iHome iH27 Portable Speakers with Alarm Clock for iPod
Manufacturer: iHome (a division of SDI Technologies)
Model Number: iH27B

There's no doubt that the iPod has revolutionized consumer electronics. Apple's ubiquitous multimedia player has become an integral part of nearly every aspect of the Digital Lifestyle, from home entertainment centers to the hottest cars, portable devices and household appliances that allow you to enjoy your iTunes collection anytime, anywhere. Case in point: the iHome IH27 Portable Speakers with Alarm Clock for iPod. Let's take a look!

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About iHome

iHome, a division of SDI Technologies, was launched in 2005 to market iPod Electronics. In just its first year, iHome became the #1 brand in the iPod Electronics market and its iPod Clock Radio became and continues to be the #1 selling iPod Speaker System in North America. As a result of its unprecedented success, iHome has expanded its product line with portable speakers and home stereo systems that incorporate the innovative features and custom designs that iHome is known for. iHome has also launched a comprehensive licensing program and has signed a variety of licensees in multiple categories ranging from computer accessories to lighting. iHome has also expanded its brand assortment by signing licenses with Microsoft, SanDisk, Bluetooth, and Bongiovi DPS to market audio electronics for their respective media devices and technologies. iHome supports its brand with national television, print, online and outdoor advertising campaigns, and has garnered several industry awards for its unique products and advanced technologies. iHome's products can be found worldwide through virtually every distribution network in over 55 countries.

Packaging

The iHome iH27 ships in a glossy black box with a photo of the unit on the front. There's a hologram of a dancing girl that changes to an iPod and a rock singer in place of where you'd dock your iPod into the unit, which is an OK attention-getter when perusing similar products on the store shelves. On the back is a black and white illustration of the iH27 listing its features and what's included in the box, in both English and French. The right side panel displays a smaller photo of the unit with an iPod actually docked in it, with a similar bi-lingual summary of the iH27's key selling points. On the left, we have full-color illustrations of three at-home and on-the-go scenarios suited for the iH27's talents. The Made for iPod logo insures that you're not getting some cheap knock-off that may not work properly with your particular iPod. What iHome should have included on the box is the one iPod that the iH27 does not support-and that's the 3^rd Generation (or 3G in Apple-speak) iPod. The warning is on the front cover of the User's Guide-but a fat lot of good that will do you if you happened to own a 3G iPod and find out after you've bought the bloody thing. Hopefully if you own a 3G iPod and are reading this, I'm saving you a trip back to the store for a refund, or making the mistake of buying the iH27 in the first place...

Unpacking the iHome iH27, we find everything sealed in a cardboard tray not unlike those used to package and wrap veggies and fruit. Since the iH27 is obviously a lot tougher than Cherry Tomatoes, no worries there. Particularly since the unit has the benefit of additional protection from a shipping bag, its own Travel Bag and is wrapped inside an additional Styrofoam bag inside. Accessories are tucked away in their own compartments to keep them from rattling around inside the box. You'll find the obligatory User's Guide in English and French, a fold-out pamphlet featuring iHome's iPod-ready product line; warranty card; a quick trouble-shooting card, Dock Insert guide, and a "Read This First" sheet on the proper way of inserting and removing your iPod or iPhone from the iH27. There's also a trio of Dock Inserts to connect the iH27's supported iPod products, and the 120 - 240V Universal Power Adapter cord. iHome has also thrown in a sheet with a "special offer" for purchasing a remote controlling iH27 and your iPod.

The iHome iH27

Measuring 10.2" W x 1.9" H x 6.5" D, the iHome iH27 is made of rugged plastic with that glossy, black finish that always looks great on any audio or computer accessory, but can be a real pain to keep looking that way when it comes to dust, fingerprints and other smudges. Fortunately the iH27 cleans up easily enough with a soft cloth (preferably microfiber),dampened with cool water. A finish such as this is also prone to scratches, and the iH27 is no exception. Avoiding rough handling and harsh, abrasive cleaners is a must if you want the iH27 to look as good as it did the day you first unpacked it.

Up front we have a white LCD clock display which also shows status icons for the iH27's various functions and operating modes. Directly to the right is a sensor for the optional remote, with the iHome logo emblazoned on the bezel. Clean, simple and functional-as it should be. At the top of the unit on the left, we have touch controls for setting the clock, the alarm, iPod Play/Pause, and the power button. In the center is iPod Docking Port and the Snooze/Dimmer button. To the right, is the Alarm On-Off/Set button and Volume controls. On the right side of the iH27, is the SRS WOW button, which toggles the iH27's sound enhancement circuitry, giving your iPod's low and mid-range sound reproduction some extra "punch."

Just above the controls behind the grille, are four stereo speakers enhanced by iHome's patented Reson8 Sound Chamber Technology. The speakers tilt forward into an upright position. This exposes the Line-in jack for playing non-docking iPods and other audio devices, the AV-out jack to output your iPod's audio/visual signal to a TV or computer; the switch for toggling Travel Lock and operating the iH27 with its supported remote-and of course, the jack for the power cord.

Underneath are the two battery compartments for the 4 AA batteries that are required, but not included, to operate the iH27 untethered from the power cord. Inside the compartment on the left is another compartment for CR2032 3v battery that provides backup power for the clock and the alarm, which is included with the iH27. There's also a handy Daylight Savings Time switch that automatically adds or subtracts an hour from the unit's clock just by pushing it to the "+" or "-" label-a feature so practical and elegantly simple that you wonder why it isn't an industry standard.

Setup and Performance

Setting up iHome's iH27 is quick and easy and can be done in a manner of minutes whether you read the User's Guide or not. Pop in the 4 AA batteries, set the clock, install the appropriate insert for your iPod, connect the power cord, dock your iPod and you're finished. If you have a protective case on your iPod, you'll have to remove it before connecting it to the iH27. With the appropriate insert, your iPod should connect to the iH27's dock at a 15-degree angle with little effort. The iH27 supports the following iPods:

iPod Mini (4GB/6GB)
iPod 4^th Generation (20/40GB)
iPod 4^th Generation (Color, 20/30/40/60GB)
iPod Nano (1^st Generation, 1GB/2GB/4GB)
iPod 5^th Generation Video (30/60/80GB)
iPod Nano (2^nd Generation, 1GB/2GB/4GB)
iPod Classic (80GB/160GB)
iPod Nano (3^rd Generation)
iPhone/iPhone 3G
iPod Touch 1^st & 2^nd Generation 8GB/16GB/32GB
iPod Nano (4^th Generation (Video), 8GB/16GB)

Don't connect your iPod to the iH27 without an insert, or you will break the dock connector. If one of the three included inserts doesn't work for you, you can pick up one at your nearest Apple store, www.ihomeaudio.com, or call iHome toll-free at 800-288-2792. It's important that you get the right one for your particular model, because once you install the insert into the iH27, it will be very difficult to remove without scarring or even damaging it and the surrounding area of the unit. When docked and connected to a power outlet, the iH27 will automatically keep your iPod charged without over-charging it-good news for anyone who has had the frustrating experience of an iPod meltdown with a cheaper product.

For the review I used my 6^th Generation iPod 80GB and played through a wide range of music selections from my library. Feedback from all the buttons were solid without a cheap feel. Whether I was listening to Kirk Whalum belting out "That's The Way Love Goes" on his sax, Common and Mary J. Blige's romantic "Come Close," or Nickleback going full-throttle on "Animals," every note from bass to high, and refrain was surprisingly clean, rich and pure considering the size of the iH27's speakers. One thing you'll definitely want to do is leave the iH27's SRS switch turned on permanently, as the music loses much of its depth and clarity without it. Unfortunately, there's a lot of distortion and clipping at high volumes. So if you really like to pump the music at barbeques or pool parties, there are other products out there that will be a much better choice than the iH27.

The alarm works as expected, is easy to set reset, enable and disable, and gives you several 9 minute snooze periods during the 1-hour alarm cycle-handy when you're having a bit more trouble than expected getting jump-started in the morning and tap the Snooze button. Set you iPod to the song you want to wake up to, turn it off, and when the alarm activates, you'll awaken to that song, which will be followed by the next in line in the playlist, until the alarm cycle has finished. If the your iPod is not docked, the iH27's rather irritating buzzer will certainly get you attention and jar you out of your slumber. Speaking of the alarm, though it's not likely to end Western Civilization as we know it, there will undoubtedly be some folks who will not be happy that there is no "AM" displayed for morning times ("PM" is displayed for evening times). You can also toggle from a 12-hour to a 24-hour military time display."We don't need that civilian AM/PM crap in the Corps!Oorah!"

Using a set of off-brand, bargain-bin AA's, my iPod had barely played three hours before the El-cheapo batteries installed in the iH27 went completely dead. A set of Duracell Alkalines still had plenty of life left in them after the battery in my iPod ran down and shut itself off, after playing music for nearly 13 hours straight. Depending on the type of batteries you use in the iH27, your particular model iPod and its battery condition, and the size and length of the music collection your listening to and the format the songs are stored in-or if you're playing a video or photo collection-your results with the iHome iH27 away from a power outlet will undoubtedly vary. Assuming that the battery in your iPod is relatively healthy and not near the end of its usable life, batteries designed for the demands of digital cameras could give you longer playing time than standard Alkaline batteries, for example.

Final Impressions and Conclusion

The iHome iH27 was a good choice as a replacement for the combo CD player, Radio and Alarm Clock that I had been relying on to wake me up each morning, until it finally died a few days ago. Depending on my moods and needs, I can wake up to a wider range of music without having to shuffle around a bunch of CDs, futz with the twitchy controls of the old unit to set the time, or squint in the darkness at a blue LED display that had gone so dim over the years that it was getting increasingly difficult to see. I like the added visibility of the larger white LED display, which I can dim to my satisfaction and still have it legible without lighting up the entire room like a beacon. The folks a iHome gets extra points for the cool Daylight Savings Time switch, which saves you the extra steps of having to go into the clock settings every time that time of year rolls around. Playing at normal to mid-range volumes, the iH27 delivers clean, clear sound without your favorite artist sounding like they're playing live at the bottom of a rock quarry while construction is going on. However, the iH27 is more suited for personal listening at home or on the go, than bass-bumping, blast-the-roof-off partying. Its light weight, fold down design and travel bag makes it convenient to take along with you.

Complaints? Well, it can be slightly inconvenient in scrolling through playlists and selecting songs while your iPod is docked in the iH27. The remote makes life a lot easier for all of the iH27's functions-but it's available only as a option through iHome's website for twenty bucks. Meanwhile the iP27BR does everything the iH27 does-it is in fact, the iH27-with the exception that it has the remote included and is-you guessed it-twenty dollars more than the iH27. Granted, I take my iPod with me during the day, and drop it back into the iH27 at night after selecting what I want to wake up to, so a remote isn't that much of deal-breaker for me. However, I wouldn't mind using the iH27 while I'm washing the car, which is where the remote would come in handy. My iPod definitely sounds better through the iH27 than my current set of earbuds, and I wouldn't have the cord typically getting hung up on or caught in something while I'm working. One improvement I'd like to see iHome add, would be the ability to store and recall multiple wake-up times for the alarm.

With a 90-day warranty and a street price of $50-$66, if you're looking for a portable travel alarm clock with iPod support with surprisingly good sound, the iHome IH27 Portable Speakers with Alarm Clock for iPod is a good choice at a good price. If you want and need a bit more flexibility and control, do yourself a favor: spring the extra $20 for the iP27BR which gives you the remote right in the box.

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Final Score: 8.0

Summary:

Highs: Big, bright display, easy setup, non-contortionist button layout and better-than-average sound thanks to its SRS and Reson8 audio technologies, makes the iHome iH27 Portable Speakers with Alarm Clock for iPod^® a good, affordable choice for anyone looking to wake up to or just listen to their favorite iTunes playlist at home or on the go. Compact, folding design and carrying case makes it easy to take and set-up just about anywhere. Adjust the clock for Daylight Savings Time with just the flip of a switch. Travel-Lock switch prevents accidentally turning on the unit and draining the battery. Line-in and AV out jacks for additional connectivity. Charges iPod while on AC power without overcharging it. Buzzer serves as back-up for alarm clock if iPod is not docked. Supports 12 and 24-hour time display.

Lows: Useful remote which allows for full control of all functions is not included. Glossy black finish is easy to scratch and is a dust and fingerprint magnet. If you switch to a different model iPod, swapping out the original insert is going to be a real teeth-gnashing experience.

iHome iH27 Portable Speakers with Alarm Clock for iPod^®

Manufactured by: iHome, a division of SDI Technologies (www.ihomeaudio.com)

Model Number: iH27B

Specifications:

Dimensions: 10.2" W x 1.9" H x 6.5" D

Power: Universal Power Adapter (included) or Battery Operation

Battery Requirements: 1 CR032 battery for clock backup (included) 4 "AA" Batteries for operation (not included)

Supports: