review: iHome iB969 charging station for iPhone, iPod, and iPad

Dual dock chargers for iPhone and iPod are nothing new, but the iPad throws a monkey wrench into the equation and so iHome’s iB969 aims to please users whose collection of iDevices is piling up in a hurry. In addition to a pair of docking wells the iB969 includes two USB ports for charging, for instance, an iPad which goes in the rack around back and a device such as a Kindle or gaming device or camera which lays flat on the slide-out tray. The charger can optionally be connected to your computer, where one of the docked devices can sync to your iTunes.

After spending some time using the iB969, its pros and cons are both obvious: the entire unit takes up no more horizontal space than an iPad laid flat, so it allows you to save significant desk space. But that said, the iPad and the fourth device connect via USB cables, so the whole thing becomes a little gangly looking with cables running this and that way.

For the iB969 to be right for you, you’ve got to be looking to take advantage of both docking wells plus at least one more device; if you’re just looking to charge and iPhone and and iPod, there are simple dual-chargers out there that take up less space. But if you are looking to charge up three or four devices, the iB969 is not significantly more expensive than standard dual dock chargers – making it a potential value play if it’s the right fit for your needs.

rating: four stars out of five • iHomeAudio.com

review: iHome iA100 App Enhanced Stereo Alarm

Back in January, iHome showed us two new stereo systems which both took advantage of the company’s excellent iHome+Sleep app, but only one of which had the audio chops to match. The $99 iA5 was designed to come to market first and didn’t sound bad, but it wasn’t exactly up to iHome standards either, and felt like more of a proof of concept than an actual product. The $199 iA100, however, was clearly the real thing: a great sounding, full featured alarm clock worthy of the iHome name – and it’s taken the company nearly a year to finally get it to market.

Sometimes that can work to a product’s advantage, however, as the iA100 debuted a few weeks before the iPad even came into existence, and yet the final shipping version of the iA100 has been redesigned to allow an iPad to be physically docked on top of it. And a second app called iHome+Radio has been added to the mix to take advantage of the iA100’s built in radio. On top of that, the iA100 has bluetooth functionality which allows it to function as a giant wireless speakerphone for use with your iPhone – including on board buttons for answering the call. And that’s on top of the fact that it’s a full featured stereo alarm whose remote includes cool features like menu navigation.

But what makes the iA100 ultimately worth every penny of its price tag, which is twice that of iHome’s standard home dockable stereo alarms such as the iP90, comes down to two words: Bongiovi acoustics. The feature, which enhances digital music to restore what’s been lost in recording and compression, debuted on iHome’s flagship iP1 and has since begun trickling down to products like the iA100. You’ve still got to care about the iA100’s app integration (and thus be an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch user) for this to be an ideal product for you. But if you do, you’ll love the iA100.

review by Bill Palmer

rating: five stars out of five • iHomeAudio.com

review: iHome iP3 Studio Series

It’s not every day that one refers to a two hundred dollar stereo as the “budget” model, but iHome’s iP3 is essentially positioned as an alternative for those who can’t quite afford the full $299 for the company’s signature iP1 system. And that’s no small feat, considering that the iP1 is easily the best product ever made in its specific product category (dockable, non-portable, single unit stereo under $300). So just how much of a lesser-priced consolation prize is the iP3? Let’s just say there’s a reason why we go back and test these products in-house in a controlled environment, even if we’ve previously spent time with them at a trade show.

The iP3 was introduced at CES nearly nine months ago (known at the time as “iP2”), but is just now coming to market. It was one of Beatweek’s “Best of Show” winners, but as we said at the time, that had more to do with the fact that it was a weak year for new iPhone+iPod stereo systems in general (at both CES and Macworld) in 2010; in a different year, this product might not have been an honoree. But after finally getting to put the iP3 through its paces at home this week, I’m left to conclude that it’s more than just a nice consolation prize, and instead legitimately stands on its own.

First, the aesthetics: the iP3 takes the blatantly futuristic-looking styling of the iP1 and tones it down to a simple series of rounded rectangles which, while maintaining the same stylistic theme, presents it in a much more subtle manner. That’ll come down to personal preference for each user. What’s more vital for an audio product, of course, is audio quality – and that’s where the iP3 shines more than I was expecting.

I was fairly impressed with the audio of the iP3 back at CES. But after testing it out in my home office and in the more open areas of the house, I found that the iP3’s audio is a lot more than just “fairly” impressive – particularly with its Bongiovi mode turned on, which in my tests makes the majority of my music library sound better by re-accentuating the extremities of the audio which tend to get lost through digital compression. In particular I was impressed by just how loudly I could turn the iP3 without the audio distorting.

In addition to sharing the iP1’s Bongiovi technology, the iP3 also comes with the same full featured remote control (including menu navigation along with bass/treble adjustment), and has the same RGB ports on the back for using the iP3 as a stereo for your television and for feeing your iPhone or iPod’s video into your television. In other words, the iP3 does give you the same iP1 one experience, just with a trade-off in audio quality in exchange for putting that extra hundred bucks back in your pocket.

Don’t get me wrong, though: generally speaking, most of you will want to go with iHome’s more expensive iP1 instead if you can afford its $300 price tag. The iP1 sound noticeably superior to my ears (and unless you’re tone deaf, it will for your ears as well), and if you’re going to invest this much in a stereo, you might as well go all the way if you can.

But if your budget tops out at two hundred bucks, or if you want something with a slightly smaller footprint (or if you simply dislike the blatant styling of the iP1), as it turns out, the iHome iP3 is far more than a mere consolation prize; it owns its specific category (dockable, non-portable, single unit stereo under $200) as well.

review by Bill Palmer

rating: five stars out of five • iHomeAudio.com

review: iHome iP49 portable stereo alarm for iPhone and iPod

Until now, iHome’s portable alarm clocks have focused on matching the $99 price (but not the quality) of its category-owning home stereo alarm clocks for iPhone and iPod. But that all changes with the iP49, which is plenty portable yet shoots for the moon with its audio quality (and sports a $159 tag). In fact, while it has full alarm functionality, the iP49 is really less of a stereo alarm, and more of a portable stereo that happens to be an alarm. That’s made most clear by the inclusion of iHome’s Bongiovi technology, which originally debuted on the company’s $299 iP1 product and digitally restores some of the highs and lows of compressed music, which I’ve found makes the majority of music in my collection sound better, to varying degrees.

Between the impressive audio quality, built-in alarm, and inclusions like FM radio and full featured remote (including menu navigation), the iP49 earns its price tag and then some. The question of whether it’s the best fit comes down to your priorities. iHome says the iP49 is good for about eight hours of battery life (my tests showed it to be a little better than that), which is nearly twice as much as you’ll get from Altec Lansing’s competing inMotion Classic, for instance. But then the Classic offers LCD track display info and a built-in handle, which the iP49 lacks.

The only thing I can outright ding the iP49 for is its comparative lack of stereo separation (even with the Bongiovi setting turned on) in comparison to the competition – but that’s because the iP49 isn’t as wide and is therefore more portable. So again, that comes down to your priorities.

Bottom line: there are multiple good dockable portable stereo options in this price range, and the iHome iP49 is one of (though not definitively) the best. But if the alarm functionality is important to you, the iP49 is your winner for sure.

rating: 4.5 out of five stars • iHomeAudio.com

iHome iP49 for iPhone and iPod: first look

Ever since iHome’s signature iPod alarm clock debuted five years ago, the question has persisted: what if it were truly portable? The company has partially answered that question along with way with similarly priced yet audibly inferior portable systems for the same $99 price tag – but now iHome has delivered with the iP49, which simultaneously seeks to offer a full-fledged portable alternative to its home alarm clock line and aims to outdo competing portable stereos that don’t happen to be alarm clocks.

At $159, the iP49 doesn’t come cheap compared to iHome’s other stereo alarms. But that might have something to do with the fact that it borrows the same Bongiovi acoustics from its much larger (and much more expensive) cousin, the iP1. How well that Bongiovi technology translates to such a small package will go a long way toward determining whether the iP49 earns its price tag – along with its attempts to straddle the line between being a stereo alarm and a portable stereo. But it doesn’t take a lot of testing to see that its clamshell fold-up design is a work of pure genius. And although not pictured, it comes with a remote control.

I want to test this product in multiple environments during the review process, but I’ll be sure to report back with a full review of the iP49 soon. Keep an eye on this one. Learn more at iHomeAudio.com

review: iHome iP90 stereo alarm for iPhone and iPod

You’ve got to hand it to iHome for taking some major stylistic chances with the sixth generation of its $99 dockable stereo alarm clock. Although competitors have come and gone, the iHome product (which started life as the iH5 years ago and is now the iP90) has generally been the market leader at its price point – and with the iP9 iteration last year, it felt like the product line had essentially reached perfection. So what did iHome do? Well, it went retro.

But before I get into the iP90’s styling, here’s what hasn’t changed since the last version: this product offers better audio than any other sub-$100 single unit dockable stereo system for iPhone or iPod, which is remarkable considering that many of those competing products don’t even offer alarm functionality. As has been the case with each version, the audio is a slight yet noticeable improvement over the previous generation. And the alarm built into the iP90 includes dual alarm settings along with an AM/FM radio and an included remote control with a host of functions built into it. In other words, it’s a winner, and that hasn’t changed.

But the stylistic redesign is a little more troubling. Setting aside whether or not it matches my personal styling preferences, my concern is that the digital numbers, by virtue of trying to look retro, don’t feel quite as easy to read as with previous generations, and the gut feeling is that the design changes aren’t a net positive for most consumers over the previous iP9. None of that changes the fact that the iP90 is the premier sub-$100 dockable stereo system on the market. You’ll have to judge for yourself as to whether the styling changes are agreeable or even matter to you.

rating: 4.5 stars out of five • iHomeAudio.com

review: iHome iA5 app-enhanced iPhone stereo alarm

On its own, iHome’s iA5 is just another iPhone+iPod stereo alarm, and one that doesn’t measure up to the company’s other $99 offerings at that. The good news, however, is that the iA5 is not meant to be used on its own. Install the free iHome+Sleep companion app on your iPhone or iPod touch, and the iA5 suddenly becomes the most sophisticated dockable stereo alarm on the market – and that’s saying something, since I’ve woken up to dozens of different models over the years.

The key is that the app offers so much more detailed virtual control, and often so much more intuitively so, than anything that could be done with hard buttons on the stereo itself or even with a simple LCD screen setup. The phenomenal user experience left me torn, as the iA5 doesn’t sound so great and I probably wouldn’t pay more than sixty or seventy dollars for it if not for the app integration. So I can’t recommend the iA5 to iPod classic or iPod nano users who don’t plan to buy an iPhone or iPod touch any time soon; those users would be better off with one of iHome’s non-app-integrated $99 stereo alarms which sound noticeably better.

But for iPhone and iPod touch users, the iA5 offers an interesting dilemma. My advice: down the iHome+Sleep app from the App Store, play with its features, and see if you’re willing to take a hit on sound quality in order to have those features at your fingertips. Those who really want the app control but aren’t willing to compromise on audio quality might do well to wait for iHome’s $199 priced iA100, coming later this year, which has the same app integration and should offer excellent sound quality to match. In the mean time, the iA5 offers an intriguing tease at what’s coming.

Five stars for the app integration + three stars for the hardware unit = four stars overall.

review by Bill Palmer • rating: four stars out of five • iHomeAudio.com

iHome updates iPhone stereo alarm clock line to iP90

iHome has launched the iP90, the seventh generation of its flagship stereo alarm clock for iPod and iPhone, which descends from the original iH5 launched more than five years ago. The new iP90 includes dual alarms, bass and treble controls, automatic time zone adjustments, a remote control, and an internal clock which auto-syncs to the correct time when docked with an iPhone or iPod model which itself keeps track of time. The new model retains the previous $99 price point but features entirely new external styling.

The iP90 replaces the previous generation iP9, which was one of Beatweek Magazine’s “Best of 2009″ winners.

Mother’s day 2010 deals on iPhone, iPod products surfacing already

Mother’s Day may not arrive until May 9th (the same day Avatar will be available for rent in iTunes – just sayin’), but the advance deals and offers in the iPad and iPhone universe are arriving already. The first to land on our radar is iHome’s iP39 kitchen alarm clock, which was one of Beatweek Magazine’s Best of Show winners at CES 2010 back in January; the company is offering a ten percent discount with the use of the code MOM10AL. Here’s what we had to say about the product when we took it for a spin in January.

This is likely just the first of several Mothers Day related deals likely to pour in over the next couple of weeks in the iUniverse – we’ll keep you posted.

iHome iA5 app-enhanced stereo alarm for iPhone: First Look

I’ve been waiting to get my hands on this one since January. It’s not that iHome’s new iA5 stereo alarm clock is necessarily anything to write home about as a piece of hardware on its own – the company admitted as much back at CES when the product debuted – it’s the fact that it’s app-enhanced hardware. Actually, the accompanying iHome+Sleep app has been available as a free download in the App Store for awhile, but a compatible accessory is required in order to put the app into any context. And while the real prize here is iHome’s forthcoming $199-priced iA100 alarm clock which will ship sometime later this year and is also compatible with the iHome+Sleep app, the iA5 gets you in the door for $99 and it’s available now. The iA5 is also newly sitting next to my bed, so after putting it through its paces, I’ll report back with a full review. In the mean time, here are my initial hands-on thoughts…

What I heard from the iA5 back at CES was immediately confirmed within the first few seconds of firing up the device here at home: the $99 product doesn’t really measure up audio-wise to iHome’s signature $99 stereo alarm clocks like the iP9; you’ve definitely paying for the app compatibility, as without it, the wedge-shaped iA5 would probably be a $69 product. That having been said, the iHome+Sleep app is extremely detailed product which integrates everything from alarm functionality to weather reports to social networking in a manner that’s much more sophisticated than what apps I’ve seen from other iPhone accessory makers.

So I’ll put the wedge-shaped iHome iA5 and its companion app through their paces and report back to you…

iHome readies two new stereos

iHome has announced the availability of two of its dockable speaker systems for iPhone and iPod which were originally introduced at CES 2010. The iP39 is a tall and narrow $99 kitchen-oriented system featuring a slide-out dock, a kitchen timer, and a magnetic remote control which sticks to the unit’s side when not in use. The iP39 was one of Beatweek’s Best of Show winners at this year’s CES.

iHome’s equally priced $99 iA5 is essentially a run of the mill dockable stereo system whose magic is unlocked only by the free iHome+Sleep app for iPhone and iPod touch, which turns the unit into an “iPhone/iPod” alarm clock on steroids” with massively customizable alarm and playback options and even social media integration. The iHome+Sleep app, which has been available in the iTunes App Store since February, can also be used for free by those who have not purchased the iA5 unit.

Learn more at iHome.com.

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Tagged: alarm, app, Best of Show 2010, iA5, iHome, iHome Audio, iHome+Sleep, iP39, iPhone, iPod, speaker systems, stereo

Best of Show CES: iHome iP2

January 9, 2010 by Bill Palmer · Leave a Comment 

Editor’s note: iProng Magazine has been on-site at CES 2010 in Las Vegas all week reporting on newly introduced products for iPhone and iPod. This is just one of our “Best of Show” winners…

The top non-portable stereo system for iPhone and iPod at CES 2010 was a holdover from 2009, as nothing introduced this year came close to iHome’s industry-redefining $299 iP1 which debuted at CES last year. The good news, however, is that the iP1 now has a kid brother in the form of the iP2, which is $100 cheaper and more than holds its own in terms of audio quality. The iP2′s styling ditches the futuristic look of the iP1 in favor of something more from the present-day, but retains the smoked clear look and rounded rectangular motif. Most importantly, it retains the iP1′s “Bongiovi” button which enhances the sound of compressed or imperfect digital audio files in a significant manner.

The iP2 was easily the best new iPhone or iPod stereo system to debut at CES 2010. If your budget is limitless, the iP1 is still the way to go. But if you max out at $199, the iP2 is a heck of a consolation prize.

Read about all of iProng’s “Best of Show at CES 2010″ winners and finalists in the January 14th issue of iProng Magazine, which will feature a cover story interview with The Flaming Lips and more.

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Tagged: 2009, award, Best of Show, Bongiovi, iHome, iHomeAudio, iP1, iP2, speaker, stereo, winner

Best of Show CES: iHome iP39

January 8, 2010 by Bill Palmer · 2 Comments 

Editor’s note: iProng Magazine is at CES 2010 this week to report on newly introduced products for iPhone and iPod users. While the majority of the awards have yet to be determined, a few of them have already been finalized…

CES produced an almost non-existent crop of new stereo systems for iPhone and iPod users once you stepped outside of iHome’s suite, making it easier for a not-revolutionary-but-still-impressive product like the company’s kitchen-oriented iP39 to sneak into our Best of Show winners. Small and narrow systems like this one can rarely count audio quality as a plus, and in fact most of them are significantly hampered by their lack thereof, but this system actually sounds good for its size. The winning features, however, are the retractable iPhone/iPod dock (a smart move for a kitchen, both in terms of saving space and in terms of keeping crumbs out) along with an included remote control that sticks to the side of the unit magnetically (helping ensure that it doesn’t get lost under a baking pan or slid into the sink). And it’s not limited solely to the kitchen, as the built in alarm clock and USB port for connecting to a computer suggest. Then again, it does have a kitchen timer built into it.

iHome’s larger and more expensive iP2 was the clear winner in terms of new stereo systems at CES, but the iP39 is a winner in its own right.

Read about all of iProng’s “Best of Show at CES 2010″ winners and finalists in the January 14th issue of iProng Magazine, which will feature a cover story interview with The Flaming Lips and more.

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Tagged: alarm, award, Best of Show, CES 2010, dockable, iHome, iP39, iPhone, iPod, kitchen, stereo, winner

Best of Show CES: iHome+Sleep

January 8, 2010 by Bill Palmer · 2 Comments 

Editor’s note: iProng Magazine has been on-site at CES 2010 in Las Vegas all week reporting on newly introduced products for iPhone and iPod. This is just one of our “Best of Show” winners…

Until now, the promise of iPhone apps designed to interact with companion hardware accessories has been largely been just that – promise and little more. But if the iHome+Sleep app is any indication of where things are headed, the results could be very fruitful. Known for its dockable alarm clocks for iPhone an iPod, iHome’s new iA5 ($99, budget model) and iA100 ($199, premium model) have basic on-board controls but are designed specifically to be operated via the iHome+Sleep app, which is currently awaiting App Store approval by Apple. The app is based around the idea of not only setting an alarm to wake to your music the night before, but also things that you may want to do just before falling asleep (sending yourself a late-night reminder for the morning) as well as the next morning before you get out of bed (checking the weather report). You might ask yourself why such an app would need Twitter and Facebook integration, but it’s there too – the entire app feels like it’s on steroids.

Our award is for the app itself, which will be free and functional even if you don’t buy the accompanying hardware. The iA5, which we tested at CES, sounds merely okay and is nothing to write home about beyond the fact that it works with the iHome+Sleep app. The iA100 appears to hold much more promise as a hardware product, but is further off in development (the preproduction unit wasn’t functional) and isn’t expected to hit the market for awhile.

However, the app is brilliant, and with so many high quality iPhone/iPod alarm clocks in its catalog, we hope that they’re all re-imagined to be compatible with the iHome+Sleep app eventually.

Read about all of iProng’s “Best of Show at CES 2010″ winners and finalists in the January 14th issue of iProng Magazine, which will feature a cover story interview with The Flaming Lips and more.

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Filed Under: ces2010, iPod, iPhone, iPad, and iTunes, Reviews
Tagged: alarm, app, awards, Best of Show, CES 2010, iHome, iHome+Sleep, winner

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