iPod docking station

[rollhead]

what do you recommend for one of those speaker sets you can plug your iPod into?

[Cicero Slim]

http://www.musicdirect.com/products/...=AMONITORIDECK

[mjb]

I just got the iCub and Sib sub & speakers. I had the Apple white box before (and is is quite good)

The iCub is very good. Needs a docking station though.

[guy]

I have the Logic3 Istation. It's nice for travel purposes, but distorts the sound on certain recordings. Not recommended if you plan to use it as your primary stereo system.

Guy

[Robert de St. Loup]

I picked up the JBL Onstage II on sale at amazon for less than $65, and I'm quite pleased with it. It's very compact, includes a docking station, and has a separate aux input to run your computer sound through, as well as a remote control which controls the iPod itself. The sound is quite decent as well for such a little device (its footprint is a circle about 7" in diameter). I expect the one referenced by Cicero Slim is better, so your choice may depend on your price point and desired footprint size.

http://www.amazon.com/JBL-Stage-II-R...&s=electronics

[rollhead]

I've got a nano... would that be an issue for any of these boxes? or do they only take the Big Boys?

[Coda]

If your primary use is for around the house, consider this:



Connect. Print. Listen. Wirelessly.
AirPort Express with AirTunes is an incredible wireless product that allows you to play iTunes music over your wireless network to your home stereo or powered speakers. It also allows you to share both a broadband Internet connection for up to 10 users and a USB printer.
Price: $129.00

[Robert de St. Loup]

Originally Posted by rollhead

I've got a nano... would that be an issue for any of these boxes? or do they only take the Big Boys?

Nano is cool with the Onstage II. It comes with an adaptor.

[bostontricky]

Robert, is the Onstage II a charger as well? I gave Mrs. Tricky one for her birthday, and she promptly spirited it off to her workplace...I can't remember, but would think this is a fairly important feature.

[Rob C]

Originally Posted by Robert de St. Loup

I picked up the JBL Onstage II on sale at amazon for less than $65, and I'm quite pleased with it. It's very compact, includes a docking station, and has a separate aux input to run your computer sound through, as well as a remote control which controls the iPod itself. The sound is quite decent as well for such a little device (its footprint is a circle about 7" in diameter). I expect the one referenced by Cicero Slim is better, so your choice may depend on your price point and desired footprint size.

http://www.amazon.com/JBL-Stage-II-R...&s=electronics

I have this too (paid more than that, though!), and have been very happy with it. And yes, it works with my nano, and yes it's a charger.

[Robert de St. Loup]

Originally Posted by bostontricky

Robert, is the Onstage II a charger as well? I gave Mrs. Tricky one for her birthday, and she promptly spirited it off to her workplace...I can't remember, but would think this is a fairly important feature.

Yes, as Rob C says, it charges.

[Eric Bowman]

Does any one know anything about the ipod micromemo? I'm thinking of getting it for recording myself play. I read mixed reviews about it. The biggest complaint was that you can't charge the ipod while using the micromemo so recording time is limited to about 45 minutes.

http://www.xtrememac.com/audio/earph.../micromemo.php

-Eric

[Jazzooo]

Gotta tell you guys--I tested every single available setup, including Apple's $300 one, and nothing did as well as the Altec Lansing In MOtion thing--the one that looks like a white barrel. Costco is selling them for $149--I paid $189 and it was a bargain at the time. It's portable, it charges, it does a great job at reproducing bass--seriously, check it out.

[bruce massey]

I got the JBL for my desk at work and a Klipsch set up for my home. The Klipsch delivers tremendous sound and makes entertaining very easy. Can't have a good party without good tunes!



and good booze

[Vince Kargatis]

Originally Posted by Jazzooo

Gotta tell you guys--I tested every single available setup, including Apple's $300 one, and nothing did as well as the Altec Lansing In MOtion thing--the one that looks like a white barrel. Costco is selling them for $149--I paid $189 and it was a bargain at the time. It's portable, it charges, it does a great job at reproducing bass--seriously, check it out.

I just picked up a refurb of these (the iM7) for $93 shipped from Amazon. I second Doug's rec.

[Hot Ptah]

The $300 Apple one is a disappointment, in my view. It is big and heavy, and the sound is really not very good, surprisingly not good.

[Noj]

I have an Altec Lansing inMotion one for on the go, cost about $140 and the sound is surprisingly good for its small size. At home I have an iHome alarm clock docking station, cost about $90. Not great sound, but good enough for me and I dig choosing a different tune to wake up to every day.

[Vince Kargatis]

I have that iHome thing (a gift), sound not good enough to recommend, imo. And I'm not crazy about the controls either.

[clinthopson]

Donna bought me a JBL unit last year and it sounds pretty good to me. I had it in the Apple and the group thought is sounded pretty good.

[clarke68]

I 2nd the Monitor Audio system that Cicero slim mentioned in the first post. I've had one in the bedroom for about a year...the best sound I've ever heard for $150.

I have heard good things about the barrell-shaped Altec Lansing unit. Kind of depends on how you're going to use it...the Altec would be better for carrying around, but the Monitor Audio would be better if you're going to leave it in one place...it has seperate speakers you can position optimally.

[vibes]

I've got a Mirage OmniVibe. I was able to get it for $100 instead of the usual $250 retail, and I'm very happy with it. It has a lot of bass, so I have to adjust the iPod's EQ when listening to it (I don't use the dock connector because I don't want my iPod charging all the time), but that's OK.

It looks quite nice as well:

[bruce massey]

I leave my ipod in the dock so it is always charged. Is there a problem with this?

[vibes]

There shouldn't be. I use my iPod in several different places, so I don't like to charge it until the battery fully discharges. It's my understanding that fully discharging the battery before charging it will extend its life.

[clarke68]

Originally Posted by bruce massey

I leave my ipod in the dock so it is always charged. Is there a problem with this?

Mine has spent 98% of the last year in the Monitor Audio player, and it works fine as long as I leave it there. When I remove it to use portably, sometimes it has this problem where I can't shut the iPod off. Resetting the iPod fixes it.

[Noj]

My iPod has the same annoying glitch, clarke68.

[John L]

Originally Posted by vibes

There shouldn't be. I use my iPod in several different places, so I don't like to charge it until the battery fully discharges. It's my understanding that fully discharging the battery before charging it will extend its life.

Is that true? I heard somewhere else that, with the type of battery that the iPod uses, this is not an issue.

I would gladly buy a larger and heavier iPod with an easily replaceable battery.

[vibes]

Originally Posted by John L

Is that true? I heard somewhere else that, with the type of battery that the iPod uses, this is not an issue.

I would gladly buy a larger and heavier iPod with an easily replaceable battery.

I looked around the Apple website, and found an iPod battery FAQ:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=62018#5

Some notes:

Question: Is it better to empty the battery before charging it, or can I charge it whenever it's convenient?
Answer: You can charge iPod's battery whenever it's convenient.

Question: Does the battery ever wear out?
Answer: Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced. Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. As with other rechargeable batteries, you may eventually need to replace your battery.

Question: What is a "charge cycle"?
Answer: Lithium-ion batteries can be charged a finite number of times, as defined by charge cycle. A charge cycle means using all of the battery's power, but that doesn't necessarily mean a single charge. For instance, you could listen to your iPod for a few hours one day, using half its power, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two, so you may take several days to complete a cycle. Each time you complete a charge cycle, it diminishes battery capacity slightly, but you can put your iPod's battery through many charge cycles before it will only hold 80 percent of its original battery capacity.


Based on this information, it appears that what I previously understood was only partially true. After reading the battery FAQ, however, I don't think I'll change my listening habits because I don't want to waste charge cycles for the sake of using the 30-pin connector in my iPod dock.

[John L]

Thanks for that information.

I also heard that these type of batteries suffer if they are not subject to regular use. So you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. The battery is going to wear down no matter how you use your iPod. Replacing the battery is a pain as well. You have to send it off to Apple with a significant payment (I forgot exactly how much) and they wipe out the contents of the hard drive in the process. I have a couple old pods with worn out batteries. Rather than send them for a battery replacement, I just use them plugged in at home, and put the money into a new upgraded model instead.

[Gary Sisco]

Any battery will stop holding a charge eventually.