Customer Reviews

Creative TravelSound i80 Speaker Dock for iPod nano 3G

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This speaker only works with the 3rd generation iPod Nano MP3 player. The nano sits snugly on the TravelSound i80 docking speakers. You may need to push it down a little harder to make it snap but make sure you are not pressing on your iPod's LCD. Together, it is just the size of a pack of cigarette so you can trully say it is pocketsize. The wall adapter connects directly to the side of the speaker. I was able to charge it fully in just 2 hours. It uses Li-ion battery which is known to be light, no memory effect, and a slow loss of charge in storage. Has a rotary volume control and an LED indicator for battery status.
This is great when you want to share listening to music but don't want to share earbuds. Although it is suprisingly loud for such a small speaker, the sound feels tiny as it lacks base and thumps (it can only go as low as 180hz). It sounds great in the bedroom if you do not need to crank it up. And of course, just perfect for listening to podcasts.

What you get in the box:
a) Speaker/dock
b) Wall adapter with a 3-foot USB cord, 5V DC output.
c) Stand
d) Black pouch with the "Creative" logo on it. Both the speaker and the nano fits inside it

What seems to be missing in the box:
a) A Mini USB cable. Make sure you have one if you want to sync to Itunes or if you want to charge using a PC or Mac.

Pros:
-For such a small speaker, it is impressively loud. Sound is clean even at high volume. I live in a moderately size townhouse and it can fill the whole floor with sound.
-Charges both speaker and iPod at the same time
-You can have your iPod play music, slideshow and movies while charging
-Sleek and handsome, designed exclusively for the nano.
-Lightweight
-Popular named brand

Cons:
-Price
-Noticeably lacking in base
-Watching slideshow and movie feels awkward because the speaker is at the back.
-Provide your own Mini USB cable

I had high hopes for this product. I was looking for a compact travel speaker -- something that would pack easily, and that I could use to listen to audio books and music in rental cars that don't have AUX input jacks. This device is small and will definitely pack easily. Sound quality is tinny, which didn't really surprise me -- I didn't expect top-quality sound in such a small device. There is no separation in the sound, which is fine for audio books but not so great for music. A bigger problem is that the speaker is on the back of the device. As a result, if you place the device in a holder of some sort (an Arkon mount, for example), the sound will be muted. Even with those flaws, I would have kept the device if it were available in a $25-$35 range. I decided $65+ was too much for this speaker, so I ended up returning it.

After buying and returning three iPod speakers I finally found one that is compact, easy to use and loud enough to enjoy away fron home. It doesn't have the quality of a home music dock (due to its tiny size) but nonetheless I recommend it stongly.

This is almost good enough for listening to music, but there are much better products out there for that. This is perfect, however, for listening to warm, spoken voice from Audible. The volume and quality of spoken voice is astounding--and the ultimate portable device of this type. Also, perfect for corporate use. I put this tiny device in my briefcase and carry around whenever I need to give demos of my multimedia projects. Someone else mentioned perfect for gardening--sure, why not.

I garden quite a bit and love to listen to audio books. Gardening typically involves movement that continually dislodges earphones leading to a regular annoyance. I wanted to find a great speaker for my iPod that could fit in my shirt pocket and allow me to listen without earbuds. Although it is slightly tinny at higher volumes and lacks a significant amount of bass, the speaker can produce quite a volume you can hear across a yard and the rechargeable lithium batteries are great! You can recharge the speaker and the Nano together. I listened to my iPod for around 11 hours last weekend without the speaker even indicating a low charge. Recharge is quite quick. I pop this speaker with iPod into my shirt pocket while I commute in my vehicle - significantly more than loud enough to hear above road noise. I wish the iPod lock button and earbud hole was accessible (it's not for the Nano since the control is at the bottom of the Nano). It would be nice to be able to turn off the speaker and listen via earbud without having to remove the Nano from the speaker. This one will catch on big time for those of us who don't need a great deal of bass.

Creative Labs, which I have known for their "Sound Blaster" sound cards for years, has put together a great little player for the 3rd Generation 4 GB Nano iPod. At about the same size as a "classic" iPod (those 80GB and 160 GB models) and with a color combination of "iPod white" plastic and a gray anodized aluminum metal finish, the i80 goes perfectly with the basic 4 GB iPod's metal finish.

The TravelSound i80 has many outstanding features: self-contained rechargeable batteries that give you over 15 hours worth of playing; a wall charger that allows the unit to play and recharge itself; it is small in size (even hooked-up with a 4 GB iPod it is as small as a "classic" iPod); it is easy to use all of the controls of the iPod while it is plugged-into the dock; and it has enough volume (that is controlled by the volume wheel on the side of the i80) that when you are on the beach, you will have to watch the volume or the lifeguard will be asking you to "turn it down!"

There are some drawbacks, though: the two channel sound comes from speakers so close that you do not get any sound separation between channels (and the sound is a little "thin;" (lacks bass on some tunes); the plug for the charger/adapter comes apart in such a way that it appears to be made for the international market and I found that I, and others, did not fully put it together at times; there isn't included a mini-USB to 2.0 USB cable supplied (but you can get one at 3M Type A To Mini B Hi-speed USB 2.0 Cable; and the $75.00 price tag. I, also, would have liked to have seen it have an adjustable dock so it could have played a regular video iPod, too.

All that said and noted, would I purchase one myself? Maybe, if I needed something small in size that looked great and would produce a fairly good sound. However, having had the use of an iHome Portable Stereo to Go iHome Portable Stereo Speaker for iPod Shuffle (Black) for a while that plays both the 4GB and "classic" iPods and sells at a price slightly more than one-half the price of the TravelSound i80, I probably wouldn't. BUT, had I not known about the iHome, or had I not had one, the TravelSound i80 would have been just the thing for traveling, the beach, the kids in the backseat of the car, or a campsite.

In the box: Docking station, adjustable stand, rechargeable adapter. It does not come with a USB cable.

Size test: When you put the latest iPod Nano (third generation -- short one with rounded corners) with the TravelSound i80 and you get a speaker about the size of a classic iPod. It passes the portability test -- lightweight and not bulky.

Sound test: I don't proclaim to be a pro when it comes to sound, bass, and synthesizers. So I couldn't evaluate the product at that level of detail. From what my family and I hear -- we think the speaker provides good sound quality for its size. The kids notice the bass doesn't come through as strongly as it does through headphones or the full-sized speaker we have. We still enjoy the music -- just not at its full bassy effect.

The other problem is that the speaker is on the back of the device. So if you're looked at the iPod (photos, lyrics, whatever) -- the speaker turns away from you.

Control test: Sometimes we have trouble adjusting the volume because of the plastic in front of the wheel. Annoying. Otherwise, the controls work fine.

Compatibility: It's frustrating that many iPod accessories only work with one generation or one type of iPod. We've owned three different types of iPod and don't bother buying anything other than headphones because we know accessories often don't work with older or newer iPods.

Cost: While Creative Labs has a long history of producing quality speakers, I'm disappointed the price is as high as a BOSE speaker. We can usually count on Creative Labs to provide good to great quality sound at a lower cost. Here, we lose on cost. I wouldn't pay this much for the quality we get from the speaker.

Lower the price and maybe more people will overlook its issues and buy it -- It's worth about $40 or less.

How many times have you had something on your iPod that you wanted to share with someone. Maybe a pod-cast, a recorded book or even a song. Unless the person that you intended to share the file with is in possession of their own earbuds at that time, you are faced with either having them use yours (yuck) or nothing. Now, with this item, you can slide your iPod into the TravelSound i80 and let others hear what you've been listening to.

This nice little speaker from Creative produces very good sound, not high quality but great for listening to recorded voice (auido books, podcasts, etc.) I find that the battery lasts long enough to listen to an entire audio book. I like the fact that you can charge the iPod while the speaker is plugged in to an external power source. This compact speaker dock gets a high score from me.

This was sooo cheap so I thought it was going to be worthless, but I gave it a try any ways. This speaker was the greatest buy ever. It gets loud and sounds great and is so small and portable. I bought it for my wife and she uses it everyday while getting ready. Takes it in the bathroom or the bedroom so she can jam while she is getting beautiful. If any one is thinking of buying this DO IT! You wont regret it a single bit. I have seen these retail for around $70. We got our for like $10 with shipping!!!!!

I purchased this speaker last summer to go with the nano I got for my mother. I was impressed with the quality of the sound for such a small speaker. It's not going to please a picky audiophile, but it is absolutely adequate for anyone who likes to listen to music at a moderate volume or uses their nano for audiobooks. It's a nice little package that gets lots of positive comments (Where did you get that? That's neat looking...) For Christmas I got one for my sister and it works just as well as my mom's. Given the great price, I couldn't resist and finally got one for myself. I have gotten about 15 hours out of a single charge. It's also convenient recharging my nano at the same time. I have accidentally turned it on while putting it back in its case (a nice little bonus that case is) and discovered it out of juice when I take it out and turn it on, but I think that's more operator error than a design flaw. I like that the front of the speaker is metal rather than fabric. It feels sturdy and I never hesitate to transport it in my purse. Overall, I'm extremely pleased. I have also purchased Creative's speaker for the 4th generation nano as a gift and Creative's speaker for the iShuffle for business use (I'm a traveling massage therapist and need a lightweight music delivery system for use at clients' homes-it works great!) I'm happy to have found a reliable brand I can trust. I recommend this product without reservation.