12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
iLove my iLive!
Date of Review: Jul 30, 2008
The Bottom Line: Terrific sound, easy to use. I like having this in my office, it's small and portable. At under $30, it was a great value!
I purchased a GPX iLive docking station at Sears this spring to listen to my iPod Nano (3d gen) at work. Overall, I love the sound quality of this little system, and it's very easy to use.
The iLive is fairly small and sleek, with an eye appealing oval shape. It's about 12" wide x 7" tall, with the deepest measurement approximately 5 1/2" at the base. Carry the iLive using the comfortable handle at the top.
To use my iPod, I simply slide the function select switch to IPOD/AUX, fit my iPod into the docking station (which comes with several sleeves to custom fit various sizes of iPods), and press the large PLAY/PAUSE button. Volume is controlled by an unobtrusive dial on the left side of the unit.
Beautiful music pours from the speakers (well, unless my "next up" is Marilyn Manson....) and I'm free to listen unencumbered for as long as I like. If a song comes up that is Not Appropriate For Work, I can skip right over it by pressing the NEXT/SEARCH button. If I miss a great tune due to a co-worker stopping by to gab, the PREV/SEARCH button takes me right back to where I was before begin interrupted. ;-)
If I need to stop play for just a minute, I can hit the PLAY/PAUSE button again, and the iPod will be put "on hold" until I re-push the PLAY/PAUSE button. Herein lies one of my few gripes about the GPX iLive system...after "unpausing", music will play for a few seconds, then re-pause. If I hold down the button, it will continue to play, but this is annoying.
When in the IPOD/AUX or OFF function, a well lit clock displays on the right side of the unit. The display is large enough that I can read it easily, even with out my granny glasses on. ;-)
On days when I forget my iPod at home, I can still listen to my favorite radio station on my GPX iLive. Simply slide the function switch to RADIO, select AM/FM, and use the station dial on the right side of the unit to digitally tune in. A retractable antenna is included if you need one to get better reception.
My only other gripe about the GPX iLive is that when I do listen to the radio, the station numbers are displayed instead of the clock.
Generally, I use the AC (plug in) power option, and my iPod charges constantly when it's being played. This is quite important as I'll play it at work for 8+ hours at a time, and I'd hate to run out of juice! As an option, you can power the iLive with eight C cell batteries.
Finally, there are jacks in the back of the unit for AUX IN, AUX OUT, and VIDEO OUT plugs.
UPDATE 8/4/08: I've been asked to give a little more information on the quality of sound in this system. I listen to a huge variety of music: Beethoven sonatas, Linkin Park, Billy Joel, Leanne Rimes are all on my iPod. The sound quality is equally good on any genre - base, treble and mid-range tones are balanced and clear. However, if you dig more bass or want to tone it down a bit, you are out of luck. You can't adjust tone, nor can you change the speaker balance. Some of the more complex pieces I listen to "move" tone from one speaker to another (apparent on my iPod ear buds), but I don't notice that effect with the iLive docking station speakers.
Basically, for less than $30, I wouldn't expect a Bose-type speaker system, and IMO, you shouldn't either. I like this system for my office, it provides me with nice background music while I'm working. I do recommend the iLive system for music lovers who are looking for an inexpensive docking station that's portable, provides decent sound, and looks nice.
