iPod Hi-Fi Introduced

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

At the media event (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/02/20060228004909.shtml) February 28th, Apple unveiled an iPod stereo for home use, offering crystal clear sound and a built-in universal iPod dock. The new iPod Hi-Fi (http://www.apple.com/ipodhifi/) measures 17" x 6.6" x 6.9" and includes the Apple Remote.

While normally running on A/C power, the box is alternately powered by D-cell batteries, and features integrated handles to make moving the speakers easy.

The iPod Hi-Fi is priced at US $349 and is available immediately from the Apple Store.

World-class acoustic design
Large soundstage
Precise imaging and separation
Wide frequency range
Room-filling power without distortion
Seamless iPod integration
Apple Remote
AC and DC modes
Analog/digital input
Compact footprint

[zanevlc]

Love At First Site!!!! What A Speaker!!! :-)

[bwilfong]

This is the solution? Get rid of your stereo? What a disappointment for the whole presentation!

[bitfactory]

Was expecting quite a bit more. This thing is fug. Just a molded plastic box with a black grille on the front. Hmmmph.

[Joe2000]

I'm amazed the main feature was a Mini?! I was expecting iPod or somthing, anyway if this is first post i'l be amazed:eek:

Apple are going into direct competition with the Bose Soundock, i wonder if they'll still sell other iPod speakers (JBL, BOSE, ALTEC LANSING) at Apple Stores?

Thanks, Joe. :rolleyes:

[nagromme]

Weird but cool--and pretty high end for my needs. But if it sounds GOOD the price is justified. (I'm always amazed by how much really good computer speakers cost sometimes--even ones without an iPod dock.) I don't see most people REPLACING their existing stereo system and speakers though. This would be for other rooms of the house.

Steve makes the thing sound well-built at least. How well did it fill the Town Hall? :p

The large album art display is a nice touch (now get it on my TV from iPod!) and the Front Row remote control is expected--but welcome. Aux input is good--so it's not JUST for iPod. And digital/optical input, not just analog. This is certainly high-end in terms of features, as iPod sound systems go.

Adjusting the speakers by using the iPod itself is an interesting way to keep things simple.

I want one--but do I need one? :)

The day's big news is how much faster the Mac Mini just got.

(Now... leather cases? So much for Steve's cruelty-free vegan lifestyle.)

Just remember... whatever you were hoping for (like iBooks) may still be in the works soon. Full-screen iPod? Maybe not... But if you got yourself worked up more than this event was worth, the year's not over yet :)

[UWF404]

Uninspiring design.. Looks ugly IMHO.

[advocate]

http://www.ilounge.com.nyud.net:8090/h2feb.jpg

I think that's about the ugliest thing I have ever seen.

[millypede]

Way over priced, I hope that the sound quality is amazing, I have trouble enough selling the £200+ speakers, most people will just pick up a cheep set of speakers and use their Hi-Fi, is this was £150 maybe worth purchasing.

[iGary]

I give this a world-class Meh...

[intlplby]

the speakers are not removeable so you can't get good stereo separation..... i think it looks good though...... it's definitely for an office, extra room, dorm etc and not to be replacing a proper home stereo

[WildCowboy]

I already have a Mac, a stereo system, and an Airport Express...why on earth would I want this? Somebody please try to convince me.

[Peel]

What's up with the specs? Under In the Box it says there's "10 iPod universal adapters."

[iMeowbot]

Wow, that's ... underwhelming. I'd have expected more from them. It's really nothing more than Yet Another iPod Speaker Box, is it?

[kwajo.com]

i think the iPod HiFi looks great and probably sounds pretty great too, but I have two comments:

a) I probably won't buy one, I already have a high-end stereo and nice computer speakers, what's the point of this? where does it fit into my music needs?
b) it seems an odd market to go after - people who want high quality music reproduction, but yet don't understand the limitations of music compression. it's for pseudo-audiophiles, and how big a market is that? (I know you can put uncompressed .wav or .aiff files on an iPod, but still you get my point)

[topher]

weight with batteries is almost 17 lbs.

[ddrueckhammer]

At this price range the only thing that this product competes with is the Bose Sound Dock. I'm not sure about sound quality but the Bose design is much better to my eyes. At a lower price point JBL, Creative are all more interesting and lower priced.

This will never replace the combination of a good stereo and an Airport Express. My HK receiver isn't going anywhere...

Good point about Steve not replacing his stereo with this...I'm sure he has B&O stuff or something...

[mtzmtz]

how hard would it have been to include an FM radio?

[sishaw]

I don't know about this one. Usually, for me, it's love at first isight with Apple products. However, wouldn't most real audiophiles, if using an iPod at all, be using it to encode their CDs at high bitrates and play it through their high-end systems?

However, I accept the fact that Steve Jobs is orders of magnitude smarter than me and must know what he's doing. A few years ago, I remember, there was a market for sort of retro table-top stereo sets with nice speakers, so why not a high-end boombox?

It would be nice for travel, I guess--get to the hotel, plug it in, and have a home-stereo equivalent.

The price seems a shade high, though, considering that Bose has a similar offering for $300 US.

However, if it sounds good enough, people will pay for it because of the Apple brand.

[mattalici]

OK, what I want to know is:

1. If it can be positioned anywhere, does that mean that it can fake surround sound? (Like that new Sony speaker that is one speaker and does 5.1?)
2. Is that what Steve meant by he's replacing his home stereo?
3. To all the haters: How can you guys know if it sucks when you've never heard it?
4. Can you play multiple HiFi's all over your house at the same time?

I LOVE THIS THING. SO COOL. GIMME THREE. :eek:

[mackeeper]

I'm really dissappointed. It's just speakers, and it
doesn't look all that great either. What a letdown. I didn't think there was really anything to write home about in today's event.

[MacPhreak]

I don't understand the "large soundstage" bit. In order to have good stereo separation, you need to SEPARATE the speakers. Like SIX FEET plus. Henry Kloss understood this, which is why we have the Tivoli Model One and PAL. When the speakers are one foot apart, you won't be able to tell it's stereo from across the room.

Sorry, not a stereo replacement, and certainly not for $350. Tivoli makes better sounding gear for less, and it's not cocooned in plastic, either.

[technocoy]

obviously this isn't for you if you already have a stereo and such... Apple sisn't sit down and say, hey that guy over there, we have to make sure we make HIM happy today!

damn.

and in case you haven't noticed there are about 50 of this same type of product selling like mad. SOMEBODY is buying them. So Apple made one that sounds really nice and has great power.

I don't understand people's confusion here... It's a no brainer.

That said, the mini is nice, but we knew it was coming and the whole thing was a bit underwhelming. BUT, I'm glad they are starting to roll out new products on a regular basis, so it is very likely we could see something else next month.

[Phase IV]

i think the iPod HiFi looks great and probably sounds pretty great too, but I have two comments:

a) I probably won't buy one, I already have a high-end stereo and nice computer speakers, what's the point of this? where does it fit into my music needs?
b) it seems an odd market to go after - people who want high quality music reproduction, but yet don't understand the limitations of music compression. it's for pseudo-audiophiles, and how big a market is that? (I know you can put uncompressed .wav or .aiff files on an iPod, but still you get my point)

I agree!

I was hoping for a must-have item or something along Sonos' device and am totally underwhelmed by this event.
I hope they are saving their best for an anniversary event!!

[MrCommunistGen]

it uses 2 80mm (3.15in)"full range" drivers and a 130mm (5.12in)woofer. It doesn't have a tweeter, so chances of getting clear trebble are not good.
"Frequency response: 53Hz to 16kHz" For a system of this size the bass extension is pretty good, but anything half way decent should have treble response out to 20kHz. Standard woofer-cone type speakers really aren't designed for high frequencies, and the larger the cone, the worse at trebble reproduction it is bound to be.

[retrospek]

I really thought we would get something 'great' announced today...

What a disappointment :mad:

[Fuchal]

I don't know about this one. Usually, for me, it's love at first isight with Apple products. However, wouldn't most real audiophiles, if using an iPod at all, be using it to encode their CDs at high bitrates and play it through their high-end systems?

Real audiophiles would just play the CD.

[ke2000]

if it this is introduced by Haman kardon i would accept it.
Has technology gone back to 10 years ago?

[mackeeper]

TODAY WAS A COMPLETE LETDOWN!

1) $99 for a leather case??? No way. I'd rather buy ANOTHER IPOD!

2) iPod Hi Fi? Are they serious? Come on Steve, I thought you were joking at first. The thing looks like a piece of ****. I still dont have speakers but I still I think I'm going to go with JBL's Creature II. I thought at least the Hi Fi would have had a large LCD screen with iTunes interface. Or maybe thatll come out next month as iPod Jukebox. Pshhh...

3) The mac mini, not so great either. And integrated graphics? What is that? No new design, nothing special.

Totally disappointed. Come on Apple, this is the worst I've seen you.

[nagromme]

Look at the negative votes.... all because rumors, and rumors alone, gave people ideas that this particular event would bring something else?

iPod Hi-Fi would have been more "fun" without rumors to spoil it I think :)

It may be time to break out the dreaded Thread 500:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=500

Negative votes today often mean massive sales tomorrow... weird!

[wkhahn]

Unexpected.

The Mini is nice; especially with the ability to stream from anythign else on the subnetwork. Use Handbrake to rip, and an old Mac to act as a server; put this in place of your DVD player, and you can stream movies to your TV, stream music to your stereo. But how to have it hooked up to your TV and use as a computer too? Wouldn't want to look at the TV when working in Excel.

[The Red Wolf]

Apple releases something amazing and because it's not a Flying BMW with a Mach 10 speed rating and a PowerMac 16 Core system running the engine control for .35 cents for the entire flying car you all get angry and feel Apple has slighted you because they brought out an amazing sound system that everyone and their dog's uncle will buy who already have an iPod. Ugly? Overpriced, lame... Meh? Who are you people? It has optical audio out! You can plug it in to an AirPort Express and broadcast your music wirelessly... It has a dock on top! Even old school G2 and G1s can connect to it. MEH? MEH? So sorry they didn't bring out an Mac Book Duo or a Mac Pro Octiplatform with 8 processors and 16 cores with Hyperthreading and Quad SLI... What is wrong with you people!

[Fuchal]

it uses 2 80mm (3.15in)"full range" drivers and a 130mm (5.12in)woofer. It doesn't have a tweeter, so chances of getting clear trebble are not good.
"Frequency response: 53Hz to 16kHz" For a system of this size the bass extension is pretty good, but anything half way decent should have treble response out to 20kHz. Standard woofer-cone type speakers really aren't designed for high frequencies, and the larger the cone, the worse at trebble reproduction it is bound to be.

MP3s will generally roll-off around 16Khz - 18Khz so it's not horrible for compressed music playback.

[MrCommunistGen]

TODAY WAS A COMPLETE LETDOWN!

1) $99 for a leather case??? No way. I'd rather buy ANOTHER IPOD!

2) iPod Hi Fi? Are they serious? Come on Steve, I thought you were joking at first. The thing looks like a piece of ****. I still dont have speakers but I still I think I'm going to go with JBL's Creature II. I thought at least the Hi Fi would have had a large LCD screen with iTunes interface. Or maybe thatll come out next month as iPod Jukebox. Pshhh...

3) The mac mini, not so great either. And integrated graphics? What is that? No new design, nothing special.

Totally disappointed. Come on Apple, this is the worst I've seen you.

Using Intel has leached away all of Apple's creativity... :(

[UWF404]

hosting these buzz generating private media events and only to release mediocre products will end up hurting Apple. Like the boy that cried wolf one too many times.

Such hype over a speaker box, a $99 scrap of leather and a mac mini bump with integrated graphics? what a joke these events have turned into.

[billraff]

Would have been better product if it had WiFi so you could stream your library from anywhere around the house. I might have bit for one of those.

[sam10685]

that's nice... where is the cool inovative new products Apple usually comes out with? i was expecting a lot more goodies. NEXT...???

[iomar]

This was the most dispointing event ever from Apple. I think it is very imbressing.

[mackeeper]

I'm still waiting for my WIDESCREEN VIDEO IPOD! Not gonna waste my $$$ on this junk.

[NEENAHBOY]

That is quite possibly the ugliest Apple product I've ever seen. Here's hoping for big announcements at an anniversary event.

/me sadly puts away his credit card

[slidingjon]

I'm going to order 8 of them to jerr-rig a 7.1 sound system. sweet......:D

[wkhahn]

Look at the negative votes.... all because rumors, and rumors alone, gave people ideas that this particular event would bring something else?

iPod Wi-Fi would have been more "fun" without rumors to spoil it I think :)

It may be time to break out the dreaded Thread 500:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=500

Negative votes today often mean massive sales tomorrow... weird!

I'd never seen Thread 500 before. What a great little piece of history. I wonder how many of those same people think the world of their iPod today.

[sanfordcisco]

Move along folks, nothing to see here....

The Leather case announcement would've put me straight to sleep if it weren't for the absolutely SHOCKING price!!!!!!! WTF!?

He called all those people in for that?? I hope they all got free coffee...

[ThePreacherMan]

Was hopeful for some kind of miniture Boombox with AM/FM stereo with an intergrated Ipod operated by a touch screen. That would have been COOL and worth buying. Oh well, Keep trying Apple.

Now that Preaches!

[tk421]

Would have been better product if it had WiFi so you could stream your library from anywhere around the house. I might have bit for one of those.

Yeah, I was thinking it would be something like that. Like an Airport Express with speakers and a screen.

[dialectician]

obviously this isn't for you if you already have a stereo and such... Apple sisn't sit down and say, hey that guy over there, we have to make sure we make HIM happy today!

damn.

and in case you haven't noticed there are about 50 of this same type of product selling like mad. SOMEBODY is buying them. So Apple made one that sounds really nice and has great power.

I don't understand people's confusion here... It's a no brainer.

True, there are lots of these speakers selling, but you'd expect Apple to come out with something more exciting. Why should we trust Apple when it comes to producing speakers? Their specialties are computers and ipods. If B&O or Harman came out with these speakers it would be a different story. Now it just seems like Apple wants to get a piece of that market.

What are they going to come out with next: hairdryers?

[findpankaj]

$99 for a leather case?!?! are they serious!!!!!!!!

with all my controls inside it...invisible....:confused:
i think its cheap for apple to sell just a leather case with its brand name/logo on it....What apple did here is just outsourced this leather case thing to some partners/friends with rights to sell with their brand name.

money making gimmick...

[imanta]

Holy crap people, get off the bandwagon and look at this reasonably.

I am a proud owner of multiple Macs, Displays, iPods, etc and a former employee of Apple. This is a "me-too" total letdown of an announcement and nothing more. The Mini crap should have been done before and this is catch-up. I already can hook my TV to my Mini and listen to Music/browse Photos on my main system. The oversight in terms of lack of IR in the first versions was disgraceful. And how good will those videos look that you got off iTunes at such a low res once you stream them over to your 50" LCD TV?

The Hi-Fi is an over-priced speaker system that in NO WAY can replace a good home speaker system and is grossly over-sized to compete with the existing systems out there. It is hot looking, totally... but it is just another iPod speaker.

I didn't buy into the rumors before hand, BUT I WAS HOPING FOR MORE THAN THIS from a company that built itself on being innovative. They could have done a ton more with both of these.

[Bad Beaver]

While I am not really the target group for this speaker, I think the design is meant to blend in with most interiors, sth. a more extravagant design cannot do. People will likely put these on bookshevles / sideboards a lot. I guess it will look great on an Ikea LACK, for example. Real world listening will have to tell whether it is worth the price, but along with an APX it makes for a very non-clunky solution of rigging out places with speakers all over.

[sam10685]

That is quite possibly the ugliest Apple product I've ever seen. Here's hoping for big announcements at an anniversary event.

/me sadly puts away his credit card

that is exactly what i am doing right now. :( maybe april first will be a bang... :confused:

[Lurch_Mojoff]

Look at the negative votes.... all because rumors, and rumors alone, gave people ideas that this particular event would bring something else?

iPod Hi-Fi would have been more "fun" without rumors to spoil it I think :)

It may be time to break out the dreaded Thread 500:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=500

Negative votes today often mean massive sales tomorrow... weird!

Hilarious reference, nagromme, freakin' hilarious. :D

Both the mini and the Hi-Fi are rather nice products. Of course they could have been better, but they would've been more expensive. I'm happy.:p

[Mr MacBlue]

The most disgusting design Apple has made in the past years. :eek:
What happened to Jonathan Ive?:confused:

[greenstork]

Apple releases something amazing and because it's not a Flying BMW with a Mach 10 speed rating and a PowerMac 16 Core system running the engine control for .35 cents for the entire flying car you all get angry and feel Apple has slighted you because they brought out an amazing sound system that everyone and their dog's uncle will buy who already have an iPod. Ugly? Overpriced, lame... Meh? Who are you people? It has optical audio out! You can plug it in to an AirPort Express and broadcast your music wirelessly... It has a dock on top! Even old school G2 and G1s can connect to it. MEH? MEH? So sorry they didn't bring out an Mac Book Duo or a Mac Pro Octiplatform with 8 processors and 16 cores with Hyperthreading and Quad SLI... What is wrong with you people!

1) This is not an "amazing sound system", it's on par with many existing products from Bose, JBL, etc.
2) Everyone who already owns an iPod isn't going to buy one of these, that would be stupid. Why? Because everyone and their "dog's uncle" already owns a stereo system. The smart thing to do would be to buy an Airport Express. The only benefit I could see is portability but at 17 lbs., it's not exactly easy to tote around.
3) You can broadcast your music wirelessly from your computer to your stereo already, why do you need a glorified speaker.

People are disappointed because there is zero innovation with this product. Apple copied the competitors and put a higher price tag on it, lame.

[Svennig]

I don't get it, what's their motive?

Ipod cases:
Already done cheaper (and better?) it seems by other manufacturers

Ipod hi-fi:
What a waste of time, money, and R&D. Seperation isn't good enough for good stereo. Frequency response isn't good enough for general fidelity. It looks ugly. Its expensive! Apple's market is supposed to be for the discerning customer, not for those that don't know any better.

Intel mac mini:
I knew they wouldn't be able to resist going for the core solo, but its nice to see that there's a duo at the top of the range as well. Gets plus points for the new remote, front row etc. Overall A Good Thing (tm)

[pockyrevolution]

Currently: 28 Feb at 2:50PM ET 68.59 -2.40 (-3.38%). No no no! Please go up...

So far Apple stock has worked well for me. Formula: Buy stock couple months in advance, set sell price auto on +5 or +10, then purchase newly released product.

Note: Must be in lowest tax bracket...

[icorproadie]

Untill Apple starts to sell better quality MP3's on ITMS, than there is NO SUCH THING as Hi-Fi unless you rip your own MP3's. I do this myself since ITMS is only 128kbs. I have to have an external HD just for MP3's since most are over 20mb's per file.

For some of us, we can hear the difference between 128kbs and 192kbs and 256kbs and 320kbs. Get with the PROGRAM Apple!!!! This have been my gripe with them since day one. I have only purchased 10 songs from ITMS since inception because of this.

[pockyrevolution]

The most disgusting design Apple has made in the past years. :eek:
What happened to Jonathan Ive?:confused:

Jon was sick and turned the design over to his friends at Microsoft. You should be thankful that Jon was well enough to remove the 25 "Easy reach" buttons installed by the Microsoft team...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAGr3mVVUwE&search=ipod%20packaging%20parody

[beverson]

Would have been better product if it had WiFi so you could stream your library from anywhere around the house. I might have bit for one of those.

Two big gripes for me. First, price. For $400 I'd buy a new iPod. Yeah, people said the same thing about the iPod when it first came out (I was not one of them), but this is just speakers, even if they sound great. Second (as noted by billraff), no built-in AirTunes. On the iPod Hi-Fi site, they describe how to plug an AirPort Express into the Hi-Fi via the optical digital audio in. But (other than to sell more gear) why not add a WiFi card to the Hi-Fi, make it a network client, and have it pop up on the AirTunes button of iTunes as a speaker to play to. THAT would be more Apple-like. Also, would probably add another $50-75 to the retail price. Bummer.

Speaking of when the iPod first came out, thanks for the link to Thread 500. Very cool. I'd also never seen that before.

[Garissimo]

I didn't buy into the rumors before hand, BUT I WAS HOPING FOR MORE THAN THIS from a company that built itself on being innovative. They could have done a ton more with both of these.

I think the mini is still a great value and to expect an IR remote on the first release is ridiculous. How many mini form-factor PCs come with remote controls or the level of software integration the mini has? None.

As far as the Hi-Fi goes, I agree. For this to replace your home stereo system with only one auxilliary input is a reach. The majority of people still have dedicated DVD players, FM tuners and CD players. Those all have to compete for the Hi-Fi's single aux input. Not to mention the airport express audio output if you decide you'd like to stream the iTunes radio to your Hi-Fi.

[jsnuff1]

HAHHAHAHAHAHHA...350 bucks for a home stereo solution and no radio...oh yeah you mean the 3 dollar radio reciever part couldnt fit in that peice of **** right??

...and a whole event for this??? Sometimes I just wonder what the hell is goin through Jobs head at times like these. And no I wasent expecting a flying car controled by a quantum mac but come on this was way lower than my lowest expectations.

[Evangelion]

I'm planning to re-do my home-audio around pair of these (http://www.genelec.fi/ht/tuotteet/8020a/8020a.php), and this (http://www.slimdevices.com/). This offering from Apple does not change my plan one bit. The fact that it's tied to the iPod makes a bit too... inconvenient.

Yes, my plan does cost more (the speakers alone are 600+e /pair), but it will be worth it. And I'm pretty sure that those Genelecs sound about an order of magnitude better than the Apple-speakers do ;). I haven't heard the Apple's speakers (naturally), but I have heard those Genelecs, and they sound absolutely fabulous. Then I'll just stream some lossless FLAC's, and I will be in audiophile-heaven :).

[ieani]

What is the point of a high end stereo system when itunes sound quality is worse than a cd? And he calls himself an audiophile? The word is obviously becoming cliche.

[pianodude123]

Ughhhhh...and I thought it would be something exciting...the mac mini's have no connectors for TVs etc...and what a rip off for the leather case "$99...for no screeen access...."

Agreed...mehhhh
Lame speakers...Apple just shouldnt do accessories

[The Red Wolf]

1) This is not an "amazing sound system", it's on par with many existing products from Bose, JBL, etc.
2) Everyone who already owns an iPod isn't going to buy one of these, that would be stupid. Why? Because everyone and their "dog's uncle" already owns a stereo system. The smart thing to do would be to buy an Airport Express. The only benefit I could see is portability but at 17 lbs., it's not exactly easy to tote around.
3) You can broadcast your music wirelessly from your computer to your stereo already, why do you need a glorified speaker.

People are disappointed because there is zero innovation with this product. Apple copied the competitors and put a higher price tag on it, lame.

Yea, and no one bought a Nano or a iPod Gen 3, 4 or 5... Or a shuffle for that matter. Optical Audio out... It's not just a speaker it's a Subwoofer and high end speakers with NO AUDIBLE DISTORTION. This is very very important. BOSE sells one for $300 you can dock a pod to it. It's not portable, it doesn't have optical out, it's not compatible with a shuffle or G1 or G2 ipod and... You can't AirTunes to it as it only has a Dock connecter... $49 and more? You can take it with you with DCells... It's far superior... It has an Apple Logo...

But then again you're one of those Meh people aren't you...

So until they release a .17 Cent 1800Watt 48 channel Omnisound 16.1 Surround sound that doesn't take up any space and cloaks when installed so you don't see it you won't be happy... Will you. No. 17 cents for that? What I wouldn't pay apple 16 cents for that piece of ugly Meh...

I don't have a Stereo. I have a Gen 2 iPod and a Shuffle which aren't compatible with a "Comparable" BOSS system. This is good. If it were $99 you would complain... Why? Because you can.

~The Red Wolf~

[Seasought]

Can't say I'll ever buy one. The look of it isn't particularly inspiring either. :cool:

[powerbook911]

I want one really bad.

I want to plug TV into input on back, and then have iPod access too. Sweet. :)

[thegreatunknown]

ok ok. speakers. blah. $3 for some RCA jack cords and walah. hifi meets ipod. but the truth of the matter... they just announced an entertainment hub that can stream music/movies/ etc. from your other computers (!!) ok yes we've been thinking about this for a year or two now but has it been done correctly yet? I do call this innovative. I just hope the resolution when connected to the tv is alright.

[azzurri000]

Wow, this thing looks like a really tacky breadbox.


edit: bad grammar

[ArcaneDevice]

can you put beer or sandwiches in it? It looks like a cooler.

I was hoping for something that integrated an iPod into the shell perfectly, not just stuck it on top where it can be easily knocked and looks fairly ridiculous.

[iGary]

It's the new iTackle® fishing box from Apple.

[oliverlubin]

not sure if someone's said it yet but, if you build in...

a/v out
radio functionality of the radio add-on
wireless audio streaming

it *might* be worth $350. i'd love to see sales #s for this product alone in a year. oh, and also the $99 leather condom. insanity.

[dialectician]

Is anyone following Apple's share price right now? It's diving. Maybe that's what you get when you invite people for "fun products" and show them a $99 case...

[paddy]

Man that is fugly. Monitor are offering much nicer looking iPod speakers, for €50 cheaper and with what I suppose is a comparable sound quality.

[oilster]

At least they got the new ipod socks in leather...
Very weak event (never have seen that many negative votes).
:(
I guess they keep the good stuff until april 1st.
:D

[modernpixel]

What a **** announcement. Such incredible elitism on Apple's part - raise the price of it's low end machine (um, duh, what is the point of a low-end machine if it isn't cheap?) and offer speakers that clearly revolutionize nothing and expensive leather for your iPod?

They can be so obnoxious sometimes. I wish they'd invent something new that might actually impress people instead of hanging on to every last thread of iPod rehashing. This reeks of over confidence and it's going to hurt them if they don't refocus soon.

Some suggestions for Apple:

Work on OS X - there is so much garbage interface design and gimmickery that you've lost your way.

Stop touting your mediocre iLife suite and your overpriced .Mac. Try improving them - and for god's sake stop making all of those tacky templates. Yuck!

Fix your Pro apps, iron out the bugs, they are too expensive to be as unpredictable as they are.

Steve Jobs - get over yourself before you get fired again. Not everyone wants to live your tacky snobbish ideal lifestyle. Remember when Macs were about the user?

Apple is becoming one of the most unbearable companies lately. Their puffed up pride and "Everything we do can have the word revolutionary in front of it" attitude is absurd. Overexposure is just around the corner.
Grrrr.

[DTphonehome]

OK, what I want to know is:

1. If it can be positioned anywhere, does that mean that it can fake surround sound? (Like that new Sony speaker that is one speaker and does 5.1?)
2. Is that what Steve meant by he's replacing his home stereo?
3. To all the haters: How can you guys know if it sucks when you've never heard it?
4. Can you play multiple HiFi's all over your house at the same time?

I LOVE THIS THING. SO COOL. GIMME THREE. :eek:

I think you'll be dissapointed to learn that this is NOT a wireless (ie, Airport) device. It's a standalone boombox. So can you play multiple hifis around the house? Sure, if you've got multiple iPods.

[amphi]

Two more bits of ammo for the "apple's just an overpriced logo" brigade.

[Evangelion]

It's not just a speaker it's a Subwoofer and high end speakers with NO AUDIBLE DISTORTION.

"hi-end speakers" they are not. The Genelecs I linked to are hi-end in that size-range (they have bigger and beefier speakers with pricetags to match). I really fail to see how this box could compete with two separate (instead of a single box with all the speakers crammed in there) studio-grade speakers.

This box costs about half as much as the Genelecs do. Yet it apparently has subwoofer, iPod-dock and other gizmos. I can't help but think that they have cut corners somewhere. There is NO WAY they can compete in sound-quality, period. How can you have proper stereo-field when the speakers are right next to each other? Maybe for mp3's and the like it would be suitable. But then we are not talking about hi-end, now are we ;)?

BOSE sells one for $300 you can dock a pod to it.

Too bad that Bose is crap.

[e-clipse]

That is a major piece of crap!..........that is not HiFi! The soundstage will suck!
Don't buy this lame excuse for innovation. I want to see this molded box make a trip to the junkyard of no return! :eek: :D

It really does suck as a HiFi system replacement. It might go nice in a bedroom, a bathroom, or maybe outdoors.

iPod Boombox Locations
hidden in a bathroom
hidden in a bedroom
hidden in a walk-in closet
hidden by the pool
hidden by the deck
hidden in the garage

[~Shard~]

Maybe I'm missing something, but what's the point of having "audiophile-quality sound" and amazing specs if you're plugging in your iPod full of low qualty 128 kbps MP3s, or even AAC files from iTMS. Won't this system just bring out the quality deficiencies from encoding even more? :confused:

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

For somethign that goes with the iPod, it's not very "iPod like". Big, bulky, exspensive!!!!!! and UGLY. Plus, they put the dock on top, so you need a lot of top clearence! They should have put the dock in the middle like the Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/70803/wo/Ud6NySBJkES62XUgD4p4cdZJYNv/4.SLID?mco=2B97672B&nplm=TD059ZM%2FA). I was at a church function and a guy brought his iPod and the Altec Lansing inMotion iM7. It filled up a whole room that seats 120 people at tables. This is no small room. It sounds great and costs $100 less.
My wife's aunt bougth a $180 sony surround sound system fro her living room. SOunds great! i bet if I plug an ipod into it, it would rock! So, Apple is trying to sel me 3 less speakers and adding iPod conectivity but charging me $170 more? No dice! iPod Hi-Fi... what a JOKE!

PS: I like the new Mini. Today wasnt a total lose, but nothing really stood out to me as "fun and new". The Hi-Fi may be new, but not very fun.

[kadajawi]

Hm, the iPod Hi-Fi looks good (a bit 70s... without the colours), but the sound quality? For $350 I expect pretty good sound quality, and I just don't see it coming with all speakers in one enclosure. And for that price you can get the BOSE set (although I have yet to hear a good sounding BOSE speaker, the Lifestyle 48 was rather bad sounding, considering the price (for around $100-200 it would have been good)), or the Monitor Audio iDeck (which will probably sound good... AreaDVD says so at least, and they are also testing speakers costing $5000... for one. http://www.areadvd.de/hardware/2005/monitor_audio_ideck.shtml if you understand German). Or the Teufel iTeufel, from which I expect good quality aswell, as Teufel, like Monitor Audio, should know what they are doing. Or for more money the new Nubert 2.1 speaker set, although that one is not specially intended for the iPod.
There is too much competition I think. From companies who know what they are doing.

[godrifle]

I already have two very nice stereos, each with an Airport Express connected for streaming tunes. What I WANT is a jam box with a built-in WIFI so I can stream to it in my garage, on my deck, etc.

Missed the mark, Apple. $400 for a glorified speaker? Please.

[Mac MMG]

Bill is promising Vista with streaming video ummm...digital hub.

Steve wants to breakdance:D

Meh to the tenth power...where's the digital hub Steve...oops! blu-ray thats right. Take your betamax technology back with your boombox Steve :D

[superkatalog]

it's one of apple most beautiful products.

[e-clipse]

Maybe I'm missing something, but what's the point of having "audiophile-quality sound" and amazing specs if you're plugging in your iPod full of low qualty 128 kbps MP3s, or even AAC files from iTMS. Won't this system just bring out the quality deficiencies from encoding even more? :confused:


Exactly! low bit rate mp3's tend to get the "chingy" sound...where a crisp highhat begins to sound like a tambourine sample from a cheap beat machine.

[joeboy_45101]

No offense to Apple, this is probably one Hell of a set of speakers, but I think I'll stick with my Bose iPod Sounddock. :)

[Proud Liberal]

...it may be time to sell my Apple stock, because I saw nothing "new" or "fun" today from this announcement.

[Eluon]

Apple's Web Site seems in such a disarray. One page is all black, one page light blue, this page white. There is no consistency. Does anyone else notice this? Do you think they are redesigning the site?

[Redline13]

At half the price the leather cases would have been merely excessively extravagent. However at $99 I find them insultingly priced. They badly missed the mark here. They offer no functionality and taking an ipod in and out as you must to use it will end up scuffing it. This is possibly the worst product Apple has ever offered.

[ipod0324]

This Ipod Hifi looks like a joke. It costs more than the ipod itself.
I hope that Apple omes out with better products on April 1. If they come out with a new video iPod, increased music store and an Intel iBook. If those new iPod cases only ship the middle of March, does that mean the new IPod video wont be introduced April 1?

[treasurenet]

I remember my first reaction to the first generation iMacs. YUCK

Over time, somehow, they grew on me.

I'd like to think the new Hi-Fi system will grow on me over time too... unfortunately, I don't think so. That is a BUTT UGLY boom box. :-( I guess the next products will come in different colors... woo! Now - maybe if they GLOWED different colors, and had something akin to an iTunes Visualizer skin - MAYBE you'd have something COOL. Currently it looks like a VERY ROUGH prototype. :(

Apple stock is down today too. :(

I hope Jobs gets out in front of this and admits his mistake.

Steve... please stick to overpriced, top shelf products, not overpriced mediocre (or worse) products.

A loyal, but worried Apple supporter.

[Ace25]

hosting these buzz generating private media events and only to release mediocre products will end up hurting Apple. Like the boy that cried wolf one too many times.

Such hype over a speaker box, a $99 scrap of leather and a mac mini bump with integrated graphics? what a joke these events have turned into.

I completely agree there. If you hold a special media event. The products better WOW the audience. Otherwise, you are just asking for trouble.

iPod HiFi - Cool - if it sounds better than the Bose and if you can really crank it with out distortion. But, nothing that different from what already exists.

Mac Mini - Nice that you can connect to TV, but where is the DVR?? I already pay for all the shows iTunes offers in my expensive cable bill. Let me record them instead of paying for them again!

[dubnluvn]

not very attractive

I cannot believe how BIG it is

EXPENSIVE

No expandablility

AAPL stock down ~$2.50

[jne381]

The HiFi is about as innovative as the product in the link below was.


http://www.thisoldtoy.com/new-images/images-ok/800-899/fp820-player.jpg

[e-clipse]

Maybe... if it was a new iPod wave player full of 24Bit waves 96k audio tracks.
Apple should have released a new touchscreen HiFi iPod.

[joeboy_45101]

Holy ****! I've never seen the Mac community so pissed off as I have today. Apple's really going to have to redeem themselves with the new iBook(MacBook) and the new Powermac(ProMac).

[CubaTBird]

this is kind of random.. i would not expect a boom box speaker setup from apple.. so i don't know how to understand this move from them... yo soy perplexed..:confused: :p

[lorien]

http://www.ilounge.com.nyud.net:8090/h2feb.jpg

I think that's about the ugliest thing I have ever seen.

Yeah, not what I expected of the famous Apple design :(

[greenstork]

Yea, and no one bought a Nano or a iPod Gen 3, 4 or 5... Or a shuffle for that matter. Optical Audio out... It's not just a speaker it's a Subwoofer and high end speakers with NO AUDIBLE DISTORTION. This is very very important. BOSE sells one for $300 you can dock a pod to it. It's not portable, it doesn't have optical out, it's not compatible with a shuffle or G1 or G2 ipod and... You can't AirTunes to it as it only has a Dock connecter... $49 and more? You can take it with you with DCells... It's far superior... It has an Apple Logo...

But then again you're one of those Meh people aren't you...

So until they release a .17 Cent 1800Watt 48 channel Omnisound 16.1 Surround sound that doesn't take up any space and cloaks when installed so you don't see it you won't be happy... Will you. No. 17 cents for that? What I wouldn't pay apple 16 cents for that piece of ugly Meh...

I don't have a Stereo. I have a Gen 2 iPod and a Shuffle which aren't compatible with a "Comparable" BOSS system. This is good. If it were $99 you would complain... Why? Because you can.

~The Red Wolf~

You apparently agree with me that the market for this item is only people who don't own stereos already or who have older generation iPods. It's a rather small market. You're the only person I've ever heard of who doesn't own a stereo. I mean seriously, and I'm asking this respectfully, do you really care about music? Anyone who replaces their stereo with one of these that can't play a CD or radio, could pay $200 less to stream their music from the computer over airport express. Seems like a no brainer to me.

If you're buying it for Apple style or whatever, then it's obviously a different story. And for the record, I don't normally complain, just the opposite. I think my message history speaks to that.

[alamar]

For under 10 bucks you can just go get a cable that plugs right into the aux on your stereo.....

The remote is nice, and the thing looks nice and I sure sounds nice, but its 350 dollars to play what is generally compressed music.

Odd. :confused:

[iEdd]

I give this a world-class Meh...
Word!
"Fun, new products". Suddenly a set of iPod speakers are fun and new? Just because it's new to APPLE..

[~Shard~]

Exactly! low bit rate mp3's tend to get the "chingy" sound...where a crisp highhat begins to sound like a tambourine sample from a cheap beat machine.

Exactly. It would be different if Apple was marketing this as a basic home stereo or something handy to take to the beach, but to tack all of this "audiophile", "high qulaity", "superb sound" perception to it, it beter live up to their demanding claims - which I have doubts it will.

I'm a classically trained musician (ear training, the whole lot), used to compose, and am also an Electronics Engineer, so I have a comprehensive understanding about sound waves and audio in general from a technical/scientific perspective. There is no way this offering is passing my test for a "high quality stereo" as Apple is pushing it as. Sure, a person won't know until they listen to it, but I feel fairly confident in my assumptions from what I've read so far. :cool:

[cgmpowers]

I am not sure if I find any 'value' in the iPod HiFi..

How does it compare in sound quality to the speakers for the iPod by Bose? I understand the Bose doesn't have an audio in or ability to be powered on batteries but Bose makes awesome speakers. How's it compare to that?

I have a battery operated iBoom (boom box) that's okay. It doesn't have great speakers but its portable and its a hell of a lot cheaper and prettier than the HiFi..

I want to see some comparison charts.

Also, I would be more "on board" if it included an Airport or Airport Express inside it. Now that'd be something I'd get on board with!! In order for me to use the audio in, I have to have have a cable attached to an Airport Express (not very portable then)..

Christopher Powers

[~Shard~]

Word!
"Fun, new products". Suddenly a set of iPod speakers are fun and new? Just because it's new to APPLE..

Don't forget an overpriced leather iPod case. Now if that isn't fun, I don't know what is... :rolleyes: :p ;)

[LieutenantLefse]

From the Apple Store page for the iPod Hi-Fi:

"Put iPod Hi-Fi in place of honor in your living room."

[nagromme]

So many people get upset that ANY products in the world exist other than the specific ones they want to own. But different people have different needs and wants. Your needs are yours--not mine.


I already have a Mac, a stereo system, and an Airport Express...why on earth would I want this? Somebody please try to convince me.
Not everyone has all those things in every room :) (Also note that this will connect to AirPort Express for iTunes use. You CAN stream to it, with that optional extra.)


Wow, that's ... underwhelming. I'd have expected more from them. It's really nothing more than Yet Another iPod Speaker Box, is it?
Not unless those other iPod speaker boxes (which seem to sell well!) have all of the following:

* Equally good sound design (not to be judged without hearing it)

* Digital/optical line in

* Control from the iPod

* Built-in power supply or use batteries

* Built-in dock that charges iPod from batteries

* Large album art on screen

* Changes iPod's backlight setting upon insertion

* Remote control

* Compatible with regular Dock remote control and with Front Row on Mac

* Simple uncluttered design (matters to some)

I have no doubt there's a market for this IF the sound is truly on the high end for such all-in-one units.

As for "real" audiophiles... no, of course they wouldn't use an all-in-one, nor buy from the iTunes Music Store. They might however appreciate portability and compactness (in both the iPod/AAC and in the speaker system they use on the go or in an extra room). They might therefore find this to be a good compromise to ADD to their life--not to REPLACE their stereo. "Audiophile" is a buzzword that gets tossed around in product literature a lot. It's not something to get too upset over.

The main market is for the other 99% of the world that cares about great sound but isn't a hard-core audiophile. If they have a spare room with no stereo (bedroom?) this could be well worth the price.

The only reason people are so imbressed (?) is that they got themselves worked up over imaginary dreams... so when they don't come true--or come true later instead of today--suddenly "Apple has lost their creativity" :p

Style-wise... it looks like a speaker to me. Black fabric, no clutter. Would neon illumination help? Maybe some nifty vents or chrome? :p

I'm reminded of the howls of "ugly!" protests over EVERY Apple product they've ever released.


The Mini crap should have been done before and this is catch-up.
Core Solo processors existed before? :confused:

What a sh** announcement. Such incredible elitism on Apple's part - raise the price of it's low end machine (um, duh, what is the point of a low-end machine if it isn't cheap?)
You may have forgotten the long list of specs Apple upgraded on the Mac Mini. It's a better buy now than ever. (But wrong thread.)

[Keebler]

I think this is a ballsy move by apple. bose and other speaker manufacturing outfits won't be happy. might not matter if apple isn't getting a backend from them.

do i think this is ugly? no. looks like a centre channel of a home theatre - how can you make something like that look good?

would i replace my home stereo? no.

would i use this in another room? heck ya! I would LOVE to have something like this upstairs where I currently have a receiver set up with some speakers on a shelf. would be nice to have 1 speaker on that shelf w/o wires and stuff taking up space. I could get the airport express at this point, but the fact remains about having wires and a receiver there. would be nice to 'clean' it up.

THAT said, at that price point, I would buy the bose speaker. Why? b/c SOUND is what bose does. as much as i love apple's customer service, hardware designs and software, I would be very leary about buying a specific speaker from a computer company. sure, they are trying to break into this realm, but I'm not convinced just yet. at least bose just does sound. you know, right off the bat, that you're going to get fantastic sound for that price point.

the mac mini is pretty cool. part of me says it would be cool to stream a movie from my other macs to the mini which would be attached to my stereo.
a few issues (and i'm not an environmentally tree hugger type of guy, but i am conscious of energy usage) - why would i do this until apple has some sort of move download service? until then, I could take the dvd, pop it into my home theatre dvd player and be watching a flick. that would leave at least 2 computers off, not wasting energy. now, it would be cool to have a small (maybe 7 or 10") screen beside the mac mini and dload right to there, then output to the tv. THAT would be tres cool!

all in all, i hope apple doesn't get bashed too hard for having only these 2 things to launch. the poor guys...they are industry leaders so the world's expectations are out of control. nothing they do is good enough :)

kind of like me being a stay-at-home dad - i COULD do 4 loads of laundry in a day, fold them, make supper, sweep etc...etc..., but oh my lord, talk about setting future false expectations! :) LOL

;)

[mackeeper]

Well our worst nightmare came true. (That being that Jobs actually unveiled an actual boombox). My thoughts;


1) Where is the Apple logo? Was Apple too embarassed by this piece of **** that it decided not to brand a logo on it?

2) This seriously looks like a 3rd party product. Something I'd walk past at Sharper Image and hardly notice.

Thats all for now. Severly disappointed.

[pseudobrit]

Apple's market is supposed to be for the discerning customer, not for those that don't know any better.

Between the overpriced Mini and the unimaginative Hifi, I think that statement sums up this event quite succintly.

If Apple continues down this path, they risk becoming peddlers of luxury goods to a niche market. We pay extra for quality, usability and value -- things the Mac has always had behind their inflated price tags. That's what drives Apple forward; it's why the iPod is a smashing success.
I don't pay extra for brand name.

Bose sells that crap Wave Radio for an obscene amount of money to yuppies and nouveau riche who don't know that there's no way to justify spending over $150 for a boombox -- no matter the fidelity.

You could buy a $99 Sony boombox that'll blow your head clean off and sound just as clear doing it. Plus, it has aux input for your iPod, a tape deck, CD player and an AM/FM radio (I was looking last month).

Alternatively, you could take $500 and start building a low end component system (at least 2 floor speakers w/ 12" woofers and a receiver) that will sound infinitely better and louder than any $300+ boombox ever could.

A $349 boombox. My God. How unoriginal.

It's the antithesis of the iPod. A disgrace.

[sishaw]

In reference to the "500" thread...I was never one of those. I saw the improvement the iPod made over the then-existing MP3 players right away. I bought a 1st-gen early on, and now have a 4th-gen. So I'm not the type to be perpetually dissapointed in Apple products because they don't run on hydrogen fuel cells or whatever. My reaction to the hi-fi, based on pictures and concept alone, is mixed.

I see some possibilities. For a room without a stereo; for travel, for taking to a party and letting everyone share their iPods. I assume that for the purpose of reproducing sound from an iPod, the speakers are superb.

However, the device just seems so retro (I don't mean retro chic, I mean not taking advantage of current technologies) for something from a usually forward-looking company. The days when you strolled on the beach with your boom-box and 12 "D" batteries and annoyed everyone are just over. In an era when companies are working on the networked home and interactive devices, it has no built-in cabability to be part of the network or be interactive. That's the part I'm not getting.

I'm reserving judgment, though, until I get a chance to see and hear it. If it sounds good enough, that can make up for a multitude of sins.

[TSEliotLives]

I'll be a fanboy until I die. I'll admit it. But I can't understand, nor can I get behind a foray into home audio like this. Sorry, Apple. Leave the speaker manufacturing to the speaker manufacturers.

Remember when you could buy Bose speakers designed to match the II GS and beige Macs? Remember when Harmon/Kardon designed speakers to go INSIDE of iMacs, or the Sound Sticks?

I put money on this goofy thing having a relatively large market, but it's the same market that has a Bose Wave radio in every room, and thinks their car needs to have a burlwood dashboard to be even remotely useful. Wake me up when the real innovation kicks in.

I also find it strangely suspicious that Apple doesn't post any ACTUAL tech specs in the tech specs section for the iPod Hi-Fi. Sure, frequency response is nice, but let's see some response graphs... ±3 dB is a LOT of wiggle room! This thing's response could look like the Rockies with numbers like that. How about some power output numbers? How about some THD %? or S/N ratio numbers? Or maybe even what class amplifier it uses...I'm guessing it's probably one of those so-so Class-T or (shudder) Class-D designs. When companies start trying to use subjective phrases to qualify their products ("Amazing sound!" "Fills a room with rich sound!" "Natural bass!"), I have to wonder. Saccharine "expansion" circuits and bass boost will only get you so far.

I'm not an elitist, but I'm picky when it comes to my computer company making home audio components... and when it might mean scaring away competition that is doing things right... or at least differently. Do yourself a favor: if you want good sound for your iPod, buy a Tivoli iSongBook. Please.

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

For under 10 bucks you can just go get a cable that plugs right into the aux on your stereo.....

The remote is nice, and the thing looks nice and I sure sounds nice, but its 350 dollars to play what is generally compressed music.

Odd. :confused:
For $70 you can get a dock AND a remote. Plug the dock into ANY stereo system or surround sound system. BANG! and you just save $280.

[~Shard~]

but Bose makes awesome speakers.

A word of advice - when you're trying to be sarcastic (i.e. saying something is awesome when it is in fact crap) it's best to include some emoticons in your post so people know you're not serious. Luckily, I don't think anyone would have taken this comment seriously, but just something to consider. :cool:

[e-clipse]

Exactly. It would be different if Apple was marketing this as a basic home stereo or something handy to take to the beach, but to tack all of this "audiophile", "high qulaity", "superb sound" perception to it, it beter live up to their demanding claims - which I have doubts it will.

I'm a classically trained musician (ear training, the whole lot), used to compose, and am also an Electronics Engineer, so I have a comprehensive understanding about sound waves and audio in general from a technical/scientific perspective. There is no way this offering is passing my test for a "high quality stereo" as Apple is pushing it as. Sure, a person won't know until they listen to it, but I feel fairly confident in my assumptions from what I've read so far. :cool:
I am currently a Recording Industry Major (technology and production. Sound imaging is of the utmost importance to me. A HiFi product, in my opinion.... should have proper stereo seperation to me. I don't even see tweeters on this contraption. My guess, is the sound coming from this box is boomy in the low mids. Give me a set of studio nearfields or component THX certified Dolby Digital any day.

[Codemonkey]

So what's the deal? D-cell batteries? iPod mount sticking straight out of the top like a periscope? No fm radio? No Airport extreme? WTH?

This just reeks of uninspired contracting out of design and manufacturing.

For this to actually be cool instead of "fun", it would have:

- An iPod dock integrated flush with the form factor
- Airport Extreme built-in so I could also stream from my Mac or PC
- More than one audio jack so it could be used in a practical and common home electronic environment
- FM radio, so I can chuck my tuner
- Rechargable battery (not unlike a laptop) to reduce size, weight, inconvenience and long term expense of disposable batteries

The only upside I can see is that despite what others are saying about its price point, compared to say a Bose or B&O system, it is about 1/2 the price.

[Analog Kid]

From the Apple Store page for the iPod Hi-Fi:

"Put iPod Hi-Fi in place of honor in your living room."
Even fixing the typo, I'm surprised that the living room is their target-- dorm room maybe...

Why did they try to enter a market niche that's full already? Why not go for the after-market car stereo where I still can't find a decent offering?

[Eaon]

So, half the people hate it because they say it will sound like crap because it's too small. But, as so many have pointed out, the songs on your iPod are so compressed there's no point in playing them through anything better. So, who cares? College students will buy it. No space, gotta out-blast the neighbor.

The other half say "What, no radio?" Let's see. I have an iPod with thousands of songs on it that I already know I like. Why would I listen to the radio? Want to know if you like the latest Madonna song? You could either spend 10 seconds searching for it in the iTunes music store, and 30 seconds listening to the clip, or, assuming you just missed it on your latest Top 40 station, well you know they'll play it every hour, on the hour, so you can spend the next hour listening to 25 minutes of songs you don't want to hear, and 31 minutes of commercials for furniture stores and used cars, just to hear the 4 minute song. I'm sorry, who in the hell listens to radio anymore?

Many say "they copied something else and charge more for it". Um, iPod? "Just another MP3 player", they said. "Lame," they said. I'm not ready to call it out yet.

"Walah"?? Voilà! French. Learn it. Then you get the added benefit of understanding 2/3 of the speeches in the Olympic ceremonies, too.

Breakdance? I am so waiting to see some dude walking down the street with a hi-fi on his shoulder. I'll laugh so hard I'll cry, I just know it.

Oh ya, and "no wi-fi"? Airport Express. Duh. Why sell someone one product when you can sell them two? Buy one of each, for each room in your house, and you're set. That's what Apple's hoping for, anyway, not saying anyone commenting here today appears to be willing to do that (well, one person was, early on.)

[Codemonkey]

I am currently a Recording Industry Major (technology and production. Sound imaging is of the utmost importance to me. A HiFi product, in my opinion.... should have proper stereo seperation to me. I don't even see tweeters on this contraption. My guess, is the sound coming from this box is boomy in the low mids. Give me a set of studio nearfields or component THX certified Dolby Digital any day.

Yeah, but are you really comparing apples to apples here (pardont he pun). How much exactly is a studio nearfields or component THX certified Dolby Digital setup anyway?

I'm guessing... I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but it's prolly more than $350. And prolly take up more room. And not be as portable. And on and on.

(BTW - I'm playind devil's advocate here, that thing looks like it was beaten with the ugly stick within an inch of its life)

[e-clipse]

A word of advice - when you're trying to be sarcastic (i.e. saying something is awesome when it is in fact crap) it's best to include some emoticons in your post so people know you're not serious. Luckily, I don't think anyone would have taken this comment seriously, but just something to consider. :cool:

BOSE speakers are inaccurate in repoducing instruments frequency response properly. They poorly color sound through their intestines to give so called "bigger sound".

[sigamy]

THAT said, at that price point, I would buy the bose speaker. Why? b/c SOUND is what bose does. as much as i love apple's customer service, hardware designs and software, I would be very leary about buying a specific speaker from a computer company. sure, they are trying to break into this realm, but I'm not convinced just yet. at least bose just does sound. you know, right off the bat, that you're going to get fantastic sound for that price point.


You really think "Bose just does sound"? And that with Bose you will get fantastic sound? Bose stuff is over priced and under performing. Bose does fantastic marketing, not fantastic sound.

Back on topic, this iPod Hi-Fi is a major MEH...

[nomad01]

He called all those people in for that?? I hope they all got free coffee...

Well I can't say I was expecting all that much when I saw the venue. If we see a proper video iPod, I'd expect a more prestigious, larger venue like we saw for the last ipod release.

Does make you wonder why they bothered at all though. They could have released all of this without a special event... or included the 1GB nano and shuffle reduction in the event to at least add a bit more meat.

The iPod hi-fi is a nice idea for a kitchen or study but as a high-end audio device?? At this price? Hell no! It looks like a kids toy to me too. Would have looked a bit classier if it had been made from Apple aluminium. Although maybe that would have affected the sound. I'm surprised it's not available in black too... or are we not expecting to ship that many?

Oh... So the iCal invite was really meaningless.

[~Shard~]

I am currently a Recording Industry Major (technology and production. Sound imaging is of the utmost importance to me. A HiFi product, in my opinion.... should have proper stereo seperation to me. I don't even see tweeters on this contraption. My guess, is the sound coming from this box is boomy in the low mids. Give me a set of studio nearfields or component THX certified Dolby Digital any day.

Precisely. It's not even that I am overly disappointed in the product itself. Had Apple released it as a fun (wasn't that supposed to be the operative word of the day?) product for the casual listener, the cottage, the beach, whatever, and associated an apporpriate price tag to it such as $99, then fine. But to market this as a high-end stereo, put a high-end price tag on it (in terms of boomboxes at least) but not deliver is what disappoints me.

Do I need to hear it to form an honest opinion? In reference to my earlier post, I am confident that my assumptions will be validated once I hear this thing and start reading the reviews of other audiophiles. :cool:

[mackeeper]

College students will buy it.


No I won't. I still don't have speakers but I'm leaning towards JBL Creature IIs. As for the person who said this is just like when the iPod first came out, how dare you say that. This is completely different. There is no way you can parallel these two events. The iPod was successful because MP3 technology was on the rise and could be expanded. Speakers on the other hand are nothing new, and I see nothing innovative that can come of this sound system.

My guess is that very little will sell. If the iPod Hi Fi were a TV show in its pilot episode, it would get cancelled.

[aswitcher]

I think the Logitech MM50 I bought my wife for Christmas is a better design. Sure its not going to pump out the same volume but for design cool and features (rechargable battery, pass through dock) its a better machine - at a 1/3rd the price.

[chukronos]

How many more of these useless events can they pull off before the media stops showing up. (Except for die hard fans and trekies.) I wonder if at the next event they'll introduce the iToothbrush as part of their new iSoap line. I get excited about these anouncements. Now, they are deflating. I wish they would create iSTD and give the first version to steve.
-Chuck

[~Shard~]

BOSE speakers are inaccurate in repoducing instruments frequency response properly. They poorly color sound through their intestines to give so called "bigger sound".

Thanks for the back-up and specifics regarding my point - this is absolutely correct. Bose = crap. :cool:

[FaasNat]

how hard would it have been to include an FM radio?
Heh, was thinking that too. They make FM tuners really small these days... I wonder how hard it would've been to fit one in that huge thing.

[ArcaneDevice]

I think this is a ballsy move by apple. bose and other speaker manufacturing outfits won't be happy. might not matter if apple isn't getting a backend from them.

do i think this is ugly? no. looks like a centre channel of a home theatre - how can you make something like that look good?


this would look half decent if it didn't have to have an iPod stuck out of the top. It could also be placed like a center speaker (i.e. under the TV on a rack) if it didn't. There's no reason they could not have designed the iPod to have slotted completely inside and out of harms way, dropped a small LCD panel on the front and an IR receiver.

And how could they have made it look and sound better?

The Yamaha YSP-1. (http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/product/av/products/digitalsoundrojector.html)

Admittedly it's 4x the price.

[alamar]

anyone want to photoshop john cusak holding this over his head like in say anything?

[pseudobrit]

So, half the people hate it because they say it will sound like crap because it's too small. But, as so many have pointed out, the songs on your iPod are so compressed there's no point in playing them through anything better. So, who cares? College students will buy it. No space, gotta out-blast the neighbor.

As I pointed out in a previous post (like 1.72 seconds ago; it's now 411 pages back), you can get a Sony boombox with an aux input for your iPod (or Mac -- or anything, really) that is Fully Guaranteed To Collapse At Least One Lung if turned up to half volume.

And, like the HiFi, it also won't sound as good as a true audiophile setup.

It doesn't look as trendy and it only costs $100. Which I suppose is the only substantial difference.

[mainstreetmark]

I wish they could have stuck a wireless in that thing, so you could play it via "Airtunes". THAT would be something totally new.

[alamar]

My last thought on this thing is that it will mainly sell to people who bought an Ipod just because its an ipod and knew nothing else about it.

oh, and why just avalible in white? why not a black one too?

this thing is silly if you ask me.

[ilmiacs]

If $350 too much for any of you, you are really no audiophile...:cool:

I have seen some small devices with incredible sound the last years. (The Tivoli system sounds incredible for that size and prize. And if put on those legendary Koss Porta Pro, you are wondering, where all the bass comes from.) If Steve was clever enough to let some world-class sound designers do the job, then I believe todays iPod HiFi is able to produce pretty good sound for $350. I would trust Steve more, if I would know that he really loves great sound. But the only thing I know is that he loves U2... not neccessarily promising. I have to hear it with my own ears.

[ArcaneDevice]

You apparently agree with me that the market for this item is only people who don't own stereos already or who have older generation iPods. It's a rather small market. You're the only person I've ever heard of who doesn't own a stereo. I mean seriously, and I'm asking this respectfully, do you really care about music?

I do not own a stereo system.

However when I want to listen to the iPod in the living room I use a $5 cable to hook it up to my receiver and 5.1 speakers.

In the office I slot it into the dock and that's connected to my desktop Z-5500 5.1 system.

For use in the living room the Tune Center (http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/tunecenter/index.php) from Griffin sounds more like something that dedicated HT and audiophiles would use and something I would likely buy. It's $200 cheaper and offers mor functionality. Pity it doesn't have optical out.

The only people I can see using the iFi are those who want a quick bedroom setup, like teenagers and dorm students.

[javiercr]

HiFi: ungly, uninspired, not a classic timeless design like most of the apple stuff.

Macmini: cool, expensive, too expensive, not tuner, elgato tuners still don't work with Intel.

[xli_ne]

It has an Apple Logo...

~The Red Wolf~

It all sounded half way intelligent till you said that. Everyone should bow down to it because it has an Apple logo on it. please

[forumBuddy]

Looks like Apple spends too much R&D on accessories market and they are not an accessories company - someone needs to remind that to Apple. I guess it's time for iPod division to split away from Apple - so that they start making kick ass computers like PowerMac G4 and Clear Cinema Displays again.

And for crying out loud - customers scream for TV enabled MacMini - slap a S-Vidio and HDMI out on that sucker - write a simple DVR app and rip the market, gain market share -

Apple STOP screwing yourself like it's 1995!

[Eaon]

No I won't. I still don't have speakers but I'm leaning towards JBL Creature IIs.

My apologies. "Some college students, but not mackeeper, will buy it." Better? ;)

[e-clipse]

A college student will definately spend $2000+ for a powerbook or macbook pro.
A college student will not invest in a over glorified boombox.
A college student probably already has a system that can smoke it!
The iPod was a great invention for its sleekness and portability.
iPods rule the college campus outdoors.
If I was even going to bring that iPod HiFi Boombox on campus, it would need to have iShock theft protection.

[pcp_ip]

This is the big announcement? An ugly speaker with a poorly integrated iPod dock? Apple has all of the components available to build a multi-room expandable Sonos (http://www.sonos.com/landing/all_lp6.htm?ovchn=GGL&ovcpn=Google+Adwords&ovcrn=sonos&ovtac=ppc) type system. Why not?

I don’t understand why this thing doesn’t at least have an AirPort Express built into it to stream music wirelessly. Wouldn’t be simple to also allow iTunes streaming— and open the market up to include those without an iPod?!? What about multiple Hi-Fis in different rooms all playing the same thing from your iPod?

Home stereo. Reinvented. Not. This type of item is better left to the hundreds of companies already making this product (http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=ipod+speaker&btnG=Search).

[zanevlc]

Cannot understand why everyone feels SO LET DOWN!!! when Apple do not make something, people complain and when the dedicate time and money to make something that SOME OF us actually like, people get all S***** and take the easy way out and complain. Some Mac users should really try to understand that mac users ARE ALL DIFFERENT, tastes requirements etc. etc. I LOVE this thing, and its 359 Euros ($428) price is perfect. and to top it all off, has fiber optic, compatible with Airport Ex, and can use batteries (great for taking to the beach) will get 2 when they arrive here in Spain. one for the bathroom. (although guess my neighbors will not like it :p )..and one for the Kitchen....

Now everyone DEEP BREATH and lets get on to the subject, WHAT WILL COME ON 1 April :p

[innhitman]

This announcement was so sunderwhelming the stock maket even revolted.... aapl dropped at least 2 points after the meeting....

I am assuming that his promises of high end sound, etc are all lies.... $349 gets you high end sound? Yeah, right! I am expecting something that sounds like the Bose or B&O... which are both garbage... but they look nicer....

Tivo DVR killer and Video ipods are what people want to see..

yeah, a few kids might buy it for their dorm rooms... that's it

[Play Ultimate]

Look at the negative votes.... all because rumors, and rumors alone, gave people ideas that this particular event would bring something else?

iPod Hi-Fi would have been more "fun" without rumors to spoil it I think :)

It may be time to break out the dreaded Thread 500:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=500

Negative votes today often mean massive sales tomorrow... weird!

I remember the day. Same thing after the iPod Mini and Shuffle. It seems that "everyone" is disappointed after every event.

Needless to say, Apple is a multi-billion dollar business and has a lot more to lose if it releases a crappy product than you or I do.

Moving on...I see the BoomBox going in the dorm room and teen bedroom. And with so many homes having entertainment rooms, this could be used in another room in the house. For example, my wife and I currently have our stereo and tv in the living room. We want it downstairs in the family room but we spend so much time in the living room, which is next to the kitchen (funky design), that we hesitate to move it and lose our music. This product, assuming the sound is good, fills that niche. In addition, we can take it outside when we have outside parties without having to buy outdoor speakers.
I do wish it had built in Wi-Fi so I could have used my computer's playlist.

[mackeeper]

A college student will definately spend $2000+ for a powerbook or macbook pro.
A college student will not invest in a over glorified boombox.
A college student probably already has a system that can smoke it!
The iPod was a great invention for its sleekness and portability.
iPods rule the college campus outdoors.
If I was even going to bring that iPod HiFi Boombox on campus, it would need to have iShock theft protection.

Very true. One question, why is it called an iPod? It isn't an iPod!!!!!!

[puuukeey]

Apple is rapidly writing a history of trying to kill competition be including developers ideas into a product and this is totally ridiculous.

if your such an innovator, how come you won't let the followers follow? just innovate already, its been so so so long since we've seen anything good and creative from apple.

everything is just shady business moves

I'm really unhappy with apple right now. I hope it goes the way of the newton in half the time.

someone should get fired.

ARGARGARG:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[MrCrowbar]

My opinion:

Mac Mini: Nice update. Core Duo version is nice, remote is cool and the IR-Sensor is well placed. Just buy the cable to hook it up to your TV and you have a nice media centre.

iPod sock: 99$ ? Again: 99$ !? I want to see the sales numbers for this thing in a year. I like the grey pouch that comes with new iPods, it only gets dirty fast. It would be ok if the black sock came free with every new iPod, but 99$ is way too expensive. And i still have to pull the iPod out to see the screen...

iPod HIFI: No tweeters, no HIFI, got it? Frequency response looks bad to me but I think it's ok for beach or dorm use. They should have called it Boombox, HIFI need tweeters and seperated speakers for stereo. The price would be ok if there was an apple logo on it, but I can't see any... I'd love to see a real Jukebox for the iPod. One of these tall things where you can see the iPod behind a window lighted by rhythmic disco lights and an extra clickwheel on the jukebox itself. Add WIFI and additional speaker output and you really had a "fun" product.

[sartinsauce]

apple is hetting lame....
but there is a reason, just wait.


I agree.

I really have to think that these are new products that are part of an all new Apple line up. A year from now, the landscape of the Apple product line (and website) will be completely different. These products are jumping off points.

Remember, the Mac Mini is the bottom of the line. It's in the stages of becoming a digital media hub, but it's not ready yet. Similarly, I think (hope) maybe this boombox is going to expand into a wicked product over the next couple of years.

Maybe not, maybe this is the beginning of the end for Apple. They have to crash, burn and die someday. As an old man I'm sure I'll be telling little kids about a groovy, innovative computer company called Apple that went down in flames.

Oh, and I have to agree that $99 is out of control. That leather sleeve should be included at no extra cost with your Nano.

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

anyone want to photoshop john cusak holding this over his head like in say anything?
What was that? ;)

[Laser47]

This was very disappointing. How cool would it be to have a battery powered airtunes speaker with built in tuner? Unfortunately we got this square thing.

Where did the stereo go?
Are you serious?

[e-clipse]

If $350 too much for any of you, you are really no audiophile...:cool:

I have seen some small devices with incredible sound the last years. (The Tivoli system sounds incredible for that size and prize. And if put on those legendary Koss Porta Pro, you are wondering, where all the bass comes from.) If Steve was clever enough to let some world-class sound designers do the job, then I believe todays iPod HiFi is able to produce pretty good sound for $350. I would trust Steve more, if I would know that he really loves great sound. But the only thing I know is that he loves U2... not neccessarily promising. I have to hear it with my own ears.

True...350 is a small price in the market of HiFidelity. Speaker ratings are not everything. Speaker placement is every bit as important to an audiophile.

[lorien]

Hasn't Steve got a reputation for having axed products at the last minute and making his people redesign until it's just "perfect"? What happened to that?! :confused: Was he pushed into letting this mediocre stuff out maybe or is he beginning to go all dell on us? :eek:

Minis: They can forget about the student market for minis if you can't even run a 3D game.

iPod HiFi: Apple microwave/toaster more like it. Engadget says this about the HiFi: "Well, let's be straight up, the Hi-Fi is heavy. Like, way too heavy to want to carry with you to the cabana or the beach.."

April 1 better be freaking impressive if they want to keep their stock price!

[ArcaneDevice]

and can use batteries (great for taking to the beach) will get 2 when they arrive here in Spain. one for the bathroom. (although guess my neighbors will not like it :p )..and one for the Kitchen....


iFi and sand? iFi and condensed moisture? I don't expect a long life from units that go there.

[nagromme]

Very true. One question, why is it called an iPod? It isn't an iPod!!!!!!
It's not. It's called an iPod Hi-Fi because it's a Hi-Fi (a term I've only ever heard from my grandmother) for iPod. Just like the iPod Dock is a Dock for iPod.

[MrCrowbar]

Hmmm... maybe this is part of Steve's plan: Show ugly products that won't sell to crash stock prices. (Buy apple shares now!!!!)
Then, on April 1, introduce amazing really cool products (touchPod, MBP 12" and 17", DeskMacPro) and watch the stock price shoot through the roof. (Sell your shares then).

Remeber, Steve owns quite a lot of apple shares ;) .

[BoyBach]

Was it really neccasery for Apple to hold a special event for these announcements? Surely they could have been released quietly with a store update and press release?

I just hope that they are keeping all the good stuff for April 1st.

P.S - what dose 'MEH' mean??

[ArcaneDevice]

of course the big question is ...

what will run out first while it's playing? :D

The iPod battery or the iFi batteries? Or will they suck on each other like vampire lovers?

[weg]

if it this is introduced by Haman kardon i would accept it.
Has technology gone back to 10 years ago?

Come on, the Harman Kardon Soundsticks and the JBL Creature II speakers look so much nicer than this white plastic box from Apple.

[joemama]

A college student will definately spend $2000+ for a powerbook or macbook pro.
A college student will not invest in a over glorified boombox.
A college student probably already has a system that can smoke it!
The iPod was a great invention for its sleekness and portability.
iPods rule the college campus outdoors.
If I was even going to bring that iPod HiFi Boombox on campus, it would need to have iShock theft protection.

A college student will not invest $2000 in a laptop. Their parents, perhaps, but not the student. Nor would they invest in over glorified boombox, unless....

...unless it doubled as a cooler to hold beer! Now that would be a fun product. Doesn't it look like this hi-fi box is big enough to open and store a fresh, cold 30-pack??!? Man I would love to have this on the beach. An iPod, big speakers, and beer! Introducing the iParty (i-nstant Party). Who's game??!?!

[mackeeper]

A college student will not invest $2000 in a laptop. Their parents, perhaps, but not the student. Nor would they invest in over glorified boombox, unless....

...unless it doubled as a cooler to hold beer! Now that would be a fun product. Doesn't it look like this hi-fi box is big enough to open and store a fresh, cold 30-pack??!? Man I would love to have this on the beach. An iPod, big speakers, and beer! Introducing the iParty (i-nstant Party). Who's game??!?!

I dont drink but I could SOO see that!!! Apple might be on to something actually. haha.

[e-clipse]

My opinion:

Mac Mini: Nice update. Core Duo version is nice, remote is cool and the IR-Sensor is well placed. Just buy the cable to hook it up to your TV and you have a nice media centre.


MAC MINI FSB-667 WooHoo!

[hyperpasta]

It's an iPod speaker. Whoop-dee-frekin-doo. It'll sell a few, but I think the market is thinking more along the lines of $149. Sure, the speakers in that range sound like crap, but nobody seems to care.

[Eaon]

A college student will not invest in a over glorified boombox.
<snip />
If I was even going to bring that iPod HiFi Boombox on campus, it would need to have iShock theft protection.

So, they won't buy one, but they'd steal one?

[Ashapalan]

A college student will not invest $2000 in a laptop. Their parents, perhaps, but not the student. Nor would they invest in over glorified boombox, unless....

...unless it doubled as a cooler to hold beer! Now that would be a fun product. Doesn't it look like this hi-fi box is big enough to open and store a fresh, cold 30-pack??!? Man I would love to have this on the beach. An iPod, big speakers, and beer! Introducing the iParty (i-nstant Party). Who's game??!?!

definatly game!

[ArcaneDevice]

...unless it doubled as a cooler to hold beer! Now that would be a fun product. Doesn't it look like this hi-fi box is big enough to open and store a fresh, cold 30-pack??!? Man I would love to have this on the beach. An iPod, big speakers, and beer! Introducing the iParty (i-nstant Party). Who's game??!?!

my thoughts exactly, about 3 pages back. They missed a big tailgating audience here.

[weg]

weight with batteries is almost 17 lbs.

TADAAA! The first 17 lbs iPod. Next version will actually come which built in iPod! The iGhettoPod (a real boom box, after all).

[iDrinkKoolAid]

I believe there is still much FUD about the perceived poor sound quality of perceptual audio coders (MP3, Ogg Vorbis) as compared to its original source.

If one uses laboratory-quality headphones (not iPod earbuds!) and a studio-quality sound card (not the Griffin iMic!) and performs a valid A/B/X test, she may find that the sound-quality differences are imperceptible.

I for one, always thought MP3s sucked since back in 1997 codecs sounded awful. A Ph.D. student in audio engineering convinced me ,otherwise. He told me to give him what I thought was a good recording, and he burned an audio CD with three formats, 128 kbps MP3, 128 kbps AAC, and 16-bit 44.1 kHz PCM, and told me to identify which is which.

After repeated listening and frustration, I gave up and he told me the order. I could not tell which versions were compressed and which weren't. Old perceptions, especially in audio, die hard.

I have normal hearing (tested during 2004) and used Etymotic ER-4P headphones for the above test.

I'm looking forward to what the iPod Hi-Fi will sound like. I hope it sounds better than the Bose SoundDock, which has excellent bass and ability for high output, but the highs get very harsh at high levels.

[joepunk]

-not fond of the looks
-what about radio at least
-not to sure if I like it being powered by D sized batteries
-the price is ridiculous. The sound and the battery life had better be stupendous for the price.

IMO it's OK.

[Bitman]

From MaFixit:

The GMA950 uses "Dynamic Video Memory Technology" (DVMT) to support up to 224MB of video memory; system memory is allocated where it is needed dynamically. It has 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM of its own, shared with main memory

Still, on paper, the GMA950's specs best those of the Radeon 9200 card used by the PowerPC-based Mac mini. For instance, the GMA950 claims 1.6 billion pixels per second vs. 1.1 billion pixels per second for the Radeon 9200. And the GMA950 includes a 256-bit graphics core running at 400MHz while the Radeon 9200 uses a 400 Mhz 128-bit core.

Again, benchmarks have yet to be recorded, but we wouldn't be surprised if the new Intel-based Mac mini's integrated graphics performance exceeds that of the previous PowerPC-based generation with a separate graphics card for most tasks.

[MarcelV]

I made myself a promise. Next time I am just not getting excited anymore about their events. It was one BIG disappointment. Mini is on par with my expectations, but didn't saw the higher price coming on that one. And then a speaker system being a highlight? It's not going to beat my home ones, for sure. No matter how 'HiFi' they are. Plus in the home, I am using already airport express with my Powerbook. I just don't see the market for this.

And if Steve keeps going this rate, January was already bad as of the expectations and now this one to top it off, I am going to sell all my Apple stuff and go to the 'dark' side. That will teach him :D

[ArcaneDevice]

TADAAA! The first 17 lbs iPod.

I can see a huge market for iWheels and iStraps opening up as we speak.

[e-clipse]

Hmmm... maybe this is part of Steve's plan: Show ugly products that won't sell to crash stock prices. (Buy apple shares now!!!!)
Then, on April 1, introduce amazing really cool products (touchPod, MBP 12" and 17", DeskMacPro) and watch the stock price shoot through the roof. (Sell your shares then).

Remeber, Steve owns quite a lot of apple shares ;) .


Hmmm... derecho de usufructo

[Eaon]

P.S - what dose 'MEH' mean??

http://www.lardlad.com/assets/quotes/season12/hungry.shtml

[e-clipse]

A college student will not invest $2000 in a laptop. Their parents, perhaps, but not the student. Nor would they invest in over glorified boombox, unless....

...unless it doubled as a cooler to hold beer! Now that would be a fun product. Doesn't it look like this hi-fi box is big enough to open and store a fresh, cold 30-pack??!? Man I would love to have this on the beach. An iPod, big speakers, and beer! Introducing the iParty (i-nstant Party). Who's game??!?!


The iBeerbuddy!

[~Shard~]

I for one, always thought MP3s sucked since back in 1997 codecs sounded awful. A Ph.D. student in audio engineering convinced me ,otherwise. He told me to give him what I thought was a good recording, and he burned an audio CD with three formats, 128 kbps MP3, 128 kbps AAC, and 16-bit 44.1 kHz PCM, and told me to identify which is which.

After repeated listening and frustration, I gave up and he told me the order. I could not tell which versions were compressed and which weren't. Old perceptions, especially in audio, die hard.

Weird, because I can hear the difference. I've particiapted in essentially the same tests with friends and fellow musicians. Maybe it's because I'm a musician, have near-perfect pitch and have had ear training. Dunno, but all I'm saying is that I can definitely hear a difference. :cool:

[pcp_ip]

From MaFixit:

The GMA950 uses "Dynamic Video Memory Technology" (DVMT) to support up to 224MB of video memory; system memory is allocated where it is needed dynamically. It has 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM of its own, shared with main memory...

http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/gma950/

Supports:

HDTV 480i/p, 576i/p, 720i/p and 1080i/p display resolution support
Interlaced Display output support
16x9 and 16x10 Aspect Ratio for widescreen displays

Maybe this is the mactivo box...

[p0intblank]

The iPod Hi-Fi seems nice, but why the black grille? Why not white? I don't really like how the back looks in that picture iLounge supplied. It looks a lot better on Apple's Web site. I guess it's one of those things I have to see in person and then judge it.

[e-clipse]

A college student will not invest $2000 in a laptop.

Maybe..depending on their career plan. I see a Macbook Pro as a future job investment that is tax deductible. Live sound recordings with an Apple laptop is superb in my books.

[_bnkr612]

That was dumb. An Apple Hi-Fi? They took 3 steps back with that monster.

The smaller the crowds for invites, the smaller the excitement of the products released.


Leather cases, great. I didn't realize I needed one until this release. Since it has an Apple logo on it, it must be leather from apple trees. Bad item, bad price.

One word for both, Nasty.

[e-clipse]

<snip />


So, they won't buy one, but they'd steal one?

It is valued at $350. Campuses have all types. Criminal acts are common.

[BoyBach]

http://www.lardlad.com/assets/quotes/season12/hungry.shtml

Thanks Eaon!

The Simpsons make me laugh, hehe!!!

:D :D :D

[e-clipse]

I believe there is still much FUD about the perceived poor sound quality of perceptual audio coders (MP3, Ogg Vorbis) as compared to its original source.

If one uses laboratory-quality headphones (not iPod earbuds!) and a studio-quality sound card (not the Griffin iMic!) and performs a valid A/B/X test, she may find that the sound-quality differences are imperceptible.

I for one, always thought MP3s sucked since back in 1997 codecs sounded awful. A Ph.D. student in audio engineering convinced me ,otherwise. He told me to give him what I thought was a good recording, and he burned an audio CD with three formats, 128 kbps MP3, 128 kbps AAC, and 16-bit 44.1 kHz PCM, and told me to identify which is which.

After repeated listening and frustration, I gave up and he told me the order. I could not tell which versions were compressed and which weren't. Old perceptions, especially in audio, die hard.

I have normal hearing (tested during 2004) and used Etymotic ER-4P headphones for the above test.

I'm looking forward to what the iPod Hi-Fi will sound like. I hope it sounds better than the Bose SoundDock, which has excellent bass and ability for high output, but the highs get very harsh at high levels.

I can definately hear a difference between 128kbps and 256kbps. More kb's equals better audio accuracy in reproducing the recorded sound. 16Bit = redbook standard for Cd Audio....24Bit = amazing audio clarity. A wave blows an mp3 out of the water. We were also given the mp3 versus wave audio test.

[nagromme]

SOME Apple products are revolutionary and worthy of an audience of thousands. OTHER Apple products are merely "useful" or "fun" and worthy of an audience of 150 like today :p There's a need for both.

Anyone who truly thinks Apple is doomed because they have SOME products that just do one job well instead of changing the planet... you had better not look here:

http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/m9319ga_125.gif

There's a TRULY not fun Apple product. It just does its job. But even THIS "crime" doesn't mean Apple is doomed. Neither does iPod Hi-Fi which actually IS fun.

And if what you're REALLY angry about is not the existence of the iPod Hi-Fi, but rather "all the hype" leading up to it... stop a minute and ask where most of the hype came from: from US, and other outsiders, not from Apple.

A revolutionary amazing anti-gravity machine would have been really cool today. Instead we got fast new Minis with many improvements, and a new speaker system. Somehow we will have to survive :rolleyes:

[ilmiacs]

Weird, because I can hear the difference. I've particiapted in essentially the same tests with friends and fellow musicians. Maybe it's because I'm a musician, have near-perfect pitch and have had ear training. Dunno, but all I'm saying is that I can definitely hear a difference. :cool:

Yeah, to hear the difference between mp3 and AAC at 128 is easy. But probably you need $349 + $1 bucks to make a difference between AAC at 128 and raw. :)

[ldburroughs]

Apple is losing its grip on its fringe consumers. This product is not worth the money. The problem for Apple is that people are expecting too much and it is delivering too little. It's not exactly Apple's fault that people have unrealistic expectations but, then again, that's what they get for being so innovative in the past. Both the Mac Mini and Boombox are a true disappointment from a product standpoint and for Apple's reputation. What is the point of the multimedia functions of front row anyway? Stupid, stupid, stupid. When they integrate DVR features, that will be impressive and more will be interested. So what if the Mac Mini can replace your dvd player and the boombox can replace your receiver? Big freakin' deal! At least I can listen to the radio on my receiver.

What a huge let down.

[MarcelV]

A Ph.D. student in audio engineering convinced me ,otherwise. He told me to give him what I thought was a good recording, and he burned an audio CD with three formats, 128 kbps MP3, 128 kbps AAC, and 16-bit 44.1 kHz PCM, and told me to identify which is which.
Not to be coming down on you, but there is a huge difference in sound. PCM will have much cleaner high tone level and a full base. There are some factors whether or not you will hear it. Even age can be a factor as well as the individual development to recognize any masking. Most people indeed will not be able to hear a difference, but there are. Not just theoratical differences.

[Stella]

Where did Apple style go?

That Boombox is really quite ugly. Also I'm disappointed about the lack of WiFi built it - but I suppose Apple want you to buy an Airport extreme ( which I'm surprised hasn't been updated in some way ).

Shall wait for reviews about sound quality. Hopefully it won't suck like the Apple in-ear phones.

[sonofslim]

sorry if this has been asked & answered, but what do the chinese characters on the brown packing tape on the iPod HiFi say?

[supermacdesign]

$99 for the iPod leather sleave, come on Apple. I love you to death but really? Ninety-nine smackaroons?? Ha! Thats almost laughable. On top of that they didn't even spend money to have it die cut so you could atleast see the screen? Ha! Maybe they figure 1 out every 200 iPods sold with the leather case, so for every million thats another half million dollars!

Apple created a billion dollar iPod accessory business built around the iPod I think they want a piece of that action.

The Hi-Fi is certainly cool though. Not cool enough to warrant this special media event though.

[Detlev]

It's not just a speaker it's a Subwoofer and high end speakers with NO AUDIBLE DISTORTION. This is very very important.

~The Red Wolf~
Hold on there RW. Those are mighty high claims. First, it depends on your definition of a "high end" speaker. Try comparing it to a true Class A speaker and reconsider the comment. Second, "no audible distortion" is wonderful marketing and nothing more, never mind being farthest from the truth.

[anonicon]

It's the new iTackle® fishing box from Apple.

Hahahahahah, exactly, and if you pop the top, it doubles as a clothes hamper.

[The Red Wolf]

It all sounded half way intelligent till you said that. Everyone should bow down to it because it has an Apple logo on it. please

New Mac Books Tuesday...

And as for the comment about the Apple logo... What's on the back of every iPod? 5.7 Billion in sales? World Wide Religion... Just rather than some dude bound to sticks, it's a half eaten fruit... Besides, a shuffle on a necklace looks like a crucifix to me, oh yes, it has an Apple logo on it too...

Does your car have badging?

Do your appliances have badging?

Does the machine you typed your post on have an Apple logo or a lovely shinny new "Intel Inside" sticker next to "Compatible with Windows XP" sticker?

Give me half eaten fruit any day. Oh yes, Eve did take the bite out of the apple didn't she? Forbidden knowledge or the first Apple consumer?

[MrCrowbar]

iFridge with iPod Dock would be nice. Right atop of the ice maker in the full size iFridge Pro. I still think apple should not do accesories. There are plenty out there that are much better on the inside and (and for the HIFI) on the outside.

The FSB on the Mini is great news. Integrated graphics do the job, right?

I think I will buy the iPod Sock anyway. The design is so nice :D

[TechnoLawyer]

However, wouldn't most real audiophiles, if using an iPod at all, be using it to encode their CDs at high bitrates and play it through their high-end systems?

Unlike most Mac Rumors readers, I'm thrilled with today's announcement. I have both an iPod video and an Airport Express. I plan to buy an iPod HiFi immediately for my bedroom. If it sounds as good as Steve Jobs suggests, I may get one for my living room too for my Airport Express, and ditch my power amp/preamp/speakers, which take up a lot of room. I have all my songs in Apple Lossless (except those from ITMS of course).

I've had my eye on various speaker systems, but each one seems to have a shortcoming that held me back. Hoping that Apple would release a speaker system, I've instead just used the auxiliary input on my old Panasonic boombox biding my time. The built-in iPod alarm is excellent, which explains why I didn't buy an iHome, iSongBook, etc. -- I see no need for a second alarm system. The Klipsch iFi sparked my interest, but it does not use the universal dock -- plus it's too large for a bedroom thanks to the subwoofer. Etc.

Regarding all the rumors about a Mac Mini DVR, why would Apple release a DVR given TiVo's troubled history -- not to mention the underwhelming sales of Windows Media Center. Apple only has an interest in blockbuster products. With cable and satellite companies bundling DVRs with their service, standalone DVRs will never achieve the sales numbers of the iPod -- they will appeal only to enthusiasts.

I do, however, see a potentially large market for a video Airport Express that can also work in reverse like the Slingbox.

[Bubbasteve]

Unlike 95% of the readers, I wasn't really disappointed with the presentation. Especially when the headline to MR before the presentation predicted this....

The leather case is a joke, I don't see how/why anybody would pay that much for a case that covers the iPods clickwheel/screen

The Mac Mini I think is a great improvement. I'm disappointed that there is no "Tivo-Killer" featured with it.

The iPod Hi-Fi is very very modern. It looks like white and black cinder block. I don't think the price is too outrageous considering the BOSE is $300 and with the size alone I would expect it to have a very strong bass and great sound.

Like everything... don't knock it till you try it :o

[The Red Wolf]

Hold on there RW. Those are mighty high claims. First, it depends on your definition of a "high end" speaker. Try comparing it to a true Class A speaker and reconsider the comment. Second, "no audible distortion" is wonderful marketing and nothing more, never mind being farthest from the truth.

I've a 200 Watt Monsoon 8 speaker system in my car. It came with it. I would rather have a 6 speaker 80 Watt Boss Acusti-mass system in my car as it is indeed "NO ADIBLE DISTORTION". The Monsoon distorts at about 55% full volume... That to me is sacrilege.

Sorry it's not a fluid mounted vacuum tubed über speaker for $9999.99 with such bright sound it's like listening to the liquid honey... But then again it's $349... How much do you pay before you consider something "High End"? If I paid for a Mercedes with Monsoon $84,000 would not be worth it for distortion at 55% of full volume with the midrange maxed out and bass at 75% and Treble at 75%... Now, a Hundai Accent with a $81,000 speaker system in it might be tempting... No audible distortion, save for reality... Muahahahaha!

[kjr39]

Big yawn.

If they sell more than 5 of these things, I would be surprised.

Doesn't make sense to add a product into this already saturated market. For crying out loud, you can buy iPod accessories at the gas station...

[d.f]

Real audiophiles would just play the CD.

not true. there is a revolution happening in hi-fi and high end hi-fi, and that's hard drive sourced systems and uncomnpressed / lossless files. they mean no jitter (unwanted variable digital signals heard as noise). feed into a high end DAC and BAMM you got a very hig end set up.

this is what has dissapointed me most about boombox. i really hoped the Apple was about to get into the hi-fi market like Sonos and the excellent Squeezebox - both fed into a high end DAC could compete with the best CD players out there. yes, i can still buy a squeezebox, but i'm sure Apple could have done it even better.

finally, not to sound like a hater, but don't fall for the RDF. it will sound really good and 'big', but it won't compete with a dedicated stero speaker set up. it can't. stereo imaging and deep soundstage require well positioned speakers. at least they made the boombox power the iPod, so anyone who does want to squeeze the best sound quality out of it can use uncompressed files. before this would have drained the battery quickly.

apple has simply gone after the lucrative 'iPod dock with speakers' market. more power to them. why should bose, sharp, sony, etc earn money off Apple's iPod??

[macidiot]

I believe there is still much FUD about the perceived poor sound quality of perceptual audio coders (MP3, Ogg Vorbis) as compared to its original source.

If one uses laboratory-quality headphones (not iPod earbuds!) and a studio-quality sound card (not the Griffin iMic!) and performs a valid A/B/X test, she may find that the sound-quality differences are imperceptible.

I for one, always thought MP3s sucked since back in 1997 codecs sounded awful. A Ph.D. student in audio engineering convinced me ,otherwise. He told me to give him what I thought was a good recording, and he burned an audio CD with three formats, 128 kbps MP3, 128 kbps AAC, and 16-bit 44.1 kHz PCM, and told me to identify which is which.

After repeated listening and frustration, I gave up and he told me the order. I could not tell which versions were compressed and which weren't. Old perceptions, especially in audio, die hard.

I have normal hearing (tested during 2004) and used Etymotic ER-4P headphones for the above test.

I'm looking forward to what the iPod Hi-Fi will sound like. I hope it sounds better than the Bose SoundDock, which has excellent bass and ability for high output, but the highs get very harsh at high levels.

There is a clear difference between uncompressed WAV and 128AAC and 128MP3. However, once you get to 192 or 256, you can't really hear the difference. And obviously, there is no difference between wav and Apple lossless.

I can hear the difference on the Bose system in my car. And that is a poor audio environment with only fair frequency response. And on top of that, Bose systems generally suck. So I have no idea why you can't hear the difference.

Next time, try outputting through a quality receiver and some quality speakers. As in speakers that are accurate and offer a full dynamic range.

[mackeeper]

All that time and effort Apple put into a developing a speaker system? Heck Apple should have given me all the R and D money and funds. Even I would have developed something better!

[p0intblank]

The name 'Hi-Fi' makes it sound like it's a Wi-Fi-compatible boombox. It would've been great to stream your music wirelessly. I was hoping for some kind of unique twist, but instead this seems like any other iPod audio system in today's market. The audio quality itself may sound pretty awesome, though... I have to test it out myself in an Apple store sometime soon.

[jrk07]

iPod hi-fi is the stupidest product I've seen yet for the iPod. Come on, why would I spend more money on this Apple branded "boombox" for my iPod when the Bose one looks and most likely sounds way better. Not to mention the fact that the hi-fi is GINORMOUS. Disappointing product apple.

[icloud]

I was initially dissapointed at the announcement...esp. the hi-fi
but this picture shocked me..it dont look half bad...expensive as hell, but i suppose u get what u pay for

but it nearly not as big/ugly/dumb as i first imaged

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6126/hifihometoptwo200602286gf.jpg

[MacsomJRR]

I mean c'mon Apple, that was the coolest design you could come up with???? Holy moly. A white box with an apple logo and speakers?

On second thought it does remind of that neato BOSE speaker system...

[macidiot]

Wow, that "hi-fi" (rofl) sucks.

Then again, I suppose it will appeal to people that buy Bose iPod products, which also suck.

[Eaon]

The name 'Hi-Fi' makes it sound like it's a Wi-Fi-compatible boombox.

Some of us are old enough to know that the term "Wi-Fi" is a rip off of Hi-Fi, not the other way around, and therefore by default expect music, not networking. ;)

[DrNeroCF]

iFridge with iPod Dock would be nice. Right atop of the ice maker in the full size iFridge Pro. I still think apple should not do accesories. There are plenty out there that are much better on the inside and (and for the HIFI) on the outside.

The FSB on the Mini is great news. Integrated graphics do the job, right?

I think I will buy the iPod Sock anyway. The design is so nice :D

You guys are getting really retarded with this. Are you saying that a speaker system shouldn't have an ipod dock? Is Apple's new high end stereo with an iPod dock comparible to a fridge with an iPod dock? I bought a 5.1 system (low end, at that) for 400 bucks a few years back, and I'm sure that this thing sounds better than my stereo. It does have a sub or two build into it, right?

I'm not getting it, I'm sure that none of you are getting it. But believe it or not, some people out there want this exact product. I'm going to have to start complaining about how stupid the non-mainstream is now...

[macidiot]

Hold on there RW. Those are mighty high claims. First, it depends on your definition of a "high end" speaker. Try comparing it to a true Class A speaker and reconsider the comment. Second, "no audible distortion" is wonderful marketing and nothing more, never mind being farthest from the truth.

Unless I'm mistaken, distortion is a function of source quality and power. It has little to do with the speakers, other than that is where you hear the distortion.

[rcha101]

Not that I had previously thought I would need a 'ipod hifi' but I am disappointed the ipod does not lie flat on the top of the unit so it could be carried around like a boombox, taken to the skatebowl etc. I think apple are really missing the point here. The current design leaves this product to reside indoor such as in dorms, studies etc. Really it's not that different to the current offerings from other companies such as bose. Is this supposed to be innovative?

And why is this listed on their site as a type of IPod when it is clearly an iPod accessory??

And as an owner of a 5G ipod I can say I bet it scratches easily.

[ScottB]

I was entirely convinced that apple could pull off a decent "Hi-Fi" system, but I admire them for giving it a try, and if they are anything like the Apple headphones they should have amazing sound quality but should break quite easily of used at max volume for any extended periods. I'm not so embracing of the iPod cases though, I mean even if they are super nice, there not worth $99, especially when you can get a nano with that (I think anyway, not so good with dollars).

[Platform]

I like it, now what about the quality :confused:

[ChrisWB]

This is just about the worst product Apple's put out in the past few years. It's a glorified center speaker with a built in iPod dock. If you're going to spend that much for a center, why not get a full 2.1 or 3.1 system? What a waste of money. It also is rather ugly. :(

[jrk07]

I think they should have just released a product that didn't require the use of an iPod and simply integrated with your iTunes network through airport express. That would be awesome if they integrated a clean looking display that has the artwork and song title nice and BIG so you can see it from further away.

I hate the fact that the display on this thing IS THE IPOD DISPLAY. Plus, it sticks outta the top of the damn thing and looks horrendous.

I for one will laugh at the first person who drops $350 on this thing. $350 is way overpriced, and I don't think anybody can disagree with me on that one. Especially because the fact that Apple is not known for making quality speakers, which would be the only reason to charge that much.

I think a $150 price point would have served this product better. (mainly because it is simply a speaker, and there are no other perks to having it)

[stealthboy]

this year is about the transition to Intel, anything new is a bonus.

That is such a good point.

[iGary]

I mighta been down for this if you could add additional speakers and if it had it's own display or something...

Expect price drops withitn 3 months.

[revjay]

Not sure about that one, maybe check the site. I do know it's COSTS $99 bucks though. Add a few bucks in tax and thats over a hundred for a new iWallet. Sheesh what a rip.

Why can't I get over that?

I'm still hoping that someone hijacked the apple store and changed the price on the case ($119 CDN)and that I will wake up tomorrow morning, and it will be listed at $39.95...not that I want one...but I have just been sitting here in stunned silence, pondering who would drop this kind on money for a case?
BTW...who needs an iwallet if you have no iCash left to put in it?!?

[mattster16]

iPod hi-fi is the stupidest product I've seen yet for the iPod. Come on, why would I spend more money on this Apple branded "boombox" for my iPod when the Bose one looks and most likely sounds way better. Not to mention the fact that the hi-fi is GINORMOUS. Disappointing product apple.

The Bose doesn't really sound that great at all. The whole box vibrates at certain low bass frequencies and it distorts. My roommate bought one and ended up returning it. It's got tiny speakers that are just ported to make them sound like they have a low end (which results in monotone bass). The Hi-Fi looks like it has a much larger woofer which should offer low frequency sound the Bose can't come close to. I'm still worried about treble though, it should have dedicated tweeters, not cones.

Why can't Boston Acoustics make an iPod boombox?

[Sam*]

Oh and that Hi-Fi thing is stupidly overpriced and ugly and would look so out of place in my house

Roll on April 1st:D

[e-clipse]

Next time, try outputting through a quality receiver and some quality speakers. As in speakers that are accurate and offer a full dynamic range.

FULL DYNAMIC RANGE! keywords

[Takeo]

Wow!!! Amazing!!! I must have this amazing new Apple technology... the so-called speaking box!!! Maybe they should call it... a SPEAKER!!! GO APPLE!!! What an incredible invention!!! The speaker!!! Wow!!! I thought it couldn't get any better than the Gramaphone... and then along came the speaker!!! This thing blows my old Gramaphone away!!!

[Toeside]

This is just about the worst product Apple's put out in the past few years. It's a glorified center speaker with a built in iPod dock. If you're going to spend that much for a center, why not get a full 2.1 or 3.1 system? What a waste of money. It also is rather ugly. :(

It is 2.1 in a single enclosure. The right and left drivers are in separate compartments, as is the subwoofer.

I do think this is priced too high. Had it included airtunes, I might be interested at or near the current price.

[yac_moda]

I don't get it ...

... SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THIS PRODUCT WORKS ...

I MUST have a Mac and internet to use my iPod.


Soo WHY would I want to blow my iPod by sticking it in the Boom Box ?

Won't it had made a LOT more sense to make it BT or WiFi as the primary input ???


Accordion woofers are the BEST, everything else SUCKs !!!

[e-clipse]

I was initially dissapointed at the announcement...esp. the hi-fi
but this picture shocked me..it dont look half bad...expensive as hell, but i suppose u get what u pay for

but it nearly not as big/ugly/dumb as i first imaged

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6126/hifihometoptwo200602286gf.jpg


iPod HiFi is a minimalist's mistake

[revjay]

...I for one will laugh at the first person who drops $350 on this thing. $350 is way overpriced, and I don't think anybody can disagree with me on that one. Especially because the fact that Apple is not known for making quality speakers, which would be the only reason to charge that much.

I think a $150 price point would have served this product better. (mainly because it is simply a speaker, and there are no other perks to having it)

My only response to you is...Listen...Let your ears tell you if it's worth $450. My ears have led me to spend thousands on my audio system...and it is worth every penny...some people, will likely be blown away by this device's performance...others will likely be underwhelmed...let your ears decide.

Find it and listen to it...fyi byo ipod...

[drb6]

Can you imagine how many thousands of these things would have sold if they had them out from the start? (i have an iStation, only because there wasnt an apple one)

Z

Can you imagine how many thousands they could have sold now if it was designed better?

I understand those who say that hype gives us very high expectations, but I have to say that although the boombox has some good qualities (batteries, integration etc), I'm still disappointed in the product. Not the event, the product. Although I haven't heard it yet...maybe its revolutionary sound. Who knows? But I won't hold my breath.

I wasn't expecting much more from the event but I thought that mac mini changes would be the focus. Instead it turned out to be speakers. I mean a press event for speakers....Apple is sometimes a bit too dramatic.

And whats up with the design? If anything I expect a lot out of apple for that. If they had a more appealing/innovative design, it would still be a hit regardless of how many third-party speakers are in the market. Many of us buy Apple products for two reasons: design and function. By ignoring design, half the reason to spend that much money is gone. I'm sorry but this is the truth.

[commonpeople]

Is this the only Apple leather product? I thought Steve was a vegan. Moooo.

[Sam*]

That picture just posted makes me hate the hi fi even more

an iPod on your table looks cool that speaker doesnt

[Dark Horse]

mmmm shiny white shoebox. Just what I wanted. Now where did I put those hundred dollar bills....

...oh wait. I'm saving for them for something fun.

[jrk07]

My only response to you is...Listen...Let your ears tell you if it's worth $450. My ears have led me to spend thousands on my audio system...and it is worth every penny...some people, will likely be blown away by this device's performance...others will likely be underwhelmed...let your ears decide.

Find it and listen to it...fyi byo ipod...

Ehh, sure I guess I was a little harsh...but still...Apple isn't really a premier speaker manufacturer so I don't have high expectations whatsoever.

Did I mention the thing is ugly?

[kingtj]

I thought the new Mac Mini was obviously the main item of importance to announce, and the rest was just "filler" - due to the fact that Apple doesn't quite have some of the bigger, better items ready to show off yet.

The leather case? Personally, no way I'd buy it. I'm mad enough that I had to shell out $30 for one of these DLO "skins" - which looks like about $2 worth of rubber material. But honestly, the DLO skins seem to be quite functional. The rubber coating around the iPod provides some shock resistance, it keeps the back from getting scratched up, and allows easy access to all the controls and jacks. I wouldn't pay 3x as much for a leather case that doesn't even let me see the iPod's screen until I slide it out partially.

This Hi-Fi box? I actually think it's kind of cool, but I agree $349.00 is too pricy for it. If they discount it below $300, they might really have something. I'm yet another person who just attaches an iPod dock to the AUX inputs on my home stereo system, so I get much better sound than I would out of any of these "all in one" solutions. But if I worked in an office all day where I was allowed to have a radio - it might just make sense. Some people wanting to share their music on camping trips and the like might want one too. It looks like an Apple product to me. It's got the trademark white plastic and their logo on it. Not sure what people expected it to look like, really? It's just a speaker box, after all. Molding enclosures into fancy shapes usually harms sound quality rather than helping it - since you're often losing valuable enclosed space needed for porting to work properly.

[Takeo]

I'm not interested in buying a speaker. I already have a pair of very nice, very expensive, high end towers. What I'm waiting for is a wireless iPod. I want to sit on the couch (or anywhere in the house) with an iPod streaming apple lossless tunes (or 320 AAC) to an airport connected home audio system. THAT would be the ULTIMATE remote control. All of your music... in the palm of your hand... playing though your home stereo. FM transmitters don't cut it. I actually still don't own an iPod. I'm waiting for wireless. Not THAT would be a cool product.

That said... for the core market... the millions of kids with iPods and crappy stereos... or boomboxes... or no stereos... this make sense. But it doesn't do a thing for me... personally. Basically... it's an overpriced speaker. Woo hoo.

[Zillatron]

Can you imagine how many thousands they could have sold now if it was designed better?


Design is very much a matter of opinion. I agree with another poster regarding wi-fi intergration (to stream from a mac lets say). but this is a Rev A product.

You dont HAVE to buy it either. There are plenty of others out there, thats the point. Now there are plenty of others and there is an Apple one too.

Again, this year is about the transition to Intel, this event really highlights that.
Anything new this year is 100% bonus.

Z

[revjay]

I think the Hi Fi design is true to form for Apple...thumbs up.

I wonder, though about sonic vibrations having an adverse effect on the ipod (especially hd versions). Will bass vibrations cause the hd to have to work extra hard to prevent skipping, thereby killing battery life (when running off D-cells of course).

But more than just battery life...might constant vibration be the root of other potential problems?

Just wondering...

[maestro55]

I was initially dissapointed at the announcement...esp. the hi-fi
but this picture shocked me..it dont look half bad...expensive as hell, but i suppose u get what u pay for

but it nearly not as big/ugly/dumb as i first imaged

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6126/hifihometoptwo200602286gf.jpg

Looking at the photo, the announcement doesn't dissapoint me at all. I look at this as a great option for those looking for a small system to play their iPod on without having to move around computer speakers. Running this on batteries (or even plugging it in) would make moving your music around very easily. There are other devices similar to this that as others have said sell very well, this is just another device and I think it will sell pretty good.

[d.f]

Wow, that "hi-fi" (rofl) sucks.

Then again, I suppose it will appeal to people that buy Bose iPod products, which also suck.

good point. bose sound quality is ok. not great. they have almost a good RDF as steve jobs.

[anonicon]

I wonder if Jerome Bettis will sue Apple for stealing the look and feel of his butt for their HiFi design...

Of course, this *is* a fantastic opportunity for Apple to cross-promote the HiFi with Budweiser as the world's only iPod Case Cooler.

[e-coli]

And HOW is this different from the Bose dock which costs less? You still have to remove the ipod from the unit to scroll through the menus.

Disappointing effort. Thumbs down.

[mackeeper]

Looking at the photo, the announcement doesn't dissapoint me at all. I look at this as a great option for those looking for a small system to play their iPod on without having to move around computer speakers. Running this on batteries (or even plugging it in) would make moving your music around very easily. There are other devices similar to this that as others have said sell very well, this is just another device and I think it will sell pretty good.

Of course. I would definatly buy one except for one small tiny detail...or should I say a large detail: THE PRICE!!!!!

[thequicksilver]

Well I should first point out that I am not the target audience for this device. I'm a non-audiophile student with little cash to splash, and even if it was the greatest device in the history of the world ever, I wouldn't have considered buying this. So there's my disclaimer.

I personally don't entirely see the logic in this device. Not that I don't see the gap in the market for a high end Apple iPod speaker system, but this actual device. The theory makes sense, but on analysing it further, it seems to make less and less sense.

• It's an portable audiophile's speaker system for the iPod which can be powered by the mains or by battery.
• It takes 6 D-sized batteries, which are heavy, expensive, and large.
• It's 17 inches wide. For perspective, that's almost one and a half times the width of my iBook.
• It's 6 inches wide and deep. Narrower than an iBook, about five times deeper.
• It's 14.5lb without batteries, and 16.7lb with batteries.

And they call this portable? In the truest sense of the word I suppose it is, but in Apple parlance, an iBook or a MacBook Pro is portable. This thing is about as portable as an iMac with a UPS. It's great and quick to move around between rooms, but as a credible on the road device, it's just too big and heavy.

Also, one other point. How popular is this thing going to be given that you can't listen to music on your "Hi-Fi" and sync with your computer at the same time to load a new album or something? And you're out of luck if the iPod belongs to your girlfriend/boyfriend/someone else and they've taken their iPod away with them to actually listen to when they're outside as a portable device.

When I first heard of the iPod boombox idea, I presumed it would be like a mini hi-fi system with an iPod style interface and built-in harddrive. It would sync with your computer via Wi-Fi, and sync to another iPod, just as you could with your computer.

What we have instead is a high-end speaker system. Nothing wrong with that, but it's a niche market, and it's priced accordingly. Apple's ideas in addressing this niche market appear mixed though. Was there really any value in adding a battery option to it when the thing is already too heavy to be truly portable? It confuses me.

And a remote? To change songs from the other side of the room? Where you can't see the songs you're choosing? Tremendous.

I can't see a particularly big interest in this. I'm not saying that there will be no interest at all, and to those of you who think this looks great, I hope you enjoy it. But I don't think there will be too many who agree with you on it.

Apple would have been better served, in my opinion, in launching a low-end $100-150 speaker system to complement this "Hi-Fi" system. Perhaps an iPod Hi-fi mini? :)

[mark88]

You still have to remove the ipod from the unit to scroll through the menus..

Is this true??????

if it is, what a PITA

[yac_moda]

$350 !!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Oh, it comes with free shipping NO WONDER ! :D

[apple4life]

how uninspiring.... and all this talk of "dull brown boxes..." and now apple has a dull white speaker box.

And the price increase for the minis... maybe they should start calling them maxies...lol, but there is nothing maxed about them.

Or how about "Mac Mini, Maxi pricey..."

and that price increase does not bode well for keeping the iBook below $1000...

no chance of seeing them for $699 or $799 as I was hoping.

[drb6]

Design is very much a matter of opinion. I agree with another poster regarding wi-fi intergration (to stream from a mac lets say). but this is a Rev A product.

You dont HAVE to buy it either. There are plenty of others out there, thats the point. Now there are plenty of others and there is an Apple one too.

Again, this year is about the transition to Intel, this event really highlights that.
Anything new this year is 100% bonus.

Z

I agree that design is subjective, but just looking at the MR response, it doesn't look good for the boombox. Also I know I don't have to buy it, I'm just reflecting on what the public response will be as well.

I agree with most of what you said. I think it makes business sense for Apple to do this and they should have done it before as well. But I think taking an underwhelming product and showcasing it at a media event is opening yourself up to harsh criticism.

If the boombox was just added to the store page and Steve mentioned it as a side to the mac mini showcasing, then most of us would say we think its ugly and move on.

[oilster]

As I pointed out in a previous post (like 1.72 seconds ago; it's now 411 pages back), you can get a Sony boombox with an aux input for your iPod (or Mac -- or anything, really) that is Fully Guaranteed To Collapse At Least One Lung if turned up to half volume.


Uff, that is a bad guarantee considering that a pneumothorax (collapse of the lung that is) can actually really derive from a full blown sound system as newer studies indicate. Had one of these and quit hugging bassspeakers in clubs thereafter.

Sorry for being offtopic though :)

[revjay]

...What we have instead is a high-end speaker system. Nothing wrong with that, but it's a niche market, and it's priced accordingly. Apple's ideas in addressing this niche market appear mixed though...
This is nowhere near a high-end speaker/amplifier combo...when you think high end...think a week's salary (for a non-student) for one component (the speakers), and another week to pay for the amp.

[make it usable]

How Apple can launch this iPod hi fi without at least wi fi, does not add anything to the user experience of listing to music in the home. I don't care how good it sounds, we can all buy good hi fi compontents, and don't expect to go to apple for this.

Sure if they had created a good sound system, with a novel life changing piece of functionality that reduced cables, great, but I can plug my airport into my speakers, and as far as streaming from my Boombox to airport, what do apple expect me to do, buy another airport, and another boombox.

Well Steve, you have been my hero for years, but now you can go ****** yourself, I off to buy a PC, after all these years. Your arrogance has p***sed me right off.

Dave xxxx

[daysleeper]

Take a look at the hifi qtvr at apple.com. It doesn't look as clunky as I first thought... it's actually quite small, when you compare it to the ipod.

I'm sure it's a fine product. The main problem is the price. It is outrageous... $350? I would be willing to pay... maybe $150 tops (even this seems like a lot)? What would others be willing to pay for the HiFi?

And what does apple have against radio tuners??? I have been holding out for an iPod with a tuner for years now. Seriously, apple, that one feature has kept me from buying an ipod for 3 years. I haven't bought a competing player because I am an OS X addict, and I want the seamless integration. Just put a tuner in the iPod already.:mad:

[1dterbeest]

Wow, there are a lot more pages than there used to be
when i checked an hour and a half ago?

Is everyone still saying "it is ugly, overpriced, and
won't sound that great playing mp3s anyway"???

How much power is this thing putting out? I tried
to look at the specs on Apple's website, but they
didn't give any peak or RMS watt numbers. I
highly doubt that it will sound better than my
Logitech 2.1 THX certified Z2300 speakers, which
I only paid $80 for. I have a Mac. I have frontrow.
I have a remote. I have this speaker setup already
that will deafen me at half volume AND sound good.

I just don't think this is going to appeal to a very
broad range of users. It will sell some, but not
a lot, like it sounds Apple is hoping for.

[revjay]

How Apple can launch this iPod hi fi without at least wi fi, does not add anything to the user experience of listing to music in the home. I don't care how good it sounds, we can all buy good hi fi compontents, and don't expect to go to apple for this.

Sure if they had created a good sound system, with a novel life changing piece of functionality that reduced cables, great, but I can plug my airport into my speakers, and as far as streaming from my Boombox to airport, what do apple expect me to do, buy another airport, and another boombox.

Well Steve, you have been my hero for years, but now you can go ****** yourself, I off to buy a PC, after all these years. Your arrogance has p***sed me right off.

Dave xxxx

Dave...deep breath dude...it's not like Steve invaded Iraq

...be nice!

[amateurmacfreak]

Well Steve, you have been my hero for years, but now you can go ****** yourself, I off to buy a PC, after all these years. Your arrogance has p***sed me right off.

Dave xxxx
Hmm, hope you get over that in a bit.
I quit frankly thought along the same lines as you when I found out about what happened today.

But I'm a Mac person, and a reeally stupid event can't send me off on my merry way to a PC.

I believe you were trying to be dramatic, but seriously, I guess in a few months this won't seem that it was so incredibly stupid... I hope. :o