Customer Reviews

Speakal iPig 2.1 Stereo iPod Docking Station with 5 Speakers (Pink)

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The only drawback is the cutesy appearance which makes this unit look more like a toy than a serious compact sized all in one IPOD dock.

Having had 4 Harmon Kardon Go+Play and being very familier with the HK sound, I consider this a baby Harmon Kardon Go+Play. It doesn't have the same maximum volume but it does get respectably loud with true 24 watts and audio extension down to 60 hz. VERY clear, present and strong. A super unit that's only about 6.3 inches in diameter, making for the best sounding small all in one unit I have ever heard.

Incidentally, I travel with the highly regarded larger Boomtube unit reviewed on Amazon here:

http://www.amazon.com/Virgin-VS2100-Boomtube-Portable-Speaker/dp/B000ARIT5G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1225204410&sr=8-3

The IPIG walls ALL OVER the Boomtube. No comparison- much better frequency response, more presence, clarity, deeper bass, and louder. The only drawback is that this is too small to give stereo separation. This is going to be my new travel music unit. I tested it with wireless microphone and it works great also as an amplification system good enough for speaking to 100 people.

First of all, let me qualify "audio professional" - because I know that is your first question about my review.
I work as the Audio Video and Lighting Manager at a large Baptist Church in Cary, NC. My background before this job is all recording studio work. So, I've been employed as an "audio professional" of one kind or another for close to a decade now.
I purchased this as a gift for my wife. Something to dock her iPod in the kitchen. Check. Something that matched our black appliances and granite counter tops. Check. Something that had decent reviews as it pertained to sound. Check. When we pulled it out of the box, my wife was a little confused at first. When I explained what it was and we plugged it in for a listen... I was pretty shocked. Its VERY respectable. I like it. She likes it. We have a Homedics iPod dock/alarm clock in our bedroom. I hate the way it sounds. But this... I like. Enough said?

I bought this on impulse about a year ago, after reading favorable reviews in a gadget magazine. I'm generally pleased with it, though it gets a few funny looks from visitors sometimes. The sound coming out of it is indeed very good and fills the room, so if you're looking for an unusual iPod dock, this is a good item to consider either as a gift or for yourself. I like to put my iPod Touch in here and listen to Beethoven or some other classical music while I cook. I have also listened to a variety of music on it, including rock, metal, electronica, and hip-hop and have no complaints about the sound quality.

The iPig is very easy to use. Just plug it in and dock your iPod to it. It comes with a variety of cradle adapters and charges the iPod while docked. The ears are touch sensitive and control volume. Left ear lowers the volume. Right ear makes it louder. The mouth blinks green in response. If your hands are wet, it won't work. One thing I don't like is the flat, credit-card type remote, as all the buttons are packed together in a smaller area. It uses a lithium button battery like CR 2025 3 Volt Lithium Button Battery for Directed Electronics 598T Remote Control Transmitters and other uses or Maxell Lithium Battery CR2032 Pack of 5 Batteries. There's no compartment or clasp to store it on the iPig, so it can be easy to lose.

Construction-wise, the iPig is very solid and has a good heft to it. Made of thick shiny plastic, it feels sturdy and substantial. The surfaces are smooth and sealed, making it easy to clean with a moist towel if it ever gets dirty.

One potential issue is with iPod Touch owners. Because of the depth of the docking bay, the bottom of the Touch's screen is slightly blocked, making the unlock control on the iPod a bit difficult to slide with your finger. Another small issue is the two VERY SMALL controls on the back. One is the ON/OFF tab. Slide the tiny tab to one side for on, the other for off. To the left of it is the bass level knob, a small dial less than the size of an eraser head. It doesn't protrude out very much, so gripping it is a slight issue. Both of these buttons should be bigger and more ruggedized. However, these minor design flaws don't detract from the overall value and usefulness of the iPig.

It's a fun little gadget, if a bit creepy looking. (It looks more like a spider than a pig to me.) It doesn't take up a lot of space and it's very portable. I've taken it outside for a BBQ party and it received complements for delivering big sound in spite of its small size. You might also consider the Speakal iBoo 2.1 Stereo iPod Docking Station with 3 Speakers (White) or the Speakal iPanda 2.1 Stereo iPod Docking Station with 5 Speakers to fit your style.

The sound is very good from this little pig! Rich tones. It is not cheaply made--solid piece of pork.:) The remote works well.It is a small hassle to turn the tiny switch on at the back base of the pig before inserting the Ipod. I guess you could just leave it on all the time, but I turn it off. You can not turn the unit on/off from the remote. Otherwise, very happy with the purchase.

I got it for my babys room (fancy), and I was so impress with que quality of the sound.I was not expecting such and amazing sound quality.
This pig is the coolest and louder system ever. The pig its cute and the volume system , love it.
I am replacing all my ipod docks with these cute animals, I already have the panda for my bedroom, now I want the black pig for my kitchen.
Awesome sound system that looks so cute.

the pig states that it is compatable with the nano 4g but it seems to work with one of the 2 i have and the control will not change tracks on the one that works in it. The other one works fine in the car ipod player so its not the ipod:(. I have tried to contact speakal about it but they still havent got a reply back

The iPig was listed as compatible with the iPhone 3G when I ordered it but the adapter insert is much too tight for the phone. With a bit of clearance work on the adapter the phone now fits just fine. sound quality is good and it makes for a handy charging cradle.

I now notice that it does not come up as specifically showing compatibillity for a iPhone 3G.

I have the iPig and 3G iPhone that works perfectly fine together. The error message that always comes up when the iPhone is docked reads, "This accessory is not made to work with iPhone: Would you like to turn on airplane mode to reduce audio interference? You will not be able to make or receive calls. YES NO" Simply select "NO" and the music will play through the iPig and phone calls & text messages come through without a problem!

The most distinguished feature of the iPig is not its cute piggy face, which it has, or those cute pig ear volume controls, which I love to play with, but the 4-½ inch subwoofer at the bottom. With it, I can hear the drums when I play the sound tracks of Conan the Barbarian by Basil Poledouris. Previously, the drums were not very convincing when I played the tracks through my 1-½ inch MP3 speaker. In addition, this 5-speaker iPig can produced plenty of undistorted volume to fill the room, in spite of its small size. It is designed to be used with an iPod, with various templates to fit different models. I don't have an iPod; I have a Nomad Jukebox MP3 player instead, but it is not a problem, because I can plug it in through the external mini-plug socket. A remote control comes with the iPig. Supposedly, you can control the iPod with it. You can also adjust the volume up and down with it, but I prefer to do it manually with them pig ears.

The iPig is about the size of a bowling ball, but it is not meant to be portable. There is no battery option. So, if you want to move it around, you have to lug around the AC transformer and the cords as well. Furthermore, there is no handle; you can easily drop the iPig. Perhaps the manufacturer will consider putting on a couple of handles in the form of a pig snout and a pigtail in the next design cycle. Just a thought.

I just got this as an Easter gift and so far I love it!

Pros:
--Great sound for the price! I know I don't want to spend $300 on a Bose iPod dock (I'd rather spend that money on starting an actual entertainment system set-up) so paying 1/3 the price for this one is well worth it. It has good sound clarity, bass and volume (the sound can fill an entire room).

--I love the touch volume controls on the ears. Though it's a bit hard to tell if you are actually hitting the touch control, I still like it.

--I've read a lot of reviews with people having compatibility issues, which I was worried about, so I plugged my iPhone as soon as I pulled it out of the box. Much like the Sync system in my car, it comes up with a message asking if I want to put my phone in airplane mode, to which I press no, and everything plays fine! It even charges it (which some people were saying it didn't) I have the iPhone 3Gs and believe me, it charges just fine! I also plugged in my 2nd and 4th gen iPod Nano and they also charge and play. So no worries there folks!

--It comes with an auxiliary cable for you to plug in other non-iPod mp3 players which might be handy for other people. I haven't actually tried it since I have an iPod but I like the option of having that.

--It's ADORABLE and people LOVE it! I've received a lot of compliments on it!


Cons:
--It comes with a variety of interchangeable dock adapters (for the different models of iPods) which is great. But they are really hard to snap out. It does come with a little plastic pry tool which helps A LOT. And thinking about it I guess I'd rather it have a tight fit than a loose one. Plus I'm probably only going to use my iPod Nano with this so I don't plan changing the adapters hardly ever. But some people might find this frustrating so there you have it.

--The adapter for the iPhone 3G/iTouch is VERY snug so I usually opt to not use an adapter at all. (this might be an occasion to use the auxiliary cable which would be a good solution for other people having this problem)

--The remote is small and light which I like, but it might end up being a problem for people who are prone to losing or misplacing things.


***All in all it's a great little dock for the iPod! It's sleek enough for adults but cute enough for kids! It's easy to use and sounds great!