Avenue Magazine Calgary

Hardcore Headphones

When Avenue covered the original Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones, we raved about the incredible sound quality, but were a little put off by the US$350 price tag. The new Beats by Dr. Dre Solo headphones offer the same exceptional audio in a slimmed-down design. Even better, the price has also been slimmed down to a more reasonable US$200, meaning there’s no longer an acceptable excuse for using sub-par headphones. As a bonus, with Solo they’ve also added a built-in remote control on the cable and a microphone for use with the latest models of Blackberrys and iPhones. (beatsbydre.com)

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

How many guys play the guitar to impress girls? If you want to stand apart from the crowd, try learning to play an Eigenharp. The Eigenharp vaguely resembles a big oboe, but operates more like a digital synthesizer/sequencer combo. It has a mouthpiece, playing keys and offers “an unlimited range of sounds.” You can get your jam on with the Pico model (US$573) at parties and in garage bands, then move to the larger Alpha version (US$6,492) should you show some kind of promise as an Eisenharp prodigy (eigenlabs.com)

Band on the Run

There’s nothing more rock ‘n’ roll than pushing a series of colour-coded buttons on a plastic guitar. Or, at least, there wasn’t. The ante has been upped, and now the most elite Guitar Hero/Rock Band stars are capturing the concert experience with the Altec Lansing Stage Gig speaker (US$100). Designed to look like a stage monitor used by real, live bands, the Stage Gig is built rugged and offers exceptional sound by video game-musician standards. Now we just need electronic roadies to complete the experience.
(alteclansing.com)

Come Together

Wireless audio is a technology that hasn’t really delivered yet. Aerielle’s i2i Stream (US$120) is a step in the right direction. Instead of using wireless speakers, the i2i Stream lets you connect a receiver to speakers or headphones you already own, transmitting audio from any source (most likely your iTunes library). While it’s not a perfect solution — for example, you can’t control the source audio remotely and the term “CD quality” should probably be taken with a grain of salt — it is affordable and most likely compatible with the audio equipment in your home. (aerielle.com)

Across the Universe

The Sonos ZonePlayer S5 (US$479) offers better-than-average sound quality for a stand-alone device, which is saying something given the volume of single-speaker units currently available. Where the S5 excels is with its integrated Ethernet slot for network streaming and online compatibility (it works with Last.fm, iTunes, Napster and other sites), as well as its downloadable iPhone/iPod Touch controls. Plus, if you’re looking to upgrade your home audio down the road, the S5 is part of the Sonos Zone system and is compatible with all their wireless products. (sonos.com)