This year's annual GeekTech holiday wish list takes an aural bent, as sound--both at the PC and away from it--is my geek obsession du jour. Even if the techies in your life don't spend sleepless nights wondering which lossless codec to use when ripping their CD collection (again), they're bound to love something on this list.
In my last column I talked about the joys of using a USB DAC and headphones for top-notch audio bliss. But this month I'm generating sound from my PC the old-fashioned way, with a PCI-based sound card.
Creative introduced its X-Fi line of sound cards back in August 2005, and while they received generally favorable reviews, I always balked at buying them--mostly because of their high prices. The top-of-the-line Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro carried a whopping $400 price tag, while the entry-level X-Fi XtremeMusic card was a more reasonable (but still pricey) $130.
Those prices have come down some over time, but I really wasn't too interested in X-Fi until Creative recently launched several new budget cards. I picked up the SoundBlaster X-Fi Extreme Audio for about $60, and I very much liked what I heard.
The card produced a noticeable improvement in audio quality over that from my integrated audio chip. When listing to my lossless music rips, I turned off all of the processing bells and whistles in Creative's drivers, and the audio was sharp and crisp. Then I fired up Rhapsody to listen to some lossy streams, which sounded--as one might expect--a little bit thin. So I turned on Creative's X-Fi Crystalizer feature, which the company says "enhances music dynamics." I don't usually buy into that sort of marketing speak, but I have to say, the X-Fi Crystalizer did make the music sound better.
The Extreme Audio card doesn't have all the features of Creative's other X-Fi cards (its jack selection is particularly anemic). But if you're looking for a good, budget-priced audio upgrade gift, it's a great pick.
Your favorite geek can have the best sound card in the world, but if they're pumping the audio through a lousy set of speakers it's not going to sound very good. I tend to favor 2.1s over surround setups (where, exactly, does everybody put those rear speakers anyway?). My favorites aren't exactly new--they've been around for some time--but they're still in production, they sound fantastic, and they're reasonably priced. The Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 package goes for $150, and as long as you can find space for the giant-size subwoofer, it won't disappoint you.
The ProMedia 2.1's will handle just about anything you throw at them, but they take a little fine tuning. For example, I like some booming bass for games and movies, but when I listen to music I'd rather it be more subtle, so I adjust the subwoofer level right there on the right speaker. That's also where you'll find the volume knob, the headphone jack, and even an input jack (so you can plug in an MP3 player). I like this setup better than the separate control pod. I've been listening to everything from classical to blues, rock to techno, and the Klipsch handled it all with aplomb. Oh, and I don't think I've ever turned the volume control more than a quarter turn (these suckers can go loud).
Of course, sometimes it's nice to move to another part of the house--you know, not in front of the PC--to listen to some tunes. A number of streaming audio devices out there let you access music on your hard drive and play it through your stereo, but Slim Devices' elegant Squeezebox remains my favorite.
I've been testing the $299 wireless version (there's also a $249 ethernet-based unit), and it has consistently turned in a stellar performance. It supports numerous codecs (including lossless formats such as FLAC and Apple Lossless), and it delivers top-notch audio quality when paired with a good stereo rig.
Setup is simple, the free downloadable SlimServer software is straightforward to use, and the unit's slick design and bright screen look great in the entertainment center. The remote control is a little generic, but it does the job. (As we prepared to post this story SlimDevices announced a new remote.) And the whole setup is compatible with Rhapsody (
Zune, schmune. The Apple iPod may be as mainstream as computer-related hardware gets, but give me an 80GB music player for $350 and you can have my geek cred.
This isn't the often-predicted video iPod, and the hardware improvements over the previous generation aren't dramatic, but they
Plus, there's the tight integration with Apple's iTunes software and store. I'll admit I was pretty frustrated with the buggy early version of iTunes 7, but Apple seems to have worked out those kinks with subsequent updates. I don't buy much music from Apple, but I do download audio books through an Audible.com subscription, and I'm a bona fide podcast junkie. And iTunes makes those two (good) habits very easy to keep. The only downside to the 80GB iPod: Nobody has yet figured out how to port the innovative open-source Rockbox audio software for it.
If there's one thing that's consistently irritated me about iPods, it's the product's propensity to pick up scratches. I think Apple actually sends its designers back to the drawing board each time to make the screens even more delicate. A few scratches were no big deal on earlier versions; but if you're going to watch videos on these new ones, even minor nicks can become major distractions, which is why you need a top-notch case. I've been testing the $25 PodsPlus Aluminum V2 case, and it's the real deal.
The V2 fits the 80GB unit like a glove, with a smooth neoprene liner on the interior and cutout for easy access to the headphone jack and the dock connector. But what really sets the V2 apart from the crowd is its ultraclear screen protector and its slick click-wheel cover. This case feels solid, but it never feels like it's getting in the way. The company recently announced a similar case for the latest Nano, too.
I've always liked the idea of no-cables Bluetooth headsets, even if I do make fun of those folks who walk around with them glued to their ears 24/7 (come on, you're not
It's not inexpensive, but in my tests the nXZen worked incredibly well. It proved particularly adept at blocking out road noise in the car. My wife also noted that in quieter environments my voice actually sounded better through the headset than on the phone itself.
It's not a perfect product. Despite the numerous interchangeable earpieces Gennum includes with the unit, I've never found a combination that makes it terribly comfortable to wear. And its controls are nearly impossible to use when the unit is on your ear (when you really need them). But at the end of the day, it sounds good to the people on the other end of the line, and that's what counts.
Tom Mainelli
