OTHER TECH

PERFORMANCE

I tested the i2i Stream in recreational and workplace locales. They included a beach house with broadband but no network. I transmitted Internet radio from the headphone jack of a bedroom computer to an i2i receiver while I wore earbuds and lounged on an outdoor deck. I also streamed Internet radio to my personal buds in an open office crammed with aisles of computers and people wearing telephone headsets, some wireless.

I confirmed the claimed 30-foot range. You can improve reception at the fringe by holding the receiver in the direction of the sender, but line-of-sight isn't necessary. I found the battery was depleted in about five hours (i2i claims 5 to 7 hours of use before recharging). The receiver retains power slightly longer than the sender. If broadcasting from a computer, the sender could be USB-powered indefinitely. Once I adjusted the volume on the receiver, I found there wasn't much difference in audio quality versus plugging the earphones directly into the source device. Since I encountered little interference, I didn't have to change colors much.

At the beach house, I wanted to connect the receiver to the auxiliary stereo inputs on a Bose Wave Music System in the living room. Unfortunately, a miniplug-to-stereo adapter wasn't readily available. It's included in i2i Gear's optional Home Stereo Adapter Kit.

BOTTOM LINE

The packaging shows young people each dancing with an i2i Stream. Stealth music sharing by a clique of two or more in study hall or the cafeteria is a sure-fire use, but there are adult applications, too. Perhaps a couple wants to share a rented audio device like a museum's walking tour or a theater's enhanced hearing system. In bed in front of the TV, a viewer considerate of a sleeping spouse could listen without being corded to the headphone jack. I found the greatest benefit to be in the workplace where computer speakers aren't cool, yet an individual prefers to listen to music unencumbered by a leash.

I'm now able to get up and walk to a network printer without removing headphones that had snapped my head back when I tried to rise because they were plugged in under my desk. I can't get over the modicum of privacy the i2i Stream affords me in an office where workers aspire to their own cubicles.