Sony Xperia - T3 Compact Tablet Specs

The Sony Xperia - T3 is a beautiful slim and averagely sized smartphone that is approximately 5.9 inches long and weighes 5.9 ounces. It supports GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks as well as UMTS HSPA+ and LTE network access technologies. It is shipped unlocked and features two cameras; an 8 Mega pixel primary camera and a 1.1 Mega pixel secondary camera.

Attractive and Technical Features about Sony Xperia - T3

Sony Xperia-T3-unlocked smartphone

Xperia - T3 Networks Access Technology

The Xperia - T3 is compatible with Bands I (2100 MHz), II (1900 MHz), IV (1700 MHz) and V (850 MHz) for UMTS HSPA+ Mobile Data Network Access. In addition, it supports bands, 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz for GSM, GPRS and EDGE Network Access. It also supports LTE Network Access on Bands 4, 7 and 17.

Xperia - T3 Data Transfer Rates

 The Xperia - T3 supports a maximum up link speed of 86 kbps and a maximum down link speed of 107 kbps in a GPRS Network. In an EDGE Network a maximum up link speed of 237 kbps and a maximum down link speed of 296 kbps is supported. The speeds get outstandingly better in an HSPA+ network; supporting a maximum of 5.8 Mbps for HSUPA (upload) Cat 6 and a maximum of 42 Mbps for HSDPA (download) Cat 24. On the other hand, Sony Xperia - T3 is capped at upload speeds of 50 Mbps and download speeds of 150 Mbps for Cat 4.

Xperia - T3 Hardware, Processor and Operating System

Sony Xperia - T3 is built with the latest 1.4 GHz Qualcomm MSM8928-2 Quad Core Central Processor  or CPU; that is very powerful and provides a superb user experience for multitasking and app use. Additionally, the Xperia -T3 has an on board memory of 1 GB RAM and supports an external micro SD card of maximum capacity of 32 GB. However, depending on your supply, this might be sold to you separately. SDXC cards are also supported. 
The Xperia - T3 runs a  native Google Android 4.4 (KitKat) Operating System that is pre-loaded with Google Maps for Mobile with Street view, Sony Select, Web browser (WebKit), Google Chrome, Google Play, Google Voice Search, Google Search among many apps.

Xperia - T3 Display Technology

Sony Xperia uses the TRILUMINOS display for Mobile with an embedded Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 and IPS Resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. Its display screen is a 16,777,216 color TFT of size 5.3 inches - sufficiently large but not very large as in to fit inside your trouser pocket.

Xperia - T3 Audio features

The Xperia - T3 is loaded with great features and audio enhancements. Among them there is an xLOUD Experience, Album art, Bluetooth stereo (aptX, A2DP), ClearAudio+, Clear Bass, Clear Phase and Clear stereo Audio Enhancements.
It supports High Definition Audio, MP3, AAC and aptX Audio codec for Bluetooth streaming. The Xperia - T3 has additional features such as the SensMe, Stereo speakers, TrackID music recognition and “WALKMAN” application. The xLoud Experience Recording Supported formats include 3GPP and MP4 while the AMR Playback Supported Formats : MP3, 3GPP, MP4, SMF, WAV, OTA and OGG.

Xperia - T3 Connectivity Features

The Sony Xperia - T3 supports Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology, DLNA Network, GLONASS, Media Go, Media Transfer Protocol, Micro USB and USB tethering, NFC, USB High speed 2.0, USB Host, Xperia Link, WiFi LAN, WiFi Hotspot functionality, Wi-Fi Miracast, PC Companion and Screen mirroring. The micro USB is also used for charging.

Xperia - T3 Communication Features

With the Sony Xperia you enjoy your Facebook, Google and Microft exchange account Synchronisation Synchronisation via Google, via SyncML and ActiveSync via Exchange. Additionally, the Xperia supports features such as the ANT+ sport, fitness and health plus aGPS for location tracking and Geotagging.

Sony Xperia - T3 Camera Features

The Xperia - T3 features two cameras both enabled with Auto Focus Sony EXmor RS for mobile image sensor. The primary camera is an 8 Mega pixel camera while the secondary camera is a 1.1 Mega pixel camera. The Camera gadget is loaded with enhanced features for improved performance and include; AR effect, Auto focus, Burst mode, Creative effect, HDR for photos and movies, Face detection, Flash or Pulsed LED and Flash  or Photo light, Geotagging, Image and video stabiliser, Object tracking, Picture effect, Portrait retouch, Quick Launch, Red-eye reduction, Scene recognition, Self-timer, Send to web, Single autofocus, Smile Shutter, SteadyShot, Superior Auto, Sweep Panorama, Timeshift burst, Touch capture, Touch focus, Video recording (1080p), White balance and 4x Digital Optical Zoom.
The Image Capture Format  supported is JPEG, while the Xperia - T3 supports playback of BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WBMP and WebP file formats.

Inputs and Outputs on the Xperia - T3

The Xperia supports a 3.5mm Audio (Headphone) Jack and
a micro USB Port for USB High speed 2.0 data transfer and charging. The Xperia - T3 also features wireless input and output connections that include the Bluetooth 4.0 access and WiFi LAN access which can be used to access a LAN or the internet as well effect audio and video streaming.

Device Size, color and Weight

The Xperia is a fairly sized smartphone or tablet weighing only 5.2 ounces and with product dimensions  of 5.9 inch x 3.0 inch x 0.28 inch. This makes the Xperia very easy to handle as it can ably slip into your pocket. It is shipped in two colors; Black and Purple.

Xperia - T3 Entertainment

It features Enhanced Entertainment options for 3D games, Media browser, Motion gaming, PlayMemories, FM Radio with RDS, Reader mode, SensMe slideshow, Sony Entertainment Network connectivity, TV launcher, Video streaming and YouTube access.

Power or Battery Capacity

The Xperia - T3 is shipped with a 2500mAh Battery. This is a powerful battery but how much a single charge lasts you will depend on your usage habits and network quality. However, on average, it has been estimated to last up to 12 hours of GSM Talk Time and up to 14 hours of UMTS Talk Time. An estimated standby times of 639 hours, 688 hours and 582 hours for GSM, UMTS and LTE respectively.  A single charge can last you up to 63 hours and 30 minutes of music listening time and  up to an average of 8 hours and 14 minutes of video playback time.

Video features of the Xperia - T3

Sony Xperia - T3 supports High Definition (HD) Video Recording, that is up to 1080p but in only two file formats, namely; 3GPP and MP4.
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Bowers & Wilkins Z2 Wireless Speaker

The Bowers & Wilkins Z2 wireless speaker not only nicely adorns your coffee table or book shelf with it's aesthetic design and unique curved design but also creates some impressive wallop. It's designed for your iDevices; with its lighting dock compatible with iPhone 5. You can stream and rock this wireless speaker via AirPlay on your smart device. This beautiful tech-lush features two 3.5-inch drivers and a class D amp on the inside, and two capacitive volume pads, an Ethernet port and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the outside - catering for all your connectivity needs.
Bowers & Wilkins Z2-C4-Wireless Speaker
Full article coming up soon...
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D-Link Pan & Tilt HD Cloud Wi-Fi Baby Camera - DCS-855L

If you are a busy or working mom or Dad, the DCS-855L Wi-Fi Baby Camera can help you keep an eye on your little one. The DCS-855L is a portable Wi-Fi camera that allows you monitor your toddler remotely or directly on your smartphone using a freely available and easy to use mydlink baby app on Apple and Google Play stores. You can install the camera in the nursery or baby play area to keep an eye on your toddler while you finish up with other tasks. The DCS-855L Wi-Fi Baby camera comes with a pan and tilt feature that lets you move the camera remotely, so you can monitor the entire playroom from your smartphone.

D-Link Pan & Tilt HD Cloud Wi-Fi Baby Camera - DCS-855L

This camera gives you several flexible connectivity options. First, you may pair your smartphone directly with your DCS-855L camera via WiFi. Secondly, If you are have a WiFi router in your home, you can connect your smartphone via the WiFi router. And lastly, through the Internet when you are at work, so you can check on your infant no matter where you are. While it does give you the ability to remotely watch your baby or child, there should always be an adult in the same house. The Wi-Fi Baby Camera should only be used as a parenting tool for monitoring your toddler and not a replacement for adult supervision.

Because the DCS-855L camera is portable you can carry it on your travels with your baby and all you need is a mobile device to connect directly to the Wi-Fi Baby Camera.


Attractive features of the D-Link HD Cloud Wi-Fi Baby Camera - DCS-855L


  • Motion detection

The DCS-855L Wi-Fi Baby Camera has embedded software with algorithms that continuously analyze video footage for motion. And when motion is detected, notifications are sent out to your smart device.

  • Sound sensor

A tiny microphone is embedded into the DCS-855L Wi-Fi Baby Camera to pickup ambient sound. This allows to record or listen to sound from your toddler's surroundings. The sensitivity of this microphone can be adjusted so as to achieve desired clarity level.

  • Temperature monitoring

The DCS-855L Wi-Fi Baby Camera has a small temperature probe to measure ambient temperature. Knowing the surrounding air temperature, you are able to determine the level of comfort for your baby and take the appropriate action.
   
  • Night vision

Several tiny Infrared (IR) LEDs are fitted around the focus ring of the DCS-855L Wi-Fi Baby Camera to illuminate the camera's field of view. This allows the camera to capture clear images of up to a distance of 16 feet or 5 meters.

  • Capture snapshots and record videos

The DCS-855L WiFi Baby Camera has a micro SD card slot that supports microSDHC Class 6 cards and above with maximum capacities of 32 GB. This allows you to record event-triggered Snapshots and Video recording.

  • Play gentle lullabies 

Sometimes, easing your baby to sleep can be a nightmare especially for hyper active ones. But the DCS-855L baby camera has got what it takes to help ease your baby to sleep! It has an built-in speaker that allows you to remotely speak to your child or playback gentle lullabies to ease your child to sleep.

  • Remote Management

The DCS-855L allows to remotely, take snapshots, record video clips and save directly to your smartphone
or tablet. Additionally, you can connect manage the DCS-855L remotely from web browser since it supports TCP/IP and HTTP/HTTPS. Better still, using mydlink baby app, you can connect directly to the DCS-855L with your smart device.

  • mydlink baby app

Mydlink Baby Camera Monitor App is freely available for iOS and Android Mobile Devices on Apple Store and Google Play. By creating an account on on the D-link server, you are able to securely ,monitor your child remotely from anywhere for free using mydlink baby app
 

Full tech specs of the DCS-855L HD Cloud Wi-Fi Baby Camera

  • 1/4 inch Megapixel Progressive CMOS Sensor

At the core of the DCS-855L Baby Camera function is a very compact 1/4" Megapixel CMOS progressive scan sensor which produces a realistic and smooth video. The CMOS sensor is capable of video resolutions of 1280 x 720 and 640 x 352.   

  • Tilt and Pan Ranges

In digital photography, Tilt and Pan ranges refer to rotations in the vertical and horizontal plane of a camera. For the DCS-855L Baby Camera, the Tilt range is from -25° to 95°, while the Pan range is from -170° to 170°.

  • Focal length, Aperture and Digital Zoom 

The focal length normally of a lens camera gives you a description of the lens adopted. It's a lens' measure of how it effectively converges light to a focus. While its aperture denotes the size of an opening or hole that allows light from the objects being imaged to the CMOS image sensor. In the DCS-855L a lens of 3.3 mm is used with an aperture of F/2.2.

  • Angle of View  

The Angle of View (AOV) of any camera is the angular measure that an object being imaged subtends at its image sensor. Sometimes Angle of View is also referred to as Field of View (FOV). The Angle of View is measured vertically (V), horizontally (H) and diagonally (D). For the DCS-855L field of view is restricted to 70.4° horizontally, 43° vertically and 84.6° diagonally.

  • Infrared IR LEDs

The IR LEDs that support night vision have a maximum illumination distance of 16 feet or 5 meters with a minimum illumination of 0 lux with IR LEDs are On. Additionally, it has an embedded Infrared-Cut Removable (ICR) Filter.

  • Built-in Microphone and Speaker

The built-in microphone is for recording and capturing audio from your child's environment while the speaker allows to speak to your child remotely.

  • Alerts and Notifications

The Camera sends out alerts or notifications to your mobile device upon detection of sound and/or motion.

  • Supported Network Protocols

The DCS-855L Baby Camera supports IPv4, ARP, TCP/IP, UDP, ICMP, DHCP Client, NTP Client (D-Link), DNS Client, DDNS Client (D-Link), HTTP, HTTPS (for Configuration), UPnP Port Forwarding and RTP/RTSP/RTCP.

  • Input/Output Ports

The DCS-855L Camera has two ports; a micro USB power port and a microSD card slot. The microSD card slot supports microSDHC Class 6 cards up to a maximum capacity of 32 GB.

  • Video features

The DCS-855L Baby Camera supports video resolutions of 1280 x 720 and 640 x 352. While codecs H.264 and JPEG are supported for video format and still Images respectively.

  • DCS-855L Weight and Dimensions

This Camera measures approximately 4.5 inches x 4.3 inches x 5.2 inches (114.16 mm x 109.16 mm x 131.3 mm) and weighs a net of 14 oz or 396 g.

  • Power Requirements

The DCS-855L Camera uses an external power adapter with Input 100 -240V AC, 50/60Hz (of micro USB type) and with an output of 5V DC, 2 A. Alternatively, you can use an external USB power bank to power your camera. It's total power consumption is about 7.5 W.

  • Operating Temperature and Humidity

This Baby Camera is very robust. It operates between 32° and 104°F (0° to 40°C) and humidity levels between 20 and 80% RH Non-condensing.
  • DCS-855L Pricing
The price for this baby camera varies between $203 to $249.99 depending on where you buy it from.
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Philips LivingColors Aura White LED- MyLiving Table Lamp

Philips LivingColors Aura White LED Table LampPhilips LivingColors Aura is similar in construction and application to the LivingColors Bloom White. The two table lamps have been designed intuitively to give you the best ambiance and mood lighting experience. With up to 16 million colors to choose from, your creativity is never limited! The Aura White LED Lamp features light changing LEDs with a maximum light output of 120 lumens and a flawless diffused color effect.


This LivingColors Aura surprisingly adopts a single bulb (LED lamp) of 8 Watts, built by combining a number of light changing LEDs together. The LED lamp custom built to produce 120 lumens of light output. The Lamp has a characteristically large beam angle of 120 degrees and thus, beaming it towards a light colored wall gives you the best ambiance with a natural diffused light effect.

The Aura LED lamp is compatible with low voltage dimmer switches commercially available on market. Additionally, it is supplied with a remote control for easy use and operation. The remote has a color wheel which you can turn clockwise or anticlockwise to select from the 16 million colors available for your preferred mood lighting. The remote also has an auto mode which changes the mood lighting colors dynamically.


Design specs of the Philips LivingColors Aura Table Lamp - 709986048 

  • Design and finishing

Philips LivingColors Aura White LED Table Lamp - back ambience viewThe innovative LivingColors Aura White Table lamp comprises of a powerful single bulb built by combining several light changing LEDs. The bulb is a housed in a solid proof white aluminium chassis. 

  • Power Requirements

The Aura LED lamp power adapter requires 120 V, 60 Hz AC input power while the bulb runs on 18 V D.C power input. Your power adapter AC input will vary depending on your local grid. For US, it is rated at : 120 V, 60 Hz Mains Power supply. While for models meant for Africa/ middle East, South America and Europe, that power rating is 230 V, 50Hz. 

  • Philips LivingColors Aura White Lamp Wattage

Inside the Aura White table lamp, a LED lamp (bulb) of 8 W is fitted and gives off a maximum light output of 120 lumens.

  • Philips LivingColors Aura Operational life

The LEDs used to build the Aura LED lamp have a finite lifetime of 20,000 hrs. This is long enough to last you about 20 years if your daily usage averages at 3 hours. That notwithstanding, the LEDs have a  threshold of 13,000 on/off switching cycles, which makes the lamp more resilient during its operational life. What's more the aluminium chassis of the Philips LivingColors Aura LED Table lamp is designed to be ingression proof to dust, wires and other solids. So, this gives extra protection and consequently longer life.

  • LivingColors Aura Table Lamp dimensions and weight

LivingColors Aura table Lamp is a lightweight product measuring 5.9 inches along its height, 6.5 inches on its length and 8.7 inches along its width. It has a net weight of 1.299 lb.

  • LivingColors Aura Lamp Application

It is designed to create a perfect ambiance with light in your Living room, kids room or Bedroom.

  • Initial Pricing

The LivingColors Aura LED Table Lamp costs about $116.

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Philips Altena LED - MyLiving Ceiling Light fixture

Just like the Ledino Matrix, the Altena Aluminium LED Ceiling lamp presents you with an inspiring classic look for your modern bedroom and living room space. It presents a modern ceiling light fixture in a slim metallic arc. The Altena Aluminium LED Ceiling light is built from three (3) High Power LED lamps that are housed in a metallic chassis with an elegant aluminium finish. The High Power LED lamps are specially crafted to a synthetic and aluminium housing to produce an optimal light output with a 100% uniform light color.
Philips MyLiving Ceiling Light - Altena Aluminum LED lampThese High Power LED lamps are able to give you a warm white light effect with color temperatures reaching 2700 Kelvin.

The Altena LED lamp also gives you ability to control your lamp's light output using low voltage electronic dimmer switches commercially available on market today. This allows you to showcase your taste and lifestyle while creating ambiance with light and energy efficiency.

The High Power LEDs from which the Altena Aluminium LED lamps are made are maintenance free; with a factory estimate of 13,000 on/off switching cycles, and an incredibly long operational life estimated at 20,000 hours. If we take an average daily usage of 3 -6 hours, this lamp would last you anywhere between 10 - 20 years.

Design specs of the Altena Aluminium LED Ceiling Light - 37946/48/48

  • Design and finishing

The Altena Aluminium LED Lamp fixture is made up of three High Power LED lamps housed in a metallic chassis with an aluminium top finish to give the light fixture a stylish and modern look. It's flexible design allows you to integrate an electronic dimmer switch control its light output.

  • Power Requirements

The Altena Aluminium LED Ceiling light fixture requires; 110 V - 127 V, 60 Hz AC input for US models, while for models meant for Africa/middle East, South America and Europe, that power rating is 220 V - 240 V, 50/60Hz AC input. Please note that the power requirement of the Altena LED Lamp will depend on your  local power grid.
The Altena LED Lamp is generally safe to handle and operate even during fault conditions. The fixture is built with a Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) - implying that in the event of a single fault, the voltages generally remain at safe level, and therefore pose no threat of injury.

  • Fixture Wattage

The High Power LED Lamps in the Altena Aluminium LED light fixture are built using LED technology with efficiencies of nearly 100 lumens per Watt (W). Each fixture is rated at 7.5 W with a beam angle of 35 degrees. It gives off a light output equivalent to a light source  equivalent to a traditional bulb of 56 W.

  • Altena Aluminium LED light fixture Operational life

Each lamp in this light fixture, has a finite lifetime of up to 20,000 hrs. This is long enough to last you 10 years with an average daily use of 6 hours each day. Additionally, the LED lamps have a threshold of 13,000 on/off switching cycles, which gives you more resilience than you will ever need during the operational life of the light fixture. What's more, the housing of the lamps has been designed to be ingression proof to all solids, except liquids.

  • Tunable white

The Altena Aluminium LED lamp introduces a new feature called "Tunable White". With this feature you are able to choose your preferred light color from four (4) standard options available, that is, from warm white to cool white. You can do this using a simple tool that is included with your luminaire. 

  • Altena LED Lamp dimensions and weight

This is light fixture is a slim stylish arc measuring 2.0 inches on its height, 22.9 inches on its length and 7.9 inches on its breadth. It weighs a net weight of 8.598 lb.
  • Application of the Altena Aluminium LED Light fixture

It is designed to be fitted in a modern Living room and Bedroom space.
  • Pricing

The Altena LED Light fixture has been initially priced at $539.
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A look at the Indesit XWD-61452 Washing Machine

6.0 kg Front Loader Indesit XWD 61452 Washing Machine
The Indesit XWD-61452 Washing Machine is a free standing energy efficient front loader washer with a full load capacity of 6.0 kgs and maximum spin speed of 1400 RPM. It is sold in ceramic white. It features, dial knob programme controls with a convenient Push & Wash button that starts a wash cycle even when the machine is "cold" or off.

Attractive Features of the Indesit XWD-61452 Washing Machine

This washer machine has a number of attributes that make it particularly suitable for its function and include the following;

  • Sport

By pressing this button you are able to select the most suitable programme for your sports clothing, and is designed to remove dirt while preserving fabric properties. This option presents you with three levels of wash cycle customization;
- Sport Shoes, a wash cycle designed to safely wash up to 2 pairs of sports shoes in one go.
- Gym Kit, a wash cycle designed for washing any type of sports clothing together with gym towels.
- Technical Wear, a wash cycle designed for washing waterproof garments or clothing with special fibres like
Gore-Tex, etc. It optimises washing performance and preserves fabric technical properties over time. Fabric softeners are not advised for technical wear.

  • Easy Iron

The Easy Iron function modifies the wash and spin cycles in such a way that crease formation is greatly reduced. In effect, what your Indesit XWD-61452 does, is to reduce the speed of rotation of the drum towards the end of the wash cycle.

  • Extra Rinse

When you select this option, your washer's rinsing efficiency is increased and more detergent is removed from your laundry. This is particularly applicable for garments with sensitive skin.

  • Fast Forward

The Fast Forward function allows you to end the wash cycle in less than the select programme time. Pressing this button ends the wash programme in only 20 minutes. In effect, the machine performs a brief rinse cycle followed by a spin cycle at maximum 800 rpm or lower. You should note that the Fast Forward function reduces the washing and rinsing performance.

Tech specs of the Indesit XWD-61452 Washing Machine

  • Water inlet hose pressure

You should connect your washing machine to a water inlet that delivers water at a pressure within the range of 0.5 bars to 10 bars for optimum performance.

  • Dimensions

This washing machine measures approximately 59.5 cm on its width, 85 cm on its height and 54 cm on its depth.

  • Load and Drum Capacity

The lowest garment load this washing machine can take is 1 kg, while at full load; it takes a maximum of 6 kgs of garment load. Its drum capacity is rated 52 litres of water.

  • Spin speed

You can vary the Spin speed from 0 up to a maximum of 1400 Rotations Per Minute (RPM) using the spin speed knob. The zero (0) corresponds to the delicate wash cycle in which the spin cycle is turned off, while 1400 is for extremely soiled cotton fabric wash cycles.

  • Power Requirements

    • Power input

The Indesit XWD-61452 takes in AC 220-240V, at 50/60Hz. Be sure to check the nameplate as this will always differ depending on your region.

    • Power Consumption in operational mode

The Indesit XWD-61452 Washing Machine is an A++ class machine according to the EU power rating labels. The rating tests are carried out on Cotton Standard 60° (Programme 8) and Cotton Standard 40° (Programme 9) and conform to the 1061/2010 directive. Programme 8 and 9 are for normally soiled cotton laundry; they give you the most energy efficient and minimal water consumption. Accordingly, this Indesit XWD-61452 uses approximately 172 kWh of electricity per year. These values are subject to change depending on how you use the machine.

    • Power consumption in off-mode 

This washing machine still consumes power when in off-mode; approximately 0.5W. Therefore, you should always power off the mains from the wall socket when you are done with your laundry.

    • Power consumption in on-mode

To cut on your power bills, never leave your Indesit XWD-61452 powered on. In the on-mode, it consumes about 8.0W. It might seem insignificant, but if on average, you leave your washing machine on for an hour each week, in a year that adds up to approximately half a unit. And from my experience, if there are more people handling the machine, the more likely it is to be left on. On the other hand, the washer has mechanism that turns it off after 30 minutes if left without any load.

  • Water Consumption

Basing on 220 standard washing cycles for cotton programmes 8 and 9, at 60 and 40 degrees temperature at full and partial load, the Indesit XWD-61452 washing machine approximately uses up 8376 liters of water in one year. You should note that this is just an estimation, actual water consumption can vary depending on which programmes you use.

  • Spinning and Washing Noise level 

We all detest noisy washing machines. Thankfully, the Indesit XWD-61452 is not one of them! The washing cycle produces low humming noise about 59dm noise level. It becomes slightly noisy for spinning cycles giving out 81dm of noise. for is quiet during its washing and spinning phases. smelly washing machine.

  • Spin-drying efficiency

Spin drying efficiency is measured on a scale from G to A; where G denotes minimum efficiency and A maximum efficiency. Basing on this scale, the Indesit XWD-61452, scores a class B efficiency. Residual moisture content for programmes 8 and 9 is estimated at 53%.

How Cleaning Washing Machine regularly will prevent bad odours

If your washing machine smells, just know cleaning is long over due. You should make it a habit to clean your washing machine regularly; preferably once in every three months. That way you will stave off any bad smells and keep your laundry smelling ever fresh. The cleaning tips presented here much as have been used on an Indesit XWD-61452 washer, very much apply to any front loader washing machine since they change very little from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Causes of bad smells in a Washing Machine

If your washing machine smells, just know there is an accumulation of any of the following;

  • Scum

Scum will always be a problem if your washing machine uses hard water. Hard water naturally contains dissolved magnesium and calcium salts that make it difficult to foam lather with ordinary soap and react with detergents and soap to give a froth called scum (chemically called stearate) during the washing cycles. Sometimes, during the rinsing and draining process this scum is not completely washed away and gets stuck onto the drum, and rubber seals. Due to dampness, the scum presents a good breeding ground for microbes to grow in a process known as fermentation. The fermentation process creates bad smell in your washing machine.

  • mildew and molds

Mildew and Molds are fungi plants that thrive in moist conditions. If your washer machine has residual dirt, scum or detergent inside the drum, and is not allowed to dry fully by leaving the porthole door ajar for some time, then mildew and molds will sprout and hence the bad odors.

  • Residual bleach, soap and detergent

Sometimes, you may run your XWD-61452 washer without performing the rinsing process. This leaves some residual soap and detergent inside the machine. This over time begins to ferment giving off a bad odour.

  • Residual dyes from coloured garments 

There are certain fabrics that are delicate to washing with your washer machine because they give off a residual dye. Such clothes include most Jean clothing. During the wash cycles, this clothing leaves a residual dyes and once mixed with detergent over time give off a bad odour.

  • Clothing with Bad Odour 

Sometimes you may use your washer to wash clothes that have been 'stained with bad odour' from say sweat, smoking and fried foods, baby poop, urea, etc. By not using a proper rinse for such clothing, these odours remain in the machine and if the drum is not allowed to dry after the wash, a foul smell results.

How to clean Your Washing machine


Your Indesit XWD-61452 washing machine has an internal Auto Clean programme for automatically cleaning the internals with no load in the drum.
  1. Add vinegar to the detergent compartment in the detergent dispenser and fill to the mark. [Do not exceed the mark]. Vinegar comprises of mainly acetic acid that dissolves all the dirt, scum and mildew inside the drum of your washer.
  2. Add caustic soda to the fabric softener compartment.
  3. Press the "Fast Forward" and "Easy Iron" Buttons simultaneously for 5 seconds to start the Auto Clean cycle. The Auto clean Cycle will last approximately 70 minutes. You may interrupt the Auto Clean cycle by pressing the START/PAUSE button.
  4. When the Auto Clean programme is completed cut off the water and electricity supplies.
  5. Clean outer parts and rubber seals of the washing machine using a soft cloth or sponge soaked in lukewarm soapy water. Do not use abrasives and solvents as they will degrade the aesthetics of the washing machine.
  6. Remove the detergent dispenser drawer and thoroughly clean it using a sponge soaked in lukewarm soapy water and rinse it thoroughly under running water. An old toothbrush can be handy in removing "stubborn" stains. To remove your Indesit XWD-61452 detergent dispenser drawer, locate the lever latch inside the drawer. Press the lever downwards and pull the drawer outwards.
  7. Locate and clean the your washers pump pre-chamber. Your washing machine is fitted with a selfcleaning pump but sometimes, small items (such as coins or buttons) may fall into the protective
    pre-chamber at the base of the pump and have to be cleaned out from time to time. To access the pre-chamber: Locate the cover panel at the base of the front face of your Indesit XWD-61452. Using both hands press it in the centre from either side while pushing it downwards until you can remove it. Upon removing the cover, you will see a lid, turn it anticlockwise to access the pre-chamber. Clean the inside thoroughly, screw the lid back on and reposition the cover panel, while ensuring the hooks are properly aligned to your washer.
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Sennheiser HD 558 - Over the Ear Headphones

The HD 558 climaxes my posts on the coverage of the Sennheiser HD 5XX series audiophile headphones having previously covered the HD 518 and the HD 598. Being the of the same product line, they all have a semblance in making and material. To begin with, they are all open back, high-end over the ear (circum-aural) headphones featuring velour ear pads and a leatheratte headband headset designed for extended listening comfort. Additionally, the velour ear pads provide for better sound channeling to your ear canal. This coupled with the open back design and an internal Surround Reflector, the HD 558 produces an 
extended spatial sound field. This makes it suitable for privately listening to music from your MP3 player and perhaps for use with your home theater entertainment system.

These headphones are supplied in a gloss black-colour with a layered honeycomb finish on ear cup casings.


Sennheiser HD 558 - Circumaural-Over the Ear open back Headphones

Features of the Sennheiser HD 558

  • Open circum-aural headphones with E.A.R. technology 

The Sennheiser HD 558 are full size headphones with earcups fully wrapping around your ears and have been designed to give you outstanding sonic accuracy and clarity while ensuring your listening comfort for extended periods through Sennheiser's intuitive "Eargonomic Acoustic Refinement" (E.A.R.) design.  The E.A.R design ensures all audio signals are directly into your lugholes while maintaining maximum comfort.

  • DuoFol Diaphragms  

DuoFol diaphragms are thin membrane films attached to a voice coil. They are designed to create a wide sound stage with ultra-fast response and rest times for improved sound transparency and minimal distortion. The size and shape of the diaphragms is ingeniously crafted to limit intermodulation distortion. In simple terms, when an audio signal at a given frequencies passes through an imperfect audio system, several noise frequencies will be present at the output which are either multiples, sums and differences of frequencies of the original audio signal, though much weaker than the desired audio signal frequencies. This distortion becomes significant when the volume is turned up!

  • Neodymium Ferrous Magnet and Aluminium Voice Coils

The permanent magnets adopted for the Sennheiser HD 558 are highly optimized and field-strengthened neodymium ferrous magnets. This coupled with lightweight aluminum voice coils provide an almost linear dynamic response and efficiency.

  • Surround Reflector 

The HD 558 are designed with open earcups that create a spatial field - a perception of distance from the sound source. To improve on this, the HD 558 is further equipped with a surround reflector to provide an extended spatial sound field.

  • Velour Ear pads and Leatheratte headband 

The HD 558 Ear pads are made of velour fabric, which makes them have a smooth and tender feel to provide extra wearing comfort during listening sessions. Its headband is lined with leatheratte - an imitation of leather, to complete a luxurious and comfortable headphone set.

Design attributes of the Sennheiser HD 558 Over the Ear Headphones

  • Dynamic Transducer type

Just like all other models in the 5XX series, Sennheiser adopted dynamic transducers with Duofol diaphragms for the HD 558 headphones. A dynamic transducer [call it a speaker], is able to produce sound because the changing audio current flowing through its voice coil creates a varying magnetic field in polarity, which interacts with the fixed magnetic field of the permanent magnet where the voice coil is suspended to generate a vibrating effect at the rate of the changing magnetic field. This vibration impacts the air around the cone, hence creating sound - music for that matter.
The permanent magnets adopted in the HD 558 are similarly made from high performance field-strengthened neodymium ferrous material to provide excellent dynamic response.

  • Frequency response

You should expect an almost linear response from the HD 558 headphones from as low as 15Hz to 28,000Hz. This range impressively blanks out our average ordinary audio range of 20Hz to 20,000Hz. Thus, the HD 558 has been designed for audiophile quality.

  • Input Impedance

The input impedance is still the same from the Sennheiser HD 518. The Hd 558 is rated 50 Ohms input impedance. This value is deliberately kept low by Sennheiser to ensure a quality output when used with modern home theater systems and professional audio equipment, designed with low impedance output headphone jacks.

  • Sensitivity

The HD 558 ' sensitivity is of the same magnitude as the HD 598. It is rated at 112 dB SPL at 1kHz for an amplifier input voltage of 1Vrms.

  • Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is a widely and intentionally misrepresented concept by most audio equipment manufacturers. The value of the THD ratio ideally should represent how much of the unwanted frequencies (harmonics) a given audio system has at its output for an entire audio signal range of say 20Hz - 20kHz. Traditionally, this is quoted by manufacturers as measured for a single frequency. For the Sennheiser HD 558, this value of THD is <0.2% at 1kHz, and 100 dB SPL.

  • Dimensions and weight of the HD 558

The HD 558 is shipped in a product packaging that measures (L x B x H): 205 x 100 x 240 mm and  weighs a net weight of 270 g. 

  • What's In The Box?

A 3 meter, single sided and changeable OFC, 4-strand copper cable, a gold-plated 6.3 mm stereo jack with a 3.5 mm gold-plated adaptor and Sennheiser HD 598 headphones.


Buying guide


  • The HD558 are an improvement from the HD 518. They sound better although some people may not at times tell the difference in performance. The headphones generally sound good for an open back design.
  • The Sennheiser HD 558 wearing comfort is excellent even after extended use.
  • Open back earcup designs normally have problems with poor Bass. But with the HD 558, the Bass is clear and just sufficient. 
  • Like all open back earcup designs, the HD 558 are always a distress to the people around you because they allow music sound to escape from the headphones, which is perceived as noise by others. So you cannot use them while on your travels; on the Airplane for instance or in a public place. 

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Why the Hero4 Silver Camera is the Real Deal!

Gopro Hero4 Silver Camera - CHDSY-401 Gopro released the Hero4 Silver Point of View (POV) camera in the third quarter of 2014, and is a much improved camera from all its predecessors. It is available in three variants; the Hero4 Silver Surf, Hero4 Silver, Standard and Hero4 Silver Music. To be be realistic there aren't three versions of the same camera, rather there are distinct accessories that adapt it to the different applications. For instance, the Hero4 Silver is delivered in a standard watertight housing that adapts it to surfing or wet conditions. The housing protects the camera from water up to an immersion depth of 40 meters. Thus, depending on your projected use, you could choose accessories for one kind and not the other. The Hero4 Silver is shipped with a standard clear polycarbonate housing with a shockproof lens designed for extreme action.


What makes the Gopro Hero4 Silver particularly Tick?

  • Ultra lightweight design

At first sight, the Hero4 Silver does not look much and indeed it doesn't! It is slightly larger than an ordinary sized matchbox and weighs approximately 83g! You virtually cannot expect anything more than just a toy from a camera this size! You can literally pocket it without noticing you ever carried it at all until you reach out to your pockets. Although the Hero4 Silver maybe be outdone by its size, its not all lost because this feature makes it very versatile in application. You can mount on music instruments to capture onstage footage for your session or if you are surfing kind, mount it on your surf board and capture those exhilarating moments while surfing the waves. Its fun isn't it?

  • High Quality Audio Capture

We all like clean sound for our video shots. Gopro's sound pick up microphone and sound engine is able to capture natural, smooth high fidelity sound during video shoots. Hero4's embedded microphone gives you exception performance with nearly twice as much the dynamic range of Hero3+ Black Editions. The dynamic range of a microphone is the measure of the difference between the loudest and the quietest Sound Pressure Level a microphone responds to linearly. The bigger this difference, the better the performance of the microphone and pickup up range. To complement the already excellent microphone, the Hero4 Silver is compatible with a myriad of third part mics, which you can connect using a 3.5mm Mic Adapter. This is particularly not optional if you want to achieve professional or near professional audio quality.

The sound quality also depends a lot on the backdoor you use. Hero4 Silver is delivered with three types of backdoor covers; a Standard Backdoor that makes its housing watertight up to an immersive water depth of 40 meters and protects the camera from water, dust, dirt, and sand. Unfortunately, using this back cover produces the worst sound quality as it locks out most of the sound from camera microphone. The Touch Backdoor offers a somewhat improved audio experience than the standard backdoor because it allows more sound to reach the microphone. The Touch Backdoor also allows you to use the Touch Display screen and remains waterproof  up to only 3 meters of water. The touch functions however, do not work under water. The best audio quality is achieved when a non-waterproof Skeleton Backdoor is mounted on its housing allowing a more natural and better sound pickup by the built-in microphone. Unfortunately, this type of back cover offers little or no protection to your camera. Always use this backdoor only when there is minimal risk of damage due to dirt, dust and water.


  • Built-in WiFi and Bluetooth for Easy sharing and App Control

Nowadays a gadget that does not provide the convenience of wireless connectivity does not rank well with most us - 'gadget lovers'. And the Hero4 Silver does even a better job; it is equipped with both Bluetooth and WiFi for data transfer and control. Through WiFi, you are at liberty to connect to a Smart Remote[sold separately], which allows you to access all Hero4 Silver camera functions over WiFi up to a range of approximately 180 meters. The Smart Remote is a wearable accessory and remains watertight up to a depth of 10 meters below the water surface. It is a must have add-on accessory for skiing and surfers alike, for quickly starting or stopping the recording or even tagging captured footage for convenient playback without the need of reaching for your surfboard for camera controls.
Additionally, through WiFi, you can control the Hero4 Silver, preview shots or footage, playback footage, share content via text or email, Facebook, Instagram, etc. All this is achievable through the Gopro App freely available on Apple store and Google Play. The Gopro App intuitively turns your smartphone into a wireless Remote with all camera functions, settings and navigation.
Bluetooth like WiFi, achieves the same purpose as WiFi but with a limited range of only 10 meters line of sight. WiFi is also preferred because it achieves better data latency, high bit rates and is more secure than Bluetooth. For instance, because of high data rates achievable with WiFi, it would take you a shorter time sharing or uploading the same video to your PC than over a Bluetooth connection.

  • High Quality Video Capture

As tiny as the Hero4 Silver is, it is able to capture stunningly high quality images; be it stills or video footage - like any professional would hope for. Among many, 4K, 2.7K, 1440p, 1080p, 960p and 720p resolutions are available for ultra wide Field of View (FOV) for NTSC or PAL TV system. The Hero4 Silver is ready to quench the need for your application, whether it is cinema quality capture you require or TV film production, the Hero4 is ready for the task.

  • Built-in Touch LCD Display

Unlike its Gopro predecessors, the Hero4 Silver conveniently features an LCD touch Display screen to access camera settings, navigation menus and to preview or playback your video footage and photos.
 
  • Mounts made for your Hero4 Silver Music

Like in my introduction to this article, I mentioned that the Hero4 Silver is sold in three variants; Hreo4 Silver Standard, Hero4 Silver Music and Hero4 Silver Surf. So for Hero4 Silver music, you will have mounts which enable you to attach the camera to music instruments included. You can thus mount the camera onto mic stands, guitars, turntables and other stage equipment to capture unique and stunning for your audience. The mounts range from frames to adhesive mounts for moveable instruments like Guitars, Keyboards and others. Please note that some of these accessories are sold separately.

  • Mounts for your Hero4 Silver Surf

The Hero4 Silver Surf is shipped with mounts for your surfboard to allow you capture stunning and immersive Point of View footage during your wave surfing sessions. Capture every moment of you fun time summer at the beaches with the Hero4 Surf that is water resistant up to 40 meters.

  • Protune your Photos and Video

The Camera has a software feature called Protune, which if turned on, adjusts captured video for professional productions. Protune delivers cinema like less compressed video which gives you flexibility in color correction during post production.


Full tech specs of the Hero4Gopro Silver Camera

  • Video mode


VR
fps NTSC/PAL
FOV
SR
AR
4K
15, 12.5
UW
3840x2160
16:9
2.7K
30, 25, 24
UW, Medium
2704x1520
16:9
1440p
48, 30, 25, 24
UW
1920x1440
4:3
1080p
60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24
UW, Medium, Narrow
1920x1080
16:9
1080p
60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24
UW
1920x1080
16:9
960p
100, 60, 50
UW
1280x960
4:3
720p
120, 60, 50, 30, 25
UW, Medium, Narrow
1280x720
16:9
720p
100, 60, 50
UW
1280x720
16:9
WVGA
240
UW
848x480
16:9

VR - Video Resolution, FOV - Field of View, SR - Screen Resolution, AR - Apsect Ratio.

The Field of View (FOV) determines how much detail is captured in a single shot. Ultra Wide (UW) achieves the greatest image detail with increased image stability, and is suitable for closeups and action shots where you want to capture as much detail as possible within a single frame. Similarly, medium FOV provides for mid-range picture detail and moderate image stability. If you prefer to capture content at a distance always use the smallest field of view since it gives you better image distortion performance.

You will notice from the table that the 720p mode gives you the highest frame rate video capture at 120 fps. Since frame rate is the number of still images captured in one second of video, it implies that the higher the number of stills captured every second of video, the smoother the representation of the corresponding video scene. So in this case 720p gives the best performance for sporting or high motion picture for a Hero4 Silver. However, based on scene lighting conditions, the Hero4 Silver can also adjust the frame rates automatically for optimum performance. This feature is called Auto Low Light.

  • Photo Mode

In photo mode, the Hero4 Silver captures photos by default at 12MP Ultra Wide picture (Megapixels), which corresponds to a screen resolution of 4000 x 3000. Other Mid-range FOV settings at 7MP and 5MP are possible for resolutions of 3000 x 2250 and 2560 x 1920 respectively.
Photo mode has three capture settings; Single, Continuous and Night. In Single mode only a single photo is captured at a time. Contrastingly, in Continuous mode, a series of photos are captured while holding down the camera shutter button until it is released. Under continuous mode you can choose capturing continuously; 5 photos in 1 second or 10 photos in 1 second or even 3 photos in 1 second - this being the default.
The night mode presents a customizable exposure time of up to 30 seconds for a single shot. The extended exposure time allows for an appreciable amount of light to reach the CMOS image sensor to achieve better image quality for the low light night conditions.

  • Multi-Shot Mode

In multi-shot mode, you are able to take multiple shots of up to 30 photos per second with the Hero4 Silver. Multi-shot mode similarly presents three capture modes; Burst, Time Lapse and Night Lapse.

  • Burst mode

In Burst mode, you can invariably select burst rates  as follows; 30 photos/1 second (Default), 30 photos/ 2 seconds, 30 photos/ 3 seconds, 10 photos/1 second, 10 photos/2 seconds, 10 photos/3 seconds, 5 photos/1 second and 3 photos/1 second.

  • Time Lapse

With Time Lapse mode, you automatically capture a series of photos at timed intervals which are factory set to 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 and 60 seconds. This capture mode is suitable for good lighting scene conditions such as daylight conditions.

  • Night Lapse

This is the typical capture mode for night lighting condition. With your Hero4 Silver in this mode you can take a series of photo shots at specific intervals and exposure times, which are somewhat longer than the time lapse intervals. Night Lapse Intervals are factory set as follows; 15, 20, 30 and 60 seconds, 2, 5, 30 and 60 minutes.

  • Input and Output Ports

On the side of the Hero4 Silver there are two ports; the Mini USB and the micro HDMI port. The mini USB port supports charging, PC file transfer and playback. You can as well connect a 3.5 mm stereo microphone to this port using an adapter connector or connect a compatible composite cable for TV playback.
The micro HDMI on the other hand, supports HDTV playback. Please note that some of these accessories may not be available Hero4 Silver box since they are optional.

  • Memory Storage

The Hero4 Silver camera comes without a memory card. But is compatible with 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB
and 64GB microSD, microSDHC and microSDXC memory cards that you can purchase from anywhere. Gopro advises use of microSD cards with a Class 10 or a UHS-1 rating particularly for increased reliability.

  • Audio Features 

Hero4 Silver supports AAC audio codec at a sampling rate of 48kHz. It features an advanced AGC (automatic gain control) with a multi-band compressor. The AGC is some form of feedback circuit that monitors the output level and ensures that it does not vary significantly from the desired level. On the other hand, a multiband compressor divides the frequency spectrum into distinct bands, so that each has its own unique compression settings. This allows for a longer attack time for the low band frequencies (bass) to punch through, while keeping a shorter attack time in a higher band to keep the high frequencies in check. By using a multiband compressor, it is possible to closely tailor the compression to the different elements in a mix and compress the recording more transparently than with a standard single-band compressor. The goal of the AGC and multiband compressor is to produce a quality audio experience for the entire audio range of frequencies.

  • Internal Microphone

The Hero4 features a built-in mono microphone with approximately two times greater dynamic range than its HERO3+ Black Edition counterpart. It also supports an External stereo microphone that you can connect to the 3.5mm microphone adapter. If high quality audio is a must, then so too is an external microphone.

Protune Advanced Video and Photo Capture

Protune software offers the flexibility required during post production editing because it delivers almost raw video and photo shots with little or no compression optimized for professional film productions. And through your creativity, you can adjust settings for Color, ISO Limit, White Balance, Sharpness and Exposure, to create a great production.

  •  White Balance

With white balance you are able to adjust the color tone of videos and photos to your desired taste.The camera is by default set to automatically adjust color tones based on the scene. However, other modes are also available like 3000k [Warm light], 5500K [Slightly cool light], 6500K [Cool light] and the Native mode [ Industry standardized optimized color].

  • Color

Two color profiles are available; Gopro Color (default great color with protune turned off) and Flat Color profile (Neutral color profile that can easily be corrected to match footage captured with other equipment).

  • ISO Limit

The ISO range of a camera is synonymous with its sensitivity. This Protune feature adjusts the camera's sensitivity in low-light environments, and creates a balance between brightness and resulting image noise. Image noise refers to the degree of graininess in the image. By Default, the Hero4 Silver video camera is set to 6400 which implies a brighter video in low lighting scene conditions at the expense of increased noise. Other options of ISO limit 1600 ( for moderately bright video with moderate noise) and ISO limit of 400 (For darker video with low image noise) are available for selection too.
The ISO limit settings for photo shoots are somewhat different. ISO limit 800 being the default value [for darker photos in very low light and increased image noise], 400 [for darker photos in low light and moderate image noise], 200 [for bright photo in indoor lighting with marginal image noise] and 100 [for bright photo in outdoor lighting with marginal image noise].

  • Sharpness

The sharpness of Camera is the measure of how much detail a given camera reproduces in a video or photo shoot. Protune's default setting for Hero4 Silver is High [for Ultra Sharp image] with Medium and Low settings for moderately sharp and soft images respectively.

  • Shutter

This Protune setting applies only to Night Photo and Night Lapse. The shutter regulates the amount of light reaching the CMOS image sensor which directly correlates with the amount of time the shutter is open. This setting can be set to Auto or Fixed. Auto applies only to Night Photo and the Shutter remains open for up to 2 seconds. The Fixed setting allows for longer exposure time in the range of 10, 15, 20 and 30 seconds.
  • Exposure Value Compensation

Exposure Value Compensation (EVC) affects the brightness of your video footage. It can particularly be helpful in optimizing image quality while shooting in contrasting scene lighting conditions. This Value ranges from -2 to +2.

  • Spot Meter

The Spot Meter setting optimizes footage covered from a dark environment while pointing the camera towards a brighter scene like filming the outdoors from inside a car.
  • QuickCapture

The QuickCapture button is a very convenient setting as it lets you, at the press of a single button, turn on the camera and automatically start capturing Time Lapse photos or shooting video.

  • Battery Power Requirement

The Hero4 Silver uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated at 1160 mAh, 3.8V, and 4.4 Wh. The operational life of your supplied battery very much depends on your usage activity. In many instances, a single battery charge may not last you through several hours of continuous shooting. So it is advisable to have a backup battery to ensure it lasts you through your activity coverage.

  • Submersible depth

When the Hero4 Silver Camera is mounted in its Standard Housing, it remains water tight up a submersible water depth of 40 meters. Beyond this depth, the housing may unpredictably begin to leak in water.

  • Weight and Dimensions

Like earlier on mentioned the Hero4 Silver is a very tiny gadget weighing only 83g (2.9oz) and approximately 147g together with its housing. It measures (L x W x H): 3" x 1.5" x 2.5" inches in its housing.
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Samsung Wireless Audio Multiroom Hub - WAM250

Samsung Wireless Audio Multiroom Hub - WAM250-front-panelSamsung WAM250 Audio hub completes Samsung's SHAPE multiroom Audio Solution. It sits at the center of the SHAPE multiroom Audio solution with all your multiroom speakers networked through the WAM250 Audio hub. Samsung's SHAPE multiroom audio system is a truly ingenious one, which saves you the clutter of strewn cables allover the house while offering simultaneously a quality home entertainment solution. The SHAPE Wireless Multiroom Audio solution comprises of Dual Band Wireless Audio Multiroom (WAM)
speakers and Wireless Audio Multiroom hubs - WAM250. It comes with features such as zone play; in which you can group speakers together and play different media for each group - a feature hitherto relegated to high end AV Receivers! This gives you the comfort of listening to whatever you want anywhere in the house while controlling and managing your playlist on your smartphone via the Samsung multiroom app.

The Multiroom Audio Hub -WAM250, expands the coverage of the SHAPE Wireless system in a similar fashion to the way you would lay Audio cables to audio speakers in say other rooms or floors; except in this case all connections are wireless.

So what is this Audio Wireless Multiroom Hub - WAM250

Samsung Wireless Audio Multiroom Hub - WAM250As already introduced in a sneak peek, the WAM250 extends coverage of the Dual Band Wireless Multiroom speakers through WiFi. The beauty of the SHAPE Wireless audio system is that you can begin with a single Multiroom speaker say an M7 and later add conveniently more Multiroom speakers and an audio hub - WAM250 to your setup as need arises. The WAM250 enables you to bundle together two or more M7 speakers and additionally extend the reach of one M7 signal to other M7s in the house.

Multiroom speakers like the M7s can be deployed as standalone because they are built with Dual Bands - 2.4Ghz and 5.15~5.25Ghz bands.  The 2.4Ghz band being for Bluetooth Streaming and the latter for WiFi. However, if you decide to add on an M7 to your setup, then you need the networking services of the Samsung WAM250. The WAM250 itself is a lightweight device weighing only 0.4kgs.

Technical Specifics of Samsung WAM250

  • Network Connectivity

The WAM250 supports Wireless LAN (WLAN) and Fast Ethernet (100Mbps). It has a built-in Wireless adapter for pairing with multiroom speakers or another WAM250. It's WiFi adapter supports Wireless Encryption; WEP - Open/Shared, WPA-PSK (TKIP/AES) and WPA2-PSK (TKIP/AES). For 802.11n networks, no encryption is supported.
The Fast Ethernet ports are used to link with a home WiFi Router for internet Radio and Audio Streaming services.

  • Power Requirements

The WAM250 requires 100-240V, 50/60 Hz AC input and DC output 14.0 V. It consumes only 4W.
  • Dimensions and Weight

At only 0.4kgs, the WAM250 is super lightweight. It measures 100 (W) x 106 (D) x 25 (H) mm or (3.9 (W) X 4.1 (D) X 1 (H) inches).

Buying Guide

  • To begin with, in order to choose the Samsung SHAPE Wireless Audio solution, you must have a dedicated internet connection and a WiFi Router to enable you connect to internet streaming services and internet radio. Otherwise, your SHAPE system will not be worth your money.
  • The WAM250 does not come with a Bluetooth connection, only the Multiroom speakers do!  Its only job is to network Multiroom speakers or boost a signal when installed in a repeater configuration.   
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Sony Hifi Bluetooth System - CMTSBT100

Sony Hifi System with Bluetooth - CMTSBT100
Sony's Hifi Bluetooth System - CMTSBT100 is a HiFi system  for those that wish to keep it simple yet cool.  With this Sony Hifi CMTSBT100, you are at liberty to listen to radio broadcasts over DAB Radio, FM, your favorite CDs and MP3 tunes with added convenience of Bluetooth Streaming and one touch play with compatible smartphones. The CMTSBT100 is beauty with a very pleasant cosmetic finish. The main HiFi unit is housed in nicely finished metallic casing in shades of grey and black, while the CMTSBT100 stereo speakers are housed in wooden speaker units nicely done with a black finish clearly depicting the natural wood grain and with detachable front grills to protect the speaker cones.

What to like about Sony's Sony Hifi Bluetooth System - CMTSBT100

  • 'Good looks' or Pleasant design

The CMTSBT100  features a clean, elegant design which adds a sense of style to your room. The shade of grey and black finish added the main HiFi unit casing makes it stand out. And the natural wood grain visible on the stereo speaker units are just as eye catching for any one that loves wood pieces.

  •   Wireless Streaming and One Touch Play

Availability of Bluetooth Streaming on the CMTSBT100 is a big plus for this HiFi system. This makes it a lot easier to conveniently enjoy tunes from your smartphone, laptop, MP3 player, and other devices using Bluetooth. Better still, the native NFC feature on the CMTSBT100 allows you to effortlessly stream directly from your smartphone with a single touch of your smartphone on the NFC area on the main HiFi unit. The CMTSBT100 supports Bluetooth version 3.0 and an output power class 2 with a maximum line of sight distance approximately 10 m. It operates in the 2.4GHz frequency band and uses Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum modulation technique for data transmission. Additionally, it supports A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) and AVRCP (Audio Video Remote Control Profile) Bluetooth profiles.

  • Clean Bass with Bass Boost function

The CMTSBT100 delivers clean bass that suits all your music tastes. And if you crave for a heavier punch, there is a Bass Boost function you can engage and get the party rolling. However, don't expect the resonant or floor moving, full-bodied bass! £189 doesn't buy you that kind of system!

  •   High Quality Sound Bluetooth streaming

Sony Hifi System - CMTSBT100 supports Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) and aptX codecs. AAC is the default digital audio compression codec adopted for iPhone and all iOS based devices. AAC codec achieves better sound quality than MP3 codec at the same bit rate. Similarly, aptX codec was developed for Android devices. AptX is a near-lossless wireless codec developed for Android devices. It delivers CD-like audio quality over Bluetooth.With native AAC and aptX codec support the CMTSBT100 will always deliver quality sound over a bluetooth connection while streaming from iOS and Android devices.

  • CMTSBT100's Built-in CD/MP3 Player

The built-in CD player supports CD, CD-R and CD-RW/MP3 disc playback with shuffle, repeat and program function for listening control. I love listening to my audio CDs because I want my music crisp and clear! This built-in player does the job perfectly well.

  • USB media playback support

The CMTSBT100 has a USB port which supports media playback. To this port you can connect a FAT formatted flash drive loaded with your favorite MP3, AAC and WMA files for playback. Please note that the port does not support NTFS and HDD portable drives. The port supports a maximum of 1000 folders with the root directory inclusive, 250 files per folder and maximum total of 3000 files on the entire flash drive.
    • Supported bit rate

      • MP3 (MPEG 1 Audio Layer-3): 32 kbps – 320 kbps, VBR
      • WMA: 48 kbps - 192 kbps, VBR
      • AAC: 48 kbps - 320 kbps
    • Sampling frequencies: 

      • MP3 (MPEG 1 Audio Layer-3): 32/44.1/48 kHz
      • WMA: 44.1 kHz
      • AAC: 44.1 kHz
    • USB port:

      • Type A, 5 V DC 2.1 A

  • MP3 Digital Player support

To the Audio Jack in on the CMTSBT100 you can connect a digital music player and enjoy MP3 tracks in Hi-Fi quality sound.In reality, you can connect virtually any digital audio source to this jack to enjoy quality sound.

Full tech specs of Sony HiFi Bluetooth System - CMTSBT100

  • Digital and FM Tuner with RDS support

The CMTSBT100 has a digital tuner with which you have access to a huge range of DAB and DAB+ digital radio stations with an option of saving up to 20 station presets. Additionally, the analog FM tuner gives you access to FM channels and of these you can save up to 20 channel presets.
The RDS (Radio Data System) supports transmission of station name, time and other programme information. In the US, it is known as Radio Broadcast Data System.

  • 50W Amplifier

The Amplifier adopted for the CMTSBT100, supports two stereo channels and outputs 25W RMS music power per channel measured at 6 ohms, 1 kHz and 1 % THD. It does not support Dolby Digital codecs but is built with a Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE), a Bass Boost function and a 2-band graphic equalizer (Bass/Treble).

  • CD Player 

The CMTSBT100 CD player supports CD-R/RW playback and MP3 Disc playback only. It does not have CD changer functionality and neither does it support DVD playback. Only CD playback with shuffle, repeat and programme function is supported.

  • Stereo Speakers

Sony adopted two front 2-way speakers Bass Reflex speaker system for the CMTSBT100 HiFi system. Each speaker unit contains 1 x 100 mm cone type driver and 1 x 40 mm cone type tweeter. The speakers are protected by a detachable front grill.  
  • Power requirement

This Hifi unit requires 220-240V AC, 50/60Hz mains input. It consumes less than 0.5W when on standby and 35W when in operation.

  • Dimensions and weight

The CMTSBT100 main unit measures (L x W x D): 290 x 106 x 221 mm while weighing 2.7kg. Each speaker unit weighs 2.0kg and measures (L x W x D): 150 x 240 x 220 mm.

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