SDI Technologies iH80B Speaker System for iPod (Black) Reviews

• Not the sound I would expect for the price

  
  By A145PUYA98SHRI on 2007-09-02
  I received one for a birthday present and was very disappointed. The sound is muffled and not at all what I would expect for the price, not even close. Maybe it sounds better with the companion, add-on speaker, but my advice...don't buy this without listening first.
  
  

• I actually like this speaker!

  
  By A3W2FUU8XMUIG4 on 2007-12-26
  I bought this for myself (from TJ Maxx, actually...) and It's actually pretty good! I wanted something that had good sound, that was loud enough to fill a good size room (20' x 20') and portable. I didn't need a clock. I paid a lot more at TJ (59.99), but the sound is pretty hearty, plenty of bass and treble, goes loud without distortion, and also goes very very quiet (good for baby's room). I have the 80g ipod classic.
  
  

• OK sound once treble is adjusted

  
  By A3LZCZMVEWQEGE on 2008-02-25
  I picked up this from amazon for $40. I was concerned about sound quality b/c some reviews noted it sounded muddled. But I really just wanted a deal and had a pretty limited purpose in mind (put in bathroom to use while getting ready in the morning/in the shower).
  
  The truth is out of the box the sound is pretty bad. It sounds muddled like you put a pillow over it. Guitars, vocals, all just sounded, well, muffled. But luckily it allows you to adjust the bass and treble--by putting the treble up a few clicks I found the sound was a lot more clear. I also adusted my source audio equalizer to increase the high ranges and that helped too. After these adjustments, it actually sounds good. Like a normal speaker should. I wouldn't say the sound is super sharp or finely textured, but it's good enough. I don't know why it comes out of the box with such unusual settings.
  
  The problem is that once you unplug the thing for a while the treble reverts back to the original settings. So now i keep the remote right on top to increase it every day (you can only adjust bass and treble by the remote). But for my limited purposes it's fine. It's small and cheap.
  
  Overall, if you are in the market for a single mp3 speaker system for your home, I don't think this would be your choice.
  
  

• Decent sound, but power saving "features" ruin it for me

  
  By A18NYDGNJ1U1YF on 2008-01-27
  I wanted to use the iH80B not only as a charging station and speaker for my iPod, but also as the primary speaker system for my computer (via the included 3.5" aux in jack). It's compact and the attractive form factor make this a natural use for it. The problem is that this device was designed with portability in mind, and as a result it contains battery saving features that cannot be disabled.
  
  For example, even when the unit is plugged into an AC adapter it will turn itself off after a short period if it does not receive any audio input. This is problematic for me because I have it connected to my computer as a speaker system. So every time I fire up iTunes or some other audio application, I have to manually turn the thing on.
  
  The other problem is that the 3.5" jack has a sensor in it that is not very accurate. Audio will only be enabled when it detects an incoming signal, and that signal has to be fairly strong. Almost every time I need to listen to something from my computer, I have to go into the settings and turn up the sound just to get it to realize that it needs to enable audio out.
  
  On the back of the unit there is a switch that allows you to turn off the remote to save power. So, why didn't they just have a switch for setting the thing to AC or DC? Or, better yet, make the thing automatically turn off the the power saving features when it was plugged into the adapter? It's a terrible design flaw.
  
  All that being said, the sound is decent and if you intend to use it only as an iPod speaker, and you need portability, you may find the iH80B entirely adequate. I own two other iHome systems and I can never say enough good things about them. It's a shame that this one does not meet my expectations.
  
  

• Awesome SOUND and Fantastic DEAL A+++

  
  By AJQDIT55SZ3ZX on 2008-01-03
  I just got this home today and I am blown away. I currently have the standard iHome and a nano ipod. I wanted this for my classic ipod that is on the way. The sound is fantastic. If I didn't know better I would think it was Bose. I love the remote you don't have to touch the ipod. Cool backlit controls too. I do not know what the other person got maybe a defective one but mine is great. I highly recommend it. Charges the ipod and can work on batteries or AC. Cannot believe the deal either. The regular iHome was $99 and it is good. But $29.99 WOW!
  
  Don't wait a minute longer this is a great deal. :)
  
  
• What a steal!!! iH80B is the best!!!
  By A1BB78YHI2Y8EQ on 2008-02-10
  This speaker system is so compact, sleek, and has great base. I only paid $29.00 and my only regret is that I only purchased one. Now that I bought one, my friends and family want one too!!! Normally sold in stores for $90, finding this item on Amazon really saved me some money. The remote control is perfect for us lazy people who would rather have a million remotes then walk across the room to push a button. Another feature that is cool is that it is also a charging dock. My ipod is always dead because I forget to charge it but now I just put it on the iH80B when I get home and it is always ready for me. People are surprised that all that crystal clear music is coming from my little black speaker. It is a must for any ipod user and even though it is not a Bose sound system, I think my $29 couldn't have been spent better! Did I mention it is a no-brainer too, idiot proof!!!
  
  
• great sound for small unit
  By A35NA14R0332AZ on 2008-01-06
  I love this stereo. If you like surround sound this is not the item for you. It works well for a bedroom or a studio. The remote is small and you can adjust the treble and bass very easily so it sounds the way you like it. The nice thing is you can use it with any size ipod. This is a Great purchase for $30.
  
  
• Enjoying the speaker
  By A17E9B8ECLGIWX on 2008-01-05
  I was hesitant to order this based on the poor review, but the price was so excellent and the other reviewer liked it so I took a chance. The speaker works well and came with many pages of instructions and tips, but none were needed as it was pretty much a "plug and play" deal. The sound is what I was hoping for based on the wattage. I'm very glad I purchased it. If you're looking for Bose, buy Bose, but this is great for the money.
  
  
• Decent Purchase.
  By A2IQQKL50G7IU1 on 2008-01-24
  I was lucky enough to snag this as a gold box deal at around 30 dollars and I would probably even pay upwards of 50 dollars for it.
  
  It has the capability of becoming much louder then one would expect from a speaker this size , about the size of a adult bowling ball. In my basement, with the speaker pumped up to practically the max I could still make out the music on the second floor of my frame house.
  
  Granted it is primarily for docking an Ipod, you can use the wire that comes with it to hook up anything that has a headphone jack to feed its music into the speaker. If you were to do that then you lose some features of the remote mainly the ability to move around in your playlist.
  
  Two things I didn't know before I purchased it were, there is a microphone jack in the back, so you can actually have a inexpensive but still fun portable karaoke machine. The other being you can buy a second speaker (not this same one) and attach it to this one. I spent a few minutes looking for the secondary speaker on Amazon but could not locate it, but I did find it on the ihome website.
  
  Hope my review helped you in your purchase.
  
  
• Very good for price I paid - but not very good sound
  By A1T1YSCDW0PD25 on 2008-03-10
  I'm giving this unit four stars because it is a nice looking unit with decent features and I got it for a good price. However, the sound quality leaves me wanting better. I'd give the sound quality for music a 2.5 or maybe a 3 if I'm feeling generous (out of 5). However, for the price I paid I can't complain much so I'm giving it 4 stars taking price into account. Just don't expect 4 or 5 star quality sound. If you're listening to podcasts, then it should be fine but I wouldn't recommend it for listening to music unless you're not into hi-fi sound or are limited to something of this size.
  
  UPDATE: Cannot use as a computer speaker even when plugged in with the AC adapter because it seems to power itself off if there's a few minutes of no sound.
  
  
• Great product! Great value for the price
  By A3LM3AZZYIMC1N on 2008-01-06
  I was leery to buy this product because when I was looking at it, there was only the first review where the person gave it only 2 stars. But for $29.99, I couldn't pass it up when compared to $99.99 for the iHome with the clock, alarm, etc. This speaker works great straight out of the box! Just plug it in, put your iPod on the dock, and you're good to go. Like others have said, don't expect Bose sound quality because after all, it isn't a Bose product! But the sound is really good, even better than I would have expected at such a low price. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone with an iPod who doesn't need the clock function that comes with the iHome. Also, I have the old 20 GB non-color screen iPod and it still works with mine so it's not just for newer iPods.
  
  
• Perfect, exactly what I expected.
  By A1RFGLD33EFO1M on 2008-01-08
  I think this speaker is great, the sound was decent enough not to blow my ear drums out, but definitely loud enough. There is also a card included in the package where you can purchase another speaker that attaches to this one for 39.00 free shipping handling, maybe I'll buy that one too :)
  
  
• Great Speaker System for Ipod
  By A7L3HFL6ZY7R8 on 2008-02-23
  I bought this for a desk companion to charge and listen to my ipod at work. It is everything I expected and more. You can adjust bass and treble from the included remote. As far as I can tell the remote allows you to control all functions of the ipod. I think I will purchase a second one for my home. It even has a video out for connection to a small lcd screen. Great unit!!!
  
  
• love it love it love it
  By A2IOYN4FP5CD9G on 2008-04-12
  I got this item when it went on special in the "Today's Deals" email. (which if you haven't subscribed to that, it is a MUST DO!) Because it was such an unbelievable deal, I couldn't pass it up. I put one on my desk at my office and one in a bedroom. I have an 80 GB iPod, 30 GB iPod, and an iPhone. They give you a small plastic piece to put around the plug to fit the different size iPods, but I have found that it is just as easy to leave that off. The plug is a nice snug fit. I use my iPhone in it the most. Right when I plug it in, if I was previously listening to a podcast, it will automatically turn on the machine and put me back to the place I left off last. It also automatically asks me (everytime I plug in my phone) if I would like to have my phone disabled during playback to prevent that annoying interference you get when a cell phone is too close to a speaker or radio. You still have the ability to scroll through your phone while playback is taking place. Also, the remote that comes with it works perfectly with all my gadgets. If you hit the MENU button it will bring up the list screen that allows you to choose video, music, podcast...and you use the arrow buttons to navigate, and then the ENTER button to select things. If you press the PLAY button it will automatically take you to the next song on your playlist, no matter what screen you are on. It took me a while to figure out why my music kept playing when I was scrolling through my podcasts, but it was because i kept pushing PLAY in the center instead of ENTER. the MUTE button works great, as does the PAUSE. When you hit the POWER button, it doesn't turn off my iPhone, it just turns the speaker off/on. The quality of sound is pretty good. I haven't cranked it up, but in an office environment, it is very loud, and the sound is great for my needs. I guess if you are trying to watch something in Dolby Digital Surround, this is NOT the item for you, but quite frankly, it sounds as good or better than most radios I hear. It is pretty compact, not so much in a portable sense, but it fits nicely on my desk and takes up little space. It is very light weight. Oh, and I also like that the remote also has a base and treble adjustment too. The buttons on the top of the speaker are lit in Blue and when you adjust the volume, it blinks so you know it is doing something. Also it blinks when you are muted. I don't know how it works with other brand name items, but it seems to work PERFECTLY with "iAnything!"
  
  
• A winner
  By A22NJSRGFXSKVU on 2008-03-06
  SDI Technologies iH80B Speaker System for iPod (Black)
  
  I bought this for my husband, a music fanatic. I got a great deal and I figured it would be easier to transport this unit than his large boom box - especially when we travel. He's hard to please on the "sound" front, but I know he likes this speaker because he actually carries it with him when he gives bass guitar lessons so he can play examples of music to his students. The sound will fill a large room and is very clear and hearty. We are super pleased with the speaker.
  
  
• Great small, portable speaker system
  By A1QMHMW7EZBWTZ on 2008-03-07
  This is perfect as an affordable, small, iPod speaker system. A previous review noted a muffled sound -- I noticed at a low volume it does seem a little bass-heavy, but using the remote you can easily adjust the treble and the bass so that problem was easily fixed. Other than that, it's not very feature heavy, but it does what it's supposed to, and it sounds well and is much louder than I expected.
  
  
• Love it!
  By A1OA2ZW406NQXM on 2008-07-29
  I'm not really sure why some people don't like this. I think the sound is better than my earbuds and I love that it charges my iPod while listening and has a remote. What in the world more could a person want?
  
  This is simply the perfect stereo for a bedroom or dorm or small apartment where space is at a premium. I keep mine in my office and adore it!
  
  
• BEST SPEAKERS EVER!!!!!!!!!!
  By A2R6JG8V9TBTOR on 2008-01-03
  This is the best Ipod speaker I have ever had! Their better than Bose.Dont Listen to the firt guy.It has base and treble controls so thats why he said it was muffeled.I know that guy and hes just plain out creepy!!!!!!!!!!!!BUY THEASE THEY ROCK!!!!!
  
  
• Good speaker - great value for money
  By A2JQVR1CTJTME6 on 2008-01-05
  Some reviewers have complained about the muffled sound from the speaker when playing music on a low volume, and while they are not wrong, the sharpness of sound can be improved by increasing the treble at low volumes. For a price tag of less than $30, it is an amazing piece of electronics. I originally only wanted the speaker for its recharge function - any music playing capacity was a bonus (the iPod charger from Apple costs $30 in itself). It turned out to be a very worthwhile bonus.
  
  If you're in the market for a very cheap iPod speaker, you'd do well to consider this.
  
  
• great sound
  By A2V2VF28RIYDCS on 2008-01-10
  The sound is great. I use this unit in my office and it puts out more then enough sound to fill the room. For it's size I think it's great. The black case matches my IPod video as well. I saw the same unit in a department store for $59, so it's a good value as well.
  
  
• Great purchase
  By A22OKYTUELXFXP on 2008-01-15
  I was nervous about buying this item but like everyone else decided to drop the $30 and pray that the sound quality was acceptable. I love it! No regrets.
  
  
• Outstanding...for an Amazon Gold Box Deal
  By A3U8N7AT7JXFCE on 2008-03-06
  Sound is better than I expected, but then, I bought this when it was a Gold Box deal at $19.99. Considering the outrageous prices attached to most iPod accessories (this one at regular price is no exception, even on the company's website), I would not have purchased it even at the Amazon regularly "discounted" price. I've not tried hooking it up to a computer or anything else other than my 4GB iPod nano (it has an outlet for a microphone for the karoke minded). My gripe, after three hours of use, is the remote control. Small and slender, using a flat CR type battery, it causes the controls on the speaker to all flash when it is used. It can cause the iPod to hesitate when trying to move through the menu. The seperate bass and treble controls do not seem to make much difference in the sound which is not at all bad as it is.
  
  Major kudos to Amazon for their Amazon Prime shipping and their Gold Box deals!
  
  
• i was wrong -- it's click wheel adaptable -- it's great
  By A56ZXP9M2000E on 2008-03-07
  I just deleted my review denoting my disappointment -- couldn't get my classic click wheel i-Pod to work with the speaker and the company said it wouldn't work, but it DOES work, and it's great. I had to use the original insert dock thing that came with my iPod is all. Here I am, happily listening to Herman's Hermits...So, yay, five stars*****.
  
  
• Dock my Nano? It won't play!
  By A214ZFJF8YNC15 on 2008-03-12
  I can't get this thing to work with my 2nd Gen. Nano in the docking system. It plays when I use the little wire and plug my Nano into the back of the speaker. I have done the trouble shooting techniques, yet it still does not play with the Nano in the docking station. This is quite frustrating.
  
  
• Great product.
  By A3V1F1O1VK959I on 2008-03-12
  I'm using this with my 2nd generation Ipod Nano 2GB and it is awesome. The sound is great, the ability to hook it into a larger sound system is nice, and the remote control's ability to work every function is a big plus. My only regret is that I didn't buy two when they were on sale for $19.99!
  
  
• Doesn't really work with 3rd Gen iPod
  By A1OJ8Y0OKUQ4SK on 2008-03-13
  I bought this for use with a 3rd Gen 20GB iPod. It is a docking iPod, with a touch wheel and buttons. If I put the iPod into the speaker when it's already playing, sound will come out. But, the iPod isn't charging. And, the screen freezes after about a minute of play. The music continues to play, but I can't use the remote or change songs. I've contacted the manufacturer's tech support and will change this review if they can tell me how to make it work. I just wanted to warn people.
  
  
• Great for the Money
  By A1QQHSR3STSFG6 on 2008-03-16
  I purchased this speaker system because I needed a way to charge my iPod and to be able to listen to it without the headphones. I was very surprised at the quality of the sound and the remote control is an added plus. I saw this same exact model for double the price in Best Buy.
  
  
• Review
  By AC8SA8PZBTKCZ on 2008-03-30
  My beautiful Ipod sounds like a tin can when it is played with this speaker. I would not recommend it to anyone. The sound system it produces is pathetic. I will happily go back to my Altec Lansing speakers.
  
  
• this works great!
  By A3M2XYZ29S37QM on 2008-01-22
  i got this as a christmas present to myself. it's easy to use, the remote works great. i love that it charges the ipod too. it sounds good to me, and gets plenty loud enough to fill my room. so glad i got it.
  
  
• GREAT SPEAKER, EVEN BETTER FOR KARAOKERES
  By AJZ39XI81K9MU on 2008-01-27
  This is an excelent speaker, great sound, controls bass, treble, mic volume, and the remote.... WOW, i haven't tried a lot of speakers, but i have a few altec portable ones, and the remote and sound on the ih80 blows them away, especialy the remote's FULL ipod control thing. Apart of it being a great speaker, if you like karaoke, this is your item for a home party, i can not even describe how good it sounds, (for its size) and the video output helps a lot. I almost bought it for 80.00, but the 30.00 dlls. price i got it for, makes it even better. Can not wait to get the aditional speaker. I suggest that you load karaoke files to your video ipod, it brings out the best out of this amazing combo.
  
  

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