A yr ago , we dub 2005the Year of the iPod — the year when Apple ’s line of portable participant , and the hatful of unparalleled appurtenance surrounding it , made affair abundantly clear that the iPod ruled the roost .
And 2006 ? Well , this was the class that both the iPod line and attendant add-on matured . All three iPod models saw 2d - contemporaries update that improved on the master copy ’ features and public presentation . And although we did n’t see as manynewtypes of iPod supplement , we saw significant improvement in the offerings in many add - on family — better speakers , phone , cases , transmitter … the list goes on .
Since we get a luck to play with these accessary ( or , to put it more professionally , “ test and evaluate them ” ) , we ’ve get under one’s skin a pretty ripe mind of which products outmatch expectation to be the right in their class . Our editorial staff has put their corporate pass together to select our preferred iPod- and digital - euphony - relate product of the retiring year . The 23 products we picked for our Plays of the Year suffer out for their olympian quality , innovation , usefulness , innovation , and time value .
Our top product pick are spread out out over the next four pages . On this Sir Frederick Handley Page , you ’ll find awards for general categories , such as the top iPod of the class and big iPod software package . The next page features our picks forthe top headphones and speakerswhile page three profilesour favorite compositor’s case and car accessory . Finally , we wrap up with a feel attop digital audio offering .
General awards
good iPod : Second - generation iPod Nano ( 2 GB , $ 149 ; 4 GB , $ 199 ; 8 G , $ 249 ; Apple )
When it derive to the iPod , Apple has followed a coherent plan : keep what forge , deepen what does n’t , and do it fast . Last class , the newly - introduced iPod nano supplant the well - sell iPod miniskirt and quickly took the jacket of Best New iPod ; a year later and , as Steve Jobs would say , “ boom!”—it ’s go . In is space is anew nanothat combine the best of the original nano ( small sizing , flash memory , a colouration screen ) with the proficient of the mini ( a laborious - to - scratch , aluminum exterior and robust figure ) and increases capacity to up to 8 gigabit . As if that were n’t enough , the new nano also tosses in a burnished covert , search functionality , a choice of six colors , and — my favorite insidious touch — an ever - so - slightly concave select button . For euphony fans who do n’t want to squander their time with videos and games it’s — make bold we say it — the best iPod yet.—DAN MOREN
Most Innovative iPod Accessory : Nike + iPod Sport Kit ( $ 29 ; Apple )
Nike and euphony have gone together since at least the 1980s , when infant boomers everywhere lamented the company ’s use of The Beatles’Revolutionin publicizing . But Nike ’s late musical gyration , the surprisingly inexpensiveNike + iPod Sports Kit , might just succeed back some unspoilt will . The seductively simple Sports Kit comprise of a midget receiver that plugs into the dock - connector interface of your iPod nano and a transmitter that bond to your shoe ( directly into the fillet of sole of a Nike+ shoe role model , or tucked into an affiliated air pocket , such Marware ’s $ 10Sportsuit Sensor+ ) . The transmitter measures your progress and charge your run datum to your nano ; clock time , aloofness , and pace entropy are displayed on your iPod ’s screen as you break away . you could alsohearyour advancement through your headphones by snap your iPod ’s Center clitoris , and you also get gratulatory feedback from jock such as Lance Armstrong when you achieve fresh milestones ( for example , fast time or longest aloofness ) . Once you get home , your data is mechanically upload to theNike+ web sitewhen you sync your iPod with iTunes , so you may track your runs and see how many calories you ’ve burned off with the click of a mouse . Since its launch this summer , Sports Kit - using runner have already clock more than 2.5 million miles . So whether you ’re training for a 5 K fun run or an radical - marathon , air in and hear the burn.—MATHEW HONAN
Best means to Waste Time with Your iPod : iPod games ( $ 4.99 each;Apple )
The first iPod was a medicine participant ; a ground - break medicine player , but a music histrion however . Come 2005 , our favorite niggling gimmick slit , diced , andplayed back our favorite movies and television shows . But this year Apple surprise many by addingpremium gamesto the iPod ’s repertory . The iPod ’s always had games , of course — all the elbow room back to the hidden variant of Breakout in the first multiplication iPod ( appropriate , given that Breakout was originally designed by Apple carbon monoxide gas - founder Steve Wozniak ) . But the new offerings are n’t your father’s — er , well , older brother’s — secret plan . Pezophaps solitaria and Parachute might have been a good path to kill a minute or two , but compared to the nine titles roll out this year , those were like hear to music on 8 - track when you ’ve get a , well , an iPod . All nine game feature slick graphics and control schema designed to crop with the iPod ’s Click Wheel . From Texas Hold ’ Em toBejeweled , Tetris toPac - Man , the new card has something for everyone.—DM
Best iPod Video Converter ( for the Mac ): Visual Hub ( $ 23;Techspansion )
While we welcome the availability of video and movies from the iTunes Store , we ’re well aware that there ’s a existence of video out there that is n’t provided by Apple — home movies , Web clips , and , yes , even videodisk . Regrettably , most of this material is in a form not compatible with the iPod . To make it compatible , Techspansion tender the $ 23VisualHub , a world-wide video convertor for Macintosh . While not plan solely for the iPod — it can also convert video to PSP , DV , DVD , TiVo , AVI , MP4 , WMV , MPEG , and Flash format — it bring home the bacon a load of help to iPod owners . To begin with , it converts video recording to the higher - resolution H.264 standard now support by fifth - generation iPods ; many other rebirth utility still support only the original humble - resolution standard . It converts TV quicker than QuickTime Pro . you may batch win over multiple file . And finally , should you have a motion picture that ’s chopped into multiple part — a multi - part MPEG-4 video you ’ve download from the World Wide Web , for exercise — VisualHub can add a mitt by stitching together these file into a unmarried movie . Our one wish : Make a version for Windows ; PC substance abuser have nothing so brawny or visceral . ( Note : VisualHub ca n’t “ rend ” your commercial DVDs for watching on your iPod ; you ’ll need last year ’s Plays - of - the - yr achiever , HandBrake , for that.)—CHRISTOPHER BREEN
Top listening devices—headphones and speakers
Best Earbuds : Remix M - Class ( $ 50 ; V - Moda )
We ’re generally not big buff of earbuds here atPlaylist . Like Apple ’s include headphones , most earbuds — thanks to their little sizing and on the loose fit in your out capitulum — provide poor bass and middling overall phone . In fact , the genre has been so bad , comparative to other earphone styles , that we ’ve been recommending variations onthe same Sennheiser earbudsfor several geezerhood . ( Not to mention that , as earbuds go , Apple ’s stock model that embark with each iPod are n’t that bad . ) But this year we have a raw dearie : V - Moda’sRemix M - Class . At $ 50 , they ’re more expensive than most earbuds , but well worth it look at their excellent good quality ( good sea bass reaction , excellent item , and a warm overall sound ) ; quality build ( each earbud , as well as the headphone fireplug enclosure and atomic number 39 - connector on the cable’s length , is made of polished metal alloy ) ; and attractive design ( usable in metallic disconsolate , metallic garden pink , or silver ) . And they ’re comfortable to boot.—DAN FRAKES
undecomposed Canalbuds : CX300 ( $ 80 ; Sennheiser )
midway between earbuds and in - auricle - duct ( “ canalphone ” ) headphones sit what we callcanalbuds . alternatively of sealing firmly inside your ear canals using froth or flanged - rubber eartips , like true canalphones , canalbuds have small rubber eartips that posture at the ends of your capitulum canal — they do n’t fully seal off out outside interference , but they ’re easier to put in and take out and they ’re more well-situated for many listeners than full - fledge in - ear - epithelial duct models . This class has long been dominated by Sony ’s EX series , but Sennheiser ’s newCX300 — the caller ’s first attempt at canalbuds , no less — handily beat Sony ’s offerings in the sound department while also being lightweight ( just four gram ) and well-situated . And with a street price of around $ 55 , the CX300 is priced competitively.—DF
Most Innovative iPod Headphones : ety8 ( $ 199 for headphones only , $ 299 including iPod transmitter;Etymotic )
Canalphones are one of the most democratic genre of iPod accessories . But stocky Bluetooth headphones are among the mostrequestedgenres . I never really expected the two to intersect paths , but Etymotic — a groundbreaker in in - pinna - canal earphone — fulfil just that with the release of theety8 . The ship’s company has taken the technology used in the acclaimed $ 299ER-4Pand mated it with Bluetooth technology to make a truly wireless readiness of canalphones ; the only cable is the one connecting the left and correct earpieces behind your neck . Instead of bulky earpieces , the ety8 uses small ( 1.4 - by-0.8 - by-0.4 - inch ) enclosures — the correct housing the organization ’s Bluetooth constituent , the left hosting a 7- to 10 - hour rechargeable electric battery . The earpieces are light enough to be supported by the canalphones themselves ; in fact , the cable and both earpieces , taken together , weigh a total of an ounce . A small Bluetooth transmitter connects to your iPod ’s dock - connector port wine , and you’re able to use button — Play / Pause , Forward , Back , and Volume Up and Down — on the right - handwriting phone to control playback . The system supports A2DP , AVRCP , and Bluetooth 2.0 , and the earpiece can also be pair with Bluetooth - enabled computers and mobile phones ( for mind only ) . Best of all , you get near - ER-4P auditory sensation quality.—DF
Best eminent - final stage iPod HeadphonesE500PTH ( $ 499 ; Shure )
As more and more audiophiles embrace portable digital audio frequency , the mart for mellow - end in - auricle - canal earphone has blossomed . We ’re old pros when it comes to canalphones , but even we have excited about Shure ’s new flagship model , theE500PTH . Using three separate driver in each phone , the E500PTH offers stunning sound quality — provided you ’ve fetch lossless medicine and the pinna to distinguish the difference of opinion , of course of instruction . Even well , these are the lightest and most comfortable “ universal primed ” canalphones we ’ve test . Finally , the E500PTH parcel includes an telling leaning of accoutrement : short and long cables , a level attenuator ( for use with too - loud audio root , such as airplane - seat seaman ) , an transcriber for 1/4 - in headphone diddly-squat , a hardshell carrying case , and — one of our favorite audio appurtenance of the twelvemonth — Shure ’s new Push - To - Hear Control module . The latter accoutrement model between your audio source and your canalphones ; when you want to hear the outside world , you push a button and a mike picks up that international sound recording and feeds it into your headphones . You ’ll never again have to make out with bump off and reinserting your canalphones every clock time you require to get word the flight attendant . The E500PTH package is in spades pricy , but if you ’ve got prosperous capitulum , it ’s deserving it.—DF
Best Desktop / Compact Speaker System : Radial ( $ 349 ; JBL ) and i - deck ( $ 150;Monitor Audio )
After much deliberation , we amount to the conclusion that we could n’t blame a single screen background / compact speaker system of rules this year . When it come to one - piece desktop loudspeaker systems , JBL’sRadialproved to be in a class of its own , thanks to beautiful design and remarkably upright sound calibre — easy the best we ’ve get wind from a one - piece organization . The Radial also includes a radio - frequency ( RF ) outside control with the fairly unique ability to navigate your iPod ’s menus from afar .
Monitor Audio’si - deckimpressed us with its fantabulous point , midrange , and — thanks to freestanding speakers that can be place up to 6 feet apart — stereo imaging and separation . In fact , we found it to be one of the most balanced and natural - sounding iPod talker scheme on the market , and noted that “ few systems … even approach the i - deck in terms of sound timbre for the money . ” That was in early 2006 when the i - deck sell for $ 249 . Just a few month afterwards , Monitor announced several new iPod loudspeaker system systems and right away drop the price of the i - deck down to$150 . At that cost , there ’s no excuse not to go out and grease one’s palms one — or two or three.—DF
Best Portable iPod Speakers : inMotion iM9 ( $ 200 ; Altec Lansing )
Portable verbaliser ordinarily involve compromises : to get battery power and small size , you have to put up with humbled volume levels and less sea bass . Altec Lansing’sinMotion iM9is the first truly portable organisation that does n’t require you to give up crowing sound for portability . This 11 - by-3 - by-7.8 - in , 4 - pounding system is n’t much bigger than a thick college textbook , but its two 1 - inch tweeters and two 2.5 - inch midrange speakers pump out enough auditory sensation — include resonant bass voice and astonishingly gimcrack yield — to keep the whole dorm up at night ; the iM9 sounds just as respectable as ( or better than ) many mini - systems . The included AC arranger charges your iPod and a composite - TV turnout lets you hook the system up to your TV for check iPod - hosted video and exposure . And the iM9 is also a capable road warrior : four hundred - cellular phone batteries provide baron , and a rugged , caoutchouc exterior observe your iM9 safe from bumps and bangs as you trip . Altec Lansing even includes a “ sling ” backpack for toting the iM9 and your preferred iPod accessories from place to place . crank up it up and hit the road.—MH
Best Home iPod Speaker System : i300 ( $ 400;Jamo )
Last year , Klipsch ’s $ 400 , monstrousiFitook the crest of Best Home iPod Speaker System . This twelvemonth , Jamo — a subsidiary of Klipsch Audio Group — released thesimilarly - price i300 , efficaciously take the iFi , scaling it down in size , deepen its visual aspect to white- or opprobrious - piano - gloss , adding a Universal - compatible bob , improving the dock ascendance , and offering honest detail and upper midrange ( although sacrifice a act of volume and bass extension ) . As we say in our original review article , the result is “ a sub - sat system that provides home - stereophonic - quality sound , while being small enough to hide in most rooms … it ’s a compelling combination of sound quality , iPod compatibility , and looks . … Combine an iPod full of music with the i300 and you ’ve got a organisation capable of outperforming many of the stereos you ’ll get at the self-aggrandizing electronic range stores , while shoot up a fraction of the space in your listening room . ”—DF
Top on-the-go accessories: cases and car gear
Best Case for 5 G iPod : VideoShield Kit ( $ 35;Agent 18 )
This was a tough class ; we could just as easily have tapped Contour Design’sShowcase videofor the prize . But in the end , Agent 18’sVideoShield Kitwon us over by providing the most various iPod grammatical case we ’ve ever envision . The heart of the kit — the case itself — is classic Agent 18 : a clear , two - piece polycarbonate shell that protects your iPod without add a lot of volume . The bottom bound of your iPod is full approachable — the display case is loaded with the bottom edge so you may still habituate bottom - mounted iPod accessory such as mike and FM transmitter . But as swell as the case is , it ’s the other three pieces in the kit that set the VideoShield aside . A removable , stainless - steel belt ammunition clip offers a sturdy means to carry the case . Or you could swap the belt clip out for a sturdy , pass - out stand that ’s perfect for watching telecasting and reckon photos . ultimately , Agent 18 has provided the answer to the aeonian iPod - case dilemma : how to use your iPod in dock - cradle accessory without removing it from the case . The company includes aUniversal Dock adapterspecifically made for Video Shield - incase iPods ; rather of using the docking facility adapter included with your 5 G iPod , you use the one included with the VideoShield Kit . As we enquire when we originally reviewed the VideoShield Kit , why has n’t anyone else thought of this yet?—DF
Best Skin iPod suit : eVo3 for iPod ( with television ) ( $ 35;iSkin ) and Smooth E for iPod nano ( $ 20;AVA )
A good iPod case is all about equalizer . On the one handwriting , you need to keep your wanted player secure from scratches , gouge , and scuff . On the other hand , it ’s a portable music instrumentalist , not a museum piece — you want to be able to utilize it for its intended function . iSkin’seVo3manages to accomplish this Libra with Zen - similar harmony . It ’s really a two - art object case : besides the traditional silicone skin , which wrap and cushions the iPod , there ’s a heavy charge card shield — yell the VISOR — made from high - timber , scratch - insubordinate credit card , that protects the integral front face of the iPod . The Click Wheel remains accessible , and there ’s even a obliterable cover version for your iPod ’s dock connexion , intend you may put the iPod in a dock cradle without take it from its cocoon . The eVo3 might be a minuscule pricier than its competition , but when it comes to keeping your iPod safe , can you really pay too much ?
As for the iPod nano , you require a typeface for your bright , bantam participant , but you do n’t want to do bulk up its slim visibility . AVA’sSmooth Ehas got you — and your nano — cover . This unique tegument vitrine is actually rigid : it ’s a two - piece , hardshell pillow slip made of ABS plastic coated with a liquid polymer finish that feels unbelievably smooth . Inside , your nano reposes in felt - lined splendor , protected from the bulge and jostling of unremarkable life . The bottom of the display case is open to let you plug in your headphones and sync the iPod , and a severe opus of vindicated plastic is integrated in the case ’s back to protect your nano ’s vulnerable exhibit . But the best origination of the Smooth E is the case ’s built - in Hold switch ; it lines up with the nano ’s own Hold shift and makes flicking it on and off a breeze . In fact , slipping your nano into the Smooth E might make it hard to secernate which is dumbfound more attention : the iPod or its case.—DM
Best iPod dress : Power Jacket and Power Hoodie ( $ 150 each;JanSport )
We ’ve seen a respectable number of iPod - enable crownwork and clothing , but JanSport’sPower JacketandPower Hoodieare the best yet . Made of a water supply - resistant , soft out shell with fleece liner , both form - check - but - stretchy garment are perfect for active wear ; the main conflict is that the Power Hoodie contribute a lined hood . Your iPod fits in an interior pocket near the jacket ’s waist , and your phone tie to a minijack near the jacket ’s neck ; a soft - button pad on the chest let you insure playback and volume . The ascendence are easy to use — you do n’t have to progress to inside the cap or fiddle with touch - raw push button — and the cap is comfortable and attractive , which is more than we can say for many iPod - adequate to garments.—DF
Best FM Transmitters : TransPod and TransDock micro ( $ 100 and $ 70 ; DLO )
It ’s now somewhat common knowledge that if you desire the best iPod audio recording your elevator car can bring home the bacon , you get in touch your iPod flat to your car ’s stereo head building block . But if you ca n’t give it ( or spend a lot of time in railroad car you do n’t own — and yes , I have in mind you Ms. Traveling Salesperson ) you demand an unwired root : an FM sender . We ’ve run nearly all of them through their paces , and two transmitters from DLO fare out on top — the $ 100TransPodand the $ 70TransDock micro . leave battery , each charges the iPod through the elevator car ’s 12v power receptacle ( read “ fag lighter ” ) , each bluster a vivid presentation , each offers three presets for storing your favorite frequency , and each of them can air to frequencies from 88.1 to 107.9 . But then so do lots of other FM transmitters . The difference here is that DLO ’s vector tend to take on stations that others can’t — sweep over weaker “ standard ” wireless station that can produce interference in lesser transmitter . Why choose one over the other ? The TransDock micro is $ 30 cheaper and , thanks to its included USB sync cable , it accommodate all dock - connecter iPod model . The TransPod works with other iPods as well , but its cradle more nearly squeeze a full - sized iPod — and provides a blank space for your iPod to sit.—CB
Best Car Accessories : flexibleDock ( $ 50;Ten Technology ) and TuneDeck for iPod nano ( $ 50 ; Belkin )
If you do n’t have an integrated , iPod - compatible audio arrangement in your automobile , you have to figure out some other way to get your music into your car two-channel . But you also have to find a way to keep your iPod from bouncing around your car ’s interior . We were big rooter of Ten Technology’sflexDock for the iPod mini ; for 2006 , the society released a raw version , theflexibleDock , that works with all dockable iPods . The base plug into your car ’s cigarette lighter gob , which provides both a stable riding horse point and power for charge your iPod ; a stalwart , 6 - column inch , word arm hosts a deep pier - connector birthplace which , via one of several include adapters , holds your iPod securely at a seeable height . ( The flexibleDock even stays in space over jolty roads . ) A stereo minijack on the base of the flexDock ply audio output for connecting to your car stereo via a stock audio recording cable or a cassette adaptor ; double yield stage provide compatibility with most automobile stereos .
If you ’ve have a first - generation iPod nano and a car with a cassette deck , you ’ll want Belkin’sTuneDeck for iPod nano . This unique accessorycombinesa cassette adapter with a motorcar mount : you tuck the TuneDeck into your stereophonic system ’s cassette time slot , and a sturdy nano - docking cradle protrudes from the stereo , continue your auto free from cable welter and placing your nano in a dependable and commodious emplacement . And because the TuneDeck grabs the high - quality dock - connector audio frequency sign , rather than the headphone - seaman yield used by most cassette arranger , it sound nifty . ( If your iPod ’s battery is draw scummy , you’re able to use the include car charger to supply succus , although you lose the cable - destitute simplicity . ) The TuneDeck is a truly unique merchandise that shows the folks at Belkin have been think outside the corner when it comes to iPod accouterment . ( version of the TuneDeck compatible with second - generation nanos and cassette deck that load cassettes lengthwise are currently in the works.)—DF
Top products for the home: audio systems
Best High - End Audio iPod Integration : Solo and rLead ( $ 1,599 and $ 85;Arcam )
I ’ve often lamented the fact that the high - ending - audio industry has mostly ignored the iPod . After all , Apple ’s player supports both uncompressed and lossless music formats , and the iPod ’s pedigree - degree audio output is as good as that of many certificate of deposit musician — in other words , the iPodcanbe a high - tone root that stores hundreds of full - quality albums . So it was a significant case when upscale U.K. audio recording vendor ARCAM release itsrLead iPod connector . design for use with the troupe ’s acclaimedSoloall - in - one stereo system , the rLead is , basically , a cable that connects your iPod to the Solo for playback . But the Solo is voguish than your typical stereo system : once your iPod is connected , you’re able to control it from the Solo ’s remote as if the iPod were an integral part of the system — play list , artists , albums , and genres are all browseable via the Solo ’s own screen , as if the iPod ’s content were on a hard thrust inside the stereo itself . ( If you have a USB baron adapter handy , the rLead can charge your iPod , as well , via the attached USB stopple . )
Of course , to use the rLead , you need a Solo , but that ’s a upright matter , as the Solo is an Apple - same crossbreed of functionality and simplicity — in a single , small , attractive enclosure , you get a CD player , a 75 - James Watt amplifier , and an AM / FM radio receiver , all of audiophile line of descent . As one reviewerput it , “ If Apple made A and candle instrumentalist , this is what they ’d look like . This is what they ’d feel like , too . ” For recognize medicine lover , iPod listening does n’t get much safe than this . ( Arcam gear is distributed in the U.S. byAudiophile Systems.)—DF
Best Home - Entertainment System Connection : HomeDock Deluxe ( $ 150 ; DLO )
If you need one dock that does it all , stick aHomeDock Deluxein your system . S - Video and RCA output connect to your tv set and stereo , while a USB porthole lets you connect to your reckoner . The end result is a dock that will charge your iPod , sync it with iTunes , and play its euphony and video recording over your home amusement system . In fact , DLO ’s HomeDock Deluxe is the easiest way I ’ve reckon to view movies and telly shows buy from iTunes on a telly ( at least until Apple ships its own iTV ) . To sweeten the pot , DLO shake off in a comprehensive remote to control all the action mechanism — you could even pasture music and playlists ( but , alas , not video ) on your goggle box screen , all from the comfort of your Fatboy . Do n’t have a 5 G iPod ( with telecasting ) ? The Home Dock Deluxe works with any dockable iPod for music playback and , if you ’ve got an iPod nano or a photograph - capable fashion model , will still allow you view photos and slideshows on your TV . This is one dock that really rocks.—MH
Best way of life to Get Your Audio Around Your plate : Digital Music System ( ZP100 , $ 499 ; ZP80 , $ 349 ; Controller , $ 399;Sonos )
