Design Acoustics DAS16 Bookshelf Speakers

Design Acoustics DAS16 Bookshelf Speakers

Design Acoustics DAS16 Bookshelf Speakers
Manufacturer: Design Acoustics
Product Type: CE

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com Review
Offering terrific bass for their size, and very good sound for their price, Design Acoustics' DA-S16 bookshelf speakers walk a fine line between efficiency and affordability. Hook-up is simple using the speakers' five-way binding posts, but positioning, as with almost any speakers, can take a little work. At 15 inches tall and 11 inches deep, they are larger than many bookshelf speakers, accounting for much of their great bass response. If anything, we found the low end a bit heavy, even with the speakers on stands and away from the walls.

In keeping with their predilection for low frequencies, the DA-S16s are actually a little "dark" overall--recessed in the midrange (where most voices are), and mellow in the highs while maintaining strong imaging, dynamics, and punch. The DA-S16s play quite loudly, holding their own to a point, but breaking up sooner (or more noticeably) than comparable speakers as they reach their upper-level limits. Still, the speakers proved musically enjoyable over a lengthy review period.

The DA-S16s sounded better with inherently bright music, such as pop and rock. Acoustic music seemed to breathe better in the DA-S16s than dense electronics textures, making the speakers a nice choice for classical music, especially considering their dynamic authority.

If you're into bass, but short on space, these are the speakers for you. If, on the other hand, you prefer a more balanced sound, it'll take off-the-shelf, in-room placement, and possibly the aid of tone controls or equalization to tame the bass.

Pros:

Cons:


Average customer rating: 3.0
  • tv out doesnt work
  • NOTHINGS PERFECT...THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING MISSING

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 Sony VAIO VGN-C220E/H 13.3" Notebook PC (Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 1.66 GHz Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD RW Drive, Vista Premium)

Manufacturer: Sony IT
Product Group: Personal Computer
Binding: Personal Computers
ASIN: B000M5HRIQ
2007-01-30

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Amazon.com Product Description

Celebrate your style with the cool colors, trendy trim and dimpled surface of the powerful and exquisitely designed Sony VAIO VGN-C220E/H notebook PC, which features a 13.3-inch widescreen display with energy-saving XBRITE-ECO technology. The silvery gray body features orange accents for added style, and it weighs just 5.1 pounds--perfect for portability. Send e-mail from your sofa, share photos while lounging by the pool, or chat with friends from the coffee shop, campus or airport thanks to the built-in tri-mode wireless LAN (compatible with 802.11a/b/g networks). It's powered by the 1.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 processor, which offers a 20 percent performance boost over its predecessor while using 28 percent less power--so you get the benefit of a powerful dual-core PC plus all the benefits of mobility. It also features a 160 GB SATA hard drive, 1 GB of installed RAM (2 GB maximum), multi-format, dual-layer DVD burner, Intel Graphic Media Accelerator graphics card with up to 224 MB of shared video RAM, multi-format memory card reader, and ExpressCard/34 slot.

This laptop also comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, which includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center. In addition to easily playing your DVD movies and managing your digital audio library, you'll be able to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV). Vista also integrates new search tools throughout the operating system, includes new parental control features, and offers new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures.

<b>The Basics</b>
<ul>

  • Processor: The Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 processor has a 1.66 GHz processor speed, super-fast 667 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and large 2 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

    The Intel Core 2 Duo processor has two computational execution cores in a single processor, providing greater system response when running multi-threaded applications simultaneously with no significant increase in power consumption. It's optimized for multitasking and is ready to support the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. It can simultaneously run multiple demanding applications--such as graphics-intensive games or serious number-crunching business productivity applications--while downloading music or running virus-scanning security programs in the background. Some of the advanced Intel innovations of the Core 2 Duo processor include: <ul>

  • Smart Memory Access: Improves system performance by hiding memory latency, thus optimizing the use of available computer data bandwidth to provide data to the processor when and where it is needed.
  • Advanced Digital Media Boost: Effectively doubles the execution speed for instructions used widely in multimedia and graphics applications.
  • Dynamic Power Coordination: Coordinates Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology and idle power-management state (C-states) transitions independently per core to help save power.
  • Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing: Saves power by flushing cache data to system memory during periods of inactivity to lower CPU voltage.</ul>
  • Hard Drive: The 160 GB hard drive (5400 RPM) offers enough to room to hold a digital audio library of over 26,000 songs and still have room left over for movies, games, and a large collection of software. This Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.
  • Memory: The 1 GB of built-in memory (PC4200, 533 MHz, DDR2 SDRAM, 2 x 512 MB) is a good start out of the box, but you'll want to maximize the 2 GB capacity of this machine to make your multimedia hum along.
  • DVD/CD Drive: The double-layer DVD drive is compatible with a wide range of formats, including both DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs, CD-RW discs, and dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can hold up to 8.5 GB of data--great for backing up your MP3 collection or your most important documents. It features the following speeds: 4x for DVD+R DL, 4x for DVD-R DL, 8x for both single layer DVD+R/-R, 8x for single layer DVD+RW, 6x for single layer DVD-RW, and 24x/16x for CD-R/RW. It reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x and CD-ROMs at 24x.
  • Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 86-key keyboard (2.5mm stroke and 19.05mm pitch) and electro-static two-button touchpad. </ul> <b>Screen, Video & Audio</b>
    The 13.3-inch WXGA LCD offers Sony's XBRITE-ECO display technology and has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The widescreen display gives increases the width of the notebook's display while giving the computer the form factor of a smaller computer, so it takes up less space on your desk or in your briefcase. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, which uses Intel Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT) and provides up to 224 MB of total graphics memory from the system memory. Audio is powered by Sony's Sound Reality audio enhancer.

    <b>Networking, Connectivity & Expansion</b>
    This notebook features an integrated PRO/Wireless 3915ABG wireless LAN that's compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and wi-fi hotspots) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range--great for closed office environments). It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard/34 card slot (though no PCMCIA card slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. Here's the full list of connection options: <ul>

  • 2 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
  • 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
  • 1 ExpressCard/34 slot
  • 1 VGA monitor out
  • 1 S-Video out
  • Stereo headphones/speakers/line-out
  • Microphone/line-in
  • 5-in-1 memory card adapter (Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Secure Digital, MultiMedia, XD) </ul>It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

    <b>Operating System</b>
    Windows Vista Home Premium is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect to your favorite WiFi hotspot.

    Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.

    <b>Preloaded Software</b>
    Includes Sony Click to DVD (for easy DVD creation), Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office 2007 Student and Teacher Edition (60-day trial), Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007 (with 60 days of Live Update).

    <b>Dimensions & Weight</b>
    This notebook measures 13 x 9.3 x 1.47 inches (WxDxH) and weighs 6.2 pounds.

    <b>Power</b>
    It's powered by the VGP-BPS2C rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of between 2.5 and 4 hours (depending on usage).

    <b>What's in the Box</b>
    This package contains the VGN-C220E/H notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, memory card adapter (VGP-MCA20), and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty, and Sony offers 1-year of toll-free telephone technical assistance.

    Product Description

    Celebrate you style with trendy trim and dimpled surface of the portable, powerful and exquisitely designed VAIO(R) C220E/H Notebook. The powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processor, DVD Writer and lightweight form factor includes a 13.3-inch widescreen display with energy saving XBrite-ECO Technology. Send e-mail from your sofa, share photos or chat with friends for hours in a coffee shop, park or airport. The extended battery life keeps you connected longer at hotspots and wireless networks. 1GB (512MBx2) PC2-4200 DDR2 533MHz Speed Memory 160GB Serial ATA(TM) 5400rpm Hard Drive Optical Drive - 4x Write DVD+-R Double Layer, 8x Write DVD+-RW, 8x DVD+-R, 24x Write CD-R, 24x Write CD-RW, 24x Read CD, 8x Read DVD, 5x DVD-RAM and 5x Read DVD-RAM Multimedia Card Reader - Express 34 Slot 5-in-1 Memory Card Adapter supporting Memory Stick, Memory Stick(R) PRO, Secure Digital, xD PictureCard and MultiMedia Card (MMC) Windows Sound System 13.3-inch 1280x800 XBrite-ECO WXGA LCD Technology Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 224MB Video RAM Intel 945GM Chipset VGA Out with Smart Display Sensor Interface Ports - Ethernet Port, Headphone Jack, 4-pin iLink Interface, Memory Stick(R) Media Slot, Modem, Microphone, Port Replicator Connector, S-Video Output, 2 USB 2.0 Port, VGA Output and DC-in Operating System - Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Dimensions - Width 12.98 x Height 1.47 x Depth 9.28 inches Weight - 5.07 pounds Note - When you first turn this machine on, you will have to wait ONLY 5-6 minutes before you use Windows Vista.

    Customer Reviews:

    2 out of 5 stars tv out doesnt work.......2007-06-05

    its one week and my CD\DVD drive is not working.
    But the real problem is that the super video TV out online give black and white imagen. I can assure you that i am not doing anything wrong and its not a standard issue, it is not working properly.
    The other real rare thing is that in Sony's support website this model is not listed, really, you wont find this model for support. Its like it doesnt exist. And the email support they gave me, sucks.
    It came with out any back up CD. Not drivers, restore or Windows vista.
    the rest its ok, its really pretty.

    4 out of 5 stars NOTHINGS PERFECT...THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING MISSING.......2007-04-26

    I've bought this Sony laptop because of the brand itself. All of my products in my house are SONY. I never had any problems. Plus, the special rebate offer on this one. I could have given this product 5 stars but it lacks some of the essential parts of it. It lacks all the backup cds. Like: audio & video drivers and this laptop has already a pre-installed Windows Vista, but lacks its CD :( The drivers you can download at Sony's website, but getting the Windows Vista...you can't. So, I think Sony needs to improve their marketing on this laptop. This is the first time I've encountered a company who sells computers who doesn't include backup drivers. Overall 4 out of 5 stars.

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