While at CES 2010, I had the chance to speak with Jeff O’Shea of EOS Wireless Systems. We spoke about their new Converge transmitter, receiver, amplified receiver. This new system takes their original iPod Docking Station Transmitter and Eos Portable Wireless Speaker/Receiver that we reviewed here and definitely expands on this system. The Converge system, is made up of 3 components. There is a transmitter, receiver, and amplified receiver.
With the transmitter which retails for $99.95 you can literally streaming your music everywhere from any audio source. Using USB, you can connect the transmitter to your computer and stream your music collection via iTunes throughout the house. But you aren’t limited to just iTunes, the transmitter till stream any audio coming from your computer. So that could be a website your listening, video from a site, radio streaming from a site like Pandora and more. So your options are many, and this is just from your computer. Don’t want to use your computer? Use the aux in option and stream music from your iPod, iPhone, MP3 player, CD player, or other audio source. Are you a Blackberry user? Have the Blackberry Bluetooth gateway? You can take it one step further and connect the EOS transmitter to that, then link your Blackberry via Bluetooth and be even more wireless streaming music around your house while you walk around the house with your Blackberry device! Sweet!
Now the receiver which retails for $99.95 as well, is what you’ll need to expand on the system. Let’s say you have the original iPod dock and a couple of those wireless speakers. Well with the transmitter you can stream music anywhere in the house. But what if you have a nice 7.1 surround sound system like I do. You would want to somehow use that as well. I mean what is the point of having a nice surround sound system and wireless speakers if you can’t listen to your music all over? This is there the receiver comes in! With the receiver you can connect that nice surround sound system to the mix. You plus the EOS receiver to your surround sound system receiver and your music will stream to that system as well as the wireless speakers. So if you happen to have a 7.1 system, and say 4 of the EOS wireless speakers, you now have yourself a 10.5 surround system! How 10.5? Well each of the wireless EOS speakers have a little sub-woofer in them, so 10 speakers, 5 sub-woofers lol. Sweet right, I know! And we aren’t even done yet.
What if you have some external speakers that you have laying around or maybe you fancy some of those EOS Loudspeakers which cost $99.95. You can use the Amplified Receiver which cost $149.95 (which is the most expensive of the group) to stream music to those speakers as well.
Now it wasn’t all good. During one of our first real world tests (Used it to power my daughter’s 3rd B-Day), I did noticed that it started off strong but as the party went on, it seemed to lose it connection here and there. Select wireless speakers would lose the link for about 30 seconds or so before relinking with the group. While this didn’t make for a disaster, it should be noted. Overall this was a great test and the party went off without a hence. Quite a few people was impressed when I explain how the system worked and how easy it was to set up!
Check www.eoswireless.com for more information and if you are interested in purchasing.
