Sometimes, it’s just not enough to enjoy your tunes on the Apple iPod by simply using the supplied headphones. You might want to share that music with the people around you (or you might not). But if you do, headphones aren’t the answer. Alternatively, you may want to cut those cords and listen to your tunes without wires. That can certainly come in handy when you’re preparing dinner or you need your hands free for some reason. Whatever the case, the good people at iLuv seem to have you covered for all of your musical enjoyment needs. Today, we check out the iLuv i199 (Black) High Fidelity Mini Audio System with Bluetooth for the Apple iPod.
Special Features of the iLuv 199 High Fidelity Mini Audio System
Among the feature highlights are:
- jAura acoustic speaker technology
- Plays and charges your iPod with the integrated universal dock
- Play back audio and MP3 CDs with slot-loading drive
- AM/FM radio with PLL digital tuning technology
- Digital clock with dual alarm
- Play MP3 files stored on USB storage device
- Auxiliary line-level input
- BluePin audio transmitter/receiver included
- Remote control included
As you may have noticed, there is no shortage of iPod speaker docks on the market. Many of those docks are exactly that: just docks with speakers attached to them. By contrast, the iLuv i199BLK is much more akin to a true stereo system as it contains a slim slot loading CD player that works with MP3’s and your regular CDs. Perfect for those times when you left your iPod in the car or in your gym bag. That’s why it’s being marketed as a high fidelity mini audio system and not an iPod speaker dock. That makes sense.
In terms of size, the iLuv i199BLK isn’t exactly the tiniest thing in the world, so you will want to dedicate a certain amount of desk or shelf space for it. But given it’s CD playing capabilities, it might actually be saving you space. You should also make sure that you have ready access to the top panel, because that’s where you will dock your iPod and have access to most of the controls. In other words, putting it underneath something where you can’t have access to the top mount controls means having to yank it out all the time, defeating the Zen-like, uninterrupted music experience.
What’s In The Box?
Aside from the mini audio system itself, inside the box you’ll find a wireless IR remote, AM/FM radio antennas, the unique BluePin Bluetooth transmitter and receiver, iPod dock inserts to fit a variety of iPod models including the iPhone, A/V cables, documentation, warranty information, and an instruction manual. It’s all pretty much what you would expect from an iPod stereo dock and more. What also sets this manifest apart is the Bluetooth capabilities despite the fact that the iPhone or iPod has none.
Real-Time Price and Stock Check – Click Here for More Products
Plenty of Input Options (with Remote)
Perhaps the one thing that impressed me the most about the iLuv i199BLK mini audio system (there is also the i199WHT in white, if you prefer) is the wide range of audio input options. While the main focus would be on the iPod dock, you can also pump out the tunes stored on a USB device or audio/MP3 CD, as well as just about any audio device via the 3.5mm auxiliary input jack. There is also the BluePin transmitter/receiver, which I’ll discuss in a moment.
This audio system from iLuv comes with a basic remote as well. You can use this for rudimentary controls, like power, volume, function, and track advancement. Strangely, it is not possible to fully control the iPod from either the remote or the system itself. You can’t navigate through the menus; you can only go forward and back in the current playlist.
Around the back, there is a standard 3.5mm output jack too. This allows you to output video from a 3rd-gen iPod nano, for example, to a television. Unfortunately, it can only do this through a composite connection. There is no option for component, S-Video, or other connections more high quality connection.
BluePin Bluetooth Wireless Transmitter and Receiver
If you want to cut some cables, you’ll be glad to hear that the iLuv i199BLK comes bundled with the BluePin audio transmitter/receiver with Bluetooth wireless technology. This small dongle plugs into a slot next to the iPod dock and allows you to mate the speaker dock with any stereo Bluetooth device. As mentioned though, iPods and iPhones don’t possess this functionality, so it’s kind of weird to see it on an iPod-centric product.
The Bluetooth connection can work two ways, but only one at a time. You can use it to transmit the audio signal to a set of Bluetooth headphones, or you can use it to receive an audio signal from a Bluetooth music phone or some other Bluetooth stereo audio device. You choose between the two modes with a simple RX/TX switch on the side of the BluePin. Mating is done through the single button on the front.
When you are in receiver mode, it is possible to stream music from any stereo Bluetooth source. If you happen to have a Sony Walkman cell phone, for example, you can send that music over to the iLuv i199BLK via a Bluetooth connection. The same can be achieved from a Bluetooth laptop. When you are in transmission mode, you can send the music being played on the iLuv to another Bluetooth device, like a set of stereo Bluetooth headphones. If you have Bluetooth speakers somewhere, those would work too. We took a set of iLuv’s own Bluetooth Backphones (which we’ll be reviewing a bit later) for a spin to check this functionality out and came away quite pleased with the convenience and ease of set up.
Real-Time Price and Stock Check – Click Here for More Products
Audio Quality
Given the relatively small stature of the iLuv i199BLK (compared to larger audio systems), I was reasonably impressed with the audio quality offered by this stereo system. The audio fidelity was able to hold up for most music genres, but I did find that there was a fair bit of distortion as I approached the maximum volume level. This was particularly apparent with bass-thumping hip hop (Kanye West), but I also experienced some distortion with less bass-heavy tracks from Coldplay and Smashing Pumpkins. You would probably get a lower level of distortion with, say, classical music, but I don’t listen to classical music.
Unfortunately, there is no graphic equalizer whatsoever, so you are stuck with the default audio settings. Seeing how this is supposed to be more than just an iPod speaker dock, I expected there to be at least a few equalizer settings to choose from.
The relatively impressive audio quality comes largely because of the jAura technology from iLuv. They say that this can provide full range sound quality that is “surprisingly crisp, clear and defined.” This is achieved by the “properly proportioned mix of forward and backward sound waves.” As we found out, it does a pretty darn good job.
Conclusion
It’s clear that iLuv knows a thing or two about creating quality products surrounding the Apple iPod line of portable media players. The i199BLK mini audio system is one of the better iPod speaker docks on the market, largely because it offers good sound quality and an abundance of input options. Unfortunately, the controls are limited and there are no equalizer settings to speak of so that you can fine tune the sound to your tastes.
Used together with one of iLuv’s other products, the Bluetooth Stereo Backphones (which we will be reviewing later), I can see how the i199BLK would provide a very pleasant (wireless) music experience. It’s also very nice that you can stream music from a Bluetooth cell phone or laptop too. Just be prepared to shell out a few hundred dollars for the whole shi-bang. Now if only Apple would catch up and add stereo Bluetooth to their products (ahem…iPhone).
Pros
- Loads of input options, including iPod, USB, and MP3 CD
- Generally good sound quality
- Bluetooth technology is a definite plus
Cons
- No equalizer settings
- Limited A/V output options
- Very limited iPod control
Overall Rating: 8.0/10
Discuss This Review in the Futurelooks Community Forums
Real-Time Price and Stock Check – Click Here for More Products