After testing AirPlay speakers against Bluetooth speakers, one thing has jumped out at me: AirPlay is way, way better. In terms of sound at least. Which is why I’m interested in the Wren v5 wireless speaker, an AirPlay speaker from an ex-president at Harman International.
![Hidden Radio Looks Great, Sounds… Fine [Review]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_6093.jpg "IMG_6093.JPG")
The Hidden Radio is probably the best-looking speaker I have tested.
The Hidden Radio was an early Kickstarter success, blowing past its original $125,000 goal to hit almost a million bucks. I was, apparently, the first gadget writer to post about it, and a the end of last summer — shortly after the speakers started shipping, I met John and Vitor here in Barcelona.
So I figured it was about time I reviewed it.
I’m a big fan of waterproof speakers. Not just for in-shower podcast listening, so I can get all excited about CultCast host Erfon Elijah’s sweet vocal tones as I froth myself into a soapy lather. No, I also like to listen to Erfon in the kitchen as I cook, perhaps kneading a soft and supple bread dough by hand, or washing the dirty dishes with my rough hands plunged into the hot suds…
Anyway. Splash-proof speakers. Muji makes one .
Hey fellas. You know what the laydeez love more than anything? Ferrari-branded gear, that’s what. When they see a man in a Ferrari jacket, or toting a Ferrari laptop, or – best of all – topped with a Ferrari baseball cap, do you know what she thinks? She thinks that you must own a Ferrari! Or that you drive one for a living, probably in those macho Formula One races.
More than anything, she can’t stop thinking about your Grand Prix.
Owners of the Big Jambox are in for a treat. Just head over to the MyTalk page and administer a new firmware update. You ill be treated to two whole hours of extra battery life (in addition to the 15 you already enjoy) plus a host of genuinely hand new features.
You could easily make your own iPhone amplifier dock from a shoebox. Or better, an old wooden wine case. Or best of all, you could get out your clamps, drills, router and hot glue and go medieval on some pile of wood’s ass. If you choose the latter route, then you should download the plans (totally SFW) from Renee at Red Bird Blue – her amazing creation is what you see in the picture above.
Got some old speakers gathering dust at home? Would you love to hook them up to your AirPlay network but don’t want to buy a) an amp and speaker cable and b) an Airport Express? Well, The Vamp is here to save you. It’s a tiny box that sits on top of your speaker and acts as both amp and Bluetooth receiver.
![The Little Braven BRV-1 Speaker Is Tough Enough To Follow You Everywhere [Review]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/1363967235.jpg)
Boinggggg! You can bounce this little fella around. Go on — he won’t care.
Say hi to the little Braven BRV-1. Take a while to get acquainted… You’re going to be spending a lot of time together this summer. Why? Because not only does this little fella sound pretty good, he can follow you almost literally everywhere you might go – beach, biking, even boating – without stopping.
We’ve seen a lot of iPad-enhancing accessories over the last couple of years. Speaker cases like the Belkin Thunderstorm, bring-your-own-keyboard cases like the Incase Origami, and even iPad battery cases. But here’s a new one: DOCKr, an accessory that brings all these advantages together in one Skittle-colored package.
Bem’s Wireless Speaker Trio: Fully charged and ready for action.
If you’ve ever had a party with people in various rooms of your house, maybe even outside, Bem’s Wireless Speaker Trio was made just for you.
The Trio is a neat idea: connect your music source (iPhone, iPad, iPod) via Bluetooth to its base station, then move any of its three rechargeable satellite speakers anywhere in your home, up to 120 feet from the base, and they’ll fill that room with music from your iDevice or Mac.
But while Bem’s Wireless Trio is a great idea and was awesome when it worked, my tests brought to light some problems I just couldn’t ignore.
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