Intempo iFi-01 ipod speaker review

Can a speaker the size of a small child do the business?

10 August 2006 11:57 GMT / By Stuart Miles

iPod speakers are two a dozen these days so manufacturers are having to come up with new designs to stand out from the crowd. Intempo's approach is to make the speaker the size of a small child. But has it worked?

The intempo digital iFi-01 is a 2.1 surround-sound Hi-Fi system for iPod and MP3 players that stands around 3ft high. The majority of this brushed aluminium tower is taken by the subwoofer, with the two stereo speakers sat on top.

In between these two speakers sits the rather small looking iPod and the unit comes with 20GB, 40GB, nano and mini stands to fit most iPod users needs. For non-iPod owners - come on you know you exist - there is a line-in socket to connect other MP3 players and even a USB socket so you can connect it to a PC and dock your iPod with iTunes although finding space near your PC might be tricky.

The speakers themselves are 2 x 15 watts each and the subwoofer offers 30 watts of power. Turn that into performance and you'll be able to fill any room with sound easily.

While there isn’t an equaliser on the speakers you can adjust the treble and bass levels to suit your music preference via the remote control.

Verdict

While the performance of the intempo digital iFi is second to none the size of the machine will no doubt put a lot of people off. In our tests we had no problem providing noise to a very large room without any drop in quality, however compared to the Bose, it has managed to create the same performance in a box a tenth of the size.

If it's all about making a statement or talking piece then this will certainly allow you to do just that.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Intempo
Price as reviewed: £249.99
Latest price: Compare prices
The good: Sound, style, ease of use
The bad: Size, expensive
Quick verdict: If it's all about making a statement or talking piece then this will certainly allow you to do just that
Score