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Oregon Scientific Music Sphere WRS368 | 
 enlarge | Brand: Oregon Scientific
Category: CE
This item is no longer available
Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 22270
Media: Electronics
Shipping Weight (lbs): 9.4
MPN: WRS368
Model: WRS368
EAN: 4891475629034
ASIN: B000G8OX5E
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| Customer Reviews:
Attractive, clever, and good sound quality too November 21, 2006
Christopher Le Grice (Streatham Hill, London)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
WHAT WAS I LOOKING FOR?
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I was looking for a wireless speaker / speakers to deliver sound from our stereo in the lounge to the kitchen or bedroom. I spent hours looking at reviews of various options and opted for this one.
WHAT WAS THE APPEAL OF THIS ONE?
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My thoughts when comparing this to other options:
- It looks the best... by far.
- Can connect upto three different inputs using regular heaphone and phone sockets.
- Can train remotes to control volume and mute functions.
- Can (hopefully!) control the inputs themselves (i.e. skip tracks, control volume of the input, even switch input off and on!) using the remote controls that came with the input devices (tellies, stereos, whatever).
- Only cost something like 65 inc post and packing.
WHAT WERE MY FEARS?
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- Sound quality. I'm not an audio-phile, but didn't want to have a tinny, distorted sound.
- That I might have to put the transmitter globe out in the open (on our coffee table or something!) for it to be able to transmit the controller signals to the input devices.
- That it wouldn't actually be able to control the inputs themselves.
WHAT DO I THINK OF IT NOW I'VE GO IT?
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Well, out of the box it certainly looks the part. Lots of the wireless speakers available in this market look rather nasty, but this is quite the exception to the rule. The speaker itself looks the bees knees! The transmitter looks fine, but you're going to have the input wires sticking out the back of it whatever you do.
It's very easy to setup - there are no tricks at all and the instruction manual is written by someone who can speak fluent English (always a bonus!). The one headphone / phono cord that comes with it is handy. You may want another one or two depending on what you're hooking up with it (but you can easily get those at a later date). The transmitter cannot be completely hidden from view as it needs to be able to infra-red your TV, and stereo, etc. I've got it sitting on top of the hi-fi, level with the TV and DVD/PVR recorder. If it was further back / out of the way the IR signal wouldn't quite reach (I did try!). But that's fine.
It's stunningly easy to "teach" the speaker to know your remote control. I had my hi-fi and TV remotes skipping tracks, changing channels, switching TV and hi-fi on and off, all in about 2 minutes! However, my LiteOn DVD/PVR remote doesn't work with it at all. However, the sound still goes to the speaker, just not able to remote it, which is no great shakes - I mainly wanted to be able to control the telly and hi-fi. Overall though, this remote control ability is better than expected, and pretty cool!
I had heard of hissing and not great sound reviews. However, sound was wicked - really much better than expected bass and over all feel. There is a bit of background hissing, but you'd have to be on a very low volume to notice it at all or have you mobile phone sitting right next to it. It's not an issue really.
WHAT COULD THEY DO BETTER?
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It doesn't come with batteries included. It would be great if they could chuck in six rechargeables as C cell rechargeables cost the earth ( 2 or 3 each at VERY best!). So, until I get those I have around 1 min to move it from one room to another before it loses it's memory of time and how I programmed the remotes to interact with it.
To turn the device on or off, or flick between the three inputs, you actually have to go up to the speaker and press a button. This is surprisingly annoying! Perhaps a very simple proprietary remote control with these two buttons on it would be nice, or the ability to programme an unnecessary button on your input devices' remote to do this job.
OVERALL?
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Stylish. Good sound quality. Clever. Well worth the money!
Very cool indeed! November 13, 2006
R. Charlery (birmingham - uk)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I got this speaker expecting it to be toppy and thin like the other 4 i've brought along the way.This speaker set up is superb.Very well laid out at the back for choice of connections,and you can hear any of three things you have linked up at any one time.
Great for taking from room to room,it is a bit heavy though although this is obviously because of the quality of the components here.
You may think this is pricey,but what you get for your money is freedom of movement of sound.My p.c. is downstairs and its so good to be able to listen to my internet radio in bed these days.
I must say though,it's a shame that the sender unit is mains operated only,as this makes it great for around the home and garden but not the park on a nice summers day.
It's not the loudest speaker system out there,but it does deliver great frequency within the bass,for such a small sub woofer,thats great, (make sure you turn the volume down first before doing this) and the treble is not bad either.
All in all a very cool system, very cool indeed!
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