What’s The Best Wireless Speaker For Formuler CC

★★★★★

Description

• Multi-room music system with one-touch streaming and Hi-Fi sound
• Countless music sources including FM radio, Internet radio, Bluetooth streaming, Wi-Fi connectivity
• No phone or device needed for most functions
• Hand crafted furniture grade real wood veneer...

  User reviews

  ★★★★★ After spending a very pleasant 6-months with the Como Audio Amico, I decided to get a Duetto for upstairs. My immediate motivation was the sale price ($275 vs. $399), but I can say with certainty that it would have been worth every penny even at the higher figure. Absolutely beautiful wood veneer cabinet, anodized aluminum faceplate and knobs, understated but informative display, and fantastic sound! I'm mostly a classical/jazz/ambient listener, so I'll never need the whole range of volume available, but the "blast" potential is clearly there, as is the full, rich detail.(NOTE ON VENEER: For those of you to whom the word "veneer" sounds like cheap furniture, please remember that you really don't want an audio component like this to be made of solid wood of any kind, because solid wood doesn't have the more desirable acoustic properties that MDF (medium-density fiberboard) has. So in this case, "veneer" is a feature, not a bug.)Setup is quick and easy. The unit enters setup mode when first powered up and, after that, it's just a matter of selecting your network from the list of networks detected and entering your password. After that, you have about a gazillion stations to choose from, conveniently organized by country and genre, as well as a few other parameters. There are 6 presets, accessible via 6 little buttons at the top of the faceplate, or via the app. I use the app, speaking of which ...The remote, though attractive, is more limited in its functionality than the smartphone app, so my remote went straight into a drawer, likely never to be used. The app interface, like the unit itself, is simple, attractive, and intuitive. Anyone familiar with smartphone apps should have no trouble using it without instructions. After installation, with the unit and phone connected to the same network, the app will find your unit and you're good to go. Any presets you programmed manually will display in the app automatically, at which point you can change them or add to them.Another great feature of the app is the ability it give you to group Como Audio units if you have more than one, so I've grouped my Duetto with the Amico I had already and as a result, now have 12 presets to choose from via the app. I wasn't anticipating this, so it came as a pleasant surprise. I assumed that the two units would simply mirror each other, which they do as players, but their presets remain independent.The app also controls volume, as you might expect. In group mode, this raises or lowers volume from whatever volume setting exists on the individual units. Volume also can be adjusted using the volume knobs on the units.So is there a downside to the Duetto? A problem or flaw? Not really. Looks great, sounds great, buffers well (thus, drops out very rarely), and the app makes it easy to control from wherever you happen to be with your phone. And not that you're going to be carrying it around, I'll add that it feels very solid and substantial when held. It's a satisfyingly hefty little thing, to be sure.For those Tivoli Audio fans out there, I hear you. I've owned Tivoli products for over 10 years ... Model One, Model Two, Model Three, and Networks ... all passed along to the aftermarket. I still have a Music System BT for its CD-playing ability (and yes, its beauty and sound). But when Tivoli's designer, Tom DeVesto, left Tivoli to design for Como Audio, Tivoli's product line changed dramatically - for the worse, in my opinion - and now I see the DeVesto aesthetic at Como. DeVesto really is God's gift to high-end compact audio.

  ★★★★☆ It has great sound quality and volume. I'm very disappointed the radio doesn't support the Iheart radio system, as I'm unable to listen to all of my favorite stations (some are only on the Iheart system). I also found the software screen and menu subformat prompts somewhat difficult to navigate as compared to competitors' radios that I have owned. Customer service Email support was quick to reply to questions I submitted to them. Overall, I would purchase this radio again.

  ★★★★☆ I have only had this for 3 days, so the jury is still out, but it's a disappointment so far. For a supposedly high-end audio product from a company with a good reputation the audio quality is poor. The bass is boomy and resonant and muffles the sound, particularly on voices. I have situated the unit as recommended in the manual (not surrounded and at least 3.5 inches from a rear wall). The 'equalizer' is not an equalizer at all, but merely bass and treble controls. I was expecting a parametric equalizer or at least something controlling slope and gain at different frequencies. Raising the treble by 4dB and reducing the bass by 6db helped improve the voice clarity but it still does not equal the clarity of the old Sony Dream Machine it is intended to replace. Those who listen to a lot of pop music and who like an exaggerated bass boom may be OK with this.The set-up and menu system is far from easy or intuitive. Having set up the My EQ 'equalizer', there was no way to exit the setting. I had to let it time out and hope that the settings took effect. Selecting "sleep" involves drilling down two levels in the menu and then adjusting the sleep time, pressing 'Menu" to confirm and then, again, waiting for the Menu to time out. This is a single button press on the Sony. Setting the alarm is somewhat easier as it can be done from the remote alarm button. There is no way to cancel the alarm if you wake before the set time other than to drill down through the menus. The lack of dedicated function switches will add to your nightmares if you use the Duetto in a bedroom. The display does not dim or brighten with changes in ambient light. Three manual brightness settings are available for "on" and "standby" modes.The sketchy 6-page manual which comes with the unit is not enough to guide you through anything but the simplest setup, but there is a comprehensive manual online which is better. The telescoping antenna is ugly on an otherwise nice design, and it cannot be removed to plug in an external antenna.I like the ability to stream world music and radio from the Internet or from my media collection. I am still deciding whether to keep this unit or send it back within the trial period. I will post an update when I'm more used to it.I have not used Bluetooth or DAB and Duetto will not receive HD radio (except where available on the Internet)Two weeks later....Having read Como's response (below), I can add a few notes. I did not realize that the My EQ settings have to be saved. There is no "Save" option in the menu and the manual is silent on the subject. However, pushing the 'Source' button to back out of the My EQ Profile settings prompts you to save the settings. Reducing the bass considerably makes voices sound much more natural without affecting music quality much. I agree with Como that audio quality is subjective. I ran a sweep test with the EQ set to "Flat" and the Duetto's response is actually quite flat (+/- 2dB) from 100Hz up to 14KHz or so. There were notches but my bedroom is hardly a laboratory so I am not claiming that this is a definitive test.Como says the unit is not intended to be a "Clock radio" (their term, not mine). If it's not intended to be used in the bedroom, why provide two alarms and Sleep settings? The headphone output is on the back of the unit instead of the front which makes it difficult to plug in phones at night without disturbing a sleeping partner.I am now happier with the audio quality so I am raising my rating to four stars from three. I still think the ergonomics of the menus, the headphone jack and the antenna are poor and my wife agrees. She thinks the whole thing is way too complicated and so I have to set the alarm and "Sleep" for her. The ability to stream radio stations from around the world is a huge plus, so we will probably keep the unit because of that.

  
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