Featured on Whiskey Militia, the Siege Audio Stealth Ear Buds are selling for $24.99 and boast 10mm drivers. Their real selling point is their rope-like cords are allegedly tangle-free. Any ear bud user will tell you that untangling the buds is an OCD nightmare.
Amazon was featuring the JBL On Stage Micro in red for $50. I had a $25 coupon so the cost was $25 for a small speaker I will be using in my work office. I've already been more than satisfied with my first generation JBL On Stage for my bedside and my JBL Radial for my living room, so I was confident about the Micro. I tested it yesterday next to the kitchen iPod speaker, my Altec Lansing iM600 and while not as full as the Lansing, the volume could be played at high levels without distortion with fairly crisp sounds and separation. It appears JBL has high standards. They haven't disappointed me yet.
One thing that I find striking about the iPod speaker cradle market is the disparity in price. One day the Micro was $50 and now it's over $90. The day I bought the JBL Radio, it was $99. Now it's $200. Another striking example is that as I post this, the JBL On Stage II in black is selling on Amazon for $65, half the retail price.
You should be alert to these huge price discrepancies and be confident you can usually get iPod speakers in this competitive market at half price.
One caveat: Upper echelon systems that go for $300 or more may not get big price cuts because they are offering advanced speaker technology that is not going to be reduced in price that much. For example, the Sierra Sound and the Kicker iK500 typically go for $299 and that appears to be the bottom price point for those coveted speaker systems.
I've been wanting to get the two 8-inch wide Sierra Sound iPod speakers for $299 on Amazon for the last 6 months. But I've got limited space in my living room for separating the speakers adequately. Too bad because I love the look of the Sierras. But Ed Strnad has informed me that he has heard the KICKER iK500 stereo dock at Fry's. He describes it as "incredibly detailed, realistic and dynamic sound for $299 list."
Ed also provided the following:
The demo I heard was drawing quite a crowd. It uses two 5" speakers with dedicated 40-watt amps, and there is a rear-firing 8" panel subwoofer built in. And two 3/4 inch tweeters. True, the looks are not for every decor. But if you ever get a chance you should certainly give it a listen. It's a real contender for tops in the price range.
While I'm not a fan of Kicker's Batman look, my living room can more easily accommodate its size--19 inches wide.
Since I bought my 40 gig iPod in March of 2005, I've bought 3 iPod speaker systems. I've been lucky so far. I can give all of them the highest recommendation:
Number 1: I bought a first generation model of the JBL On Stage over 3 years ago for my bedside. The cost was $120 or $130. Now the new generation model is cheaper, about $90. I think the intense competition is keeping the prices down. The thing is as small as a donut and produces crisp, full, bright sound. It surprises me how well this tiny system can fill my living room, bedroom, or kitchen. The dock recharges the iPod automatically. I've never had any problems. I'd buy one again.
Number 2: I bought a used Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 for about $40. This is an incredible deal. The thing retails for about $120. My used one came as good as new. The sound is similar to the JBL On Stage. It's a bit bigger. I think the radio is a waste of time. The AM/FM tuner works well below average. But who cares? I never use the radio. (If you want a real radio, do yourself a favor and get a C.Crane CSW.) I've never had any problems with the iM600. Between the On Stage and the inMotion600, I think the On Stage is a better deal in a smaller package without the superfluous radio.
Number 3: I bought a new JBL Radial in white for $99. The thing towers a good 12" high and looks like a piece of architecture. The sound, as expected, is fuller and louder than the smaller On Stage. I use it in the living room.
To be tested soon: I just bought a refurbished Griffin Technology 1200 Amplifi for $85 with free shipping. I like the look of this system better than the ones I currently own. If it sounds as good as all the raving reviews I read during my research, I'll probably take the Radial to work office and use the Amplifi in the living room. I'm confident it will sound good but only time will tell.
Amazon is selling the BOYNQ ICUBEII Speaker with iPod Dock for $47. Featuring 5 watts, the "cube," which is not technically speaking cube shaped, has the dimensions of 7.9 x 5.5 x 7 and comes in black or white color. I favor cube shaped speakers for both iPod and computer, not just aesthetically, but also for the smaller footprint and the fact that they're less likely to fall over.
Complementing the cube theme for your computer is the Yamaha NX-AO1BL Cube Speaker, which is also featured in black or white. Half the size of the BOYNQ cube, the Yamaha measures 3.3 x 3.3 x 3.5 and costs about $60.
Not content with listening to your iPod everywhere you walk, by your bedside, and while your multi-tasking in your home or work office? Does the idea of removing your iPod from your person in the event that you might need to take a shower cause chronic anxieties for which there is no Zoloft pill big enough? Worry not, my friend. Hammacher Schlemmer is selling The Waterproof iPod Speaker System. And after you've dried off your squeaky-clean body with your 300-count Egyptian cotton towel and you've had your nightly warm milk with chocolate toll house cookies, you can snuggle in bed with your Plush Teddy Bear Squishy Pillow iPod Speaker.
I've always enjoyed the convenience of the iPod, calling up huge playlists and in essence creating my own "radio stations." But yesterday on the April 4, 2008, broadcast of Larry Mantle's Air Talk on 89.3 KPCC Mantle said he will not listen to iPod music, only CDs, because the compression seriously degrades the music quality. Is he being over sensitive and maybe showing a predisposed bias about his music? In a blind test, would he be able to tell the difference? Perhaps Mantle's distaste for iPod sound, generated from AAC format, is more subjective than anything because according to Sam Costello Sound Comparison the iPod sound is fine and any compromise is indiscernible. But challenging my philistine ears and supporting Larry Mantle's claim that the iPod seriously does degrade music, Ed Strnad boldly states the following:
It's easy enough to demonstrate. I'll plug your ipod into my audio system and play it in synch with a CD of the same music, switching back and forth in blind-blind fashion. I find the difference obvious, and think you would too. Of course, ipods sound fine on those dinky earbuds. Playback on a high-end system with speakers is where the inferior quality of mp3 can be heard.
Since I trust Ed's appraisal of the differences, I have to conclude that getting a high-end speaker system for an iPod may indeed be a waste of money. There must be a point where a good speaker system actually emphasizes the iPod's degraded sound. With an iPod, you almost want a mid-range speaker system in order to hide the sound degradation.
No, I haven't bought them yet, but the only iPod speaker cradle system I like, in terms of solid look, heft, and easy cradle use, is the The Sierra Sound IN Studio 5.0 speakers. Featuring 50 watts and with hook-up capability to my TV or computer, the Sierra Sound are the only iPod-multi-media speakers that are worthy of complementing my home furnishings. I'd have to get the Sierra Sound in black, avoiding the white and the red. The price had been around $400 for several months, but now I've noticed it's around $299. If you know of a better looking iPod speaker system with this much sound, let me know.
How much are you willing to spend on earbuds, the little buds that dig deep into your ear canal and are probably responsible for billions of dollars of ear damage in the next decade or two? You should listen to your music in a prudent, low-volume fashion when sticking these buds into your auditory canal so I don't see why you should spend $100-200 for earbuds. For safer conventional headphones, the big pads that rest over your ears, go ahead and spend that much.
Personally, I use headphones most of time for music listening and earbuds for talk radio. And when listening to talk, I usually put just one bud in my left ear so that I can lie on my side if I should feel the whim. Also in spite of the buds' label of "R" and "L," I've never noticed any difference regarding what ear you put the bud in. If anyone knows the significance of "R" and "L," please let me know.
However, some people want mobile listening earbuds and I have two that I recommend based on comfort and fidelity.
The first are the $19.95 JBuds, which nestle in your ears like soft marshmallows. The sound is over average and my only complaint is that the marshmallow-like buds have a tendency to fall off more than other buds.
The second recommendation are the $29.99 V-MODA Bass Frequency Earbuds, which offer slightly better fidelity than the JBuds, offering more brightness, detail, and clarity. Their ear cushions are a little more firm than the JBud's, but not so firm that I can't nestle one in my left ear all night without noticing any discomfort. Another plus is that the buds stay on better than the JBuds. So for me the V-MODA's are worth the extra ten dollars.
After researching many computer speakers, including Bose Companion 2 for $99 and the $199 30-watt Audioengine A2, I opted for the $120 20-watt-per speaker M-Audio Studiophile AV40 dual speaker system. For this amount of watts, the $120 with free shipping on Amazon seemed reasonable. I was tired of the compromised mediocre performance on my 9 watt of my $50 Creative Labs I-Trigue 2200 speakers. As soon as I receive the M-Audio speakers in a week or so, I will report my impressions.
Update: I just hooked them up, an easy task, which took ten minutes. The sound is great indeed, but the 20 watts may be too many for my ears as the computer speakers are only a couple feet from my head. I may have to move them into the living room, hook up to TV and iPod. Bottom-line: They're well worth the $120. We're talking a huge, beautiful, highly-detailed sound.
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