There was a time around the early 90s when home Hi-Fi used to be filled with crazy and adventurous designs as engineers sought to integrate CD, cassette, radio, MiniDisc and even vinyl playback into one machine. The results were sometimes crazy and sometimes monstrous but damn it, they had personality. Sadly in the age of the iPod, that sense of fun has been lost in the drive for minimalism and has produced one boring iPod dock after another.
Recently however, there has been an resurgence of creativity in the world of personal audio and JOE has taken a look at some of the more inspired ones.
The Wall of Sound
Made by BROTHERS
As you can see from the photo, this dock is simple and big, so big that you just know it can go all the way up to 11. Hand made by Sweedish audio specialist BROTHERS, the Wall of Sound is just that, a huge 93dB speaker that will break eardrums, windows and wallets with equal aplomb.
The 225lb system measures 4×3 feet and is billed as the world’s largest iPod dock. It’s advertising claims that it will produce “graceful mids and crystal clear highsâ€, which is rather apt when you consider what you must be smoking to pony up the €5,000 for one of these.
Hohrizontal 51
Made by Finite Elemente
A million miles away from the Wall of Sound comes one of the most elegant iPod dock we’ve ever seen. The German designed Hohrizontal 51 integrates a dock and twin set of 25 Hz speakers into a floating shelf that wouldn’t look out of place in many an Ikea inspired room.
The one metre self design also has some hidden features such as audio and video output for connecting to a TV or Computer and a very handy USB slot. No prices yet, but clearing some space on your credit card might be the wise thing to do.
The Disco Coffee Table
Made by Moritz Waldemeyer
Now this is one for the self styled pimps out there who fancy some club quality table dancing in the comfort of their own home. Designed by award winning engineer and artist Moritz Waldemeyer, the Disco Coffee Table is actually the Mack Daddy of iPod docks, morphing from an unassuming but sophisticated modern coffee table during the day to a boogie nights inspired club table by night. The best bit has to be the bank of lasers studded along the edges that give it that birdcage appeal.
Sadly this beauty is an art project only, so don’t get your hopes up of opening your own private Kitty Kat Klub any time soon.
I931 Boombox
Made by Lasonic
While the 80s did give us more than our fair share of design monstrosities, the decades contribution of the ghetto blaster nearly makes up for it. Last seen when rocking a cassette player on the go was the pinnacle of tech cool, the boom box is finally getting the iPod makeover in the Lasonic i931 iPod Boombox.
What’s amazing about this dock is that it has taken this long for it to appear but when it comes in a package this feature rich then the wait is surely worth it. Two 12 XX speaker pump out the tunes and the deck can read both USB and SD cards. Amusingly the iPod docking connection is housed in a cradle where the cassette would have gone 20 years ago and an FM and AM tuner is present and correct. The i931 is available and will set you back no more than €200.
Soundbox 10
Made by Bose
It’s impossible to write a set of reviews of docking stations without referencing the sleek and powerful Bose. It’s not cheap, but it is clever. The way it fills the room with nuanced sound that can be both loud and clear is almost spookily good. Bose have a history of working with NASA and it shows. A lot of clever people have obviously spent a lot of time coming up with a system that well and truly confuses the brain into thinking that the expansive and tonally precise sound comes from more than one point. The Soundbox 10 also supports bluetooth connectivity.
Is this the best docking system for your iPod? Very possibly? Is it also one of the most expensive. Most definitely. Not quite in the same league as BROTHERS’ aforementioned Wall Of Sound, but expect to have to dig deep. Simply Electronics currently have them on sale for €789.95 via their website.
Leo Stiles
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