Good value, but not a lot of tonal variations
928614
This DI isn't going to radically change your tone.  But it does enable you to tweak your tone so your bass sounds fatter.  I use it instead of an amp for practicing and recording into Garage Band thru an audio to USB interface.  Mine is dead quiet without any perceivable hiss or noise.

Some people have mentioned that the switch seems fragile.  I get the impression that it is an electronic/optical switch rather than a mechanical switch or possibly a momentary switch.  Tough to judge how robust it is.

 For the price you really can't go wrong.
3019505
I "cashed in" some bonus points at my bank and got a Melokia ukulele (which is a very cheap uke people buy for toddlers) for free that I intended to use for decoration. However, I tried tuning and playing it for fun, and it sounded better than expected (except for actual "dead spots" along the neck). The strings were terrible, so I decided to upgrade them with better strings. Aquila is a good brand in general, but I thought I colored strings would look great on a glossy, white uke that I had planned to decorate anyway (ended using rainbow stickers so the sound wouldn't be affected).
Since I'm used to re-stringing guitars, the uke was no problem either. Those new to changing strings should get a string winder since it does make it faster and easier.  Keep in mind that you must tune very gently and slowly, bit by bit, to allow the strings to stretch so they will not just snap.
You get orange, purple, green and red in the multi-color pack. The colors are bright and my white ukulele now has a little pizzazz. I was also surprised at how good the strings sounded--some of the dead spots are  still there due to the balance of a very cheap instrument, but overall the sound of the uke is much sweeter and resonant than before.  I love my uke  and ordered a bag for it to keep it protected.  I'm not sure if you would put these strings on a high end instrument or not, but don't let their candy colors fool you. They are really nice strings and tune as well as the instrument itself will allow.
4545100
The M-Audio q40 headphones are a good choice for someone who values a neutral and well balanced sound without undue emphasis on any particular part of the frequency spectrum (given the quality limitations one must expect at this price point.) The bass in particular is nicely balanced, not too overblown but it is properly present. High frequencies are a bit opaque and lacking in nuance and polish compared to the best. They do fit a bit tightly for someone with a large head and the ear cup surround is a bit flimsy feeling compared to better built and pricier headphones. On an absolute scale, these are nowhere near a five star headphone. AKG 701 series have much better inner detail and high frequency reproduction and upper level Denon headphones have a much more polished version of the basic, slightly "bass prominent" sound the Q40's have.
111437
Nice, but not the really rich tone I was looking for.  For the size and the quality it is priced adequately.
2601239
I've been wanting a seven string, but I'm not a tremolo bridge guy, more so with double locking trems.  I found this and took a chance on it, and am glad I did, especially since I had nearly given up and was about to shop for a Carvin/Kiesel guitar, which would have cost far more than this (at least with the builds I was choosing).

Truthfully, my biggest gripes here are the pickups and the tuners.  The tuners do their job, but they seem a bit weak. I realize this is my first seven string, but I have multiple six string guitars, none have this issue.  But again, they're holding, and can be easily replaced.  The pickups are ok, and considering the price of this guitar, are just fine.  I might replace them later on, since they are a bit harsh on clean, and can be harsh on overdriven/distorted tones if you don't take time to dial it out.

Fit and finish are GREAT.  The back of the neck has a satin finish, which I like best.  The figured top looks beautiful, the fretwork on mine looks and plays fine.  The fact that this has a Tune-o-matic bridge is what sold me.  It also has a push/pull pot for coil splitting.  Considering it's just that, it sounds good to me, and I find myself using it for clean tones to ease out that aforementioned harshness.

So if you want a very solid entry into seven string guitars, and/or, like me, don't want a black or gray guitar with a tremolo bridge, I highly recommend this!
3336527
If you like this kind of music,it's a good value. It would probably cost you a lot more if you bought these albums individually.
1904390
These are a good value for the money, especially if the appearance is important to you. The black finish is similar to the black lacquer of a piano, and it shows fingerprints and small scratches easily. Audiofiles will not be impressed. For example, these pale compared to a higher-end Sonus Faber, so don't bother comparing them to a high end line. The sound tends towards the high and mid-ranges, lows are thin.

Check the actual dimensions. Based on the photo, I was expecting them to be smaller than they are. They are typical bookshelf sized speakers.

To me,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Orb-Audio-Mod1-QuickPack-in-Metallic-Black-Gloss/dp/B004RPUK0Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Orb Audio Mod1 QuickPack in Metallic Black Gloss</a>(small globes), are a better value, especially since you will want to pair a subwoofer with any small speaker.
4769583
Bought a new concert uke, took the oem strings off and put these on. The old ones are kept as spares, but are different in tone than the Aquilas - the Aqulias are mellow and ring nicely, while the oem strings were much sharper and didn't offer as much sustain. These do take a while to settle in - I had to make daily adjustments for a month, and was not able to play immediately since they detune quickly before they're broken in. Now that they've settled, I rarely have to tune, and only small amounts when needed.
587059
It's nice to have all of the hits in one place at a relatively cheap price.  However, many of the songs appear as single edits.  This may not bother some, but I do prefer the full-length versions.  I also think the sound on this set is lacking.  It's not awful, but I don't think it's been remastered.  It doesn't have the crispness that you find on the "Time Traveller" box set or the 1998 anthology.  But it does contain those early singles, so if the price is right, it's probably worth getting a copy.
1081321
I've known for a long time that Kala ukes tend to be a hit-or-miss proposition; this one was pretty much a "hit", mostly.  The first thing I did was replaced the high "G" string with a low "G" string (wish they'd tell you in the Amazon description which way they have it strung!).

The pros:

* The Spalted Maple construction has a striking, heavily patterened appearance that is unique in my experience.
* The sound is very rich for an inexpensive tenor, and projects well.
* Action is comfortable.
* The neck is accurate all the way up.
* Tuners are solid feeling, and hold well, and it came with a nice set of Aquila strings.
* On-board preamp is adequate if you want to play plugged in.
* Includes a built-in electronic, chromatic tuner that makes tuning quick and painless.

The cons:
There were a few little details that made me dock it a star, two easily correctable, one not so much:

* The fret-ends were a bit sharp feeling.

This is something I've noticed with a number of mail-order instruments lately (not just Kala), including some pretty expensive ones.  It's as if they're cranking them out so fast they don't have time to properly finish them. At any rate, this was taken care of with some ultrafine 1200 grit sand paper in a few minutes, so no big deal.

* The bridge saddle needed some compensation; fortunately, it was wide enough to do this.

This is  a bit of a pain, involving removing the strings and saddle, filing the saddle properly, and then replacing everything, but after the adjustment, intonation was better than ever, so I'm satisfied.

* One thing I -don't- like on many electro-acoustic  Kalas, and which is -not- easy to fix, is that they don't route a groove for the piezo pickup under the bridge saddle.

This makes the saddle sit uncomfortably high in the bridge groove, and leaves unsightly (to me) gaps showing under the saddle ends.  I may do something about this eventually, but the uke -sounds- good, so for now I'm leaving it alone.

_____
Bottom line:  a (mostly) well-built, good-sounding, intermediate tenor ukulele, for a reasonable price; but you may have to do a little amateur luthiery  to get the best out of it.
3042590
Very good overall.  The pieces are easy to play for someone with limited piano training (three years as a child), but not so simple as to be entirely boring.  The collection is mostly very classic hymns, and a nice selection.
Some of the arrangements are a little dissonant, however, which spoils the hymn-like quality.
Also, the book would be easier to use if it had a spiral spine so that the pages would stay open on the piano.
3679960
After playing the laptop conga for a couple of days I have come to these conclusions. The instrument sounds more like a cajon than a conga and is better for some rhythm patterns than others. For example I really liked playing Guaguanco and other folkloric rhythms such as Bembe on the laptop conga. So you would have to experiment and see which rhythm you like to play on it the most. One complaint I have is since you can't tune it, (well the one I received) the low drum is G# and the high drum is D#, for you congueros out there, I would have preferred the standard tuning of G for the low drum and C for the high drum. Of course the portability is very nice and a strap is included to put around your waist or leg so you don't have to worry about it sliding off your lap when you sit. To sum it up, for gigs, or practice where you don't need a true conga sound yet something close, and/or you don't feel like hauling your congas around, this is a good buy. And the price I feel is reasonable.
135900
The quality control on the set I got is a bit off.  Many of the CD's will only register and play on my best player, which corrects for that type of problem.

It's a pretty good set for the more advanced listener looking for less common pieces. The quality of the sound and performance is adequate, but very few pieces grab my attention for more than a few seconds. Bought  it to hear some more unusual music, and it definitely met that goal.

I would classify it as good "generic" classical music.
1658049
When I saw this in my recommendations, I thought the price was a typo.  How can you get 99 songs for a dollar?  All I can say is, I'm glad I downloaded it.  I'm a fan of classical music, especially the subtler stuff.  The playlist is broken down into 2 or 3 works by one artist, followed by 2 or 3 more by another.  It's a good way to get a feel for the different styles and works, if you're not familiar with them.

The collection IS relaxing, without being sleep-inducing, and there are a few interestingly quirky selections mixed in.  Overall, how can you go wrong with so many songs for just a dollar?  You can't.
731159
I wanted to get a great recording of the Beethoven Symphonies and scoured the Internet looking for quality recordings.  It came down to this set and Karajan's set, and  this won due to price.

I'm aware of Karajan's set, and I'm not going to say anything bad about it.  It's loud and boisterous, but just ask yourself this--would Beethoven have liked it?  Of course.

Muti's interpretation is more subtle and less bombastic.  If it were a flavor, it would be vanilla.  But what's wrong with vanilla?  Sure, the Philadelphia Orchestra is not as prestigious as Berlin or Vienna.  And yes, they are playing on modern instruments, not period instruments.

But here's what you get, and here's why I think this is the best value set out there.  You get all nine symphonies, plus three overtures: Fidelio, Leonore No. 3, and the Consecration of the House.  The Ninth features opera star James Morris as one of the soloists and the Westminster College Choir.  It's a digital recording (1986).  Oh yes, and it's thirty dollars cheaper.

I actually prefer the more "classical" approach to the symphonies that Muti provides (don't worry, the Ninth is still purely Romantic).  I'm sure one can find better recordings piecemeal (or perhaps collectively), but the fact remains that these recordings are very good and cannot be dismissed.

FYI-- The CDs are not in a jewel case but a cardboard box with stiff paper sleeves for each of the 6 CDs.  Liner notes are good but not great.
3480955
My wife and I are both serious musicians. We were aghast at the lack of pitch fidelity of a Fisher Price glockenspiel that we were given as a gift for our young daughter, so quickly bought this one in its stead based off of the reviews stating that it's actually in tune.

Well, it's not quite perfect, but it's good enough. The other one was probably 50 cents off on some notes if not more, while this one is close enough to not be painful--perhaps no more than 10 cents off at worst? These instruments don't register well with my tuner, for better or worse.

The only unexpected thing is having an octave with the tonic as the bottom note plus a fourth on the top end. We had expected it to be an octave on the top end going down to the dominant on the low end. Not a huge deal, this.
116003
A good selection for the casual not-really-fan who wants the music, but doesn't want to buy a lot of different albums.