Jeff wants some waterproof headphones and speakers. Is there some? Leo says that there are. He likes the Aftershockz, Ultimate Ears is another. The Sonos Moves are also good if you have a Sonos system.
Richard's optical speakers are suddenly malfunctioning with only one speaker working. Leo says if the wires are connected, then it could be a bad speaker wire. They can fail. The speaker can also fail. Do the easy thing first ... replace the wires. Also, try using a different device like a turntable. That will eliminate the receiver. Also, change the connections from left to right. If the other speaker goes out and the current speaker has sound again, then the AV receiver may be going out.
Scott wants to know if expensive analog speakers and turntables are worth the money. Leo says that they may or may not. Oftentimes, they look better than they sound. But analog speakers will sound "warmer," which may be ideal if he's got a great vinyl collection. Then again, if he's older, the money he's paying for audio quality may be lost due to hearing loss. Especially if listening with hearing aids. Hearing aids aren't designed for HiFi sound. They're designed for talking. But Leo says that HiFi hearing aids may be coming soon since hearing aids are about to become over the counter.
Scott joins Leo to talk about a new streaming speaker system out there called Coo Coo, which streams live music from all over the world. Scott says the idea is that the music is designed to go with the speakers and so you need to subscribe to the season. Four seasons a year. It's a completely live performance, with no recordings, that are streamed directly to the speakers over the Internet. And when there isn't a concert scheduled, you hear live ambient sound from nature or a city square.
Scott wants to talk about a question he got recently on setting up a home theater in a new home. He's looking at the B&W SN704S2 speakers, $3,000 a pair. He's also looking at a $3,000 Sony OLED TV. But Scott also says that a center channel speaker that matches the left and right stereo speakers is just as imperative as the stereo speakers. And anyone would want the same brand. You can go cheaper on the subwoofer if you need to. But Scott also warns that paying a high price for equipment can have diminishing returns. There's a point where more money doesn't equal more performance.
Paul wants to be able to hook up a friend's Amazon Alexa device to his CD system, so he can create a speaker system in every house. Leo says that the Amazon FireTV Cube has an IR blaster that can command your devices from anywhere in the house. But to broadcast the signal on the Echo devices may be a challenge. If they had an audio-in jack, then that would be the easiest. Doing it digitally from your computer and streaming music would be even easier. But to play physical media over an Echo system is a challenge.
Scott Wilkinson joins Leo to talk about the ELAC speakers that Leo finally decided on. Scott says they are very affordable and offer a lot of bang for the buck.
Scott joins Leo to talk about how Black Friday is already here with "Black November" deals already starting. Scott says that this means that we may see the end of the crowds fighting over doorbuster deals on the day after Thanksgiving.
Headphones like the Bose Quiet Comfort QC35 Mk. II are discounted 33%.
Newegg is offering a deal on the Polk TL1600 Subwoofer Satellite speaker system for $179, a 60% discount.
Lott came across a set of SYMFONISK WiFi Speakers at IKEA and wants to know if he can get sound from his computer to play on them. Leo says that IKEA has a partnership with SONOS and Amazon to create wireless speakers. You need to use SONOS software to add your music collection and play it. It uses a variant of DNLA and in theory, the SONOS software can scan your PC and play it.
Scott Wilkinson is reviewing new speakers from Klipsch called The Fives. They are five in speakers that have a dedicated phono preamp, bluetooth connectivity, and other connections. Scott says that they are pretty darned good. Sounds quality is refined, but a bit restrained. Still very good. Check out Scott's TechHive review here.
