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speakers with ipod photo

I

Ipaqman

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 22, 2003
338
0
hey everyone,

i recently purchased an ipod photo and i wanted to get some speakers for it. i was thinking of getting:

Bose Sounddock
Harman Kardon HKTS 14 with a Harman Kardon amp
Logitech Z-5500

i am looking for something that i can use with my ipod that either fits into a dock, like the Bose Sounddock or something that i can plug into the back of the ipod dock. i will just be using these speakers to play music, but i want something with amazing quality, as i listen to music for hours every day in my office. i am looking to spend up to $800 in total. what would you suggest?

thanks so much for all of your help.

much appreciated,
ipaqman
 
Geez, for $800 you can get some really excellent speakers. Without recommending any specific model, I would say that you'd want to stay away from anything that doesn't allow you to separate the speakers... those dock-type setups have one or two speakers mere inches from each other, so you're not going to get a stereo setup. Better to get something with satellite speakers and a subwoofer... also, you might want to take a look at a remote (like the AirClick from Griffin) so that you can control the iPod without actually having to pick it up.

I'm thinking of doing something similar in my bedroom... replacing my old Sony CD clock radio with a pair of good speakers and a subwoofer, plus a remote device of some sort. Using the alarm clock function of the iPod and the remote, I can use it to wake up in the morning and use the remote to turn it off (no snooze functionality, unfortunately...).
 
The JBL On-Stage is nice for a small dockable speaker system. For a system you are going to hook up to the iPod's dock I'd suggest M-Audio (self powered speakers). Either the DX4 (2 speaker), the LX4 system (which includes 5 satellites and a subwoofer), or the The larger BX-5 or BX-8. Good luck!
 
i never thought of using the airclick. thanks for your help. which speakers would you recommend? can i use the harman kardons without an amp?

ipaqman
 
Ipaqman said:
i never thought of using the airclick. thanks for your help. which speakers would you recommend? can i use the harman kardons without an amp?

ipaqman
Click to expand...
You're gonna want speakers that plug into the wall for power... pretty much any computer 2.1 (or higher) speaker system should suffice. Altec Lansing makes some nice speaker systems, as does Klipsch. I haven't really listened to any Harman Kardons. My advice is to go to the store (CompUSA, Best Buy, Circuit City) and listen to the speakers there before you invest a lot of money in them.

Myself, I currently have the Microsoft Digital Sound System 80, released several years ago... it still blows the doors off most current speaker systems.
 
so can i use the harman kardons without an amp if they have a power supply?
 
Ipaqman said:
so can i use the harman kardons without an amp if they have a power supply?
Click to expand...
As long as they plug into the wall for power, yes. Otherwise, you will need a separate amp. Most speakers designed for use with computers do NOT require an amp, but they do require to be plugged into the wall for power, since the computer doesn't supply power to the speakers (just an audio signal).
 
thanks for your help.

what kind of amp would u recommend for the harmon kardons, as i read they require an amp. i have listened to them in the store and they sound excelent, i was just debating between the bose sounddock. i would like a decent amp, but i don't want to spend a fortune on it.

thanks clayjohanson for all of your help.

very much appreciated,
ipaqman
 
Ipaqman said:
thanks for your help.

what kind of amp would u recommend for the harmon kardons, as i read they require an amp. i have listened to them in the store and they sound excelent, i was just debating between the bose sounddock. i would like a decent amp, but i don't want to spend a fortune on it.

thanks clayjohanson for all of your help.

very much appreciated,
ipaqman
Click to expand...
Hmmm... those Harman Kardon speakers you're looking at (the HKTS 14 with amp) might be overkill, since the iPod doesn't actually output 5.1 surround sound... unless the amp can synthesize surround sound (i.e., fake it), I think you'd be buying a lot more speakers than you actually need. You're right that the HKTS 14 does require an amp, because it's intended for use with a home theatre. The HK amp is probably the best choice for the HK speakers, but you'd probably want to check with someone at your local AV retailer to see what they'd recommend.

Personally, I'd stick with a set of speakers that DOESN'T require an amp... Altec Lansing, Klipsch, Creative, HK Soundsticks, something like that.
 
wow... the klipsch iFi's are nice. i haven't heard of klipsch before. what are they like? i have the harman kardon soundsticks and they are pretty good. are the klipsch iFi's the best speakers for the ipod that don't require an amp? how about the Logitech Z-5500 and the ipod? i would like something with top notch sound quality

ipaqman
 
oh, i forgot to mention... the logitech's are 5.1 surround, does that mean they won't work with the ipod.
 
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