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REVIEWS
STRAP
First Run
HEAD
VIVANCO CYBERWAVE FMH 3000 CORDLESS HEADPHONES £80
****
Why’s it here? Cordless phones have been around for a while
but until now they’ve been sold on convenience, rather than sound quality. They’re
getting better, and a couple of models we’ve tried recently were actually quite
good. However, until now they’ve all been infra-red types, which send audio
signals on beams of invisible light. The trouble is they only work in the same
room as the transmitter. Cyberwave FMH 3000 from Vivanco are different. They’re
RF cordless headphones, that use FM radio signals instead of light. Radio waves
pass through walls, into the garden and beyond.
Any unique features? Cyberwave looks almost identical to the
Vivanco IR6500s, the most noticeable difference is the bendy aerials, on the
phones and base unit. The phones are powered by a pair of rechargeable AAA
cells, one per side, they last for around 16 hours, between charges. The
headset clips onto the base unit for charging. As a matter of interest the
headphones operate on the 49MHz band, also used by a variety of other products, including radio controlled toys and
walkie talkies, burglar alarms and cordless phones, so there is the potential
for interference, to and from Cyberwave. The range is quoted at 30 metres
indoors or 50 metres within line of sight of the base unit.
How does it perform?
Vivanco have gone to a lot of trouble to get their RF
technology past the UK regulatory authorities. The specs are very tight, and
the allocated frequency band is quite narrow, nevertheless, they have somehow
managed to squeeze in most of the audio spectrum. Bass response is a wee bit shallow,
compared with similarly-priced IR phones from Philips, but treble is crisp and very
detailed, and there’s nothing like the amount of background hiss -- within the
reception area. Noise levels increase quickly the further you get from the base
unit, our sample continued to work well, up to 20 metres and three brick walls
from the base unit. Interference was not a problems during our trials, TVs had
no effect at all, only computer monitors seem to bother them, producing a strange ‘whooshing’ noise, when
used within a metre or so of the screen. Volume levels are fine, clean sounds
from soft to uncomfortably loud. They’re light and comfortable, with a
moderately springy headband, that keeps the ear cups in place, even if you feel
the urge to bop...
Our Verdict
Cordless headphones still have a little way to go before they’re
on a par with the wired variety but the gap is narrowing. Cyberwave is up there
with the best that mid-range IR has to offer, with the added bonus of extra
freedom to listen to your favourites sounds, anywhere in the house. Good value,
worth considering.
Cyberwave FMH 3000
Features RF
Cordless phones, re-chargeable batteries supplied, built-in stand on transmitter/charger
unit
Sockets DC input, stereo line-audio in
(minijack plug)
Weight (phones) 250
grams (inc. batteries)
Comfort ****
Sound Quality ****
Build Quality ****
Features ****
Ease of use ****
Overall value ****
Competitors
Philips SBC-HC520, £80 HE41
Sennheiser IS-360, £70 HE38
Vivanco IR6500 £90 HE38
Vivanco UK Ltd., telephone (01442) 231616
HEAD
ONE-FOR-ALL 5 AND SONY RM-V30 UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROLS
£30/£30 ***/****
Why are they here? You shouldn’t need to ask, if you’ve got dogs,
kids or a multi-component home cinema system. As we acquire more remote control
handsets, so the chances of one or more of them getting lost or broken
increases proportionately. As they proliferate it’s also useful to be able to
replace two or more handsets with one multi-function model. The Sony V30 is a
two-device remote, for TVs and VCRs; the One For All 5 can handle up to five
products, including a TV, VCR, satellite receiver, cable box, CD players and
OFA’s own home security system
Any unique features? The Sony V30 is a bit like a wobble
toy, the base is weighted, so it always stands upright. It’s powered by lithium
battery, which is supplied. The pre-programmed library of commands is quite
modest, though it covers most popular brands sold in the UK. The OFA 5 has a
much larger command library, and it can also be updated over the phone, so in
theory at least, it should be able to operate just about anything. Commands can
be sequenced -- to turn the TV and VCR
on together, for example -- and it has an auto scan facility, that steps
quickly through TV and VCR channels.
How do they perform? The function switch on the Sony V30
slows things down quite a lot, but it’s easy to use one handed, and comfy to
hold. It has a useful range of standard functions, including fastext, but the
tiny buttons and skimpy labelling take some getting used to. The OFA5, on the
other hand, is a fairly traditional design, button layout is good, operation
and function-switching is intuitive. The curvy case and shaped keys are a good
idea, it’s simple to program and use. Range in both cases was around 25% better
than the manufacturers supplied handsets.
Our Verdict. It’s a toss-up between cuteness and
practicality. If you’re looking for a simple combi TV/VCR remote, and your
equipment is covered by the modest command library, the V30 does the job and it’s
fun, though anything more ambitious than on/standby switching, volume and
channel changing can be hard work. The OFA5 is a serious multi-role remote, that
can easily replace three or four handsets, it’s fair value too and well made.
Features ONE-FOR-ALL 5 AND SONY RM-V30 UNIVERSAL REMOTE
CONTROLS
£30/£30
Sockets none
Weights 150
grams (OFA5), 200 grams (RM-V30)
OFA5/RM-V30
Range *****/*****
Build Quality ****/*****
Features ****/**
Ease of use ****/***
Overall value ****/***
Competitors
Hama 40068 £50 HE42
Maxview URC4 £25 HE42
Philips RU410 £18 HE42
One For All, telephone (03153) 488 8000
Sony UK, telephone 0181-784 1144
MITSUBISHI HS-621VCR, £250, ****
Why’s it here? NICAM stereo VCRs are now so cheap it’s tempting
to suggest that it is hardly worth bothering with mono machines anymore. However,
from our lofty perch it’s sometimes easy to forget that not everyone wants or
needs a stereo VCR, and loose sight of the fact that there’s still a very
healthy market for mono models. Mono VCRs by their nature tend to be easier to
use, which reminds us that there’s still a lot of people who find VCRs annoyingly
complicated. That’s something Mitsubishi have clearly taken to heart, and the
HS-621 has to be one of the simplest and most user-friendly machines we’ve seen
for a long time.
Any unique features? The 123 Menu system gives the user one-button
control over the three most frequently used functions, namely playback,
on-the-spot recording, and time-shifting. After selecting the required function
the various options are presented on the on-screen display, with extremely simple
to follow instructions. It’s about as foolproof as it gets. It’s also unusual
to find so many convenience features on an entry-level machine. VideoPlus+ and
PDC timers have begun to appear on the cheapest VCRs, but the 621 goes a lot
further, with auto set-up, daily clock check, menu-driven on-screen displays,
tape optimisation, unified TV/VCR remote and a parental lock.
How does it perform? We’d guess the 621 shares the same deck
mechanism and key video processing circuitry with other, more expensive VCRs in
the range. Resolution is hovering just below 250-lines, which is good for any
VCR, let alone a budget model. There’s only a small reduction in resolution at
LP speeds, down to just under 240 lines. That’s almost certainly thanks to an
effective tape optimisation system. Picture noise levels are a little below
average, in fact the only indication that this is a budget 2-head machine is
the break-up on fast picture search, and rather wobbly still frame. The mono
soundtrack is fine, background hiss is unobtrusive, treble response is a little
above average and it sounds reasonably detailed.
Our Verdict. Mono VCRs still have their uses as second
machines, in the bedroom, for the kids, or for copying and editing tapes. The
621 can do all that, and more, with ease, but it’s the elegantly simple control
system that will get it noticed, and the machine to recommended to your old
granny.
Mitsubishi HS-621, £250
Features Video
Plus+ auto installation and clock set,
multi-speed replay, parental lock, tape optimiser, unified TV/VCR remote, rental
tape playback, NTSC replay (monochrome only)
Sockets 2 x
SCART AV, RF bypass (coaxial)
Dimensions 380
x 92 x 340mm
Picture Quality ****
Sound Quality ***
Build Quality ****
Features ***
Ease of use ****
Overall value ****
Competitors
Akai VS-G245 £200
Ferguson FV101 £230
Philips VR268 £230
Mitsubishi Electric UK, telephone (01707) 276100
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R. Maybury 1996 0611
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