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Ion Audio Tailgater Portable PA System for iPod

3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 56 ratings
Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
Brand Ion
Speaker Maximum Output Power 20 Watts
Controller Type Battery Powered
Surround Sound Channel Configuration 2.0
Color 90 Days

About this item

  • Single-unit sound system for full, rich sound
  • Dock for iPod fits most docking models
  • Inputs for microphone and other audio sources
  • Heavy-duty construction with carry handle
  • Built-in, eight-hour battery with level indicator
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Ion Audio Tailgater Portable PA System for iPod

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Product Description

All-in-one convenience and great sound. TAILGATER lets you easily enjoy your personal soundtrack anywhere. This sound system features single-unit construction with speakers, amplifier, audio inputs and a dock for iPod all in one box. This high-powered, two-way speaker system has a built-in battery with level indicator for up to eight hours of cordless sound. Or you can plug in TAILGATER's power cord and rock out as long as you want. TAILGATER's enhanced bass output creates full, rich sound that's perfect for parties, tailgating, or any other place you need great sound! TAILGATER has an integrated dock for your iPod so you can play your tunes easily, and you can also plug in the included microphone and your guitar, keyboard, CD player, and other audio sources. TAILGATER features heavy-duty construction for years of enjoyment including a convenient carry handle for portability. You can crank your music anywhere and enjoy great sound with TAILGATER.

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Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
56 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers appreciate the speakers' sound quality, battery life, and value for money. They find the product plays music clearly, has a long-lasting battery, and is reasonably priced. Many praise its sturdy construction, functionality as a combo PA and iPod player, and microphone support.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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Sound qualityBattery lifeValue for moneyBuild qualityFunctionalityMicrophone supportQualitySize
16 customers mention "Sound quality"16 positive0 negative

Customers like the sound quality. They mention it gives a big sound, plays music clearly, and can produce as much volume as needed to play music for their events.

"...It plays music clearly, so much so that several other tailgaters made positive comments about how nice it is...." Read more

"...At least 3 hours but haven't run it out yet. good sound. Cant crank it up too much but adequate. Fairly well constructed...." Read more

"...It is just what I was looking for. The sound is good and loud enough to be used outside...." Read more

"...this speaker works amazingly well with clear, LOUD sound. its very easy to use, very adjustable, lightweight and sturdy. and it charges your ipod!..." Read more

12 customers mention "Battery life"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the speakers' battery life. They say it has reasonable bass and lasts for a very long time without trouble.

"...It says 8 hours of play at a full charge...." Read more

"Good value. Battery lasts a long time. At least 3 hours but haven't run it out yet. good sound. Cant crank it up too much but adequate...." Read more

"...The fact that it has such a great battery is a huge bonus. An unforeseen extra is how much our three year old son loves it...." Read more

"...and it charges your ipod! the battery lasts really long, we used it all day tailgaiting on the beach and it didnt run out!..." Read more

9 customers mention "Value for money"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the product a good value for money. They say it's easy to use and cheaper than renting equipment.

"...Long story short, we absolutely love it and it was totally worth the money. Great product." Read more

"Good value. Battery lasts a long time. At least 3 hours but haven't run it out yet. good sound. Cant crank it up too much but adequate...." Read more

"...We get a daily concert from him which is hilarious. Definitely worth the money. Update: June 2011..." Read more

"...this product was PERFECT for my beach wedding, cheaper than renting equipment and so easy to use that it helped my day go smoothly!" Read more

7 customers mention "Build quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the well-designed and sturdy construction of the speakers. They find the price amazing for the quality of the system.

"...good sound. Cant crank it up too much but adequate. Fairly well constructed. cover for ipod device port can get lost easily...." Read more

"...It seems to be fairly heavy duty, so I am not worried about it getting broke when he lugs it around to various locations in the yard...." Read more

"...its very easy to use, very adjustable, lightweight and sturdy. and it charges your ipod!..." Read more

"...Its extremely loud and durable. This is probably one of the coolest things tat I have ever bought! I recommend this to everyone!..." Read more

7 customers mention "Functionality"6 positive1 negative

Customers like the product's functionality. They say it works well with iPhone 3G and iPod Nano 2nd gen, and does an excellent job as a combo PA and iPod player. The volume is adequate but not too loud.

"...good sound. Cant crank it up too much but adequate. Fairly well constructed. cover for ipod device port can get lost easily...." Read more

"...this speaker works amazingly well with clear, LOUD sound. its very easy to use, very adjustable, lightweight and sturdy. and it charges your ipod!..." Read more

"...Worked well with iphone 3g and ipod nano (2nd gen). Didn't need the battery for more than a few minutes." Read more

"...Weird and inconvenient, but the product works great." Read more

6 customers mention "Microphone support"6 positive0 negative

Customers like the microphone support. They say it plays iPod and has a microphone.

"...I can easily carry it myself as its not heavy. It comes with a microphone which my husband immediately claimed he would be using to sing kareoke..." Read more

"...Comes with microphone but one must speak directly into the mic from no less than 1 inch away to hear adequately outside." Read more

"...It came with a microphone, which I had not even noticed in the product description. We get a daily concert from him which is hilarious...." Read more

"...Pros: awesome sound, looks professional, plays the ipod, has a microphone. CONS: Very heavy; uses 8 thats right I said 8!!!..." Read more

5 customers mention "Quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers like the quality of the speakers and microphone included. They say it's a good product and one of the most pleasing purchases they've made.

"...The included microphone is of nice quality. One of the most pleasing purchase I've made." Read more

"...we ever bought...also have used it for bonfires and parties...excellent product. Recommend it 100%" Read more

"Good product..." Read more

"great product..." Read more

4 customers mention "Size"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the speakers' size. They say it's fairly small and has great volume.

"...When he unwrapped it he was blown away. Its a reasonable size and has two handles on the sides for carrying purposes...." Read more

"...It's loud, has reasonable bass, an amazing battery life, and is compact. I don't have an ipod/iphone, but it will even charge it for you...." Read more

"...My iPod fits easily onto the adapter. It's fairly small and has great volume...." Read more

"A small product that gives you a big sound. My husband loves it, especially for cook-outs!..." Read more

To awesome
4 out of 5 stars
To awesome
Its great and has last for a very long time with no trouble. Everyone at work loves it and I even customized it a little.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • cori416
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Impressed, LOVE IT.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    I spent a few weeks before my husband's birthday looking for gifts, he's very hard to buy for. We tailgate a few times a year and spend lots of time outside in our backyard and working out, so I decided to browse tailgating audio equiptment.

    This unit was one of the first I saw, I was actually looking for something a little smaller but that had a powerful punch regarding sound quality. I decided to pull the trigger on this one based off the good reviews.

    When he unwrapped it he was blown away. Its a reasonable size and has two handles on the sides for carrying purposes. I can easily carry it myself as its not heavy. It comes with a microphone which my husband immediately claimed he would be using to sing kareoke (the machine doesnt do that, but he likes to kid)

    It plays music clearly, so much so that several other tailgaters made positive comments about how nice it is. We hooked up Pandora on our iPhones and went to town. This unit is one that you charge up, which we did upon opening it. It says 8 hours of play at a full charge. We played it all day tailgating (around 4-5 hours) and continued to use it for several more hours at home over the next few weeks, to the point that I was surprised that it was still playing without having recharged!

    Long story short, we absolutely love it and it was totally worth the money. Great product.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Anthony
    4.0 out of 5 stars Battery/AC Operated PA System Ion
    Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Good value. Battery lasts a long time. At least 3 hours but haven't run it out yet. good sound. Cant crank it up too much but adequate. Fairly well constructed. cover for ipod device port can get lost easily. I use if for mobile DJ work mainly for wedding ceremonies on the beach where AC power is difficult to get to. Comes with microphone but one must speak directly into the mic from no less than 1 inch away to hear adequately outside.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Will S
    1.0 out of 5 stars Worked, briefly
    Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    BEWARE!! SEE UPDATES! DO NOT PURCHASE THIS TYPE OF ITEM FROM THIS COMPANY!!!

    I bought this for my husband for his birthday. It is just what I was looking for. The sound is good and loud enough to be used outside. His iPod easily connects by being put into the docking port on the top of the unit. It seems to be fairly heavy duty, so I am not worried about it getting broke when he lugs it around to various locations in the yard. The fact that it has such a great battery is a huge bonus. An unforeseen extra is how much our three year old son loves it. It came with a microphone, which I had not even noticed in the product description. We get a daily concert from him which is hilarious. Definitely worth the money.

    Update: June 2011
    All of a sudden stopped working, battery is fully changed and displays as fully charged, however unit will not power on. Any ideas out there, disappointed for only 3 months of actual use.

    Final Update June 2011
    After e-mailing company, did not get response. Finally after 2 weeks, I called company, placed on hold for just over ***30 minutes***. Company will not do anything for defective device since owned >90 days. I would think this would last longer for the price. There are similar reviews for the higher priced similar item. I took impeccable care of this product and it did not work more than 8 times, I also know how to take care of a battery, that is not the issue with the device. I typically don't give poor reviews, but this is the worst product I have bought online. I liked it while it worked...
    8 people found this helpful
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  • H. D. Villarreal
    2.0 out of 5 stars Worked great, while it worked...
    Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2011
    Bought this at Costco probably around June of this year. Have used it a lot, but no more than a normal person. Haven't moved it much, once to a kickball game. Worked pretty well. Sound isn't as loud as you would hope at something like that, but we still liked it. Worked perfectly until today.... While it was playing my Iphone music, it started to cut out, then there was no sound. I'm no where near it, it's just playing as usual, so I go and check it out.

    Yeah, It just doesn't work now. No matter how many times I take my phone on and off again, it will not play the music from the Ipod dock. (The phone plays, but the sound isn't transferring from the phone to the speakers as it was up until today) : BIG BOOOOO on that! Pretty sure this is getting donated or going in the trash. Good while it lasted, but that wasn't very long.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Gute744
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good Product, Bad warranty
    Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2012
    We ordered this product for Christmas. The product has nice features for a large portable sound unit including IPOD connector, AM\FM and microphone and is rechargable. We started experiencing an issue with the sound stopping. The power meter is still high and the display is lit but the sound does not come out. We can turn off the unit and turn back on and it will start playing again. Unfortunately, we did not call ION\Numark right away and they now claim the unit is passed the 90 day warranty. Be aware that ION does not back this unit very well and only has 2 authorized service centers in the country. Buy at your own risk.
    One person found this helpful
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  • laxbaby7
    5.0 out of 5 stars perfect for my beach wedding
    Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    i bought this for my outdoor beach wedding to use to amplify our officiant and us while we said our vows, etc. and also to play music for the ceremony from my ipod. this speaker works amazingly well with clear, LOUD sound. its very easy to use, very adjustable, lightweight and sturdy. and it charges your ipod! the battery lasts really long, we used it all day tailgaiting on the beach and it didnt run out! i havent run it down so i dont know exactly how long it lasts, but it outlasted our party! this product was PERFECT for my beach wedding, cheaper than renting equipment and so easy to use that it helped my day go smoothly!
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Emily
    4.0 out of 5 stars Present
    Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This music player has awesome sound. I have gone through over 10 ipod players and havne't come across one as good as this. Pros: awesome sound, looks professional, plays the ipod, has a microphone. CONS: Very heavy; uses 8 thats right I said 8!!! D batteries when not plugged into the wall. That gets expensive. Overall, nice purchase
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • No-Body
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfekt für Festivals
    Reviewed in Germany on June 22, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Ich war auf der Sucht nach einem Radio, der eine gute Soundqualität und hohe Lautstärke hat und über Akkubetrieb läuft.

    Der Ion Tailgater ist das perfekte Gerät für mich: Nur 4 Tage nach der Bestellung war der Tailgater bei mir zu Hause.

    Erster Einsatz: Den Tailgater habe ich gekauft, da ich einen Festivalradio haben wollte, der keinen Strom benötigt. Das Festival dauerte 3 Tage an und eine der Hauptanforderungen an den Radio waren eine hohe Akkulaufzeit. Der Tailgater hat eine Akkulaufzeit von 14 Stunden! Bei einem 3 Tagesbetrieb kann ich also den Akku täglich fast 5 Studen durchlaufen lassen! Das war perfekt für mich.

    Akku: Laufzeit 14 Stunden. Aufladen benötigt laut Angaben 6 Stunden. Einfach mit dem Netzteil an den Strom anschließen und schon lädt der Tailgater auf (Ein Musikbetrieb während des Aufladens ist möglich!).

    Der Tailgater lädt, wenn man will den iPod auf. Es gibt dazu einen iPod charge on/off Schalter.

    Maße und Gewicht: Der Tailgater ist klein und leicht und kann somit locker von einer Person getragen werden. Der Tailgater hat zum Tragen extra Einkerbungen, die ein bequemes Tragen ermöglichen.

    Lautstärke: Der Tailgater kann, wenn er will, richtig laut sein. Bei einem Festival gibt es sehr viel Umgebungslärm (andere Musikanlagen) und die Lautstärke hat völlig ausgereicht!

    Soundqualität: Die Qualität des Klanges ist sehr gut. Bei voller Lautstärke merkt man aber eine Distortion (Verzerrung) des Klanges.

    Fazit: Der Tailgater ist der perfekte Begleiter diverser Festivals, Gartenfesten, für den Balkon, das Schwimmbad usw.
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  • Rasschaert
    4.0 out of 5 stars Ion-Tailgater , une station iPod polyvalente
    Reviewed in France on April 13, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Cette station d'accueil iPod cumule beaucoup d'avantages pour un encombrement somme toute raisonnable , car les entrées auxilliaires : micro et CD , l'autonomie des batteries , en font un ampli nomade assez idéal . Côté qualité du son , c'est correct si l'on ne pousse pas trop le volume (gare à la saturation) ... Regrettons que la puissance de l'ampli ne soit pas plus performante (16w RMS) ... auquel cas cette station nomade aurait été quasi-parfaite (Pour être parfaite il lui manque également un petit équalizeur) . Notons que le prix est plus que raisonnable ... et Amazon toujours aussi performant pour l'acheminement au client . PR
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  • Ingo Schulze
    4.0 out of 5 stars sauberes Preis-Leistungs- Verhältnis
    Reviewed in Germany on November 18, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    ich muss gestehen, ich bin überrascht.

    hab diese Box für meine Dachterrasse gekauft und freue mich auch schon auf die erste wirkliche Inbetriebnahme.
    Zur Zeit ist sie ersatz fürmeine zum Umzug eingepackte Anlage und braucht sich nicht zu verstecken, guter ( mono)- Sound knackig laut aber leider einen Stern abzug weil ein wenig Brillianz fehlt, aber wie ich bereits sagte ... gutes Preis - Leistungs - Verhältnis.

    akkulaufzeit scheint beachtlich, muss aber mal schauern wie es über Zimmerlautstärke ausschaut... Kaufempfehlung!!!!
    Report
  • love-peace-happiness
    4.0 out of 5 stars Super Klang, lascher Akku!
    Reviewed in Germany on June 17, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Der Tailgater ist ein prima Gerät. Wir nutzen es, um unsere Gartenfeste zu beschallen. Leider lässt sich der Akku nach einem halben Jahr nicht mehr komplett aufladen. Schade!
    Report
  • Rob L
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great portable system
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I bought two of these with some other kit, and have used these on all sorts of events, mostly cycling events, as it sits on my bike rack secured with a couple of short bungees no problem and is not too heavy. These units are very robust and they have taken a fair bit of battering! (And while not recommended, they've been rained on a few times with no lasting problems. I keep a plastic bag to cover up in emergency!)

    Have used it for speeches in public places, music at parties, live singing/guitar and they work very well. The supplied microphone lead is quite thin and might not be long enough for some situations, and broke from use, so I replaced it with a decent, longer XLR to 1/4" jack lead. The mic works fine, and while not top quality, it has a close range to cut out background noise, so I have to remind speakers to hold the mic close to their mouth and to speak up a bit, and NOT hold the mic by their chest, then they can be heard nice and loudly! When people see these out and about, they always comment how good it is. (Especially on various rides and events we do!)

    One of these units was apparently dead on arrival and on further investigation, it worked off mains but not from battery. The battery comes out from a flap underneath the unit, and on testing with a multimeter, it was under voltage, so must have been old stock. Despite 2 days of charging, no life, so I ordered a replacement battery (RITAR RT1250 or equivalent 12v battery) and it works fine. I also have a proper battery charger rather than use this unit's own charger, which charges the battery rapidly, but I think at the cost of battery lifespan. Given that I use this unit infrequently, this is fine, otherwise use the internal charger as normal. With the new battery, I've never managed to run out of battery.. it will keep going all day on a single charge.

    The manual does state that if you don't charge the unit at least every 6 months, it may not charge.

    For such a compact unit, the sound quality is great, and it will go surprisingly loud! There are three inputs. 2 mono 1/4" jacks for mic/guitar etc each with its own gain control, and a combined IPOD dock/RCA phono stereo input L+R, also with gain control. A nice touch is that it can charge the IPod in the dock.

    For stereo input devices, laptops etc that are not iPod, you will need to order a stereo 3.5mm plug to 2 RCA phono lead for stereo input, as this is not included.

    Or you can connect it to one of the other 1/4" inputs with a 3.5mm socket to 1/4" plug adapter, however this connects only one channel (mono) not stereo. If your tracks are mono, or the same on both L and R, this won't matter. (And if you can cope with mono, it's much louder than the stereo input!)

    On the back is an output 1/4" socket to provide a mixed output (e.g. to another unit), so units can be linked together. This will need a long 1/4" *STEREO* jack to 2 RCA phono (L+R) cable, or suitable adapters. Plug the output of one in to the input of the other, Turn up the volume and gain knobs on both units and it works very well. without the need for a separate mixer for small, portable PA applications. (Decent portable battery powered mixers seem hard to find!) Volume can be controlled individually on both, or by using the gain control on the output unit to turn both down.

    (Note that there is a newer version of Tailgater, the Tailgater Bluetooth which instead of having 3 inputs, has 2 inputs + FM radio and bluetooth. The Tailgater Bluetooth has NO output socket on the back, which seems a shame if you have more than one, you can't link them together, but perhaps there is a way to do this with Bluetooth, or use a splitter cable?) On the other hand, the Tailgater Bluetooth is similar spec but seems much lighter, so perhaps they lost a few components in that version.)

    So, knocking off one star because of the dud batteries, but other than that, a great system and simple enough for anyone to use without much difficulty or knowledge! Once people see you have one of these, you will get lots of requests from friends to borrow it!
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