iHome iH52B Bookshelf System for iPods with AM/FM Radio (Black)

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Product Details

• Item Weight: 19 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 18 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000EA2DGU
• Item model number: IH52B
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 6, 2006

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The iHome iH52B Bookshelf System for iPods with AM/FM Radio (Black) is a home stereo for your iPod that delivers a full-size sound from a compact system. The iHome Bookshelf not only allows you to listen to all your favorite tunes from your iPod in rich, stereo sound, but lets you listen to your favorite radio stations as well, all with the comfort of a full-function remote so you never have to leave your couch.

The iHome iH52B has a built-in, large 3-line LCD that doesn't just allow you to navigate through radio stations, but can also be used to display your iPod's current song information. This unit has a built-in, external antenna that lets you listen to both AM and FM radio stations when you feel the need for something new, and allows you to program up to six station presets for each band. The iH52B's radio features automatic frequency control, PLL (phase locked loop) digital tuning, and radio frequency and volume displays.

The iHome Bookshelf includes an easy-to-adjust clock function that features a battery back-up that saves your settings in case of a power failure, a calendar, and one-touch daylight savings time adjustments. The iH52B itself features a unique docking insert that lets you simultaneously charge your full-size iPod and your iPod shuffle, and comes with inserts that allow this system to be compatible with all iPod models. This unit includes a built-in auxiliary audio input so you can listen to other MP3 players or audio devices through you bookshelf stereo system, and comes with two external speakers and a subwoofer with 32 total watts of power output to provide you with a clear, deep sound at all volume levels. The iH52B comes in a stylish black finish that complements your iPod and your home decor, and is backed by a manufacturer's limited 90-day warranty.

Product Description

Bookshelf System for Apple¿ iPod & shuffle with RF Remote Control

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great value for money, May 20, 2007

By	Ski mom (California) - See all my reviews

I bought mine at Target. I put by iPod in the display model in the store, hit "play" and man...what a sound! No hiss, awsome bass. (Perhaps some other reviewers should take theirs back while they can and request an exchange.) With sound this good, I couldn't justify paying $150 more for the Apple HiFi.

We brought it home (paid $199 in the store) and my 12-year-old was able to direct installation with no difficulty. Yes, there ARE lots of cables, but they are logical, color coded and really not difficult to manage. You'll need a phillps or nut driver to attach the FM antenna.

It is designed for a bookshelf, but we set it up with the subwoofer (that big, heavy speaker mentioned in another review) under the bed and the speakers on opposite nightstands.

Sound is wonderful, the remote works perfectly...very intuitive. We did have to refer to the manual to set the clock, but that made sense first time round with the directions.

Only one "I wish"....I wish it had an alarm clock. And I wish I'd known they come in white. I'd have looked elsewhere for one to match my iPod. (Which is a 30G video model. Adapters for all the models were included. Check the package before you buy, mates.)

Happy listening!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not fully compatible w/ latest iPods, February 12, 2008

By	Sweth - See all my reviews

The sound sound quality & features on the iH52 are pretty good, but it has some minor flaws (no alarm clock, no ability to navigate menus/choose playlists on iPod) and one serious flaw with the remote when using newer iPods (specifically, the Nano, the Video, or the Classic), where the forward/reverse buttons on the remote don't work reliably. After a year of grumbling about those buttons and wondering if maybe I was just too stupid to use a remote correctly, I finally called iHome and got someone on the phone who knew exactly what I was talking about before I finished explaining the problem.

Apparently, there's an issue w/ the hardware of the iH52 that means that it can't reliably send the correct instructions to skip tracks or scan within tracks for those newer iPods from the remote--some people have the "skip tracks" function work, others have the "scan within track" function work, and some (like me) have neither work reliably so we have to schlep ourselves over to the iHome to use those functions via the buttons on the main dock. He noted that people w/ older Nanos or Videos have reported being able to revert back to the original factory firmware and get them to work correctly w/ the iH52, but not users of the Classic (whose factory firmware is new enough to not recognize the codes that the iH52 sends when using the remote to control it).

(Apparently right now the only iHome product that can reliably control the skip/scan functions of newer iPods from the remote is the iH9 (IH9 Black Alarm Clock for Ipod), which doesn't have the external speakers or subwoofer of the iH52. The iH9 reportedly also has the ability to control the entire iPod interface (including navigating menus) via the remote, and has a line-level output that could in theory be connected to a stereo system for folks for whom the lack of external speakers is a deal-breaker.)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great sound, with a slim profile, January 19, 2007

By	T. Christiansen (Columbia, MO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased the iHome bookshelf system for my husband for Christmas, and we absolutely love it. The reason that I purchased it was (1) it accepts the iPod Shuffle Gen1, and (2) the small profile of the base unit. The design is very slick and clean, and it fits well in our space. And, the speakers don't take up a ton of room either.

We also use the unit for the FM Radio, and the sound quality is very good. The only drawback that I see is that the interface is not as good with the Shuffle as it would be with a normal iPod. That is, you have to physically walk over and move between songs on the iPod, while it is docked in the system, and you can't use the remote for anything other than volume and on/off when the iPod Shuddle is playing. But, I knew when I got the shuffle that it wasn't as robust as the regular iPod, and went for the value price. So, it is really not a big deal.

Great product, I would buy it again!