Product review: GGMM M4 Leather Wireless Digital Wi-Fi

This is a hell of a speaker! GGMM can be made quite loud and the sound remains distortion free even at max volume. To test various speakers I use Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor. I like using because it has several passages in the beginning of the fugue which many speakers cannot handle - some speakers crackles others generate distortions, but this speaker handled it very well. In my video I included two small snippets of music so you can hear it for yourself.



The speaker connected to my phone's bluetooth smoothly. In the video you can see me turn off the speaker and then it back on again - it remembered the connection and automatically reconnected to the phone. However it did not remember my old settings neither the volume to the fact that I had the bass button pressed.



The speaker is 13.75"L x 4 3/8"W x 6"H. Its weight is 6 pounds 1.5 oz.



The speaker comes with an optional leather strap for carrying the speaker. And the sides had permanent metal posts for attaching the straps. I would have preferred that the permanent metal posts were not there, so I had an option to stand the speaker on its side. The speaker has no mounting holes.



I am very impressed with this speaker. I hope the video gives you a good idea of what to expect.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: FD10 8GB USB Flash Drive Voice Recorder

his is a very simple voice recorder. It looks like a flash drive (2.5" x 0.80" x 0.25"). It has just one button on and off switch. I included several audio clips in my video so you can judge the quality of the recording for yourself.



My video includes four types of clips under different situations:

(1) Speaking right into the recorder

The sound it records has a bit of an echo, but not too bad.

(2) A noisy party

This is a challenging situation. The microphone picks up a lot of ambient noise, many voices, it is hard to understand.

(3) A lecture

During this lecture I was sitting in the first row, about 10 feet away from the speaker. The hall capacity is 330 seats. The voice is recorded at low volume but clear.

(4) The lecture is about music and included musical passages. The recorder is not capable of recording music. The clipping and distortions are severe. The recorder is not suited to recording music.



For simplicity of use this recorder is hard to beat. To start recording flip the switch to ON position, to stop recording push the button into OFF position. To copy the files to the computer insert it into computer just like you would insert a flash drive. The records in are in RECORD directory.



The recorder can be re-charged in any USB outlet. The red light will remain on while the FD10 is charging, and will turn off when charging is completed. It cannot record while recharging or connected to the computer. It runs on built-in 11OMAH Rechargeable Lithium. Full recharge from empty took about 3 hours. The recordings are produced in wav audio file format.



If the battery runs out of juice in the middle of the record the file is automatically saved before it stops. If memory is full before recording is completed it will save what recorded so far.



RecorderGear provided this voice recorder for an honest review be it good or bad. What is the bottom line? I thought it did a decent job for human voice in a quiet environment. The microphone is pretty sensitive so in a noisy environment it picks up a lot of surrounding sounds. It works for recording lectures and presentations where is one clear source of sound. It did a terrible job recording music.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★☆☆

Product review: ZHPUAT Portable Bluetooth Alarm Clock Radio with FM Radio

This is an okay clock. It works but how it works has some issues in my experience.



First, the clock has a lot of long voice prompts. The voice has a heavy accent and some words are hard to understand. I prefer short beeps to long voice phrases as they interrupt the music for a long time and when I hear it over and over it gets repetitive and annoying. I wish there was an option for beeps or voice.



Its speaker is fairly weak. The sound cannot be made very loud. It sounds best when I stream music from SD card and bluetooth. FM radio is okay for voice but some music stations are distorted.



The clock numbers are made out of small dots, and I thought they were harder to see when a solid lines on my oher clocks. People with a perfect vision probably will not mind, but if you are nearsighted this might be a problem.



In my video I show how the clock operates in its various functions, I hope this will give you a better idea of what to expect.



Overall, the alarm clock works but I can't say I love it. It is just okay.



I received this clock for testing and review as part of the new product introduction and sharing my honest experience with it.





ZHPUAT Portable Bluetooth Alarm Clock Radio with FM Radio, Wireless Speaker, Aux-In and TF Card Music, USB Charging, Phone Call, Easy Setting, Convenience for Travel, Fashion Home, Idea Gift (White)





AshopZones review ★★★☆☆

Kinivo BTX270 Wireless Bluetooth Portable Speaker

I am very impressed with this speaker. In the attached video I used several pieces of music to test this speaker, including Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor which is a stress test for the bass. Some speakers crackle and can't handle the bass, but Kinivo Speaker handled it exceptionally well. This small speaker has a big sound.

In the video I start with the music playing through the built-in speakers of the tablet, turn on bluetooth and then the sound switches to the speakers. You can see how much richer, fuller, and louder the sound is when the speakers are used. Then I repeat the same sequence for the second piece of music which shows how the speaker handles base. There is no cracking even in the most challenging parts of the Bach Toccata.

I am attaching a collage of 4 photos for reference in this review. Photo #1 shows the speaker and an optional audio cable. The speaker is 6"L x 1 7/8"W x 2 1/4"H. Photo #4 shows the speaker on the digital scale, and it weighs in at 9.7 oz.



Pairing of the speaker to my tablet was easy. The speakers are in the pairing mode when the light on the front flickers red and blue.



I received this speaker from the manufacture for an honest review be it positive or negative. One of the benefits of being requested to test different speakers is that it gives me an opportunity to compare them to each other using the same music test, so I can compare them using "apples to apples" comparison. I would say this has been the best small speaker I have tested in the last year. I am very impressed with this speaker, especially how it handled the bass! I hope the video will help you see what to expect.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Kinivo BTX270 Wireless Bluetooth Portable Speaker

I am very impressed with this speaker. In the attached video I used several pieces of music to test this speaker, including Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor which is a stress test for the bass. Some speakers crackle and can't handle the bass, but Kinivo Speaker handled it exceptionally well. This small speaker has a big sound.



In the video I start with the music playing through the built-in speakers of the tablet, turn on bluetooth and then the sound switches to the speakers. You can see how much richer, fuller, and louder the sound is when the speakers are used. Then I repeat the same sequence for the second piece of music which shows how the speaker handles base. There is no cracking even in the most challenging parts of the Bach Toccata.



I am attaching a collage of 4 photos for reference in this review. Photo #1 shows the speaker and an optional audio cable. The speaker is 6"L x 1 7/8"W x 2 1/4"H. Photo #4 shows the speaker on the digital scale, and it weighs in at 9.7 oz.



Pairing of the speaker to my tablet was easy. The speakers are in the pairing mode when the light on the front flickers red and blue.



I received this speaker from the manufacture for an honest review be it positive or negative. One of the benefits of being requested to test different speakers is that it gives me an opportunity to compare them to each other using the same music test, so I can compare them using "apples to apples" comparison. I would say this has been the best small speaker I have tested in the last year. I am very impressed with this speaker, especially how it handled the bass! I hope the video will help you see what to expect.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Satechi Dual Sonic Speaker 2.0 Channel Computer Speakers

I am impressed with this speaker. I am attaching a video where I play music with the speakers on, then with built-in speaker of my tablet, and then back to the speakers. You can see how much richer, fuller, and louder the sound is when the speakers are used. I used several pieces of music to demonstrate the speakers, including Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor which is a stress test for the bass. Some speakers crackle and can't handle it, but Satechi Speaker handled it well. The sound is not distorted, they have great mid-tones and even a pretty good bass.



The speakers are pretty heavy for their size. One of the photos I am attaching to this review is both speakers on the digital scale. Two speakers weigh in at 1 lb 6.7 oz. The base of the speaker is 4" by 2.5", and their height is 3" tall.



The cable between the two speakers is 33". The second cable is a split cable with two connections: USB Power and 3.5mm audio stereo plug. The split cable has in-line volume control. In my use I separated the split cable up to the volume control so the audio and usb plug can be plugged at a longer distance from each other. Note that the speaker needs both cables plugged to play. The second photo I am attaching shows the close-up of the back and bottom of the speaker, as well as the cables. The cable is the thing I liked least about these speakers.



The base of the speaker is pretty heavy and is lined with soft felt-like material. The overall effect is that it minimizes vibrations at high volume as well as provides traction.



I received these speakers from the manufacture for testing and an honest review. I hope the video will help you see what to expect. I am impressed with these speakers - small speakers with a big sound!





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

DVD review: Orchestra of Exiles

When I finished watching this documentary the first time, I immediately restarted and watched it again, I liked it that much!



"Orchestra of Exiles" combines beautiful classical music background and a riveting true story told through archive films, interviews, and re-enactments.



This documentary film tells the story of great Polish violist Brawnislaw Huberman who in 1935 created Palestine Symphony Orchestra from the greatest Jewish musicians from Germany and Eastern Europe. It was clear to Huberman that all these people would be exterminated. By providing them a legal way to emigrate from their countries he saved them from Hitler and a certain death. Between 1935 and 1939 he saved almost 1000 Jews. He knew his selections were not just selections of musicians, he was a judge of who is going to live and who is going to die.



Huberman invited Toscanini, who at the time was a giant figure in music at the time, to be the first conductor of the orchestra. The story of how Toscanini interacted with the orchestra when they did speak the same language was amusing and enlightening. The orchestra was a tremendous success, not only because it brought together great musicians but because it brought peoples a feeling of victory over evil.



The documentary traces the lives of some of the musicians, their children, and grandchildren. It contains interviews, photos, movie clips, as well as re-enactments. Beautiful music is played through out this documentary.



It is a compelling story, which makes you feel proud of the human spirit and the power of music to unite people.



I am grateful to First Run Features for providing me a review copy of this DVD.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Pyle PFA400U 100-Watt Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Amplifier with USB SD Reader and AC Adapter

This is a very compact (7" x 4" x 1.75") digital amplifier that produced good sound when used with small (12") high quality speakers. I am attaching a video which demonstrates Pyle PFA400U amplifier in action. The music source in the video is the Logitech bluetooth adapter connected to Nexus 7 Tablet.

Overall, the amplifier did a nice job. This amplifier is a Class T switching digital amplifier rated at 100W. However, 100W ratings is some what misleading, it refers to instantaneous burst of 100W. The power adapter of the amplifier is rated at 24W, the efficiency of Class T amplifier is 80%, this means the continuous power of this unit is approximately 20W. When both the tablet and the amplifier were both turned to their maximum volume, the sound was loud but did not blast. In the video I used the remote control to turn on the audio to its maximum volume.



If you want to turn on or turn off the amplifier you can do it either from the remote control, or by a long push on the "mode" button on the unit itself (left most button). You can also turn off the amplifier by twisting the volume button. Note that the remote control overrides the volume set by the knob (i.e. if you turned down the sound using the remote, using the knob will not make it loud).



The remote control is small (7" x 4" x 1.33"), and can be used for on/off, controlling volume and changing tracks.



USB/SD inputs worked without problems but what is being played is not shown on the little digital display on the unit. The remote control can be used to change the tracks forward and backwards, but there is no fast forward or reverse, and I was not able to change the display to show the tracks numbers or titles. The play from the USB/SD does NOT resume where you left off (it starts from the beginning) if you turn off the unit or if you hit mode button to switch between RCA and USB/SD inputs.



Setting up the unit was simple, and I did not need the instructions. However, it should be noted that the documentation that comes with this unit is poor. The description specifies that this unit has 3.5mm (1/8") front input. Neither the front nor the back have 3.5mm input. The documentation refers to RCA connections on the back as outputs rather than inputs (the unit itself is labelled correctly). It does not mention that "Mode" button or "Volume" button can be used to turn the unit on and off.



I am enclosing a collage of 3 of photos which show the unit. Photo #1 and Photo #2 show different angles of the back of the unit. Photo #3 shows the front of the unit.



I received this amplifier for an honest review (be it positive or negative) from the manufacture. I described both positives and negatives of this unit, and I hope the video gives a good idea of what to expect from this amp.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

RHA SA950i On-Ear Portable Headphones with Remote - Titanium Speakers - 3 year warranty RHA SA950i On-Ear Portable Headphones with Remote

RHA MA-350 produce good rich sound.  I found bass as well as high frequencies to be very good listening to classical music.  I also tried it with audio books and they produce very clear voice sound as well.



The headphones fit comfortably and snugly on my (fairly small) head.  My head is 14" (measuring from the center of one ear to the center of the other ear over the head). To help you determine if they are a good fit for your head I am including detailed measurements of the headband.  The headphones leather band is 9" (measured on the inside, the part that touches the head). The adjustment mechanism can be expanded from 7/8" to 2" on each side.  The total head band can be adjusted from 13.5 inches to 16 inches (measuring from the center of one headphone to the other, where the band connects to the headphones, on the inside).



I am attaching a collage of 2 photos (that can be located by following customer photos link under the main photo) which shows the close-up of the adjustment mechanism.  The adjustment mechanisms are the chrome-colored bars which are between the headband the earphones.



The cups of the earphones are 2.75" by 2.25".  The leather is very soft and cushy. They formed a comfortable and good seal on my ears.



I really liked the cord it comes with. It has volume control built into the cord which I found very convenient, and cable is covered with corded fabric which produced no echo in the headphone when it rubbed against something.  I also found that the cord did not tangle as much as my other cords.  The cord is 61 inches long.



The headphone plus the cord weight is 4.2 oz, and I found that I could wear them in a noisy office all day without getting tired.



I received an evaluation copy of RHA SA950i On-Ear headphones to write a comprehensive and unbiased review and I hope the measurements and photos will help you in your buying decision.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★