Home > Consumer Reviews > iLive Docking System and Boombox with Speakers for iPod and MP3 Players (Black)

I was looking for speakers and something to keep my iPod charged while I listened to it at work and saw this advertised at Kohl's. Checked Amazon and found it for less (and in black). Most iPod boomboxes get poor reception but this one does better than most I have seen. I have the iLuv iPod boombox for use at home but wanted something a little smaller for work. Radio gets suprisingly clear reception (usually a problem in offices) and the sound is good. Defintely not useful for a party but if you want something inexpensve, portable, with good sound and an AM/FM radio, this gets the job done. My only complaint is that the LED display can be hard to see at an angle, but that is a minor issue.

I expected a small boombox that could deliver enough sound to fill a small room, and not much else. I didn't buy this for it's extra features -- I got it for portable sound.

I was originally going to get one of those JBL SoundStage flying-saucer-looking things. But then, I thought about how I'd actually use it. I want to be able to carry it with me from room to room, garage, back yard, etc. The JBL SoundStage and all other tabletop speakers aren't portable like that. So, I decided to try this out. Here are my pro's and con's...

PROS:
- Small (12"w x 7"h x 6"d)
- Great clear sound (much louder and clearer than I expected)
- Portable with easy-to-grab handle
- Runs on batteries (8 C-size) or AC
- Has AM/FM radio
- Has Aux-In, Aux-Out, and Video-Out
- Charges iPod
- Comes with adapters to fit most iPods (not for the Nano 3G, but it still works; read below)
- Has Play/Pause, Next, and Previous buttons on top (but no menu features)

CONS:
- Will charge iPod even when running on batteries and turned off (if your iPod is cradled, it's charging)
- AM/FM tuner is NOT digital -- it's a rotary analog tuner with a digital display screen (no presets, etc.)
- Slide-in size adapters don't stay in place
- Kind of hard to remove an iPod from the cradle once it's fully seated

I have an iPod Nano 3G, which this is NOT designed for. However, it works perfectly fine with it. The only reason it's not supported is because it doesn't have a proper fit adapter for the Nano 3G's unique size and shape. The boombox comes with an assortment of shaped iPod holders to fit the Nano 1G and 2G, and several flat tickness plates to accomodate shallower iPods. The thickest backplate is the right thickness for the iPod Nano 3G. So, I simply inserted that thickness plate and slid in my iPod Nano 3G. It fits and works properly. However, it doesn't hug the iPod Nano 3G like it does others. So, if you toss the boombox around, your iPod 3G could fall out or possibly break the connector on the bottom. It's no worse than one of those tabletop speakers where the iPod sticks up into the air. I don't plan on tossing the boombox around, so I'm not concerned.

iPods sit very low into the cradle on this thing, which is a bit recessed back. So, getting your iPod out of the cradle can be a bit tricky. Be careful not to put your thumb on the LCD screen to try to slide it off because you could crack the screen.

Overall, I'm pleased with this product. It's not one of those "WOW" products, but it does what it's supposed to.

Enjoy!

received the item fast from amazon,par for the course. the ib3 works great looks good (black) just the right size for travel and charges your ipod also. comes with plates to fit all ipods and the little dock connector inside the ib3 slides to aline with all ipods. my 30 gig 5.5 ipod fits nicely, but could fit a little more snugly, but just don't let anything snag or pull your ipod from in between the handle and the ipod or it could cause a problem, it may weaken the docking connector.

sounds good for the price, and sounds loud enough to fill a hotel room or dorm room and next to you at the beach. not too tinny with the sound. those who want digital tuning for the radio and mega-bass sound should spend more than $30.00 and get what they are looking for.

but i must add that if you change your EQ control on your ipod to 'small speakers' or 'bass booster' you will be satified with the sound coming out of this small portable unit!

all in all for the money and the purpose this hits the spot! 3in1, charges, plays radio and is very portable. just don't keep ipod docked when not using A/C or it will charge off the batteries!

This boombox with an IPOD adapter is a fairly good unit for the price. It is quite inexpensive so one should not expect it to sound like a high priced sound system.

It works for the purpose I got it - to have a decent boombox that I can plug my IPOD in to listen to at work. I am very busy while at work so I'm not as picky about sound quality as I am at home.

This unit also has adapters to fit various sized IPODs and other MP3 players.

I had tried a couple of other speaker systems for my IPOD previously and they were both terrible. This one is so much better in comparison, that it seems great.

This product works exactly the way it's supposed to. I would highly recommend this product to anyone who is looking for an iPod dock. The sound is exactly the way it says it will be. And it's cheaper than the exact same model that has the CD player...who needs a CD player when you have an iPod?