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TrustedReviews Awards 2008
| Author | TrustedReviews |
| Published | 25th Nov 2008 |
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1st Place: Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin
Deciding on the overall winner this year wasn't easy, but in the end it came down to the B&W Zeppelin and the Pioneer Kuro PDP-LX5090. After much deliberation we decided that the Zeppelin would take top honours, simply because it pretty much redefined its product sector, something that Pioneer achieved last year when it launched the first generation Kuro in fact.
Some may think that Bowers and Wilkins has come to the iPod dock market pretty late in the game, but in reality, the company took its time and created a product without equal. The Zeppelin really does need to be heard to be believed, and proves that even an iPod can produce high fidelity sound, with a little help.
The design of the Zeppelin is also like nothing else, which is hardly surprising coming from a company that has produced some of the most distinctive and beautiful loudspeakers known to man. The Zeppelin also allows for any iPod to be mounted without the need for fiddly adapters, while also ensuring that no strain is put on the connector while navigating your music library.
Incredible sound quality, rock solid build quality and stunning design all add up to grab the TrustedReviews Product Of The Year award.
Read the full review of the Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin
2nd Place: Pioneer Kuro PDP-LX5090
Pioneer came very close to winning the Product Of The Year for the second year running, and if it wasn't for the Zeppelin, it most definitely would have. Ultimately though, whereas the original Kuro completely changed the face of televisions, this second generation model simply improves upon that (admittedly stunning) benchmark.
None of that changes the fact that this is the finest TV money can buy right now, plain and simple. With black levels that beggar belief, the PDP-LX5090 produces staggeringly lifelike pictures, with rich and vibrant colours and near impossible levels of detail, especially in low light scenes. And even though the competition, most notably Philips, is closing the gap, Pioneer's Kuros are still the TVs that most of us aspire to owning.
It's also worth mentioning that if the sneak preview of its future screen technology that Pioneer gave us at CES is anything to go by, next year's Kuros will be vying for the top spot once again.
Read the full review of the Pioneer Kuro PDP-LX5090
3rd Place: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3
Every once in a while a product comes along that captures our imagination and has most of us willing to put our hands in our pockets and buy one - the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 is one of those products. Anyone who's been a photography enthusiast for a while will no doubt be won over by the look of this compact camera. It resembles a traditional rangefinder camera, which in itself is reason enough to want one!
But the beauty of the DMC-LX3 is more than skin deep. This little camera is equipped with a superb Leica-branded 24-60mm lens, which is wider than you're likely to find on most compact cameras. But it's also the speed of the glass that's impressive, with this lens rated at F2.0 - F2.8, which means that shooting in low light is no problem.
The DMC-LX3 is also a dab hand at video, managing to shoot high definition 1,280 x 720 resolution footage at 24fps - ideal for anyone with a Panasonic TV with an SD card slot. Image quality is first rate, and for those who want to indulge in some creative post processing, this little compact can even shoot in RAW.
The Panasonic DMC-LX3 may not have the headline grabbing, excessively long zoom range of some of its rivals, but when it comes to serious photographic features, it's a cut above.
Read the full review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3
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Sivart said on 1st December 2008
Ardjuna said on 5th December 2008
@Sivart: yes, it would have been nice to see some more comments about the actual products, and about awards other than the arguably least important 'style' one. Still, it... more
AlexMck said on 11th December 2008
Great job Riyad. Have been following the site for a long time but only just decided to register.
Rsaeire and Singularity -- have ye any lives to lead? I should think that,... more
PaulW said on 11th January 2009
@Sivart .. I agree with you to a degree. I dont have the funds to be fortunate to be able to buy a B&W Zeppelin, and therefore look forward to reviews of such products here @ T... more
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Just read the awards article & then looked forward to the comments.
Big disapointment to find it dominated by a fruitcake with a grudge and an old pals reunion d... more