Turtle Beach

What's next?

After releasing the Santa Cruz, Turtle Beach is looking to expand into the home audio market. Thanks to the increased popularity of MP3s, the role of PC audio in the home has increased substantially in recent years. Unfortunately, the PC itself is rarely in a convenient position for home audio output.

Aside from those of us living in small apartments or dorm rooms, few people actually enjoy congregating around their PCs for traditional entertainment purposes better suited for a stereo or home theater setup. To help solve this problem, Turtle beach has designed two innovative new products for routing PC audio around the home, the Sonic Link and the AudioTron.

Sonic Link

Utilizing a 2.4GHz wireless transmitter, Turtle Beach's Sonic Link can beam MP3 and WMA audio anywhere around the house. Users simply need to deploy the RF receiver anywhere within 100 feet of the PC to access the audio streaming through the air. External speakers can be connected to the receiver via either speaker jack or RCA connector.

To facilitate music playback, the Sonic Link comes with a universal remote that controls everything from simple volume control to advanced play list selection. In addition, the remote also works as a 3-in1 remote with the ability to operate any modern TV, VCR, DVD, or stereo system. Powered by a 2.4GHz signal, the remote easily goes through walls and should be effective up to 100ft.

Sonic Remote

Yes, Mr. Bond?

As a nice touch, the Sonic Link system features a voice confirmation of all command options. If you've ever wished for a sexy voice telling you that "random mode is enabled," look no further than the Sonic Link. You'll also be able to control household lighting with the Sonic Link remote, provided that users purchase extra RF transmitters to sit between the house lights and the electrical outlet.

All in all, the Sonic Link looks to be a strong product for versatile home audio. Unfortunately, it is held back by the fact that it is a radio-based product, and is thus little more than a nice FM radio system. While it is arguably a great solution for outdoor parties, true audiophiles will have trouble bringing themselves to use the Sonic Link for indoor audio. The Sonic Link should be in stores within a week with an estimated retail price of $129.99.