Apple's entry into the "hi-fi" speaker market has not been met without skepticism. After all, the iPod Hi-Fi's marketing materials would leave one to wonder if Apple has simply never heard of customers using their iPods with anything other than the bundled earphones. The premium pricing doesn't seem to help matters either; at $350, the iPod Hi-Fi is up there with the most expensive iPod speaker systems. Pundits may cry, "Who does Apple think they are, Bose?" Of course not�Apple's Apple�which says almost as much about the iPod Hi-Fi as any review in its entirety could.

Apple iPod Hi-Fi

One glance at the iPod Hi-Fi and you know you're looking into a small piece of Apple designer Jonathan Ive's soul. Or at least its more recent iteration, which has forgone bold curves and colors for more elegant simplicity. The white body is complemented nicely by the black front, which was surely designed to be displayed sans speaker grille (audiophiles will tell you it sounds better with the cones exposed, too). The handles look less chunky in person than in photos and are greatly appreciated whenever the 15 pound setup needs to be moved.

Apple's design philosophy has never been skin-deep, however, and the iPod Hi-Fi is full of practical design touches, like the integrated universal power supply that does away with the need for a power brick, as well as the easily accessible width-long space in the back for storing six D cell batteries that deliver tunes on the go. The touch-sensitive volume controls are especially pleasing to use.

Front and rear, with battery cover removed

iPod integration is unsurprisingly first-class, but only if you're sporting a fifth-generation iPod or nano (otherwise the following perks don't apply). The Hi-Fi's volume level, for example, is directly integrated with iPod's volume and displayed on screen, so there's no guessing how loud your music will be or how much louder it can get. A new Speakers option is also automatically added to your iPod's home screen when it's dropped into the Hi-Fi, offering two Hi-Fi specific EQ settings (Bass Boost or Treble Boost), an option to keep the iPod's backlight always on when it's docked in the Hi-Fi, and an option to automatically display the track's artwork full-screen on a black background when playing. While third-parties may soon be able to tap into these features with their speakers, Apple is the first to have done so.

A total of ten dock adapters for every dockable iPod is included with the Hi-Fi, as well Apple's basic shuffle-inspired remote, which offers Play/pause, volume up/down, and track forward/back control. A Menu button is also on the remote but pressing it doesn't actually do anything�it's only use currently is for switching between the iPod and an external device, should one be connected through the Hi-Fi's 3.5mm auxiliary input, which supports both analog stereo minijacks and the higher quality S/PDIF optical digital connection (like the AirPort Express).

iPod Hi-Fi & Bose SoundDock

Audio reproduction is handled by three custom drivers, two 80mm wide-range drivers takes care of the mids and highs, while a 130mm woofer manages the lows. Apple pegs the frequency response from 53Hz to 16kHz. While the iPod Hi-Fi's audio quality didn't blow me away, it certainly exceeded expectations. The iPod Hi-Fi wipes the floor with the Bose SoundDock thanks to that 130mm woofer that helps to deliver a thoroughly richer listening experience.

While coming closer than I expected, the iPod Hi-Fi still can't match the sheer performance of Audioegine's A5 speakers ($350, 5 stars), although the two are admittedly targeted at mostly different markets. Audioengine's pair of studio-quality speakers, each of which features a 20mm silk dome tweeter and 5-inch (127mm) woofer, lack the extensive iPod integration of the Hi-Fi and are designed strictly as an at-home affair. The iPod Hi-Fi's strong appeal is its battery powered operation, which gives you the best iPod boombox we've seen to date, besting Tivolio Audio's much smaller iSongBook ($330, 4 stars) and Cambridge Soundwork's severely flawed PlayDock MP3 ($200, 2 stars).

iPod Hi-Fi & Audioengine A5

Two points in particular keep the iPod Hi-Fi from being a stronger offering in my book. First, Apple could learn well from Tivoli Audio, which packs a built-in rechargeable AA battery system into the iSongBook. We're still evaluating the iPod Hi-Fi's battery life, but preliminary results suggest iPod Hi-Fi owners keen on taking their system with them will quickly go through D cell batteries, two pounds at a time (the weight of six of those, and please dispose them properly when you do). Secondly, with its handy handles, built-in universal power supply, and included remote, the iPod Hi-Fi can be looked at as the ultimate mega iPod dock. Pity, then, that Apple skimped on including video-out connections on the Hi-Fi.

While it may be better suited on a wish list than a list of shortcomings, would it have been so difficult or expensive to throw an AirPort Extreme card and antenna into the Hi-Fi, giving customers the immediate ability to stream music from their computer to it, forgoing an AirPort Express? One can also only hope that Apple, or a third-party, will bring to market a rugged carrying case so the iPod Hi-Fi can comfortably enjoy the beach.

The Bottom Line

Simply put, if you're seeking the highest quality in-home listening experience for your iPod for $350, look beyond the iPod Hi-Fi to the Audioengine A5. If an all-in-one design and easy portability are important to you, however, the iPod Hi-Fi is an overall well-executed first-time offering from Apple.

Disclaimer: The author is very much an audio enthusiast but does not pretend to be an audiohphile. He does not spend $1,000-$20,000 for a single pair of speaker cables nor does he recommend doing so. If you do, however, you may want to seek the opinion of someone whose needs and expectations are more in tune with your own.