Logic3 i-Station Traveller for iPhone (IP104) speakers review

Do you really need a dedicated speaker system for your iPhone?

8 November 2007 11:00 GMT / By Stuart Miles

So you've got your new iPhone and now you need some dedicated speakers for it. In steps Logic3 with its i-Station Traveller range designed specifically for Apple's new mobile phone, but are they any good? We get listening to find out.

At £29.99 the Logic3 offering is at the bottom of the pay scale when it comes to compatible speakers. What you get for your money is a two speakers built into a stand that slides open to reveal a space for your iPhone to sit in landscape mode.

That's about as dedicated as you get.

According to Logic3, the iPhone speakers have been specifically designed to enhance the iPhone's sound, with the TDMA noise, the sound emitted from mobile phones and heard through speakers, kept to a minimum and in tests we would have to agree. We hardly heard the tat ... tat ... tat ... tat ... tat we normally get just before someone phones us using our other speakers in the office.

Rather than connecting to your iPhone via the dock connector at the bottom of the handset, it's simply a case of plugging in the 3.5mm jack (yes its long enough to get past the jack recess) and away you go. This has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that you won't have to take off any protective case off, the disadvantage is that you won't be charging your phone while you listen to it.

With no controls bar the on/off switch everything is left to your iPhone, which can cause problems as there is no way to access the volume control when in landscape; CoverFlow or Video mode. Of course you can stand the iPhone vertically, but where is the fun in that?

Power is provided by a DV power and like the company's regular Traveller range you can opt for battery power (4 AAA batteries) for the road.

Verdict

Boasting 35mm neodymium drivers and a total output of 4 watts you shouldn't expect much from the Logic 3 iPhone Speakers.

If you're looking for a dedicated iPhone speaker system, this is probably one of the only ones on the market.

However something to bear in mind is that you could just use any of the hundreds of others out there on the market suitable for the iPod, as the docking connector is the same.

If you must have that dedicated iPhone feeling go for it, otherwise there are better speaker systems available on the market.

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Review Recap

Made by: Logic3
Price as reviewed: £29.99
The good: Designed for the iPhone, battery powered, designed to cut down phone interference
The bad: No charging capabilities, don't sound that great
Quick verdict: If you must have that dedicated iPhone feeling go for it, otherwise there are better speaker systems available on the market
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