Bundles 09.12

The 6th Annual Apple to iPods Event kicks off September 5!

Find a wooden apple in any of the participating Vermont apple orchards, and you may win an iPod touch, classic, nano or even an iPad!

See “*VT’s Tourism and Marketing website*”:http://www.vermontvacation.com/ for more details!

*Audioengine*

Super Savings in-store on Audioengine “*A5+*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?x=0&y=0&search=audioengine+a5%2B and “*A2*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?x=0&y=0&search=audioengine+a2 speaker systems.

*Chill Pill BOGO*

Buy any “*Chill Pill Mobile Speaker*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?x=0&y=0&search=chill+pill+mobile+speaker and receive a FREE pair of “*Black Chill Pill mobile speakers.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/72867/at_bis

Yes, that’s right: headphones by Adidas. Recently “**Adidas**”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adidas joined “**Sennheiser**”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sennheiser in a collaborative effort to create sport-specific headphones. They are in no way the first to take this on, but in my eyes, they’re the first to get it right.

It makes sense as these are two of the best known companies in their field: Adidas — as a long standing name when it comes to sports, and Sennheiser — as a manufacturer with a great reputation for superior sound quality. Put the two together and you get a sweat proof, stay-in-your-ear, great-sounding sport headphone.

The line covers many different models, from in-ear, to behind the neck, and all come equipped with a sweat proof headphone and kevlar cabling to ensure they don’t tear under the stress of playing hard. Check out the complete line of “**Sennheiser**”:http://www.smalldog.com/mfg/?MfrName=Sennheiser+Electronic products here.

Now all of the above looks great on paper, but what about the real world? What about mountain biking, running, hitting the gym, and all the other fun sports we partake in (except swimming — unfortunately, they’re not fully waterproof)? How do they work in these environments?

Recently I got the “**Sennheiser CX680i**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/80403/sennheiser-cx680i-adidas-ear-canal-sports-headphones-w-volume-control to see how they worked while mountain biking. They’re better than advertised and I was blown away by one feature in particular: fins.

Two versions include a new fin system that holds the headphone in your ear. I’ve used countless headphones while biking from $25 Skullcandy units to $200 Shure units and haven’t ever had something as comfortable as these. Bombing down the hill over roots, rock gardens, and off jumps they never came out. One thing I will add is that it’s worth taking the time to try the different size fins and ear pieces they include to get the right fit.

If you’re a discouraged athlete who has never found the right headphone, I believe you’ll be as impressed as I am.

__Questions? Click “**here**”:mailto:will@smalldog.com or on my name at the beginning of the article.__

It wasn’t all that long ago when someone would look at a set of speakers and think, ‘only bigger speakers can give a bigger sound!’ That’s definitely starting to change, and not only in size, but the way in which you can connect to the speakers as well.

I was a little skeptical when I first started using the **Soundmatters foxL V2 Portable Speakers,**:http://www.smalldog.com/product/79658/at_bis but after listening to a few songs, I came away very impressed. The best thing about these speakers was not just the sound, but the fact that the speakers or the audio device that you’re using (assuming it can connect to Bluetooth) don’t have to be plugged in.

The Soundmatters foxL speakers are a completely wireless solution. The speakers themselves have up to a 12 hour battery life, and you can connect your devices with Bluetooth anywhere up to 30 feet away. That pretty much sealed the deal for me. One other added feature is that you can actually make hands-free phone calls with these speakers, which is something you don’t see in a lot of portable speaker setups.

All in all, this little guy will impress you with every feature. Gone are the days of wires and big bulky boom boxes on your shoulder. Now you can listen to these sweet sounds in your kitchen, dorm room, on the trails, or at the beach.

Come on in and check them out. I think you’ll like what you see and hear.

As a longtime fan of “**Urbanears**”:http://www.smalldog.com/mfg/?MfrName=Urbanears, I was excessively excited when we got the first “**Zinken**”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?x=0&y=0&search=zinken over-ear models in.

New Urbanears?! Yes, please! At $149.99, these professional-style headphones are ready to leap off the shelves and into the club. As is standard with Urbanears, they come in a vast variety of colors.

So what makes the Zinken so fancy? Well, for one thing, the headphones are equipped with a versatile set of inputs. Need to plug in to an amp? Zinken has a 6.3mm (1/4 inch) output cable. Need to make a dash for the bus to the soundtrack of your iPhone? Zinken has a 3.5mm (1/8 inch) output cable, too.

The Zinken model is particularly solid, with two metal hinges of fair bulk that allow the speakers themselves to swivel and turn freely. The headphones are very well-made, with no ragged seams or jutting plastic. The fit over the ears is tight, so people with glasses and earrings, beware!

They sound good, like you’d expect from a pair of headphones in that price range. Urbanears have a particularly well-developed balance of treble and bass, and the Zinkens are no exception. It’s hard not to dance with these guys on!

Style, color, and sound. Come demo our floor model in “**South Burlington!**”:http://www.smalldog.com/burlington

__Questions? Click “**here**”:mailto:vanessa@smalldog.com or on my name at the beginning of the article.__

The “**Creative T12 Wireless**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/78107/at_bis is a great deal for the price! Tagged at $89.99, you get a very well rounded set of speakers for a nice laptop/desktop/iPod/iPhone music setup.

These speakers have an impressive 2.4GHz of frequency range. They are capable of playing anything from super-produced Top 40 jams, to obscure indie rock and straight up hardcore music at an impressively decent quality. You can crank them all the way up without getting distortion so they’re perfect for a party setting, personal computer theater experience, or just hanging around the house.

These speakers come with wireless Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity with a range of approximately 30 feet. These bad boys can be accessed remotely around the house (without compromising the quality of the music) by any device that supports Bluetooth 2.1. The “**T12’s**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/78107/at_bis also come with a physical 3.5 mm plug-in for all you classic folks who prefer (or are bound to) the tethered experience.