Wolverine ESP 120 GB Portable Multimedia Storage Player Review

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(More customer reviews)I spent a while trying to find a multimedia device that could read multiple types of flash memory cards (Compact flash cards, SD cards), read the raw files from my Canon EOS 5D camera and have at least 80 GB storage.
This device met all those requirements and also has a big vivid screen. In addition to the above, it is an mp3 player, video player and has an FM radio.
I have the 100 GB version that I purchased from costco for $ 350. I took this along on a long trip (3 weeks), along with a couple of spare batteries.
It performed wonderfully. I downloaded the pictures from my 2 GB compact flash cards at least 15 times. It stored all my RAW files without a hitch. It could also read the raw files generated from my camera and display it. The download speed was very fast.
The Canon EOS 5D generates large files at it highest resolution and fills up my 2 GB compact flash cards quickly. It is too impractical and expensive to carry too many compact flash cards. This device really helps to bridge this gap.
It also has a tetris game, music and video capability in it, to keep my kids happy during long drives.
Highly recommended for digital photographers and also for people looking for a verstile multi media device that can do more than the ipod.

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Designed specifically for busy professional and amateur digital photographers, the Wolverine ESP portable multimedia storage device lets you store and view thousands of photos, songs, and video files in a single convenient device. Digital photographers typically have to purchase multiple memory cards if they want to take a ton of photos while traveling. With the ESP, however, you need only a single card, as the unit's 120 GB hard drive stores the rest. When your camera's memory card is full, simply pop it in the Wolverine ESP's built-in 7-in-1 card reader. With the press of a button, the device transfers all of your photos and digital camera video data into a portable, self-powered mass storage unit. Once the contents of your card are safely stored in the ESP's memory, you can re-fill your memory card with brand-new photos--all without going anywhere near a computer. And because the device is battery powered, you can literally save your data anywhere in the world. It's perfect for traveling, sharing data during meetings, and just about any other on-the-go situation.
The ESP also includes a razor-sharp 3.6-inch LCD screen, letting you view stored photos and videos without plugging them back into your camera. Among the compatible photo formats are JPEG, Bitmap, Tiff, Text, and RAW images, while compatible video formats include MPEG-1, MPEG-4, WMV 9, and XviD. And as with many digital cameras, the ESP prints directly to a printer to save time and energy. The device is no slouch from an audio perspective, either, with support for MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, ACC (MP4 audio), and CDA formats. In addition, the unit's drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to transfer music files from your computer and play them instantly. As a final bonus, the ESP includes a built-in FM radio with 18 presets that lets you listen to and record your favorite FM programs.
Other details include zoom, rotate, and slide show functions; an included A/V cable for connecting the ESP directly to any TV, projector, or stereo system; and compatibility with a separately sold cradle system that lets you record directly from a TV, DVD, VCR, camcorder, or other video source. The ESP measures 5.3 by 2.8 by 0.9 inches (W x H x D), weighs 10.2 ounces with the lithium-ion battery, and is backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the BoxWolverine ESP (with battery), AC charger, USB cable, A/V cable, earphone, carrying case, software CD, user's manual.

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Sonos BU250 Multiroom Music System Review

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(More customer reviews)I have owned the Sonos 250 bundle for a week now and it works like a charm!
It comes with an extensive owners manual,easy setup and most importantly it simply works.
I returned a Squeezebox Duet for a refund after 25 days it was a too problematic (constantly on the phone with tech support),the controler had too much lag time booting up from sleep mode.
The CR200 remote controler is an awesome piece of work it is robust (as is the entire Sonos system),fast and has a very sturdy rubberized build with a big bright full color screen,very nice.
The build quality for all the componets is top notch and I mean TOP NOTCH quality.
One thing to note...the 120 zoneplayer will not connect to a receiver only speakers as it has its own built in amp I made that assumption,not a problem my mini Onkyo receiver will find other duty around the house.All this is to say if you intend to connect to 2 receivers STOP and buy two Sonos 90 zoneplayers and CR 200 separately.
The sound from the built in amp is equal to if not better my my mini 60 amp Onkyo system.
The Sonos 90 zoneplayer in the bundle connects to my big Onkyo receiver in the family room again the sound is awesome and of course it syncs with the other room or plays seperate selections in each room if you desire.
There is another Sonos 90 in my future for my mini Onkyo.
All in all you cannot go wrong here Sonos cost more then its competition but is a better value and worth every penny.
I went the low road (Squeezebox) and it was full of bumps and headaches, dig a little deeper and save yourself some time and headaches Sonos is the way to go.

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The BU250 includes two Sonos ZonePlayers and one Sonos Controller to let you enjoy the music files on your PC or networked hard drive anywhere in your house, thanks to hassle-free wireless networking capability. Controller offers a 3.5" color LCD to provide easy browsing of your PC music library and independent control of each ZonePlayer in your system.

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Sonos Play:3 All-In-One Wireless Music Player With 3 Integrated Speakers (White, NEW) Review

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(More customer reviews)I say "second best" because the best purchase I have made is the Zoneplayer 120. Set-up was a breeze, sound quality is good, all in all I am very pleased. The Play 3 will play loud but the sound quality couldn't match my B&W 685's that I have hooked up to the ZP120 (but it isn't supposed to...). I am ordering a second but haven't decided if I am using it in the garage or as a stereo pair in the bedroom.

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The smaller, sexier, tuck in a corner and blow out the roof, all-in-one player. Wirelessly stream your entire iTunes library, favorite music services, and thousands of radio stations from around the world. Versatile enough to put anywhere and still fill the room with sound. Set up simply, and expand until every room in your home is packed with music. All playing a different song in every room or the same song in perfect synchronization. Control it all from your Android iPhone or iPad using the free Sonos CONTROL app.

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Philips NP2500/37 WiFi Internet Radio Network Music Player with Rhapsody (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The entire problem with this player is that it does one thing really well, but has a couple of other features thrown in addition that don't work as advertised.
As a player for Rhapsody, this really rocks. The songs come up quickly, the interface is easy to navigate, and all the songs feature artwork that looks great on the small but crisp LCD. The only downside is that it requires a paid Rhapsody account, although the free month is a nice introduction.
When it comes to internet radio and streaming music as an UPnP device, this player really falls apart. The internet radio functions work well, but the connectivity is very slow compared to the Rhapsody service, and it is unable to display song information from every station. Some stations work, some don't. Also, to find radio stations you are limited to either browsing the menus, or using the number pad to enter the station's name or a serach keyword. The number pad works about as well as using a cell phone without T9, so it is functional but very, very slow.
The UPnP service for streaming music from your home computer never worked for me. I installed the bundled software, updated it from the company's website, but the music never started. I was able to find my music library, even my iTunes playlists, but when I hit "Play," the player just hung forever and never started the music. FYI, I'm running a Macbook Pro with iTunes, and I keep my music on an external network hard drive, so that may have been the issue. A search through the forums of the Twonky Media Player(used for streaming) revealed nothing helpful, and I was unable to resolve it in the time I had to review the item.
As far as the player itself, the design is attractive and should fit well with most home electronics. The screen is bright and clear, and the remote works as well as can be expected. There are no on device controls, so the remote is essential to any use of the player, but I had no problems. It was also easy to connect to the internet, although entering a wireless network password using the number pad was time-consuming.
Bottom line, don't expect it to work seamlessly as a streaming media center from your PC or Mac's music collection. If you want it mainly for internet radio, it works, but is a bit hard to use. Rhapsody works great, but again, it requires a subscription.

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Wirelessly access 10,000+ Internet stations FREE, your music library, and Music On-Demand with a free trial from Rhapsody. Streamium is your Home Jukebox. You can access Internet music from your home country or hometown, by musical genre (rock, pop, news, sports, 80's, etc.). Your digital music is easily accessed by Streamium so you are always connected to music you already own (in addition you can leverage music from multiple PCs/Macs). Finally, you can get music-on-demand with Rhapsody (free trial included). Search thousands of titles and artists for music of your choice or play "name-that-tune" with your friends and family (by preferred genre). This network music player allows you to "free your music" from MP3 players and your computer. With easy setup you can hook-up to your home theater or home audio system so you can experience seamless entertainment with quality you are used to hearing. FullSound is a great feature built-in that brings back high-quality CD sound from your digitally compressed MP3 files. Enjoy album art from your favorite artists (from your PC/Mac, or from Rhapsody) and enjoy radio station logos and pictures that can be shown on your player. A remote allows easy music management from a distance.

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Sonos Play:5 All-In-One Wireless Music Player With 5 Integrated Speakers (S5, Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Just got the S5 about an hour ago. Setup couldn't be easier. Step 1 - connect the power cord to an power outlet. Step 2 - hit the Mute and + button to get the S5 added as a new zone, Step 3 - hmmm....I don't think there is one. Just hit play and enjoy pure bliss.
This is my 4th Zone player (see my other gushing review of the Sonos system on the Sonos bundle page), and anytime my wife asks, "how many of these white boxes you really need?", the answer is always "one more".
Portability is the key feature of S5. Moving it from Kitchen to backdeck is just a matter of unplugging the power cord and replugging at the new location. It's all in one box. And the sound quality is not bad either. With all 4 zone players on party mode - some connected to very expensive Klipsch towers - I have ran around to compare the sound quality at various locations. The verdict - this little guy stacks up nicely against the big boys.
And the iPhone controller is not too shabby either. Don't see the need to buy the new touch controller (CR200).
Awesome product. Pure genius. Just get it.

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Turn your iPhone/iPod touch/iPad device or Android smartphone into the ultimate remote control. Download the free Sonos Controller app for your iPhone/iPod touch/iPad device or Android smartphone and you'll have complete wireless control of your S5 through your home's WiFi network. Scroll through songs, browse album art, tune in to radio stations and more. Plus, since you're not streaming the music from your iPhone, like you are with docking stereos, you can take calls and receive texts without interrupting the music. Get instant access to endless music. Touch a button on your device and ZonePlayer is playing music from your computer's digital music library. Touch another and it's reggae straight from Jamaica on one of 100,000 free Internet radio stations and shows. Touch your device again and you're tapped into Rhapsody, Pandora, Napster, Last.fm, and SIRIUS. "The music sounds fantastic." The New York Times Beneath its sleek all-in-one exterior, the S5 hides five independent speakers, each powered by its own dedicated digital amplifier. This means you get rich, room-filling sound that rivals or outperforms much larger, more complicated audio systems. And, because the S5 uses a 100% digital architecture, every notefrom top-of-the-range highs to mids and deep, true basscomes through in brilliant clarity exactly as the artist intended. Add multiple rooms of music without adding a single wire. Get a whole-home music system without spending a dime for installation. Simply add additional ZonePlayer S5 units throughout your house and the proprietary Sonos wireless network will integrate them all into a single wireless music system. You can stream the same music to all rooms or send separate streams to each unit. And you can control it all, including individual volumes from your iPhone device anywhere in the house. "The setup process is fantastically simple." The Wall Street Journal Just plug the all-in-one Sonos ZonePlayer S5 into your Internet router and instal

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Sonos Play:3 All-In-One Wireless Music Player With 3 Integrated Speakers (Black, NEW) Review

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(More customer reviews)Here's the problem with Sonos. Most of these reviews are worthless for a new customer as they have no concept what the various components do, how they fit together and what they should get! In fact, I will say that Sonos could significantly improve the messaging of their products. Think about it -- is a new customer going to have any idea what ZonePlayer or Bridge means. Even their website is quite confusing for someone new to all of this stuff. For example, they sell a ZonePlayer120 and ZonePlayer90, which have vastly different functionality. Sonos should just get rid of their marketing folks and hire some people from Apple to fix the messaging confusion. My advice for folks who want to learn more about Sonos is to find a friend with one or go to local stereo shop. Fortunately, the folks on the tech-side of Sonos know what the heck they are doing and why I give this 5 stars!
OK, I just bought a new Black Play:3 along with the Bridge. In a nutshell, here is probably all you need to know:
- Why... The Play:3 is essentially for folks who want to listen to their digital music through a high-quality speaker system that is wirelessly connected to sources of music. Typically, the music is coming from your computer's library (e.g., iTunes) or some internet service such as Pandora or TuneIn (internet radio). How do you control all of this -- by using one of their nifty free apps which run on iPhones, iPod Touch, Androids, iPads (with more to come).
- The Play:3 is your speaker component where sound comes out of. The only connection to worry about is AC power. The beauty of this is that you can move your speaker anywhere in your house at will just as you would with a clock radio.
- The Bridge is a little white box that connects to your WiFi router. It functions to stream music from the source to your Play:3 speaker, wherever that may be. Sure, you don't really need this $50 box as you could plug your Play:3 into your router, but then you defeat much of the purpose for getting a Sonos (wireless portability).
- Sonos makes setup of everything about as easy as possible. If you have a firewall (e.g., at workplace), then things become a little more complicated (you're best off just calling tech support instead of wasting hours figuring it out, which I know many have done).
- I decided to copy my entire iTunes library to a network (NAS) drive and just have Sonos access this. Essentially, I have a portable 500GB Western Digital USB drive connected to my Apple Airport Extreme base station. It is ridiculously easy to setup. The advantage of this is that my music is always available instead of needing my computer to be turned on. Also, much of disk space on my Macbook Pro is used for photos and videos. I should say that another reason I did this was because I am running Mac OS Lion, which is not yet supported by Sonos (but this will be addressed very soon).
- The nice thing about Sonos is that I can easily expand my system later on. For example, I can buy another Play:3 so that I can setup the two in stereo. Or I can create multiple zones in my house (e.g., bedroom, living room) with each Play:3 playing different music at the same time.
- The main limitation of the Play:3 is that there is no line-in jack. This means you cannot connect an outside audio source such as a CD player. And because of this limitation, you cannot configure it using an Apple Airport Express to stream from your iOS device using Apple's Airplay technology. The Play:5 system has a line-in if you really some of these features. Personally, I would love to see Sonos come out with a cheap little white box that just has some line-in audio jacks (including optical). This box could address some of the Play:3 limitations as well as offering an easy way to connect the Sonos system to an Apple TV.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with my purchase and will likely buy another Play:3 shortly to further enhance my system. It just works...and sounds great!


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The smaller, sexier, tuck in a corner and blow out the roof, all-in-one player. Wirelessly stream your entire itunes library, favorite music services, and thousands of radio stations from around the world. Versatile enough to put anywhere and still fill the room with sound. Set up simply, and expand until every room in your home is packed with music. All playing a different song in every room or the same song in perfect synchronization. Control it all from your Android iPhone or iPad using the free Sonos CONTROL app.

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