I was hesitant about ordering this because the images available online are limited so I wasn't sure if it would suit my needs. There weren't any side view images online. But based on the price range and dimensions, I decided to give it a shot. I wanted something I could mount on my wall so it needed to be pretty lightweight and preferably slim. I put it in my bedroom hoping the sound quality would carry to my outside patio. I placed it on the wall farthest from the patio and it sounds great. Very easy to mount, its about 3" once mounted. The tray that you doc your ipod on can be pushed back in with the ipod in it. It doesn't have radio or cd player, but I honestly don't use those enough to care. I'm thrilled about this purchase. If you want a streamlined wall mounting ipod dock, this is awesome. This isn't my first ipod speaker doc but it's definitely my favorite. Acoustic Research AR5100 - Speaker system with Apple dock for iPod - 30 Watt (total)
I bought this because earbuds and even upgraded earbuds still make my iPod g5 nano sound tinny. I was looking for something practical to plug it into that would allow me to hear my iTunes in all their dynamic glory. This product fits the bill! Here are its good points:
a. Design is stylish, and it either stands or can be attached to a wall.
b. Sound is surprisingly good. I'm picky, too. Decent dynamic range, and every type of music I've played sounds good so far on this item. Jazz, classical, world, pop, rock, folk, country, alternative, dance... so far, so good.
c. It can be connected to my flat screen TV, and the result is a **significant** upgrade in sound quality-- hooray! A dual use product. And though I haven't tried it, it looks like there's a video out jack (L, R, V), so that you can hypothetically view your nano videos on your TV! There is also a miniplug IN jack, which is what I'm using to import TV sound.
d. It charges my iPod!
e. It's a snap to assemble-- I didn't even need the directions.
f. It has a remote. It's a tiny remote. I love that.
Here are its not-as-good points:
a. As others have pointed out, the volume reverts to the preset factory level (louder than I like it) whenever you turn it on. It would be a far better product if it reverted to the last set volume level. However, this is not a reason not to buy it.
b. No bass or treble controls, and no equalizer-- you have to adjust the sound on the iPod itself.
c. No adjustment for differing sound levels in original music files-- some songs are too soft, others are too loud-- but that is iPod's fault, not the speaker dock's.
d. It was a bit larger than I expected... but the sound is worth it. This is not an easily portable unit, if that is what you're looking for.
e. I wish it were energy star rated. That's important for me, and for the earth. My TV and DVD player are both energy star rated.
f. You need to unplug the sound IN jack for the iPod to work properly. If you don't, the docked iPod won't produce sound, so this is an either/or situation. I'm sure there's a work-around; it would have been nice to have a switch or a solution on the remote. Plugging and unplugging could get to be a pain, over time.
That's it! The product comes with a bunch of adapters for the slide out iPod deck, but my nano fits it just fine as-is. I would buy this product again, given a do-over, and I recommend it to others.
Just got it today and so far I am blown away by the quality of sound!!! After I use it for a week I will write a more in depth review.
Update: March 2nd, 2010
It has been 3 months, and I am still very happy with the performance. Here is a tip, make sure when you watch movies to set your music EQ setting to Bass Booster". I have recommeneded this to all me friends.
I purchased this stereo under the impression it would be compatible with wireless speakers I had bought earlier this year from Acoustic Research. However this particular stereo has no headphone jack, which is required to use the transmitter for the speakers..a bit of a disappointment on Christmas, to say the least. A sharp design however with a nice high gloss finish. The fact that it is wall mountable is a huge plus, but if you want to use the supplied legs they are not obtrusive. It has a component video out and an aux in, which is nice, however the lack of a headphone/aux out was and is still a huge surprise to me. I'll have to look more carefully in the future.
This is a great ipod player...I bought it with the purpose of using it for dual purpose of ipod player and to hook up to our tv to amplify the sound...it works wonderful for both!!! We love it! The sound is great and makes such a difference when we are watching movies because we don't have surround sound. For an ipod player, it is great as well - the sound is wonderful...the only thing I would improve on is having a selection of sound, like to increase the treble or the bass. Other than that it is wonderful!
The sound quality on the AR5100 is absolutely AMAZING. I wasn't able to find anything that matched the sound quality, offered the ability to wall mount and was priced around the $110 - $150 range. I'd only wish that it included a CD player and radio.
This docking station is the first one we have owned, and is worth the wait. All over this item was sold out, but we found it here on Amazon.com for less than what other stores were asking for it. We had to wait a bit, but was well worth it!
Sound is wonderful - and so easy to use! Would recommend this item for sure!
I read the reviews and decided to try it. We mounted it on the wall, plugged it in, attached the iTouch and it started to blast music! It sounds great for the price, size and weight. Mounts on wall very easily. Quality is good.
I bought this ihome for my 14 year old son. He LOVES it. It is mounted on his bedroom wall and he listens to it everyday. The sound quality is excellent. We can hear it throughout our house when he turns it up. This is a great bang for your buck!'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
