Tube technology is normally associated with hi-fi amplifiers carrying four-figure or even five-figure price tags. But Fatman breaks out of that traditional mold with the brand new Red-i.
Not only does the Red-i boast the British company's lowest bottom line yet for a honey-sweet 25-watt-per-channel vacuum tube sonic experience, but it strains the brain by tossing in a pair of beautifully designed, lovely sounding bookshelf speakers made specifically to excel with Red-i.
And did we mention that the Red-I includes a built-in iPod dock?
Proprietary Bookshelf Speakers
Speaking of Red-i's speakers, these proprietary bookshelfers definitely aren't lightweights. Pick them up and marvel at their heft, which is a tribute to the substantial cabinet construction. They incorporate metallized cone woofers and 1" soft dome tweeters in rich piano black cabinetry that takes maximum advantage of a ported design for surprisingly rich, full bass response.
Built-in iPod Dock
The built-in iPod dock will accommodate any model of docking iPod, and recharges your player while it is docked. Because the Red-i includes the necessary chip, it will also pass through iPod video, allowing you to view it on your large screen TV via S-video or composite video outputs.
For total system flexibility, the Red-i provides four inputs that allow you to connect a plethora of sources, such as a DVD player, MP3 player, satellite radio receiver, or whatever you like. That's more inputs than any other current Fatman product allows you! And you get a wireless remote, too.
Customer Reviews:
Best IPOD Dock on the MarketDecember 18, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The sound from the Itube Red-I is amazing. In addition, the design is elegant and functional. I actually got this for a 20% discount from a local store. Every 2nd generation IPOD function is available from the remote which is very hard to find. The clarity of this system cannot be described, you must hear it with your own ears. Bose does not want you to hear your music on their SoundDocks, they only want you to hear the professionally recorded canned commercials they play. Take your IPOD down to a store that stocks the Fatman Itube and just listen. You will be sold. The second generation IPOD Touch is very well supported from the back by an adjustable, cushioned metal wedge. Excellent design. The Itube Red-I also charges the IPOD while playing the warmest, most pleasing sound from any IPOD dock on the market. I checked out Harmon-Kardon, Bose, Kicker, and several others, nothing compares to the Itube, nothing.
Sweet tones with a 25w per channel tube amp!December 3, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Wow, the last time I heard such clarity from a system I was listening to a McIntosh tube amp. What the tubes do is add a warmth to the sound not re-creatable by a solid state amplifier. The aesthetics of this unit are very pleasing. To see the tubes glowing and the old round aluminum knobs brings back memories of older systems that we had in the 70's. Matter of fact this system does resemble a McIntosh MC40, but that's my opinion.
Pure audiophiles may cringe at the fact that one of the sources is an ipod. In my opinion, when I am listening to a 320k song the sound is just as good as SACD or HDCD. What I find that this is a great shelf system. The speakers are pretty well built. They are easy a few pounds by themselves. High quality unit for sure.
If you have a iPod video you can connect it to an svideo capable monitor.
So now for the specs: * Integrated amp with vacuum tube stage * Built-in iPod dock * iPod video via composite and S-video outs * Ported-design bookshelf speakers * Metallized cone woofers * 1" soft dome tweeters * Wireless remote * Power Output: 25Wx2 * Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20KHz (1.5Db) * Harmonic Distortion: * Signal-To-Noise Ratio: >/= 86Db * Input Impedance: 100Kohm * Output Impedance: 4ohm, 8ohm * Valve Type: 2x6N1(ECC85) * 1x6E2(EM87) * Power Supply: AC100~120V/50~60Hz, AC220~240V/50~60Hz * Dimensions: Amp: 450x220x210 mm ( WxHxD), Speaker: 330x315x210 mm ( WxHxD) * Weight: Amp: 5.8kgs, Speaker: 6.8kgs
After you buy this I recommend playing "Little Wing" by Stevie Ray Vaughn. This is on Stevie Ray Vaughan - Greatest Hits. This system is hands down the best sounding sub 1000 tube system available. I have listened to many at our local audiophile store and this one is so good I had to buy it.
Pros: >> Sweet, warm sound >> Compact size >> High quality >> recharges ipod >> Very nice remote >> Price for tube system
Radio-Audiophile.com review- For hardcore Radio Audio machine ,buy cheap IPOD , accessories , speakers , electronic gadgets , mobile , iphone , garmin GPS , sound cards,digital audio interface,computer sound machine ,software , radio exciter ,broadcast ,audio power amplifier,RF power amp,AV systems ,DVD player ,HDTV, home theatre , sound effects ,mixer , DJ and accessories.Discount and lowest price "special promotion" everyday.
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Onkyo HT-SR800 Black Home Theater System $335.96 - $499.00 from 2 stores. User rating:4.0 out of 5.
Neatly Covering All A/V Formats, Precisely Tailored for Your Home
When it comes to all-in-one home theater, the HT-SR800 has made a clean break from the pack. You're looking at packaged home theater that neatly integrates your high-definition entertainment and your HDTV through an HDMI channel that transports video with a resolution all the way up to 1080p. Ably supported by component video switching, the HT-SR800 will handle most of the A/V components or formats currently available, as well as the spectacular quality of high-definition discs. Also, reinforcing the convenience of matched components, this package is the first to use an Audyssey room-correction technology specifically designed for integrated systems. The options - XM Radio (including 5.1 surround sound radio with Neural Surround decoding) and iPod integration-can really extend your reach, making the HT-SR800 one of the more complete home theater packages available.
Special Features-
HDMI Pass Through (2in/1out , 1080P compatible) - A separate audio connection is necessary
"Audyssey 2EQ" Auto room calibration w/Microphone
XM and Sirius satellite radio ready
Sony HT-7100DH Home Theater System $349.95 - $378.08 from 2 stores. User rating:3.0 out of 5. Grab your popcorn and revel in the intense movie-watching experience that is the HT-7100DH home theater system. Take your entertainment to new aural heights as 900 watts of surround sound fill your room while you watch high definition DVD media or listen to XM satellite radio. For fast and easy setup, the HT-7100DH automatically calibrates the included speakers for an optimal sound field and the most dramatic effects. The Digital Media Port (DMP) is also great for when you want to listen to external sources like Bluetooth devices or Walkman music players in powerful 5.1 channel digital surround sound.
Bose 3-2-1 Home Theater System $948.00 - $999.98 from 2 stores. User rating:3.0 out of 5. If you've been looking for a surround sound solution that doesn't require hours of setup and creative ways to hide the wires, the search is over. Introducing the Bose 3-2-1 system, a revolutionary advancement in home entertainment that's much easier to live with. Designed to provide performance and simplicity unmatched by conventional component or all-in-one solutions, this system delights the ears and the eyes.
Five speakers are replaced by two. A stack of electronics is replaced by a single media center that includes an integrated DVD/CD player, AM/FM tuner, amplification and signal processing. A patented Acoustimass module hides easily in a corner or behind your furniture. And everything is easily connected with just three wires and a power cord, making setup a snap. The 3-2-1 system combines an Articulated Array speaker design with proprietary signal processing to give you much of that same performance. Hear the roar of a train from left to right from just two visible speakers positioned in the front of your room. Enjoy a spacious soundstage and lifelike surround effects whether you're watching the game, listening to a favorite CD or enjoying the latest on DVD.
Philips HTS3555 Home Theater System $146.95 - $250.81 from 2 stores. User rating:4.9 out of 5. This state-of-the-art digital home entertainment system delivers powerful surround sounds and a theater-like audio/video experience. The ultimate in both style and performance.PRODUCT FEATURES:Dock included for GoGear and iPod;USB Direct plays photos and music from USB flash drives;MP3 Line-in for music playback from Portable Media Players;1080i HDMI with high definition video upconversion;DTS, Dolby Digital and Pro Logic II surround sound;12-bit/108MHz video processing for sharp, natural images;DivX Ultra for enhanced playback of DivX media files;Plays CD, (S)VCD, DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R DL;Plays DivX, MP3, WMA and JPEG digital camera photos.
Bose 3-2-1 GS Series II Graphite Home Theater System $798.00 from 1 store. User rating:3.0 out of 5. The Bose 3ท2ท1 GS II DVD home entertainment system puts you at the center of exciting home theater with greater simplicity and fewer wires. Just two visible Gemstone speaker arrays - the smallest, most powerful 3ท2ท1 speakers - and a hideaway Acoustimass module deliver enhanced sound performance from almost anything you watch. Setup is simple: no center or rear speakers means no wiring to the back of your room. An elegant media center features a progressive scan DVD/CD player with AM/FM tuner. And an easy-to-use universal remote control is programmable to run most of your entertainment devices together with your system.
