It’s that time of the year again.

Christmas is a time of giving and receiving, and every year at Techgoondu we want world peace and justice. This year I want to add to the list a fairer society, better public transport, and affordable public housing.

And in case those big dreams fall a little short of our lofty naive ideals, well, there’s always geek toys and gizmos that we can console ourselves with. And still keep dreaming big dreams — they are worth fighting for, aren’t they?

In the meantime, here’s what the goondus would like this Christmas:

Raymond wants:

Wait a minute, Raymond already had an entire article’s worth of tech stuff he wanted to buy. Check it out.

Alfred is dreaming of:

Oppo BDP-95 Blu-ray player

I know we’re going into an age of lossless tracks and HD video downloads, but if you are looking for a universal player that plays back your Blu-ray discs, SACDs and regular CDs, there is only one that every AV geek is talking about right now – the Oppo BDP-95.

At US$999, it looks expensive compared to the US$90 Blu-ray player at electronics stores, but this Oppo player is packed to the gills with the most high-end features (like streaming and 3D support) and also audiophile-grade goodies, like two, yes, two, separate top-notch Sabre32 DACs to handle both movies and music.

Oppo players are so solidly built – yet relatively inexpensive, considering all the stuff thrown in – that they have been cloned and repackaged with more expensive-looking chassis and sold for several times more!

B&W 802 Diamond speakers

I heard these speakers at the showroom once and the sound has never left my mind. A live performance is what you’d expect to hear – you sense the scale of an orchestra, the sound is so airy and real, and bass is impossibly extended and deep. Even movies sound amazing – yes, the showroom also used them for a Blu-ray movie.

But what do you expect of speakers so big that the average Singapore apartment can never accommodate because of their size and their power? Even if you had more than 20-grand (Singapore dollars), these B&W 802 Diamonds won’t sound good in most homes here, unless you have a big listening room, so this is definitely a “dream-worthy” item. Maybe it’s time to upgrade the house first!

Aaron is drooling over:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

I’ve never fancied lugging around a 10-inch screen wherever I go. So when Samsung unveiled the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab, I knew it was going to be the top on my Christmas wish list. It’s more portable than the iPad and shares the same features as the larger Galaxy Tab 10.1 including the latest Android Honeycomb OS.

Compared with a 7-inch tablet, the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab packs more screen estate for displaying both e-books and webpages in their full glory without excessive scrolling. At just under $250 for the 16GB version with a data plan, this slate is a steal too!

Asus Zenbook UX31

This skinny ultrabook will give Apple’s Macbook Air a run for its money. Measuring just 3mm thick at its slimmest, the Zenbook is a head-turner endowed with a gorgeous metallic design, a 1600×900 pixel display and a solid-state drive for top-notch computing performance. The exceptionally well-crafted machine feels more solid than the Macbook Air and boasts of Bang and Olufsen’s ICEpower audio technology.

In some ways, the advent of ultrabooks such as the Zenbook represents the coming out party for PC makers who have shown that they too have what it takes to deliver great industrial design.

Lester craves:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Game of the year? Quite possibly. Skyrim has been released to rave reviews across the board, and dedicated gamers have ratcheted sales beyond expectations.

Dragons are popping up all over the land of Skyrim, and you- as the Dragonborn- are the only one with the power and skill to stop them. Adventure across a staggering open-ended world and do just about anything you like. Take a long hike across the landscape that starts off as a forest that peters into vast snow fields. Embark on sidequests, slay dragons, raze entire towns, or help anyone that asks for it- the choice is yours.

Skyrim’s wide-open gameplay brings something to everyone. The graphics alone are enough to halt even non-gamers and to intrigue them into playing. Skyrim will provide hours of fun- actually, that’s more of a caveat than a statement, because Skyrim is so open, so wide, it’s easy to get sucked into gaming for hours to come.

Google Galaxy Nexus

Yes, it’s due to be out only in January 2012, but Google’s Galaxy Nexus is already generating mobile tech-lust for this user. Google’s latest Nexus iteration brings the Android experience mobile users have come to love and expect in a gorgeous form factor that’s packed with incredible top-end smartphone specs.

Being the model phone for Android 4.0, the Galaxy Nexus will no doubt be the phone for Android fans that want the pure Android experience. Improved Gmail integration, enhanced text-to-speech and smoother multitasking are welcome features, and the Galaxy Nexus won’t disappoint.

For those who can’t wait, and require a suitable stocking-stuffer, the Motorola Droid Razr is a comparable model. Already touted to be one of this year’s best Android smartphone, the newest, sharpest Razr shows that a sleek, fashionable smartphone can exist alongside powerful hardware. Just wait for the Android 4.0 update to the released, and it’ll be a lean, mean mobile beast.

Chi-Loong desires:

Guild Wars 2

If Lester can get away for wanting the Google Galaxy Nexus that isn’t out yet, I can certainly get away with craving a game that is due next year that I’ve been awaiting as a patient fanboi for the longest time.

No, it’s not Diablo 3 or Starcraft 2:Heart of the Swarm (though that is high on my list), it’s Guild Wars 2.

For MMOs, I’ve played World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online, and Rift, but nothing kept me as enthralled as the original Guild Wars, which I’m almost ashamed to say I sunk in almost 1700+ hours over a five year span. I plead guilty that I was a major addict of the game at one point.

I’ve really fond memories of the game, and I’ve high hopes for ArenaNet’s Guild Wars 2.

Now if only I could invent a time machine to take me into the future to get a copy of this game now…

Games for Change

What would a Techgoondu Christmas wishlist be if it didn’t have an interesting entry that tied back to our tongue-in-cheek introduction of wanting, you know, good things for the world?

What if you could marry my one big vice, gaming, with something I really believe in, like changing the world to become a better place?

And this is how I became a fan of Games for Change, a global non-profit organization dedicated to using games to serve as tools in humanitarian or educational efforts.

It’s how I got to know about indie games such as Fate of the World (available on Steam) and We Topia. Watch:

Food for thought, certainly.

And on that note, we here at Techgoondu wish all our readers a very merry Christmas.

Bowers & Wilkins Zepplin Air

This gorgeous audio dock from audiophile specialist B&W sports a signature design and promises punchy tunes packed with oomph. You can be assured of room-filling sound and strong vocals that will rise above accompanying music, whether you’re listening to jazz crooner Norah Jones or pop rock band Maroon 5. The speaker also supports Apple’s AirPlay technology that lets you play tunes from an iPhone or iPod over a wireless network. A front dock connector is also on hand for folks who wish to hook up their Apple devices directly to the speaker.

Bose SoundDock 10

Some folks may not take too well to its chunky looks, but the SoundDock 10 delivers the audio goodness that matches the flair of the Zeppelin Air. You can expect the same audiophile qualities that are usually associated with a Bose speaker system: tight bass and pristine vocals that maintain their composure even when pushed to the max. To ensure better stereo separation — the bugbear of compact audio docks — the SoundDock 10′s drivers are projected outwards at an angle to amplify the subtleties unique to each stereo channel.

Jawbone Jambox

Don’t be fooled by the size of this tiny boom box. The Jawbone Jambox is one fiery speaker that sounds bigger than it looks. Besides belting out an astonishing amount of bass from its compact enclosure, it also manages to maintain its cool at high volumes. Vocals aren’t too bad either – you can expect clear renditions that remain distinct amidst a busy sound stage in rock numbers from Radiohead. Tunes can be pumped through the speaker via a headphone jack, wirelessly over a Bluetooth connection or Apple AirPlay. While this chilli padi of a speaker won’t replace bigger sound docks and desktop speakers, it offers one of the best portable audio experiences available.

Focal Bird 2.1

Audio purists will feel right at home with the Focal Bird from French audiophile company Focal. The system comprises two satellite speakers and a power amplifier that doubles as a subwoofer. The Focal Bird 2.1 supports multiple audio sources with its array of analogue and digital connectors, and includes a wireless transmitter that lets you “stream” your tunes from an iPhone to the speaker system. The advantage of a 2.1 system is room-filling sound, as well as a strong stereo image that’s almost non-existent on a sound bar or dock.

Singapore’s digital radio stations beaming “CD-quality” music over the airwaves will be shut down next month, when MediaCorp pulls the plug on the once highly-touted digital audio broadcasting (DAB) technology.

The broadcaster said the effectiveness and reach of DAB, which once promised to replace FM radio with its higher quality digital audio, had diminished over time. This, it added in a statement on Tuesday, was made even more obvious with the popularity of  online streaming and mobile phone apps.

It elaborated: “Since the launch of the service some 12 years ago, the growth in listenership on MediaCorp’s DAB service has remained stagnant. On the other hand, the rapid growth in the number of listeners through online streaming and phone app MeRadio has shown that these platforms are serving the listeners more effectively than the DAB platform.”

Several DAB-only stations, like J-K Pop which plays Japan and Korean pop music, appear to be already gone from the airwaves. Soon too will be simulcast digital versions of FM stations, such as Symphony 92.4FM (classical) and Lush 99.5 FM (chill out, easy listening), which are a hit with audio buffs who enjoy high-quality audio while driving home or listening to the hi-fi at home.

Fans of digital radio will have to rely on cellphone apps such as MediaCorp’sMeRadio (available on the iPhone and selected HTC Android phones), Sonar, a streaming app on Samsung phones or stream it over their PCs or streaming devices like Logitech’s Squeezebox Touch.

MediaCorp’s decision also brings to an end Singapore’s on-and-off affair with DAB, which began in 1999 when the country became the first in Southeast Asia to broadcast commercially with the technology.

However, the lack of awareness among the public resulted in poor adoption. There were a good number of devices on the market – from Blaupunkt head units for cars to Tivoli DAB receivers – but the improved audio quality over FM radio just did not resonate with the audience.

While DAB has not taken off in Singapore, it has definitely had an impact in Europe, where it is very popular and has expanded to other non-radio functions like text updates on the latest traffic conditions. The same technology has also been developed further to broadcast video to portable devices in Korea, where it is called digital multimedia broadcast (DMB).

The usual sight of folks with trolleys of  flat screen TVs to printers in tow are back this weekend at Suntec City, thanks to the Comex 2011 show.

With bargain basement prices for items such as TVs – a Toshiba 42-incher for going for just S$549 – and laptops bundled with all sorts of freebies, the tech bazaar promises good deals for folks who brave the human jam at the halls in Suntec City.

Here are some hot deals that Techgoondu sussed out yesterday while there for a quick walkthrough:

Trade in your old game console
Microsoft is taking in your old game consoles for as much as S$150, which you can offset for a spanking new Xbox 360. The 4GB Kinect version with the motion controller costs S$469, while the 250GB version costs S$649.

There’s also a really chio Gears of War 3 limited edition of the console, which costs S$640 and comes with 320GB storage plus a couple of customised controllers and the game, a composite cable and a wired headset. More details here.

Huawei’s new MediaPad
Fancy a small Android tablet with a 7-inch screen? Check out Huawei’s MediaPad, which is going for a pretty attractive S$598 at a booth that is jam-packed with gadget lovers.

The light 390-gram device comes with both 3G and Wi-Fi, has a fast 1.2GHz dual-core chip and claims to be the first to run Android 3.2. The high-resolution screen is also a delight to use, going by a quick preview we had with the tablet back in June.

Get free upgrades for your Macbook Pro
Looking for one of the best laptops around? Along with other Apple laptops, the popular MacBook Pro 15-inch is being bundled with a load of freebies for those who want the latest Core i7-powered machine.

Apple distributors nubox, Multimedia Integrated (MI) and epicentre are all throwing in free 8GB upgrades for the 15-incher, which costs S$2,488 or S$2,988 depending on the configuration. The standout one for me is the MI deal, which also comes with a free 500GB external hard disk.

LG Optimus 3D discounted
Just launched last month, the 3D-enabled phone is going for S$868 instead of S$938 at Comex. For those who are into viewing 3D images and videos on their phones, this is a gadget worth checking out. Oh, and this Android-based phone shoots 3D videos and images too, which makes it an affordable 3D camera. Check out our hands-on preview with the phone here.

Bose SoundDock gets cheaper 
The original iPod dock  is going for a sale at Comex, along with other Bose deals by distributor Atlas. The star buy here is the SoundDock Portable, which lets you dock your iPod or iPhone and play reasonably good-sounding music (given its small size) almost anywhere you go. Instead of S$749, it’s going for S$579 now.

Its bigger brother, the SoundDock 10, which produces much bigger and fuller sounds with built-in subwoofer, is going for S$1,069. That’s still expensive, I hear, but it was selling for a rather unrealistic S$1,249 previously! Read our review of the SoundDock 10 here and download the Atlas/Bose Comex brochure here.

As far as reviews go, this is going to be a short one. There are really not many aspects of a Bluetooth in-car speakerphone you can delve into. But this particular unit is the Jabra Cruiser 2, and the company products have consistently received good reviews for its sound quality.

Incorporating Jabra’s Noise Blackout technology, and equipped with dual microphones, this device is expected to have some seriously clear audio output. The Cruiser 2 doesn’t disappoint in that respect, and every call I tried during my test with it was crystal clear.

Hardware-wise, the Cruiser 2 looks sleeker than the original Cruiser. While the former stood vertical, the latter lies flat and horizontal, in my opinion, a more pleasant look. The device also has a sturdy clip at the back, which allows you to snap it on to your car’s visor for easy access.

The button layout couldn’t be any simpler. A big button in the middle lets you answer calls, flanked by volume up/down buttons. On the right profile, you’ll find a micro USB charging port, the on/off switch, and the FM button (we’ll get to that in a bit).

But the real star is the software. Once you turn on the Cruiser 2, a voice immediately spells out instructions on how to connect your phone. If you take too long to fumble around, the instructions will be repeated. Although this is nice for first-timers, I can’t imagine anyone who would like hearing the robotic voice in his/her car every morning.

When your phone is paired, the voice will announce that it is downloading your address book data, and will inform you after it’s done. From now on, the Cruiser will read out the name of whoever is calling you. It seems to have no problems with weirdly-spelled names, too.

The Cruiser 2 also features an FM transmitter. Sounds a bit redundant when every single car has a built-in radio, yes, but it does more than play your favourite radio stations. The FM transmitter also lets you stream music from your phone to your car’s speakers! Once again, just press the FM button and the nice robot lady will guide you in setting it up.

Battery life is way more than you need for your daily commute. Jabra claims that the Cruiser 2 can last up to 14 hours of talk time and up to 20 days on standby. And when you really run out of juice, an in-car charging unit comes with the device. Nice touch, Jabra.

In short, there’s a lot to like about the Cruiser 2. If you find yourself needing to make a lot of calls in your car, this device is highly recommended.

Jawbone’s Jambox is an odd little device. The Bluetooth-enabled portable speaker is comparably tiny, but is capable of pumping out music at 85 decibels. And then there’s the price: at US$200 (S$252), this thing isn’t exactly cheap.

The thing also feels alive. It vibrates and gives a low rumble as you turn it out, and makes various strange yet familiar digital noises when completing various tasks, such as pairing with a Bluetooth device.

(UPDATE: The folks representing Jawbone in Singapore say the local distributor price here is S$328. That’s quite a markup, as was the case with the Jawbone Icon.)

But after pumping out beats for an entire day in my room, I’m convinced that while this device won’t earn any brownie points from hardcore audiophiles, it’s good enough to earn a place on any wire-hater’s desk.

Design and features
First of all, the speaker definitely feels like a 200-dollar device. It’s small but sturdy, and has a reassuring weight in your hands. The chiseled wire grill envelopes all four sides of the speaker in one continuous piece, and it’s a pleasure to run your fingers over it. The Jambox also comes with a foamy protective case that protects itself against the perils of travelling in your backpack.

The top and bottom of the Jambox are made of a rubbery plastic, which helps if you want to put this conversation piece on your slippery coffee table. On the top, you can find two buttons to increase or decrease the volume, and a round button which baffled me at first.

Turns out that there’s a microphone built into the device and you can actually make calls from the speaker by hooking it up to a mobile phone! Call quality was generally clear, although I don’t know anyone who would want to broadcast his phone call out to people around him, so maybe it’s best to keep this at home.

A system voice calls out the number of incoming callers, which can be customised according to your preferences: male or female, and Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Spanish, French, or German. The voice will also announce battery levels, pairing mode, and more.

This thing even has apps. With the Jambox connected to your PC, signing up and logging in to the MyTALK portal lets you download extended functionalities for your Jambox. Don’t like the default male or female voice? Download the voices of personae like “The Rogue”, “The Bombshell”, or “The Thinker”. You can also download voice dial functionalities, and link up with some mobile apps such as Pandora.

Sound
The Jambox’s sound is surprisingly balanced for its size. Two 1.25-inch drivers on the front work together with a passive radiator woofer on the back work, and although the sound won’t impress any audio geeks, it’s not the bland Bluetooth output you might expect it to be.

The sound from the Jambox easily filled my room, although it would have trouble making itself heard over a large party. Using it outdoors was bad, too. The sound seemed to be trapped within a small force-field which would fit a small party, but not beyond that.

When I tried making some calls on it, callers on the other side complained of background noises. It turned out to be my fan, which was turned to quite a high speed. Still, a very puzzling complaint since the Jambox has sophisticated noise-cancelling built-in.

Furthermore, callers had trouble hearing me unless I yelled, or put my face up close to the grill, which looks more stupid than it sounds. With such a drawback, it’s strange to see Jawbone marketing this as an ideal conference call device.

Should you buy it?
Despite its several shortcomings, spending a day with the Jambox made me want to own it. That’s how good it actually is. The music sounds decent, and I can easily answer calls whenever it comes in, whether it’s from Skype on my laptop or from my mobile phone.

The Jambox’s small size also makes it perfect for augmenting the sound of your mobile devices on-the-go, especially since most of these have weak audio built-in. As our digital lifestyle gets more mobile, it’s handy to have speakers like the Jambox around to share our music. Even if you don’t have Bluetooth, the Jambox comes with two-way 3.5mm jacks to give you a hand.

If you have the spare cash and are shopping around for a portable speaker, the Jambox is a great choice.

After years of sitting on the success of the popular Z-5500 PC surround speakers, Logitech is finally releasing a followup in the shape of the new Z906 in end-April in Singapore for a princely S$690.

The Z906 is probably the first time in years that such serious, high-powered PC surround speakers have been launched here since the Z-5500, which is still used by many gamers who value the boom of explosions and details of approaching footsteps in games.

Serious PC gamers have not had “proper” PC speakers for the longest time since the majority of PC users decided they didn’t want the hassle of wires running through their rooms for immersive surround effects. Plus, the craze for sub-standard iPod-based audio means that many gamers have had to live with crappy 5.1 systems, where cost and looks were the key selling points.

Thus the 500-watt RMS Z906, which comes with a remote control and a central control panel for plugging in your sources, is a welcome change. Besides the PC, you can hook up five other devices, such as your Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii.

While Logitech says that the speakers will fit your living room nicely, I’m not so sure. You will probably need a more serious amplifier-plus-surround-speakers setup to have the sound cover the larger space. I still see the Z906 as great near-field PC speakers.

Another thing to note about such speakers: the emphasis is usually on sound effects, not music, so you might sometimes find songs too “boomy” and pretty poor-sounding – not so nice if you want to enjoy your music while lounging at the sofa.

The only other serious set of active, powered 5.1 PC speakers that I know of over the years is the Klipsch Promedia Ultra 5.1, but apparently the company has stopped making 220-volt versions and only sells to the United States with the 120-volt model.

Some folks here in Singapore have bought transformers to bridge this, but apparently if the fuse blew, they had to pay hefty courier costs to send the equally hefty unit back to the US for repairs.

Bottomline for the Z906: it’d be something that hardcore PC gamers will be happy to check out, even given the price. I’ve since moved out of my old Logitech Z-5500s – too boomy for my music – and gone with an amplifier/speaker setup that does music a lot better (at additional cost, of course), but it’s still great to see Logitech finally updating one of their most-loved speaker series.

UPDATE: Apparently, the speakers are being sold in the US for US$399, which works out to be only S$502 in today’s exchange rate, so I’m not really pleased with the markup that Logitech has included here. Let’s hope it drops the price in Singapore to more sensible levels and retailers will offer discounts off the suggested price.

A few months ago, I did what was once unthinkable for many audio geeks and unplugged my Marantz CD player from a living room hi-fi setup that was beginning to get more complicated than it should be.

I had decided there was no turning back from what audiophile snobs once called “digital music”. Sure, the CD was digital but how could music encoded, stored and delivered from home computers be any good, compared to what’s played on a $20,000 CD player, they would say.

Well, thank goodness that type of argument is no longer the in thing now in audio circles, thanks to advancements that enable “bit-perfect” ripping and playback – with no detail lost. For me, the argument was settled by the fact that my Marantz CD6002 was no S$20,000 CD player, but a money’s-worth budget player that could be improved quite easily with a new digital music setup.

Thus began a sometimes unfamiliar – but ultimately fulfilling – journey to build a setup that could play high quality music using the affordable utility that everyday computing offers.

Today, I’m quite happy with a digital music setup that not only produces excellent sound but also the convenient access – via my Android phone or tablet – to thousands of songs delivered wirelessly over a home network.

More than two years ago, my friend and former Goondu Boon Kiat recommended a no-compromise music player setup based on the day’s technology. Thankfully, a lot more options exist today to make things even easier than before.

Here’s how I set up my system, which I think would work for many fellow music fans.

What I am using:
1. Self-built FreeNAS box (Intel Atom, 2GB RAM, 2TB Wester Digital hard disk, SlimNAS + Squeezebox Server)
2. Gigabit Ethernet + Wi-Fi home networking (D-link DIR-855 + Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH)
3. Logitech Squeezebox Touch
4.  Belcanto DAC 3.5VB + Belcanto Ref500m + B&W 805s
5. Intel Core i7 PC with dBpoweramp and Media Monkey
6. Google Nexus One/Samsung Galaxy Tab with Squeeze Commander

For starters, I’d have to get the right software to rip the CDs into digital tracks. I also need to have a way to organise the tracks and get the right tags all in place, so when I scroll through the songs, I can view all the album art and titles.

Theses songs, along with high-rez digital downloads you can get from stores like HDtracks.com, are stored on a network attached storage (NAS) box that would also distribute the music over the home Wi-Fi network by using Squeezebox Server.

The songs are fed wirelessly to a Logitech Squeezebox Touch, which hooks up via a digital SPDIF link to the Belcanto DAC. This in turn converts the digital signal into analog and sends it to the power amplifiers and then the speakers which turn the electrical energy into sound.

To control the entire process from my sofa, I use an Android phone (my Nexus One) or a tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab) and the excellent Squeeze Commander app.

Among the cool stuff we get to try out at Techgoondu, I’ll admit this isn’t the geekiest thing you’ll find on this site.

But this nifty gadget could be interesting to folks who spend hours on the couch with their laptops on their, er,  laps. The Philips CushionSpeaker, as its name suggests, is a cushion for your laptop that happens to have a speaker built in to play your songs while you surf the Web, for example.

So, it takes away the heat from your lap and plays music off your PC at the same time.

The idea of laptop cushions is not new – you can buy one at Ikea for just S$29. The more expensive CushionSpeaker (S$122) has a shiny surface that also sticks to the rubber feet on most laptop bottoms, and its large size will support most 14-inch, 15-inch and even bigger laptops.

A little groove at the front also prevents the laptop from sliding onto your body if you lean backwards in the sofa and tilt the laptop towards you – a hazardous activity I engage in everyday when I use a magazine instead of this CushionSpeaker to prevent my lap (and other crucial areas) from being warmed up.

The audio here isn’t terribly exciting, of course. But the Neodynium speaker does sound less like tin than on regular lousy laptop speakers.

All you have to do is plug the CushionSpeaker’s retractable USB cable into a laptop. Since no software is required, it’s truly plug and play for the real tech goondus out there.

My main complaint is the price. S$122 isn’t exactly value for money for a cushion plus a low-end speaker, unless of course you are tired of your laps being burnt, and want better audio while lounging in a sofa.

Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Asus showed off a number of new notebooks featuring Bang & Olufsen’s Icepower audio amplification technology at a glitzy launch party here today.

The audio technology, which has been the talk of audiophile circles because of its use in a number of highly-rated power-efficient amplifiers, promises improved sound over existing laptop offerings.

Icepower will come in a number of Asus’ N-model laptops as well as its top-of-the-range NX90 Multimedia Notebook. There’s a reason why it’s called that, instead of a laptop, because you’d not want to place this 4.8kg machine on your lap (a small bag of rice weighs 5kg).

Of course, with that heft comes all the goodies you’d expect from a desktop. Think of an Intel Core i7-720QM chip, Nvidia GeForce GT335M graphics, 18.4-inch screen, 1TB capacity (made up of two 500GB drives), and a crazy 8GB of RAM.

What’s even more interesting are the speakers that are placed outside the screen – they are built onto the side of the screen, but extend beyond the width of the keyboard. The reason: they get to have bigger drivers of sound than the usual tiny ones you get on lesser laptops.

How good are they, since they are paired with B&O amplification? I’d say much better than the average laptop, which to be fair, isn’t very strong competition. The dynamic range is much better – you hear trebles and bass more clearly – and generally, there is little of the distortion so common on laptops.

The Asus folks here played a number of classical tunes, and you can tell that the violins and pianos, which usually tear through laptop speakers, are relatively better controlled here.

Of course, with such thin speakers, you don’t expect to fill a room, or even a cubicle. It’s a clear improvement over existing speakers, which are often no bigger than headphone drivers producing really distorted sounds.

Coupled with a polished aluminium finish (which unfortunately is a fingerprint magnet), the NX90 is clearly a design piece from Asus aimed at the high-end user who with a budget for good sound and design in his notebok/desktop replacement.

I’m just thinking, for S$3,888, whether it’s such a good deal. For that amount, I can buy a smaller laptop that costs less, bring it on my travels, and still have enough moolah to buy separate satellite speakers (like the Bowers & Wilkins MM-1) which will surely sound better.

But then again, maybe the folks who buy the NX90 may already have a nice B&O setup at home.