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.

Audiofly AF78 Dual Driver IEM Monitor Review

Smart phones make it is so easy to take our music with us everywhere. But often times the included earbuds just don’t cut it. If you like music, why not have it sound good. And with the built-in mic, it will work as hands free as well.  Up for review today is a premium IEM from Audiofly, their AF78.
 

I really like the Audiofly AF78 due to their unique design. When it comes to IEM’s, there are two different types of drivers: dynamic and balanced armature. To make a long discussion short, most cheap earbuds and many nicer IEM’s use a dynamic driver. The dynamic driver produces excellent low end bass, and also has good mids and highs. The balanced armature usually does not have the same low bass output and extension found in the dynamic drivers. They do however provide a better mids and high frequency performance. The Audiofly AF78 uses dual drivers, one for the highs and one for the lows.  There are a lot of manufacturers that make dual driver IEM's.  And the Audiofly AF78 is the only model that comes to mind that uses dual drivers, with both a dynamic and balanced armature driver.

Features and specs:

Driver Type9mm Dyn/Balanced Armature: Custom articulated dual drivers with crossover for incredible separation and beautiful detail in the high end with lush well-defined response in the lower and mid frequencies.

Magnet Type Neodymium: Audiofly headphones use a neodymium magnet for longevity; the alloy has a unique crystalline structure that has a greater resistance to being demagnetized.

Frequency Range: 18-22KHz: The AF78 has an extended frequency response across the entire spectrum with a range of 18Hz - 22Khz for a massive soundstage with impressive detail and separation.

Cable Length 1.2m: Our high spec AudioflexTM flat braided cable not only has kevlar reinforced conductors, but a CorduraTM brand Nylon outer sheath for superior strength and amazing durability.

Plug Type 3.5mm gold plated: We use gold plated plugs not because they look good, but because gold is the best conductor with the greatest resistance to corrosion giving you better sound transmission that is durable.

Impedance 16 Ohms: The AF78's dual drivers have a low impedance of 16 Ohms. This is ideal for low powered devices like iPods® and iPhones® giving enough headroom so they have no trouble producing plenty of volume.

Sensitivity 108dB at 1kHz

The Audio Fly AF78 came in an attractive box with color photos of the product and its specs and features. When I opened the box I saw a product in premium packaging that was well packaged. I could tell this was Audio Fly’s flagship product. The materials used, as well as build quality and fit and finish was very good. I like the cloth Kevlar cable, and the quality connections. I also like all the accessories.  Also included is the round storage tin that Audiofly likes to use. It isn’t fancy, it does work.  The next question is how does this all come together in its sound?

Fresh Air II - Going to Another Place:  the flute was really clean with a lot of air.  The percussion was pleasantly crisp and not tinny sounding.  The piano also sounded very natural.  The drums were also dynamic with great midbass extension.

Junior Wells - Why Are People Like That:  the vocals were really life-like with excellent timbre.  The piano also sounded natural.  I especially liked the harmonica solo that showed off some great dynamics.  And the bass had some great low end extension.

No Doubt - Hella Good: impact and low end extension in the kick drum at the beginning of the song was very good.  The percussion was also crisp and very dynamic.  Vocals had excellent timbre and natural sounding.  Overall the resolution of all the instruments was very good.

Justin Timberlake - Sexyback: had nice low end extension and output.  The snaps were dynamic and the vocals were smooth and natural sounding.  It also provided a big soundstage with great imaging.

Techmaster P.E.B.- Activate, and Time To Jam:  the sound of the dual drivers were impressive, and to truly test the bass output of the dynamic bass driver, I turned to Techmaster.  I was not disappointed.  Bass output and extension was superb.  I tend to like a lot of bass, and its output was just the way I like it.....LOUD, yet also very clean.

Since the Audiofly AF78 has the built-in call handling feature, I thought I would test it out.  Using my HTC EVO 3D cell phone I put it to the test.  My cell recognized it once they were plugged in.  I received a call, and simply pressing the button answered the call.  To the person on the other end of the call, I was easy to hear.  I was not too tinny sounding, and didn't sound like I was 1,000 miles away. 

Audio Fly has proven they are a true contender in the premium IEM market, with their AF78. And with its superior design, other manufacturers should be taking notice. For those in the market for some premium IEM’s you would be disappointed not to give them a listen. Based on their design, features, quality and performance, the Audio Fly AF78 has earned our Highly Recommended award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.audiofly.com.

Holiday Giveaway Sponsored by Mpowerd of Luci Solar Powered Lanterns

Stereowise Plus is having a Holiday Giveaway! It is sponsored by Mpowerd, who has provided a couple of their Luci solar powered lanterns to give away. These are awesome for camping! To enter, simply send an email to us at jeff@stereowiseplus.com stating why you deserve it and what you would use it for. Emails received will be entered into a drawing, and must be received by midnight MST 11/30/13. Winners will be notified by email. Good luck!

Mpowerd Luci Solar Lantern Review

With the movement to go green, solar power is one of the better ways to do so. And more and more ways are being employed to use solar panels. Enter Mpowerd with their Luci solar powered lantern. It is a unique design for a lantern, and uses solar panels to power it.

While the Luci lantern can be used in about any situation where you need a flashlight, I think it is best used for camping. It is a thin plastic inflated cylinder. It packs thin, with the soar panel, internal batteries and LED's contained in the top section. When you are ready to use, just simply inflate it.

The build quality is good. The cylinder is made of a basic clear plastic. The top piece, which is the solar panel, batteries, and LED's seemed well put together. It should last a long time. MSRP is only $15.00, so it is also a great value.

Product Specifications

• Charge time of 8 hours yields a minimum of 6-12 hours of light
• Luci charges under direct sunlight and even under incandescent light
• Maintains a single charge for 3 months
• Ten white Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) with 4000 mcd light source
• Two brightness levels to conserve battery life
• Flashing-light setting for emergency situations
• Delivers up to 80 lumens providing 15 sq ft of light
• The rechargeable lithium polymer battery pack can be charged while collapsed or expanded
  • 300 - 500 cycle life
  • Over charge/discharge protection
  • Over current and short circuit protection
• Water Proof PVC enclosure
• Minimum lifespan of 2 years

The Luci lantern performed quite well. The LED's had 3 modes, and there was a small push button switch for low, high, blinking, and off. The LED's are fairly bright, and the cylinder design additionally works to diffuse the light. I also like the handle at the top. Attach it to the inside of your tent at the top, and it will light up the whole tent.

The Luci lantern is nothing short of awesome. I absolutely love it's design and it has forever found it's place as part of my essential backpacking gear, and is now used on all of my campouts. It folds flat, for easy storage, and take next to no space to store. There is no need to worry about having fresh batteries. And it is sufficiently bright. Best of all, at only $15, I can't think of a better gift idea. For more info and complete specs check out their website at www.mpowerd.com.

Polaroid PTA750 7" Kids Android Tablet Review

Computing has come a long way. They have gone from large desktops with limited power, to modern power desktops. They have also shrinked in size, to laptops to tablets. Tablets have also evolved. Not only are there tablets for adults, but we also have kid tablets. Up for review today is a kids tablet from Polaroid, their PTAB750 7" Tablet.

Features and specs:

Specs:

·    7" 800 x 480 display

·    Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

·    1GHz processor

·    512MB DDR3 RAM

·    8GB internal memory

·    SD card slot (expandable memory)

·    2.0MP rear camera

·    WiFi

·    Front mounted, amplified speaker

Kid-friendly features:

• Simple parental controls & safe web browser.
• Includes 10 Dr. Seuss and Smithsonian interactive books.
• Preloaded w/over 35 premium apps (full versions).
• Appshop for kids (safely download kid-safe content).
• Camera & music player specially designed for kids.
• Kid-safe video player (streams safe, pre-screened videos).
• Game Arcade (includes 16 games featuring Doodle Jump).
• Large buttons/rugged, child-friendly design.
• Integrated side & rear rubber bumpers.
• Display lock (disables the touch display & buttons).
• Includes tablet stand.

·    3500 mAh rechargeable internal battery

 

I was rather impressed with the quality of the Polaroid PTAB750. It came will protected in an attractive printed box with pictures and specs of the tablet.  The tablet itself was of good quality. The materials used were good as well as the fit and finish. I really liked the hard rubber case for the added protection. After all, young kids tend to be rather hard on their toys. So the PTAB750 should be able to take a bit of a beating. Included were the tablet, owner’s manual and charging cable.

I was happy to see that the tablet appeared to be well built. Now is the time to put it all to the test. As this is a kid’s tablet, I thought I would put it through the biggest test. So I handed it off to my kids. The plan was twofold. I wanted to see how it would hold up through continuous kids use. I also wanted to see how they liked it. My youngest two are 9 and 7 years old. So I figures they could do the job. I also have some older kids, 11, 14, and 16 who also had a chance to play with it.

Once it was handed over to the kids, it was an instant hit! While the older kids played with it, they beat the games rather easily. My 11 year old had a little more fun with it, but it was my 9 and 7 year olds who enjoyed it the most. When it was my 9 year olds turn, I had to pry it out of my 7 year olds hands. So it the younger aged kids who it is more designed for. Three year olds may struggle with it but 4-9 year olds appears to be where it is mostly designed for.

The tablet is quite easy to use. The large bezel holds the standard power, home, back and volume buttons, which are very well labeled. The bottom of the tablet is where the connections are for power cord, headphone jack, as well as SD memory card slot. A single speaker is on the top front and the camera is at the back.

The touch screen was nicely responsive, and had good color. The OS was a simple version of Android. Setting up the parental controls was easy and keeps the kids safe, and confined to age appropriate sites. The main screen has options of arcade, doodle jump, and free play, providing plenty of games for the kids. AS is normal with Android, swiping left or right takes you to other screens. Here the kids can access pictures, videos, music, books, apps, draw, learning games, and safe browser. The safe browser has a page with links to safe sites such as Disney, Nick and Barbie. Parents also have the ability to add additional safe site shortcuts to the page. The last page is the parental controls, safe mode and power. Through parental controls, parents can also manage the system settings, all apps and storage.

All in all, I was pleased with the performance of the Polaroid PTAB750 7" Kids Tablet. It is a simple tablet, yet perfect for young kids. And I was extremely pleased to see the parental controls work! Sound and display performance was also good, too. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the Polaroid PTAB750 has earned our Recommended Award. It provides a good value and can be found for under $150.  For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.polaroid.com.

2013 Holiday Gadget Gift Guide

We are now in November, which means it is time for our annual Holiday Gadget Gift Guide. The gift guide is designed to give different gift ideas for the holidays. And it does so at a wide range of price points. Whether you are being frugal or very generous, we have some ideas for you.

Audiofly is based out of Australia, and make a great In-Ear-Monitor. This years gift guide includes their AF78m, which is a dual driver in a unique design. They feature a balanced armature tweeter, a dynamic driver woofer, and a $199 MSRP. The review is scheduled for the week ending 11/17/13.  www.audiofly.com.

Kingston makes great computer components such as memory kits and SSD drives. Now they are also doing wireless drives. These wireless drives provide additional memory to any device that has built-in Wi-Fi, and can use external devices such as cell phones and tablets. For devices like iPhones or iPads that do not have memory card slots for additional memory, these devices can make a huge difference. There are two different devices included by Kingston this year. The first one is their MobileLite Wireless. It has no build-in memory, but instead uses memory cards through its card slot, and has an MSRP of $59.99. The next one is their Wi-Drive and has no card slot, but instead uses 128 GB of internal memory, and has an MSRP of $179.99.  The MobileLite is scheduled for review the week of 12/1/13 and the Wi-Drive the week ending 12/22/13.  www.kingston.com.

Magellan makes great GPS receivers. And now they have upped the anti. Enter the SmartGPS. It is a smart GPS with an MSRP of $249.99. Now not only will it tell you how to get where you are going, it uses Wi-Fi to access an internet hot spot such as many cell phones. By doing so it turns into an internet device to go online. Now you can do things like check your email, facebook, local gas prices, etc. The review is scheduled the week ending 12/8/13.  www.magellangps.com.

Mind Candy has the popular Moshi Monsters, where you create a pet and play with other Moshi Monsters.  Just released is their new Moshi Monsters: Katsuma Unleashed, for the Nintendo DS and 3DS.  In this new game you get to save the world from Dr. Strangelove and his robot moshlings.  MSRP is $29.99 and it's review is scheduled for 12/22/13.  www.moshimonsters.com.

MPowered is a company that helps us to go green. Their Luci lantern is a great product that does just that. It is a small packable blow up lantern that uses efficient LED's and is solar powered. MSRP is only $15, and the review is scheduled the week ending 11/10/13.  www.mpowerd.com.

Not everyone wants a full surround sound system but want good sound. Or maybe they want to improve the sound in the bedroom. A soundbar is a great option for that, and their LS-B50 is the best one available. It is a traditional design soundbar, but also has a separate wireless subwoofer for the bottom end. MSRP is $699, and the review is scheduled for the week ending 11/24/13.  www.onkyousa.com.

For those looking for a surround sound receiver, the improvement in features never end. And that is true with their TX-NR626. Now you can get a 7 channel receiver with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 4k video processor. With an MSRP of only $599, you get a LOT for your buck! The review is scheduled for the week ending 12/15/13.  www.onkyousa.com.

Otterbox makes great accessories and cases for cell phones and tablets. One is an accessory for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and is part of their Utility Series.  It is called The Latch.  In a way it is an all in one positioner for using your Galaxy Tab 10.1.  It works as a hand strap, lanyard, shoulder strap, head rest attachment, leg strap, and angled stand.  It's MSRP is 49.99 and is scheduled for review the week ending. The review is scheduled for the week ending 12/1/13.  www.otterbox.com.

Tablets are continually improving, and they are not just for adults. Tablets have become a great entertainment device for kids. One such product is the Polaroid PTAB750 7" Kids Tablet. Running Android 4.0 young kids will really enjoy it, and can be found for under $150. It's review is scheduled for the week ending 11/10/13. www.polaroid.com.

Technology has also increased in outdoor products. Sigma makes amazing bike products such as cyclocomputers, and lights. The tradition continues in their Sigma Sport Speedster USB LED bike light and Sigma Stereo rear safety light. Not only does it provide bright light for you to see where you are going, the rear safety light helps others to see you. The Speedster has an MSRP of $84.99 and the Stereo has an MSRP of $29.99.  It's review is scheduled for the week ending 11/17/13.  www.sigmasport.com.

All subs are not created equal.  SVS makes some of the best available.  Not only do they play extremely deep, they play loud as well!  They are not for the faint of heart.  They provided their PC13-Ultra.  It is a cylinder design that is almost 4 feet tall and has an MSRP of $1,699. It's review is scheduled for the week ending 12/15/13.  www.svsound.com.

We hope this years gift guide has given you some good ideas for gifts for your loved ones.  Whether you are looking for something for a kids or adult, hopefully there is something for you.  We also included items for a wide price range.  All of the items in this years guide are great products.  Hopefully we helped, and happy shopping!