Customer Reviews

iLive Docking System and Boombox with Speakers for iPod and MP3 Players (Black)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I expected a small boombox that could deliver enough sound to fill a small room, and not much else. I didn't buy this for it's extra features -- I got it for portable sound.

I was originally going to get one of those JBL SoundStage flying-saucer-looking things. But then, I thought about how I'd actually use it. I want to be able to carry it with me from room to room, garage, back yard, etc. The JBL SoundStage and all other tabletop speakers aren't portable like that. So, I decided to try this out. Here are my pro's and con's...

PROS:
- Small (12"w x 7"h x 6"d)
- Great clear sound (much louder and clearer than I expected)
- Portable with easy-to-grab handle
- Runs on batteries (8 C-size) or AC
- Has AM/FM radio
- Has Aux-In, Aux-Out, and Video-Out
- Charges iPod
- Comes with adapters to fit most iPods (not for the Nano 3G, but it still works; read below)
- Has Play/Pause, Next, and Previous buttons on top (but no menu features)

CONS:
- Will charge iPod even when running on batteries and turned off (if your iPod is cradled, it's charging)
- AM/FM tuner is NOT digital -- it's a rotary analog tuner with a digital display screen (no presets, etc.)
- Slide-in size adapters don't stay in place
- Kind of hard to remove an iPod from the cradle once it's fully seated

I have an iPod Nano 3G, which this is NOT designed for. However, it works perfectly fine with it. The only reason it's not supported is because it doesn't have a proper fit adapter for the Nano 3G's unique size and shape. The boombox comes with an assortment of shaped iPod holders to fit the Nano 1G and 2G, and several flat tickness plates to accomodate shallower iPods. The thickest backplate is the right thickness for the iPod Nano 3G. So, I simply inserted that thickness plate and slid in my iPod Nano 3G. It fits and works properly. However, it doesn't hug the iPod Nano 3G like it does others. So, if you toss the boombox around, your iPod 3G could fall out or possibly break the connector on the bottom. It's no worse than one of those tabletop speakers where the iPod sticks up into the air. I don't plan on tossing the boombox around, so I'm not concerned.

iPods sit very low into the cradle on this thing, which is a bit recessed back. So, getting your iPod out of the cradle can be a bit tricky. Be careful not to put your thumb on the LCD screen to try to slide it off because you could crack the screen.

Overall, I'm pleased with this product. It's not one of those "WOW" products, but it does what it's supposed to.

Enjoy!

I was looking for speakers and something to keep my iPod charged while I listened to it at work and saw this advertised at Kohl's. Checked Amazon and found it for less (and in black). Most iPod boomboxes get poor reception but this one does better than most I have seen. I have the iLuv iPod boombox for use at home but wanted something a little smaller for work. Radio gets suprisingly clear reception (usually a problem in offices) and the sound is good. Defintely not useful for a party but if you want something inexpensve, portable, with good sound and an AM/FM radio, this gets the job done. My only complaint is that the LED display can be hard to see at an angle, but that is a minor issue.

received the item fast from amazon,par for the course. the ib3 works great looks good (black) just the right size for travel and charges your ipod also. comes with plates to fit all ipods and the little dock connector inside the ib3 slides to aline with all ipods. my 30 gig 5.5 ipod fits nicely, but could fit a little more snugly, but just don't let anything snag or pull your ipod from in between the handle and the ipod or it could cause a problem, it may weaken the docking connector.

sounds good for the price, and sounds loud enough to fill a hotel room or dorm room and next to you at the beach. not too tinny with the sound. those who want digital tuning for the radio and mega-bass sound should spend more than $30.00 and get what they are looking for.

but i must add that if you change your EQ control on your ipod to 'small speakers' or 'bass booster' you will be satified with the sound coming out of this small portable unit!

all in all for the money and the purpose this hits the spot! 3in1, charges, plays radio and is very portable. just don't keep ipod docked when not using A/C or it will charge off the batteries!

This boombox with an IPOD adapter is a fairly good unit for the price. It is quite inexpensive so one should not expect it to sound like a high priced sound system.

It works for the purpose I got it - to have a decent boombox that I can plug my IPOD in to listen to at work. I am very busy while at work so I'm not as picky about sound quality as I am at home.

This unit also has adapters to fit various sized IPODs and other MP3 players.

I had tried a couple of other speaker systems for my IPOD previously and they were both terrible. This one is so much better in comparison, that it seems great.

This product works exactly the way it's supposed to. I would highly recommend this product to anyone who is looking for an iPod dock. The sound is exactly the way it says it will be. And it's cheaper than the exact same model that has the CD player...who needs a CD player when you have an iPod?

I've used it daily for the past few weeks and I feel it's an excellent buy for $50. The sound quality is good PERIOD, and stacks up to some of the more expensive docking stations on the market. I can leave the boombox downstairs and it's loud enough (with quality sound) to hear upstairs. The AM/FM tuner and clock are nice features. Sure, it would be nice to have a base/treble adjust, but anyone that particular about sound should read the label and invest in one of the high end docking stations. If you want a portable boombox with good quality sound, you can't go wrong with this unit.

For the price this is a great radio. iPod sounds great. Radio best when outdoors.

Given the price this sells for, this is an OK value and buy, considering what it does. You can use this with your iPOD or other MP3 player (with an adapter cord which is not included) by using the headphone output jack with volume turned up. The only drawbacks are that the unit has no base/treble controls, and the cheap digital tuner is a manual flywheel type (not a pushbutton type), so the stations tend to 'drift' a bit after a while. In addition, the digital station number display is way off frequency, so for example, if you want to tune in '1100' AM, you need to tune it to '1110' or so. It also would have been nice if the unit had a 'sleep timer' to automatically turn the unit off as you sleep. The tuner display is also angled upwards, which renders it unviewable if you're lying down in bed and it's sitting on a night table. The sound is below average, with very deficient bass, and rolled-off treble. But, for the price, this is a simple and effective solution for what it does. Just don't have high expectations. MP3 files don't sound nearly as good as CD's and LP's do anyway (which previous generations grew up with), so this current generation is more accepting of mediocre sound to begin with, unfortunately.

This docking stations does not charge your I-Pod.
The volume dial give sporadic sound levels and changes dramatically if you accidentally bump the device.
The blue backlight on the clock makes it virtually impossible to see the time.
The plus side well the radio works ok, but the volume issue presists.

I purchased this item from another source. I paid $20 and that was more than this is worth.

I've had this boom box for over a month now, and have taken it to the beach at least four times - so far, the original batteries I installed a month ago are still working fine, even after long hours of use; though at home I use the electrical cord to conserve power. I use it in my backyard almost every day. Made for iPod, but I use it for my Creative Zen Micro (had to purchase an additional $7 cord at Walmart to use my MP3 player). Fills the backyard with a good volume of music, used it for a large party and the sound was fine. Not perfect, but good enough for a backyard BBQ.

Pros: good volume; good sound; highly portable; durable

Cons: no easy way to dock my MP3 player which is NOT an iPod, have to use a rubber band instead to hold it in place, which looks cheap and cheesy; ALSO radio is useless, as the antenna barely picks up any stations, but then I didn't buy it for radio use anyway.

This isn't going to blow you away with sound quality, so if you're a stickler for perfect sound, look elsewhere. But if you're like me and you just want to hear the music you have stored on your MP3 player and things like tone and bass control don't matter to you, then this is a good purchase. For the cost, you get what you pay for: portability, good sound and volume.