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xx xxx xxxxxx xxxxx; xx xxxx xxxx xx xxx
xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx
xxxx-xxxxxxxxxx xxxXX/x XXXX xxxxxx xxxx
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xxx xXxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xx xxx xxxy
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xx.) Xx xxxxx xxx xXxxxxx, XXX xxxxx
xxxy xx xxxx xxxx Xxxxx’x Xxxxx Xxxx-
xxxxx xxxxxxx, xxxxx xxxxxxy xxxxx xxx
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xXxxxxx xxxxxxx, xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx
xx xxxxx xx xxx $xxx xxxxx, xxxx xx
xxxxxxxxxx xxxx Xxxxxx xx/XX/Xxxxxxx
xxxy, xxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxx Xxxxxx xxx xxx
xxxxxxx Xxxxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxxxx.
Xxx xXxxxxx xxx’x xxxx xxxxxxxx XXX
xx xxx xxxxxx xxxxx; xx xxxx xxxx xx xxx
xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx
xxxx-xxxxxxxxxx xxxXX/x XXXX xxxxxx
xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx
xxx-xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx. Xxx xXxxxxx
xxxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx yxx xx x XXXX xxxxx
xxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx, xxx xxxxx xx xx xx
xxx xxxxxxxxxxx. Xxxx xxx xXxxxxx xxxXX,
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx xxxx xx xxxxxxxxxx xxxx
xxx xxxxxxx, xxx xxx x xxxxxx-xx xxxxxxxx,
x xxxxxxxxxx XXX, xxx xxxx xxxxxxxx
xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxy xxxx xxxx xx xxxxxxxx.
xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx
xxx-xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx. Xxx xXxxxxx
xxxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx yxx xx x XXXX xxxxx
xxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx, xxx xxxxx xx xx xxXxxxxxx Xxxxxx X
xXxxxx xxxxx xx x xxxxx-xxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxx XXX Xxxxxxx,
XXX xxxxxxxx, xxx x xxx XXXX xxxx.BEST
OF THE
BEST
2007’s
’s
5 MAXIMUMPC DECEMBER 2007
RESERVOIR DOGS
“By the end of the game, we were praying
the cops would shoot us to put us out of
our misery.”
(REVIEWED JANUARY 2007)BELKIN CABLE-FREE USB HUB
“If Belkin’s Cable-Free USB Hub is any indication
of what we can expect from other wireless USB
products, the technology’s future is bleak.”
(REVIEWED APRIL 2007)OVERWAY TECHNOLOGY
VACUUM SUPERCONDUCTIVE
HEAT COOLER
“Yes, it took more than half an hour to get
the device in place. And for all that, we were
rewarded with a cooler that actually performs
worse than [a] cheapo stock cooler...”
(REVIEWED JUNE 2007)TOSHIBA PORTABLE EXTERNAL
HARD DRIVE
“We sure can’t think of a compelling reason
to pick up this device, as the Toshiba is as
slow as it is featureless.”
(REVIEWED NOVEMBER 2007)PHILIPS AMBX GAMING
PERIPHERALS
“Amsterdam is just 66 miles from Philips’s
headquarters in Eindhoven. Hmm. Could thatexplain how this bizarre concept got off the
drawing board, into a factory, and onto retail-
ers’ shelves without someone asking, ‘Why?’”
(REVIEWED MARCH 2007)COOLERMASTER ITOWER 930
“You could practically open a Greek restaurant
with all the PITA that comes with assembling a
computer using this case.”
(REVIEWED FEBRUARY 2007)GENIUS HS-04U
HEADSET
“The Genius HS-04U is
made of plastic, but it
sounds like tin.”
(REVIEWED JULY
2007)ABIT IDOME
D500 DIGITAL 2.1
“Seriously, the audio
that emerged from this
milquetoast system was
so blasé... we had to
check the iDome’s
subwoofer to make
sure it was
warm.”
(REVIEWED
FEBRUARY
2007)WESTERN DIGITAL MY BOOK
WORLD EDITION II
“If you love holding down a power button
for more than 20 seconds just to shut off a
device, you’ll love WD’s My Book World.”
(REVIEWED AUGUST 2007)with all the PITA that comes with assembling a
computer using this case.”
(REVIEWED FEBRUARY 2007)GENIUS HS-04U“The Genius HS-04U is
made of plastic, but it
sounds like tin.”
(REVIEWED JULYABIT IDOME
D500 DIGITAL 2.1
“Seriously, the audio
that emerged from this
milquetoast system was
so blasé... we had to
check the iDome’s
subwoofer to make subwoofer to make
sure it was(REVIEWED
FEBRUARYWith so much killer hardware in our midst, you might think we’re strangers to crappy products.
Not so! Here are some of the lemons from 2007 and what we had to say about ’emWORST OF THE WORST
Audioengine 5
2007 was a good year for speakers, with a number of great
systems going through the Lab’s sonic chamber. TBI’s passive
Majestic Diamond I and B&W’s incredible Zeppelin (reviewed
on page 88) were both exceptional. But we’re giving the nod
to the Audioengine 5 bookshelf system, which combines out-
standing character with features that render it useful for nearly
any application.
It makes a great
near-fi eld stereo
monitoring system, yet
it can fi ll a room with
sound. There’s a built-
in USB port on top for
charging your portable
media player, andandand an AC an AC
outlet in back that’s just
the ticket for powering a streaming box.
(Reviewed May 2007) $350, http://www.audioengineusa.comShure SE530
We’ve auditioned a number of
innovative and great-sounding ear-
buds this year, including Etymotic’s
wireless ety8 and M-Audio’s bass-
boomin’ IE-20 XB, but nothing caressed our drums as tenderly
as Shure’s SE530.
Three microdrivers in each earbud—one tweeter and two woof-
ers—deliver the entire sonic spectrum with crystal clarity and plenty
of oomph at the bottom end. They’re pricey, to be sure, but we think
their excellent fi t and audacious sound fully justify their cost.
(Reviewed August 2007, as model SE530PTH) $500, http://www.shure.com the ticket for powering a streaming box.BEST SPEAKERSBEST EARBUDS