Now, many companies make these systems. And, as with most industries on this planet, the bulk of manufacturers do a merely passable, if not awful job of it. As a result, iPod speaker systems are not threatening the home hi-fi market any time soon. There exist, however, a small number of reputable companies making excellent products, but I’ve only found one example that I’d recommend wholeheartedly for both portability AND sound quality; The Bose SoundDock.
This is, without a doubt, one of those simply perfect products, on a par with Swiss Army knives and Maglites for their design and engineering achievements. From previous experience I know that everything Bose touches turns to gold, and this is certainly no exception. Obviously, it doesn’t have the punch of a fully-fledged hi-fi system, but it still seems implausible that such a full, clear and dynamic sound could be projected from such a compact package. I tested this product with a bit of everything, from jazz, where the projected sound was every bit as smooth as you could ask for, through to heavy rock, where it held its own even up against blistering distorted guitar solos. Bose have a reputation for speaker quality, and this is clearly no exception.
As for portability, this system has all its bases covered – it is fantastically compact, has a built-in handle, and the iPod dock on the front rotates away inside the body of the unit so smoothly that you feel obliged to try it out a few times just for the sheer pleasure of it. The Lithium-Ion battery offers long-life and high-power output, as well as speedy charging times. An auxiliary input means that you can hook it up to a laptop allowing you to play your computer’s music collection, CD’s, internet radio or to provide an immense boost to the evening’s film. Additionally, it is supplied with a slimline remote control, so you don’t have to get up to fix the volume or change the track; after all, you’ve been hard at work all day.
All in all, this is the one to go for. Other companies make similar products, but for portability and power, this is really the only choice. Now you simply need to decide whether you’d like it in black or white…
You can pick one up from the Apple Store.
