Author: James Longman

Hello, my name is James Longman. I’m a writer and editor at AudioReputation. I disassembled my first portable AM/FM radio when I was only 8. At the age of 11, I burned the circuit board on my old boombox cassette player. I’m not going to explain how but it was reckless and stupid. Since then, I have become much more careful around radios, boomboxes, and other audio devices (at least, I like to think so) but I have never lost the passion for audio equipment. Throughout 20 years of my professional career, I've been working for various audio equipment manufacturers and even started building speakers on my own in my little workshop. I love the work we do here at AudioReputation. Testing, comparing, and evaluating all kinds of audio devices (speakers, soundbars, headphones, home theater systems, etc.) is something I truly enjoy. I try to be unbiased and give you my honest opinion on every piece of equipment I test. Still, you should take my reviews with a pinch of salt and always be just a little bit skeptical. The fact that I liked some speaker or soundbar doesn’t mean that you are going to love it. If you have the opportunity, you should test it/hear it before buying it.

Oct192018 by James LongmanNo Comments

12 Best Bluetooth Speakers with Microphone In 2018

Speakers

If you prefer using a speaker for listening to music, especially when you are outside your house, and you don't want to reach for your phone every time somebody calls you, our list of 12 best Bluetooth speakers with microphone will come in handy. In this article, we will try to introduce you to all the benefits of using Bluetooth speakers with microphone and indicate what you should pay attention to when buying these products. We must confess, the technology hasn’t still been perfected and it still requires a lot of work because none of the presented speakers has a perfect microphone that gives the impression that you're talking on your phone. All of them make your voice sound a bit distant but the most important thing so far is that the voice stays clear and understandable no matte

Oct172018 by James LongmanNo Comments

How Speakers Work

Blog

Speakers might look complicated but they are actually really simple devices and in order to understand their working principle, you need just a basic understanding of electromagnetism and sound waves. Speakers transform electrical signals into sound waves and that’s the simplest definition of their purpose. The working principle is a little bit more complicated but we will get to that. Parts of A Speaker Every speaker has at least three parts – enclosure, driver (or drivers), and electronic components (crossovers, amplifiers). Drivers – Speaker drivers are the most important parts of every speaker. The drivers are in charge of transforming electrical signals into sound. Enclosures and electronic components are important, too but their purpose is to improve the sound quality while

Oct162018 by James LongmanNo Comments

Klipsch RP-280F Floorstanding Speaker Review

Single Reviews

Klipsch RP–280F is the largest floorstanding speaker from the Klipsch Reference Premiere line of home theater speakers. Reference Premiere line of speakers is the successor of the Reference line. Klipsch RP-280F represents an enhanced version of the R-28F floorstanding speaker from the Reference series. Klipsch made some cosmetic changes but they also improved the performance of the speaker. The most noticeable changes are related to the design of the tweeter and Tractrix horn. R-28F (Reference line) VS RP-280F (Reference Premiere line) You will notice that both speakers have that recognizable Klipsch design with the famous Klipsch trademarks like Tractrix horn and woofers with the spun copper finish but there are some important differences. R-28F features aluminum LTS tweeters, i

Oct132018 by James LongmanNo Comments

20 Best Mini Bluetooth Speakers In 2018

Speakers

If you are not happy with your phone’s speaker, and you need something stronger but still portable and wireless, you’ve come to the right place. This article is designed to help you understand all the important features and find the best mini Bluetooth speaker for you. During the short introduction we will first try to elaborate on the most important features you should pay attention to when buying a mini Bluetooth speaker, and after that short intro, we are going to present to you our list of 20 best mini Bluetooth speakers on the market. We will try to give you some choices for every price range, but the quality will always be our main criteria, so whether we choose some generic or some world-known brand, you should know that these are all quality products with pretty good technic

Oct122018 by James LongmanNo Comments

Harman Kardon Aura Studio 2 Bluetooth Speaker System Review

Single Reviews

Harman Kardon Aura Studio 2 is unlike any other Bluetooth speaker you can find on the market. Now, you probably already know that Harman Kardon makes stylish, visually appealing speakers but this one is unique and looks better than any other Harman Kardon Bluetooth speaker we’ve reviewed in the past. When it comes to design, it can’t get much better than this. Aura 2 should not be mistaken for similar versions Aura and Aura+ (they support wi-fi, AirPlay, and come with an app) which are more expensive but look pretty much the same. Besides the impressive design, there are a few more great things about Harman Kardon Aura Studio 2. The most interesting feature is the ambient lighting. That's the first thing you are going to notice when you turn on the speaker. The lights are truly magi

Oct102018 by James LongmanNo Comments

15 Best Cheap Over-Ear Headphones Under $50 In 2018

Headphones

We are living in the world of discounts and best offers. Everyone wants to get great quality for the lowest price possible, but you don't have to wait for Black Fridays or season discounts to buy a decent product. This article about 15 best cheap over-ear headphones is created in order to show you that there are many great products on the market that can be bought for a very small amount of money at any time. You must be already thinking that those cheap products will break in a week or so, but if you keep reading, you will see that it’s not true because the products on our list have decent quality and, if used properly, they can last for a long time. We have tried to present different kinds of over-ear headphones. Some of them are made to be used at home just for listening to mu

Oct92018 by James LongmanNo Comments

Home Audio Speaker Systems – Wired vs. Wireless

Blog

Looking for an audio speaker system for your apartment or house? Finding difficult to decide whether you should buy wired or wireless speaker system? We have some good news for you! Stay with us and we will try to help you find the right solution for your home. What are Home Audio Speaker Systems? Before we start explaining which speakers are the best for you and throwing bunch of new terms at you, let’s stop for a second and answer one of the most important questions related to this topic – what are home audio speaker systems? Some might find this expression strange and unfamiliar but this is, in fact, nothing new. Most of you have already had some kind of audio speaker systems because, by this term, we actually mean any type of speakers used in somebody's home. As you probably al

Oct72018 by James LongmanNo Comments

Klipsch RP-160M Bookshelf Speaker Review

Single Reviews

Klipsch Reference Premiere series of home theater speakers was released in 2015 and in three years, it has become one of the most popular and highest rated lines of speakers on the market. We are presenting to you the largest bookshelf speaker from the Reference Premiere series - Klipsch RP-160M. Klipsch RP-160M is maybe larger and heavier than an average bookshelf speaker but it is almost perfect in every other way. It features sophisticated and instantly recognizable Klipsch design with spun copper woofer and Tractrix horn tweeter. It’s made of quality materials – MDF was used for the cabinet, polymer veneer was used for the finish, the woofer is made of Cerametallic (which is a combination Ceramic and Aluminum) with polymer baffle, and the tweeter is made of Titanium and it’s placed

Oct52018 by James LongmanNo Comments

8 Best Wireless Surround Sound Systems In 2018

Speakers

If you are tired of all the cables going all over your home and you are searching for a hustle-free surround sound system for your home theater, the best thing you can do is to go wireless. Our article on 8 best wireless surround sound systems is designed to help you understand all the important things you need to know about wireless surround sound systems and make the best possible choice based on your needs and your budget. We have also made a list of 8 best wireless surround sound systems so you don’t even have to spend hours on the internet reading about different features of different products – you can read our reviews and find out everything you need to know to make a decision. We have tried to list all the upsides, as well as downsides of these surround sound systems and make your

Oct42018 by James LongmanNo Comments

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 4 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Review

Single Reviews

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 4 is one of the best sounding Bluetooth speakers under $150 on the market. There’s a bunch of reasons to buy Onyx Studio 4 – rich, powerful, and balanced sound, amazing design (one of the most elegant speakers on the market), Bluetooth connectivity, great connection quality, multi-host (connect up to 2 phones simultaneously) and daisy chaining features (connect up to 100 speakers together), built-in battery, built-in microphone, HK Connect app. Unfortunately, it’s not all that great. Most of our complaints are related to battery durability (this beautiful speaker needs some stronger battery) and build quality. This speaker is made of premium materials and looks/feels expensive but it’s not rugged enough and it’s not the best choice if you need an outdo