Logitech AudioStation iPod speaker systems announced

If you're looking for something a bit beefier-looking than Apple's own much-maligned iPod Hi-Fi, Logitech may have just the speaker system for you. At $299, their just announced AudioStation (pictured above) isn't all that much cheaper than the Hi-Fi, but it does look to stack up pretty well against it, with two 1-inch dome tweeters, a pair of 4-inch woofers, and a total power output of 80W. For the audiophiles out there, it also promises a maximum sound pressure level of 110dB, and a frequency response of 36Hz to 23kHz plus/minus 3dB. Specs the rest of us can understand include an AM/FM radio, built-in LCD that displays a clock or radio info, a standard 3.5mm input, and an S-Video output for iPods with video, as well as a 16-button remote. Look for it to drop this October, along with a portable version, the AudioStation Express (pictured after the break), which is much more Hi-Fi-inspired design-wise, although quite a bit less capable in the audio department -- it's set to retail for $129.99.

Read - Logitech AudioStation
Read - Logitech AudioStation Express

[Via PC Mag]

[jabbertrack @ Aug 17th 2006 5:32PM]

still analog out... for the lose

[clicclic @ Aug 17th 2006 5:39PM]

Audio Inputs? Hooray! Hardware companies finally 'got it' and started adding them back in. Thank you bunches.

[coprock @ Aug 17th 2006 5:44PM]

Must you use the word audiophile so loosely? Anyone who truly cares about quality sound would not touch this thing.

[Owen @ Aug 17th 2006 5:55PM]

why does this need a video input? total displays capable of showing a video that I see: on the iPod, 1. on the Logitech Audiostation, 0.

[slikone @ Aug 17th 2006 6:05PM]

Thats an S-Vid -output-. Im assuming thats for hooking it to a TV

[coprock @ Aug 17th 2006 6:05PM]

Jabbertrack,

If you think your ipod or Apple Hifi have a digital out, you're dreaming.

[Frog @ Aug 17th 2006 6:06PM]

nice speaker systems!!!!

[lejupp @ Aug 18th 2006 4:54AM]

These specs are bogous. To get 107dB(A?) SPL at 36Hz from a 4" speaker, you would have to glue it to your earlaps.

This kind of SPL at such low frequencies at the standard distance of 1m from the speaker requires a much larger speaker (say 10"), lots of power and an elaborate case design.

[emit @ Aug 18th 2006 6:20PM]

>This kind of SPL at such low frequencies at the standard distance of 1m from the speaker requires a much larger speaker (say 10"), lots of power and an elaborate case design.

That just isn't true. You can get some pretty insane SPLs out of samll driver if they are effecient and you tune your port and box correctly. There are some THX certified design that use a single 6.5" woofer and achieve 103dB SPL 1 meter. All SPL are 1 meter measurements. You actually have more surface area with two 4" than you do with a 6",

And the iPod does not allow access to Digital Data. The dock output port is analog only. The HiFi has a digital input, but it isn't for iPods. The only way to get a digital out on the iPod would be to access though the USB fucntionality, read the compressed file, and decompress to analog with hardware. (i.e. use the iPod as a USB hard drive). However, then you lose access to the iPod interface.

[IcanAdd @ Dec 4th 2006 3:15PM]

emit says 'You actually have more surface area with two 4" than you do with a 6"'

Um, no, area of a circle is Pi*r^2, so two 4" speakers have a surface area of 8*Pi, and a 6" speaker has a surface area of 9*Pi.

[Zune is a Joke @ Dec 4th 2006 7:44AM]

But the design is very blade runner, juktaposed, complicated. I'd take the iPod Hifi over this if I spend $300 but instead I chose the Audiostation Express with very nice design!

[logan5.ca @ Jan 30th 2007 12:24AM]

the sound on this system is good.

the problem i have is that my 60gig ipod with an iskin protector over it doesn't fit in the supplied black plastic dock.

i just sit the ipod in the slot with the rubber layer still around the ipod, it works fine but puts all the weight on the metal connector.

i still have to take my ipod out of the outer hard protective layer. anyone make a holder that allows you leave your ipod in the case?

thanks!