Versatile IPOD speaker, many misinformed reviews on the internet
Written: Mar 04 '08 (Updated Mar 08 '08)
Product Rating:
Pros: Very small. Light weight. Display indicates track titles. A true portable unit.
Cons: Less bass than other higher end IPOD speakers.
The Bottom Line: Very portable. That is the whole idea of the IPOD. Keep it small and easy to carry about. This unit does just that. And the display is unique.
lovehifi's Full Review: SpectraVideo i-Station 8 (MIP108K) (Black) Docking...
Since becoming hooked on IPODs, I've purchased a couple of different IPOD speaker systems. The most recent was a Logitech Audio Station. That unit delivers terrific sound quality from a small package, but lacks certain conveniences. It features no handle. it is not easy to carry about. The built-in in-line power supply is rather bulky. There is no memory back-up for its built-in radio station presets. Etc, etc.
So, I was in the market for a compromise unit. Then I came across a Logic3 I-Station-8 (sometimes referred to as the I-Station Concert as well).
The I-Station-8 sells for close to $200. I found it on ebay for about $50, out-the-door. I got lucky. At that price savings, I had to try it for myself.
UPDATE:
This I-Station-8 also features automatic shut-0ff after 30 seconds if there is no music playing. That is a great battery saver. fyi.
The unit is oddly designed, with 8 miniature 1-inch aluminum cone speakers (4 on each side), and a center square "pressure" driver.
This unit is IPOD only, that is, there is no built-in radio. However, you can connect virtually any other sound source through its aux jack in the rear.
This IPOD speaker has some good and bad points. I will portray them as honestly as possible.
IPOD RECHARGE:
Yes, like most IPOD speakers out there, this one also recharges your IPOD, when it is plugged into an ac outlet.
SPEAKERS:
As mentioned, the 8 speakers are aluminum cones featuring foam or rubber surrounds and neodymium magnets.
The woofer (called a sub-woofer, which is stretching it a bit), is a small rear-firing 2.5-inch flat cone speaker. The front square driver is a pressure driver. The term "pressure driver" is an attempt to give an old toy a new name. It is what was originally referred to as a passive radiator. It is passive because there is no electrical connection to this driver. It functions as a compromise between an acoustically sealed cabinet and a bass-reflex cabinet. It does so, by moving via the air pressure generated by the woofer. When the woofer moves, the air within the cabinet pushes on the passive radiator, thus moving it as well. It is supposed to reinforce the bass output of the woofer. The bottom line is, no matter how manufacturers rename it, it still is not a speaker. It cannot function by and of itself.
The sound quality is OK. It is definitely not as good as the Audio Station listed above, or as good as other units such as the Bose Sound Dock.
However, it does deliver quite a bit of sound. I'd say it is on par with many boomboxes. There is some bass, though not deep, and midrange and highs are decent.
Frequency response is listed as 200Hz to 20kHz. The rating of 200Hz is not low at all. By contrast, the Audio Station is listed as 36Hz to 23kHz. You can plainly see it is the bass end which suffers on this Logic3 unit. This unit will not deliver the lower bass octaves.
POWER OUTPUT:
Power output is rated as 4-watts per channel continuous at 10%, and 12-watts to the woofer.
I can fill a bedroom with sound pretty easily. It gets loud enough. I can hear it with the shower ON.
In my opinion, it gets louder than some reviews have claimed, and I did not hear any appreciable distortion.
TONE CONTROLS:
There are none. Don't believe other reviews. The only tonal adjustments I have are those built into my IPOD. This Logic3 unit only features Volume UP/DOWN. That's it.
Tonal adjustments do not make enormous differences, but they are noticeable.
SOUND QUALITY:
UPDATE:
After listening over the past week or so, I am becoming accustomed to the lack of deep bass, but I am also enjoying the distinct voice and detail in the music. This unit can get quite loud. It can easily fill a living room with music. It may not be pure hi-fi, but in my opinion there is a large gray area between the sound of hi-fi and the sound of unacceptable performance. I believe there are many people who will find the sound of this speaker system to be totally acceptable. Not everybody expects hi-fidelity sound. In fact, I think there are many people who wouldn't recognize hi-fidelity sound if it was presented to them. That's not a 'put-down' to readers out there. It is just a fact of reality. Hi-fidelity is a learned experience. What I think is hi-fidelity may not be hi-fidelity to another. I learned that many years ago.
The sound is OK. It is loud enough for casual listening. Loud enough to listen while sitting on the porch/patio.
Bass is not deep, but it is there enough. Bass can sound hollow, depending on whether or not you choose certain tonal characteristics via your IPOD.
Mids and highs are decent. Stereo separation is not, as is the case with all of these small IPOD systems.
There is no stereo widening or processing control on this unit, as there is on some of the lower Logic3 models.
DISPLAY:
This is unique, as far as I can tell. Many IPOD speaker systems have displays which are pretty useless when using your IPOD. This unit's display is quite useful.
When you plug in your IPOD into the docking cradle (which folds down), any track title you are playing on the IPOD will be displayed on the large display. It is a very cool feature. It will display the title as does your IPOD, only in much bigger, bolder lettering.
If the title is longer than 16 characters, it automatically scrolls across the display.
I love this feature. So much easier than viewing the tiny IPOD screen.
I do NOT HAVE TO WAIT MANY MINUTES for the Logic3 unit to 'connect' to my IPOD either, as others have claimed. Supposedly, this display feature causes an extended 'wait' time before the unit is ready to play. Sometimes it connects almost instantaneously. Sometimes, I wait about 30 seconds. I've never waited longer.
Besides, for those interested, the display can be turned OFF, thus eliminating the wait time. It states as such in the manual. So, those who've complained of the display feature causing long wait periods obviously never read the short manual.
For those interested, I have an older 20 gig white IPOD with a black/white screen. I record all music in Apple Lossless for maximum CD quality.
The ac power supply is the new automatic sensing universal type, which can be used here, or abroad. All you need is a different ac plug, which you can probably buy from Logic3.
OTHER FEATURES:
This unit features a built-in recessed handle in the rear. Very easy to carry and light weight.
There is also a spot for the small credit card sized remote control. It can be stored in the recessed hole for easy portability as well.
The remote control controls basic speaker functions plus some IPOD functions. You can select Albums, Playlists, Play, Pause, Repeat, Shuffle and so on.
BATTERY POWER:
This unit can be powered by 6 AA batteries. So it is a true portable. You can take it anywhere. I love this feature.
Unlike other portable units, this one does not feature a built-in rechargeable battery. That is good and bad. It is bad because you must buy batteries. It is good because you can replace your batteries. Many of the rechargeable units out there feature batteries which are not designed for the user to remove. So, when the battery dies, the unit's portability may die with it. So, I will just buy 6 rechargeable AA batteries and I'm good to go.
Several different IPOD adapters are included.
On the bottom are foam rubber feet to prevent marring of your furniture.
On the rear you will find an aux jack (and you also get an aux cable), a power jack for use when using the ac adapter (included), a headphone jack for private listening.
There is also a battery ON/OFF switch, to conserve battery power.
OVERALL:
There is definitely compromise here. The sound quality is not as good as some other units, but it still can get pretty loud.
Portability is definitely a cut above. Very small, light weight and small batteries to boot.
Carry handle, which many other IPOD units don't have. I can't figure out why.
Probably the most useful display of all IPOD speakers out there. Most displays just tell you that your in IPOD mode and indicate the volume level. This display actually displays each song title being played.
I like the unit overall. It is not the best sounding, but it is more befitting to the IPOD's purpose of being carried about. With this little speaker system, you can bring your IPOD and your music library to the place of your choice, without fumbling, without carrying multiple wires and without all the muss and fuss of many other IPOD speakers. You can leave the heavier ac adpaters at home. Bring your music, not your luggage.
Innovative Information Panel--backlit LCD shows track information and display commands 8 watts per left/right channel; 2.5-inch woofer produces 8 watt...More at Amazon Marketplace
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