Review by Katrina T. Rivere
Sometimes, when I like to, I can shut out the world by simply putting on a pair of earbuds and pressing a button. Like the millions of iPod-toting people, I now carry my music library wherever I go, and I can go on a long commute without getting bored and without having to listen in on other people's conversations to keep me entertained.
But there are times when I wish I can share my tunes with other people, especially during lull times in the office or when hanging out in a friend's house. There are actually plenty of ways you can do that, including connecting your 'pod to your existing home stereo system via a phono-to-3.5mm cable. For others, though, that won't suffice. If you want to sate your sonic thirst and are prepared to pay the price, you can consider getting a dedicated speaker system for your iPod such as Monitor Audio's i-deck. Inside the massive box that the i-deck comes in, you'll find the amplifier/dock, two speakers, a number of different adapters so all generations of the iPod - from the 3G to the impossibly tiny Nano to the video-playing 5G iPod - can fit snugly into the dock, a connector to plug in an auxiliary device, and a huge AC adapter.
It's easy to set up: plug in the enormous power brick and attach the speakers to the main unit with the supplied wire. If you want to use the i-deck as a permanent dock near your computer, the back of the main unit has a connector for PC or Mac via USB or Firewire. The speakers and central amp unit each measure 7" tall by 5.7" wide, and slant back at about a 15 angle (our editor-at-large says it looks like a footstool). This means you need to make serious space for this system.
Overall sound quality, to my untrained but critical ears, is very good. Bass seemed strong, the mids sharp, and the treble crisp. There was little distortion even when I blasted away my tunes, and big thanks goes to the high-quality 4" bass/midrange driver and 14mm gold coated polymer ring dome tweeter. Of course, the quality of the sound is such that it's advisable to encode your music in a higher bitrate than the standard 128kbps.
The i-Deck package includes an RF remote with clearly-labeled buttons that are easy to press. It's small and easy to lose, and yes, it's the primary way of controlling the i-deck; the iPod volume control is disabled as soon as it slots into the cradle. It provides minimal control though - just powering the system on and off, forward and rewind track control, and volume management. If you want to access your iPod's EQ settings, you'd have to get up from your bed or couch or wherever you are, make the trek over to your iPod, and adjust the settings on your iPod itself. For this system's price (P22,500), I'd have loved to see separate EQ control on the i-deck itself. It would've also been nice if they have the backlight permanently on so that you could see what was playing from a comfortable distance. What's nice is that your iPod will also be charged as it plays music.
GRINS
? very good overall sound quality
? distortion is low even at maximum volume
? easy to set up and use
? compatibility with all iPods
GRIMACES
? lack of controls on the i-deck unit
? remote provides minimal control
? pricey
THE LOWDOWN
If you have P22,500 to spare, this iPod speaker/dock will make you a happy man (or woman) with its very good sound quality. Otherwise, you can just buy the significantly cheaper audio-out cable that will deliver music through the aux input of your main stereo system.
