The iLive iB109 iPod speaker.
Boom box designs typically go to masculine extremes. Products like the Sony Xplod or Altec Lansing iM7 look like they belong on Vin Diesel's shoulder launching rockets at enemy helicopters. Even classically styled boom boxes like the Lasonic i931 are purposely designed to be unwieldy, oversized contraptions that require a gym membership and an unhealthy appetite for punishment.
The iLive iB109 strikes a retaliating blow against the male-centric design of these beat-blasting behemoths by mimicking one of the most emasculating objects ever devised--the purse. With its flexible strap, glossy finish, and iPod-matching color schemes, this portable speaker system is just a Hannah Montana sticker away from repelling men like kryptonite.
Aside from looking adorable, the iLive iB109 will only set you back $29, and includes an AM/FM radio, universal iPod dock, and aux input. You also get the added assurance that men will never ask to borrow it.
(Via Chip Chick)
On Sale Now: $36.50 - $39.99
View the latest prices for iLive Portable Music System with iPod Docking and Recharging (Blue)
On Sale Now: $28.99 - $39.99
View the latest prices for iLive Portable Music System / Boom Box with iPod Docking and Recharging (Purple)
On Sale Now: $28.99 - $39.99
View the latest prices for iLive Portable Music System / Boom Box with iPod Docking and Recharging (Pink)
Most iPod/iPhone speaker docks come up short in the bass department. If you like your tunes thumpin', I've got just the solution: Buy.com has the Philips Docking Entertainment System DC912 for $79.99 shipped. Normal price? $179.99.
Before I get into the details, I need to point out the big "but." No, it's not, "but there's a rebate." And, no, it's not, "but it's a refurb." (It's new.)
The DC912 is $79.99, but you need to pay with PayPal to get that price. For me that's not an issue: I routinely sell stuff on eBay to fund my PayPal account, which I then use for stuff just like this.
If you don't have an account, the dock will run you $109.99--still a pretty solid deal considering the list price.
So, what's the big deal about the DC912? For starters, check the photo: It's sweet-looking! Love that silvery flat-panel design. You can use the stand or mount the dock on a wall using an included bracket.
Cooler still, it comes with a standalone subwoofer. A wireless subwoofer. Combined with the dock, it churns out a seriously impressive 100 watts of audio power.
The unit also includes a remote, an FM tuner with 20 programmable presets, and an aux jack in case you want to connect a non-iPod player. It can even play MP3s and WMAs stored on USB drives and SD/MMC cards.
As you'll discover in the above video review, CNET didn't love the DC912's audio quality. However, the user reviews on Amazon as well as Buy.com's product page tell a different story: 4.5 stars out of 5 across the board. (Users tend to be less persnickety about audio quality than professional reviewers.)
A note to iPhone owners: You can use DC912, but you'll have to switch to Airplane Mode to avoid interference.
My daughter is about to become the crazy-happy owner of a refurbished 8GB iPod Nano Touch ($179 from the Apple Store). Might just have to spring for one of these to go with it.
(Credit:
JBL)
Though they are portable devices, the iPod and the iPhone can make wonderful sources for headphone-free music when connected to speakers. Of course, wading through the glut of iPod-ready tabletop speakers on the market today takes patience and know-how, especially if you have an iPhone, which requires a unit with magnetic shielding for optimal performance.
Luckily, well-established audio device companies like JBL are providing more and more models with that feature, such as the JBL On Stage 400P. This $250 tabletop speaker dock is the largest of the On Stage line and bests its smaller siblings in sound quality. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative to Bose's SoundDock, this is a good place to start.
Click for more pics.
(Credit: CNET/Corinne Schulze)iPod speakers are a dime a dozen. There are big ones and small ones; black ones and red ones; some with alarm clocks, and many with built-in docks. As one might expect, you don't have to look hard to find models with integrated FM--and even AM--radios, but if you must have cutting-edge tech, HD radio with iTunes Tagging is where it's at. Among the handful of models offering this feature is the JBL On Time 400iHD, a tabletop speaker dock with JBL's signature space-age design. At $300, the On Time is anything but cheap, but the plethora of features and excellent FM radio reception may make it worth it for some. Read the JBL On Time 400iHD review.
One man's boxy is another man's beautiful.
Speaker systems for the iPod are a dime a dozen, but a few of them stand out from the rest. Altec Lansing has built a solid reputation for building affordable iPod speaker systems with above-average sound quality, and its latest inMotion Max portable speaker system is no exception.
The Max is compatible with both the iPod and iPhone, and comes stocked with an FM radio, charging dock, aux input, and an internal rechargeable battery good for about 3.5 hours of iPod playback. We're not bowled over with the Max's unique industrial design and touch-sensitive controls, but at $199, the system strikes a nice balance of features and performance.
Read the full review of the Altec Lansing inMotion Max.
The Kicker ZK500 speaker dock for Zune sounds about as mean as it looks.
(Credit: CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze)
Not thrilled with the Zune's Wi-Fi music-sharing feature? Kicker's ZK500 Zune speaker dock gets your music social the old fashioned way: by pummeling it at people's heads. The ZK500's two 5-inch drivers, silk-dome tweeters, and a monstrous 6-inch bass reflex port are powered by a total of 40 desk-shaking watts of power, packed into an enclosure that looks like it fell off the Death Star.
You can find our full review of the ZK500 over at CNET Reviews, but you won't find this video of me pushing the system to its limits in a quiet corner of our office.
(Note: The video's poor sound quality is the result of my camera's microphone being blown into oblivion, and does not reflect the actual sound of the ZK500.)
(Credit:
Crave UK)
The last Gear4 StreetParty we got jiggy with was the StreetParty Size 0, and when it was just the two of us we had a pretty good time. Yeah, sorry for another helping of Will Smith references, but we were just told the Big Willie is in London later today and, well, we're pretty excited.
Anyway, the latest StreetParty just arrived in the CNET complex (two turned up, actually--we're not sure why) and we've had a quick play to form some first impressions.
The StreetParty III--or 3, if you're not down with the Roman numerals--is a mains- or battery-powered speaker dock for iPods, and it's ideal for festivals, beers in the garden or in the kitchen when preparing your nutmeg "cigarettes" (did you know Nostradamus smoked nutmeg before making prophecies?).
Anyway, for the asking price of 30 pounds (about $59) it's pretty decent, and very loud. It by no means produces a sound that'll do anything less than annoy audiophiles, and it's no living room hi-fi replacement. But for the upcoming summer festivals it's smashing.
It's on sale next month and you can expect a more in-depth review in the next couple of weeks. Now go and listen to Will Smith and revel in the magnificence of his clean rap.
(Source: Crave UK
(Credit:
Logitech)
Remember the Logitech iPod AudioStation? First it was $50 (after rebate), then $29.99 (after rebate). Now you can scoop one up for a measly $19.99 (after...you know). Shipping will run you around $14, which seems steep given the price of the hardware itself, but your out-the-door total is still pretty low.
The AudioStation (originally $150) is an iPod speaker dock paired with an AM/FM tuner. It includes a wireless remote, an audio input jack (for connecting non-iPod players), and composite and S-Video outputs (for watching iPod videos on a TV). It charges your iPod, of course, and cranks out 80 watts' worth of audio goodness. CNET's very favorable AudioStation review awarded it an 8 out of 10.
This a new unit, not a refurb, and it comes with an impressive 2-year warranty. The rebate deal (PDF) ends June 30.
(Credit:
Pocket-lint)
If there's one accessory that seems to have reached near-ubiquity in record time, it would be the iPod speaker dock. But most of them have been made for earlier generations of the media player, not the Touch or the iPhone. And even when they are, manufacturers for some reason seem compelled to design them in some odd fashion, whether they resemble Dumbo ears, truncated phone receivers, or a dressing room mirrors.
Against those options, the "Sound Frame" from QDOS appears refreshingly sane. With a clean design and straightforward functions, it rotates 90 degrees for both vertical audio and horizontal video positions, as Pocket-lint notes.
It's certainly not the most powerful, with just 1.5 watts per speaker, but it does have the advantage of easy portability and flexibility. There's also a universal connector so other iPods can be used with it as well. Of course, if you really want to worship your iPhone (as so many clearly do), you can always put it on a pedestal.
(Credit:
Yanko Design)
(Credit:
Heatwave)
It's been a long while since our last warning about the evil egg empire, thinking that the threat of a pending invasion had subsided. Clearly we were wrong, as this ovum speaker system has Alien written all over it.
Once this "Egg" unit is cracked open, two satellite speakers can be removed while the base doubles as a subwoofer and an iPod dock. Luckily, it's only a concept so far--because it would be the perfect place for a facehugger to lurk at the bottom.
