don’t quite like it; you can just skip to another one. Instructions are minimal and you have to click on things to see what they do. I have however found that it is possible to skip tracks on a cd. You can even use a favourite cd as the basis of a mixtape and delete the tracks that you don’t like so you never have to skip them. I’d love to give the jukebox 5 stars as i do think it is amazing.

Gave this as a present to daughter. Still see it beside television so must still be in use.

Omg how good is this ive tried to catch it out and cant i love it.

Amazing, good fun and such good sound.

Not found all the songs i was looking for but its not the fault of electronic jukebox.

Very,very pleased have already reccomended.

One of the best things i have ever bought. It’s on every day in my house and i tell all my friends about it.

Bought 3 of these for christmas presents so can’t comment now however purchased these at very low price re black friday weeksome retailers charge much more.

Brill great all the music you want at a your finger tip.

This item sold by amazon was the cheapest around. I have access to millions on songs. It’s easy to operate and very good value for money.

This item is fantastic music for all type so easy to install and use.

Easy to set up and the sound quality is great. Had an issue with the controller but was sent a replacement with no qualms. Will be paying the money for the no ad’s version after the 12 month pass is up.

This jukebox gives me instant access to any music i wish to playit allows me to create my own playlistsan amazing product that i don’t think people know enough about if they did they’d buy itit’s worth every penny.

The post Electric Jukebox system – – Five Stars appeared first on Home AV.

Buy from AMAZON

Roberts Radio Roberts Revival iStream2 DAB/DAB, Nice radio with some quirks!

Bought one of these radios some time ago but got fed up with moving it from one room to another – so decided to buy another. I use it principally for internet radio stations and the sound quality is excellent. The initial set-up may be just a little fiddly for some but follow the instruction book carefully and you won’t go far wrong – and it only has to be done once, of course.

I love the retro design of this radio, which has a similar look and feel to the old versions i remember from the 1960s, with a vinyl-covered wooden cabinet and sturdy metal fittings. Of course, a modern radio – or even a computer, which this basically is – doesn’t need that much space, and most of the interior is empty, except for the battery. Sound quality is pleasant and ‘woody’ – again, like the old radios it is based on. I was concerned about the many reports of the screen failing, and i ran into this within two days of using the machine. After i inserted batteries, i removed the power plug to see if it would switch seamlessly to battery power. It did, but when i inserted the plug back into the back of the machine, it interrupted the power, and the radio restarted. Trying this a second time – this time removing the plug from the wall – i got the dreaded white screen – no display at all, just a white rectangle. I tried various types of ‘turn it off and on again’ which didn’t help, but after i removed batteries and the plug, then left it off for 10 seconds or so, the radio could be turned on again, and the screen was back to normal. I tried this a couple of times and got the same results. I assume that there’s some circuit in the display that is sensitive to sudden jolts in power – not good in a device that’s meant to run on batteries and aci don’t know if this fix would work for everyone. I didn’t have the fading display that some people report. But if your radio goes suddenly to a plain white screen, removing all power and batteries for a bit is the first thing to try. I suspect many white screens are a digital lockup rather than a permanent failure. Putting aside its propensity to lock up, the screen could use a few improvements.

Nice product and good quality sound for the price. Easy to use, good old fashioned styling, with modern technology. Great combination, would recommend to anyone.

Purchased because of good reviews but found it to be lacking in bass and volume. It does however have a good overall sound so if you only need a small interestingly designed radio, and aren’t bothered so much it does have some good features like internet radio which connects to your wifi. Also includes the standard analogue and dab connections if necessary. Unfortunately not for me, but amazon accepted a refund fine.

It is a great radio in many respects but it has compromised itself in a few ways1- by sticking to the old design in as many ways as possible it has quite annoying ways of scrolling through menus and making selections. 2- if you turn it off and back on again it re sets alarms that come on unprogramed. Its really annoying and really compromises the integrity of roberts.

Being a bit of a geek, i have all my music on my nas (network attached storage – a little computer dedicated to storage) and was looking for a way to listen to it in the kitchen (my phone’s speaker is both quiet and sounds awful). After a lot of research i was deciding between the sonos play:1 and one of the roberts range. The sonos play:1 certainly has a better heritage, sonos are known for their high quality speakers – however i was dissatisfied that i would need for fork out an extra £40 for the sonos bridge in order to connect it to my network and would be limited to using an android app to control playback (the sonos play:1 has no media controls on the unit). The roberts revival istream, on the other hand is capable of both browsing music from a nas (via the dlna protocol) *and*, more crucially, is a dlna renderer (when you select the ‘internet music’ mode from the menu). Selecting music on the device is a little clunky (the menus are well laid out, but navigating the menus via the jog wheel is always going to feel slow), however the android (and presumably ios) app, whilst looking pretty ropey give you a much easier way to navigate your nas’ media. However, the unit really comes into it’s own as a dlna renderer – this allows you to ‘fling’ music to the istream from any dlna sender (which includes windows pcs, apple macs, etc and, best of all – ios and android phones). I use bubblesoft’s upnp app on my android phone – this works with the google music app so i can quickly and easily pick what music i want to listen to, press the ‘cast’ button – select the robert’s istream from the list and *bam* music in my kitcheni’ll leave it to others to go into more details about the sound and finish of this radio – but i’m very pleased with my purchase and am looking forward to listening to the music i want to whilst cooking and doing the dishes.

I have noted a significant number of complaints about the ‘display’ on this radio disappearing. Yes you are right, it can happen, but do not just pull the mains plug out or switch off at the wall socket or you can be sure that the display will ‘fail’. Of course it hasn’t failed at all. I’m an electronics engineer of fifty years experience so i approached this with a bit of thought. The on-off switch is not the same as a mains switch; it is imperative that you use the radio off function before disconnecting mains power any other way. I’m pretty sure that this is what is called a soft-switch (as in a computer and other items of modern equipment); when you push this switch it shuts down in an orderly fashion (just try pulling the plug on a windows computer. . It will take a lot longer to boot up next time round as it un-twists its nickers). Lots of modern equipment is not really off at all; just in limbo. . And sucking some power out of the mains or your batteries in the meantime. If it hasn’t got a nice clunky mains on/off switch then it’s just biding it’s time waiting for you to push the button againwe’ve had this radio for more than a year now, used daily, and the only time something goes daft is when we forget to follow the simple instruction above.

Key specs for Roberts Revival iStream2 DAB/DAB+/FM Internet Radio – Dove Grey:

• Make sure this fits
  by entering your model number.
• DAB/DAB+/FM and WIFI Internet radio. Battery Powered: Yes
• Spotify connect compatible music player
• Play your music collection from your computer
• Access to over 10,000 radio stations and podcasts

Comments from buyers

“Nice radio with some quirks!
, Delightful design, Good internet radio, some screen and power glitches.
, A great, stylish device, with one big flaw
“

This is my third roberts radio and the second one with dab. I had a revival dab before, until my daughter pinched it, so i knew what sort of quality to expect and, so far its everything i expected. I have used all the functions available to me including internet radio, streaming music files from my laptop using windows media player and the last. You get a voucher for a 30 day free subscription to this service and then its £3 per month if you wish to continue. I found setting the radio up for all functions very easy and straightforward. My wife, not a lover of technical things, found it simple to use too. The manual is comprehensive and clear and if you lose it you can download or read it on the roberts website. The radio itself is of the usual roberts quality with neat lines and robust build. I probably will only use it in the kitchen on mains power so cannot talk about battery life, sound quality is excellent for its size. Overall, perfect for my needs and exactly what i wanted.

But have the manual handy if only to suss out the button functions during set-up. I had it playing less than ten minutes after i opened the box. It is clearly a very good quality little radio, great sound. I like the retro look and the solid case and buckle that opens the back to access the battery area, it’s so easy and no fiddly little battery covers to break or lose. It’s true that the top facing buttons could get dirty and gritty and would have been better on the front. As i use mine in the kitchen i keep a little folded cloth on top to keep the cake mix and gravy out. However as you only need to press one button to switch it on and off the cover can stay in place all the time. For me it’s still a five star radio.

I like this – a lot – and if it was more reliable, it would get five stars. We bought it for the kitchen, as we’ve always been fond of roberts radios and own several. To be honest often in use it’s often an extension speaker for the ipad, though much of this functionality could be done through the radio alone (podcasts, dab etc), though the menu driven system isn’t exactly a joy to use for that. The app that allows you to control it through wifi on your phone does make this easier, and is great for adjusting volume from another room, or even changing function. The main con we were aware of when we bought it from reading other reviews, but decided to risk it and depend on the guarantee – the display conks out after some time. Sure enough, after several months, this happened to us, but amazon were there usual brilliant selves at sending us a replacement (actually, they did need a gentle nudge as i think we were originally routed via the manufacturer for a repair, but they came up with the goods as soon as we questioned it. It’s a bit of a surprise as this is probably the first roberts product that has consistently had a fault and not been withdrawn from the market, usually such a reliable company. Hoping the latest version we have has had the fault fixed – or we’ll be back to amazon.

Good connectivity with one usb input connection, and one 3. It comes with a mains adapter but will also run on 4 d cell batteries. Cons:two main control knobs a bit cheap. Controls do not light up although screen does. Only 10 presets for dab, 10 presets for fm and 10 presets for internet radio. You have to be quick to set the alarms. I have not had this long but so far this has been a great radio and i would buy again.

The radio’s good when it works, but unfortunately the display contrast went within the first few days, and i couldn’t read anything on it. At least amazon took it back and refunded with very little problem. Roberts charge £40 to have any problem fixed, which is very reasonable if i had had it for two years before it broke.

I brought this for my french mother-in-law who’s recently moved in with us. Being 91 years young and almost blind she loves listening to the radio but obviously her favourite stations aren’t available over here so the wi-fi internet facility of this radio seemed to provide the ideal solution. Once received, the set up was much easier than i expected and, having expected to have to type in the relevant url i was delighted to find that the wi-fi link automatically scans and displays all the stations so it was just a matter of finding the her favourite one and clicking on it. I was relieved to find that, once set the only control required is the on-off / volume knob which mil picked up straight away. She’s now delighted to be able to listen to her favourite programmes again and is also impressed by the sound quality. The solid and sturdy construction is an added bonus. When we can get to listen to it we’ve found the dab works very well in our area with plenty of stations giving good reception and good sound quality.

We took delivery of this a couple of weeks ago (birthday pressie for the wife). Here is my feedbackproduct set-up. We were listening to internet radio no more than 5 minutes out of the box. It has a slight delay when switching on when it’s connecting to the wifi but only a few seconds. The controls a quite intuitive when you get used to them. Hats off to the people who designed the interface whilst still retaining the retro layout. Fm radio worked well and i also streamed music from my laptop as a test – again worked well and was very easy (good instructions booklet helps). We only use it for internet radio so i can’t comment on dabproduct qualityyes, i know i could have found an internet radio at a third of the price but it would look like a pile of dog doo-doo compared to this. The look of the thing is amazing and it looks well made.

The best connection to all the radio-stations all around the globe. So my pc doesn’t have to stay on the whole day. You can choose the country, style etc. The design is very cool and fits in my living room.

Reading the reviews in germany and uk regards the istream 2, i was aware the sound quality was mentioned as poor. Thus my expectations wasn’t very high. Here’s my short summary:design: 4,5 starsi really like the design. I don’t know why, but somehow i expected a little bit more. For this feeling half a star less. Functionality: 4 starsas i have some other radios using undok-app, i’m happy with functionality. I have no problems receiving dab and fm, quality is very good. As well i had no connection problems to wlan. Unfortunately multiroom is not supported by istream2. I would expect this by a radio of this price level using undok-software. Sound: 1 staron very first impression i was happy with the sound. The radio plays louder than expected for 1w only. But using my favourite internet broadcasting station playing hits of the last 30 years, i recognized, the radio has big troubles with any kind of bass playing more than 50% of maximum volume.

This fabulous radio delivers everything i wanted and more. The dab radio is strong and clear, and i thought it wasn’t possible to get decent dab reception in my flat. The internet radio is fantastic too, i can also listen to podcasts as well as radio stations which is a big bonus. The alarm works when it’s running on batteries (i. , isn’t plugged in to the mains), unlike my old pure radio. And its great to have two alarms, so don’t need to change it at the weekend. It’s very easy to set up and navigate through all the menus and options – the instructions and clear and easy to follow. The sound is mellow and rich. Everything you’d expect from roberts.

This radio not only receives fm, dab and wifi and hence internet radio stations globally, but also has a usb input capable of supporting, according to roberts up to 64gb and a socket for your mp3 player. Well it does far more than that, i have just connected my wd work book usb drive at 700 gb and nearly full with wav mp3 and flac files and it handles that too. The available remote ‘connectr’ app only controls the radio in internet radio use, unless you see page 21 of the users manual and set up the wifi as always on, this uses more power but makes the remote operate at all times.

Syncs up no issue and has a clear and crisp sound. Pride of place in the kitchen.

Positive: solidly built, very good sound, looks nice, best of all is a great search function by genre/region for internet radio stationsbig negative (for me): 2 weeks after buying it, the radio stopped working on bbc iplayer when the bbc changed their format. Niggles: it doesn’t work on my spotify account because apparently my spotify account is the wrong type of account. The instructions only tell you how to connect to the music on your computer if you are using windows media player not anything else. Sometimes is just turns itself off. The sleep timer has to be set up from scratch each time you use it via the menu: settings: sleep. Not sure it is worth the nearly £200 pricedespite these problems i kept the radio until now, 10 months after purchase, the screen has gone blank so it is impossible to use. Amazon have not quibbled and i am returning it for a full refund tomorrow.

I purchased the roberts istream and upon taking her out of her packaging i was impressed the roberts looks and feels great i have to say i am a roberts fan and have owned around 6 roberts radio’s dating back from the 60’s through to this most recent purchase the internet picks up everything worldwide crystal clear i hook her up to my amp and bingo i am listening to great music from across the globe i love my ambient chill out through to jazz 70’s and 80’s music and i have so many great stations to choose from i would say to anyone who likes the retro look and style pick this up but do not expect bass booming sound this radio is not what its about its about style and build quality with adequate sound i am very impressed with this purchase.

I have had this product for a couple months now. It is a nice looking and apparently functional item and intuitive so far. The only reason i give it 4 * is the weight as i am currently having to carry it from room to room. Still trying to work out if i/it can include/create a system with wifi speakers as i would like the radio to stay in one place and ‘pipe’ it to different 3 rooms. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to like being unplugged and then reconnected but i think i got the hang of it. Nicehave a good day and please advise me if the above speaker option is ok as my savvy-ness is limited :p.

Internet radio sound great on this. Listening to stations from all over the world and not having to listen to presenters talking all day long is heaven. So far i’ve found stations dedicated solely (and rightly) to elvis presley and 2 favourites of mine absolute 60’s and 70’s. Can also be used to stream music from your mobile devices and if you have a spotify account that can be played through it as well. Only gripe is that it is perhaps a bit expensive, although like apple products you are paying for the name.

Wish i had found this radio years ago – it opens up so many radio channels that it beggars beliefit is generally advertised as dab/fm/internet ready, but it is also ‘future proofed’, having dab+. If my word isn’t good enough for you, here is the response i got from roberts customer service team when i raised the question with them:’thank you for your email. The revival-istream is dab/dab+/fm/internet compatible as this model has a aac+ codec in the product. Regards lisa prosser’you can buy this radio with confidence, knowing you are getting a radio with a great build quality, great sound, and great functionality.

Love how this radio looks and that’ the reason i bought it although i’m sure you could find a better sound system for the same price. Lots of functionality, including dab, internet radio, traditional radio, usb etc. I like the function for streaming spotify to the device. All in all a good purchase, but pricey.

I love this radio, it’s so beautiful to look at and the sound quality is great. I have an external hard drive connected to my router with a load of music on it which the radio can play which is a bonus as i didn’t know it done this so the 32gb flash drive i purchased is no longer needed. It picks up a lot more dab stations than the cheap asda one i got last week. I absolutely love it, one of the best purchases i have made in a while. I would definitely recommend it.

The post Roberts Radio Roberts Revival iStream2 DAB/DAB, Nice radio with some quirks! appeared first on Home AV.

Buy from AMAZON

HRT® HRT Microstreamer – Highly recommended

I bought this as a step-up from a xonar u3 dac, which was originally a step-up from my laptop’s internal sound card (which is awful) and i’m extremely happy with this dac. I bought the xonar u3 because i got electronic interference noise with my onboard laptop soundcard. A/b’ing the laptop soundard and the xonar u3 i could immediately tell the difference. I thought the xonar u3 sounded really good. After getting the hrt microstreamer. I of course a/b’ed the two and though the xonar sounded extremely flat and congested next to the hrt. (and i originally thought it sounded pretty good). I’ve been using a pair of shure se535 for a little over a year now and have never been too concerned about the signal source but i was really missing out.

I took a risk in buying this dac as i didn’t know how much benefit it would give, this obviously depends on how good your sound card is in the first place. But having heard music through the microstreamer my laptop output now sounds like listening to a very old mono recording after having experienced full hi-fi stereo. And this is a samsung laptop that boasts hd sound capability. I don’t know how it compares with other dacs but for the price i would recommend to anyone who listens to music on a pc or laptop. My only regret is not buying it a long time ago.

I replaced a seriously expensive soundcard with this device and was very much impressed with the difference in output quality. I listen exclusively with audiophile-grade headphones (stax electrostatic and fostex planar) and both the stax via my external valve amp and the fostex directly driven from the headphone socket of the microstreamer sound stunning: detailed, sweet and *very* dynamic. I had no choice except to award five stars.

I bought this from amazon ( very quick delivery) after seeing the front cover of what hifi which basically asked ‘do you listen to music via your computer?’. Read all the reviews and made the £179. Set the computer’s sound preferences to ‘microstreamer’ usb and then chose between the 3. 5mm headphone or line level outputs. The headphone output is controlled by the system’s volume controls but it’s the line out that has a fixed level. I did an a/b comparison between my laptop’s headphone socket and with the microstreamer. Although there is a volume boost ( which could give a wrong impression ), i concluded that this device is defiantly a major improvement on anything i’d ever heard, and that means every piece of expensive hifi i’ve ever had. I have ripped most of my cd collection initially at 320kbs mp3 but recently aac 320kbs or if i buy a remastered cd ( 4th time i’ve bought ‘the lamb lies down’), i have been trying out apple lossless. As for higher bit rates, then that’s for me to discover. When i registered the device, there was a free download of ‘the coachman’s dance’ by shostakovich at a bit rate of 2652 kbps sampled at 96khz which is the highest the unit can cope with. On listening to this via speakers or headphones i realised that it is my ears that will fail to deliver long before the hrt microstreamer does.

My first dac was the arcam rpac usb dac, which while good had an (occasional) annoying niggle. There was a double click as it dropped the connection at the end of a track then reconnected for the next track. So, it went back to the retailer from whom i bought it. They recommend the hrt microstreamer as a replacement. Immediately on the first track played i was sure it sounded even better than the arcam and the annoying clicks were gone. I’d like to mention just how small this is – it is tiny – and would be inimitably suitable for a portable setup – though i’m using it for a desktop setup. Oh, i should also say that the difference between playing audio through this and not is just simply amazing. I’ll not be getting rid of my cds just yet but the cd players will be getting much less use.

This works very well with my windows laptop, letting me connect it to my linn hifi and play streamed spotify tracks. Using the spotimote app from my android phone means i can remotely control spotify. So it’s super lazy, very convenient, and most importantly it sounds great. The only thing i’m disappointed about is that i couldn’t find an android device which would work directly with the microstreamer. But all in all i think this is a real bargain and i definitely recommend it. Being able to sit down with your phone and a beer and listen to (almost) whatever songs in the world you want to, nice and loud on a pukka stereo without having to leave your chair, is a music (and a beer) fan’s dream.

Seriously improves the sound quality of an idevice without needing an external power source. No unsupported device / too much power required messages from apple when using this beauty. But if you are serious about streaming then buy a chord hugo at 8 times the price.

This little gadget has transformed my experience of listening to music off my pc. I have been running my sound card feed through an old hifi amp but the addition of this streamer has added detail, volume and enjoyment to the experience. Even the tracks i loaded off cd’s years ago into i tunes 7 sound clearer and as close to listening to a cd through the same amp as makes no difference to me. The streamer is plug & play, literally into the usb in the front of my pc. I changed my device settings to the max that the device takes and was ready to go. I have read reviews that recommend downloading a usb 2 driver from the product website. I haven’t found that driver yet but am more than happy with the sound i listening to.

Good delivery and a much smaller device than originally expected. Playing both 16 & 24 bit music is very good. The soundstage is clear and much better than playback without the hrt dac.

Whilst the microstreamer may well be an excellent piece of kit, i was expecting a substantial improvement on my macbook pro’s headphone out, and this it certainly is not. It may be that the macbook has an underrated soundcard – i don’t know, but after several a/b tests with uncompressed audio files i have to listen pretty hard to pick out any differences. I should point out that while i may not have the finest ear but i can normally spot fairly small differences eg. This is after a week, so i don’t know if the microstreamer takes time to ‘break in’ as do some hifi items, but i will update if this happens. Also, at the moment i’m using quite a cheap audio lead (though not one of the very cheap nasty leads), which i will upgrade – and then maybe it will be easier to spot any improvement. However, it is not as though the sound from both the macbook pro’s soundcard nor the microstreamer is bad – in fact, it approaches the quality of my technics 1200 with a denon dl-301 mk11 cartridge through a musical fidelity phono stage (using the same tracks on vinyl).

At first i didn’t really see what all the fuss was about, but over time i started to appreciate the clarity it gives the music especially if you listen with a good set of headphones. I love the fact it has 2 outputs, one is line-level so you can use your existing amplified speakers with it, and the other port is for headphones where you control the volume level on the pc. It’s very small and is usb powered so no worries about having an extra power socket.

This is a great dac for the price and having read reviews comparing this device to those up to £300 i decided to purchase. I could instantly hear the difference when comparing it to the headphone output on my pc. I tried both 16bit and 24bit tracks and both sounded considerably better with the microstreamer. Would definitely recommended.

Very good sound quality but broke down in 6 months. Don’t plug it in when you are not using media applications since it gets overheated even in idle. Here are the specifications for the HRT® HRT Microstreamer:

• Make sure this fits
  by entering your model number.
• The microStreamer is an ultra high performance external sound card that connects between a computer, tablet, smartphone or any compliant host to your headphones or audio system
• USB connected and powered, the microStreamer is simple to use and provides a level of improvement that has never before been possible
• Machined from solid aluminum, the microStreamer is both durable and attractive.
• With its high performance asynchronous USB transceiver, digitally controlled analog attenuator coupled to an OCL amplifier, the microStreamer provides a state-of-the-art listening experience
• All power requirements for the microStreamer are supplied from the USB bus, operation is simple, just plug into any available USB port and in a matter of seconds, you will be ready to experience a level of sound that will astonish even the most discerning listener.

I’m using this with an acer iconia windows 8 tablet and the audio technica ath-m50 headphones and the clarity is outstanding. Frankly, i didn’t think it would make a significant difference given that the above headphones already sounded fantastic connected to my focusrite sapphire audio interface but it really does, detail across the entire frequency range is just so much crisper and clearer. Well worth the money if you’re into high quality audio. Best to also use flac files as opposed to mp3 if your device supports it as well, as flac files are lossless. I’d go as far as to say that this dac makes my cd rips sound as good as the cds used to sound on my arcam alpha cd player and highly rated rotel amp.

Reviews from purchasers :

• Great product
• HRT Microstreamer
• Highly recommended

The post HRT® HRT Microstreamer – Highly recommended appeared first on Home AV.

Buy from AMAZON

Sony CMT-SBT20B Hi-Fi System : Nice and compact

Having has our old unit for 15 years hope this one does same time. Seems good quality – neat and small as well.

A birthday present for daughter.

I mainly bought it to play my cd’s on. The details on screen suggest it has a dab radio, it doesn’t, the radio is just fm.

I had this bought as a christmas present as an all singing, all dancing bluetooth system. I specifically wanted to be able to listen via headphones so as not to disturb people when they are asleep. There is no headphone socket and the bluetooth is only a receiver and not a signal transmitter, so you can’t even use bluetooth headphones. This is not clear anywhere in the advertising or even the manual. This took searching the net and phoning sony. Major failing on sony’s behalf despite them insisting you can attach them via a line in socket. No sony, you need a line out socket for headphones. They eventually conceded headphones cannot be used with this product. Though if you are inclined you could create a switchable junction box involving the speakers, which are the only output source, but that’s a phaff, right?despite all this, i have, so far, found the sound quality very good for such a small system. For me, the dab is clear, the mega bass works well, though despite the manual saying it should be on as a default on first switch on, it wasn’t.

Great stereo for the price, with one or two little niggles stopping me handing out a fifth star. It’s easy to set up, but suffers from a lack of presets (only numbered 1-4 on the handset meaning an annoying fumble for the other saved stations) for the dab. It’s a looker – brushed chrome and gloss black glass, nice lcd. Bluetooth is a great addition and picks up my iphone every time without any hassle (it doesn’t require being re-connected after initial set up. ) the weirdest thing is it forgets which radio preset it was on when put on standby and always reverts to the first saved station (at least, i can’t find anything in the instructions that changes this. )sound quality is good, certainly not great; the unit lacks bass even with the settings ramped up, and it won’t rattle the windows but for a smaller room it’s fine (i’m using it in a kitchen). Final annoyance is the cd mechanism engages whenever it comes out of standby so you get that distinctive ‘crunch’ as it gears up, even if you want to just use bluetooth or radio. Other than those things, the price is good for what you get and i’d mostly recommend this.

Good sound quality for a small system.

Sony CMT-SBT20B Hi-Fi System with CD, Bluetooth, DAB and FM Radio – Black/Silver

• Make sure this fits
  by entering your model number.
• Easy Bluetooth connectivity with NFC One-touch
• USB media and Walkman playback and charging
• Intergrated FM and DAB Radio Tuner
• 12W total power
• Mega Bass for dynamic sound

Good sound, but have not used it much yet.

Speakers so flimsy so connected my panasonics from my previous audio/cd unit. Station presets still trying to fathom them out so again panasonic was so easy compared to this remote control. Slightly worried that the 3 amp fuse blew – very unusual. Beware speaker leads have a weird connectors that fit into the audio unit so if you want to connect other speakers you have to cut the leads and solder them back.

Sony CMT-SBT20B Hi-Fi System with CD, Bluetooth, DAB and FM Radio – Black/Silver :

The post Sony CMT-SBT20B Hi-Fi System : Nice and compact appeared first on Home AV.

Buy from AMAZON