Last year, I reviewed the Eos Wireless iPod Speakers and Dock and came away impressed at the build quality, sound (from such small speakers) and the rather impressive wireless range. In fact, they gathered RTL’s very first 5 out of 5 score.

This summer, Eos Wireless sent their newer Eos Converge system that will connect a PC/Mac as well as just about any other music source. So for the 175 or so Microsoft Zune fans out there – I count myself as one of them – you can actually connect via the auxiliary input and share your tunes throughout the house without having to drill once. Just add music and power and you’re good to go.

Of course… I like to test things differently.

For my long-term test, I played with these things outside on my acre of so immediate backyard and used them to entertain folks during my July 4th weekend outside and during my recent birthday celebration last weekend. And each time, I’d plug into either my Zune, my Mac or once my own stereo without issue. Just take one of the black plastic wireless transmitters, plug in your audio source, and pair it with a wireless receiver, attach some speakers and play your music however you wish. With an effective range of 150 feet, I didn’t anticipate any problem given that I was limiting my area to one acre – which is 212 feet by 212 feet.

The setup… well, there isn’t really any. If you ever conquered the whole square peg toy when you were a kid, well you can handle this too. It’s simple enough to where this is the kind of gift that works well even with a luddite. On the back of the wireless transmitter, there’s an miniUSB connector, an audio in/out connector. On the back of the powered wireless receiver, there’s an RCA connector for some speakers and a power plug input alongside the power switch. Again, it’s so gosh darn easy to set up. And this time, Eos Wireless sent along their Eos loudspeakers that have a black ash finish and are made of solid wood with a 1 inch dome tweeter and 5.5 inch ported woofer. And the speakers do not feel cheap and light by no means. They’re solid enough to where you do not want to drop them on your foot – I did once, my toe still hurts.

So how does it sound? After connecting up everything, the transmitters, receivers and speakers all combine for an expandable – up to four wireless receivers – and spread your music to all around you with a solid, good sound that doesn’t sound out of balance and does not bottom out on bass-heavy music nor too bright on the highs. The Eos loudspeakers are studio grade in build and sound; balanced and nearly good enough to sit alongside my much more expensive Polk Audio and Paradigm speakers that I tend to us in the house. And that’s a good thing.

Are there any cons? Yes. The build quality, while great does leave a bit to be desired in the looks department. They’re functional, non-obtrusive, but are not as smooth or “cool” as the Sonos multi-room offerings. The speakers are $99.95 per pair – you can purchase Polk Audio studio speakers for cheaper if you’re watching websites like Dealnews.com or so. Beyond that, the system does what it says it will do and without fuss. And the cool part… I was using my Apple iPhone to connect and control my iTunes library from the patio via the Apple Remote app.

During the festivities, all of my guests asked where they could buy the Eos Converge system and how much it cost. The Eos Wireless Transmitter and Receiver sells for $99.95 each, while the powered version of the Eos Wireless Receiver costs $149.95. The Eos Loudspeakers are $99.95 for a pair. It sounds a bit expensive, but the fact that you can move, connect and never have to drill or worry about making holes in your walls. To me, that’s worth the level of entry. You can still order then from the Eos Wireless website and they’re still offering free shipping – which is a good thing, the speakers are heavy.

Yet again, Eos Wireless receives a 5 out of 5 (Highly Recommended) from Remove The Labels. Just sad that I have to send back the review system after using for so long. It works very well and I’m sure I inspired a few purchases.

[ Links: Eos Wireless, Eos Converge System ]

Thanks to the people at Eos Wireless, they sent over an Eos Wireless iPod speaker system and dock for review just in time for Summer.

While other offerings claim to be “wireless”, such as the Marantz IS301, you will still need wires to get the speakers to play some sound. Not the EOS Wireless system where the speakers have built in wireless receivers and amplifiers built into the speaker – just supply a power socket and no other wires.

Mind you, I live on a relative big patch of land (28+ acres in total) and in some areas if I wanted music, I’d have to have concert level speakers (and noise) in order to feed my dogs which are about an acre away. I’m not in the mood to pay for disturbing the peace however I do have power that runs down there next to the dog’s lot since I might have to do work in that area. And despite being rated only for 150 feet, these speakers worked at about an acre (212 ft/~65 m) away. And clearly too, I might add.

However, the Eos Wireless system though is a mixed bag – more good than just “okay”.

The build quality is actually very nice, with thick, black plastic and a very tight fit being the norm and per usual, the finger print magnet black plastic that basically will keep cleaner business going basically forever. The remote control is perhaps the smallest thing I’ve seen in ages. Smaller than a zippo lighter, but still tactile enough to keep me using it in the near future without discomfort.

The sound… this is where it gets good.

If you’re expecting enough boom to shake the change in your pockets loose; it’s not gonna happen. But the sound from these little speakers (5.75 in x 9 in x 5 in) has some of the clearest midrange and treble, even matching in clarity my much more expensive Paradigm speakers that comprise part of my game room stereo. The speakers do include SRS WOW! technology that kills any harshness and mellows out the mids easily. Simply put, you can hear very clearly the vocals, the high hats and cymbals in each and every song you own.

The bass, while not spectacular, it present enough to let you hear songs with enough range to keep you satisfied. Hiphop and jazz fans won’t be overwhelmed with the bass, but at least this does not bottom out as easily as the Mint DS 220 speaker system I had reviewed a while back.

The design of the speakers was hit or miss for me. The look is pretty darn cool complete with the prerequisite blue LED, but the plug portion was troubling for me. Anytime there is a sticker that says “Push down hard” I get scared and think of how I can break things. The cool part is that you can leave the plugs in without having to “push hard” down on them to disengage them and plug them straight into the wall and let them hang there like a towel on a hook. Despite the “push down hard” label, I still liked how the plugs were worked into the back of the speaker.

The controls on the main unit, which has speakers of its own, are simple enough. Ever used an Apple iPod? Then you’ll have no problem whatsoever with this. Serious… it’s that easy. And that’s a very good thing.

Back to the wireless part. I hooked up the base and plugged up a speaker in a different room. On the top of the speaker, there’s a volume/power knob and another push button with a status LED. When there’s a connection, it’ll stay on solid and blink if there’s any disconnection. Pulling the speaker out all of the way to the dog lot in my backyard, plugging it into the power that’s back there and having it sync up easily was surprising yet the audio was still very clear.

And speaking of transmitting wireless tunes, the Eos Wireless system promises to not interfere with wifi, bluetooth and cordless phones. I can also confirm this is entirely true – works great, didn’t interfere with anything my house at all. Phone calls came and went without that annoying interference noise or lose of quality.

All in all, the Eos Wireless System is great for whenever you’re outside and want to add extra speakers without having to bust through some walls or run wires all over for people to trip over and break things. It has a very good sound that’s not entirely devoid of bass and a clarity that would make you and others think that it should cost more than $249. While testing around, I got the attention of my friends that truly enjoyed them and were curious about them as well.

So far, it seems like you can buy them only at their website, but with 3 payment system via Paypal as well as credit cards, there are a few ways to pay for this cool product. Only bad part of this system to me was the unlocking mechanism for the power plugins. I’d really recommend this system for the people that do any kind of entertainment for others while outside. Just don’t get them wet – they’re not waterproof.

If you’re that type of person that wants your tunes outside or in other rooms, then this system is perfect for you. In fact, the Eos Wireless iPod System gets Remove The Labels (RTL) very first 5 out of 5 (A must buy).

[ Eos Wireless ]