Cisco-Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge Review

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(More customer reviews)First off, a little background... I consider myself fairly skilled at using computers.. I have been using them for 25+ years and have installed operating systems, configured routers, set up wireless networks, recovered systems from virus crashes, etc. Reading the below reviews I thought that while installing the music bridge might be a bit tricky, I could handle it.
WOW. I don't know where to begin. This product has the worst documentation I've ever seen, both in the box and online. I spent 10+ hours getting this to work on my system, plus another hour un-doing damage to my system registry after the Music Bridge driver conflicted with another driver in my system and caused a crash.
Having said that, I finally have it up and running and it is operating as promised, though using 100% of my CPU power and thus causing the computer to run very slowly.
Reading the support forum on the linksys site, the people that have the fewest problems installing this equipment are those that don't have routers. Ironically, though Linksys (and Cisco) are router companies, the instructions do not include the special steps that must be taken to re-configure your router so it will connect with the bridge.
Be warned - this is not plug and play and you may very well spend a lot of frustrating time trying to get it to work. Once it is working there are many idiosyncracies (eg having to close and open your music player to get it to play through the bridge) that you would not expect from a well-designed piece of hard/software.
This is a bargain for a reason - I'd suggest you spend a little more and find something better. Good luck!!

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You're having a party, but you don't have the time it will take to burn a disc of your favorite digital tunes. This is where the Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge comes in. By letting you wirelessly stream audio files from your PC to your stereo or other speaker system, no matter which music service you use, the Wireless-G Music Bridge gives you all the convenience of digital music with the sound of high-performance stereo.With the Wireless-G Music Bridge, you can send whatever music your PC is playing--whether it's from media players, games, Internet radio, orMP3 files--through your home network and to your stereo system. If you're running a wireless (802.11b and 802.11g) network, the Music Bridge will send your music to your stereo with no need for any additional cables. Simply connect the Wireless-G Music Bridge to your entertainment system via the included RCA cable, and you'll be ready to start cranking the tunes. Alternately, you can also use standard 10/100 Ethernet cabling to connect to your network.If you have a 5.1-channel surround sound system, the Wireless-G Music Bridge includes software that creates a virtual 5.1-channel sound in your PC, so that you can take full advantage of your stereo system. The Wireless-G Music Bridge also lets you choose what audio from your PC you want to play over your audio system. For example, you can choose to send music but not email alerts or other PC tones. Or you may want to keep the alert tones streaming. It's entirely up to you.An easy-to-use setup wizard will guide you through the configuration so that you can be up and running in no time. The Wireless-G Music Bridge supports 128-bit WEP encryption to ensure a secure connection and is compatible with wireless 802.11b and 802.11g standards.What's in the Box Wireless-G Music Bridge, Ethernet network cable, stereo RCA cable, power adapter, setup wizard CD-ROM, user guide on CD-ROM, and quick installation guide.

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5-In-1 Wireless Headphones Review

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(More customer reviews)theyre actually named "zenex 5-in-1 wireless headphones"price: A-
so i think i got these for $20, which is pretty decent for some average wireless headphones.
comfort: B+
to be fair, i have a small head, so they're pretty comfortable on me, a little tight if anything. if youve been told you have a big head, these might not be as comfortable as youd hope...
quality: C+
quality isnt bad, though it only supports mono in all features, including while using the direct connect to your computer or ipod. you're not going to want to use these for audio editing or production, which i was kind of looking forward to. the sound also is a little muffled, very lacking in treble, mids are ok and lows are more than sufficient.
reliance and interference: B-
surprisingly decent. i walked 50 feet into my kitchen and was still getting average signal from the tv in my room. keep in mind that i live in a rural area. im not sure what interference you might get in your apartment building.final thoughts:
- Good Gift For Family Members
99% of people over age 30 will love these. If you use an ipod, you might notice the lacking quality.
- No Stereo Sound
These headphones are still mono as a wired headseat... WHAT?? Product might have been a dream come true of it didn't only support mono.
- Dual Set Interference
While wireless chat is useful if you have a roommate, or if you dont know how to text message your family, using more than one set of this product will result in major interference problems. The only solution is for one person to just stop using the headphones...final grade: B-
3/5 stars becuase of freakin' mono.
not bad for a first pair of wireless headphones, especially for $20.

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Wireless Transmitter Headphones w/FM Scan Radio Review

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(More customer reviews)I got one like this from eBay. I do not really know what should I write about it. I played with it for two minutes and then throw it into the garbage can!

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Sennheiser RS 170 Digital Wireless Headphone with Dynamic Bass and Surround Sound Review

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(More customer reviews)I've only had the RS 170 phones for a few days. I had expected to rate them 10 stars because of the excellent crystal-clear sound; but I believe they have a flaw that may render them unacceptable for some people (see CONS, below). I'm giving them 4 stars because they are so good - I should probably rate them either excellent or "not acceptable".
Here is my take - you may not have the same experience or have the same needs or expectations.
TYPES OF WIRELESS HEADPHONES: For those that don't know, there are broadly 3 ways by which wireless headphones receive their signal:
IR (infrared) -- these use a line-of-sight signal and avoid radio interference. They have the disadvantages of short range and reduced mobility (you have to remain within sight of the base station), but they usually do produce a clean sound.
900 MHz -- these are analogue radio headphones. The main disadvantage is susceptibility to hiss and other noise, especially when you move your head or move to another room.
2.4 GHz -- these are digital radio headphones, like the RS 170, and are more likely to be free from hiss and noise.
I bought the RS 170 phones to replace cheap ones I've been using for late-night TV, and which operate on 900 MHz, providing constant hiss, much worse when I move about.
The RS 170 sound brilliant. I've used them for late night TV and movies, and for music (radio and CDs) allowing me to move to other rooms in the house. They're comfortable to wear and I'm sure they'd be great for use on a treadmill or working out. All over my home, and in most of the garden, the sound is crystal clear with no hiss or extraneous noise. Except, that is, for the echo ...
CONS: Having read scores of reviews of wireless headphones, it seems that some people buy them to listen to movies/ music without disturbing other people. For that these phones are brilliant.
But some people buy wireless headphones because they have hearing loss (or just want the clarity that headphones provide) and use them to watch TV while their spouse listens through the TV speakers. The RS 170 phones seem to operate with a slight time shift (delay). If the loudspeakers are also on, albeit at low volume, the effect of the time shift is to produce an ECHO - this is very noticeable with dialogue, and is really annoying.
It might mean that if you listen to movies/ TV, and have the sound coming through the TV speakers as well, the RS 170 phones may not be acceptable.
If you turn the TV speakers down (or "mute") you won't notice the effect, but then no-one else in the room will be able to hear anything unless they have headphones as well.
The RS 170 are of a "closed" design, which means that sound is not supposed to leak out, and in combination with the comfortable ear-pads, they greatly attenuate ambient noise - but they don't eliminate ambient noise completely (they are not "noise-cancelling"). I wrote to SennheiserUSA yesterday morning, and received this prompt response:
"The RS 170 should block out the sound of the TV speakers. Check to
see that you have them on correctly so that there is a nice seal to
block out ambient noise.
Let me know if you have any additional questions."
Eric Palonen
Sennheiser Headphones + Headsets
1 Enterprise Drive
Old Lyme, CT 06371"
It's true that the ear-pad seal does greatly attenuate ambient sound, but it does not eliminate it.The problem is so serious that I cannot use the phones to watch TV if my girlfriend is watching also.
The more expensive model RS 180 is an "open" design - the echo problem is likely to be even worse. The more I think about this, the more I am torn -- if you have hearing loss, you might not notice, or care about, the echo.OTHER FEATURES:
-- sound: The quality of the sound is better than I'd expected.
Listening to movies, I hear subtle sounds that I can't hear with loudspeakers. I can only describe the sound as crisp and clean with adequate, but not booming, bass.
I listened to some classical music CDs (Elgar) with delicate sounds as well as a full orchestra and timpani. The detail is excellent; even when I walk up my driveway the sound eventually cuts out, but there is no hiss as far as I can tell. My previous headphones were all hiss and crackle as I moved away from the base.
-- price. These are expensive, and may not be discounted for quite some time.
-- buttons. Lots of people criticised the prior design (RS 130/ 140) because the rotating volume control could catch on a pillow and move.The RS 170 has buttons for volume, mode, plus bass and [faux] surround sound. The disadvantage of buttons is that they're hard to find by touch alone. I think a lot of people will wind up taking the phones off to press the buttons. One advantage of the design is that the volume-up button is closest to the front and it doesn't take much practice to find it with your right thumb or finger. The BASS and SURROUND controls can be activated from the base unit.
-- bass. The bass is not intrusive, even with the "bass boost" engaged. Fine for me, but some people like exaggerated bass for rock-N-roll, and they may find the bass to be light.
-- surround sound.It's simlated surround sound, and I haven't used it enough to have an opinion. I think I shall wind up not using it (just like the CNET reviewers who tested the prior model RS 130).
-- charging batteries - yes they need 16 hours for first charge, but it only takes a moment to slip in standard alkaline batteries (just don't leave them in when you put the headset on the charger).
-- connecting - connecting is very easy - I took the time to route the wires through the coiled conduit. Some people will want to connect to a TV set. I connected to an AV receiver (I used "tape monitor out") so I can quickly switch between TV, radio and CD player. I also connected them to my iPod, but somehow that seems like a tautology.
-- range - Sennheiser claim 260 feet range. My house was built to defeat cell phone signals and may not be a good test. They work all over the house and in some of the garden and the driveway, but they do cut out at much less than 260 feet. That may just be a feature of my house. I didn't buy them for extreme range and I'm very satisfied.
In summary I think these phones are great - they so enhance the experience of watching a movie that I'm not sure I want to forgo them when watching movies with my girlfriend. The echo problem may be a deal breaker for some.

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Dakota Alert Long Range Alert System Kit Review

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(More customer reviews)Here's a device that does what it says. I've been able to hear the alerting transmitter as far away as six miles.
This unit operates on MURS channels which are in the VHF spectrum between
151.82 mhz and 154.6 mhz, respectfully.
This means that this unit is also fully compatible with the Dakota MURS intercom system.
I have both and have units in my Shop, Barn and House.
I am able to hear an alert on all three and intercom as well.
I almost never have any false alarms. I've mounted the alarm unit on a tree at about 4 feet elevation. The beam width if fairly narrow but detects cars, people or animals out to about 50 or 60 feet.
One nice feature allows an external contact closure at all of the receivers when an alert comes in.
This could be used to open a gate or perhaps another outside alarm or even a garage door. Lot's of possibilities here.
Dakota also makes a hand held unit that could hear the alert and also intercom with all the rest of the units in the system.
Great for us farm operators that might be out in the pasture working.
Care should be given when adding to this system as Dakota also makes a short range alert transmitter that looks like the MURS units. It is not the same and operates on UHF channels.
Make sure the device stipulates MURS or VHF operation.

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Sylvania SYL-WH930GB Wireless Headphones (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)When you can get these wireless headphones to actually connect, they work fairly well, although they can suddenly disconnect for no reason, and if I turn my head so that it faces my cordless phone base, they get a loud buzz. The sound quality is fine for TV programs. But the main problem is GETTING them to connect: EACH and EVERY time you turn them on you have to "synch" them with the transmitter that's connected to the TV. This involves pressing the "Scan" & "Reset" buttons repeatedly, often for several minutes, before you hear anything other than loud static. This means you need to turn them on & start pushing buttons 4 minutes ahead of time, or you will miss the beginning of things. And don't even think of turning them off during commercials to save battery life! The transmitter requires batteries as well as the headphones, so if you forget to turn IT off when you're done, you'll be out of luck next time. The transmitter DOES have a power jack, but YOU have to find & buy an appropriate power adapter, adding to their cost. Sometimes these allow me to walk into the next room & keep listening, but sometimes they lose the connection while I'm sitting still 4 ft. away. Definitely not worth the trouble!

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Peripheral / PAC IS77 Universal iPod Dock and 3.5mm Input for FM Radios Review

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(More customer reviews)This unit lets me connect my iPod to my factory stereo that does not have an available AUX input. It comes with a cable to connect AND CHARGE your iPod as well as another cable to connect a standard 3.5mm plug. However, you can only connect one cable or the other to the single set of RCA connectors on the unit itself. Choosing one or the other will probably be fine for most people. But I wanted the option of using BOTH the iPod connector and the universal 3.5mm port. I overcame this by connecting two short RCA Y-cables (splitters) between the FM transmitter box and each of the cables that go to the iPod connector and the 3.5mm port. The Y-cables are inexpensive and easy to simply plug in. By doing this, I can take advantage of the capability of the iPod connector to charge my iPod (a huge plus for me) and also allow people with non-iPod devices (basically, anything with a heaphone jack) to connect to my factory stereo.
My only gripe is that since the sound is being transmitted via an FM modulator, even though it's hard-wired there is still a small amount of sound degradation even if you're connecting via the iPod connector. I quickly got used to it though. I liken it to listening to satellite radio versus a CD. The difference is about the same using this FM modulator.
I bought this at Best Buy for $90. I wish I had bought it from Amazon at the $55 price I see available now. If you're using this w/an iPod or any other device, please note that you control the music through the iPod itself or whatever other device you're connecting, not the stereo you're connecting it to. Personally I prefer controlling the music through the iPod itself since the controls are so intuitive and visual.
Installation of the wiring was pretty straight forward. I connected the power lead to the cigarette lighter.
Also, if you're installing this yourself, I recommend using it for a little while before you permanently mount the power switch and AUX port just in case you change your mind about the mounting location.
I would buy this again and also recommend it to other people. However, if your factory stereo has an unused AUX port on the back of it, I would recommend getting one of iSimple's other products that connect directly to the AUX port on the back of your stereo instead. (Mine is filled by the factory 6-CD changer.) You may lose the flexibility that I have since you'll have to choose between the iPod connector OR a 3.5mm port, but your audio signal shouldn't degrade since you're connecting through an unused AUX connector on the back of your stereo instead of going through an FM channel. I haven't actually compared the sound of the two, I'm just theorizing. You'll also get to control your iPod through the factory stereo which could be a plus for some people.

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