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iN Studio 5.0 Smart Speakers
| Author: | Jason Jacobs |
| Date: | 2007.11.14 |
| Topic: | Audio |
| Provider: | Sierra Sound |
| Manufacturer: | Sierra Sound |
| Author: | Jason Jacobs |
| Date: | 2007.11.14 |
| Topic: | Audio |
| Provider: | Sierra Sound |
| Manufacturer: | Sierra Sound |
Sound quality is such a highly subjective topic that what one person considers good quality may be poor to another. What is not subjective are specifications, build quality, and functionality. Sierra Sound has sent us a pair of the iN Studio 5.0 Smart Speakers and it seems that these four qualities were focused upon heavily during the design. A quick look at the Sierra Sound website shows this as their only product currently under this name brand. The iN Studio 5.0 Smart Speakers comes in your choice of three colors red, black, and white. The lowercase i in the product name implies its intended to work with the iPod series of products. The speakers themselves have a wide range of compatibility with the iPods accomplished by a series of plastic adapter plates that set into the top of the control speaker. While the white and black sets make sense we cannot visualize many people purchasing the red set. Again this is purely subjective but we think its a bit weird unless your into the 70/80's retro look. We received the white set and we must say the finish on these speakers is so new car paint job smooth that you may have the desire to wax them. The finish also fits in perfectly with the standard iPod white so that you cannot tell a color tone difference when its plugged in. Another immediately noticable aspect of these speakers is the weight. Coming in at 23lbs this is not a light weight set. It is obvious that the speakers have some substantial internals to them.
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Built-in 50 Watt Dynamic Bi-Amp |
System Includes: One Pair Amplified Speakers Infrared Remote Mini Jack - RCA Cable S-Video Cable USB Cable AC Power Cable Universal Dock Adaptors Owner's Manual Foam Pad Feet *iPod not included Compatible with and designed for: iPod: 10GB, 15 GB, 20GB, 30GB, 40GB iPod mini: 4GB, 6GB iPod with color display: 20GB, 30GB, 40GB 60GB, U2 Special Edition iPod Nano: 2 GB, 4GB iPod with Video: 30GB, 80GB iPhone |
As the iN Studio 5.0 Speakers were designed with the iPod in it comes with compatibility with almost all of the iPod series and even the iPhone.The included accessories provides adapters for the top of the speakers to allow mounting of your iPod no matter which type it is as well as all the needed cables for your connectivity to your TV, stereo tuner, or computer.One of the nicest features of the system is the included remote which controls not only sound volume and on/off but also nearly every function of your iPod. The remote functions via IR and as such must have line of sight to the sensor located on the front of the control speaker.
Taking a look at the back of the iN Studio 5.0 Speakers reveals quite a few options. We even find a port for USB and an auxillary AC outlet. It seems you can even connect these speakers to your TV or use an RCA input. The On/Auto/Off toggle switch is a bit confusing even after reading the manual and the secondary inclusion of another On/Off toggle switch can add to that confusion. To make is simple the three way toggle controls your ipod while the two way controls the power for the entire speaker system.
As many of you with experience connecting MP3 players to external speakers have found the Master control and the MP3 player volume control work simultaneously. The inclusion of the Master Volume control is primarily for those occasions when you have the speaker set hooked up to an RCA or alternative input. When connected to the iPod you can control the volume with the remote control.
We did find that the unit got quite hot when functioning for more than an hour or two. As such im not sure that utilizing the auxillary AC outlet is a good idea as it will only add to the power draw and thus heat.
We tested the iN Studio 5.0 Smart Speakers with an iPod Nano and an iPod video and both worked flawlessly. There are no drivers to install, no software, no messy configuration needed. Simply change the adapter plate on top by popping out the plastic adapter and putting in the new one and your ready to go. The remote will function with all of the different iPods and your playing music within seconds.
Our experience with the iN Studio 5.0 Smart Speakers left us speechless. These speakers not only put out a lot of sound but they are maintain excellent quality throughout the range of sound. We never found the bass breaking up or the treble too tinny. We played a wide range of music from orchestral to house techno and the speakers were able to produce clear strong sound in each scenario. The remote takes about 20 minutes to master after which you are adept at menu movement and getting to your desired song. The remote has a logical layout which is easy to use and thus is very user friendly.
We felt that the iN Studio 5.0 Smart Speakers are an excellent value for the money and produce startlingly good sound for a simple 2 speaker sound system. While the heat produced on the master unit does concern us it is well within the tolerance for the amount of sound produced and should not create problems. The iN Studio 5.0 Smart Speakers come with a 3 year warrenty and the company even includes a 30 day trial if you are not sure. At a retail price of $399 through Amazon.com which includes shipping you receive a very functional, high quality, set of speakers that not only look good but perform great. We would recommend these speakers to anyone seeking a simple set of bookshelf speakers that perform like a 7.1 set. If you are an iPod user and want to listen to music in your home or with a group then these are a must have.
