Otterbox Defender Series Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Case and The Latch Review

When it comes to tablets, you will want to get the most out of it. You will also want to protect it. After all just one accidental drop could damage it. For accessories, a great option is OtterBox. Not only do they make great cases like the Defender Series, they also make great accessories like The Latch. Both of them are up for review today.

Features and specs:

Defender Series Case:

Features:

• Silicone port covers keep dust and debris away from the main openings, including the charging port, headphone jack and volume controls
• Full access to all the features and functions of the case, including all buttons, microphone and camera
• Three layers of protection include a polycarbonate inner layer, silicone outer layer and protective shield stand

Material:

• Two-piece polycarbonate inner layer
• A screen protector is built into the inner shell to prevent scratches and smudges
• Rubber outer skin wraps around the inner shell and absorbs impact from drops and bumps
• The removable shield stand provides added protection for the screen during transport
• A shield stand supports portrait and landscape viewing and a natural typing angle

The Latch:

Features:

• Adjustable hand strap is padded for a comfortable fit
• Synthetic rubber corner straps are designed for increased durability
• Optional accessory bag with leg strap, S-biner and neck strap allow for convenient storage and acts as a tablet stand

Material:

• Velcro
• Polyester
• Hypalon synthetic rubber

Both the Defender case and The Latch come in a standard packaging, showing off the product. I liked the printed cardboard that The Latch was attached to. The back of it showed images of the different scenarios The Latch can be used in, such as around the neck, around your leg, with your hand, and around the back of a hand rest to name a few. The quality of materials used as well as the fit and finish of both products were excellent.

The performance of both products was also excellent. The Defender series case fit snug around my Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet. I really like the way the series has the rubber that surrounds it to give further protection. While I would not want to drop my tablet, accidents happen. And I don’t know of any other case that gives the same level of protection as the Otterbox Defender Series.

The Latch performed just as well for what it was designed for. The elastic straps held it firmly around the tablet, even with the case on. Sliding your hand in The Latch was simple. Holding it in any of the other options as shown on the package was just as easy. And I really liked the small pouch that attached to the latch that help the straps.

This is a perfect situation where I am pleased to see that things haven’t changed at Otterbox. Their products continue to be one of the best on the market. Based on their design, features, quality, and performance, both the Defender Case and The Latch have earned out Editor’s Choice Award. For more info check out their website at www.otterbox.com.

Onkyo LS-B50 Soundbar With Wireless Subwoofer Review

Sound comes in all shapes and sizes. If the sound from the speakers in your TV isn't good enough, the simplest option is to get a soundbar.  Soundbars also come in different shapes and sizes. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Cheap is usually just that...cheap. But if you are looking for a good quality soundbar, the Onkyo LS-B50 EnvisionCinema Soundbar System could be for you.

Features and specs:

Processing DOLBY Decoder Dolby Digital AuraSphere DSP for 3D Sound ✓ SRS WOW HD - SRS TruVolume - 3 Dedicated Sound Modes ✓ (Movie/Music/News) Connectivity Bluetooth ✓ (version 2.1 +EDR) USB ✓ Analog Audio Input ✓ (1/8" - 3.5 mm) Digital Audio IN (OPT/COAX) 1 / 1 Digital Audio OUT (OPT/COAX) - Speaker Front Speakers Full-Range Cone Drivers (x6), Ring Tweeter (x2) Subwoofer Wireless Bass Reflex Cabinet Type - Miscellaneous Pre-Pro/Learning Remote Full Function Preset Remote Control Codes for Most TV Brands ✓ Learning Capable Remote - IR Flasher Sends TV Commands to System Components ✓ Wall Mountable ✓ Warranty 2 YEARS

The Onkyo LS-B50 EnvisionCinema Soundbar System came in a good looking yet odd looking box. It was a fairly plain looking white box with printed pictures and features of the system. I say it was odd looking due to the shape. Rather than being square or rectangular, it was in the shape of the product. It just wasn't expected, but it worked.

Opening the box revealed a well protected product protected in Styrofoam. Pulling out the components revealed the long narrow soundbar, and the detached subwoofer. The materials used in the construction is mostly plastic, which is ok. The quality was very good, as was the fit and finish.  They had a good heft to them as well, which usually means a good build quality. They were put together well, and had an excellent look for the finished product, for both the speaker array of the soundbar and the detached subwoofer. The speaker array consisted of 6 front firing speakers (two tweeters and 4 midranges). At the very middle is the power LED, and remote sensor.  Next to the power LED and sensor on each side is the ring tweeter.  And on the other side of the tweeter are two midranges with a small port between them to improve midbass response.  On each end was another speaker, for a total of 8 speakers in the soundbar.  The subwoofer consists of a single down firing driver. I liked the gloss black trim on the soundbar that gave it a bit of an elegant look in it's styling. The subwoofer had the elegant glass black finish for the enclosure, matching the soundbar. The driver consisted of a paper cone. Fit and finish of it's components are also very good.  I must say that I am impressed with the use of ring tweeters, which give a wide dispersion. The tweeters also have a diffuser in front of them to help smooth the frequency response in the highs.  Also included was the owners manual, small remote control, and some cables.  An IR extender was also included incase you plan on storing it in a cabinet...nice touch.

Onkyo makes some nice sounding surround sound speaker systems. With those systems cost being less than the $699 MSRP for the LS-B50 sound bar system, I had high expectations. I am hoping to see there is a nice synergy of design and components. This system is designed for someone who wants better sound than the speakers built into the flatscreens, but without all of the wires that you find with full surround sound systems.  The design is of a 3-way system, with separate tweeters and mids in the actual soundbar, and then the separate wireless subwoofer. I liked the fact that it had multiple digital as well as analog inputs.  It also had a USB input as well.  So not only does it handle the sound for you TV, it also does double duty as a music system for a portable device like your MP3 player, or play music you have stored on a flash drive. Now it is time to see if the truth is in the pudding.

After hooking up the Onkyo LS-B50 in my bedroom to my flatscreen, it had found where it was meant to be. Gone was the thin, shallow, and lack of resolution sound that came out of my TV. I was quite impressed. The Onkyo provided crisp and clean highs, and smooth midrange. The great sound did not stop there. It was also wide and fairly deep, throwing a big wide soundstage.  My bedroom was on the large size, and it was pleasantly filled with sound.  The buttons on the top of the soundbar worked well, as did the very small remote control.  You can change the volume, level of output on the subwoofer, inputs, as well as sound mode.  One thing that I thought was missing was some type of display to tell you what sound mode you are in.  I thought some form of display would be nice for that.  However when I hooked up my flash drive I noticed that there are some LED's on the top of the soundbar next to the buttons.  I just was not able to see them and tell which mode I was in without looking at the controls on top of the soundbar.  The Bluetooth function worked.  It was a little finicky getting it to connect to my laptop, but it did work, and sounded great.

The Onkyo LS-B50 sounded great with TV and movies.  But I thought it sounded even better with music.  Resolution was very good, and vocals sounded natural with good timbre and texture.  Piano also sounded very natural.  Percussion was crisp and clean.  The harmonics provided was impressive. Imaging was also very good, and just as with the TV and movies they threw a nice big soundstage.  I could easily tell which songs were better transfers at higher resolutions, as the LS-B50 provided the finer details and resolution very well.  Onkyo delivered a very musical product here.  You will just have to make sure that if you use a flash drive, the music is not stored in a folder, as it would only play individual songs on your flash drive.  I threw about 15 songs on an empty flash drive and stored them as individual mp3 files. I was able to play them and skip forward or backward from song to song.

The wireless subwoofer also seemed to blend very nicely with the soundbar. The subwoofer was tuned very well. It played deep, but not more than it was meant to. And it's output filled the room as well, making my floor vibrate with it's power. Not only did it give good output and play with authority, it also provided good impact as well.  It was fairly dynamic. At times it did get a tad muddy, but that was when you really pushed it.  Just keep in mind it is just a single 6.5 inch driver.  It played very well for it's size.  Comparing it to my reference ZVOX 580 soundbar, the Onkyo LS-B50 provided a much wider soundstage, thanks to the two side firing drivers.

I must say I was pleased with the Onkyo LS-B50 EnvisionCinema Soundbar System. Not only are they an attractive speaker system, they provided an excellent sound as well. As stated previously, Onkyo delivered a very musical product here.  Kudos to Onkyo.  And elegant design would fit in with any décor. At an MSRP of $699, they are not cheap. However the Onkyo LS-B50 EnvisionCinema Soundbar System is further evidence that you do tend to get what you pay for. If you are in the market for a premium soundbar, this Onkyo deserves to be on your short list. Based on it's design, features, quality and performance, the Onkyo LS-B50 has earned our Editor's Choice Award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at http://www.onkyousa.com/Products/model.php?m=LS-B50&class=EnvisionCinema&so.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sigma Speedster LED Light and Stereo Rear Light Review

Sigma makes some innovative products. Here in Arizona, the heat in the summer takes some adaptation. To those that like to hit the trails this is often done at night. Doing so means that a bright light is required. Enter the Speedster LED Light and the Stereo Loop Light System. Whether your riding is done on the trail or street, these two products will have you covered.

Features and specs:
Speedster:

	Extremely high light output: 230 lumens
	Outstanding core visibility with additional peripheral light for increased safety
	3 Modes: power-, standard- and energy-saving mode
	Burn time: 2.5 h (Power-), 4.5 h (Standard-), 9.5 h (Energy-saving mode)
	6-stage battery indicator
	Integrated lithium-ion rechargeable battery
	Integrated USB port
	Quick release bracket with horizontal adjustment
	Tool free click mount compatible with oversized bars
	Click switch with tactile ON/OFF response and switch on protection (double click)
	Watertight
	Weight: 180 g

Stereo:

	Two 1/2 Watt high power LEDs
	Excellent visibility thanks to the new SIGMA LOOP-LIGHT-SYSTEM
	Burn time permanent: approx. 20 h, flashing: approx. 40 h
	Two-stage battery indicator
	Tool-free, easy to change batteries (incl. 2 x AAA RTU NiMH rechargeable batteries)
	Quick release bracket with vertical adjustment
	Tool free installation with either o-rings or zip ties
	Click switch with tactile ON/OFF response
	Watertight
	Weight: 70 g

The Sigma Speedster came in a combination paper and clear plastic package. It was attractive looking with it's features and specs printed. The clear plastic allowed you to see the product. The materials used are metal and plastic. The quality as well as the fit and finish was excellent! Also included with the Speedster was the owners manual and a charger mount. The Stereo Loop Light System is made of plastic, and the fit and finish and quality is also very good. The Stereo also included the owners manual, mount and charging cable.

Using the Speedster and Stereo was very easy. Two quick presses of the power button on the Speedster turns it on. Additional presses cycles it through the brightness levels of low, medium and high. Holding the button turns it off. On the Stereo, just a simple press of the power button cycles it through constant on, fast flashing, slow flashing, and off. Mounting with the included brackets was also easy.

As I expected the performance was very good. The Speedster is rated at 80m. I would not give it that for a low setting. But at full power, I would say that is about right. The LED was really bright! The Speedster threw out a lot of light and worked very well. And I liked that it has an internal lithium battery. The Stereo was also very bright, helping others to see you and know you are there. It was easily visible at over 80m. Turn it on flashing and it will really draw attention to your presence.

While the Speedster and the Stereo are sold separately, together they make a perfect one/two punch. Together they provide the safety for your seeing where you are going, and the safety of helping others see you are there. With an MSRP of $84.99 for the Speedster and only $29.99 for the Stereo, they are a great value as well. Based on the design, features, quality and performance, the Sigma Speedster and Sigma Stereo has earned our Highly Recommended Award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.sigmasport.com.