Customer Reviews

iHome iH16 Portable Speaker System for iPod (Gray)

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I bought this in an electronics store at the mall where they had one out on display and I could pop in my iPhone 3GS to test it. I've got a fairly simple set of criteria that I'm getting pretty good at testing for:
1) Does it charge the 3GS? Yes. (my older clock radio did not)
2) Is it easy to make the device play music? Yes. (you'd be amazed at how many iPod speakers require significant fussing to get them to play the iPod)
3) Can I listen to Internet radio? Yes. (Some devices will only play the iPod)
4) Will it wake to muisc? Yes. (Again, not all of them do)
5) Is the sound quality respectable? Yes. For a device the size of a Toblerone bar, this thing is amazing. Not much bass and it won't make your ears bleed, but it's clean and accurate and makes you feel you're listening to decent stereo rather than an alarm clock.

This is the first device I've owned that made me want to pop my iPhone in, fire up a Genius playlist and listen. The button selection is as simple as it could be, I can kill the clock light at night with the Snooze bar, and it wakes to iPod perfectly in the morning with zero setup. The only negatives I can come up with are that it's so light that you end up moving it around the night stand when you undock it, and it has no built-in radio, which might bother some people but not me. My bottom line, this is a device that lives up to the elegance of the iPhone. They should sell tons of these.

I got this to do two things only: tell me the time (without me needing to put my glasses on) and read me a bedtime story (audiobooks ripped from CD). It is almost perfect for those purposes, but I'm surprised at all these glowing reviews, because the unit is not without real flaws. The only two that concern me are that the display, while large and clear, cannot be seen if you're lying down and your bedside table is at the same level as your head. From all other angles the display is perfectly clear, but to see the time without sitting up, I need to lean the unit towards me at a sharp angle.

The other niggle that bothers me is that the [Sleep] button is on the back (Why?) and is the middle of three identical buttons, so care is needed. Did the designers think that people would confuse [Snooze] with [Sleep]? If so, they could have come up with more unambiguous labels, like [It's too f*?#!+@ early!] and [Drift Off...]

Two other flaws that don't concern me but would probably matter to most people: In terms of volume, it doesn't exactly "go to eleven"; all it can manage is about four. The other one is that, though the sound quality is as excellent as reported in the other reviews, there is a serious lack of bass, leaving it sounding only like a set of five dollar computer speakers.

It does everything else just fine, is truly portable and lightweight, takes up very little space, and is constructed really well.

(I can't comment on the alarm function because I would never rely on anything this complex to wake me up: if I absolutely, positively have to be awake at a certain time, my yard-sale Westclox gets wound up, armed, and placed on the other side of the room. I then go to sleep, serenaded by its hellacious loud tick, secure in the knowledge that - come Hell or high water (or power outages) - I will be awake and standing at the right time next morning.)

Loved this product, except for the fact that within a month the speakers just stopped working completely. Zero sound. Contacted the company, but by the time I pay for shipping it back, and the fee (yes, a FEE) for them to fix it, it's just not worth it. So, 1 star for effort and concept, but if a product (and not a cheap product at that) can't work for more than a month, there's a problem. And as far as their "warranty" iHome must be pulling my leg. Sadly I'm not laughing since I'm stuck with a $50 brick at this point.

I want to start off by saying that I've bought hundreds of things on Amazon.com and I ALWAYS read reviews before buying. I'm a smart buyer who always does his research and gets the best deal. I've never even written one bad review here and I've been very successful in making good purchases.

Unfortunately, I was misled a bit on this product. It saw all the stars, read the reviews, but when I got this thing, unboxed and turned it on, it immediately struck me as a device not worth $40, much less its list price of $50. The main reasons for my complaint are the position and size of the speakers as well as the dock design. This device is listed as "iHome iH16 Portable Speaker System for iPod" whereas my impression of it now is "iHome iH16 Simple Alarm Clock for iPod."

If you're looking for a simple, relatively inexpensive alarm clock that allows you to plug your iPod into it, this is a good buy. However, if you're looking for a quality portable audio system for your iPod, you will be disappointed. This is a simple 2 speakers facing out on the side of the device. This makes true sound quality hard to attain because no matter where you are in relation to this thing, you will not have direct stereo sound because it's impossible for both speakers to be facing you at the same time. This was a big disappointment for me.

The dock also has room for improvement. When I pulled the iH16 out of it's package, I read the instructions and tried to put the dock together for an iPod Nano. You have to hook 2 pieces of plastic into the back of the dock to support the Nano, the second being a bit small and flimsy. Although I got the Nano docked, the support was lousy and left me wondering if I even did it right. When I had my Nano 3G plugged in, it was extremely uncomfortable to use the click wheel as the bottom of the wheel was almost flush against the surface of the dock. I overcame this by simply using a 3.5mm AUX cable, but then I lost the charging function.

However, on the plus side of things, it's a nice looking device that does what it says and does it good and with simplicity. The clock and alarm are extremely easy to set, it does have an AUX cable input, it does charge the iPod, and it does play music. The sound quality for the size and position of the speakers IS actually good. I won't be returning this, but I've definitely learned a valuable lesson from it.

I want to finish by saying that I am a guy who usually gets the best or close to it in audio. I don't ALWAYS get the most expensive stuff, but when it comes to my music, I usually go all-out. Music is very important to me and I have the ears of an audiophile. If you're simply looking for a little portable device to play your tunes or, as aforementioned, an alarm clock that supports the iPod, this product is fine for you. But if you're looking for a little more on the audio side of things, seek elsewhere. And even then, $40 still seems a bit steep for this.

At long last -- a truly portable ipod travel alarm clock! The whole system weighs less than just the power adapter for my iHome iH9 ipod alarm clock (admittedly, this adapter is so ridiculously massive that it needs support just to stay plugged into a wall socket), and it takes 240 V so that it also can be used in Europe, with just a plug adapter. The sound quality is amazingly good for such a small system (the speakers are the round areas at the ends). The system is overall very nicely designed and appealing. Thank you, iHome!

Worked great for 3 months, and a few days ago the speakers just stopped working for no apparent reason.

This product works great with my IPOD 4th Gen Nano and my IPOD classic. It charges both of them while playing music. If you need a player that take up little space this is it. The sound it pretty decent considering it only has 2 little speakers and it turns up nice and loud so you can hear it good. I use it in the garage with a fan blowing in the back ground and I can still here it good. I am very happy with this player.

Greatest Ipod doc I have used to date! I bought one for my most recent tour in Iraq as a mechanic. This unit worked perfectly on all counts.

Size:
It is really small and ultra portable. I could slip it into my cargo pockets, any size back pack/thigh pack. It fit comfortably on the dash of every vehicle I operated/repaired, and took up no space on my tiny nightstand.

Portability:
Due to it's size and small battery requirements it could go anywhere. Whether driving, flying, or working out and about, it went with me and provided the soundtrack for every adventure. since tactical vehicles dont come with audio systems, this worked perfectly.

Ease of use:
It can be plugged in with the included AC adapter or ran off a couple AA batteries. The alarm is easy to set and loud enough to hear over the AC systems, generators and aircraft that provide the constant audio backdrop over here. It charges your ipod and even at max volume doesnt eat through batteries. It even has a audio in jack so your sell out friends with a Zune can still play thier music too. : )

Over all best unit for the money. I could not keep this thing to myself. All the guys in the shop fought over it especially when doing field repairs. It was so easy to stash and go and provided such clear sound everyone wanted it, but it was mine. Great gift idea for your deployed ipod junky loved ones!

The design is simple and easy to use however when I turned the volume up to around 75% the left speaker must have blown because it crackled from then on. For the price, I would've expected it to be a little better quality. If you are looking for a portable player to keep in a small room at lower volume than this will do it.

left speaker ouit working after a week but I loved the size and once I figured out settings I could adjust brightness and sound quality is not bad just average for the money I got found a cheaper one that works better at target