Marantz M-CR603 Network Stereo Receiver with CD Player Review

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(More customer reviews)if you seek a simple, yet sophisticated approach to a secondary audio-room, look no further. it won't play loud and deep, but it will handle most secondary listening needs perfectly. for the price, you can't go wrong.

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Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Green) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had my Zen M for about 2 months now so I think I have a good feel for what it's pros and cons are. Here you go:
Pros: Beautiful and Bright Screen (displays thousands of more colors than the Ipod video by the way). Even at 50% brightness (which is default setting out of the box) it looks bright!
Ability to Customize most of the features. This includes being able to set your own photos for the wallpaper, custom equilizer, custom brightnes setting, custom shortcut button, organization of folders(audio, photo, video folders)...etc.
Great Sound! This isn't a surprise because Creative develops sound hardware/software like soundcards.
Good User Interface: The thumb scroller interface takes a few days to get used to, then it's pretty user friendly. You can customize the sensitivity of it too.
Ability to play lots of different video files like Divx and Mpg4.
This was a big selling point for me. The screen is perfect for watching cartoons and anime on.
Good Size. I'm refering to it's physical size. It's actually the perfect size and feels great in your hand. Still pocketable and still feels rock solid and not fragile.
Displays Album cover art! I had trouble with this function in the beginning only because in order to get it to display the album art correctly, you need to rip the Cd album with a program that automatically downloads album info including art. One program that does this is Windows Media Player.
--For the techies that don't want to re-rip everything to get the album art to display, just download a small jpeg image of the album cover that is about 150 by 150 pixels, rename it folder.jpg, make it a hidden file and place it in the folder of the correct album. When you move it to your player it will ask you whether you want to move it to the photo folder, make sure you select "no" and leave it where it is.
Cons: There isn't a lot about this player that is negative. But one aspect which is really annoying is that to charge it or plug it to the computer you have to use this tiny seperate adapter that comes in the box. It's the white adapter/attachment that looks like a dock connector. What the heck were they thinking! I have to carry the separate item everywhere I go just in case I need to charge it or upload music. It sucks man! Why the heck didn't they just build all of the ports into the player itself!!
Also, they should've included the video output cable instead of selling it separately! Or at least made it use a standard video cable! Also, the battery is not removable... at least not meant to be.
These are the only reasons why I gave this player 4 out of 5 stars. Otherwise I would have given 5 out of 5! All in All this player really rocks and is worth every penny! ... and is a much better buy then the "other" competition out there.
Hope this is helpful to you guys. If it is, please give me a vote. Thanks!
For more electronics and technology reviews, visit my site at:
http://newtechnews.blogspot.com/

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Creative Labs' ZEN Vision:M is the fusion of music, photos and video into one compact player. With its 30GB of storage you can store up to 15,000 songs, and up to 120 hours of video. Use it as a portable storage device, for sharing all your audio, video and photos easily. In between listening and viewing session you can hear the top songs on the FM tuner. Sync your player's personal organizer with Microsoft Outlook to transfer your calendar, contacts and task list so you won't miss your important appointments and anniversaries. Watch TV, film and video clips on the LCD monitor -- or connect the Zen Vision:M to a TV and enjoy video that's larger than life. Photo formats -JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PNG and BMP Video Playback -Up to 4 hoursSyncs with and views Microsoft Outlook Contacts, Calendar & Tasks 8 EQ settings -Acoustic, Classical, Disco, Jazz, New Age, Pop, Rock and Vocal Contacts, calendar and tasks Repeat, resume, and random play Sleep and wake timers Outputs -TV-out with stereo audio; 3.5 mm mini-jack composite Battery life -Up to 14 hours (Charge time -6.5 hours USB, 2.5 hours AC) Dimensions(WxHxD) -4.1 x 2.4 x 0.7Weight -5.7 oz.

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ETON S350 AM/FM Shortwave Radio Review

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(More customer reviews)This radio is of excellent quality and the receive on AM, FM and shortwave is very good. Being a ham radio operator I really appreciate the rotary tuning knob that has a fine tuning adjustment knob built in. I just can't see myself buying an expensive shortwave radio with no tuning knob. Half the fun of radio is being able to play with a VFO!
I also own the GE superadio that other reviewers have commented on. The Grundig does not feel and look cheap like the GE superadio but the GE superadio will outperform the Grundig in a side by side comparison. The superadio has two speakers that are designed for better fidelity and louder audio than the smaller Grundigs single speaker can achieve. When listening to weak stations in heavy static on the AM band the superadio did a better job of pulling out the audio.
The shortwave reception is the best part of the radio however and this radio is a real jewel for shortwave use! The selectivity is great, no overlapping of stations that is found on cheaper shortwave radios like the Sangean SG 622. The radios sensitivity is excellent also, I could not ask for better performane from a shortwave radio. I know I made the correct decision passing up some of the more expensive Sony and Grundig shortwave radios that look so tempting to buy but lack a knob to tune with.

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S350 AM/FM/SHORTWAVE RADIO - With the rugged look of a retro field radio and the latest in AM/FM/Shortwave radio technology, the S350 Field Radio features the best of analog and digital.The S350 is the perfect addition to active lifestyles that demand high-performance portable audio capable of receiving news and information from across the globe.

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Harman Kardon HK 3490 120 Watt X 2 Stereo Receiver with XM Radio-ready Tuner and Dolby Virtual Speaker Review

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(More customer reviews)I used the HK 3480 (the precursor to this model) for five years and loved it. The 3490 is even better. The sound is more robust and full, not different, but just more refined. It easily powers my Klipsch Synergy speakers and would pair well with any mid-level speakers. With 120w even inefficient speakers will have more than a enough power to move air.
Further, the 3490 has an important new feature: digital inputs. This is a very nice option for those who have made the jump to an all digital music library and use a digital jukeboxes like the Roku Soundbridge or the Squeezebox. Both players have digital outs and pair up nicely with the 3490.
The difference in quality from digital inputs or analog is debatable, but to my ear, going from the 3480 with analog cables, to the 3490 with optical TOSLINK, there was an immediately improvement in clarity. Songs with delicate sound work came alive. Soft details were more apparent. It's been a great upgrade for me.
It's important to note that the 3490 doesn't leave analog fans in the cold either. It has a very nice tape loop and a wonderful gold plated stereo pickup. In short, whether you're library consists of vinyl or mp3s this amp will do it all.
I have always been a fan of Harmon Kardon, and I bought the older 3480 because I'm a strict fan of stereo music listening. The 3490 is a very smart update to the 3480, bringing it into the 21st century with a host of digital options. For those who rely on an iPod for music, there is specific iPod cradle for this amp that allows you to play your iPod's music effortless over the stereo while controlling it with the HK remote. This amp is also XM Radio ready, just plug in your XM receiver and the HK will allow you to control it.
It's very hard to find a subtle, high powered stereo receiver with these features. The market has sadly moved away to the home theater, multi-channel world, but I'm glad Harmon Kardon is still loyal to their stereo listeners.
Build quality is very nice. It's not a flashy amp, it doesn't light up the room with needless LEDs. It's very understated, and handsome. HK even includes two little inserts that hide the front inputs and bass, treble, and balance controls (nice if you don't want people messing with your settings, or you appreciate a clean look.)
Other than the digital options, the tape loop and the phono pickup, the amp does allow video switching and pass through should you want to integrate into your home theater. The other notable detail are the speaker posts. They allow the use of banana clips or allow you to secure naked wire in two different ways to the posts. This is nice if you don't have a lot of clearance behind the amp.
At this price point, there is simply nothing out there that can compete with this amp in terms of quality, performance, or features.

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The HK 3490 is a high current stereo receiver that will give you the best possible audio performance. You can use the optional "Bridge II" to control and navigate your Ipod'. The power rating is 120 watts times two at 8 ohms and 150 watts times 2 at 4 ohms. It has 45 amps of current. It is also XM Ready. It has speaker A/B switching.

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