Customer Reviews

Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S315i with iPod Dock

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Although I have been a long-time iPod owner/user, I have never gotten around to purchasing or using an external speaker prior to this one, other than when using my car's own speaker system while driving. Now when I arrive at the office I can remove my iPod from my car, take it into my office and plug it into the Logitech Rechargeable Speaker and continue to enjoy my iPod's music throughout my workday. Since the speakers are housed in one unit, I do not have to worry about unsightly speaker wires stretching across the room. The unit, while nice looking, is also relatively unobtrusive and my iPod is easily removed when I leave for the day. Although I do not really have the need for taking the unit anywhere else, its relatively small size makes it quite portable.

Although the sound separation between the speakers is adequate, I would not characterize the sound quality as anything other than serviceable. I have heard much better sound quality in boom boxes that are much cheaper than this unit, which of course, consists of only a pair of speakers. At least with a boom box, you already have a media player of some sort built in, while this unit requires that you have a separate media player, be it an iPod or some other type of player.

Since I am using the unit mainly to provide low volume background music for my office it fulfills my needs. Nevertheless I feel that the current listed price is at least 50% higher than is justified for the quality of the sound emitted by the speakers.

I use this unit at work in my office to listen to Ambient and Classical music. I tried the Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 which was awesome except for the fact that it's auto-shut off feature is too sensitive with the kind of music I listen to and really made it unusable for me. I tried the Altec imt620 which had good sound but had an unusually loud speaker hiss at all volumes that bothered me. It would also reset the volume too high when I would reinsert my iPhone 3GS into the unit.

The Logitech s315i is the perfect comprimise. The sound quality is good, but not great. For my needs (low volume, background music) it's perfect. The small size and portability are great. I also listen to audio streams and I don't have to worry about it shutting down for no reason. There is no speaker hiss either. It is really just an extension of the iPhone's built in speakers. No bells and whistles, just a basic, solid, decent sounding speaker.

I do believe that it is a little overpriced for what you get. Having no remote control is disappointing too, but not a deal breaker for me.

I would have given it 5 stars, but the less than perfect sound, no remote control and high price tag keeps it from getting the highest rating in my book.

Bottom Line - if you just need a good, portable, no frills speaker set that lets you have all the control and if you aren't an audiophile, then this is the unit for you.

Like another reviewer, I was quite skeptical that this speaker would deliver a respectable sound and charge, but I was pleasantly surprised. I tested/used this with an iPod Classic, 1st generation, and it worked flawlessly.

What I Like:
- The footprint: it is lightweight (about 1.5 lbs) and travels well
- Clean lines -- matches iPod/Apple design mindset: aesthetically pleasing, no distracting features, will probably blend into any office, bedroom...anywhere; very neutral in form
- Simple interface (on/off/power save mode, volume control, A/C plug); quick start -- just connect the iPod/iPhone and rock!
- When plugged in, it charges the iPod and obviously its battery; a small flashing green light indicates that it's charging its batteries properly
- Long battery life -- it is advertised at 20 hours, but the max I tried it was 8 hours and it was fine and it seemed to have enough juice to go longer if required
- Sturdy build - seems quite durable for portability, not too many parts that can "break" easily
- Fairly long power supply cord for recharging

What I Didn't Like:
- Some very "slight" distortion when the volume is cranked to the max; but I guess that's to be expected; otherwise for a portable speaker system, it performs very well. The bass is the most affected; but not bad considering the form factor of the unit
- I had to take my iPod out of its protective case to connect with this unit; would be nice if I could leave the cover on like when using my iPod with my car or headset

Suggested Improvements:
- Carrying case
- Remote control for iPod control and volume control from a distance
- Battery Life indicator (similar to iPod's battery icon) so user can "see" how much juice remains

In short; for its size, it does what it says quite well. No complaints from me...

The S315i is a portable self-amplified speaker for your Apple iPhone and iPod. You can also use it with any other external sound source, but you need to buy a separate 3.5mm cable on the speaker end. The other end, of course, depends on the output of your sound source.

I do not much like ear buds or ear phones. I do not even like holding my phone against my ear for anything over a minute. I also prefer to keep my hands free as much as possible. The S315i neatly solves this in a small but not tiny package. It is large enough to provide acceptable sound quality for music. The table stand neatly closes into the body for a sleek and easy to pack hard shell.

The battery lasts for ten hours as described. If you have no place to recharge for a longer period, switch to power save mode and sacrifice fidelity for doubling the playing time.

The sound volume is adequate for a small to medium sized room. You can plug your desktop if you have poor computer speakers and you do not care about stereo. The input jack handles stereo, but since the channels are but inches apart, there is no stereo effect.

The sound quality is good for the size of the speakers at this price point. It is possible to get significantly better sound from self powered speakers of this size, but you will probably pay at least twice as much. Engineering is all about trade-offs. I was happy listening to music for several hours. I was happier to go back to my five hundred dollar + Wharfedale monitors, but they must stay on my desk while my Logitech is happy to slip into my laptop bag and play out on the picnic table. Depending on your sound source, the sound will over-modulate at high volumes. I did my break-in in another room. CDs generally, and well engineered ones in particular, will take higher playing levels. Also, sound sources have different levels of gain. Sound that is compressed will play with less distortion because the range is more centered. These are not audiophile grade and both the highs and lows are rolled off. The amplifier is of very low power and will clip, which adds to distortion. But I was able to play music at enjoyable levels. I am picky when it comes to sound. All things considered, these are not a super value, but I am satisfied that they are worth the price. I have not found a better value for this set of features and build quality.

One important note. If you think these speakers sound tinny, it is partially because they need the first eight or so hours to break-in. I plugged them into my Apple computer, turned on iTunes and put all three volume controls (the computer has one, iTunes has another and the Logitech has the third) all the way up, and played continuously for a whole day. They opened up surprisingly well.

I like this set of speakers in many regards, but only when running on AC power. On battery power, the speakers power down after 15 minutes of play. It is necessary to turn the speaker power switch off and back on to get another 15 minutes. I contacted Logitech Tech Support and the acknowledged that the device could "get a little confused" if streaming wifi (e.g., Pandora) while on battery power. Since I usually use it on AC power, I decided to keep it. But now I'm noticing that it shuts off after 15 minutes even if playing music on the iPod, not just streaming.

I am surprised no one else has mentioned this here; there are several complaints about it on the Logitech product support pages. I am starting to wonder if this in in a relatively small number of units. I'll be trying to get Logitech to fix or exchange it again.

I painted a bedroom this weekend. Since I work better when I am listening to music, I plugged in my iPhone and carried this speaker into the room I was painting. That is when I noticed that there is little to no stability support for my iPhone when it is docked in this speaker. The iPhone rests comfortably in the dock when the speaker unit is sitting upright on a desk or floor, but when carrying it, you must remove your iPhone or iPod because it could rock back and forth in the dock. This places stress on the circuit board and dock connector. This, however, is the only con about this product and is simply a matter of necessity because Logitech is building this to be compatible with all iPods and iPhones.

I used it while plugged into an outlet. I haven't tested the battery life.

Now for the pros: It has great sound and can get fairly loud if you turn your volume up. It is built well and feels like a high quality product. I am nicely impressed by this product. For a small pair of speakers, there is (surprisingly) a full-range sound. The sound is very satisfying.

The Logitech S315i rechargeable speaker system is pretty cool looking and has better than average sound for a unit of its size. A big thumbs-up to Logitech for the nice aesthetics and the simplicity of the unit. But after using it for a couple of days, there are a few things that bother me just a bit and I wanted to point them out.

First off, one of the features listed on the product description page for this unit is erroneous. As of this writing, under "System Requirements" on the product description page, it clearly states, "4 AA batteries (not included) required for portable listening." Before getting the unit, I took this to mean that you could use AA batteries to listen to music with the unit in case you were away from an electrical outlet when the rechargeable battery ran out of juice. However, there's nothing in the manual about the S315i taking AA batteries, and there's no battery compartment. So I'm guessing that feature either ended up on the cutting room floor or the product page info was hastily copied and pasted from another product description. In any case, AA batteries are not an option with this unit.

Another minor complaint I have is the time it takes to recharge the battery on this unit. According to the FAQ section of the manual, it takes "Anywhere from 10hrs to 20hrs (Depending on how far the battery has drained)" to recharge the battery. That just seems like a really long time to me. If the battery drains and you want to take the unit with you somewhere away from electricity shortly thereafter, you're in for a long wait. Sure, you can always use the unit while it's plugged into a wall outlet, but portability is a key selling point of the S315i.

Another thing the S315i is missing that I would've liked to have had included is a tone control of some sort. Separate bass and treble controls would've been great. Or just a single tone control. Just something to add some highs or lows if you wanted to.

Just a few nit-picky things from a person who's pretty fussy when it comes to sound equipment. But overall, the S315i is very nicely done. Is it my favorite portable speaker system in the world? No. That would still be the JBL On Tour Portable Speaker System ( Black ). While it doesn't have a dock for an iPod or a rechargeable battery, the JBL On Tour has (I think) cleaner sound, plus the capability of being able to run off of regular batteries. It's also smaller than the S315i (and came with a storage bag!).

Nit-picky things aside, if you're looking for a nice speaker system for your iPod or iPhone at a decent price, I think the S315i is an excellent choice. It would fit in well in any office, bedroom, or dorm room, and will provide more than adequate sound for the vast majority of music listeners.

Logitech continues their impressive reputation and stellar contributions to the future of electronics.

I have purchased quite many media players through the years, but as far as iPod, I took a break by sticking with the Apple 80 GB iPod AAC/MP3 Video Player Black (5.5 Generation) (Mine is actually 5.0) and the Apple iPod shuffle 1 GB New Bright Blue (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL. The first appeal to this speaker system is that it will accommodate my "old" iPod, and adapts to all current and future models. But, you don't have to use just iPod, as you can connect most any brand media player via an Aux port in the back. The Shuffle as you know would not fit in the base, but the iPod port is always the same. I never bought a speaker for my iPod because I always figured I would get the iPod "Touch" and/or and "iPhone", and would just do it then. But this is "must buy now" item.

When I received it, I first noticed how light the box was. When I opened and held the unit, it's lightweight but sturdy structure was appealing. At 11" x 5", it's a smooth, simple fun to handle unit. An item about as big as a book, but with round edges and ready to go with you. Not much of a worry about breaking a button or any other piece, as the iPod base pushes back which also forms the frame-like pedestal. The base is in the middle of the unit, so the edges are still smooth, and the entire this is portable with one click of the base.

The buttons and input/outputs are as simple as "on", "off", "power save" which is one small switch in the back, but still flush to the linear design. The volume is handled by two push in buttons, top one louder, bottom lower. This is key as you not dealing with a volume wheel. Lastly, peel back a protective rubber stopper that reveals the AC Adapter (charger) port, and the auxiliary input for other devices.

It's important to note a big plus here is no batteries! Fully rechargeable, and how! I have been working in the basement since yesterday afternoon, and after I charged it, I just kept it on to see how long it would last. I left it on, and it's been on at least 24 hours, still playing. I currently have it connected to the AC adapter as I write this. In the notes, it says it could take up to 10 hours to charge if fully drained, but it must have been pre-charged as it was ready to go in a couple hours or less. There is a green and red led light otherwise invisible inside the metal mesh of the speaker telling you status or warning of battery getting low. So, I am very impressed with the battery life and the fact that I don't have to buy loose batteries.

The most important thing... how does it sound? WOW! This little thing packs quite an unexpected punch. You are not dealing with a remote, equalizers or other controls. You just push the docking base back, put your iPod on it, and play your iPod. The sound is so good, so clear, I am more than happy with my only job is to control the volume. It really does a great job equalizing itself. I have listened to all types of music since I got it, and the acoustic sound is just as great as a bass guitar.

My only wish is that there was some type of cosmetic protection. A simple neoprene sleeve would be perfect. It's an narrow shape, so, I am not sure how satisfy that. For now I just carefully pack it in my bag. It really does not need a case, as it's so self-contained, but just something simply to protect from scratches. But it is very sturdy. At first I was afraid of my iPod falling out as the base swivels, it looks like it could. But, I actually turned it upside down and shook it a little with my hand ready to grab the falling iPod, but, it is very secure.

For the price, and this quality, with what it does and saves, it is quite the bargain. Simple and sleek.

This Logitech device will shut off after 15 minutes when listening to music (Pandora, Rhapsody, XM Radio) on your iPhone. It works fine when using the iPhone iPod, but not with anything else. I was promised a new device with a 4-hour shut off, but it still shuts off after 15 minutes. Basically, the thing doesn't work as advertised. Don't buy if you plan to use it with your iPhone while not plugged in - unless you don't mind turning the thing on again every 15 minutes. Hope this helps.

Firstly, let me start by saying this is a great product. It works great with iPod, iPod Touch, etc. Also works great if you're using an iPhone to play music with the iPod app. But if you use 3G to stream Pandora, the 3G radio doesn't cause interference, but causes the entire unit to shut off after only a few minutes. I've gotten 3 replacements from Logitech and they all still have the same problem. I got this speaker dock specifically so I could take it on picnic or poolside, and it's useless because I have to keep getting out to turn it back on....sometimes not even 1 song has played.