iSound and iSound 4X Speaker

Somewhat like a tragic Shakespearean hero, the i.Sound and i.Sound 4X's greatest strengths also become their greatest weakness, at least for those of us who do use an iPod as our audio player of choice. Since the devices are designed to connect to any audio device, there is no integration with iPod-specific features. For example, unlike most iPod speaker products, you can't hit play/pause or change the current track directly from these speakers. Similarly, the 4X's "device bay" seems a bit strange without a Dock connector (or any connector) inside, which may mean you have to place your device upside-down in the bay if the headphone jack is on the bottom of the device (like the iPod nano's is), although a true iPod Dock is sold separately. Syncing or charging your iPod through either device is also out of the question, although you could still connect a Dock cable while your iPod is connected to an i.Sound or i.Sound 4X. Considering these limitations, it's no surprise that Apple's official "Made for iPod" logo is nowhere to be found.

Sound Advice

Although marketing the i.Sound and i.Sound 4X as iPod accessories was probably intended to increase their desirability, in my opinion, it was not a good move, especially considering the lack of iPod-specific features. If you don't own an iPod with a Dock Connector and are certain you won't buy one, but you want to use portable speakers with some other product, the i.Sound is a great choice, and the i.Sound 4X is also worth considering for its slightly better audio quality, even though it has a higher price and a Docking bay area that is not very useful. However, if you are looking for a device designed specifically to complement your iPod, it would probably be a good idea to look at some of the other options before buying an i.Sound.

i.Sound

Pros: Very compact and portable (even more so than the 4X); impressive volume; Inexpensive.Cons: No iPod-specific features; average audio quality; speakers have no grilles for protection.

i.Sound 4X

Pros: Very inexpensive; good form factor and portability; volume and bass are even better than the original i.Sound.Cons: Psuedo-"Dock bay" is not very useful; same issues as i.Sound with unprotected speakers and lack of iPod integration.