ipod hi-fi gets review from ilounge
Mar 3, 2006 at 4:57 PM Post #2 of 17
looks like it is well...good for next to nothing.

So you need the remote because you need to be 10 feet or more away for it to sound good?

Because the only thing it has over the cheaper better looking and sounding competitors is that it plays louder.

wow nice
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Sorry nothing is more fun that mocking products that suck.

Steve Jobs is replacing his hifi system with this? Must have pushed q-tips in a bit too deep one too many times.
 
Mar 3, 2006 at 6:44 PM Post #4 of 17
I kind of expected this, for the price you *should* be getting so much more.
 
Mar 3, 2006 at 8:44 PM Post #5 of 17
Is it just me, or does anyone else find Jeremy Horowitz difficult to read and almost impossible to understand? He seems to sway back and forth with every other sentence or paragraph, and then doesn't really reach a solid conclusion. Like the HiFi is bad, but it's good, not too good, but not too bad either, so it gets a B?
 
Mar 3, 2006 at 8:45 PM Post #6 of 17
Quote:

Originally Posted by Taphil
Is it just me, or does anyone else find Jeremy Horowitz difficult to read and almost impossible to understand? He seems to sway back and forth with every other sentence and doesn't really reach a solid conclusion. Like the HiFi is bad, but it's good, so it gets a B?


No, it's not just you. He could be a little more concise. I also don't think I've ever seen anything less than a B. My rule of thumb is if it's not at least an A-, it probably sucks.
 
Mar 3, 2006 at 9:17 PM Post #7 of 17
I got one yesterday (birthday gift) and I so far have very mixed feelings about it.

It is very bland looking but also appears very well made, no rough seams squeeks or rattles and is nicely packaged.


My initial impression of the sound was not very favorable, It seemed to have mushy highs and indistinct imaging.... But and this is a big but, that is in relatively close. I set it initially on my desk in place of my computer speakers and I was about 2-3 feet from it. So I was very disappointed and moved it across the living room to mess with it later.

My GF came in from work later in the day and saw it sitting on the bar. She was upset that i apparently was not thrilled with it and wanted to play with it herself. So she turns it on and is playing it while I'm across the room and I think what the hell? all of the sudden it is sounding pretty decent. Respectable bass and tons of volume

As I walked toward it the sound got worse again when I got in close. This is a weird thing that I have seen once before. Bose 901 speakers used to have similar issues if you were too close to them. This is where audio installers back in the day made good money in setting them up "just right".

So a couple of observations after having it for a day or so. I think there is something to the "replacement for a stereo system" idea. Not that I think it is anywhere near as good as the systems folks here have but in more in how it could be used. In other words it probably can hold it's own with the sub $1000 systems that people buy from Best Buy and stick in the corner of their living rooms and then listen to at a fairly good distance on the couch. Listening to it that way as I am now it's ok.

But it really calls in to question a couple of things including the value of the remote. Without a display at the distance where the box sounds the best you can't see the ipods display so the only thing the remote is good for is volume control.

I also think that it is definitely overpriced for that niche usage.

However, their appears to be a good bit of electronics and DSP in it so possibly with a firmware update they could add a "small room" or "close up" sound mode.

Interestingly with the SPIFD input on the unit and the corresponding output on a Mac Mini, possibly they envision a mini-tv-ipod hifi home entertainment center?


I'm going to keep fiddling with it both to see what it really can do and also to keep the GF happy that I am using my expensive birthday present
 
Mar 3, 2006 at 11:18 PM Post #8 of 17
I think most speakers are designed to "gel" when you are maybe 6-10 feet from them to get decent sound. I'm not sure about the hifi though.

When I get that close to my B&W's they get bright and honky. When you sit back in the sweet spot (or just get further back) the sound blends properly and sounds wonderful.

I think it has to do with how the crossovers work and where the frequencies are "beamed" at a reasonable distance.

If they are intended to replace regular stereo speakers, then it sounds like nearfield listening was not in the minds of the designers.
 
Mar 4, 2006 at 1:12 AM Post #9 of 17
Quote:

Originally Posted by Taphil
Is it just me, or does anyone else find Jeremy Horowitz difficult to read and almost impossible to understand?


I concur - he really needs to get a copy of Strunk's "The Elements of Style"!
 
Mar 4, 2006 at 1:52 AM Post #10 of 17
Quote:

Originally Posted by davei
I concur - he really needs to get a copy of Strunk's "The Elements of Style"!


his ordering of sentences is a little rambunctious and its hard to understand. I'd prefer if he writes in a more direct style.
 
Mar 4, 2006 at 2:33 AM Post #11 of 17
Quote:

Originally Posted by davei
I concur - he really needs to get a copy of Strunk's "The Elements of Style"!


LOL! This sucks for him since he is an attorney aka a lawyer. As a potential lawyer, I consider this to be the ultimate insult. An insult such as this should never be directed towards a lawyer since lawyers are supposed to be true masters of the English language. It is because of this mastery of the English language that lawyers get paid so well. I guess this explains why he is working at iLounge.
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Mar 4, 2006 at 2:38 AM Post #12 of 17
Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF
LOL! This sucks for him since he is an attorney aka a lawyer. As a potential lawyer, I consider this to be the ultimate insult. An insult such as this should never be directed towards a lawyer since lawyers are supposed to be true masters of the English language. It is because of this mastery of the English language that lawyers get paid so well. I guess this explains why he is working at iLounge.
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rolleyes.gif



does the guy get paid for writing reviews at ilounge?
 
Mar 4, 2006 at 2:42 AM Post #13 of 17
Quote:

Originally Posted by Oistrakh
does the guy get paid for writing reviews at ilounge?


I think he does. I recently went to a portable expo show and was surprised to see that iLounge had the best stand and display out of
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ALL
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the companies. They apparently have quite a little bit of money to throw around.
 

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