Reviews Written by Josh
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Harman Kardon Harman/kardon SoundSticks II Computer Speaker
Computer SpeakerPrice: $111.15 to $169.95 Compare PricesMarch 27, 2005
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October 12, 2004
All Frosting and No Cake...
3 of 3 Yahoo! Users found this review helpfulPros: Cool looking design, innovative text message writing, great display.
Cons: Terrible reception, many unneeded functions, and just wasn't "real world" compatible.
So I bought this phone because I absolutely fell in love with it when I first saw it. It was way too expensive at the time, but a few years passed, I was still very interested, the price had dramatically come down, so I purchased it. For the first few months, I was very happy. Like most products you buy, it usually takes a few months of use to really get a feel for how it works. I started noticing some problems with it, particularly reception problems. I thought it was my carrier, and truly thought that for the 2 years I had this phone, that is until I just recently purchased a new one. My new phone (just a little Nokia 3120) gets reception in places my V70 never could. The other biggest problem with the V70 is the spinning headset. My friends were pretty wowed by it, but let me tell you, it got clogged with sand and lint and all sorts of things. It made this horrible grinding noise every time I went to open it, and there was absolutely no way to clean it out. Basically, this phone is just a lot of fluff. It doens't even work that well as a phone, which should be the most important aspect. Take it from me, an owner of this phone for 2 years, it's just not worth it. If you're looking in the direction of the V70, just think about getting something a little more simple. All the high tech design looks really cool, but it just isn't real world compatible. No matter how careful you might think you are with your cell phone, it goes through a lot of punishment. This phone would do great in a museum, but does terrible in your day-to-day life. By the end of the day, I just wanted a phone that freakin' worked, so I went back to simplicity. ...
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July 21, 2003
Awesome!!!
2 of 2 Yahoo! Users found this review helpful This monitor is totally sweet!! I just recieved it about a week ago, and I absolutely love it. I have been looking for a monitor for about 3 months now, and narrowed it down to this one. What can I say? This one is perfect!! The widescreen is wonderful; gaming, dvd's, everything!! The only thing that kind of sucks is when you are online. Many websites will only fill up a portion of your screen, leaving large amounts of white-space on either end. But, that is such a small downside because everything else is great!! The size is just right for my desk, and gives me plenty of additonal room. You can also mount it on your wall, but I haven't had the chance to try that yet. Out of the box and ready to go only took me about 10 minutes. I have had this monitor for only a week now, and haven't come across anything really negative. The price was a little high, but what can you expect for an lcd widescreen? The only other widescreen I've seen comparable to this one is a Sony, and it's even more expensive. Overall, I wouldn't hesitate spending the same amount for this monitor again. If anything goes wrong, I will make sure to update my review!! ... -
June 25, 2003
I Love It!!
So, I bought these because I really wanted something simple, and didn't see myself utilizing a 5.1 surround sound system in an effective way. Let's just say that when I first plugged in these bad-boys, I was amazed. The bass is outstanding, and I love the individual fine tuning knobs for bass and treble. When other people first hear this system, they always say, "How can those little speakers sound so awesome?!!" I am an avid gamer and also play a huge amount of music; these speakers perform flawlessly no matter what your system hands it. The only thing that gets kind of annoying is the blue down-lighting. It is cool when you are trying to show off your system, or at night, but for everyday use, it kind of gets on my nerves. All JBL needs to do is add a switch that turns the lights on and off. Overall, these speakers are worth every penny. I would recomend them to anyone wanting something elegant and simple, but does not want to compromise quality. These are almost perfect speakers!! ... -
May 26, 2002
It's Pretty Nice
5 of 7 Yahoo! Users found this review helpful Ok, this cd player is not at all what I expected, which is both good and bad. First, some backgroud information:
I think it is important to know first why I, the user, decided to buy this product and what I intend to use it for. I specifically bought this player to take with me to the gym. I needed something with a lot of skip protection, something that would also play the many formats of cd's I have, and something that had a long battery life. I wanted something rugged, but also something that I could take with me on the road and sound great. So, I invested in the iRiver SlimX. Let's talk about the features I really like:
-Options: So many, you don't even know what to do with all of them.
-Battery Life: It is never-ending, and even the rechargeable batteries last forever without the additional battery pack.
-Skip Protection: It is really pretty good, especially compared to my last player.
-Sound: You can pick from something like 4-5 different sound themes such as "Rock" or "Jazz." You can even customize the sound for your own taste.
Ok, I talked about the good, now here is the bad:
-Remote: The player completely relies on the remote. Without it, you can not perform even the simplest of functions like "Shuffle." The remote is also very cheaply made, and I'm affraid as to how long it will last.
-No LCD on Player: Since there is no LCD on the player, almost everything you do has to be done by the remote. That means that if the remote is damaged or broken, or you just don't want to use it, you're out of luck. And the remote is so cheaply made, that I'm almost positive it will break within a year.
-The Tuner: I'm sorry, but it is pretty bad. I won't even listen to the tuner because the sound is just horrible.
-Difficult to Use: At first, this unit is very compicated. Since everything is done with the remote, all of the complexity comes from there. There are only 4 buttons on the remote (which might sound easy), but an endless number of ways the options can be accessed. With so few buttons and so many options, it really can be confusing as to what you push, pull, or squeeze.
-Skip Protection: I said that the skip protection was pretty good, and it is. However, with some formatted cd's, it can take up to 1 minuter before it finally reads a song and plays it. I looked in the manual and it said that the player may have a difficult time reading certain formatted cd's in the highest skip protection mode. Well, one of the reasons why I bought it was because it had such great skip protection. Now, I can't even play some of my favorite burned cd's without turning the skip protection off, which means I can't listen to them in the gym.
-Price: This thing is pretty expensive, and not all it is cracked up to be.
Conclusions & Recomendations:
I would definately look into another player before you invest in this one. The player unit itself should at least have the same, if not more options than the remote. Don't be fooled by how sleek this player appears, or by the blue LCD remote; the player is pretty nice and sturdy, but the remote is really cheap. The way this thing is designed, you totally rely on the remote for almost all of the functions. You would think that the most sturdy part of this player would be the remote, especially because you rely on it so heavily. Overall, it is a pretty expensive player that did not meet my expectations. I am thinking about looking into a Sony player for the future. Whatever you do, make sure and do a lot of research before you spend $200 on a portable cd player, especially on the iRiver. ... -
May 19, 2002
Fantastic!!
3 of 3 Yahoo! Users found this review helpful I rely heavily on reviews before I buy a product, so hopefully this review will help anyone interested in these earphones. If I had to describe these earphones in one word, it would be "balanced." Both in design and in sound, these are the best earphones I have ever had. I used to have a pair of Sony Fontopia earphones which really are a good source of comparison to the B & O earphones. Let's first talk about design:
Design Pros:
-Balanced
-Adjustable
-Excellent for activities because they stay right in your ear
-Surprisingly light weight
-Love the extesion for stationary listening
Design Cons:
-Difficult to get used to
-At first, awkward to get just right where you want them
I'm used to earphones that you just plug into your ear. They are a little different, and take a few times of wearing them to get the feel for how they work. Once you get it though, they are comfortable and light. Now, let's talk about sound:
Sound Pros:
-Balanced
-Excellent sound range
-Crisp, clear, and precise
-Quality, quality, quality
Sound Cons:
-More bass would be nice
If any of you have ever listened to music with the Sony Fontopia earphones, you will notice that they have unbelievable bass. With the A8 earphones, I could use a little more bass, but overall, the sound is just so balanced that I can't really complain.
These earphones are really wonderful. I bought them on the internet for under $100, and probably wouldn't buy them through B & O which will cost you about $160. The other thing I was a little disapointed about, was that there is not a gold driver for these earphones, however I don't think that it really hurts the sound at all. They are the best I have had yet, so I am giving them 5 stars. ... -
December 26, 2001
Advice From a True Fan
I admit, this album definately doesn't live up to other aphex twim albums, but it does have some surprises. There are a few tracks that just have piano, and they are completely different from anything ever produced by James. I think that James is always throwing surpirses into every album. He is exploring a new path, and I think he is taking the right step forward. If he can only combine the classical sounds with his modern antics, I think he would have a fantastic album. This cd however just gives you a taste of different music forms; some classic, some harsh, some ambient, and are defined as such in every track. I think combining those music types may enhance the listening experience as does his other albums. ... -
August 30, 2001
It's Pretty Nice.
This little stereo is a pretty nice little package, however there are a few things that could be better. One thing's for sure; there needs to be a belt clip on this bad-boy. I take this to the gym with me all the time, and it is always falling out of my pockets. At least make a belt clip that you can take on and take off. The other thing is the headphones; they really aren't very good. However, I did go out and buy a really nice pair of Sony ear-buds, and that little thing sounds great now! The total money I ended up spending, including the new headphones, was about $100!! That is way too much money to spend for an am/fm radio, but that is about how much you might need to spend to get that thing to sound nice. You might want to consider saving your money for some other sort of porable sound device like an mp3 or minidisc player. But if you are looking for an am/fm radio that is small, easy to use, and versatile, this is definately a good option. ... -
April 10, 2001
Great System
1 of 1 Yahoo! Users found this review helpful I bought this system for about $400 after shipping. This is a wonderful system that won't overwhelm you with pointless options or gadgets. It is straight forward and simple to use. If you are into tape players, this is the system to buy. I personally have no real use for a tape player, and wish this system had more features for the cd player. Hopefully Technics will one day integrate a cd player and a mini-disc player into a similar looking system. The sound is wonderful, but I could still use a little more low end bass. There is a fine tuning treble nob which is great, but I wish there was a bass nob also. I love the side lighting, however when the system is veiwed from an angle or from the side, you lose much of the overall lighting affect. In order to get the true feel for this system, you must view it directly in front. Overall, you can not beat the look, the ambiance, or the sound of this system. Everyone who has seen and heard it absolutely loves it. Technics is going in the right direction by combining great sound, form, styling, and function to appease all of the senses. Technics has some adjustment to make, but I feel it is worth every penny. ...
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Awesome!!
5 of 5 Yahoo! Users found this review helpfulPros: Great bass, design, sound, clarity
Cons: Bass adjustment knob in back, rubber coating color on base of speakers maybe a little too feminine for some.
Prior to these speakers I had the JBL Creature (also amazing speakers, had them for years and were great). However, the Creatures's were lacking one particular thing: thundering bass. They had great bass, but just not the kind that shakes a room. It was more crisp and clean. I read some reviews and decided it was time for an upgrade. So, I went with the Soundstick II's. Harman Kardon is definitely doing something right because they combine style and elegance with unsurpassed sound like no other company has done, all at an incredible price. Don't think these speakers are all looks, they sound amazing. At first I was a little worried because I was getting some crackle during certain songs, however, the speakers just weren't broken in yet. Out of the box, you might be a little disapointed, but give it some time, play some differnt music for an hour or so, and these speakers warm right up. The bass is beautiful. It is precise, and fills up my entire room. When I want it to shake the pictures on my wall, it can. When I just want some nice classical music, it fills my room with amazing clarity.
There are only 2 things that I find as a con about these speakers, and niether has anything to do with the sound. The first is the rubber coating around the base of the stick speakers; they are kind of girly. The have a purplish tint which just makes them sort of ugly. However, I solved the problem by cutting the rubber off. Underneath the rubber is a thick and heavy metal that looks a million times better. Only problem with cutting the rubber off is that the sticks become a little less stable. The other thing I found sort of a pain was that the bass adjustment knob on the sub is in the back. I adjust my bass levels from song to song, and having it in the back is just more of an inconvienience.
If you're looking to buy a pair of amazing speakers for under $150, these are the ones to get. I would also highly recomend the JBL Creature's if you're looking for great speakers under $100. ...