Shiny Review: Intempo IDS03 2.1 Docking Speaker System for iPod, MP3 and other audio devices
The Intempo IDS series, far from being designed for former Tory leaders, is a succession of faintly monolithic audio player docks, packing decent stereo features in an elegant, but large, case.
Despite being a lot smaller than the IDS01, the IDS03 is definitely not a portable device – it plugs into the wall and is clearly designed to sit neatly on a desk, dressing table or living room shelf – but what did I think of the sound quality and ease of use? Read on and watch this space for a video review coming soon.
Actually, both were pretty good. It definitely can’t be accused of being overcomplicated. Put player in dock, turn on, press play – that’s it. There are buttons for scrolling through tracks, and the large, clear remote control has the added bonus of adjustable treble and bass. You can synch to the iPod too.
If you want to hook up to another kind of player or your PC to start synching, there are mini USB, Firewire and stereo line in ports as well.
All kinds of iPod (bar Shuffle) can fit snuggly into the dock as there are bendy rubber pads included in the box. My 80GB player did rattle around a bit without the benefit of padding, but since it’s not designed to be moved and it was anchored properly to the dock connector, I wasn’t particularly worried about this.
The speakers are large, but light, and a glossy black, white or silver plastic. The black set, with my black iPod looked quite sleek.
Sound quality through the two 7.5 watt speakers (with 15 watt subwoofer) was very decent, with a good range and clear bass and treble (plus noticeable changes when adjusted). The ease of use meant I felt at home using it very quickly, and didn’t need to refer to the instructions once either in setup or operation. The large, flat remote control would be easy for someone of moderately limited sight or mobility to use, and it’s hard to lose.
At £79.99 this is a little on the expensive side as there’s nothing completely exceptional about this but it is a solid, respectable dock. I suspect most people will want something more mobile, but I wouldn’t be disappointed by it, either.
Intempo IDS Series
