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Burton Technologies Acoustibuds
by grahamt
No, I don't mean for ears that are different on each side, although most of us have ears that are not symmetrical, just as many of us have one side of the face that isn't a mirror image of the other. In my case, though, I do have different ear passages, due to a cycle accident I had years ago, when I fractured my ... skull.
However, in my case it is the shape of the ear lobes that is the problem: I just don't have adequate support for the standard style of earbuds; they simply fall out. In the past I have tried various solutions, including a kit of two putty-like materials which, mixed together and inserted into the ear, mould to its shape, and set, such that earbuds could be fitted to the moulding to keep them securely in place. Sadly, that kit no longer seems to be available, nor does the substance continue to work after about a year or so.
Mostly I use a pair of Koss earphones that are of the type that fit inside the ear passage. They work well for most purposes. However, the earphones supplied with my mobile phone also include a microphone for making calls. They have the standard earbuds and so I would either have to buy a replacement headset with in-ear earphones or else find a solution that would keep them in place.
Eventually, after trawling the Web for some time, I came across the Acoustibud, manufactured in the US by a company called Burton Technologies. They seemed to exactly fit the bill.
A pack of Acoustibuds containing three pairs of different sized pairs cost me $15 (£10). You can't buy them in the UK as Burton has no UK based suppliers, not even Amazon! I got mine from an outfit called Aerostitch, who specialise in items for bikers. They market Acoustibuds as a ideal for earphones to be worn inside a crash helmet. They took about a week to arrive from the US and arrived in a cardboard box far bigger than the item it contained!!!
Acoustibuds are made of a very soft rubber and can be obtained in black or white; I bought a white set. The difference in size of each set relates to the width of the five rings that surround the ear canal tube, which secure the earbud in place in your ear. I found that of the three sizes, both the medium and largest sizes would work for me.
Each Acoustibud is fitted to the Earbud simply by stretching the cup over the earpiece. They will fit all of the standard diameter earbuds, including the slightly larger Apple ones. Make sure you first check in which direction your ear canal enters your head so as to make sure that you fit the Acoustibud facing in the same direction. Inserting the whole assembly into your ear may require a little bit of screwing motion but once in place I found that they stayed securely attached. They also felt very comfortable.
A warning note comes attached to the packet reminding users that the Acoustibuds completely seal the ear from outside noise. This has implications both for maximum recommended volume and also for the ability to hear noises from the environment. This is most important for riders on the road, regarding awareness of surrounding traffic, so, be warned!
In use I found the Acoustibuds to provide good communication of sound from the attached earbuds. They also seemed to be secure from being dislodged during normal use. I am very happy with this purchase and consider them good value for money. Only time will tell regarding their durability.
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Panasonic SC-HC05
by Nar2
If you have read my review online featuring the Sony CFD 50S cassette CD radio player from October 2012, you'll know how disappointed I was with the sound quality from this major brand and it was purchased to replace a very old premium Panasonic double tape cassette CD "ghetto blaster," that came with its own cordless remote ... control with tons of great features. These days as portable stereos with cassette, CD and radio are now beginning to get scarcer, the move to consider a new iPod dock was clearly on my mind, not just to replace the awful Sony stereo that now sits at work to be used when teaching with but also to replace a fantastic Bush iPod dock I bought a few years ago where its sound quality was surprisingly powerful and rich. Sadly though, the Bush eventually had to be binned because of non-functioning control buttons. But! All of these sound machines whether they are docks or portable CD stereos have one aspect in common - the addition of a built in auxiliary-in jack. I find the auxiliary addition absolutely essential, especially if I want a stereo sound system that can give me much more warmth and power of sound than relying on laptop speakers alone.
Thus, in early January just at the beginning of the sales, I began to look for a decent iPod dock player. I didn't want a high spec machine, but rather just a dock like the Bush player that could charge up my Classic iPod as well as act as a charger whenever it was not required to play music and just like the Bush player, whatever I chose HAD to have an Auxiliary cable for versatile functions should I want to put another device through.
As a brand, Panasonic and I have quite a history, not just from audio equipment to headphones but also small appliances and I was expecting good things from this product in general.
Nar2's Quick Skip Product Spec
* Make & Model: Panasonic SC-HC05 IPod Dock.
* 40 watts total power, 2-way, 2 channel speakers & tweeters.
* Black colour or white colour available.
* Bluetooth re-master function & digital connection for iPod & iPhone.
* Bluetooth streaming wireless function & Internet radio functions *
* Cordless remote control & power cord with UK plug supplied.
* Power consumption 16 watts total, total weight 1.6kg.
* LED colour band display, on/off button & volume buttons on the machine.
* Size: 37cm by 17.5cm by 8.5cm.
* Auxiliary In 3.5mm "small" jack.
* My price £99-99 from Scottish Hydro, £109 to £134 Amazon UK.
General Impressions/Design
One of the first aspects that I love about the Panasonic SC-HC05 is that is beautifully streamlined to the eye and quite light to lift or carry around. Slightly large because of its vertical rectangular size, it is actually quite compact, taking up less space than my previous Sony stereo cassette player, both by length and width. My model is coloured in black because I prefer darker audio equipment that doesn't show up the dust, though plainly Panasonic are playing to Apple's product range, able to offer this sound system dock in white as well as black. However, with both coloured choices of docks, you'll only find separate on/off buttons at the top of the Panasonic along with separate buttons to increase or decrease volume, both in silver with accompanying tiny red LED lights alongside a silver strip that acts as a beautiful colour combination to the black colour of the body. The visuals are kept to a minimum where this design is concerned, but it is simple and stylish to the eye. Everything else in terms of controls falls down to the cordless battery powered RCU unit that is rather small and can't be stored on the machine if it gets lost over time.
With straight, sharp to the eye corners but smooth to the fingers, the SC-HC05 is well made for the price and the front door that holds an iPod or iPhone sits proudly in the centre via a soft release dock station that pops out slowly as well as being easy to push back in, locking flush into the body when not in use. The SC-HC05 can accept mostly all iPods from the Nano, Classic, iPod Touch and iPhone, making it quite versatile and modern for anyone to use, or any visitor who requires charging their player. My Classic iPod just starts up when it is connected instantly too, making it easy to function the Panasonic just by switching it on beforehand.
Another welcomed aspect that I like about the SC-HC05 is that it has a central auxiliary-in jack located at the rear of the system. As it comes with a permanent stand which elevates the body slightly off the flat surface it rests on, excess cables can be tucked around the corners without excess getting in the way, and though it is a small point, it is a far better design than the short power cable that Panasonic provide here. The aux-in jack isn't just handy for connecting my laptop up to the Panasonic but promotes added versatility to add a number of other devices from electronic musical instruments to even a portable personal CD player if you one lying around. In short, it isn't restrictive lending that versatile jack although it is a pity that Panasonic don't equip the model with a likewise sound AUX cable to make the ownership that little bit more adaptable; especially if you don't have an iPod or iPhone and just have a standard mp3 player instead.
General Use/Performance & Downsides
When listening to music on the Panasonic SC-HC05, it is like going back in time - namely back to my old RXED50 double cassette CD player. The sound quality that this dock station provides is rich, warm, bassy and has plenty of volume and depth power that puts the Sony to shame. However, it all depends on the sound setting you've set your iPod to as the Panasonic lacks an overriding sound control, which I find quite restrictive. I can still access my iPod manually when docked, either playing or not at all - unlike some other players and the RCU unit does allow me to rewind/fast forward as well as stop, play and mute.
This more modern Panasonic certainly takes some beating after choosing the sound setting on your device though, with Apple's high quality pre-selected sound equaliser settings managing to give their default "Acoustic" a decent lift to higher tone and lesser bass with "treble booster," to the shelf thumping characteristic of its "Dance," setting giving the Panasonic's tweeter added stereo speakers a good work out. It is with that latter setting for example that I find the speakers on the Panasonic rarely vibrate with no distortion unless you max the volume to the highest setting available! Thus, it seems that even if Apple don't officially recognise Panasonic as being a producer for their Apple products, this player can certainly handle almost all of the sound settings that your chosen Apple device can provide. Other reviews have slated the lack of treble that the Panasonic can't give but I've certainly realised it with several of Apple's default equaliser settings - you just have to test each one to find one that suits you with 40 watts of power behind it!
Even if it is just a stereo amplifier dock offering twice as much power as my last Panasonic, the SC-HC05 is able to offer fewer watts per use as well as a lower standby rating. Thus, the Panasonic uses 16 watts of power in use, but it only uses 0.2 watts when left in standby. I still switch off at the plug to conserve the energy rather than take advantage of the paltry standby power. But then the problems begin if you switch off at the plug!
This is because that quite simply, the major problem that I find this player suffers from is a lack of in-built memory. As such, when it is required to play any iPod or iPhone when it is docked in, the iPod/iPhone has to be initially paired via the remote control unit to get the most functions that the SC-HC05 features - and you won't find the features on the body of the stereo either as it has all been included on the small RCU unit that doesn't comprise of very much other than a selector button, volume control, play functions with fast forward or rewind and Bluetooth functions. Thus you have to leave the Panasonic SC-HC05 on standby for the system to recognise your player device at all times, even if your device has been manually switched off.
At least pairing is easy and only takes a couple of seconds by pushing the button on the RCU whilst the player is docked and the system is switched on. However, there is no LCD panel on the Panasonic that shows you what is going on either, leaving it up to the power and display of whichever Apple product you've chosen to dock. All that the SC-HC05 can do is flash a series of different "traffic light" like lights at the bottom of the dock station to let me know what is going on.
Thus at times, the limited display functions of lights flashing can be annoying and not user intuitive, comprising of an orange LED light to a green LED light that stays on when the SC-HC05 is working or when the iPod is playing to a cool blue light that blinks per minute when it is trying to pair your device to the dock station.
As for other features, well the Bluetooth function is of no use to me given that I don't own an iPhone or an iPod that offers that function. However, if your Apple product does, then you can send music over to the Panasonic wirelessly, which is a pretty good and neat feature. There is no built in radio either that could have given this player station a bit more versatility. Instead, yet again for those who have Apple products that have Bluetooth, you'll have to download an app called "V-Tuner," by Panasonic through an app available, for the "exclusive" feature to of accessing Internet radio through the Panasonic, which you can't do with a Classic iPod!
Final Thoughts
If you require a portable, stylish iPod dock in your home that offers a rich sound with stereo quality and an Auxiliary jack in mount for other devices, the Panasonic SC-HC05 is a great compact and stylish iPod docking sound station to consider. However I'm disappointed that Panasonic haven't added features that would make more sense, cutting the budget easily on the lack of controls on the body of the machine and supplying the system with a remote control unit that doesn't actually offer very much.
For a company like Panasonic whose products used to be better designed, the whole outlay of what this product features for £100 isn't easy to pass by when taking into consideration the rich and warm sound quality it can offer as well as the power behind it able to handle large outputs. Undoubtedly the Panasonic SC-HC05 is better suited to those who have the more modern iPods and iPhone handsets that feature Bluetooth and far more versatile functions. Yet, whilst it can still play my iPod Classic happily as well as charge it whenever the iPod isn't playing, I'm very pleased with the Panasonic's general sound quality and were it not for its additional Aux-in jack at the back, I'd have probably settled for a much better thought out system from another brand but probably having to pay a lot more for the privilege! Thanks for reading. ©Nar2 2013.
www.panasonic.co.uk
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Qwik Tune Snark Clip-on Tuner
by Danscomp
An inconceivable creature
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Any stringed instrument is tuned to set pitches at each string. There are a whole host of different tunings, but the most common on a lead guitar is "E standard", or simply "standard tuning". For lead guitars, this tuning represents the majority of ... everything you've ever heard played since the electric guitar was first invented.
Does this mean all six strings are tuned to the pitch of E? It does not. Starting from the highest string, they are tuned E - A - D - G - B - E. Hold on a moment, you may say. Two E's? Typo! It is not. There is a low E at the top, and a high E at the bottom. A good way to differentiate is to use E for the low E and e for the high. Hence: E - A - D - G - B - e.
Another common tuning is drop D. This is where the low E is tuned down to a D, which gives a much fatter, bassy sound for that string (D - A - D - G - B - e). Think Gold on the Ceiling by The Black Keys, Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen, The End by The Doors. Even Dear Prudence by the Beatles.
The more an instrument is played, or just with the passage of time or even humidity, strings will start to lose tuning. Some guitar setups are naturally more prone to the loss of tuning than others. This all leads to the need to turn the tuning pegs at the head of the guitar in order to get back to where you need to be.
It sounds simple, but you need a very good ear to do this manually. And a whole lot of experience. It is far simpler, quicker and easier to use a tuner for this purpose. There are many types of tuners on the market, and they operate in a range of ways. Many guitar amps will have a built in tuner, but in my limited experience, they do not tend to be very good. Rocksmith allows you to connect to a console or PC and has a reasonably good tuner, but for the guitarist on the go, this is not practical.
Such a carriage, such ease and such grace!
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It is precisely because of this that I bought myself a highly regarded electronic tuner. The Snark of the title. It is made of sturdy black plastic, though available in several different colours. One immediate impression is how small it is. It operates a rubberised clip mechanism that sits on the headstock of your instrument. The face can be freely swivelled or angled so that you have a choice as to where you put it, and can still clearly see the readout.
There is a flat circular battery that is inserted into the device with the plus sign facing upward. The device will power on automatically. It can be turned off and on with a little grey button, and as buttons go, that's all there is. Despite the small size of the device, the display can be clearly seen from a distance so there's no need to squint to see what's happening.
If we have a half-way decent picture to go with the review, you'll be able to see just how good the display is. It consists of a number of gradients set in 5 ohm increments. The aim is to get the needle pointing straight up when you pluck the string open (i.e. no fretting). The device is extremely accurate and apparently will work even if you use a capo on the first four frets. (A capo is that little device sitting across the fingerboard that a lot of electro-acoustic players like Ed Sheeran use)
For the Snark was a Boojum, you see
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The snark comes with a little faux-canvas bag to provide a little protection when sitting in the pocket of your gig bag. It truly is an invaluable device and a real time saver. It will help you get the maximum lifespan out of a set of strings, meaning the longer you use it, the more value you will derive from it. Reports I have seen indicate the battery life is very good. When almost drained, it will lose accuracy, which would represent a good point to buy a new battery!
Amazon currently sell it for under a tenner, a saving of about a third. With another Amazon voucher from Dooyoo, this cost me precisely nothing. This Snark is definitely a Snark. You will need no Bellman, no Baker, no Barrister and no Banker in order to make its acquaintance.
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