Gadgets :: March 15, 2017
By Gregg Ellman
(@Greggellman)
When a new product from V-MODA arrives, I instantly anticipate opening it, just as I would a holiday or birthday gift. I know there is a cutting-edge audio product tucked inside, even though I never had my hands on it or heard it in use.
I’ll take you right to the end; there was absolutely no disappointment after opening, seeing and testing the hot-off-the-press Remix wireless Hi-Fi speaker.
The Remix is the company’s first venture into bluetooth speakers. The sound that flows out is nothing short of superb. This holds true whether you like to enjoy music at a comfortable volume or if you like to punch it up to concert level.
The Remix’s solid construction coupled with its size makes it a perfect travel companion. It measures 8.07-by-2.55-by-2.67-inches. Sound projects smoothly through its front facing grill mixing perfectly with a rear mounted bass reflex port. According the V-MODA, the sound is “powered by a newly designed glass-fiber diaphragm and long coil drivers.”
Typical for V-MODA, they emphasized the design, look and features. My test unit was designed with CNC aluminum. An optional vegan leather finish is also available.
When it comes to customization the Remix is unique. V-MODA touts the world’s first 3D-printed custom speaker so all six sides of Remix can be personalized. You can change the sides, front grill and the C-shell with into a variety of materials. They include “lightweight matte fiber to raw, gold-plated or precious metals including 14-karat rose gold and even platinum,” according to Val Kolton, V-MODA Founder and CEO. The 3D printing is done with V-MODA’s renowned jewelry-grade 3D-printing, which I’ve seen in the company’s headphones.
The VMAP port takes the Remix to a new level for wireless speakers, transforming it into a headphone amplifier. For the most part it’s just plug-and-play with the V-MODA VAMP technology to give your headphones a boost of power and sound.
Connect an audio device to the aux-in port with the included 4.5-foot V-MODA 24k gold plated plug cable, turn the speaker on, connect your headphones to the VAMP port and hit the multifunction button on top once to get everything going. You’ll be amazed at the sound.
You can connect two Bluetooth sources and also use an unlimited number of Remix speakers simultaneously. Just daisy chain them with 3.5 mm audio cables.
Controls for power, volume and pairing are well placed on the top; the back has a USB-C charging port (5.6-foot charging cable included), an auxiliary port and a VMAP/auxiliary out port.
It has a 3400mAh internal rechargeable battery, good for more than 10 hours of tunes and a built-in microphone for hands-free calls.
The speaker also works with Amazon’s Alexa via the Echo Dot (wirelessly or wired) and is also compatible with Google Chromecast Audio.
http://v-moda.com/REMIX $300, 3D printing customization ranges from $40 to $370,000
If there’s a keyboard that’s more compact, portable and useful than the Kanex MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard, I haven’t seen it.
With the Kanex keyboard you can sync up to four devices to the keyboard at once with Bluetooth 3.0 and toggle between the four to use what you want at the time, with the push of a key.
It’s built with a durable construction and folds shut to cut the size in half when it’s not in use. A magnetic closure keeps it shut tight. When closed it measures 6.42-by-4-inches and weighs just 6 ounces. 
As for typing, once you get it set up it’s a perfect ergonomic keyboard in a V-shaped layout. An LED alerts you when it’s time to charge the internal battery and also shows you when you’re connected to a device.
You can sync the keyboard with devices using these operating systems or newer; Apple iOS 7, Mac OS 10, Android 4.0 Windows XP/7/8/10.
www.kanex.com/foldable-keyboard $49.95
