ASUS AIR3 iPod speaker system / internet radio hits the FCC

While the iPod sound system boat has already sailed (numerous times), there's always a minor boom in copycats when the holiday season draws near. Thankfully, ASUS' latest contribution to the over-saturated market is one with a differentiating factor, as the AIR3 tunes into internet radio stations as well. According to the posted user's guide in the FCC, the unit can play nice with dock-connecting iPods, stream WiFi radio stations and play back music from any other DAP via the 3.5-millimeter auxiliary jack. You'll also find a 128 x 64 resolution FSTN graphics display, S-Video / composite video outputs, an Ethernet jack and a total of four drivers to kick out the jams. An obligatory remote is also bundled in, though there's obviously no indication of a price tag or release date in those absolutely riveting FCC documents.

[bot @ Nov 9th 2008 6:54PM]

An Engadget guide to writing an article about an Asus product:

1. Always, always use the word "oversaturated."

: D

[tgluak @ Nov 9th 2008 6:55PM]

Do want

[iEye @ Nov 9th 2008 6:56PM]

goood, goood.

[silverblackvoid @ Nov 10th 2008 5:15AM]

look who's talkin

[Mark @ Nov 9th 2008 7:16PM]

Sounds like a Kerbango for the iPod era without the retro styling.

[who? @ Nov 9th 2008 7:24PM]

If the photographer had organized the cords/blocks differently, they could have spelled out 'LOL'.

Some people just have no creative flare whatsoever...

[KilgoreTrout @ Nov 9th 2008 7:34PM]

Well, as a matter of fact I am the photographer and i set the cable so that they would spell "OODI" ( which in my language means " You are a moron, get lost)

[who? @ Nov 9th 2008 7:38PM]

What, are you five years old? Who let you get on daddy's computer? Bad !

Tsk, tsk...

[TJ @ Nov 9th 2008 8:00PM]

This IS the FCC we're talking about here. Do you really expect anybody there to have "creative flare"?

[who? @ Nov 9th 2008 8:03PM]

@TJ

You know it only takes one person to take a picture right? So... we umm... aren't talking about the FCC here... Yeah.

[KAIKAI @ Nov 9th 2008 7:34PM]

congrats wanna cookie/no/buy one and find out nubtard

[BobFromVegas @ Nov 9th 2008 8:44PM]

This is great, and all, but really-developers, is it THAT hard to make a sound system that works with all MP3 players that have a headphone jack?

I mean, come on. I wouldn't need one per se, but why just hold it to Ipod owners? What about the Zune? and other MP3 players that apparently aren't good enough?

[Kamokazi @ Nov 9th 2008 8:59PM]

Read much?

"and play back music from any other DAP via the 3.5-millimeter auxiliary jack"

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Nov 9th 2008 9:05PM]

That's great, and all, but really-readers, is it THAT hard to read the summary?

In related news, this looks pretty cool. I don't need the iPod dock but I use a Vers wood cabinet speaker system in my bathroom so I can stream music while I'm in the shower. It would be nice to add internet radio, as long as it doesn't jack up the price. I love the Vers speakers I have but they just have two drivers and no tweeter -- sound is too muddy. Bass response is miles ahead of the countless plastic-cabinet speakers out there.

So, bring it in under $200 (under $150 preferably) and this could do well. Unfortunately it'll probably be $300+.

[BobFromVegas @ Nov 9th 2008 9:58PM]

Then why have an Ipod dock in the first place.

Ya, it sounds exactly the same. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE.

I just use my computer's speakers (Bose 3 companion something..) and when i'm away from them I use my headphones. I only spend 10 mins at most in the shower so it isn't really worth it there.

But that's just me. I'm sure there are people who actually can use this.

[Kamokazi @ Nov 12th 2008 11:21AM]

There are 2 reasons for the iPod dock:

1) Convenience
2) Play controls (Presumably)
3) True line out

Now, since you wasted money on a Bose system, I don't expect you to have any grasp of true sound quality. But a true line out means that the signal is unamplified, unlike the 3.5mm jack which goes through amplification for headphone use. The speakers themselves also have amplification, so the signal is being processed by an amplifier twice, which reduces the sound quality because the original signal is altered twice...but usually only by a small amount. This is why instructions for things like FM transmitters and cassette converters tell you to set the volume to halfway...because on most players, that is as close to an unamplified signal as you can get.

I don't own an iPod myself (Cowon D2, if you care), and I would personally love to see a universal MP3 dock standard...once that allows true line out and play controls. 3.5mm aux jacks are functional, but far from ideal.

[dj-kenpo @ Nov 9th 2008 11:29PM]

my ipod touch has built in wifi... and a built in internet radio...

so...

any shitty $30 speaker system is a wifi radio.

but I imagine there are people less adept at tech that might find this useful.. I guess...?

[matt merritt @ Nov 10th 2008 12:46AM]

Or people that see a higher capacity iPod as more important than having a touch screen.

[mu1att0 @ Nov 10th 2008 12:03AM]

is it just me or are the wires on the bottom spelling out some kind of message? at first glance i saw the word "pain"