Klipsch iGroove HG iPod Docking Station
Review: Klipsch iGroove HG iPod Docking Station Review
Pros:
Works With iPhone in Phone Mode.
Small and Portable.
LCD Display Screen.
When legendary music producer Phil Spector started creating what he called the ‘wall of sound’, I don’t think he intended to inspire iPod dock designs some 50 years later, and yet here we are.
This is what your iPod looks like when flanked by a speaker wall and encased in glossy fetish plastic. The Klipsh iGroove HG is a fine looking dock, to be sure, but is it all style and no substance? We checked into the psychiatric hospital pretending to be doctors and released our reviewer under cover of darkness, so he could find out...
Introduction
These speakers look incredible. From the shiny black plastic finish to the obviously high quality speakers, every care has been taken by Klipsch to ensure that their product is stylish, modern and deeply cool.
The iGroove is solid, sturdy and very heavy. It has clearly not been designed with much portability in mind. However, this is not a dock for travel. This is a top-end, modern speaker dock that sits on your mantelpiece and fills your home with the music of your choice, deriving the very best sounds possible from your iPod.
...And in that respect it certainly won’t disappoint.
Making good use of dual 2.5-inch fiber-composite woofers, (neatly contained within a ported enclosure) Klipsch seem to have applied their meticulous design to the belly of this beast as well as to the bodywork.
This model also employs something called ‘Microtractix’. Now, straight off the bat, I have no idea what that is, but it sure as heck seems to be working.
Back in 2006, when this bad boy was released, this was one of the most advanced docks in the world, and as such, it would have set you back about £150. Today, six years later, this is still one of the world’s top docks, but it is available for only £59.99. You really can’t fault that, can you?
Hardware / Design
I’m a lucky guy because I’m typing this for the Internet and as a result, you won’t have to see my dribble on the page as you read this review. Yes, the sound from this speaker is very much drool-worthy. Every individual sound seems to have been taken out of the iPod, polished with a bit of brasso and put back in before playing. The bass, always a problem with smaller speaker docks, is exceptionally rich, deep and perfectly refined. Everything here is mouth wateringly good.
As I said, the speaker itself is heavy (it weighs about 4KG) and, as a result, won’t be much good in a suitcase, but as an addition to your home entertainment center, you really can’t go far wrong. It looks like a million quid, it plays like a dream and it is still a top-level contender after six years. As Father Ted once said of Chris the Sheep “he’s the champ, talk about a safe bet!”
£59.99
£69.99
£69.99
£69.99
£69.99
£69.99
NB! Confirm the retailer's price and product information prior to making your purchase.
Was: £149.99
Now: £59.99
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Customer Reviews
Honest reviews of the Klipsch iGroove HG iPod Docking Station from previous customers
This product has been reviewed by Amazon users a whopping 751 times, and of those 751 reviews, 688 are scored at 4/5 or higher. Only 36 reviews placed this product at 2/5 or lower. However, in the interest of creating a complete overview, we’ll be focussing on both positive and negative reviews of this dock.
The user ‘I Don’t Have a Pen Name’ (a top 500 Amazon reviewer) begins his 5/5 review by praising the look of the iGroove, “The design is gorgeous” he says, “a gloss black curved design which will add style to any room”, before going on to offer two updates (dated 2007 and 2010) to let us know that his iGroove was still going strong after all these years.
‘D. Lessman’ (5/5) agrees, calling the iGroove “pure quality” while ‘Martin J. Stanton’ (5/5) says that the design is ‘swoopy’ (I have no idea what that means, but I’ll go out on a limb and assume it to be a good thing). He goes on to compliment both the bass and the treble provided by the speaker.
There are more, a lot more, and they go on like that for over 688 reviews, so instead we’ll take a look at the negative comments.
‘John Wilson’ posted a 1/5 review that has nothing to do with the product itself, but instead is geared up towards warning potential buyers that this speaker is not compatible with the 5th Generation iPod Nano. This is worth noting if you use one of these, as I’ve found a couple of online sources that list the iGroove as compatible when it, in fact, is not.
‘Mr. P.J Horton’ (1/5) also comments that the 3rd Generation Nano is incompatible as well. We didn’t have a Nano available for testing, but I’d assume that there’s a question mark over all of them and double check before buying, just to be on the safe side.
Elsewhere, ‘Chris’ posted a very disturbing (1/5) review in which his model stopped working after 18 months and Klipsch refused to do anything about it. This sort of shoddy customer service can be a real downfall for otherwise fine manufacturers. It certainly bears being aware of this, as there is a disconcertingly large number of reviews that point out that the iGroove in question died after 9-12 months of use.
We encourage you to read them prior to making your final purchasing decision.