http://www.ecoustics.com/latest/articles Latest articles, updated every five minutes http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/23648/ I travel some and have a hard time hearing my music and videos on the airplanes. What I have found is that with a simple Portable Audio Amplifier I can amplify and enhance the sound quality to a much better level. There are a couple of different options when it comes to Portable Headphone Audio Amplifiers. One is the Boostaroo , which has the ability to will double the available volume from your audio player and separate the audio signal into individual stereo channels to drive 3 separate sets of headphones or speakers. Naturally it will depend on the ohm rating of your headphones, but the Boostaroo can increase the volume of your player by 100% with no more than a 0.3% harmonic distortion. If you are watching or listening to something that two or tree people want to hear I highly recommend the Boostaroo . If you are looking for something that improves the sound quality for MP3 MP4 Players Computers or Mobile Phones when using earphones or headphones and not so much into sharing the audio with others and are wanting a more quality for an awesome personal listening experience right between your ears I recommend the FiiO... Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:45:09 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/145154 Wireless, multiroom home audio is here, sort of. But wireless HD video is still mostly a pipe dream. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:20:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/19410/ Someday, I hope portable music lovers figure it out... you don't have to settle for the crappy headphones that came with your player! In the world of headphones, you can do much, much better. At the very least, a ten to twenty dollar pair of headphones is a cheap way to get a heck of a lot more enjoyment out of your music. The problem: take those regular ol' headphones anywhere else but your quiet living room or the public library, and you'll realize your true enemy... the world. Before you go running around on a Hulk-like destructive rampage against all things not you, let me clarify. The real enemy to on-the-go enjoyment of music is all the background noise created by "the world." Since you can't go around telling people to shut up, put out roadblocks to stop cars from passing by, or tell the flight attendant to make the plane quieter without severe repercussions, we'll have to find another way to muzzle the outside environment. And as luck would have it... noise cancelling headphones do just that. What are Noise Cancelling Headphones? Noise cancelling headphones do exactly what the name implies... cancel noise through a process called " ... Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:30:19 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/19275/ For the Luddites remaining in today’s society, Bluetooth can be easily defined as a wireless technology that enables personal communications within a small area. In reality, what does this really mean? This has been the decade for Bluetooth and personal area networks (PAN), offering us a host of conveniences for day-to-day life. Some of these include wireless headsets for your mobile phone, hands—free communications for your automobile, and streaming audio from your laptop to your wireless headphones. The typical range for Bluetooth devices is 30ft, however there are other Bluetooth enabled devices capable of communicating up to 300ft. Now that you have a basic idea that Bluetooth enabled many of today’s conveniences in personal wireless communications, let’s explore some of the conveniences in more detail, including Bluetooth’s history. Bluetooth’s History Interestingly enough, the Bluetooth specification was actually developed in 1994 by a pair ofineers working for Ericsson Mobile Technologies, in Sweden. Their project, which originally focused on frequency-hopping spread spectrum radio transmissions, became known as IEEE 802.15.1 within the technology industry. Over the years, Bluetooth has adapted to newer capabilities and applications, producing improved revisions of Bluetooth in the marketplace. If shopping for a Bluetooth device today, you’d probably note ... Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:25:42 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/126866 Five rules to consider when using headphones and portable gear. Thu, 07 Sep 2006 03:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/126234 Share an MP3 player, buy better headphones, get yourself a good gear bag--and peel a potato like a pro. Wed, 05 Jul 2006 03:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/12859/ The RCA jacks in the back of the TV work wonders. As I mentioned in the previous article, my headphone jack is broken and I get no sound in the speakers, as a result. I already bought the box which has three sets of RCA jack (red, white, yellow), so I can have my VCR and DVD hooked to my... Thu, 08 Dec 2005 17:36:45 -0500 http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/11024/ Two of my favorite activities are bicycling and listening to music. Historically, they have not been a good combination, because headphones can block out traffic noise that you need to hear to stay safe. Last year, I received a Rage helmet with built in speakers. It plugs into standard sound jacks on portable radios, CD players, and mp3 players. I first tried using it with my CD player. I was surprised at how well the speakers worked, and that I could still carry on a conversation with my husband, who was riding next to me. I do mostly trail riding which can be a little rough at times, and I had some problems with the CD player skipping. This convinced me that my new toy (the helmet) needed a new toy of its own. I bought it an MP3 player.I have been using the combination of the MP3 player with the speaker helmet for about a year now. I absolutely love it, and have loaded music specifically to help me keep a steady cadence when I ride. I find it hard to believe that there are so few helmet options like this. You can purchase the helmet at many sporting ... Tue, 19 Apr 2005 08:20:35 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/10375/ Question If I plug in an extension cord with multiple outlets into my surge protector, will components that I plug into the extension cord still be protected even though they are not directly plugged into the surge protector? -Submitted by Ron Answer: The simple answer to your question is yes, devices plugged into a power strip that is plugged into a surge protector will still continue to reap the benefits of the surge protector. It's similar to an in-line volume control for headphones. The headphones would not be directly plugged into the device, but the sound still gets there. In any form of in-line surge protector, as long as the electricity flowed through it prior to reaching the device, it will maintain the benefits of using it. However, surge protection in itself is not just about plugging a device into a box. In-series surge protectors have to abide by the inherent properties of electricity. The most important rule for in-series surge protectors is that electricity always follows the path of least resistance. This means that all incoming lines to a system must be connected to the surge protector, which cuts off the system from any other outside source. ... Mon, 27 Dec 2004 14:59:32 -0500 http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/10253/ Connecting your iPod or other MP3 player to your home stereo gives you flexibility of not only finding songs and albums quickly and easily to play, but also allows you to play your favorite playlists through your stereo too! All you need to hook it up to your stereo is a 1/8" to RCA connector cable that can be found at any electronics store. Set up is simple: Plug the single 1/8" plug into the headphone (or line out) jack on the MP3 player. Find an empty RCA connection on the back of your receiver (any open connection except PHONO will do). Plug the red and white RCA jacks into the back of your receiver, matching the colors of the plug to the connection (if your receiver is not color coded, red is right (R), white is left (L)). Turn on the receiver and press the input corresponding to the input where you plugged in the RCA cables above. Turn on your MP3 player and play a song and it should come out your speakers. Adjust volume controls as you desire. Keep the MP3 player at about 75% of total volume to prevent the distortion of the sound. ... Tue, 14 Dec 2004 10:13:17 -0500