We’ve added two feature reviews and a number of other products to Playlist’s product guide this week. In the feature review category, Editor-in-chief Christopher Breen took a look at Digital Technologies’ Blackbird media player, finding that it “does what it’s advertised to do—[it] stores a mess of good-sounding audio files played through a high-quality sound card in a single package and offers the convenience of Internet radio streaming without the necessity of accessing those streams with a computer.” But what it doesn’t offer is a flexible client for managing your music or a much needed remote control. Chris sums up his impression thusly: “If you’re the right kind of user—someone with a massive music collection who wants that music to sound as good as possible—the Blackbird is worth your consideration. If you’ve already got a computer packed with music and you’re satisfied with the sound it makes, this Blackbird may not be your flavor of fowl.”
Our other feature review this week covered RSL Speaker Systems’ Digital Fidelity One, a good 2.1 speaker system for a budget price that easily earned our Playlist Pick designation for being such a great value. As I pointed out in the review, “It’s not a looker by any means, but when it comes to the music, it’s a well-rounded, enjoyable system that can be had for the price of a few CDs. If my speaker budget was limited to $60, this is likely the system I’d buy, despite its bland appearance. Heck, it might even be my choice with twice that budget.”
We also put a few other products through the ringer this week. Our favorite, earning the rare 5-Play rating, was OtterBox’s OtterBox for iPod. This water-, dust-, dirt- and crush-proof case provides the ultimate in protection for your iPod while still giving you full access to the player’s Click Wheel and screen. If want to take your music into unforgiving environments, you’ll want to give this case a hard look.
We also put a new case from Targus, the Flip Case for iPod mini, through its paces. This unique case offers good protection via a rigid shell, and is perfect for those who want to carry their iPod mini on their waist—it’s specifically designed for use on a belt.
If you’ve got an iPod shuffle and are looking for a higher-end fashion case, you’ll want to take a look at Vaja’s AP11 Flip Top case for iPod shuffle. Like most Vaja cases, the AP11 is pricey—$35 is a lot to spend on a case for a $99 player, we admit. But the AP11 is also similar to other Vaja cases in that it’s made of high-quality leather and looks great.
Finally, we took a look at Targus’ new RemoteTunes remote control for dockable iPods. The RemoteTunes is actually a rebranded version of the ABT iJet, which we liked a lot in our comprehensive review of iPod remotes back in April. However, compared to the iJet, the RemoteTunes is $10 cheaper, includes a better accessory package, and performs just as well, making it an even better deal.
This is just a recent sample of products covered in our ever-growing Playlist Product Guide. Check it out for the scoop on the latest and greatest in iPod- and music-related gear.