Customer Reviews

Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus Omnidirectional Speaker Dock for iPod and iPhone

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Unfortunately this product, while being another example of Logitech's great quality, finds itself in the awkward position of being a less enticing version of other Logitech Products that better specialize in aspects of the Pure-Fi Express Plus' feature set. The product is a good, not great performer, it's portable, and it features an alarm clock, but since Logitech has other iPod docking products that either perform better, are more portable, or are better alarm clocks, I'd recommend the alternatives first.

As far as performance goes, the Pure-Fi Express Plus didn't provide the same quality output as my set of standalone speakers with subwoofer, but it holds its weight. Logitech's Pure-Fi Dream Speaker might be a better alternative if you're looking for higher quality output (and AM/FM radio).

For portability, the Pure-Fi Express Plus is certainly nice, compact, and simple. In fact, it's a little smaller than expected (Logitech uses a 2nd generation Nano in many of the product photos which makes the Pure-Fi Express look bigger than it is). If you're primarily interested in portability, however, the even more portable, rechargeable Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S315i might be a better choice.

For the alarm clock functionality, the Pure-Fi Express Plus gets the job done, but it just has a buzzer (it won't let you wake up to your iPod), it doesn't feature dual alarms, and the snooze button doubles as the volume dial which doubles as the power button. Fortunately, another Logitech product, the similarly priced Pure-Fi Anytime Premium Alarm Clock, has all the features you'd expect of a full-featured alarm clock, if that's what you're after.

The only compelling advantage the Pure-Fi Express Plus has over its alternatives is the omnidirectional speaker which broadcasts in 360°. That makes it worth considering if you really need an iPod dock for a coffee table in the middle of a room, but otherwise I'd buy the other Logitech alternatives before this unit.

Overall, I wouldn't say the Pure-Fi Express Plus is a bad choice, necessarily. I just wouldn't call it as good of a choice as the other products mentioned. I'd give the Pure-Fi Express Plus an unenthusiastic recommendation, but only three stars because of its more specialized, and arguably more appealing, sister products.

I first want to address a previous review. My Pure-Fi Express Plus doesn't have static, or white noise no matter what the volume level (anywhere from 0-40). Also, you can turn the unit off, leaving just the clock running. I'm not sure if the reviewer got a bad unit, but both statements were not true.

I was looking for a unit that sat next to my bed, played music from time to time, had an alarm clock and most importantly charged my iPhone 3G. Believe it or not, that was a much more difficult task then you would think - 95% of iPod clock docks won't work with the iPhone, let alone the 3G due to GSM buzz. This radio does it without problems. The sound quality is excellent. iLounge gave it an A- rating. It also includes a remote! Nifty!

The one thing I with was better was the alarm clock function. It's very basic, and doesn't include a snooze button, but the loud beeps seem to wake me up just fine (and I never use the snooze).

I was looking for a device with a clock which would also charge my iPhone/iPod as well as play my tunes as I fall asleep. I did a little bit of research online and came to like this Logitech device. The other day I went to buy one online and several popular online retailers were sold out, which seemed like a good sign for me. I was in a store the other day and went ahead and bought one.

First of all, I love electronic devices with knobs rather than tons of buttons, so this one had a head start in making me happy. The LED clock looks nice, that's another plus for me. The overall design is pretty ok. I mean, it looks really nice in a picture, but I'm constantly disappointed with the mega-plastic form factor of this and every other product these days. That said, this product pretty much does what it says--it plays your iPhone or iPod's music, keeps it charged, and has an alarm clock.

One of my disappointments is the lack of functionality with the remote control. You can increase/decrease the volume, fast forward/reverse the tracks, and specify continuous play or random. I'm not a big playlist kinda guy, I'm an album guy, so there's a small gap of control missing for me. The alarm sound isn't my cup of tea either, but isn't too big of a deal since my iPhone's alarm chime will play through the speaker and suits me just fine.

The quality of sound is good enough for an alarm clock kinda thing. They have some press pictures of taking this thing to the park. I doubt the sound is robust enough to satisfy that environment, but again, that doesn't bother me personally.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. Go ahead and get one already!

The Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus is a good basic unit for those who want a speaker dock for their iPod or iPhone. The main positives of the unit are its compact size and clear sound. The omni-directional speaker design is well equipped to fill a small room. Even near the top end of the volume range it will not distort as much as other units in this price range. However, the main negatives are the relative lack of features. This unit is bare-bones as compared to others on the market. The mix of features and performance are a blend of entry level and mid-level but this unit is priced much higher than entry level units from iHome and others, including ones with more features. Users will have to decide if the Logitech brand and omni-directional speakers are worth the premium for them.

PROS
+ Compact size for bed-stand, shelf or desk use
+ Integrated one-piece design includes remote storage built into back of the unit
+ Omni-directional speaker sound fills a nice area when positioned properly
+ Bright orange clock display is more readable than those on other units I own
+ Graduating alarm clock slowly gets louder
+ Includes basic remote functions for power, volume, skip, forward, rewind, play and pause
+ Storage area for remote built into back of unit so you won't worry about losing your remote
+ Line-in port allows you to connect a PC or other Mp3 players, such as Sony, Creative or Zune, via auxiliary cable
+ Dock charges and plays a wide variety of iPods with the proper adapter (several standard ones are included)
+ Black body and orange lighted controls will look attractive to many

CONS
- Fewer features than similarly priced units by Logitech, Altec Lansing, iHome and others
- The sound is clear, but lacks the depth of higher end systems, though it did improve over time
- Alarm is buzzer only with no option for iPod music alarm (possibly could be updated)
- No outputs of any kind for hooking up to other equipment (RCA, USB, etc.)
- Only one (line-in) input, limiting the device's flexibility
- Remote functions don't let you navigate iPod menus
- No AM/FM radio within the device
- Poorly designed for mobile use - speaker fabric feels vulnerable to damage in transit
- Portable use also requires 6 AA batteries, making re-chargeable ones almost a necessity
- No included carrying case for portable use

THE ALTERNATIVES

For those who really want the omni-directional speakers, this unit may be worth the price tag and the missing features. Many people probably fall outside of that category.

The alarm feature is a curious and inadequate feature considering the ones that were left out. Both the Logitech Pure-Fi Dream Speaker and the Pure-Fi Anytime Premium Alarm Clock function better as alarm clocks and each include more features, such as an AM/FM radio. While the Dream is more expensive, the Anytime is priced comparably. The speakers are not omni-directional, so they do not fill a room in the same way. But considering the mid-range pricing, most people would probably prefer the extra features over the slightly more expansive sound.

As a desk dock, even the Etón Sound 100 iPod Dock is probably superior to this for certain uses. The remote included with that radio allows full iPod navigation. It doesn't come close in terms of sound quality since it is monaural. But is loaded with features and much more compact.

Docks such as the iLuv i177 Alarm Clock also deserve consideration from those who need a lower price tag for more features. For those willing to spend a little more, there are many alternatives worth paying a premium depending on the intended use. As a general iPod dock, this unit has enough positive traits that it should still be in the running.

CONCLUSION

If you need a speaker dock for a medium sized room and plan on relying on your iPod to drive it, you can do a lot worse than this. But this is not the best value out there and even in terms of performance there are others that may be better for your needs. This unit is a sort of jack-of-all trades. Even though it is OK, it is not ideal for portability, features, or as a clock radio. You can probably find a unit better suited to the use that matters most to you f you explore the docks that are superior in each of those categories.

Review your options and test it out at retail outlets if possible. But as long as the missing features are less important to you, you may still like this dock.

Enjoy.

i loved this system for the first week i had it. but shortly after it simply stopped producing any sound. power was working properly, just no sound from the ipod or alarm. the alarm would also decide on its own which days i should be on time for work. the batteries never worked for me. the sound would simply stop when the system was unplugged. no customer support whatsoever and ended up just getting a refund. apparently the problems i experienced were not isolated as i found many unanswered message board posts about these same issues. now i am hunting again for another system. don't waste your time.

I just received my Logitech Pure Fi Express Plus. I played it three times with my iPhone 3G and loved it! When I tried to play it a fourth time, no sound would come out. My iPod on my phone was playing, but nothing was coming out of the speakers. I did the troubleshooting: make sure it's plugged in; sync your phone and download the latest iTunes; make sure the power is on and the volume is up; blamed my husband since he was the last one to touch it (his wife is writing the review). Nothing worked. I called Logitech's Customer Support and spoke to Sam. Within 10 minutes, it was working again!

What Sam told me was that when the batteries died (I was using both batteries and the AC adapter), that the system shut down. He said dead batteries and a plugged in AC adapter is very bad for iPods/iPhones/other devices. He said it could literally fry the units. He told me to remove the batteries and reset the speaker system by holding both the shuffle and repeat buttons simultaneously for 5 seconds. Doing so causes all sorts of lights and numbers to start blinking. Wait until you get to the five second count down and the clock reappears. Your system has now been reset! And, voila! I have sound coming out of my speakers again!

I came to this purchase knowing this clock radio with iPod dock doesn't have the feature list other brands have at the same price. But for me, this item suits my needs. Basically, I was looking for a nice clock radio by a manufacturer I trust (I also own a diNovo Edge keyboard, VX Revo mouse, and a Harmony remote), sounds great, and works/ charges my iPhone 3Gs while I sleep.

I wouldn't consider myself a true audiophile but I care about sound quality a great deal more then most people. This is a small unit so I am not expecting it to sound like the Paradigm speakers I have in the living room but for a small device, the sound is overall very good. I was pleasantly surprised by the reproduction of the lows (and highs even) with this little unit. It's no where near perfect but it sounds better then any two-channel system I've listened to. There is no tin-like sound that is found with cheaper systems. Stood far enough away from the wall (the unit also fires through the rear as well if I am not mistaken), this unit gets quite loud without distorting the sound, even when it's loud enough to hear it two rooms away.

I sort of wish I found a clock radio that lets me wake up to tracks on my phone. This does not but I was pleasantly surprised to find out I can still use my phone's alarm and this unit will automatically wake up and play my ringtones that I use as an alarm to wake me up. (Not that I was planning on using this as an alarm, more or less a clock with an iPod dock.) I tried the alarm once and it was neither annoying or deafeningly loud. I liked it but prefer the way the iPhone works as an alarm clock more.

One thing that worried me was the brightness of the display. I need to sleep in total darkness. I haven't found a way to dim the lights in the front but luckily this unit is bright enough to see in the daytime but just dark enough it doesn't bother me. The orange light nice.

The other thing I was glad to see is this unit does not disable the iPod app in the phone when it is docked. When my phone is connected in my car, it gets connected through the dock connector and all iPod features are done through the head unit and the iPhone screen goes blank. This unit lets me control everything through the iPod so I can still see album art and such.

This leads me to the one downfall of this unit- the lack of buttons for track selection. The unit only has buttons for shuffle and repeat. The remote has all of the start, stop, fast forward (next), and rewind (previous) buttons. So I have to either wake my iPhone up when the screen is off or I have to fumble around to find the remote. Sort of a big oversight in my opinion.

Overall, I am quite satisfied with this unit. I'd recommend it to anyone that can afford it.

Even after a month of using this speaker dock, I am left asking - what does it really want to be? Speaker dock, speaker clock, portable speakers? It does a number of things right; but it does a number of other things just a bit off - it can do those things in a pinch, but is not really optimal. If you are looking for a simple speaker dock for the middle of a room, with good sound and few other features - this would be a good selection. On to the details:

Be ye a portable boomer?

Omni-directional speakers (really, speakers firing out of both sides of the unit) sound like a recipe for a nice portable speaker and the sound is good, warmer than many and has a decent top-end volume -- but I wouldn't call it a boom box and the 40 sound levels seems excessive (the bottom 10 are so low as to be almost inaudible). Moreover, the speaker covers are a standard stretched fabric affair and make me want for some kind of carrying case and would require an extra degree of care when out and about.

Be ye a speaker clock?

It has clock and alarm functions, but as others have noted, they are spartan, middling affairs. Moreover, with speakers firing out of both sides, placing the unit near a wall (does anyone put an alarm clock in the middle of a room?) seems to be a recipe for poor sound quality. There's a reason why there are directional speakers.

Be ye a speaker dock?

Again with weird speaker set-up which would seem to dictate placement away from a wall. The display is bright and clear - but only shows the clock or the volume level. Also, as others have mentioned, the remote lacks a lot of functionality - so it really is mostly a true speaker dock - for the middle of your room - but not so distant that you won't get up to operate it. It just seems to aspire to more.

A few other points - it does not come with very many dock adapters and none of them are marked. There is no way to dim the clock display as far as I know. When mated to an iPhone, the volume decreases nicely with an incoming call - but it would be nice to be able to route the call through the speakers.

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I reviewed this item over two years ago, and although the unit may lack features compared to alternatives, the sound is quite good. Placed in the center of a room to share some music, or used outside, paired with my projector to watch some baseball on the wall of the garage - the sound really shines. I've upped my overall rating to four stars.

I bought this as a gift for my boyfriend but also kind of for me because we'll be living together soon. After looking at quite a few in stores and online, this had all the features I was looking for: a sleek look, not cheap looking, not girly, function, big bright letters, charges my iPhone, has an alarm and a remote, snooze function, and the price is great. The Apple store and Target both sell the exact same one starting at $100. (That is why I LOVE Amazon Remembers! Best app ever!) Anyway, I love the retro look of the volume, and the volume is PLENTY loud at its loudest. Goes up to 40 but 20 is a comfortable volume that you can hear from pretty much any room in the apartment. Love the remote feature. Does have an alarm with a snooze function (you press in the volume to get it to snooze) but the snooze goes off every ten minutes and this cannot be altered. The "omnidirectional" speakers weren't that much of a draw for me as a feature but they are of a good quality. Doesn't take up much room and charges my iPhone as well. A great buy for the money compared to other brands.

I've been very impressed with this unit for the price. Everything else I looked at was well over $100. If all you want is a iPod speaker dock that also charges your iPod, then this is something to consider. It does not hiss or produce static noise at any time, on or off. No, it's probably not a top of the line cinematic sound system, but having said that I've been very happy with the audio quality. It works well with a iPod nano 4G so no issues there. The remote is nice but we don't use it alot since it does have a limited range and it just would be one more thing to carry around the house. The clock is nice and the volume is easy to control. It has a nice "piano black" finish. Overall, for the money it is a good buy.