iLounge

myvu Crystal 701 iPod Edition

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By Jeremy Horwitz

Editor-in-Chief, iLounge
Published: Friday, May 9, 2008
Category: Wearable Video Displays

When myvu first announced and showed Crystal 701 ($300), its deluxe 640x480 wearable video display system for iPods, we were somewhat concerned: while the company had used unusually smooth curves and aggressive size reduction techniques to fit high-tech components in a small goggle-esque shell, a combination of black and yellow coloration made it hard for us to imagine anyone wearing the system. So we were really relieved when our review unit arrived in a smarter mix of silver and black colors, still possessing the same high-tech display technology we expected to find inside. Like the less expensive Shades 301, Crystal 701 is a modular system with numerous cables -- a magnetic two-piece cable manager for its neck cabling, two connected Ultimate Ears earbuds for sound isolation in your left and right ears, a detachable Dock Connector cable, and a remote control unit for toggling volume, brightness, and power. When the pieces are all connected together, you can watch 640x480 video output from 2007 iPods, as well as hearing accompanying audio; an integrated battery keeps the display running for hours. Our unit arrived with both the Dock Connector and a collection of "Universal Edition" parts that enable Crystal 701 to work with non-iPod devices. We look forward to reviewing both new models shortly.