Teac LS-X8 Mkii Review

The quality of electronics have moved on, however speakers have changed very little. So I decided to do a short review of Teac LS-X8 Mkii (aka Teac LS-X8Mkii) because there is not a mention of this model on the Internet and you may have the opportunely to get a pair second had.

First impressions is the very heavy weight construction making it ideal for use as a shot-put without damaging it, however grit would get stuck inside the fixed grill that can not be removed without some how taking the speakers apart.

They come with wall brackets, but I did not to attach them. The speakers have no bass ports so they can be kept anywhere in the room (please read my Speaker Positioning article).

I hooked it up to my lively NAD and a neutral Teac CRH255 and it was obvious they are quieter than my other speakers and so the volume had to cracked up more than usual.

The large tweeter gave the speakers remarkably clear treble. The (bass) speaker was small but had a proportionally huge driver giving decent midrange and good instrument separation. Vocals are very nice and natural.

The bass was nice and fast and stubborn bass guitars tuneful and separated. I would have preferred a bit more bass weight (impossible for speakers this small). Overall the LS-X8Mkii was remarkable at producing chill and rock music including 'The Fratellis' and 'Jack Johnson' and even some dance music. However there is a problem with the bass if you listen to certain types of music requiring extreme lows such as ambient, house or dark classical piano becuase the extreme lows are completely absent. As a result Murcof sounded awful. Despite bold claims by manufacturers you simply can not produce extreme lows with speakers this small. It is no good turning the bass knob up becuase that only increases the mid bass frequencies so if you listen to this type of music you will need a sub (provided your amp can take one) . I wish I had an active sub to test on as I am convinced this set up would be awesome.

The Teac LS-X8 Mkii is overall a good performer with solid construction, decent mid range, good instrument separation and fast tuneful mid bass... if you have a active sub expect some magic Rating 8.5/10

Stereo Speaker Positioning for non audiophiles and people who entertain others.

No matter how carefully you choose your hi-fi it can be undone by poor speaker positioning, but audiophile guides to speaker positioning are not practical.

Typically I can hear 3 types of sound:

1. Stereo effect: This is the audiophile must, by placing the speakers about 2 meters apart and toeing both speakers inwards to create a narrow listing position (called “sweet spot”) for no more than 1 (maybe 2) people sat in sat in the correct place to enjoy. Everybody ales may get a less desirable unbalanced single channel effect but not as bad as if the speakers were set wide apart. This set up is a must for surround sound modes (I like 4 full range speakers in a 4.0):2. Unbalanced single channel effect: This is the least desirable when you do not hit the sweet spot and typically happens when speakers are sat wide apart and you have to be right in the middle of the room to pick up both channels. If you are sat closer to one speaker than the other that speaker will swamp the sound from the other channel. You will also get undesirable booming sound from the bass from speakers placed in the corners especially if you have rear bass ports:
3. Full range mono effect: This is in my opinion the most desirable and most practical way of setting speakers where everyone can benefit from both channels by widening or removing the sweet spot. You can widen the sweet spot by placing the speakers together separated by only your stereo (side by side is too close and will cause undesirable bass booming!). Speaker with rear bass ports should still avoid a corner of a room. Obviously this is no good for a surround sound setup:

Teac DR-H300DAB and DR-H300 Review (Optional DAB)

Teac have integrated many hi-fi and cinema boxes into one unit without compromising build or sound quality. It is step that all hi-fi manufacturers should be doing to avoid the dominance of Games consoles having more and more added features (MP3, CD and Movies). Teac DR-H300 or the Teac DR-H300DAB are beautifully styled in both black or brushed silver to reflect today's lifestyle and similar to the TEAC CRH255 but with DVD playback.

For movies:
Picture quality was as expected; with both excellent HDMI and SCART. Sound wise up to excellent DTS quality was achievable but only in 2.1 amplification and was disappointed not to see no 5.1 outputs or decoding. Personally I never feel the effect of surround sound after the first few minutes when my head is completely still however for films like Saving Private Ryan I would like having the option for 4.0...shame! Anyway it played Region 1, 2 and 3 DVD's without any problems and even DivX.

For music:
Like the TEAC CRH255 the USB port supports both WMA and MP3 music files from a MP3 player, USB for memory sticks, Windows MP3 players or even external hard drive. Like other USB from ports from Teac it will not connect to Apple iPod brands (Reed comments section).

As well as exceptional DAB reception you get RDS FM/AM and has 50 station presets and a CD Player.

I was expecting the same neutral TEAC sound and to a certain extent it was. Perhaps a little more bass extension and detailed treble, however this could be because of the new DAC from the CD player. It also comes down to taste, you may love a neutral sound that you could pick some exciting speakers for or you may prefer a more exciting sounding amp like a Rotel or NAD and prefer to go for neutral sounding speakers. Either way this does have that audiophile like sound.

Recommended speakers are those that are not neutral and have a punch such as any large Mission like Mission M33. Cute small speakers will not give you deep bass and some great neutral speakers like Tannoy M2's fast enough bass!

I am a big fan of Teac and though I prefer rock music from my NAD or a Rotel amp and classical from a Marantz amp where the Teac can not compete. Teac is still however the most stylish and best sounding micro systems on the market and ideal for today smaller houses where a NAD or a Rotel amp would not sound or look right in. For only £300 this does represent a huge saving in terms of buying hi-fi separates and a DVD player. Score: 8/10

Related Links:
TEAC CRH255
Teac Reference 300 MKIII Review (optional DAB)

Excersise and Diet for Desk/Office Workers

It would be lovely if we all had personal chiefs to provide us with 5 delicious meals a day or for our boss to allow us to have 2 or 3 meal breaks a day? As a result an increased in energy and metabolism. Celebrities can afford to this we can not.

As mentioned in my previous diet post it is not the number of meals you have but portion control and leading an active life style. Snack using dried or fresh fruit (and raw veg like carrots and celery if you like that sort of thing) and I prefer lots of Clementine’s, grapes or bananas a day (whatever is in season).

For your meals consume no more food than you can carry in your hand. Lunchtime you should make your own using Whole Meal Pita bread (100cal each) with any choice of delicious hummus (100cal in quarter pot) combined with turkey ham or wafer chicken (read calorie information on back of pack and try not to exceed 100cal of meet).
Then cram in a mixed bag of salad (some contain veg grated Carrot and beetroot). If you don't like salad and veg do not worry becuase the hummus should take away the flavor. Feel free to add tomatoes and also consider a small can of fish instead of the ham.

Resist the pressure to go down to KFC or have a full pub lunch. If you must goto the pub for a group social make sure you snack healthy beforehand so you will not be tempted by the huge portions with chips opting for sandwich or something from the light bite menu. Remember to consider the pub as your dinner and you should have lunching food in the evening. Cut out alcohol leaving it for special social occasions… if you socialise at pubs allot then… erm… stop.

The above is a step at a healthier life style and a little weight loss, possibly half a stone a month. To accelerate weight loss you have to exercise or it will seem to take forever and you will give up. If you’re a morning person and naturally wake up without an alarm clock then you should exercise for 30-45 minutes before work doing at least 25 minutes cardio 4 times a week or 45 mins 3 times a week and a little weights. If your energy levels are in the evening do it then. If you have no motivation then go in the evening after work without putting on the TV in the home and once your in the gym or running in the park your motivation levels may go up.

This is my 1.15 hour cardio exercise program:

I have a desk job and need to cardio exercise 3 times a week (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday/Friday) in order to lose weight. This will typically burn more than a 3rd of what I eat resulting in a net loss of calories needed and weight loss within 1 week. About 4-5lb (half a stone) can be lost a month.

1. Cross Trainer with little resistance setting 3 for 25 minutes doing 5k to 6k (300 calories). I aim to keep my heart beat at a consistent 150 so I don’t tire myself out, but find your own comfort zone. (Do the cool down to burn extra calories)
   
2. Rowing little resistance setting 4/5 for 10 minutes (120 calories)
3. Running at a good rate 15 minutes (200 calories) but for long as you can taking the speed up towards the end (Do the cool down to burn extra calories).

Total: 600+ calories (depending on your weight)

If you have more time do some upper body weights first so you build muscle so “metabolism” is increased. However when you stop doing weights as part of a routine you will lose your muscles so sadly weight lifting must be a long term life style choice!

It is not easy to maintain and you could substitute any of the days to play sport (swimming, football, squash etc…) but you want to lose weight. Due to improved diet and portion control the weight should stay off once you decide to stop however do embrace an active lifestyle.

Related links:

• Successful Weight Loss – The Truth.
• Tim's Weight Loss

Motorola W220 Mobile Phone Review

I was searching for easy to use mobile phone within my small budget without all the frills of Bluetooth, camera etc... The Motorola W220 meets the basic needs exceptionally well and you can pick one up for under £40. The black version looks more designer than the silver and is coated in rubber giving you better grip and feel .

Sound quality from both incoming and out going was the clearest I have heard on a phone. The reception very good and the antenna is situated at the mic to avoid radiation near the brain (unproven side effect). Battery life is one of greatest on mobile phones and lasted 5 days with low use. Charge time was typically 2-3 hours. It comes with heavy but good quality hands-free ear buds.

Multimedia included an excellent FM radio and limited J2ME games. The supplied games especially the football one is week and the game engine limited to a few basic games you can buy from a few rare websites via WAP. The screen is small for games but not unusable. WAP 2.0 with xHTML Mobile allows you to Gmail and browse using www.google.com/xhtml. Everything was usable but the screen size does restrict you.

There is no external display for clock or to see who is calling before you active flip (you can however switch off active flip).

I found the Motorola W220 is an excellent phone with low price and high quality. 9/10