Our review of the Vers 1.5R Hand Crafted Wooden Alarm Clock & iPod/iPhone Dock

Billy's Review:

Can I just start by saying that the sound that comes out of the Vers 1.5R is amazing! The Vers 1.5R is a single speaker unit (15-watt full range speaker), but it will have you guessing as to what is actually hiding inside. The sound is deep, full and clear. The sound easily fills a bedroom, study or small room. Even as an iPod/iPhone dock, the Vers 1.5R is up there with the biggest players!

We have been using the Vers 1.5R here for a little while now, and we keep using it as the benchmark when we listen to other devices. We keep repeating “it just doesn’t sound as good as the Vers!”.

Whether you use it as a radio, an iPod or iPhone dock, or an alarm clock, the many uses will have you wanting one in every room. There’s also an auxiliary 3.5 mm input jack to allow you to connect a different music player other than an iPod or iPhone.

The story behind the Vers products is fascinating... For every hardwood tree that is used in producing a Vers product, they replant 100 trees through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation! Whenever I mention to someone that it takes a week by hand to create a Vers 1.5R, the look on their face says it all. I’m sure I had the same look when I was first told! An energy efficient class D amplifier also helps keep energy consumption down and allows the unit to run cooler.

The Vers 1.5R looks the part! The design is one of our favorites.

One of the most common questions we get asked is whether the Vers 1.5R is compatible with the iPhone 4. Yes, we can confirm that it works! You still get the usual ‘This accessory is not optimized for this iPhone’ message, however the message disappears after a number of seconds. The iPhone is charged whilst in the dock and you have full control with the Vers 1.5R remote.

The location of the connectors on the Vers 1.5R has also been thought out. To not disturb the beautiful aesthetics on the back of the unit where the bass port is located, the cable connectors are on the bottom and can be easily maneuvered to the back or side of the unit. One feature that gets missed from discussion is the internal antenna. If you’re very particular of the amount of cables you have connected to your Vers 1.5R, simply select the switch on the bottom of the unit to use the internal antenna.

The display has three brightness settings, another handy feature. We have it on the lowest brightness, as we’d like to keep the room as dark as possible when we're asleep.

In the end, it will be a simple matter of which finish you prefer!

Eleni's Review:

We recently bought a new wooden bed and I love it immensely. The feature is the beautiful grain that runs through the wood. With an extended headboard and side draws to show this off- there is no room for clutter. So I had to think carefully as to what I could place on it, that would complement it. Hence, my dilemma in regards to choosing an alarm clock from a womans perspective - lol! Lets face it, its something that is needed, though most clock radios are really ugly and predominately come with a lot of plastic. That is, until I saw the Vers 1.5R Hand crafted Wooden Alarm Clock.

Coming from a design background, at a first glance, I thought to myself, nice - its retro rounded wooden cabinet finish makes it aesthetically pleasing, and to my surprise as I looked at its features, it actually impressed me even more. I really do believe that everyone should experience the warmth that comes from having something wooden in their home and this alarm clock tends to do this nicely.

The colour choice for us was Natural Walnut, as we thought it looked nice against the timber colour of our bed. To be honest, I'm sure the Bamboo would look just as nice. I like the colour contrast the Natural Walnut and the Bamboo holds against the speaker cover. The Dark Walnut option, loses the aesthetic quality.

It has an adjustable backlit LCD with large easy-to-read display. It has a dual alarm - wake up to AM/FM radio or iPod and when the alarm goes off it 'gradually' gets louder. This is a really nice feature, given our last alarm clock gave us a shock every morning. Another great feature is that you can live stream music stations to play from your iPhone using the variety of applications now available.

The overall sound gives a really nice warm punchy sound, and I do believe that the wood complements the sound immensely. It also comes with battery back-up which wakes you up and also saves your settings when a power loss occurs.

Overall, not only is it packed with great features, the sound that emanates through the wood is amazing and it also looks like a piece of art that you are more than happy to place anywhere in your home.

View the range of finishes we have available for the Vers 1.5R Hand Crafted Wooden Alarm Clock with iPod/iPhone Docks at Noisy Motel.

Introducing the JAMBOX Bluetooth Wireless Speaker and Speakerphone from Jawbone. The coolest, biggest sound in a small package!

It's all In The Detail - Built to Blast, adds a distinct touch of style with its stainless steel construction and moulded rubber casing.

Awesome colours and it pumps out big sound for its impressive small size with stunning hi-fi audio in a portable wireless speaker.

JAMBOX lets you listen to all your favourite audio - music, podcasts, video, apps, games and more - from any bluetooth enabaled phone, mp3 player, tablet or laptop.

JAMBOX also has a powerful built in microphone - you can enjoy a conference call anywhere and on the go. Perfect for sharing video chats with skype, etc.

MORE JAM. LESS BOX.

JAMBOX delivers stunning hi-fi audio in a portable wireless speaker so compact you won't believe it when you hear it. It's loud. With an output capacity of 85 decibels, JAMBOX fills even the largest rooms. Unlike other portable speakers, JAMBOX is powered by a pair of proprietary, highly sophisticated acoustic drivers, unmatched in their ability to produce extreme high (tweeter) and low (woofer) frequencies from a single, ultra-small dome speaker. They work in concert with an innovative moving-wall passive bass radiator and airtight enclosure to deliver shimmering highs and thumping lows that you can literally feel - the richest sound all in the palm of your hand.

Check out the complete range of colours of the JAMBOX from Jawbone available now at Noisy Motel.

Our review of the Klipsch Image S4i earphones (Updated to include the new Klipsch Image S5i Rugged earphones)

We at Noisy Motel have been using the Klipsch Image S4i in-ear headphones since close to their introduction, and now we are excited that we have them available for sale at Noisy Motel.

Every time we use these headphones, it totally surprises us how they outperform much more expensive headphones. The sound is dynamic, crisp with plenty of detail in mids and highs along with a punchy bass! We consider these a great all-rounder, suited to most music styles.

Personally, I use these earphones when I’m out on a bike ride, they provide a great fit, and I don’t need to adjust them all the time. The gel tips do a great job of staying where they should.

They’re also one of the first items we include in my travel bags. They do a great job of isolating the noise of the airplane engines, and because of their smaller size, you don’t notice them in your ears when you’re asleep on the plane.

The microphone and remote work perfectly with our iPhones, as they’re intended to. The Klipsch Image S4i headphones look great, the finishing and build quality is simply first class.

They’re a very special set of headphones that come highly recommended!

They’re available in two colours, Klipsch Image S4i In-Ear Headphones in Black and Klipsch Image S4i In-Ear Headphones in White.

Update: The new Klipsch Image S5i Rugged In-Ear Headphones

Since our review of the Klipsch Image S4i's, Klipsch has released a new more rugged version in the Klipsch Image S5i's. The Klipsch Image S5i Rugged earphones have the same excellent sound of the S4i's, however the cable has been upgraded to a much stronger cable, and they're now moisture resistant, perfect for runners, skiers, and snowboarders.

A larger remote allows you to easily use the buttons by feel, so you don't have to continuously look at the remote to see what you're doing. They also include a hard case which has a handy flashlight feature.

A point to note, is that the remote is quite a bit larger than the S4i so take that into consideration, even though it's more user friendly, it does add a little weight.

Purchase the Klipsch Image S5i Rugged In-Ear Headphones at Noisy Motel.

Designing and Making the AIAIAI TMA-1 Headdhones

We thought we'd share some videos talking about the design and making of the AIAIAI TMA-1 DJ Headphones.

thinksound eco-friendly headphones now available in Australia

When we came across the thinksound earphones, we immediately appreciated the philosophy, the concept, and of course their design! You will fall in love with the beautifully handcrafted wooden housings, and be amazed at the naturally warm sound that wood delivers. We couldn’t help but bring them to Australia for everyone down under to enjoy!

thinksound™

Co-founders Aaron Fournier with an audio engineer background and Mike Tunney previously working as a creative director in audio, began thinksound with a simple goal: to create incredible sounding headphones with the smallest eco-footprint possible.
“Clear sound with a clear conscience is what we believe in.”

For the last several years, think sound™ engineers and designers have been perfecting their unique line of headphones. Their headphones are made with real wood, creating a more natural resonance and unparalleled acoustics with quality craftsmanship and attention to detail.

thinksound™ have also taken their environmental impact seriously, as their headphones are designed with the following features to reduce its overall environmental impact:

• Wood is from renewable sources
• Packaging is made from recycled materials
• Bleach-free packaging materials
• Smaller packaging size = less materials used
• Elimination of plastic bubble insert
• Cotton carrying pouch is sewn from renewable sources
• PVC-free cables

We encourage you to browse through the range of thinksound headphones available at Noisy Motel.

Here are some comments from the reviews thinksound have been receiving:

thinksound rain 9mm headphones

"For any price, you're not going to find a set of headphones more attractive, or immediately distinctive." — Gizmodo

The same attention to detail is showcased on the outside, with PVC-Free cables and a hand-crafted wooden housing that doesn't just look good, but enhances performance, creating a sound that's "less digital and a little more natural than what you'd get from standard earbuds made of metal or plastic" (Beatweek Magazine).

thinksound ts02+mic 8mm headphones

The ts02+mic features reduced speaker diameter and housing size to provide better ergonomics, upgraded acoustics, and a wider sound-stage. "The ts02+mic fits comfortably and its high-definition driver pumps out warm sound that is as clean as the artist who made it probably intended." (Gear Diary)

“Thinksound has a solid winner on their hands with the ts02+mic ear buds. Audio enthusiasts should find these ear buds sound great with most, if not all music genres; imaging and a warm midrange really make the ts02+mic stand out.” Rated 8/10!
- Ian Bell, Digital Trends

thinksound ts01 10mm headphones

thinksound™ ts01 headphones deliver a warm, rich, booming sound. The extra large, 10mm dynamic driver offers outstanding bass that "never distorts, even at maximum volume." (PC Magazine)

"They sound great, have a good build quality and best of all, they have a limited impact on the environment." — Digital Trends

Introducing the super cool TMA-1 DJ headphones from AIAIAI!

Here are our thoughts on the AIAIAI TMA-1 DJ Headphones:

The TMA-1 is a minimalistic matte black headphone, developed in cooperation with the world’s leading designers and preeminent DJs.

We love the look of the TMA-1’s and we’re not alone in our thoughts. Since they’re launch, they continue to receive high praise. We love the minimalistic design and the only branding you will see is the AIAIAI embossed logo on the inside of the headband.

The TMA-1’s are not just known for DJ’s… They’re great for all rock, metal, hip-hop, and electronic music listeners. The TMA-1’s shine with these styles of music!

The thing you will notice when you first listen to the TMA-1’s is their warm signature sound. The soundstage is also quite impressive for a closed headphone.
The bass is quite deep, crisp and punchy. The midrange is clear and vocals sound the way they should! The treble has been tamed subtly on purpose. This is a clever idea coming from the designers, which may take you a few attempts to appreciate, but once you do, you will love them for it.

Originally designed for club DJ’s, they isolate noise really well. They’re also perfect for your daily commute, or when you just want to escape into your own world. But beware, when you start wearing your TMA-1’s amongst friends or in your work environment, be prepared to guard them with your life. Everyone will want them!

Even though they’re designed to sit on your ears, they’re extremely comfortable. I prefer the semi-leather earpads instead of the foam earpads, for both comfort and sound. The sound is nowhere near as good with the foam earpads. They tend to become too bright and lose the bass response.

For everyday use, there’s also an optional extra straight cable, which is shorter (1.2m) and much lighter than the included coiled cable.

The TMA-1 headphone has been tested and tweaked by 28 of the world’s most skilled DJs (including Ghostly’s own Matthew Dear and Seth Troxler), designed by the inimitable Danish design-firm KiBiSi and further developed by Tartelet Records, Mannhandle and Thank You For Clapping. All of which means that the TMA-1 is one carefully considered piece of equipment.

The guys at AIAIAI talking about the motivation behind the project:

We had been doing different headphones for a while, mainly in-ears, but had an idea of doing a robust, high-quality headphone aimed mainly at DJ’s. There are of course quite a few out there, but among them we especially liked the Sennheiser HD 25. Both the look and technical aspects of it. Through friends who dj at different levels we heard same story, though, the Sennheiser would break to easily during gigs and travel. So we thought we would give a shot, and make something really sturdy. From a design point of view, we wanted to move away from the very colorful, and try to do something that alluded to the idea of the dj-headphone. You know, if you take a pair of headphones, be it Pioneer, Sennheiser or Monster and hold them in front of a bright light, the shadow they cast on a white wall looks quite similar. You can’t see the logo’s, colors and other little differences. We wanted to work with that shadow image. The robustness of the TMA-1 was also a factor when designing – the less you put on it, the less can break. In that sense, the TMA is thought of, and build as a tool.

  

    

 Buy the AIAIAI TMA-1 DJ Headphones from Noisy Motel.