Forums | MacLife

Czachorski · 2006-03-08 5:42 pm

As fate would have it, Apple released the iPod HiFi at the perfect time for me - we are re-doing our living room and I am in the market for a small book-shelf replacement for my floor speakers. Since I listen to all my music coming out of the computer anyways, I thought the iPod HiFi might be perfect for me.

Well, I went to the Apple store and listened to it, and did not buy one. No matter how I sliced it, it just sounded like the sound was coming from a small box to me. I am looking for something in a mini-stereo system that produces that big-stereo sound, and I did not find the iPod hifi to be it. I think it is overpriced at $349, and what you are basically paying for is the small form factor, all-in-one box, iPod dock, portability and the Apple name. I don't need all that - I just want small form and big sound, and the hifi does not even have the latter.

As I was browsing around, someone blasted up a pair of nice Altec Lansing speakers. These give the exact big stereo sounds that I was looking for in a small form factor. I ended up buying them, and they were $100 less than the hifi. They are not portable, and don't have an iPod dock, but all I wanted was something small to plug into my computer to replace my floor speakers. These are perfect, they sound awesome, they have gotten great reviews and their silver casing matches my Apple cinema display perfectly.

I may be a fanboy, but I am still objective. wink

mjsmitho · 2006-03-08 5:50 pm

Not the experience I have read elsewhere, but I have not heard them myself. Could it have been just that demo unit or were there multiple units to try? Could it have been the song(s) and/or there quality when demoed?

MacBoy4139 · 2006-03-08 6:17 pm

I know that the Altec Lansing speakers are the #1 recommended by Macworld/Playlist magazine, but I have to say I hated them.

We had high hopes for them, and they constantly sounded tinny, and didn't give that rich full sound feeling that I currently enjoy with my Hi-Fi.

Knowing Apple's Retail stores, I wouldn't be amazed if it wasn't in the best spot (following Apple's guidlines) to get the best audio quality out of it.

Mine is. It does make a difference.

Egress · 2006-03-08 6:28 pm

I recently stopped in at Staples and picked up a pair of speakers. I have a laptop that I use to play music from live365.com. I decided I wanted better speakers than the laptop's built-in ones, for a reasonable cost.

Staples had one of those displays where you can press buttons and play a song through several setups. I left with a pair of Altec Lansing 2120 speakers. They're now out of production, but the 2220 speakers have replaced them.

Either way, they provide a really good sound for $30.00. To me, they sounded better than other speakers costing over $100.00.

Keep in mind, I've always favored the two-speaker setup. I've never liked subwoofers.

rufio · 2006-03-08 6:31 pm

I dunno, I think they are the best sounding speakers in our store.

MacBoy4139 · 2006-03-08 6:33 pm

rufio wrote:
I dunno, I think they are the best sounding speakers in our store.

Where are they placed? Between the glass panes or on the freestanding island?

Please tell me it is not on a kidney wink

rufio · 2006-03-08 6:56 pm

MacBoy4139 wrote:
rufio wrote:
I dunno, I think they are the best sounding speakers in our store.
Where are they placed? Between the glass panes or on the freestanding island?

Please tell me it is not on a kidney

We have three. Two are on kidneys, and one of those is the one that we show people most often. Then, in our "iPod speaker" section, we have one. And It is placed in the direct center of the entire table of iPod speaker sets. We put a lot of Miles Davis-type stuff on it and it sounds really great. It kinda drowns out the rest of the store. Pretty cool.

Czachorski · 2006-03-08 7:12 pm

rufio wrote:
I dunno, I think they are the best sounding speakers in our store.

Which ones? Running the Altec Lansing's and the hifi's was a noticeable difference. I did try multiple hifis with different types of music, and tried a source off an iPod and plugged into a Mac directly, all with the same result.

MacBoy4139 wrote:
I know that the Altec Lansing speakers are the #1 recommended by Macworld/Playlist magazine, but I have to say I hated them.

We had high hopes for them, and they constantly sounded tinny, and didn't give that rich full sound feeling that I currently enjoy with my Hi-Fi.

It's interesting because playing with them both side by side in the store there was a significant difference. I was actually playing with the hifi and discussing with the salesmen that they just did not sound like I expected - like they were a boom box instead of a hifi, and just then someone fire up the set-up with the Altec Lansing's and immediately turned around and said "Wow - that is the exact sounds and feel that I was looking for - what is that?", and it was the Altec's.

Weird.

shrug

macnuke · 2006-03-08 7:18 pm

read the specs on em... they suck.
so my expectations were pretty low before i even heard them.
bad form Apple i say.

MacBoy4139 · 2006-03-08 7:24 pm

rufio wrote:
MacBoy4139 wrote:
rufio wrote:
I dunno, I think they are the best sounding speakers in our store.
Where are they placed? Between the glass panes or on the freestanding island?

Please tell me it is not on a kidney
We have three. Two are on kidneys, and one of those is the one that we show people most often. Then, in our "iPod speaker" section, we have one. And It is placed in the direct center of the entire table of iPod speaker sets. We put a lot of Miles Davis-type stuff on it and it sounds really great. It kinda drowns out the rest of the store. Pretty cool.

I'm glad they follow their own setup instructions for the best audio quality. hmm

Shadowless · 2006-03-08 7:40 pm

I almost always prefer sound with a sub included. HiFi probably wouldn't work for me, but people who don't like such heavy sound (or if it's just unsuitable for that kind of music) would love it. Given the insane range of music I listen to, I have to have a sub. It just sounds so much better at times.

One thing I want to find are some small electrostatic speakers. I heard some before and it was great (also accompanied by a standard sub). It's just such an interesting technology too. I wonder if they'll ever build it into laptops.

Superman · 2006-03-09 12:27 am

after using a real Hifi (Harman Kardon Stereo Receiver and Infinity bookshelf speakers), the iPod thinger just looks cheap, like a kid's boombox. Doubt it sounds much better either.

robco · 2006-03-09 12:48 am

I'm not sure why Apple created the product in the first place. I hope this doesn't deter other manufacturers from releasing alternatives.

MacBoy4139 · 2006-03-09 8:07 am

With direct access to the firmware (Sorry Apple, that just isn't playing fair - and I own a freakin' Hi-Fi) I'm sure that sends a message to the third-party manufacturers.

rufio · 2006-03-09 8:28 pm

robco wrote:
I'm not sure why Apple created the product in the first place. I hope this doesn't deter other manufacturers from releasing alternatives.

Well it seems to work great for people who want to connect their Mac to a remote speaker in a complete Apple setup. So, for instance, an iMac connected to the internet, an Airport Express sitting just below the Hi-Fi, the Apple Airport extreme cord to connect to speakers....and now, the remote speaker.

For that purpose it sounds pretty cool. But that's not how it was advertised. And that may be because Apple knew that the target audience is larger if it has an iPod dock on top, but it's still kinda in the fine print for someone to figure out that the aforementioned setup will work.

shrug

MB38 · 2006-03-09 10:03 pm

Breaking News: Apple Fanboy resists inferior product

If I want a bike, I'll buy it from a bike company, not BMW. If I want golf clubs, I'll by them from a golf club company, not Nike. If I want speakers, I'll buy them from a speaker company... not Apple.

rufio · 2006-03-09 10:43 pm

But YOU are not the average consumer. Most people will buy "anything" from a good brand name, regardless of whether it's a specialty of theirs or not.

Plus, Apple is to most people a music company, and speakers are associated with music. iPod and speakers go hand in hand for most people.

gozer · 2006-03-09 11:01 pm

not a huge fan of the hifi, although it was better than i thought.

didn't like the 6021's either, although they are a decent speaker.

for an iPod, the kilpsch iFi is one of the best per dollar and just as speakers, out perform the altec lansing in clarity and volume.

i already go on enough about tivloli stuff so i'll skip that

as smurfy as it looks, the monitor i-deck is decent

gozer · 2006-03-09 11:06 pm

oh, and if you got enough cash....go with the focal icub

WhirlinGraphics · 2006-03-09 11:06 pm

On the last TWiT podcast the gang liked this direct competitor of the HiFi.

gozer · 2006-03-09 11:08 pm

the iM7 is decent, but has very distorted sound at higher volumes, and very muddy sound at low volumes.

and the plastic latch that keeps the door closed always breaks.

WhirlinGraphics · 2006-03-09 11:38 pm

I love the design of the Klipsch iGroove and have been wanting to check out the sound. An added bonus for me is that Klipsch is also based here in Indianapolis.

gozer · 2006-03-10 7:30 am

the igroove sounds cheaper than the bose soundock. not much, but side by side it's there. you can tell the membrane's made out of a piece of paper.

but it is sexier wink

MacBoy4139 · 2006-03-10 7:49 am

MB38 wrote:
Breaking News: Apple Fanboy resists inferior product

If I want a bike, I'll buy it from a bike company, not BMW. If I want golf clubs, I'll by them from a golf club company, not Nike. If I want speakers, I'll buy them from a speaker company... not Apple.

How exactly is it inferior? The only thing I don't like about it is the lack of an RF remote.

Thrica · 2006-03-11 1:27 am

After the incessant hissing from my Klipsch 5.1s and their official denial of any problem (It's a feature, not a bug), I'm going to avoid that brand for any future purposes, which will probably be a long time from now.

Forums | MacLife

#1 2006-03-08 5:42 pm

No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#2 2006-03-08 5:50 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#3 2006-03-08 6:17 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#4 2006-03-08 6:28 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#5 2006-03-08 6:31 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#6 2006-03-08 6:33 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

rufio wrote:

#7 2006-03-08 6:56 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

MacBoy4139 wrote:

rufio wrote:

#8 2006-03-08 7:12 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

rufio wrote:

MacBoy4139 wrote:

#9 2006-03-08 7:18 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#10 2006-03-08 7:24 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

rufio wrote:

MacBoy4139 wrote:

rufio wrote:

#11 2006-03-08 7:40 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#12 2006-03-09 12:27 am

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#13 2006-03-09 12:48 am

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#14 2006-03-09 8:07 am

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#15 2006-03-09 8:28 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

robco wrote:

#16 2006-03-09 10:03 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#17 2006-03-09 10:43 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#18 2006-03-09 11:01 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#19 2006-03-09 11:06 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#20 2006-03-09 11:06 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#21 2006-03-09 11:08 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#22 2006-03-09 11:38 pm

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#23 2006-03-10 7:30 am

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

#24 2006-03-10 7:49 am

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

MB38 wrote:

#25 2006-03-11 1:27 am

Re: No to the iPod HiFi (Maybe I'm not as much of a fanboy as I thought)

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