- Charges and plays iPad, iPhone, and iPod
- Powerful 20Wx2 speakers with integrated subwoofer
- Component video-out for watching HD movies and videos on a TV
- Aux-in for connecting audio devices
- Illuminated Controls
In the box, I found the main unit, a power cord, and an external power supply, similar to what you'd find in a laptop.
After using it for several days, I can report that it has some pros and some cons.
Pros-
Sound Qualitythe single unit includes five speakers (a left and right tweeter, a left and right mid-range, and one woofer that is located directly behind the ipod/ipad). The sound quality is very good and produces very good highs and decent bass for a unit it's size. However, unlike some more expensive products (most notably Bose), it does not fill the room with sound.
CompatabilityIt has an iPod dock and it also has rear inputs for a line in, so that you can use it with non-Apple devices.
iPod DockThe integrated iPod dock will support both the iPod or the iPad with an adaptor (which is supplied). There's even an eject button that will cause the dock to retract into the unit so that it doesn't mar the design of the unit when you don't need to use it.
RemoteThe unit includes an infrared remote control which can control the volume, power, and also an iPod or iPad if attached.
Cons-
iPod DockLike most devices with an integrated iPod dock, the dock will not mate with an iPod or an iPad that has a case on it. You must either remove your case, or purchase a dock extender at an additional cost. Since I keep my iPod secured in an Otterbox Defender, I didn't use the dock. I don't understand why these manufacturers don't provide a dock extender or dock cable, or design the dock connection to allow iPods to be used with a case!
DesignThe unit really is not physically attractive unless it has an iPod or iPad attached to it. See above for why I couldn't do that.
Remotethe remote has some buttons on it that are not replicated on the unit itself or on the ipod. For example, there is a bass up and down button which appears nowhere else. So, if you lose the remote or it is broken, you'll be unable to change these settings.
Display The unit has no display. As a result, its impossible to tell what volume level or bass level you've set. There are a few buttons on the unit itself (volume, input selector, eject button for the dock), and they have a backlight that comes on when the unit is powered up.
No BatteryThis unit has no internal battery, and so the unit is not really portable.
Overall, I like Logitech S715i (which I purchased at my own expense) much better. The Logitech includes an internal battery and is a bit smaller. The sound quality on the Logitech is almost as good, but with less bass. There are no buttons on the Logitech remote that aren't replicated on the unit itself or on your iPod. And I like the styling on the Logitech better as well. The Logitech is priced a little lower than this unit.
The Bose Sound Dock II totally blows this away, as you'd expect for something that costs more than twice as much money.
Buy The Sharper Image ESI-A682 Ambience Home Audio Docking Station for iPod, iPhone and iPad Now
This Sharper Image device does live up to the company's image of slickly designed devices. The sound is not spectacular but it is very simple to use and works as advertised. My only gripe with the device is that it's hard to get an iphone 4 with a case into the device without having to push back a spring loaded bumper that is designed to provide stability.
It does have component video out, but iOS devices will not play high definition video over that connection type.
There's also a questionable design choice made by requiring a plastic spacer to use an iPad with the speaker. The plastic piece prevents the door from closing automatically thereby making it a real chore to make use of the feature.This is a great unit. Great sound, sleek look. I've had no problems with it and love the way the sound fills up a room. My one minor complaint with it is that when you turn off the unit, it doesn't pause the music on the player your ipod keeps playing. But really, that's a tiny issue. This is a good one.I've been in love with this system since I got it. It's my first iPod speaker dock. Granted, I did not have to pay for it, so the biggest question becomes: If I had to pay the purchase price, would I?
In short, well--no. You can stop reading now if you like, or you can find out why.
Why I like it so much--
Mainly, the audio quality is excellent. I've had a lot of speaker units in my life, and it's amazing to me how good this can sound in such a small package. The bass is great and deep. It's really a perfect home unit. I noticed nuances in my music that I'd never heard before.
Sadly, it just has too many niggly little things to recommend it at this price point. The bass can only be adjusted via the remote, so if you lose the remote, you're out of luck. The dock itself slides out on a motor, which seems impressive, but if that fragile little motor breaks, again, you're out of luck.
I didn't think much about how it looked. I don't care. It's form factor seems fine to me, even though the adapter is a bit clunky. It's sturdy, but, again, for its price, it feels a bit cheap and plasticine.
If it cost half what they're asking, or if they could make some smaller, budget version with all the sound quality and none of the weak parts, and all the controls on the unit instead of a remote, that might be something to consider. At this price, I'm not sure I would. I haven't used any other units, but I'm sure there are others with the excellent sound quality for less.
I don't mean to sound ungrateful! I love this item, and I'm happy I got one. If it were broken or lost, however, yes, I would seek a replacement, but it probably wouldn't be the same thing unless it was a swinging discount. Surely there is a better way to make these.
Other reviewers seemed upset about the inability to use it with an iPod or iPhone in a case. I wasn't bothered by this. I take my iPod out of its case to put it on the dock. It's not much of a pain. It also comes with a jack for non-Apple MP3 players. This can be put into the iPod/iPhone headphone jack. Yes, defeats the purpose a bit, I admit, but it's still handy. I sometimes plug my netbook into it, though, and for that, it's nice to have.
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There are a multitude of sound docking stations available. This is the first one I have seen that allows docking of an iPhone/iTouch and an iPad. It also is the first one I have seen that says it will output video, for which I was really excited. On the plus side the sound is loud, clear, crisp, good quality, actually better than I was expecting. On the down side I can not get video out to work.First the sound. The sound fills up a room, actually a house without any problem or distortion. Because of the size of the unit, it is fuller than other iPhone speaker/docking units I have used. I was most impressed that you can get large volume and still have a faithful sound reproduction. I found lows, mids, highs, all pleasing, jazz, rock, classical, you name it. Great for quick mix on Pandora. It also allows an Ipad to be docked using a stablizing plug in.
What did not work for me, and I was excited to try was the video out. I faithfully followed the instructions. Hooked up a component cable in back, other end to both of my component in slots on my HDTV. Neither slot worked. I will try it on friends TVs and update if it does work. As an aside there is no component cable provided, you have to provide it yourself.
Aside from the video out not working there are a couple of drawbacks with the units. It is large and heavy. This is a trade off. You get larger, more powerful speakers than most docking units and you also get the iPad capability. Also a down side is the power cord. It is a beast. Large and heavy enough to be comparable to a notebook power cable. There is also no battery option. So this is definitely a home docking station, not a camping, ball game, and home docking station.
But the sound is very good. If the video had worked, and perhaps it is my TV, then it would have been a solid 4, the only down side being the bulk and also the design of the docking part of the station itself. It retracts in and out, which would seem to be a nice feature. But because there is a lot of button pushing and app switching when I use an iPhone, tunein radio to pandora to NPR music app, etc. I would have personally liked a more stable permanent dock. But if you want a great sounding speaker/docking station that can be used for both iPhone and iPad, you should consider this.
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