Yamaha PDX-30BL Speaker Dock for iPod and iPhone, 1 Each (Black)

• You can plug your iPod or your iPhone right onto the unit
• Is light weight and easy to carry around
• Uses Yamaha's original digital amplifier with extremely low noise and distortion
• Card type remote unit for additional convenience

I have checked out almost all the iPod/iTouch speakers on the market ever since I added the XM radio app to my iTouch. Since I was hoping to play XM fo rextended periods,I needed a speaker that would charge my second generation while it was playing. Here is a word of caution to anyone in the same situation: not all docking players will charge as they play, especially when it comes to the second generation. Before I bought the unit I actually called Yamaha and they assured me on two different occasions that their player would indeed charge as playing. And it does. Then you have to hear it to believe it. The sound is exceptional, probably better than units that are twice as expensive. The reputation of Yamaha as a maker of quality audio products shines through. Now would anyone want to buy a somewhat used Altec-Lansing?

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This speaker dock does only one thing: It plays your iPod or iPhone. There's no clock, no radio, no CD slot, not even an audio-in jack. It's not cheap, either.

But what it does do, it does *really* well. I tried out numerous iPod/iPhone speaker docks in the one to two hundred dollar price range, and I strongly preferred the sound of the Yamaha PDX-30 to any of the alternatives. The sound is not tinny, buzzy, or boomy, but clean and balanced. The unit sounds good at both low and high volumes. I've used it on low volume in a small bedroom and on higher volume in a large classroom, and it sounds great in both settings.

It can even function as an alarm clock using the iPod's alarm clock feature. A bonus is that even though this is not a "portable" unit -there's no handle or carrying case -it's small enough to fit in a backpack or messenger bag.

Highly recommended if sound quality, iPhone compatibility, and an under-two-hundred-dollar price tag are your top criteria.

Edited December 2011: Over two years after purchasing this dock, it still sounds great. But it recently stopped charging my iPod. Given that it worked flawlessly for two and a half years, I guess I can't complain, but it's kind of a mystery!

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I spent about 2 weeks in search of the right iPod speaker. I'm not an "audiophile" by any means but I wanted a rich sounding speaker dock with good bass for my bedroom and also to bring into the living room for background music when I had guests. I don't think it's too bassy, btw, as some reviewers have said but maybe it's because I have a preference for a little more bass. The quick general fix is to set your iPod EQ to fit your mood accordingly.

I also looked at the Kanto SYD 4 and 5 (80 watts!), Klipsch iGroove SXT (kind of wimpy looking although seemed to have decent sound at the Apple Store), Philips dc570 tower (maybe too bulky looking but 100 watts) & the clock radios DCM250, Polk iSonic (seemed nice and booming, but expensive & people think the LED screen is too bright at night), and JBL On Stage 400P (seemed to provide really solid and powerful sound but I find it kind of ugly), among others.

This provided the best combination of sound, power (30 Ws) and sleekness. I am a minimalist and you can't beat this Yamaha speaker dock for how clean, sleek and compact it looks. For power in a self-contained iPod speaker, I'm convinced that the Kanto SYD 5 is the way to go and I was thinking of buying it. But I'm not 20 anymore (I'm 39) and I don't need to blow people (or myself) out of the water any longer. Plus the SYD 5 is pretty stinking huge and this Yamaha, is compact and sits on my bedroom nightstand beautifully.

There are a couple of foibles. It doesn't have an aux line in. Why in the world they wouldn't just put that in is a headscratcher. But it wasn't a dealbreaker for me. It doesn't have radio, which is fine since I can just stream stations and use Pandora from my iPod Touch. But the most significant foible is that the remote only controls your own music library. If you are playing Pandora, the remote does not operate the controls for the next song or to switch categories. I forget but some iPod dock speakers allow you to use the iPod Touch/iPhone as its remote control so you can have full control of the streaming music, not just your music library.

But all these foibles do not overcome how much I like this unit. And at $169 with saver shipping from Amazon.com to Hawaii (shipping is routinely an issue for us), this was a great deal. I may one day buy a SYD 5 for dual use with iPod and maybe my TV, but for now, I'm really glad I bought this and it was exactly what I thought I was getting.

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My Bose Soundock system died for reasons not clear to me. The Bose system is okay but is grossly overpriced at $300. I spent an inordinate amount of time looking at and listening to potential replacememts. I came on one of these at a BestBuy and a b'd to everything there. In my view there is a lot of bass produced but I think it still has a better overall response level than most and I'm pretty particular. The Soundock may seem smoother as it is all midrange but this system beats it hands down for overall sound reproduction. Keep in mind that Yamaha has long been a high end audio brand a much higher end brand than Bose or KLipsch or any of the others out there so the sonic performace of this unit should not be surprising. No problem with power either the unit can fill my large garage with ease.

I've liked this unit so much I have also purchased the clock radio/CD player unit for my master bedroom which is also excellent if you need the additional features.

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I read all the reviews of the black model, and there seems to be a consensus that the sound quality of this Yamaha is overly bass-heavy, so when it arrived last week I was expecting to be slightly disappointed in the sound. Far from it! Although I agree with another poster who suggested setting your iPod's EQ to the "jazz" setting for a brighter tone balance, the reality is this unit sounds exceptional right out of the box.

The ease of use is typically brilliant, and the remote is as intuitive as the iPod itself. And in case you care (as I do), this until hits harder than you'd expect for such compact dimensions. I live in a 1300 sq. ft. apartment, and it's the only sound system I need even for parties. It easily has the muscle to overpower a condo packed with revelers, and the distortion even at high volume levels is commendably low. Factor in the Japanese minimalism of the design and the funky blue color scheme and the PDX-30BU scratches me where I itch. I love the thing.

Admittedly, if your tastes run toward gadgety features on a speaker system, this definitely isn't the unit for you. It doesn't do anything except play your music. But if you're looking for sound quality and muscle that puts something like the (woefully overrated) Bose SoundDock on the trailer, then this is the best bang for the buck anywhere.

Get it. You'll love it.