Lauren Dragan

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Lauren Dragan | Feb 06, 2014

Here’s a funny thing about being at CES this year: lots of companies gave presentations on what I, as a woman, want in technology. What I want to buy, what special needs I have. This is what I learned that companies generally think women want in tech:

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How to Turn an Old iPod into Someone's Miracle

Lauren Dragan | Jun 05, 2014

This week, I’m going to take a little break from obsessing/drooling over the latest tech in order to discuss something serious with you, and tell you what you can do to help. (It’s as easy as checking your electronics junk drawer, I promise!) I hope you’ll stay with me, but if do-goodery isn’t your thing, stop back next week, and I’m sure to have something new and electrical that makes un noises.

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In Defense of Small Audio

Lauren Dragan | Jan 29, 2016

It has recently come to my attention that certain members of the audio-enthusiast community are concerned by the home audio purchasing choices made by millennials. Specifically, the findings by the NPD Group that 66% of 18-34 year olds use soundbars to listen to music in addition to watching TV. The diehard floorstanding- and tower-speaker fans see this statistic as a harbinger of the impending death of good taste, and prematurely blame the under-40 set for ruining the audio market altogether. I’m here to not only refute that assumption, but to also defend the purchase and use of small audio.

Bluetooth Speaker Reviews Wireless Multiroom Speaker Reviews

Infinity One Wireless Speaker

Lauren Dragan | Nov 26, 2014

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $300

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Exceptional sound and bass response for the size
Easy to set up, NFC pairing a bonus
Unique design
Minus
Lacks detail of stationary speakers
While portable, still takes up a lot of bag space

THE VERDICT
The One would be my pick for portable/desktop crossover. It’s not tiny, but it’s definitely easy to take with you, and the sound is really fantastic when you take the footprint into account.

How It Connects: Bluetooth, NFC, ⅛” analog.

Another relatively compact portable option, the

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Infinity One weighs just under 3 pounds and costs $100 more than the Cambridge Audio Go. That $100 is well represented, however, in both added features and sonic quality. With four 1.77-inch drivers and two passive radiators, the One puts out an impressive amount of sound.

Reading >

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Interview: Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda Talks Digital Audio Fidelity and Recording in Analog Lauren Dragan | Jul 16, 2014

Last week we talked about The Distortion of Sound, the new documentary concerning the gradual decline in audio quality that plagues the music current music industry. If you haven’t watched it yet (it’s free, incidentally) you really owe it to yourself to take the half an hour, and to share with a less-tech-savvy friend. For those of you who can’t stream a video right now, the gist is this: music fans are getting deprived of the ability to hear the full quality of the music they’re downloading, streaming, and YouTube-ing. Initially, the desire for convenience of carrying a small device necessitated the severe compression of music files, but as tech has advanced beyond that point, the quality of the music we’re hearing hasn’t. In fact, since the CD, the clarity and authenticity or recordings has largely decreased. Buy the best headphones, speakers, you name it, and they’re all worthless if the audio you’re playing isn’t high quality. Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park is a vocalist, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist, as well as producer, and was one of the many members of the music and recording industry who participated in The Distortion of Sound. I sat down with him before the documentary premiere to talk about the state of the music industry, how he listens to music, and what it was like to record an album analog.

talks-digital-audio-fidelity-and-recording-analog">Continue Reading >

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Invisible Cities: The Seamless Meeting of Art and Technology Lauren Dragan | Nov 22, 2013

Have you ever listened to a pair of headphones and thought that it seems as though the music was being performed right in front of you? Or maybe you’re in a public place, listening to music as you walk, and all the day to day mundanity around you takes on a more profound glow? Or sometimes, if you pay attention, it seems as though events are lining up to the rhythm: someone is walking to the beat, or speaking at just the right moment? Now imagine that all of those things were happening at the same time and you’ll have a small idea of what it was like to attend Invisible Cities, an opera composed for headphones and performed live at a functioning, bustling train station.

t-and-technology">Continue Reading >

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Is TV the New Corn Syrup? Lauren Dragan | Sep 24, 2016

If you have a child, or friends with kids in your life, you probably saw the recent New York Post article somewhere in your social media feed, complete with its click-bait-ish title: “It’s ‘digital heroin’: How screens turn kids into psychotic junkies.” Fear-mongering headline aside, the question raised is a good one, especially for those of us who are A/V fans. When it comes to developing brains, how much media is too much?

Bluetooth Speaker Reviews Wireless Multiroom Speaker Reviews

JBL Authentics L8 Wireless Speaker

Lauren Dragan | Nov 26, 2014

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $600

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Fantastic sound with pleasantly forward bass
Lots of bonus features (including optional cordless Qi device charging)
Sexy retro design
Optical input
Minus
Bass could be a bit much for those who love flat response

THE VERDICT
Perfect for folks with small apartments where space is tough to come by, the L8 is versatile, adaptive, and attractive enough to be front and center of a small audio setup.

How It Connects: Bluetooth, NFC, DLNA, Wi-Fi, Airplay, ⅛” analog, optical.

A true bookshelf speaker packed with extras, the JBL Authentics L8 is the largest model we’ll discuss here, measuring about 26 x 10 x 13 inches and weighing around 16 pounds. So whereas the Go and the One offer portability, the L8 is made to stay put. That said, if you can’t take the L8 with you, there are a lot of ways to bring your audio to the L8.

Headphone Reviews Tech2

JBL Syncros S400BT: Close to Syncros-nicity

Lauren Dragan | Mar 13, 2014

Ah, Bluetooth. The desire to cut the cord has led to a market flooded with a dozen new wireless headphone options in the last few months. The latest to enter the fray is JBL, with their Synchros S400BT: a touch sensor controlling, LED glowing, aptX encoding, Bluetooth 3.0 stereo over-ear headphone. With all those bells and whistles, I just had to give them a try. How would they measure up?

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LA's Luxury Tech Show: How to Add Robotics and/or Gold Plating to Everything

Lauren Dragan | Oct 02, 2015

This past Wednesday I attended my second Luxury Technology Show in Los Angeles and it was, as the year before it, a study in making the ordinary opulent, and the expensive ridiculously expensive. The LED-message-displaying-booze was flowing and I put on my cocktail attire to see what’s new just for you. Here’s some highlights from what I learned:

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Lauren Dragan

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