- Built-in Universal iPod Dock and Aux input (high and normal)
- Dynamic and Clear sound with Dual Passive Radiator and Bamboo Cone Speakers
- Ultra Slim Design
- Low Power Consumption at Standby Mode
- Built-in CD player and AM/FM Digital Tuner
First off, the SC-HC3 has a very small footprint. It is extremely thin for a system and could easily fit on a bookshelf or mantle which was important to me; I didn't want something large and bulky since I wanted to put it in the dining room and kitchen area of my house.
It has an ipod dock and CD player which both are covered by a sliding panel, another plus since I have pets and did not want the fur to get into the ipod docking area when not in use. The ipod can play while the panel is open, so you can scroll back and forth manually or you can use the remote control that comes with the system. And the part that covers the ipod is a dark plastic, but see-through when the ipod is on, so you can see what song is playing. The part of the panel that covers the CD is metalic silver and not see-through. There are system buttons on the top so the front of the stereo looks very clean and not cluttered and they're simple and straightforward to use.
Now, I'm not one of those people who can tell you if the music comes across pure or crisp or robust or is highly superior to another system. But I do think that for the most part, it does sound good, not hollow or too much bass and it does sound clear.
The only complaint that I really have with it has to do with the ipod dock, though. It has a pivoting dock connector that pops forward to help you put the ipod in. I have an ipod touch and with it being so thin, it is sometimes hard to get it to connect on the first (or tenth) try. There is definitely plenty of room in there for larger ipods which might fit better. And then (this might be just the system I got) every once in a while the connection didn't fit right and when the music plays, there is sometimes static during the song. At first I thought it was that the song had been corrupted at some point, but the static would happen between songs and when I paused it. And since it sounded like radio static, I thought that something was wrong and the radio was playing through the system while I had the ipod on. Then I realized that it was the dock. When I pulled the ipod out and placed it back in, the static disappeared. Not a huge deal since I try to remember to make sure it is firmly on and I've only had that problem a few times and it's now been a while, and like I said, it could just be the one I got. If it continues, I'll probably exchange it. UPDATE: It's been a few months and it hasn't happened since.
But overall it is a nice system that doesn't take up much room and is mainly for music, not an alarm clock.I'm cross posting this review to the 3 products I evaluated.
Bose Sounddock
iHome Bongiovi IP1
Panasonic SC-HC3
I purchased a Bose Sounddock, but the thing kept rejecting my iPhone. After borrowing a friend's iPod to test with it, I was underwhelmed by the sound quality. Due to both facts I returned the item. Put me in the camp that thinks that Bose is more about marketing than the end product. I think most of the Sounddock products sound about the same, though I didn't test the Sounddock 10.
After checking out reviews on the iHome IP1, I next went to a warehouse store and gave it a test run. The sound quality was better than the Bose, though the footprint was much larger and not as elegant looking. One negative is the power adapter brick which is large and would be hard to tuck away to hide somewhere.
On the way to checkout I saw the Panasonic SC-HC3. There wasn't an evaluation model out, but after looking at it I noticed the footprint was much nicer and looked great. In addition it has a built in CD player and AM/FM radio. I decided to give it a go and purchased that as well and would let my girlfriend (whom was the recipient) decide which one she wanted. When I got it home and tried it out side by side the sound quality wasn't as nice as the iHome. However I thought it was "good enough" because at moderate levels it still sounded very good. I also considered where this was going to be used, which would be in a small apartment or bedroom and realized that it would be very rare for her to want to crank this up to 11. The smaller and nicer looking footprint was great, and the CD feature and AM/FM radio was the clincher for me (as well as her). One note: This unit is not compatible by default with an iPhone, though it will work with it however you probably need to turn the airplane feature on to get the best sound.
Summary:
Sound: The iHome was the best sounding unit, marginally better than the Bose. The Panasonic was moderately less preferable to both the iHome and Bose, but please take into consideration your listening environment and habits. If you are an audiophile then the Panasonic is probably not for you, but I personally feel it would be satisfactory for 90% of the people.
Footprint: The Bose and Panasonic are sleek and thin units and are about equally preferable. The iHome is a bit bulky and doesn't look as classy. You will have a harder time finding a nice place put this.
Features: The Panasonic wins hands down on this. CD/AM/FM are great extras. While I personally don't need the CD player I still think it is a shame that the Bose and iHome don't include at least an FM radio. Had the iHome had an FM tuner built in, I would have strongly considered this model instead.
Cost: At the time of this writing the iHome is slightly MORE expensive than the Bose, while the Panasonic is about 40% less.
I would recommend either the iHome IP1 or Panasonic over Bose. If you are more interested in great sound at high volumes over form and function then get the iHome. This would be a great unit for a college student so they could enjoy music in the dorm, and take it outside (with extension cord) to provide music for all to enjoy. If you don't plan on cranking the volume all the way and want decent quality as well as good aesthetics and a compact footprint then the Panasonic is a better option. If you ever need the CD or radio features then I think this makes the Panasonic a much better choice. Also you should strongly consider the lifetime guarantee you can get by purchasing these units at certain stores over the 1 year warranty Bose gives you. Make sure you save the boxes however!
If Bose had included at least an FM tuner, I might give this a unit a "maybe". While the sound is good, it isn't awesome. It looks great but is woefully lacking on features. Finally compare the warranties to that of the other units (from a warehouse) and I find it makes recommending this unit much harder to do.I love this Panasonic SC-HC3 radio/iPod/CD player!
I was concerned that the sliding doors might break after using them a lot, but so far so good. I have used the player for about a month and am completely happy with it. The controls are very obvious, the remote is very useful, and allows you to go through the iPod menu so that you don't have to fiddle with the little iPod wheel or open the door.
But best of all, I think the sound quality is excellent for such a compact player. Of course, it is great that it looks good, and is so slim.As far as functionality packaged in a sleek small package this unit is the best on the market. If you need the functionality of radio, CD player and Ipod dock this is it. If you can do without the radio and CD player look elsewhere. There are multiple Ipod speaker sets that provide much fuller, powerful sound in comparable sizes. The sound quality sounds bloated, yet hollow. You can tell its a mid-end sound at best, even for its size. Both my 4G Classic, 3G Nano and 5G Nano work and charge on this unit.
Besides the sound the only other couple minor complaints I have is that when you leave the Ipod on the dock it has this flash on and off on the display...basically telling you its charging. In a bedroom at night its annoying. It does turn off once its done charging. And lastly the FM reception isn't any good. At first I thought it was the positioning but my receiver is on the opposite wall and the reception is fine on that unit, so I don't get it...I just can't use the FM tuner...which was one of the reasons to purchase the unit.
Other that that my favorite part about this system is the sleek contempory look. It conceals both the CD and Ipod...you can still see through the smoke plastic to see the Ipod display. You can have it open or closed.
