home stereo: Personal Tech Review: Apple iPod Hi-Fi
By David Haskin
InformationWeek
May 29, 2006 12:00 AM
Historically, Apple Computer has had a fairly hands-off approach when it came to accessories for its venerable iPod. While offering a few essential attachments, Apple always seemed to stop short of encroaching on the third-party products coming from companies such as Belkin, Bose, and Monster Cable. With the release of the iPod Hi-Fi, Apple has changed its course and is directly vying for a piece of the add-on action. This first attempt looks and sounds wonderful but falls a bit short on features.
The iPod Hi-Fi is basically a complete speaker system designed to complement your iPod. It houses two midrange speakers, with a single large center woofer. A dock connector on the top makes it easy to drop in your player and turn on the tunes. For older iPods or other devices, a dual-mode auxiliary input is available in the back, allowing playback from either an analog or digital optical source. The only controls on the Hi-Fi itself are touch-sensitive volume up and down on top of the unit, in front of the iPod dock. The unit is powered either from a standard AC cord or with six D-cell batteries. The battery option and the built-in handles make the Hi-Fi a rather heavy but still portable way to take your stereo system with you.
Straightforward Setup
Setup was mindless. The hardest part was determining which of the 10 included inserts fit my particular iPod. When the iPod was securely docked, a Speakers menu option appeared on the display. From there, three options are available: tone control, backlight settings, and large album art. The tone control was straightforward, allowing me to boost either the bass or the treble. The large album art setting turned out to be a mixed blessing. While it was nice to be able to see the album cover from across the room, the track information wasn't shown, whether or not the particular track has attached art. Unfortunately, it's likely going to be a feature that most people will play with for a few minutes before turning it off and forgetting about it.
In its main function--pumping out the tunes from my iPod--the Hi-Fi performed well. Sound quality was generally good, and it had a good range. The system did the job of filling whatever room I put it in, without having to make the output too loud.
An Apple remote, now universal across Apple's product line, is included and provides basic play/pause, next/previous tracks, and volume control. A subtle LED blinked from behind the speaker grill as an acknowledgement of commands from the remote.
One annoyance was the complete lack of menu control from the remote. In order to select a playlist, a specific song, or even the Shuffle Songs option, I needed to get up and use the iPod's click wheel. This annoyance was compounded by the fact that the remote had a Menu button, but its function is apparently disabled for use with the Hi-Fi.
Unfortunately, the sound quality alone couldn't sell me on the iPod Hi-Fi. Considering it's being billed as a replacement for my home stereo, I was disappointed in the lack of features built into the unit. With its $349 price coming at a premium compared with other products already on the market, the iPod Hi-Fi delivers good sound and the Apple logo as its main selling points.
InformationWeek
May 29, 2006 12:00 AM
Historically, Apple Computer has had a fairly hands-off approach when it came to accessories for its venerable iPod. While offering a few essential attachments, Apple always seemed to stop short of encroaching on the third-party products coming from companies such as Belkin, Bose, and Monster Cable. With the release of the iPod Hi-Fi, Apple has changed its course and is directly vying for a piece of the add-on action. This first attempt looks and sounds wonderful but falls a bit short on features.
The iPod Hi-Fi is basically a complete speaker system designed to complement your iPod. It houses two midrange speakers, with a single large center woofer. A dock connector on the top makes it easy to drop in your player and turn on the tunes. For older iPods or other devices, a dual-mode auxiliary input is available in the back, allowing playback from either an analog or digital optical source. The only controls on the Hi-Fi itself are touch-sensitive volume up and down on top of the unit, in front of the iPod dock. The unit is powered either from a standard AC cord or with six D-cell batteries. The battery option and the built-in handles make the Hi-Fi a rather heavy but still portable way to take your stereo system with you.
Straightforward Setup
Setup was mindless. The hardest part was determining which of the 10 included inserts fit my particular iPod. When the iPod was securely docked, a Speakers menu option appeared on the display. From there, three options are available: tone control, backlight settings, and large album art. The tone control was straightforward, allowing me to boost either the bass or the treble. The large album art setting turned out to be a mixed blessing. While it was nice to be able to see the album cover from across the room, the track information wasn't shown, whether or not the particular track has attached art. Unfortunately, it's likely going to be a feature that most people will play with for a few minutes before turning it off and forgetting about it.
In its main function--pumping out the tunes from my iPod--the Hi-Fi performed well. Sound quality was generally good, and it had a good range. The system did the job of filling whatever room I put it in, without having to make the output too loud.
An Apple remote, now universal across Apple's product line, is included and provides basic play/pause, next/previous tracks, and volume control. A subtle LED blinked from behind the speaker grill as an acknowledgement of commands from the remote.
One annoyance was the complete lack of menu control from the remote. In order to select a playlist, a specific song, or even the Shuffle Songs option, I needed to get up and use the iPod's click wheel. This annoyance was compounded by the fact that the remote had a Menu button, but its function is apparently disabled for use with the Hi-Fi.
Unfortunately, the sound quality alone couldn't sell me on the iPod Hi-Fi. Considering it's being billed as a replacement for my home stereo, I was disappointed in the lack of features built into the unit. With its $349 price coming at a premium compared with other products already on the market, the iPod Hi-Fi delivers good sound and the Apple logo as its main selling points.
