Pioneer VMS-700-K wireless speakers help the elderly listen to their favorite TV and radio shows

Pioneer has just introduced a new wireless speaker, designed for the elderly. The VMS-700-K will allow folks who have trouble hearing to listen to their favorite TV shows and radio programs without turning the volume on the TV/radio up and annoying everyone in the room. This wireless speaker gets its audio from the source, and brings it next to the person in question, allowing him or her to listen to the audio at a normal volume, while everyone else can go around their business without the interference of a loud TV at home. It features a rechargeable battery with a 13 hour lifespan, and has a range of 30 meters. It will be available in Japan in May for 20,000 Yen ($237).

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TDK's new line of Boomboxes and audio gear now officially available

TDK has slowly been rolling out some of its new audio gear since it first showed off the line at CES in January, but it's now finally officially announced that the whole lot is readily available across the US and Canada. That includes both its two-speaker and three-speaker Boomboxes, its "room-filling" Sound Cube, a set of high-end headphones, and even a belt-drive turntable - those range in price from $249 for the headphones to $499 for the three-speaker boombox. Of course, while TDK is boasting quite a bit about the sound of the gear, it's also placing a heavy emphasis on their appearance, for which it can thank design firm Ziba. Don't miss the more coverage links below for a bit of insight into how it crafted the products.

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Hercules XPS Diamond 2.0 USB Speakers

Portable speakers are generally designed for function first and foremost. But that does not necessarily mean that they should look dull and generic most of the time. There are unique portable speakers like the new Hercules XPS Diamond 2.0 USB Speakers that may pose a challenge to what a portable speaker should look like.

The Hercules XPS Diamond 2.0 USB Speakers is obviously named after its basic shape. Its diamond design is quite unique in that no other portable speakers were probably imagined in the way that this one is designed. But besides the shape, the speaker also provides quality sound output with magnetically shielded speakers to provide interference-free audio. The Hercules XPS Diamond 2.0 USB Speakers were basically designed to appeal to a female audience. It is set to be available at various retailers such as Amazon any time soon and is expected to cost around US$40.

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TDK Sound Cube

For avid music lovers always moving around, it pays to have a portable speaker system handy aside from the usual headphones. But most portable speakers out there can only provide decent sound quality that others may not like that much. TDK may have another option available with its new Life on Record Sound Cube.

The TDK Sound Cube provides multi-directional sound output that comes with both power and clarity. It features 2 powerful coaxial drivers that deliver some powerful sound at 20W RMS in such a unique and bold design. It features controls for tuning, volume and tone as well as its own innovative equalizer display.

The TDK Sound Cube supports Apple iDevices its media players as well as other types of USB supported smartphones and devices. It also comes with an AM/FM Radio. The TDK Sound Cube is available at Amazon for US$300.

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Aluratek Bump Portable Mini Speaker Review

For every expensive audio component out there, there are countless cheaper alternatives; some good, some not-so-good. Aluratek makes and markets all kinds of affordable tech from eBook readers to internet radios. The Bump portable mini speaker is just what the name Implies, a speaker you can take with you in your backpack for those times when earphones aren't practical or you just want to share your tunes.

The speaker is very compact, round and pops up to reveal the on/off switch and USB hookup. What bass there is becomes more noticeable when you "bump" it to pop it up, hence the name of the speaker.

The connection couldn't be simpler. Either use the (very) short, attached miniplug cable to connect to you mp3 player and the USB cable (supplied) to connect to a laptop when charging is necessary. The USB hookup charges a built-in 4 hour lithium-ion battery. The bottom of the Bump has an indicator light that glows red for charging and blue when turned on. The miniplug cable cleverly tucks away into the base of the speaker.

To play, tap the top to extend the base revealing the on/off switch and then make the appropriate connection. There are only two volume choices once you turn on the speaker in place of a volume knob. I kept the selection on the Volume Level 1 choice (lower volume) for a simple reason. When switched to Volume Level 2, the Bump distorts all over the place. It becomes unlistenable. Besides, the volume control on my iPod works with the Bump, so I can easily compensate that way. Note that with Volume Level 1, you can turn up the iPod all the way and still only get moderate listening volume. And since the Bump distorts at Volume Level 2, that's about as loud as you would want it, anyway.

I much preferred using the Bump with my iPod than a laptop. Apart from the battery charging benefit, the Bump sounded marginally better than my laptop speakers. The Bump seems to work better with older recordings since they don't usually tax speakers the way newer music can. As long as the bass is not overpowering, the Bump seems happy to do its thing.

The Aluratek Bump is not a room-filling party speaker. It's more of a background speaker with the listener sitting next to it. It provides modest output from modest input. For $20, you can't ask for more and that makes the Bump portable mini speaker not a bad deal at all.

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Media Speaker Stand MS430 from Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson has recently introduced the Media Speaker Stand MS430, which is a portable accessory for music enthsiasts that is easy to carry, use and enjoy. As soon as we got our hands on the MS430 Speaker Stand, we were awed by its miniature size and looks. It is a sleek looking silver cylinder that is easy to carry around, extremely portable, and does not get in the way, takes up much space or makes it a hassle to bring an external speaker with you.

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