“When Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the new iPod Hi-Fi on Feb. 28 by saying ‘I’m an audiophile. I’ve had stereos costing — well, I won’t say — but a lot, [and] I’m actually getting rid of my stereo,’ he offended the tender sensibilities of audiophiles worldwide. To disappointed, tech-oriented ‘gadget-geeks,’ the iPod Hi-Fi appeared to be nothing more than a bulky, white boom box — and at $349, an expensive one,” Michael Fremer, Stereophile senior contributing editor, writes for The Record.

“Serial ‘Apple haters’ gleefully dismiss it as a new ‘white elephant,’ and the beginning of the end of Apple’s innovative reign. But make no mistake: This device produces glorious sound. The iPod Hi-Fi no more replaces an expensive home stereo system than the Bose Wave Radio ‘fills a room with concert hall sound,’ but Steve Jobs is to be forgiven for being enthusiastic about the iPod Hi-Fi’s sonic performance,” Fremer writes. “The dual-ported box, fitted with a robust 5-inch woofer, outputs surprisingly deep, supple, musical bass. A pair of rich-sounding 3-inch midrange tweeters deftly integrate with the woofer to deliver the rest of the music with equally smooth composure.”

“Unlike its smaller, perhaps more stylish competition, the iPod Hi-Fi doesn’t suffer from ‘boom/tizz syndrome,’ and driven by powerful digital amplification it can play loud and fill a relatively large room without sounding strained or compressed,” Fremer writes. “Like any piece of purpose-driven audio gear, the proof is in the listening. So go listen!”

Full article here.

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