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iPod Still loving your iPod Hi-Fi?

powerbook911

powerbook911

macrumors 601
Original poster
Mar 15, 2005
4,003
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I'm still very much enjoying the iPod Hi-Fi speaker that Apple released I believe it was in early 2006.

I think this thing is great, and I don't know why it is the subject of many jokes. I bought mine on ebay in late 2009, it was used, and even marked up some over the original price. The sealed ones go for insane money.

I love putting my iPod in it, using the remote, and just listening to some music. It's simple, easy, clean, and made by Apple! Of course, it doesn't charge any iPods from the three or four years, but still plays and controls them great.

There may be much fancier such systems by third parties today that do Air Play too, but the iPod Hi-Fi was simple and does sound better than most of these products. It's quite nice really.

Anyone else still enjoy iPod Hi-Fi?
 
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powerbook911 said:
I'm still very much enjoying the iPod Hi-Fi speaker that Apple released I believe it was in early 2006.

I think this thing is great, and I don't know why it is the subject of many jokes. I bought mine on ebay in late 2009, it was used, and even marked up some over the original price. The sealed ones go for insane money.

I love putting my iPod in it, using the remote, and just listening to some music. It's simple, easy, clean, and made by Apple! Of course, it doesn't charge any iPods from the three or four years, but still plays and controls them great.

There may be much fancier such systems by third parties today that do Air Play too, but the iPod Hi-Fi was simple and does sound better than most of these products. It's quite nice really.

Anyone else still enjoy iPod Hi-Fi?
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Always wanted one but when they came out I was only like 12 and $350 was a ton of money then. Been looking on ebay but haven't found one I liked for the price yet. I did get the new bose bluetooth speaker and that awesome too. Can you plug in other devices besides an iPod?
 
I still use mine. At one point, I used it as a speaker to my TV and then purchased a Soundbar that sits in front of the TV because the remote was interfering with Apple TV. I think the iPod Hi-Fi was much better than the Soundbar that cost much more. I bring it to Christmas parties, lunch parties, and use it for gaming instead of using my Mac speakers. It really fills the room with a strong sound.
 
iPod Hi-Fi

The iPod Hi-Fi is still the best iPod speakers out there. I still rocking mine. i don't know maybe its just me, but back in the day, Apple made the best accessories for their computers, Macs, and even iPods. iSight was one of the best webcam in the market, iPod Hi-Fi did the same thing. I wish Apple made its successor to these great accessories.
 
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BornAgainMac said:
I still use mine. At one point, I used it as a speaker to my TV and then purchased a Soundbar that sits in front of the TV because the remote was interfering with Apple TV. I think the iPod Hi-Fi was much better than the Soundbar that cost much more. I bring it to Christmas parties, lunch parties, and use it for gaming instead of using my Mac speakers. It really fills the room with a strong sound.
Click to expand...

This was a nice use.

After all, how many of these other iPod "speakers," have digital audio input? That was a pretty nice and unexpected feature. Great if connecting it to an iMac or Mac Mini or any Mac with optical support.


I bet if you changed the remote code for the Apple TV, you could have continued to use the Hi-Fi without issue. I believe there is even a way to do it to the Hi-Fi, although I suspect easier on the Apple TV.
 
I still have mine and I regret it to bits!!!
Spent 360 euros for a junk!!!
Well junk is not an appropriate word but still!
for 360 euros, it was a rip off!

Should have went to B&O and got a beosound or something!

The most annoying thing was that after few years they cut off firewire support on all iPod iPhone range!
I MEAN WTF!!!!!

EDIT:
Basically not really loving my iPod Hi-fi :)
I got a bit out of control there ;P
Apologies!
 
Had to google it to see what an iPod HIFI was.
I remember it now, every article I read said it was way way overpriced and too plastic-EE. These were mostly apple centric authors and sites. I remember watching the Screen Savers or Attack of the Show when Alex and Kevin were on and they both hated this little over-priced plastic speaker box. By the way, Kevin is a huge Apple freeeak.

My ramblings on something that I have never seen. Sad.
 
vanzantapple said:
Had to google it to see what an iPod HIFI was.
I remember it now, every article I read said it was way way overpriced and too plastic-EE. These were mostly apple centric authors and sites. I remember watching the Screen Savers or Attack of the Show when Alex and Kevin were on and they both hated this little over-priced plastic speaker box. By the way, Kevin is a huge Apple freeeak.

My ramblings on something that I have never seen. Sad.
Click to expand...

That's the thing. People didn't "get," it. Even some Apple freaks like you mention didn't "get" it.

The fact is, it had much better sound than most of these speakers in a box for iPod. The emphasis and engineering was purely on that, so it didn't have much of a wow factor to it.

I didn't get it at the time either, thus why I had to get one on ebay years later. :)
 
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I still use mine. It could really fill the room with a strong sound. Sound quality? Don't really understand, just like loud music and bass.
 
hyungsup said:
I still have mine and I regret it to bits!!!
Spent 360 euros for a junk!!!
Well junk is not an appropriate word but still!
for 360 euros, it was a rip off!

Should have went to B&O and got a beosound or something!

The most annoying thing was that after few years they cut off firewire support on all iPod iPhone range!
I MEAN WTF!!!!!

EDIT:
Basically not really loving my iPod Hi-fi :)
I got a bit out of control there ;P
Apologies!
Click to expand...

I would agree if I were an audiophile, but I am not. But I have a feeling any B&O would outperform the HiFi at that time, but then you'd be paying twice as much.

powerbook911 said:
That's the thing. People didn't "get," it. Even some Apple freaks like you mention didn't "get" it.

The fact is, it had much better sound than most of these speakers in a box for iPod. The emphasis and engineering was purely on that, so it didn't have much of a wow factor to it.

I didn't get it at the time either, thus why I had to get one on ebay years later. :)
Click to expand...

I was in the same boat. I had to get mine shipped from Canada. Wouldn't trade it for a Mac Pro. Fills just about every room I've put it in save for large auditorium but it wasn't built for that.

My iPod classic sits in it, and I just hit play from time to time and enter into pure musical bliss.
 
I love my ipod hifi, bought it with a c2d macbook and an 80Gb ipod 5.5gen, great combo for the time. Currently the hifi sits in the kitchen connected via an airport express for steaming music via airtunes controlled by my remote on the iphone 4. Occasionally the ipod sits there for a charge rather than anything else!

When i do slideshows for scouts/work i take the hifi much better to get music played out than laptop speakers, even once was the only speaker at our scouts show, we had microphones, two PC's, one slideshow, one backing music all connected via a mixer to the hifi, it was awesome and filled the room really well for such a tiny piece of kit!
 
I bought mine used here on the forums. I love the thing, just wish it could still charge the iPod or iPhone.
 
When I went in originally to purchase the iPod hi-fi, I wasn't impressed with the sound quality. It sounded a bit too boomy without much at the high end. I wound up passing on it.

That said, if I could find one that wasn't too expensive, I wouldn't mind purchasing one.
 
i looked at one of those 2 years after i got my hifi, it isn't the same, yes it looks like it and it's not a 'bad' speaker dock but it just sounded different, and i am nowhere near an 'audiophile' it wasn't as crisp as the hifi was

----------

I think we can all agree the HiFi was a marmite type product from apple, some loved it and others loathed it. It looks like people are still divided now.
 
Bought mine new when they first came out -- still have it -- still love it -- use it every day.
 
Anyone remember how long apple sold it for? I only vaguely remember seeing it in the store.
 
Digital Skunk said:
I would agree if I were an audiophile, but I am not. But I have a feeling any B&O would outperform the HiFi at that time, but then you'd be paying twice as much..
Click to expand...

correct me if I'm wrong but isn't B&O Philips internal parts or is it bose!
I think I read it somewhere??
 
Connected to my Mini

I use mine nearly every day, its connected to a mini that's music server and used playing movies with VLC. I've been planning on replacing it for that with a receiver and speaks but just haven't yet - and its been 4 years.

If I do I'll hook it up to an Airport express. That brings up Apple biggest missed opportunity, they should have included an airport receiver.

The iPod HiFi does sound is better than most of the other iPod speaker at the time but yes not nearly good as the B&W Zeppelin. Then again it cost a lot less than the Zeppelin.

BTW a friend has a B&W Zeppelin, its not only beautiful and sounds great but its $600. I'd get a Zeppelin but when I'm really just listening I use my 2 channel set-up amp/pre-amp/speakers. iPod HiFi doesn't reproduce audiophile sound but its good and solid
 
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I still love mine. I've had it since 2007. The design is genius in its simplicity, it easily disappears into a room.

It is currently connected to an airport express and fulfils the role of airplay speaker in our bedroom.

The only thing I want to change about it is: I wish it had integrated airplay, and rechargeable batteries instead of disposable.
 
I never bought the Hi-Fi mainly because I couldn't afford it at that time, I remember I had the iPod Video at that time. It was a beautiful apple product, it sounded great. I think the contemporary equivalent of that device is the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air or the Beolit 12, AirPlay Speakrs definitely are the replacement of dock connector speakers.



macfrik said:
i don't know maybe its just me, but back in the day, Apple made the best accessories for their computers, Macs, and even iPods. iSight was one of the best webcam in the market, iPod Hi-Fi did the same thing. I wish Apple made its successor to these great accessories.
Click to expand...
I agree, those iPod remote controls and leather cases were amazing. Apple stuff has great quality and it's awesome when they showed their talents on accessories.
hyungsup said:
Should have went to B&O and got a beosound or something!
Click to expand...
B&O is wayyyy more expensive than the iPod Hi-Fi. Most of their current consumer products similar to what the Hi-Fi was are way over 1000$ The best equivalent to the Hi-Fi is probably the Beolit 12, which has the same practicality.
BurningJah said:
correct me if I'm wrong but isn't B&O Philips internal parts or is it bose!
I think I read it somewhere??
Click to expand...
You are partially correct, Bang & Olufsen order their parts from other manufacturers, but they do the design. As you might know, design is a huge factor in sound quality.
 
Mine is still going strong. Use it everyday. The sound on it is amazing in my opinion. Wish Apple kept producing them with later generations. If only they lowered the price on them back in the day, I think they would for sold so much more seeing that would of been a fierce competitor to the BOSE iPod dock of the time. None the Less it was $350 well spent.
 
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