Kicker Front Row Digital Signal Processor Review

When it comes to car audio, it's all about the best sound. Upgrading your sound could mean external amps, and an electronic crossover. But the Kicker Front Row does more then that. By incorporating some DSP magic, it can make you feel like you are in the front row.

You may be familiar with DSP or Digital Signal Processors. Home surround sound receivers have been doing it for years. The brand Yamaha comes to mind. They have taken precise sound measurements of some of the most famous concert halls and jazz clubs. These measurements are incorporated into their receivers. So when you listen to your music, it sounds like you are there in that venue, in a much larger location.

Kicker employs this technology in their Front Row DSP. The car environment can be more difficult. After all, you are in a much smaller space. Creating the sound of sitting in a much larger room is difficult. So the Front Row gives you the ability to widen the soundstage. But it also has a surround sound function. If you use rear speakers, Kicker incorporates algorithms for a simulated surround sound effect. And it make things even better. Kicker designed the Front Row with a wired remote that mounts on your center console. The remote allows you easy access to the features.

The foundation of the Front Row is also a VERY good active 6 channel crossover, for fronts, rears and subs. For each input, you have contral over input gain, crossover frequencies, clip limiter, and output level. You also have the option of selecting your slope filter to 12, 24, and a rare 48 db. This is one audiophile DSP! The Front Row is also robust enough that instead of incorporating subs, you can use the sub channel for front midbass drivers.

Features and specs include:

50 MHz CPU / 28-/56-bit double-precision DSP / 24-bit AD/DA converters
Frequency Response (Hz): 10-22k, +/-0.2dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 110dB
THD: 0.004%
32-step variable crossovers with 12, 24 or 48dB/octave slopes
Front high-pass: 0-500Hz or 0-5kHz (10x switch)
Rear high-pass: 0-500Hz
Rear low-pass: 50-500Hz or 500-5kHz (10x switch)
Sub subsonic filter: 0-80Hz, fixed at 48dB/octave
Sub low-pass: 40-160Hz
Subwoofer Phase: variable 0-180 degrees
KickEQ: variable 0-+15dB at 45Hz, Q=3
SHOCwave: variable bass restoration

The Front Row DSP came well packaged in the traditional looking Kicker printed box. Opening up the box revealed two other boxes. One held the Front Row, and the other box held the remote, and wire for the remote. All of the components were also wrapped in plastic.

Taking the components out of the wrapping revealed a high quality product. The quality of component used and build quality was excellent. The level knobs rotated smoothly and were well labeled. The gold RCA connectors were solidly in place. Fit and Finish was excellent. The wired remote is also of excellent quality. Kicker as usual has made a high quality component.

Another cool feature set is the KickEQ and SHOCwave. Most people are used to having the remote bass knob. Well with the Kicker Front Row, you still have it. Selecting the KickEQ feature on the remote, rotating the knob gives you the same control.

Then there is the SHOCwave feature. So many use their mp3 format compresses the sound, and some of the bass is lost. Kicker's SHOCwave stands for Sub Harmonic Octave Creation. It works to help bring back frequencies that are weaker in old recordings or lost in mp3 compression. The knob lets you choose the level you are satisfied with.

I was well pleased with the performance of the Kicker Front Row. Other than tending to like a lot of bass at times, I tend to be a bit of an audio purist. I was glad to hear that the Kicker Front Row was fairly transparent. The crossovers worked very well, and I really liked the high slopes. And while as previously stated, tending to be a bit of a purist, I still thought the DSP of the Front Row was pretty cool. The simulation of a wider bigger and higher soundstage was very cool, as was the use of the surround sound effect. The vocals did sound center stage on the dash, with a "live" kind of sound from the rears. The soundstage really did open up when using the feature. And the remote gave you the option of how much simulation you want, if any.

I also really liked the SHOCwave feature. I had an old mp3 recording of Johnny Be Good, and the SHOCwave helped restore some of the bass quite impressively! The remote was simple to use, and amazingly it fit a lot of controls on the small remote.

In the end, I really liked the Kicker Front Row. It gives A LOT of control of your sound. And I REALLY liked the 48db option! The kickEQ and Shocwave features are also pretty cool. The wired remote gives you a lot of control at your fingertips. Kicker worked some impressive aural magic, with the Kicker Front Row. Based on it's design, features, quality and performance, the Kicker Front Row DSP has earned our Highly Recommended Award. With an MSRP of only $299, it is hard to go wrong with it. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at http://www.kicker.com/. Reference gear used: Kenwood Excelon DNX-9980HD Multimedia Receiver, Alpine Type-X SPX-13PRO component system, Kicker 15" Solo-Baric L7 subwoofer, Zed Audio Leviathan III 6 channel full range Class D amplifier, JL Audio XD600/6 full range Class D 6 channel amplifier, Vibe Audio Black Death Bass 1 Class GH subwoofer amplifier, AudioControl DQSX Electronic Crossover/Equalizer.

Coby TFDVD9952 Portable DVD System Review

We all like to be entertained. When it comes to long trips, movies are one of the best ways to pass the time. Some vehicles have a built in entertainment system. But if your vehicle does not have that, there are other options. Enter the Coby TFDVD9952.

The Coby TFDVD9952 is a dual display portable dvd system. And as a stand alone system, not only can it be used in the car, it can be used anywhere, such as road trips, and camping. With it's portable design, it can be taken anywhere.

Features and Specs:

-Dual screen system allows you to share entertainment easily

-9" Widescreen TFT LCD

-DVD, DVD�R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, JPEG, and MP3 Compatible

-Dolby Digital decoding

-Digital and analog AV outputs

-2 headphone jacks for private listening

-Anti-skip circuitry

-Convenient on-screen display

-Multiple language, subtitle, and camera angle support

-Parental lock controls

-Car kit included

-Display Resolution 640 x 234

-Video System Standard NTSC/PAL

-Connections: Audio Output 3.5mm Optical/Stereo; 3.5mm Headphone (x2);

-Integrated Stereo Speakers

-Video Output 3.5mm Composite Video

-Media/Format Support: Media Support DVD, DVD�R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW

-Audio Format Support CD, MP3

-Video Format Support MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (DVD), MPEG-4 (XviD)

-Photo Format Support JPEG

-OSD Menu Languages English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

-Certifications ETL, FCC

The Coby TFDVD9952 came well packed and protected. All of the necessary power cables, AV cables, as well as two pairs of earbuds, remote and owners manual were also included. One of the screens has the built-in dvd player, and the 2nd screen is just a monitor that hooks up to the player via the included cable. I also liked that it came with the cloth covers with straps for mounting it in your car.

Quality of components were good, as well as the quality of construction and fit and finish. Quality appeared good enough to provide years of use if taken care of. It was on par for it's price point.

I will point out up front one point in it's design. The one monitor with the built-in dvd player opens up like a clam shell. What this means is that if your have the monitors hooked up and mounted in your car, you will need to disconnect cables and pull the player out of the cover to change dvd's. But I can see the need to use this design at this price point.

When it came to it's performance, I was overall very pleased. The dvd player played without a glitch. The screens also provided a sharp looking picture with good contrast, and vibrant colors. I was also pleased to see there were no dead pixels. The video performance of the player was also as good as expected. The internal speakers also provided ok sound and played sufficiently loud.

The Coby TFDVD9952 is a great performing portable dvd system. The quality was good, and gave a good looking picture. I really liked its portability. Build quality was good, and it overall met my expectations. And at it's $139.99 MSRP price point, the Coby TFDVD9952 is a great deal. Based on it's design, features, quality, and performance, the Coby TFDVD9952 has earned our Recommended Award. for more info and complete specs, check out their website at: www.cobyusa.com.

Otter Box Commuter Series Galaxy Nexus Case Review by Kirk Spencer

Otter Box was kind enough to send us a Commuter Series case for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Previously I had a similar case for the Galaxy Nexus. Is the Otter Box Commuter Series as bulky as the Defender Series cases? How does it stack up to the competition? Hopefully I can answer those questions for you.

Packaging

The first thing I would like to point out is that the Commuter Series case comes with two piece that connect to the phone. The first piece is an impact absorbing silicone, basically a rubber(ish) cover. This rubber shell has covers for the headphone jack and the micro usb port which helps to keep all that pocket lint out of there. The second piece is a hi-impact polycarbonate shell which is the hard plastic piece. The plastic outer shell has a very nice looking brushed back with Otter Box etched into the bottom of it. The silicone shell goes on first as you can see in the pictures and then the hard plastic goes on after. I noticed it’s not as easy to put the outer plastic shell on as other cases I’ve tried, but I am not in the habit of removing my cell phone case very often either. You’ll also get a screen protector. I spent $11 for a screen protector at Verizon when I got the phone. The only real issue we have with the included screen protector is its size. It does not cover the entire face of the phone. It will get you by for a while, but you should probably consider picking up a screen protector that will cover the entire face of the phone at some point.

Build Quality

The inside shell fits nicely over the phone and after the outer shell is also on the phone you can definitely feel how much more sturdy it makes the device. The galaxy nexus is a slim phone and by itself it’s a bit slippery. The commuter case is that nice balance between protection and bulk. It does add a little to the depth of the phone, but it’s not overly bulky. I don’t worry too much about dropping the phone. I wasn’t sure at first if I would like the covers over the micro usb and headphone jack, but after I got used to them it’s nice having them there. I keep my phone in my pocket a lot, so those extra covers have helped keep unwanted lint and dust out of the ports. The bevel around the screen adds a layer of protection to help prevent screens from shattering. If you had that happen then you know how nice this feature is. It’s very easy to pass over all of this in just a glance because it looks like almost every other case out there. I just wanted to point out how much thought Otter Box has put into the design and quality of this product.

Testing

Whether on purpose or on accident, I have dropped my phone several times while I’ve had this case and my phone is still in perfect condition. One thing I would also like to point out is that the 4 corners of the phone are exposed with a thicker silicone. If you’ve ever dropped a phone, then you probably know that it almost always lands on or bounces to a corner. The thicker silicone corners of the Otter Box Commuter Series case add even more shock absorption to those corners.

Conclusion

The Otter Box Commuter Series cases are the perfect balance of protection and size. The current price of this case is around $22. Trust me when I say this, it is money well spent. You will not be disappointed with the design and build quality of the Otter Box Commuter Series case for the Galaxy Nexus. Based on their design, and build quality the Otter Box Commuter Series case has earned our Highly Recommended award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.Otterbox.com.

Blue Aura WS80i Wireless Active Stereo Speaker System Review

Music can be such an enjoyable part of our lives. But sometimes, location and installation can be difficult. Putting a pair of speaker at a location not already prewired can be difficult. It could mean running a lot of unsightly wire. Enter the Blue Aura WS80i. They are wireless stereo indoor speaker system. With them, there is no need for the wire runs for the speaker wires.

Their features and specs:

Description
2-Way Powered Active Speaker
Product Height: 235 mm
Product Width: 150 mm
Product Depth: 215 mm
Product Weight: 4.0000
Frequency Response: 45 Hz - 22k Hz
Tweeter: 1" Soft Dome Ferro-Fluid Cooled
Woofer: 4.5" Pa;per Cone
Crossover Frequency: 3k Hz
Amplifier Power: 2x25 W + 2x25 W
Amplifer Type: Class D
Wireless: Yes
Wireless Range: 25 m
Sub Out: N/A
Connector Type: N/A
Remote Control: Yes
Impedance: 8 ohm
Enclosure: MDF Enclosure Covered in Faux Leather
Grille: Aluminum

The quality was very good. The Blue Aura WS80i came shipped double boxed. The product box was a standard attractive looking printed box. It had pictures of the product and also included some specs. Opening the box revealed a styrofoam top, with slots for the other parts such as the remote, and wireless dongle. Taking the styrofoam top off showed the two speakers wrapped in plastic. Taking off the plastic wrapping revealed.

Pulling the speakers out revealed a very unique speaker. The sides of the speakers were wrapped in faux black leather and stitched. I liked the elegant look it gave. The bottom had a black foam pad, so as to not scratch any surface you set the speaker on. On the rear you can see the metal plate of the built in amp, and on the front is a black aluminum grill. That protects the 4.5 inch and 1 inch drivers. Build quality as well as fit and finish was very good. Set-up was very simple, and the included instructions were easy to follow. I had the WS80i set up, plugged in, and linked up with the Bluetooth dongle in no time. One item to note, was there was a missing cable. Depending on the configuration, and source material being used, the Bluetooth dongle will need to be plugged in. There was a power adapter included for it, but there was no usb cable to go from the power adapter to the Bluetooth dongle.

I must say I was very impressed with their performance. Fresh Aire III: Tocatta was very crisp and clean with very good resolution. The flute had a good amount of air, and the drums were tight and provided good bass extension. Twilight soundtrack: Super Massive Black Hole, provided a lot of energy. Vocals sounded a tad warm but still natural. This track has a lot of energy, and the WS80i delivered it well. There is a lot of midbass and bass in the track. And while it was apparent that no subwoofer was being used, the 4.5 inch driver did extremely well for its size. Michael Jackson: Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, had great resolution in the guitar. Vocals came through natural with sufficient depth and texture. Imaging was pretty good.

I was equally impressed with their wireless performance. They are listed at 25m distance, and they went well above that! Having a 3600 square foot home, I set it up in the master bedroom in the upper corner of the house. Not only was I able to get signal anywhere in the upstairs, I also got signal anywhere in the downstairs as well!

At the end of the day, I was pleased with the Blue Aura WS80i. Their build quality was very good, and they gave an elegant look and styling with the faux leather sides. And for wireless speakers, they gave a nice full sound that had a lot going. Mids and highs were crisp and clean, and the bass output was very good for their size. And they liked to play loud! At an MSRP of $599 I think they are fairly priced for what you get. Based on their design, features, quality, and performance, they have earned our Highly Recommended award. They are definitely worthy of being on your short list of models to heck out. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at blueaura-audio.com.

Earthquake Shell ShoXX Gaming Transducer Review by Jeff Roy

Most people have had no experience of hearing a subwoofer. It could have been in your home surround system, car stereo, or maybe just at the movie theater. Subwoofers help make the sound so much fuller. Sometimes though, there is a lack of space. Subwoofers after all can take up a lot of space. Subwoofers after all can take up a lot of space. Transducers, however, provide a similar effect, but require less space. Up for review today is the Earthquake Shell ShoXX shaker for gaming.

The Earthquake Shell ShoXX is a shaker designed for gamers. It is designed with a transducer to be mounted under your seat. And then it has a class J amp to power it. The transducer is not a speaker, so it does not output sound. Instead, it is a shaker motor that vibrates back and forth, simulating the low vibration that you feel with a subwoofer.

It's features and specs:

-Advanced Digital Class J amplifier

-320 watts

-Neodynium based shaker motor

The Earthquake Shell ShoXX came well packaged and double boxed. Opening up the initial box revealed the typical printed boxes with pics and info on the product. Opening the box revealed two other boxes. One held the transducer and it's power cord, the other held the digital amp for the transducer.

Build quality of the transducer was absolutely solid. It had some great heft to it, and the fit and finish was very good. The amp was in a gaming style camouflage plastic case. I was initially surprised at the plastic case for the amp. But then realizing it would more than likely end up being mounted to a desk, plastic would be just fine. And it did feel well put together. I have seen Earthquake products before, and they always seemed to be high quality and solidly built products.

The included instructions were easy to follow. It helped make the installation simple. It was just a matter of mounting the transducer and amp, then running the wiring. Simple. The wiring instructions did not include instructions for wiring it to a 5.1 system, but it was easy to figure out.

I have to say, I was skeptical of how well it would perform...just the whole transducer idea. But, WOW, was it cool! It gave a whole new experience to gaming, and I am used to using a subwoofer! There were easy controls to adjust the output level. If you turn it up over halfway, explosions are massive! And in battling the large demon/monster, you could actually feel their breathing. Very cool! And the way it felt.......PERFECT!!! Earthquake really nailed it with the Shell ShoXX! One potential problem is it may not be for everyone. With the high output, the Shell ShoXX could be a little distracting. You can turn it down and the explosions are not as big, but then again that demon/monster breathing which could be felt that I thought was sooo cool...is also gone. I thought it was best at a higher output level, and gave a new experience to gaming. It also could be used for audio music!

The transducer just added to the experience. At an MSRP of $595, it is not a cheap system. But you do get what you pay for, and oh it is worth it! If you are one that likes to get their game on, this Shell ShoXX from Earthquake is a must to check out. Based on it's design, features, quality, and performance, it has earned our Editor's Choice Award. For more details and complete specs, check out their website at www.earthquakesound.com.

Kingston 16GB DataTraveler Elite 3.0 USB Drive Review by Kirk Spencer

We’re reviewing the 16GB Kingston DataTraveler Elite 3.0 today. Most USB drives out right now are only USB 2.0. Today we’re pleased to present you with a faster alternative to portable storage. If you have a motherboard with USB 3.0 slots on it then read on. If you don’t then maybe now is a good time to pick up an add on card.

Specifications

Capacities: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB

Speed:USB 3.0: 70MB/s read, 30MB/s write. USB 2.0: 30MB/s read, 25MB/s write

Convenient: capless design with slider; no cap to lose

Guaranteed: five-year warranty, free technical support

Customizable: Co-Logo program available

Dimensions: 2.7185" x 0.8504" x 0.437" (69.05mm x 21.6mm x 11.1mm)

Operating Temperature: 32°F to 140°F (0°C to 60°C)

Storage Temperature: -4°F to 185°F (-20°C to 85°C)

Packaging

This 16GB drive comes in a small package but it boasts some nice features. Right on the front you can see that they claim 70MB/s read and 30MB/s write when connected to a USB 3.0 slot. We’ll give that a test to see if it holds true. Other then that there’s not much else to point out except the 5 year warranty they’ve stamped on the front. It’s always nice to see a company stand behind their products. 5 years is definitely a long time and we’ve got to hand it to Kingston for backing their products so strongly.

Build Quality

The drive is very lightweight which is nice, but if you’re looking for something durable then this is not the drive you’re looking for. The housing is all plastic with a little sparkle in the gray. The drive slides open and the first thing you might notice is the blue color on the inside of the drive’s tip.

Blue is used to help distinguish that this is a USB 3.0 drive. You should start to see a lot more of this as more and more USB makers provide USB 3.0 drives.

Speed

So how fast is the drive? We fired up ATTO and CrystalDiskMark to find out. We almost always see conservative numbers on Kingston’s packaging and today is no exception. ATTO shows performance topping out around 84.5MB/s read and 31.9MB/s write.

CrystalDiskMark shows pretty much the same thing, but the average read is 86MB/s and the sequential write is averaging 38.09MB/s.

Conclusion

We were very pleased with the performance of the drive. As you can see it definitely delivers what’s advertised. We’re not looking at Synchronous NAND SSD drive performance here, but it is definitely a big step up at nearly 3 times the read speed from what we had with any USB 2.0 drive. The current price tag for this 16GB model is a mere $21.99 over at Newegg. At this price point there’s really no reason to keep those older USB 2.0 drives around. USB 3.0 is here for the masses now and Kingston is there to deliver. Based off of the performance, build quality and price point we’re giving the Kingston DataTraveler Elite 3.0 our Recommended award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.kingston.com.