Xtreme Mac Trx Tango Reviews Who Makes It
They expect different. They sound unlike. Only the concept'south the same for two just-released iPod and iPhone audio systems, Soundfreaq's SFQ-01 Sound Platform ($200) and XtremeMac's Tango TRX ($180): offer sleek-looking all-in-one docking and wireless speaker hardware at a price point that's aggressive relative to long-standing heavy-hitters such as Bose's SoundDock, then toss in a free remote control application for iOS users. While neither of these audio systems supports Apple tree's simply-released AirPlay wireless streaming standard, their developers' decision to go instead with Bluetooth results in substantial savings, immediate retail availability, and some pocket-size sonic and UI compromises. They're both good bridge options until and unless sub-$200 AirPlay wireless speakers are released for the iPod and iPhone, and thanks to their Bluetooth support, each tin play audio from the iPad equally well, though neither can dock or charge Apple tree's large tablet device.
Start with XtremeMac's less expensive Tango TRX, which is office of a family of Tango speakers that dates back to an aesthetically cut-edge 2006 model that was followed up past a stripped down semi-sequel called Tango Studio and a more direct follow-up chosen Tango X2. All of the Tango speakers have sold for $200 or less, and stood out from the pack more for their industrial pattern than sound quality.
Tango TRX is XtremeMac's first wireless sound organization, borrowing and remixing design elements from past models: there'south the fabric front grille of Tango Studio, a front-mounted volume knob akin to Tango X2's, and a clean, slab-like design that vaguely recalls the original model, albeit with a decided shift in orientation and size. The more often than not black TRX is taller than it is deep, a boxy wedge-like shape with embossed gray sides and sloping, open feet; orange accents are used for the volume knob and pinhole-sized power and source indicator calorie-free. Rather than centering its dock, Tango TRX places information technology off to the far left bottom side, while including five buttons—play/pause, bass, treble, source, and power—along the correct side of the meridian surface. Just an aux-in port and power port are on the back, while a metallic grille on the bottom is there for the system'southward bass driver; iv other speakers fire forwards through the front end grille.
Command of Tango TRX is handled through either an included Infrared remote control that works with whatsoever continued device, or with a free Tango TRX application that tin exist downloaded from the App Shop. Interestingly, one of the app'south screens all but fully mimics the remote, with source, volume, rails, play/interruption, bass, and treble buttons, omitting only the ability toggle on the Infrared unit of measurement. Both remotes work from 30-foot distances, though the dedicated 1 requires line-of-sight contact with Tango TRX's IR receiver, while the app can be used anywhere within the thirty-human foot range. More interestingly, the app offers something that iPod fans have been dying to take integrated into their devices for years—a graphic blaster, here with five presets and five tuning bands. It'south the sort of cool characteristic that a long-standing iPod accessory maker like XtremeMac would naturally think of including, fifty-fifty if the seemingly granular bands don't actually wind upwardly making a difference in how TRX sounds. Nosotros played with the equalizers for a while and they didn't seem to be actually irresolute Tango'south output; only the buttons on the unit'southward top, in conjunction with the volume knob, actually changed things.
The story with Soundfreaq'south SFQ-01 Sound Platform is somewhat similar, though Soundfreaq is new to the iPod/iPhone accompaniment world, and its implementation is at least a piffling different in almost every regard. Soundfreaq has designed a organisation that is hard to place in terms of visual style or theme—fabricated predominantly from sleeky black plastic, it has some of the starkest lines of any iPod or iPhone audio organization released to date, all the same each is commencement by an accent of some sort that prevents the organization from looking underthought. The front, for case, is a blackness slab of cloth with a thin silver line to a higher place, and a thicker silver and black pedestal below. A dock sits at the center, with three swirled metallic audio tuning controls on the left, and concave track, book, source, power, and pairing buttons on the right. Plough the organization to the correct and you'll find a storage compartment for the included ten-push button Infrared remote, illuminated with an orange light bar that's paralleled on the similarly glossy but permanently closed left side. The back is vented, letting the arrangement'due south Kevlar-reinforced drivers breathe.
In brusque, when viewed from the front, both systems look like simplified, thoroughly mod all-in-ones that have orange accents, though Soundfreaq'southward design is insufficiently far less minimalist. There's an orange text screen almost the capacitive buttons to indicate, in a word, the name of the electric current audio source; it works with an included antenna cable to permit you digitally tune FM radio stations, as well. Yet another light bar behind the iPod/iPhone dock glows or flashes on and off when audio's playing. It'due south not exactly classy, but it'due south not horribly distracting or bad, either. Soundfreaq's iOS application, SoundFreaq remote, substantially simply combines the IR remote control's features with bass and treble controls and a playlist-based playback machinery for music. Both Tango TRX and SFQ-01 are more easily controlled through the native iPod or Music applications of Apple's devices, though simply the devices' Infrared and app remotes tin properly adjust the speakers' book; changes within Apple tree's iPod and Music apps merely attenuate the book of the output from the device, leaving the speakers at their prior levels.
Even so similar they might be in other regards, including wireless performance—both pair easily with iOS devices and play back music properly using Bluetooth—there are some significant sonic differences between the speakers that didn't play out exactly as we'd expected. I surprise: Soundfreaq doesn't spend much time discussing SFQ-01'southward speakers, and only afterward earthworks did nosotros discover that all the unit includes inside are twin 2.75" "full range drivers," which equally audio fans know is typically the kiss of death for $200 speakers—1 commuter per channel attempting to do everything from high treble to midrange to depression bass is generally a recipe for disaster. Merely nosotros were more often than not impressed by the quality of the drivers in SFQ-01: they're non superstars, but given the price, they deliver more sparkle and a little flake more thump than might accept been expected from the limited hardware. By all rights, the ii speakers in SFQ-01 shouldn't rival the 5 in Tango TRX, but they did. Further, we plant that playing with SFQ-01's equalization knobs yielded more than meaningful bass improvements.
Though Tango TRX's sound is on crude par with SFQ-01'southward overall, they differ a trivial: TRX has a slightly warmer, less articulate signature, while SFQ-01 sounds cleaner and does better with high-frequency sounds. Bass beats have a little more resonance in TRX, while voices stand out more from songs when played through SFQ-01. Neither system is audiophile-quality, merely SFQ-01 sounds like information technology's doing a little more with less, while TRX has a "just practiced enough" signature that wasn't every bit impressive as nosotros'd expected from a system with 5 speakers inside. At higher volumes, SFQ-01 preserves most of its sonic capabilities, while TRX's drivers begin to evidence pregnant baloney. We would unremarkably be more concerned nigh this at the $200 price point, merely for a $180 speaker that packs an otherwise solid Bluetooth streaming feature, it'southward not hugely objectionable.
Radio functionality is the final major feature that'due south offered in SFQ-01 but not in Tango. A digital FM radio enables the organization, with the assistance of the same included antenna wire, to pull in signals that range from lightly staticy to surprisingly clear, complete with 20 selectable presets. Nosotros'd phone call the radio i of the better ones nosotros've tested in iPod and iPhone speaker systems, and a very dainty little feature for those who withal bask listening to FM stations. AM tuning is non available.
All in all, both Tango TRX and the SFQ-01 Sound Platform offer nice collections of features that will appeal to users who want to enjoy docked or wireless audio from their Apple devices but don't want to look or pay a premium for AirPlay speakers. While each organization's remote control app could stand up to improve at least a little, and the current iOS integrated music app volume controls will confuse some people, the underlying speaker units both offering solid audio and otherwise straightforward interfaces. Pick Tango TRX if you lot're looking to bask a dainty audio signature at normal listening levels and don't demand the FM radio; SFQ-01 is a little more expensive but justifies its cost with strong radio tuning, slightly clearer-sounding audio, and superior high-book performance. By today'southward standards, they're both worthy of our B+ rating and general recommendation, though we strongly suspect that the upcoming release of AirPlay-compatible wireless speakers will milk shake things up considerably.
Updated December 29, 2010: Following our initial tests of Tango TRX, we discovered an undocumented additional feature: the system actually has a microphone subconscious somewhere within its textile forepart surface—seemingly around the middle of the unit—which enables information technology to be used equally a Bluetooth speakerphone with iPhones. Callers told u.s.a. that we sounded practiced when talking through Tango, with a treble button that made the states easier to understand than with some of the other speakerphones we've tested, though Tango's mic doesn't rival the iPhone 4's integrated microphones in fullness. It's a nice bonus feature and, for now, somewhat of a mystery omission from the product'south list of features.
Our Rating
Visitor and Toll
Company: XtremeMac
Website: www.xtrememac.com
Model: Tango TRX
Toll: $180
Uniform: iPad*, iPhones, Dock Connecting iPods
Source: https://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/xtrememac-tango-trx
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