iPOD Speaker System - which one? [Archive]

MarcusBerry

13-09-2005, 08:12

Hey folks,

Am on the lookout for a good speaker system and dock for my 4Gb 40Gb iPod - looking around the iStation seems to get good reviews but I wondered what you guys and girls are using for yours. The speakers on the iStation do look quite small so I'm not sure they'd give me the quality of sound I'm looking for?

I'm not fussed about portability as it'll just sit on my computer desk - as long as it charges whilst docked and has excellent sound for the heavier type of music :) then that'll do for me...

Any recommendations?

Cheers... Marcus

bumfrog

13-09-2005, 08:22

just get a proper amp and speakers and plug it into that. ;) None of this small speaker "dock" nonsence. :D

MarcusBerry

13-09-2005, 08:24

hehe - wasn't thinking of spending that sort of money though! :D

Just thinking out loud - if I don't want portability and its just going to sit on my computer desk would it be better to buy a descent set of speakers and sub for my PC and play the iPod through ITunes on the PC and the PC Speaker setup?

If so - what recommendations are there at the moment for PC Speaker setups?

I have the Soundblaster Audigy 2 btw... :)

Nana

13-09-2005, 08:51

If you want an ipod specific station, Bose soundock is superb, I intend to get one myself for the bedroom. I heard it at a friends, amazing full rich sound for a small package.

kenway

13-09-2005, 09:49

it has to be the Bose soundock all the way

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/71006/wo/5F7t5bHN0j4Z3eLlrMRJumfvAHR/1.0.0.15.1.0.6.9.9.17.0.1.0.1.1.1.1.0.3

MarcusBerry

13-09-2005, 10:13

Looks a nice setup but quite an expensive solution... As I'm only using this on my computer desk would it be more worth-while investing in a good PC speaker solution instead? I'd have thought this would have been considerably cheaper than the Bose solution...?

bumfrog

13-09-2005, 10:15

MarcusBerry

13-09-2005, 10:39

Bit of a minefield with PC speakers - don't mind paying out for a good set as it'll be used for my iPod in the living room.... Any recommendations?

I have the Sound Blaster Audigy 2.

RobDickinson

13-09-2005, 10:45

Rigpig

13-09-2005, 10:56

I've got the Logic 3 unit, small speakers and a small built in sub but it knocks out great sound for it's size and is very flexable. Price around £50.00 I think (Got mine in Singapore for around £35.00 if you happen to know anyone passing through)

Rigpig.

MarcusBerry

13-09-2005, 11:10

lol your talking mp3's here...

Grab an ol 2 channel stereo amp from ebay/avforums for £20-50 (something like a kenwood ka3020 or cambridge audio) and slap on a couple of cheap speakers ( kefs or gales etc) Job done.

Well its whatever format iTunes has recorded my CDs into... basically my PC setup is in the living room which is also where my iPod resides... The Bose option sounds great but is much more expensive than I want to pay. Paying <£75 for a good PC speaker setup sounds much more sensible to me as I don't need the portability of an iPod dock-station plus I can also use it for my PC games.

no flipping

13-09-2005, 11:53

How do you connect the ipod to the amp? What type of leads?

bumfrog

13-09-2005, 12:07

at a guess a standard stereo 3.5mm jack to dual phono should do the trick.

RobDickinson

13-09-2005, 12:22

at a guess a standard stereo 3.5mm jack to dual phono should do the trick.

Nah it'll have to be a proper special Apple iPod white 3.5mm jack to dual phono cable.

bumfrog

13-09-2005, 12:26

Nah it'll have to be a proper special Apple iPod white 3.5mm jack to dual phono cable.

:lol:

anything else just won't do :D

the highlander

13-09-2005, 14:15

i got my wife THIS (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=89709) so she can play her ipod in the kitchen .
she loves it and the sound from it is very good and its a good price also :thumbs:

Faythur

13-09-2005, 16:10

Well its whatever format iTunes has recorded my CDs into... basically my PC setup is in the living room which is also where my iPod resides... The Bose option sounds great but is much more expensive than I want to pay. Paying <£75 for a good PC speaker setup sounds much more sensible to me as I don't need the portability of an iPod dock-station plus I can also use it for my PC games.

What he is basically trying to get across is that any MP3 type file is a low quality compressed medium. About a tenth of the information compared to a 'regular' CD track.

In other words, if you overdo it on the quality front then the shortcomings of MP3 et al will become abundantly clear, apart from the waste of money. This sort of stuff is really best confined to portables ie. on the move with headphones.

13-09-2005, 16:18

What he is basically trying to get across is that any MP3 type file is a low quality compressed medium. About a tenth of the information compared to a 'regular' CD track.

Certain compression rates have been proven to sound no different, even to an audiophiles ears. I can't tell the difference past 192kps personally. I use my MP3 player as a jukebox on my stero at home and very very rarely use CD's anymore.

carryonline

13-09-2005, 16:19

I bought this one to take on holiday earlier this year and I'm very impressed with the quality of sound. Cost me about £40 as I recall:

http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=4&subcategory=465&product=13602

RobDickinson

13-09-2005, 17:57

Certain compression rates have been proven to sound no different, even to an audiophiles ears. I can't tell the difference past 192kps personally. I use my MP3 player as a jukebox on my stero at home and very very rarely use CD's anymore.

I can tell the difference between CD abd SACD let alone low rate mp3.

Radiohead

13-09-2005, 18:04

Low rates yes, but I'd call that anything at 128kbps or lower. 192kbps (arguably) and 256kpbs (almost definitely) is indiscernible from the uncompressed original to the vast majority of people.

13-09-2005, 20:35

I can tell the difference between CD abd SACD let alone low rate mp3.

Sorry, I can't make much sense of that. :)

riaz

13-09-2005, 21:00

easy - BOSE

brock_landers

14-09-2005, 00:34

The Bose is VERY good, but Monitor audio have just released their I deck, which sounds simply phenomenal.

http://www.i-deck.co.uk/

Brock.

downhillbiker

14-09-2005, 01:31

For the size, I don't think these can be beaten.
JBL OnStage Speakers (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump.php?url=http://tracker.tradedoubler.com/click^QS^p=17569^QA^a=60823^QA^g=134344^QA^url=http%3A//www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/product_info.php%3FcPath%3D7_16%26products_id%3D605)

Have heard them in the flesh at the Advanced MP3 Players shop in Edinburgh, and the quality of sound they produce for something so small is spectacular. They have a footprint that's a tad bigger than a CD, and are only about an inch and a half tall.

studavis

14-09-2005, 10:33

could anyone reccomend a small pair of PC type speakers that I can just plug into the ipod (so no AC adaptor needed) that will sound ok. not after anything great just small, portable and cheap!

RobDickinson

14-09-2005, 10:43

could anyone reccomend a small pair of PC type speakers that I can just plug into the ipod (so no AC adaptor needed) that will sound ok. not after anything great just small, portable and cheap!

Your not going to get volume or quality from unpowered speakers, tesco et al will have some portable stereo pwered speakers but they wont be good, £5 should do it.

Bose is typicaly overpriced and poor, but i havnt heard their Ipod thing so wont coment on that.

Mother sinar

14-09-2005, 13:38

I went to an Apple store yesterday to pick up a Nano, and while I was there I listened to the Altec lansing inMotion iM7 and thought it sounded really good for that type of device, much nicer than anything else I have heard, including Bose, though I have not listened to the Monitor Audio i-deck yet so don't know how it compares to that.

The iM7 seemed well made and designed, it's not cheap at £200 though. I would have bought one if I could afford it. No doubt you could get better quality plugging your ipod into a more conventional hi-fi set up, but for looks, portablity and sound quality the iM7 seemed a nice solution.

Julie

brock_landers

18-09-2005, 23:30

Your not going to get volume or quality from unpowered speakers, tesco et al will have some portable stereo pwered speakers but they wont be good, £5 should do it.

Bose is typicaly overpriced and poor, but i havnt heard their Ipod thing so wont coment on that.

Agree with everything said, including the Bose comments, except the Sound Dock is excellent. Monitor Audio is the current champ Ipod playback device though. Outstanding piece of kit.