Macenstein

Posted by Lab Rat

I’ve written so many lengthy iPod speaker reviews of late that I am very excited to be reviewing the new IP-N111 Portable Stereo Speakers for iPod® nano from Macally. Why? Well, aside from its On/Off switch, the IP-N111 has no controls, and no real features to speak of. In fact, there are really only two things you can talk about when it comes to the IP-N111: its looks, and its sound (well, three if you count its horribly un-catchy name).

Looks

The iPod nano is arguably the cutest iPod Apple makes, and with the IP-N111, Macally has made one of the cutest speaker solutions for any iPod I have seen. Available in both black and white, the IP-N111’s 4-inch round form factor nicely compliments the nano, and sort of mimics the nano’s click wheel. There is a flat stand in the back of the unit that allows it to stand upright, giving you full access to the nano’s click wheel. Volume is set through the nano’s controls, as are any EQ settings you’d like to try out. As I said, feature-wise, their ain’t that much to say about this little guy.

How’s it sound ?

Given its size, the IP-N111 sounds very good, although; please do not expect to be blown away by this unit’s volume. The nano connects to the IP-N111 via the nano’s headphone jack, not through a dock connection. This choice may have saved Macally a couple bucks, but doesn’t hamper the speaker’s sound. The IP-N111 “boasts� 500mW of power output from its 3 included AA batteries, so this is really meant to serve as a travel set of speakers, not a bookshelf speaker system replacement. Volume on the IP-N111 (controlled via the nano) scales well to about 80-85%, then begins to distort a bit, but not too much. By way of comparison, I would say the sound quality is roughly 2 or 3 times as good as the speakers found in the more gimmicky iDog. And like the iDog, I think this speaker would be a good fit for the teen and pre-teen crowd.

Issues

While I appreciate Macally’s decision to make a nano-specific speaker system, I would have liked to see the addition of a standard stereo mini jack to the IP-N111, as they did with their nano-centric mTune headphones. This would allow the IP-N111 to play audio on a wider range of devices, such as a MacBook, cell phone, or full-size iPod, and help justify the IP-N111’s $39.99 price tag. After all, if these are meant to be portable speakers, it would be nice to just throw them in my computer bag when traveling, and know it could handle ALL my portable audio needs.

Conclusion

All in all, I think the IP-N111’s surprisingly good sound quality and small size combine to make it a good choice for nano owners who are looking for a lightweight and compact portable speaker system. The audio quality is very good considering how small it is, and the unit has a very solid feel to it. While this is not the speaker system you would bust out when throwing a party, it is ideal for listening in a quiet hotel or dorm room, and is small enough to take anywhere.

IP-N111 Portable Stereo Speakers for iPod® nano from Macally

Cost: $39.99

Pros: Sounds great given its size, looks cool, solidly built, batteries last over 10 hours.

Cons: No external audio input, sound distorts a bit at higher volumes