This week Go Gadgetslooks at what sounds to carry
WHEN IT COMES to loudspeakers, size matters. Bose's tiny cube speakers ( www.bose.ie) provide some sharp sounds, but they're for the high end of the spectrum and are hard-wired into a larger Acoustimass unit, and they'd sound tinny if separated from the shoebox-sized subwoofer. Oh, and they cost anything up to about €600.
The smallest speakers on the market, LG's MSP 100 (up to €50 at retailers, but there are sets available from €10 on www.amazon.com), are about the size of a clamshell-style mobile phone, and the audio quality is better than from the speakers on phones and most computers. The speakers can be plugged in or run from an internal lithium battery, which lasts about 90 minutes. The speakers can be separated, but only by about 10cm, so there's no stereo effect.
They're decent enough, though, if all you want to do is amplify the sound from your phone so other people can hear what you're listening to. And if you snag a pair for €10, you're unlikely to be too disappointed.
Altec Lansing's tube-shaped iPod dock (below, www.alteclansing.com) looks elegant and packs a sizeable sonic oomph, thanks to its four speakers and built-in bass enhancer. There's also a video output on the back, which means you can watch your iPod's clips and movies on a television.
The daddy of them all is the Bose SoundDock, which costs about €410 (retailers include Peats, based on Parnell Street in Dublin, and HMV on Grafton Street in Dublin), which is compatible with an iPod and iPhone. The moulded handle and lithium-ion battery make it ideal for the road. And the SoundDock isn't an Apple snob, either - an auxiliary input lets you play other types of MP3s.