Klipsch iGroove SXT iPod Sound System (Black)
by Klipsch
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List Price: Our Price: $29.99 You Save: $139.01 (82%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Klipsch iGroove SXT iPod Sound System (Black)
Customer Review: Excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
I use my iGroove at work, and I must say that I am totally satisfied with this purchase; the sound is fabulous for such a small unit. I have owned stereo "boombox" CD players twice the size that don't sound as good as the iGroove. I know that for many users of the newer iPods the lack of the dock charging feature is a major drawback, but these newer 'pods WILL still play when connected through the iGroove's Auxillary 1/8" jack located in the back of the unit (having an Aux jack was one of my speaker deal breakers as I also frequently play music from my cell phone).
For me, the first and last word on "portable" speakers is the sound, and I'd like to think that I did some fairly exhaustive research on which unit (Bose, JBL, Altec, Creative, etc.) would get the best bang for my buck. By the way, please know that I use the term "portable" loosely as the this Klipsch unit is not actually classified as such, but it can be- more on that in a bit. I settled on the SXT unit after seeing and listening to many of the current speaker offerings on display at Best Buy and a couple of other retailers. I must admit that the Bose Sounddock Portable is a very sexy unit in nearly every way, but unfortunately Bose continues to price point their products out of the range of most of the market- and who wants to tote around $400 worth of speaker investment to possibly break, lose, or have stolen? Having said that, and assuming that you like the Bose "sound"- because Bose speakers very definitely have a specific sound from their speakers to their headphones- the Bose unit is divine; by all means pick one up if you have the means. The JBL speakers (specifically the "OnTour" models) sounded OK, but had weird quirks about design and were also fairly expensive, pound-for-pound. Most of the Altec models felt sort of flimsy, and sounded even more so, especially in comparison to the Klipsch and Bose units.
Finally, though this Klipsch unit retails in the $165 - $175 range, you can easily find it all over the internet for half that or slightly more. Even at full retail price, it is still the top choice when compared to the sound and functionality of the similarly priced units (Altec and JBL)- but when you can get it for $80 - $100? No contest.
Again, pound for pound this Klipsch iGroove SXT is not only the best value, but truly one of the two best models available for sound quality and functionality. The tone is even handed, and the bass is present and clear- you can actually feel the low notes!
Here are the improvements that I would like to see Klipsch make to future models / updates of the iGroove:
- Update the software / docking station to charge the newest iPods.
- Upgrade the remote to fully-functional iPod menu controls.
- Within the confines of maintaining the excellent sound output of the unit, improve its portability. This means make the unit slightly thinner (it's about 1/2 - 3/4" too deep from front to back for backpack travel) and make the unit lighter, if possible.
Cheers, and happy speaker hunting.
Customer Review: Great system for a bedroom, den or small office
Summary: 5 Stars
Take Away: Great device for the bedroom or den. Terrific warm tones and, with only the necessary features, it feels like your spending money on the features that improve listening. If you are looking for something for a larger room or busy office (where some of those extra features might be welcome) keep looking.
First a confession: I'm no audiophile. I pride myself on still having the same Sony receiver (albeit demoted from home theater play in favor of one that can handle surround sound) used daily in the living room. But I like music and I want it to sound warm, recognizable, and with at least some of the richness of tones I associate with live performances.
We were buying this system for our bedroom and so we didn't want to spend more than $200 dollars, and we wanted something that would look nice in our modern style room. And we wanted our music to sound like, well, music.
We tested a variety of models in the busy and loud warehouse space of Best Buy -- not at all like our bedroom, by the way -- using songs loaded onto my iPhone.
The Klipsch won. And not just because it looks nice (which it does) and because we could turn it up (which we could) but because the overall tone and the ability to hear the different components of music -- including the silence in some Chet Baker jazz pieces -- felt superior to the other systems we listened to. We did like the Bose SoundDock but it felt like overkill for our intended purpose. If we'd be going for are larger room or looking to replace that only Sony receiver, we might have gone with it.
At home, we love the iGroove. It fills the room nicely and our bed, about 7 feet from the speakers, seems right in the sweet spot of the music. We also love the low frills. Frankly, we have plenty of alarm clocks. I don't need to play CDs if I can access my iPod. And I would never want to interrupt evening music listening to take a call over the speaker phone.
Two caveats:
1. The video capability is only good for older video enabled iPods. Don't expect to watch any downloaded movies using this and your TV (which makes so little sense to me I almost took a star away).
2. The remote leaves a little to be desired. It can move forward and back in your current playlist, change the volume and turn the device on or off, but you can't back up and choose another playlist. While it feels like I'd want that feature, realistically, I can't see the iPod menu until within an arms length of the Klipsch Groove SXT anyway.
Customer Review: Nothing in this price range comes close
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all I will verify my 3rd Gen Nanos will recharge on the device and our 4th Gen Nano will not charge on the unit I received 2-23-09 from Amazon. Many people will use this device to listen AND expect this to recharge (Or at least keep your Ipod charged while playing) I agree with that expectation. This problem is caused by Apple and not Klipsh's fault. Apple changed the 30 pin layout on the 4th Gen Nano, so while it will play on this device it won't recharge.
For that reason I strongly suggest 4th Gen Nano owners look elsewhere for a speaker.
On with the review.
Pros:
1. Comes with remote that controls Ipod to some extent (pause, play, forward and backward within playlist) also controls volume, Mute and power
2.Sound quality for this price point is unmatched with anything I have seen. Ihome is in this price range and that is total junk compared to this.
3. Compact Package.
4. Auxiliary Input
5. Well known audiophile brand name. Many will not know anything about Klipsh. Trust me, they have been around a long time. My first experience with Klipsh was in the '80s when I saw two speakers the size of a VW that would blow you away. (They have been around for over 60 years) their big claim to fame was Horn loaded Tweeters (Still is, and in fact THIS speaker has two horn loaded tweeters) Many concert speakers are horn loaded to make them louder, others like soft dome are not as harsh. Klipsh have been making these for many years and these are far from harsh in case my description scares anyone. The highs are loud and clear and the horn loaded tweeters are the reason why. The bass is limited by the small woofers while the bass ported structure does a fine job at low to medium levels. you may in fact have heard Klipsh and never knew it. Many higher end Theaters have Klipsh speakers hanging on the wall. A well known audio company crutchfield sells the Klipsh home theater speakers. Nothing crutchfield sells is junk.
Cons:
I hate to list any cons, for one reason I have seen some listed here as unrealistic. If you expect 2 tiny woofers and two horn loaded tweeters to blow the windows out and shake the room with bass, then no, this will not do it.
I think you have to be realistic and look at what you are buying. Small speakers that sound clear and have reasonable bass at mid to low levels. Package includes functional remote and aux input (S-video output too) that can recharge 3rd Gen Nano and older I don't think you need to look any further.
Customer Review: Priced very competitively for the quality
Summary: 5 Stars
When shopping for an I-pod dock, I compared a number of different models. The only one I could find that sounded better than the Klipsch SXT was the Bose SoundDock which is almost twice as much as the Klipsch. Unless you just have to have the best available option, or you listen to music almost constantly at very high volume, the extra $$$ you will spend on the Bose is unjustified in my opinion.
I also looked at the Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 but it has an inferior response range, and just didn't sound as good. This was most noticeable in the higher ranges, where the Altec got pretty pitchy.
The Philips DC910/37 is also inferior, with a large amount of distortion present at higher volumes. I also checked out a few others that I don't remember well enough to comment on, but they were all uninspiring when it came to sound quality.
Klipsch is one of my favorite speaker manufacturers, and I've come to trust their brand to provide quality sound for a very reasonable price. The SXT dock is not an exception. This dock is not made for an audiophile, and if you expect it to perform like free standing audiophile speakers, or even high quality ear buds, you will be disappointed. However, if you want a quality dock for a reasonable price, the SXT is a really nice option.
If you want an even better, but much less portable option, get yourself a set of Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speakers. With a dedicated, powered sub, and large R/L speakers, they will really fill a room with sound in a way that this dock will not. They also are not as sleek, and require more space.
Customer Review: Big Sound, Small Footprint
Summary: 5 Stars
The Klipsch iGroove has to be one of the best iPod docks in terms of value for money. As of this writing, it sells for around $100 and I'll go as far as to say you won't find a better sounding setup for that price.
I've listend to the Bose and while it sounds great, I just can't justify paying almost triple for it. On the other hand, I've tried some of the ~$70 units- they sound horrible and the "savings" aren't worth it.
The Klipsch provides great sound. I listen to everything, including jazz, metal, classical, rock, country and well... everything. This deck plays them all beautifully.
It's small enough to fit on your desk at work (about the size of a Kleenex box) but capable of being the sole source of tunes for a big party as well. I was simply shocked at how loud this baby will get if you want it to. That said, the quality of the sound is still exceptional at volumes better suited for your office.
I use it with an iPod classic and have not had a single problem with any of the features. My only complaint (and a very very small one) is that there is no volume indicator on the unit, so you're never sure exactly where the volume is set until the music starts. Normally this isn't a problem unless your roomate was jamming out while you were gone and forgot to turn it back down before you got home and docked your iPod. Again, this is really a minor complaint.
As for styling, the unit is sleek and very chic with a black front and silver accents. However, if you don't like the looks, you can hide the device on account of it being so small. We have ours nestled in among some pictures on the mantle and you'd never know it was there if you weren't looking for it.
All in all, I couldn't be happier with this iPod dock. It's got great sound, plenty of volume (if you want it), looks nice, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. What more could you ask for?