Klipsch iGroove

Klipsch's snazzy iPod speaker, the iGroove, has a couple of tricks yet to appear on other brands' compact power speaker systems. First off, it comes with a pair of honest-to-God two-way speakers (woofer and tweeter), whereas most iPod-inspired alternatives rely on a single, teensy woofer per channel. Within the iGroove's compact dimensions, Klipsch engineers installed a stereo pair of 2.5-inch woofers and one-inch horn-loaded tweeters that focus the treble sound up toward the listening position. A set of volume up/down buttons and an on/off switch are the unit's only controls. The iGroove is available in a matte-silver finish and retails for AU$399.

The Klipsch iGroove comes with a handy miniremote that adjusts the volume and your iPod's play/pause functions, as well as changes tracks on your playlists. Like the Bose SoundDock, the iGroove can accept any iPod with a dock connector. Full-size iPods, including the video-enabled fifth-generation iPod, fit snugly, thanks to an adjustable backrest. An adapter is included for older iPod Mini models, and Klipsch has begun bundling adapters for the iPod Nano as well. If you bought the early versions of the iGroove that lack the Nano adapter, check Klipsch's website for details of how you can get one. Don't own an iPod? No problem -- other similar-size MP3 players can use the included J-Cup cradle and loop the provided cable into the headphone jack. In fact, you can plug anything with a headphone or line-out jack into the iGroove, even if it doesn't fit the cradle. The speaker runs off the included AC power supply and charges docked iPods as well.

We started our evaluations in earnest with some Simon and Garfunkel tunes and the Klipsch iGroove sounded pleasantly natural. Their soaring vocals, the guitars and the band on the "Bridge over Troubled Water" album sounded great. The iGroove is just 15-inches wide, so stereo separation isn't its strong suit. In small bedrooms or kitchens, the iGroove will play reasonably loud, but it's not exactly a party animal. That said, considering its modest dimensions, the iGroove generates surprisingly satisfying bass without exaggerated boominess or thickening.

We noted that some tunes elicited a mild buzzing sound between our iPod and the Klipsch iGroove. Most of the time, we were unaware of the noise -- it happened on only a limited range of bass notes. After adjusting the iGroove's backrest, the buzz disappeared and the bass noticeably improved. In other words, make sure the iPod has a solid connection with the iGroove's dock.