iLive 2 1 Channel Speaker Bar with iPod Dock Black

PRODUCT FEATURES:Certified iPod connector installed for iPod dockingControls connected iPod playersElectronic volume controlLighted buttons (keys)Motorized iPod docking drawerWall-mountable (mounting hardware included)iPod authentication IC installed2.1 channel speaker systemMagnetically shielded full-range stereo speakersSubwoofer built inBuilt-in amplifierDirect access tuning10 station memory presetsDigital clock with adjustable timerLCD display with white backlightFull-feature remote control operates unit and iPodAM loop and FM wire antennas included

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars iLive IT188 speaker
I bought this iLive speaker for my iPod because I needed to downsize from my old big-stereo/receiver/CD-player/with two speakers setup. It’s a decent price for what you get, but I’m not overly impressed by any means.

The speaker itself is decent for the size of the speakers themselves. I wasn’t expecting much, but the sound is adequate. It works best as background music for the party. It’s not loud enough to really blast it/ bump it/ rock out to it. A little tinny/ treble-y but given the size, I sort of expected that. I can’t really hear a subwoofer - if they didn’t tell me it was in there, I wouldn’t believe them.

However, my main issue is with the remote. It does work, but not very well. The remote is definitely not laid out well at all. In the area where you would think the Volume Up/Down button should be, is actually the Bass Up/Down. So my natural reflex leads me to adjust the Bass instead of the Volume - lovely. The Volume button itself is hidden in the middle, which is very annoying.

Also, just as annoying, the Skip-Song/Forward button doesn’t seem to work all the time. It definitely doesn’t work as well as the other buttons for some reason.

Another extremely annoying thing is that there’s no Page Up/Page Down for Artists. It is brutal if you’re in the A’s and you want to be in the T’s and you have a lot of Artists on your iPod. Your fingers will ache since it takes forever going up/down with the remote. In fact, I got so tired of pushing down, down, down that I just got up and did it with the iPod’s wheel itself.

Overall, the speaker itself is alright, not bad but not good. The remote is awful and drives me crazy just thinking about it. I probably wouldn’t buy it again.

4 Stars Fantastic….IF
The sound is fantastic, IF you have your own external subwoofer to connect. Without it, there is little, if any bass. This replaced a broken stereo that I had connected to my computer. Sound isn’t as deep as the shelf system was (obviously), but it’s great for the price.

Since I already had a subwoofer (from the broken stereo), this was an unbelievable find, given the price!

3 Stars by itself. 5 Stars with an external subwoofer. Average of 4 Stars.

5 Stars Yes, this is what you’re looking for!
I LOVE my new iLIVE bar speaker! I don’t own an iPod. I bought this specifically for my HDTV to enhance the audio experience. Hooking up is basically plugging in a RCA Audio Cable (not included - two color coded connectors: red and white) to the back of the speaker audio outputs and plug the other end of the cable into the audio inputs of your TV. How easy is that? Fabulous sound! I really like having full, rich sound (40 watt power with built in subwoofer) without having to find a spot for multiple speakers if I had bought a surround system. I’m not so thrilled with the remote, but there are Function, Volume, and Tuning adjustments on the side of the unit. There is also an aux line-in so that you can plug in your non-iPOD MP3 player. I plugged in my Sansa to check out how the bass sounds playing Marilyn Manson. Nice. For the cost of this unit, it’s very versatile. TV, iPOD, MP3 player, AM/FM radio, what else do you want for under $100? Don’t pass this up.

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