Bangarang Redux

 Denon CEOL-N8

Full disclosure: we’re very fond of Denon. We grew up using home audio systems that deployed their designed-and-made-in-Japan amplifiers, and so when we saw this “network-enabled CD receiver” we just had to give it a listen.

Boy, did the memories come flooding back. The CEOL (Gaelic for “music”) may be pint-sized, but it packs a 65-watt-times-two punch that would have sent Tyson reeling, so to speak; there’s even the option to add on a subwoofer should you choose to move a step up the ladder to audiophile heaven. AirPlay (it connects to a Wifi network, as will your smart device) does the job of getting your music to the device just fine, and there’s a dock available as well. What sets this system apart is the number of options: it has a built-in CD player (remember those?), radio, and every possible audio input, including aux and an optical in. There’s even an ethernet port should you prefer wired over wireless connectivity to get the device onto your network.

You can use this with your smart device, TV, Blu-ray player, laptop or tablet, or whatever else you feel like using: the only constraints to this equation are your imagination, and the constants here are the guarantee of powerful, clear sound.

Rs. 66,900; Profx.com

 JBL Voyager

JBL’s unique blend of Bluetooth mastery and design wizardry continues with the Voyager. We haven’t been this engaged in the open-the-package-and-get-it-working process since we opened our Macbook Pro boxes a few years ago; the product and package designers really hit this one out of the park.

If 20 grand sounds like a lot to drop on a Bluetooth speaker, know that this is actually two speakers in one. The central disc pops out to serve as a portable speaker; when you’re back home, you can put it back in to get better, bigger sound with more bass (from the included subwoofer) as well as the convenience of a hands-free speakerphone and multiple ports to serve as inputs or charge your USB devices.

We took this little powerhouse on the road with us, and we’d be lying if we said we were happy to give it back to the company after review. Yes, it’s just that good ”” and the fact that it looks like something an alien mothership spat out as a gift to the human race doesn’t hurt either.

Rs. 19,990;Harman.in

 HDMX Jam Plus

So HDMX took the boombox and brought it up to speed for the hashtag age with the Jam Party, and seems to have done exactly that with the portable Bluetooth speaker as well. The Jam Plus sounds great for its size, and its killer feature is that you can buy two and pair them together. So you then get a stereo speaker setup, with audio streaming from a smart device of choice ”” no wires needed.

These little monsters come ready to party: ultra-portable, 30-foot range, a 6-hour charge, five fun colours, and universal (Bluetooth) compatibility. They’re also rather well-designed, and the branding and packaging are fresh and refreshingly quirky.

If the technology on display here sounds like magic, it sort of is ”” at least, being able to fill a (small) room with sound without using a single wire certainly feels liberating.

Rs. 3,990; HDMXaudio.com

 NAD Viso 1

Canadian audiophile major NAD has been delighting its clientele since 1972, and there’s finally a way for you to get in on the party without having to deal with a loan officer at a bank. When we saw and tested this understatedly-designed dock at a Mumbai audio lounge, we were instantly reminded of the B&W Zeppelin ”” a product we consider to be the Aston Martin of iPod docks.

The Viso sounds great. Powerful, nuanced, room-enveloping sound that will satisfy listeners of any genre; for the record, even Zedd’s “Clarity” (the Tiësto remix) wowed us here. NAD likes to say that this is “no ordinary” speaker dock; given the best-in-breed audio technology crammed into its innards and extraordinary sound reproduction, we tend to agree.

Rs. 45,000 La-kozy.in