GH Institute

All Audio visual

• 
  Review of Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 speakers

  Features

  Rechargeable battery, mains power. Carrying case. Fits all iPods with dock connector. Remote control. Unlike earlier version, does not require iPhone to be switched to airplane mode to avoid interference. Black or white finish available.

  Comments

  Good points: This portable unit has excellent audio with an impressive soundstage. Touch the XL button and it makes it sound wide and powerful. Highly portable and the rechargeable battery lasts 10 hours between charges. It recharges the iPod as you play. Punchy, strikingly clear sound in a light and easy-to-carry machine. Works with international electrical frequencies so can be used abroad and comes supplied with multiple international plugs.

  Drawbacks: None.

  Rating: 91/100

  Price Range: £100 - 140

  Stockist: 01753 870900 - http://www.logitech.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

  
  

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  Review of JBL On Time Micro MP3 speakers

  Features

  Alarm with LCD screen. Snooze function. Fits all iPods with dock connector. Remote control. Weighs 0.8kg (1.8lbs). Mains power.

  Comments

  Good points: JBL is known for its outstanding audio fidelity: this product lives up to the brand's reputation. It's the sound quality that really excels, with strong, bassy playback. The alarm is versatile - you can programme it with up to seven independent wake-up times.

  Drawbacks: When turned up to full volume, the sound can distort.

  Rating: 90/100

  Price Range: £140 - 180

  Stockist: 01707 278100 - http://www.jbl.com

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

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  Review of Orbitsound T4 MP3 speakers

  Features

  ‘Spatial stereo' dock with DAB, FM and internet radio. Alarm clock. Fits all iPods with dock connector. Mains power.

  Comments

  Good points: Although there's only one speaker on the front of the T4, because the side speakers fire sound outwards it manages to sound wide and powerful even in a big room. The system means the audio sounds good wherever you're standing. Then there's the radio which not only includes FM and DAB radio, but internet radio, too. If you have a broadband network it can connect to it wirelessly, delivering literally thousands of radio stations from around the world.

  Drawbacks: It's easy to press the wrong button - they're all lined up round the top of the unit. Wi-fi internet is also fiddly to set up, though you only have to do this once.

  Rating: 85/100

  Price Range: £140 - 150

  Stockist: 08456 521 219 - http://www.orbitsound.com

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of JBL On Stage IIIP MP3 speakers

  Features

  Fits all iPods with dock connector. Remote control. Mains power.

  Comments

  Good points: It looks like a doughnut but sounds even sweeter. The directional speakers mean it delivers strong sound in multiple directions. It's also easily portable as it's so small and light. It has a rich and full sound, excellent on high notes and okay on bass, and sounds clear and bright. Small enough to make it an essential travel gadget.

  Drawbacks: Bass could be stronger.

  Rating: 84/100

  Price Range: £90 - 100

  Stockist: 01707 278100 - http://www.jbl.com

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Sony ICFC1IPMK2 MP3 speakers

  Features

  Charges while it plays. Remote control. Alarm clock and FM/AM radio. LCD screen with adjustable brightness. Fits all iPods with dock connector. Weighs 0.5kg (1lb)

  Comments

  Good points: Decent sound and handy features make this Sony dock a good choice. The clock radio offers the choice of waking to a buzzer, radio or music from the iPod. Straightforward to use.

  Drawbacks: Lacks the bass effects and crisp clarity of bigger units.

  Rating: 75/100

  Price Range: £55 - 70

  Stockist: 08705 111999 - http://www.sony.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

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  Review of Sony XDR S10DAB digital radio

  Features

  DAB and FM tuners; output: 8 Watts per channel; mains powered; headphone socket; 10 DAB and 10 FM presets; 140 x 270 x 112mm (HxWxD); available in light or dark brown

  Comments

  Good points: With a good-looking facade and a chunky case, this radio will look smart on a bookshelf - particularly as the power cord's kinked jack means you can push it right back. Better than average FM reception in our test area.

  Drawbacks: The output lacks bass and sounds a little thin, and with no equaliser there's no opportunity to improve it. It had some trouble tuning to national DAB stations in our test area where others did not, including Smooth, Absolute 80s and Traffic.

  Rating: 63/100

  Price Range: £67 - 79

  Stockist: 08705 111999 - http://www.sony.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Kodak PlaySport Zx3 camcorder

  Good Housekeeping Top Scorer

  Features

  Block shape. Full high definition (1080). 58x19.5x113mm. Weight 145g. 20Mb onboard memory, SD card. 4x digital zoom. Still photos to 5.3 megapixels. Rugged, waterproof casing.90 minutes recording on one charge. HDMI socket for connection to HD TV. Video light. Colours: White with black, blue, purple or red.

  Comments

  Good points: block shape means good for quick shots, irritating for long shots. Good quality video. Very rugged, and waterproof to 10 feet, making it superbly flexible. Very simple controls.

  Drawbacks: Relatively weak still photos.

  Rating: 73/100

  Price: £120

  Stockist: 01442 261122 - http://www.kodak.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Griffin Travel speaker system

  Features

  Travel speakers, powered by iPod. Fits all iPods with dock connector. Exclusive to Tesco.

  Comments

  Good points: Superbly light and small, the Travel speakers are a great way of having louder playback in a neat, small product. There's no battery or mains connection - it uses the iPod's built-in battery to power it. If you want to recharge the iPod you can connect it to a PC using the USB cable. Sound quality is more than acceptable, and the speakers are undeniably convenient.

  Drawbacks: Unexceptional sound. No visual indicator to say you've reached maximum volume.

  Rating: 70/100

  Price: £30

  Stockist: 0800 505555 - http://www.tesco.com

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Sennheiser CX300-II headphones

  Features

  Small in-ear headphones with interchangeable adapters. Carry pouch. Available in black, white and silver.

  Comments

  Good points: This is a tremendous upgrade over the headphones supplied with an iPod or iPhone. They are comfortable and fit snugly in the ear, isolating the sound from the outside world (making it sound better to the wearer and suffer less music bleeding into the outside world). They have a rich, full sound which does justice to bass and treble alike.

  Drawbacks: None.

  Rating: 95/100

  Price Range: £15 - 43

  Stockist: 0800 652 5002 - http://www.sennheiser.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

  
  

• 
  Review of Philips HDT8520 PVR

  Good Housekeeping Top Scorer

  Features

  Twin Freeview HD tuners. 500GB HDD. 125 hours capacity in HD. 8-day EPG. One touch record. Series record. Upscaling to HD. Dolby 5.1 output. HDMI output.

  Dimensions: H70 x W235 x D210mm

  Weight: 1.7kg

  Comments

  Good points: Smart set top box manages to keep its energy consumption low, despite the bright blue LED strip. It also has a simple on screen menu system and a great remote control that allows one touch and series recording. The big 500GB capacity means you can store up to 125 hours of crisp high definition footage, while the second tuner lets you view another channel at the same time.

  Drawbacks: Slight lag when channel surfing.

  Rating: 92/100

  Price Range: £230 - 299

  Stockist: 0800 3316015 - http://www.philips.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Toshiba Camileo H30 camcorder

  Features

  Traditional shape. Full high definition (1080). 45x110x65mm. Weight 250g. SD card memory. 5x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom. Still photos to 16 megapixels. 150 minutes recording on one charge. Flash/movie light. HDMI socket for connection to HD TV. Colours: black or silver.

  Comments

  Good points: traditional camcorder shape means fiddly for quick shot, better for long shots. Fits well in the hand. Neat touch screen controls. One click upload to YouTube. Large (7.6cm) screen. Good quality video.

  Drawbacks: Considerably more chunky and heavy than the rest - not ideal for handbag or pocket. Still photos not as good as specification suggests.

  Rating: 71/100

  Price: £128

  Stockist: 0844 847 8944 - http://www.toshiba.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Monster Beats by Dre Tour headphones

  Features

  In-ear headphones with six interchangeable adapters. Carry case.

  Comments

  Good points: These stylish in-ear headphones look great and sound just as good. The sound is crisp and shines for its clarity and. The earbuds reach deep into the ear to fit tightly (various-sized tips are included and improve the audio). Monster is a pre-eminent cable maker so no wonder the cables are so good here - contributing to the audio quality here. It also claims to be the world's first tangle-free cable: it's flat, thick and long-lasting.

  Drawbacks: Long earbuds can be hard to get used to.

  Rating: 93/100

  Price Range: £110 - 120

  Stockist: http://www.beatsbydre.com

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of DigitalStream DHR8202U PVR

  Features

  Twin Freeview HD tuners. 500GB HDD. 130 hours capacity in HD. 8-day EPG. CS slot for pay TV upgrade. USB port for storage devices. One touch record. Series record. Upscaling to HD. Dolby 5.1 output. HDMI output.

  Dimensions: H70 x W235 x D210mm

  Weight: 1.7kg

  Comments

  Good points: This feature packed PVR is actually made by Samsung. It has a big hard drive that can record up to 240 hours of standard video and its easy to use thanks to the handy 8 day EPG. The USB port adds the ability to play MP3s or photos from an external hard drive.

  Drawbacks: None

  Rating: 89/100

  Price: £299

  Stockist: 08456 049 049 - http://www.johnlewis.com

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Humax HDR-Fox T2 PVR

  Features

  Twin Freeview HD tuners. 500GB HDD. 125 hours capacity in HD. 8-day EPG. CS slot for pay TV upgrade. USB port for storage devices. Ethernet port for internet connection. BBC iPlayer. One touch record. Series record. Upscaling to HD. Dolby 5.1 output. HDMI output.

  Dimensions: H70 x W235 x D210mm

  Weight: 1.7kg

  Comments

  Good points: Premium price tag brings useful extras such as the Ethernet connection which allows BBC iPlayer archive service. Big remote is easy to use and playback and record quality very good. Big 500GB hard drive offers plenty of room for recording in HD

  Drawbacks: If you don't need online services cheaper PVRs are available with similar quality.

  Rating: 82/100

  Price Range: £299 - 330

  Stockist: 0208 326 6000 - http://www.humaxdigital.com

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Bose On-Ear headphones

  Features

  On-ear headphones, carry case.

  Comments

  Good points: The really outstanding feature here is the on-ear headphones' extreme comfort - you can wear these leather-cupped cans for hours happily. The top end is sharp and clear, while the bass is thumping. On-ear headphones sometimes let a lot of sound in from outside but these make a good job of deadening the real world. The headphones fold neatly flat in their case so they take up less space.

  Drawbacks: Some mid-range sounds are a little muddy and undefined.

  Rating: 90/100

  Price Range: £115 - 120

  Stockist: 0800 085 9021 - http://www.bose.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5K camcorder

  Features

  Block shape. Full high definition (1080). Weight 130g. 54x19x108 mm. 4Gb Memory Stick Duo provided. Also takes SD. 4x digital zoom. Still photos to 5 megapixels. 95 minutes recording on one charge. Colours: violet, pink, blue or white.

  Comments

  Good points: block shape means good for quick shots, irritating for long shots. The best video of the cameras we looked at. Fun swivel head and 360 degree adaptor for all-round photos.

  Drawbacks: Very fiddly getting videos off the camera - the only one you can't just copy them off. Software too complicated. Not obvious how to fit SD card. Only half screen used for video, so small image. ‘Violet' is almost indistinguishable from black.

  Rating: 70/100

  Price: £120

  Stockist: 08705 111999 - http://www.sony.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Sharp TU-T2HR32 PVR

  Features

  Twin Freeview HD tuners. 320GB HDD. 80 hours capacity in HD. 8-day EPG. CS slot for pay TV upgrade. USB port for service updates only. One touch record. Series record. Upscaling to HD. Dolby 5.1 output. HDMI output.

  Dimensions: H55 x W300 x D259mm

  Weight: 4.1kg

  Comments

  Good points: Sleek box which feels well made and comes with twin tuners that offer useful functionality. Two channels can be recorded simultaneously, for instance, while watching a recording. The picture quality is sharp and accurate.

  Drawbacks: Theres a certain amount of noise from the cooling fan and the remote control is very basic. The USB port is for service only and the audio output is stereo, rather than 5.1 surround sound.

  Rating: 80/100

  Price Range: £245 - 290

  Stockist: 0800 262 958 - http://www.sharp.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Sony MD-570LP headphones

  Features

  Light on-ear headphones. Available in black, green or orange.

  Comments

  Good points: Although these headphones sit on, rather than over, the ears, the sound they produce is powerful enough, especially on heavy, bassy tones which are persuasive. Higher notes are good, but not outstanding. They feel light and extremely comfortable and have a cool, modern styling.

  Drawbacks: None.

  Rating: 87/100

  Price Range: £23 - 50

  Stockist: 08705 111999 - http://www.sony.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Panasonic HM-TA1 camcorder

  Features

  Block shape. Full high definition (1080). 53x17.8x104mm. Weight 115g. SD card memory. 4x digital zoom. Still photos to 8 megapixels. 80 minutes recording on one charge. Video light. Colours: Black, blue, purple or white.

  Comments

  Good points: block shape means good for quick shots, irritating for long shots.  Good quality video and still photographs. Full paper manual.

  Drawbacks: Controls are slightly confusing initially. Easy to accidentally open the battery compartment.

  Rating: 70/100

  Price: £150

  Stockist: 0844 844 3852 - http://www.panasonic.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Sony BDP-S370 blu ray player

  Features

  BD/DVD/CD playback. Ethernet port for BD live and web apps like Lovefilm and BBC iPlayer. USB port for playing digital media files, upscaling standard definition to HD. Fast disc playback

  Dimensions H36 x W430 x D206

  Weight: 2.0kg

  Comments

  Good points: The thinnest on the market but packs in most features. The BBC iPlayer app adds real value. More importantly, this is the easiest to use thanks to the excellent remote and on screen menu. It is also the fastest tested and still manages to offer very clean pictures and pure sound

  Drawbacks: Quirky front panel traps dust.

  Rating: 95/100

  Price Range: £105 - 150

  Stockist: 0845 6000124 - http://www.sony.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

  
  

• 
  Review of Denon AHC560R headphones

  Features

  In-ear headphones with remote control and microphone. Three sizes of silicon ear piece and one pair of soft foam ear pieces. Cable clip. Carry case.

  Comments

  Good points: The sound quality is sharp and precise. These headphones are great for iPhone users as they come with in-line controls to adjust volume, change track and to answer and end phone calls. The buds fit the ears well and are comfortable for extended use.

  Drawbacks: Controls can be tricky.

  Rating: 87/100

  Price Range: £95 - 110

  Stockist: 01234 741 200 - http://www.denon.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Sanyo VPC-GH1EX camcorder

  Features

  Traditional shape. High definition (1080). 38.5x110x55 mm. Weight 172g. 50Mb onboard memory/SD card. 5x optical, 10x digital zoom. Still photos to 16 megapixels. 60 mins recording on one charge. Flash. HDMI socket for connection to HD TV. Colours: silver.

  Comments

  Good points: traditional camcorder shape means fiddly for quick shot, better for long shots. Excellent lens and zoom. Full paper manual. Good still picture quality.

  Drawbacks: Some jagged effects on indoor shooting. Video quality good, but not the best we saw.

  Rating: 68/100

  Price: £186

  Stockist: 01923 477124 - http://www.sanyo.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Flip Mino HD camcorder

  Features

  Block shape. Limited High definition (720). 50x16.8x100 mm. Weight 116g. 8 Gb onboard memory. No optical zoom, 2 x digital zoom. No still photos. 120 minutes recording on one charge. HDMI socket for connection to HD TV. Colours: brushed silver.

  Comments

  Good points: block shape means good for quick shots, irritating for long shots. Extremely simple point and shoot. No settings, nothing to fiddle with. Compact, elegant style. Onboard memory holds 2 hours of HD video, which looks surprisingly good considering it's not full HD. Easy to use touch panel controls.

  Drawbacks: Limited zoom, not full HD video (and no choice of video formats). No still pictures.

  Rating: 64/100

  Price: £147

  Stockist: 0844 922 1010 - http://www.flip-video-cameras.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010

• 
  Review of Samsung MemoryCam SMX-C20RP camcorder

  Features

  Traditional shape. Standard definition. 35.2x109x56.2mm. Weight 160g. SD card memory. 10x optical zoom, 1200x digital zoom. Still photos to 1.6 megapixels. 160 minutes recording on one charge. Colours: black, red, blue or purple.

  Comments

  The best looking camera, a delight to handle and excellent zoom.

  Drawbacks: Lack of HD really shows – video quality isn’t in the same league as the HD cameras. Quite bad jagged effects on straight edges when the camera is moved.

  Rating: 62/100

  Price: £169

  Stockist: 0845 726 7864 - http://www.samsungcamcorder.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - November 2010