Leslie Shapiro

Auto-Tune Nation: Has Auto-Tune ruined the music industry?

The technology has changed, but the song remains the same

By Leslie Shapiro
Posted February 11, 2013
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The 2013 Grammy Awards have safely come and gone (is anyone else amazed that no one was electrocuted during the onstage rain shower?) and all anyone is talking about after the show is how Auto-Tune is destroying the music biz. Put performers on a live stage without technologic backup, and many of them will fall apart, in ear-shattering glory. Fun. had some issues with pitch that were hard to ignore, and Frank Ocean’s performance was a little shaky without the benefit of pitch-correcting software. People are up in arms that without Auto-Tune, many current artists would be crooning on a cruise ship in the Baltic Sea. But have things really changed?

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JBL Micro Wireless and Soundfly BT Fun in the Sun

When it's time to shed the headphones and let your music out to play, JBL has just what you need.

By Leslie Shapiro
Posted March 19, 2013

It’s that time of year again. Birds are singing, the sun is shining, temperatures are warming, and people are starting to move outdoors again. (Okay, fine, I know I live in Miami, but really, I feel your pain, Buffalo!) When I go outdoors, I love taking my music with me. JBL has two new products designed to take music to new locales, both indoors and out.

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Review: Alan Parsons’ Art & Science of Sound Recording

Journey into the studio with a legend guiding you from the ground up

By Leslie Shapiro
Posted April 15, 2013

Alan Parsons’ Art & Science of Sound Recording is a series of videos available on DVD, online streaming, or download that offer a fascinating look into the recording industry, hosted by legendary producer, engineer and performer Alan Parsons. With years of experience at Abbey Road Studios and credits including Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Parsons is an eminently qualified host.

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Review: Stellé Audio Couture Pillar

Can a speaker marketed to women blur the line between home decor and home audio?

By Leslie Shapiro
Posted May 7, 2013
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To cut through the clutter of Bluetooth-enabled wireless speakers on the market these days, one would need a stiletto. Or at least a pair of stiletto heels. The Stellé Audio Couture Pillar is making its way through the crowd with a difference. The Pillar (in fact, the entire Stellé Audio Couture product line) is being targeted and marketed to women, with a sense of style and fashion blended with good quality products.

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The Pyle BlueReach PBTR70 Bluetooth Adapter

Got an obsolete 30-pin speaker dock? Pyle comes to the rescue transforming that dock into a wireless Bluetooth speaker.

By Leslie Shapiro
Posted May 9, 2013

Dust off your recently-obsoleted 30-pin Apple docks – Pyle Audio has come to the rescue. Just when you thought you were reduced to connecting to your collection of Apple-ready speaker docks by a lowly audio cable, Pyle has released the BlueReach PBTR70, an adapter plugs into any 30-pin speaker dock to receive Bluetooth from any Bluetooth-enabled audio device.

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Review: Onkyo ES-HF300 Headphones

Japanese manufacturer Onkyo jumps headfirst into the headphone market

By Leslie Shapiro
Posted May 13, 2013

Onkyo is a well-respected, well-established name in the hi-fi industry. When they announced the release of the ES-HF300 headphone, it was surprising to realize that this is their first foray into headphones. While known more for their receivers and hardware, they have produced speakers in the past. It’s amazing they shied away from the market for this long. If first impressions mean anything, the ES-HF300 is, well, impressive.

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Review: SOL Republic Master Tracks

With a sleek, minimalistic and customizable look, will the sound stand up to the style?

By Leslie Shapiro
Posted May 17, 2013

Two years ago, not a soul had heard of SOL Republic. Last summer, that all changed as everyone watching the Summer Olympics frantically googled to see what brand of headphones were seemingly permanently attached to swimmer Michael Phelps’ head whenever he was out of the water. Overnight, SOL Republic went from “what’s that?” to “must have.” Can their latest design keep up with the hype?

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