Product Description
The LaCie FireWire Speakers combine the industrial design of Neil Poulton and superb digital audio technology. A 90Hz-20kHz frequency response provides powerful, vibrant sound for your music, movies and games. Easily connect them to your Windows or Macintosh computer with the built-in FireWire cable or even to your MP3 player. FireWire provides superior digital audio as well as line power, so no batteries or AC adapter is needed. System Requirements - Powered FireWire 400 (6-pin) port, Mac OS 10.3.5, Windows 2000, Windows XP or higher Dimensions - 5.31 x 3.94 x 3.54 (135 x 100 x 90 mm)
Customer Reviews:
The first FireWire Speakers EVER, and the LAST you will ever need!.......2007-12-25
The LaCie FireWire Speakers deserve all of the hype that they have received. Just visit www.lacie.com and you will see the over 10 awards that these first-ever bus-powered FireWire Speakers have received. Personally, I think they are amazing! I received them as a Christmas gift and can't wait to use them every chance I get. They have such great quality and it makes you feel like you are sitting next to the artist of the music you are actually listening to. Bottom line: they are simply amazing! I've had no better and heard no better. The only comparison is that if higher-priced Bose speakers, but I wouldn't trade these high-quality design speakers for even higher-priced Bose speakers! You simply have to HEAR it to BELIEVE it! Trust me - you can't go wrong with giving these as gift!
PS- They go great with an iBook G4! ;-D
Owen Rubin Review from MyMac.com.......2007-09-19
Ok, I was intrigued by this unique idea, speakers that do NOT connect to the audio output jack on your computer, and did not use the already overcrowded USB, but rather are bus powered, getting power from your computer, connected to the FireWire port instead. But why do I need this? Every computer I have ever owned had an audio output port, and so far, I have not had reason to dislike the audio coming from it. I wanted to know why I needed these over other USB or direct audio speakers.
So I started iTunes, kicked off The Beatles LOVE soundtrack, and was ready to find out why. Music came pouring from my rather good Sony desktop speakers, which I immediately unplugged. I knew what they sounded like. Audio switched to the rather poor speakers inside my iMac G5, and it was time to put a stop to that lousy sound by hooking up these cute little things from LaCie.
Packaged well, much like a MacBook computer from Apple, in a small black box, these (5.3" high by 3.9" wide by 3.5" deep) white and black speakers were easy to hook up. Well, sort of. I simply plugged the already attached FireWire cable on the "Main Speaker" into my Mac. Then, from the secondary speaker I took the audio cable and connect it to the main speaker. That is all there is to connect. There is no power brick and no batteries are needed because these will get their power and audio from FireWire. Listed as the world's first bus-powered speaker, the small, 8-watt amp (4-watts per channel) is powered directly from your computer via FireWire. For me, one less AC power brick is an immediate plus right off.
Unfortunately, if you start with the wrong speaker, the audio wire on the secondary speaker looks EXACTLY like a standard audio plug, just like the one you might expect to connect to the Mac's audio output jack (except that it is a mono plug.) And, if you do plug this into your Mac's audio jack, you will get audio, albeit very soft and only form one speaker, which should be a clue that something is wrong. (Perhaps this wire's plug should have used a different type of connector?)
So, why was sound still coming from the Mac's speakers if these were all attached correctly? What did I forget? Turning to the included Quick Install Guide, I saw that they were indeed installed correctly. But reading a "Note" lower on the page also said that if you do not hear any sound, you need to select the speakers manually. The Mac has a manual speaker selection? This was new to me.
Yes, this is done in System Preferences>Sound>Output. This was a place on my Mac that I had never been to before, and sure enough, I can now select either "Internal Speakers" (or Audio Out if you have other speakers plugged into the Mac's speaker jack) or "LaCie FireWire speakers (2491)". So I switched it to the FireWire selection and immediately music poured loudly from these little gems. But now which speaker was right and which left, as LaCie labels them Main and Secondary instead? I opened an audio clip that has audio only on the right channel and it seems that the one with the FireWire connector goes on the right. Of course, I got them backwards. Hey LaCie, a small L and R on the speakers would be nice.
Despite their small size, the sound was rather good. These will not compete with higher end audio speakers costing hundreds of dollars, but compared to many sub $100 speakers for computers, including direct audio and the USB versions, these stand up quite well. Input signal is digital at 24bit / 96kHz, a fact of which most will not care. But, if you use an older PowerPC Mac, these connect via the Midi FireWire Control Panel, and that must be set correctly. With a frequency response of 90Hz-20kHz, midrange and highs were clean and clear, and typically lacked that "tinny" sound many small speakers of this size suffer. Although, some of that tinny sound did manage to come through on a few songs with strong treble passages. Bass response was weak at the low end, no surprise given the small 2" "high excursion neodymium driver" speakers inside. But the lower end of the midrange was strong and it typically made up for that missing bass. Overall volume was on the high side and these speakers played considerably louder then other USB and audio speakers at the same computer volume setting. You may have to turn down both the computer's master volume setting as well as the apps volume (like in iTunes) to get a level low enough for a environment like an office cubicle or at home at night. The speakers themselves have no volume control. Distortion was low, unless you turn them up very loud, at which point the small amp started to clip and the small speakers could no longer handle that much drive. That said, these will put out a good amount of volume before that happens, especially considering their size. In general, I was surprised that such a small package could sound this good.
There is a CD included, and for Mac users, it is not needed as it simply contains documentation, products, and accessories folders where you can register your product, or buy the optional power supply, cables, and even a FireWire card should you need one (why did you buy these speakers?) These will also run on Windows machines, and the CD contains a setup program to install the necessary software on that machine before they can be used. They worked fine on my Windows XP computer, but LaCie says they are not Vista compatible, and I did not try.
On the bottom of the main speaker is an "audio input" plug where you can connect an external audio device like an iPod, or a computer without FireWire. A small interconnect cable is included in the box. To use such a device, the speakers need to be powered. That means you can leave them connected to a powered computer (so the FireWire power is active), or, to use them stand alone, you will need an optional external power supply. There is a connector for that on the bottom as well. Still connected to my Mac, I connected my iPod to the audio in line, and pressed play. Yes, if you turn on both audio sources, they will both play through the speakers together. Pressing stop on iTunes allowed me to listen to my iPod through the speakers, and again, they sounded equally as good from the iPod. I am bothered however that the external power supply is an option. Given their $100 price tag, LaCie should have included it for iPod users or laptops that do not have FireWire. Of course, if you do not have FireWire, why would you buy these? But still, you might want to carry them with you for portable use.
The look may not be for everyone. LaCie likes to do outlandishly designed products (have you seen that USB hub?), and these are a little strange for speakers. To me, they look like miniature air vents as seen on a boat or ship. And while I liked them, others who saw them thought they were a bit odd. The outside is a glossy white with a black "circle" where the speaker sits on the front, twisting the cylinder shape forward to face the speaker to the front. I was reminded of a slinky for some reason. On the bottom is a rubber ring that keeps them from slipping and sliding on the desktop. Cables come out the bottom as well, through a small slot to allow the speaker to sit flat on the desk. I was disappointed at the length of the included cables. If you computer is not close to where you screen is, or is on the wrong side of your desk (since the FireWire cable is on the right speaker), you may need an extension cable. The wire between the speakers could stand to be longer as well.
I also wanted to know if using the speakers effected my FireWire connection. Since I have drives connected to the other FireWire port, I wanted to find out if these caused problems with the audio. I copied a 284 Mb folder from a FireWire drive to the internal drive with music playing, and again while not playing, and repeated this several times. Given the relatively small amount of bandwidth needed for audio, I did not expect a difference in time, but would I hear the music cut out as the disk drive needed more bandwidth? With music playing, the average transfer time was 28 to 29 seconds, and no audio cut out or distortion was noticed at all. Again with music not playing the average was about the same, so it appears that this does not impact drive use at all, and hard drive use does not affect the audio.
So back to my original question, why these over other speakers in this price range? The small above issues aside, compared to other small speakers, these performed as well or better than most others in their size and price range. And the lack of yet another a power brick is a strong plus. If you are like me, there are no free plugs available anywhere near your computer, and yet another wire missing from the desktop is a good thing too. And my USB is already overtaxed, so I do not want speakers sucking up that bandwidth or power either. Their small size is also a plus, as is the ability to connect a secondary audio input. But what about that FireWire connection, does it really make a difference? The obvious argument that this is an all-digital connection to the speaker so it sounds better must be taken with a grain of salt. These speakers are nowhere near the quality and fidelity one would need to ever detect any difference between the supposed noisy analog output for speakers and an all-digital connection. And besides, the connection to the secondary speaker IS an analog connection anyway. Hello? But if your need is for small, good sounding set of powered speakers that do not require AC power, are easy to install, and your USB is already busy enough, these are a good choice for you.
MyMac rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Great Look with my Mac Mini.......2007-07-24
As advertised, they look great were easy to set up with my mac mini. The sound is pretty damm good to. Bass and treble sound was pretty impressive for the size. If you don't want to deal with a power source which I didn't these are the ones for you.
Good Sound, Good Look.......2007-07-20
I just got these a few days ago and I like them. The sound is clear and loud without distortion. I like that I could use my Macbook remote to control the volume, too. I tried to use the adapter and plug them into my ipod, but I got a lot of distortion/feedback. It cleared when I closed my laptop- don't know what that's about. Will have to experiment more.
Lacie Firewire speakers are fantastic.......2007-03-03
I just received these speakers from Lacie after seeing them at Macworld in SF. They sound every bit as good as they appear. Clear, good imaging, actual low midtones and simple set up.
Some wishes for future versions-
1) A carrying case would be nice- they are marketed as being portable.
2) Volume control linked with the main controls. Currently I have to use the menu bar slider-the hardware keys and the apple remote can't control the volume.
Average customer rating:
- Terrific Little Speaker with Clear, Strong Sound
- NOT RECOMMENDED FOR DELL LAPTOPS
- Are we listening to the same speakers?
- Definite improvement over stock, and extremely portable
- Flexible, Mobile & Fierceful
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Laptop Speakers - USB, Portable, Compact, Travel Speaker for PC and Mac - B-Flex Hi-Fi Stereo USB Speaker (Black)
Manufacturer: JLab Audio
ProductGroup: CE
All Computer Speakers
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Computer Speakers
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Computer Add-Ons
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Computers & Add-Ons
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Categories
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Electronics
Portable Speaker Systems
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Computer Speakers
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Computer Add-Ons
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Computers & Add-Ons
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Categories
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Electronics
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Laptop Speakers - USB, Portable, Compact, Travel Speaker for PC and Mac - B-Flex Hi-Fi Stereo USB Speaker (White)
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Product Features:
- Plug and play for PC and Mac. Uses only USB power, no wires or batteries!
- Easy to use. Incredibly compact and portable. Great for travel!
- Produces crystal clear sound with a 2-watt digital amp and 2 high output, full range micro drivers.
- Patent pending flexible design allows you to totally customize your listening experience by flexing the speaker into virtually any position.
- This amazing gadget was featured in the NY Times, on ABC News, and on virtually every gadget site in the world.
ASIN: B000LJ2T3Q
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Product Description
Need better sound from your laptop? The stylish new B-Flex is a compact stereo speaker on a USB flex cable for laptops and desktops. Plug and play for PC and Mac with no batteries or wires! Easy to use, great for travel, mp3's, DVD's, presentations, and gaming! Features a 2 watt digital amp that acts as its own sound card. Uses 2 full range paper cone micro drivers for crystal clear sound. The patented flex design allows you to position the speaker for optimum listening enjoyment. The only product of its kind, the B-Flex has been featured in the New York Times, on ABC News, on Gizmodo, and many others. Makes a great gift! A White unit is also available.
Customer Reviews:
Terrific Little Speaker with Clear, Strong Sound.......2007-09-07
After reading several dozen consumer reviews describing laptop speakers I puchased this one. You simply plug it into your laptop, or USB hub, swivel the gooseneck to position the speaker where you want, and you've got an excellent speaker that fits in a small laptop utility bag.
The only complaint I have is that there is no quick volume control; once you've plugged it into your USB port, it overrides the laptop's volume control "knob". You have to open the volume icon in your Control Panel every time you want to adjust the speaker volume, which can be too slow when you're being blasted by a loud video.
This is not to say that there is anything wrong with the volume modulation in the speaker itself, just that there seems to be a wide volume range across items I view--YouTube, email messages with videos from friends, etc.
If this speaker had a volume control knob it would be perfect!
NOT RECOMMENDED FOR DELL LAPTOPS.......2007-09-02
After several weeks of light, mid-volume use, the speaker stopped working on my Dell Latitude D500 and I began receiving error messages noting a "device malfunction". After trading emails with J-Lab customer service, I was instructed to return the speaker by mail (at my expense) for a refund. The refund I received was 80% of the original purchase price because, according to J-Lab, the device was still "working" upon receipt. The representative handling the return acknowledged that there has, in fact, been a history of compatibility issues with Dell laptops-- in other words, a "working" speaker may not always operate correctly when connected to a Dell laptop. Is trying this speaker on your Dell worth the risk of paying two sets of shipping charges, losing 20% of the purchase price, and spending time emailing representatives and repacking/mailing the device? If not, maybe it's worth considering alternatives.
Are we listening to the same speakers?.......2007-08-08
We bought this speaker for our Gateway M505 Media Laptop on a recent trip. The M505 has reasonable speakers for a laptop, but their volume level isn't quite strong enough for us to be happy--we'd always find ourselves straining to hear dialogue from movies.
From reading the reviews I honestly thought this would solve our problem in a nifty self-contained USB-powered fashion.
For us it didn't.
We found the speakers to be nearly identical to the M505 speakers, and while the B-Flex did give us the tiniest improvement in volume, it wasn't enough to really give us adequate volume, or the "big sound" many reviewers have mentioned. Also, there is no way a speaker the size of these can give the kind of frequency response any level of audiophile would be happy with.
So, who should try out this speaker? If you have standard tinny sounding laptop speakers (the almost nonexistent kind), these will be a big improvement. Also you will like the fact that it is USB powered so no batteries, no cords are needed.
However, having said that, I really think the bottom line is, to get truly better sound, you need to use a powered speaker. I think some of the JBL's may be the way to go.
For cost of these guys, unless you catch them on sale, my advice is to keep looking. We had to return ours. (Thanks to Amazon a really fair & generous return policy).
Definite improvement over stock, and extremely portable.......2007-07-08
My boyfriend bought me this speaker. It is plug-and-play. On my computer, often movies are not loud enough for some reason and with this speaker it's as loud as we could possibly want. Also I can blast my music throughout the house from my laptop - before I could not because it sounded horrible at high volumes.
I'm not much of a sound expert, but I think it sounds pretty good.
Flexible, Mobile & Fierceful .......2007-05-13
Love this laptop speakers!! My laptop speakers suck so much that this little guy just gives me the wonderful sound my laptop deserves!! I highly recommend it!!
Average customer rating:
- Average sound
- Like it so much bought it for a friend.
- Works perfectly.
- Lots of power in a small package
- Cool!
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Laptop Speakers - USB, Portable, Compact, Travel Speaker for PC and Mac - B-Flex Hi-Fi Stereo USB Speaker (White)
Manufacturer: JLab Audio
ProductGroup: CE
All Computer Speakers
|
Computer Speakers
|
Computer Add-Ons
|
Computers & Add-Ons
|
Categories
|
Electronics
Portable Speaker Systems
|
Computer Speakers
|
Computer Add-Ons
|
Computers & Add-Ons
|
Categories
|
Electronics
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Laptop Speakers - USB, Portable, Compact, Travel Speaker for PC and Mac - B-Flex Hi-Fi Stereo USB Speaker (Black)
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JLab Audio BFW01 B-Flex Hi-Fi Stereo USB Laptop Speaker (White)
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Product Features:
- Plug and play for PC and Mac. Uses only USB power, no wires or batteries!
- Easy to use. Incredibly compact and portable. Great for travel!
- Produces crystal clear sound with a 2-watt digital amp and 2 high output, full range micro drivers.
- Patent pending flexible design allows you to totally customize your listening experience by flexing the speaker into virtually any position.
- This amazing gadget was featured in the NY Times, on ABC News, and on virtually every gadget site in the world.
ASIN: B000LJ8TBM
|
Product Description
Need better sound from your laptop? The stylish new B-Flex is a compact stereo speaker on a USB flex cable for laptops and desktops. Plug and play for PC and Mac with no batteries or wires! Easy to use, great for travel, mp3's, DVD's, presentations, and gaming! Features a 2 watt digital amp that acts as its own sound card. Uses 2 full range paper cone micro drivers for crystal clear sound. The patented flex design allows you to position the speaker for optimum listening enjoyment. The only product of its kind, the B-Flex has been featured in the New York Times, on ABC News, on Gizmodo, and many others. Makes a great gift! A Black unit is also available.
Customer Reviews:
Average sound.......2007-03-22
Unless your laptop's soundcard is not working, or your speakers are barely hearable I wouldn't recommend this. Odds are your laptop does as much as these speakers.
It is well built, looks resistant and it does a decent job. Do not expect very good quality.
Like it so much bought it for a friend........2007-03-08
I like the sound of mine so much I bought one fo my friend for his birthday. It's not super loud but you can listen to music from your mac, with good quality. Just plug it into your USB port. My friend loves his too. He uses his all the time. Great for travel.
Works perfectly........2007-01-30
Speakers quit working on my laptop and needed something decent and easy - and this is better than that. Good quality considering size and price.
Lots of power in a small package.......2007-01-19
I really thought the reviews for this item were probably a little over-blown, but the speakers have proven me wrong. As someone who primarily uses their laptop on the go, I have been looking for a set of small, easily transportable, decent sounding speakers. These fit into all three categories. I am pleasantly surprised by the fullness of the sound that they put out. If you're strictly an audiophile, you'd be better off investing in a good set of Bose headphones, but if you need something to quickly and efficeintly plug and play so other people can hear what is on your laptop, then you won't find a better buy for your money.
Cool!.......2007-01-13
It was a gift to my daughter and she was thrilled! We were all amazed at
the "out of the box" design and think that the folks at JLab need to expand and create a whole lot of new "out of the box" stuff to make life
easier and more efficient! And, the speaker sounds GREAT!
Product Description
IEEE-1394, 6P / 6P, Firewire Cable, 3 ft
Product Description
The LaCie FireWire Speakers combine Neil Poulton s stunning industrial design with superb digital audio technology. With a frequency response of 90Hz-20kHz, they deliver powerful, vibrant sound for your music, movies and games. Easily connect them to your computer (laptop or desktop) or MP3 player* with the built-in FireWire cable. FireWire provides superior digital audio as well as line power -- no need for batteries or an AC adapter. Compact, portable, and stylish, the LaCie FireWire Speakers give a whole new meaning to plug and play**.
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