iHome iHM9 Portable Stereo System for iPod, iPhone, and MP3 Players (Black)
by iHome
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List Price: Our Price: $18.98 You Save: $1.01 (5%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $11.49 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of iHome iHM9 Portable Stereo System for iPod, iPhone, and MP3 Players (Black)
Customer Review: Poor Sound Quality
Summary: 2 Stars
I got this product because of its high rating from other reviewers. I needed a speaker that my friends and I could easily hear when we were lying on the beach. When it finally came, I was ecstatic. At first I tried it in my room and the sound quality was great for the price. Sound wise, that was one of the best portable speakers I had owned up to that point. Then I tried it on a bus going to one of my lacrosse games. Here would be the first test, 53 high school girls who wanted to listen to a generic pop song. Four rows up from where I sat, the people could barely hear it even when it was on full volume. Keep in mind we were on a closed bus where the driver had ordered our windows closed. After that failed test, I tried it at the beach with six people eager to hear a pop song. We all had to huddle around one towel so as to be able to begin to hear it. It was on full volume as was the iPod.
Although the sound quality is horrendous, the design is excellent. It's easy to transport, and looks great. The indicator light to show if the iHM9 is on or off is prominently placed, and the one switch, the power switch, is very easy to access. Other reviewers have made note of the wrap around cord being cumbersome, but I disagree. It takes all of 2 seconds to wrap it around and secure the 3.5 mm jack in the proper hole.
Every model iPod stays secure when properly placed at an angle. However, the included indent in the base of the iHM9 is not recommended for the current generation of shuffles or nanos. It takes a lot of effort to pull them out, so if you will use this device with your nano, place the nano to the side. Take note that this device does not charge your iPod, so bring it fully charged.
Pros:
Great Design
Works with every portable music player
iPod stays in place
Highly portable
Excellent bass (in an isolated room)
Cons:
Quiet
Higher frequencies sound distorted
Verdict?
Go with the X-Mini II Capsule Speaker
It is about the same price, much louder, has a vastly higher sound quality, and is more portable.
Customer Review: Powerful little speaker
Summary: 4 Stars
I wanted a small, battery-powered speaker system to be able to listen to my Sandisk Sansa View while at work. The only issue is a work in a distribution center with very loud, continuous noise; conveyor belts, machine horns, loud bangs of large plastic totes being thrown about, etc. With the environment, I also wanted something that, should it get broken, I wouldn't be out $50 or so, which seems to be the average price for speaker systems for devices other than iPod.
This works by plugging into your device's headphone jack. There is a notch in the center where you're supposed to stand it up like it is pictured above, only they didn't account for the cord, so it makes your player sit somewhat off-kilter, unless you just lay it on its side (which I've taken to doing). This could have been fixed with a groove that ran along the back of the tray, but that's really the only major complaint I have.
This thing is -loud-. It only works by your player's volume, but it's got a lot of power to it for being battery-powered. At max volume, I can hear it even above all the noise I specified above (though, I'll admit, listening to anything purely instrumental or quiet/soothing is impossible in that environment), though for the normal user, half-volume or lower would probably be easily sufficient.
As for how fast it goes through batteries, I've had to change mine after approximately 24-26 hours of play at the maximum volume. Once the batteries start to go, the sound gets incredibly crackly at the high volumes and gets worse fairly quickly. Though I have noticed that the crackle goes away (at least temporarily) when the volume is turned down, which leads me to believe the batteries have the potential to last even longer when not played on full-blast continuously.
All in all, very pleased with my purchase. If you want a cheap, small, battery-powered speaker that works with any audio device, this is it.
Customer Review: Hit or Miss
Summary: 3 Stars
The quality of this product really seems hit or miss.
I originally bought one for my sister for Christmas over a year ago. She had recently received an mp3 player and needed a portable speaker to hook it up to. After pulling it out of the packaging and holding it, it seemed like it had a cheap feel to it, but worked perfectly. My sister was a little disappointed by the look and feel of it, but less than a week later, she was using it all the time and taking it everywhere with her. It is now a year and three months after she started using it, and it still works like new.
However, I received one this last Christmas, and it has not performed to my expectations at all. Less than a month after receiving it, I started having issues with the sound quality. I thought that maybe the problem was that the batteries were dying, so I replaced them. That seemed to fix the problem, but that problem would occur more and more quickly each time I replaced the batteries. I now get static no matter how new the batteries are or how low I turn down the volume.
It should be noted that I used mine maybe 2-3 hours a day, at an acceptable volume. My sister on the other hand, uses hers 6+ hours a day, with the volume 3-4 times louder than mine. She puts her stuff through so much abuse that there is no way it should work anymore. For instance, she drops her phone 3-4 times DAILY. Yet, her iHome, covered in scratches, is still working 15 months later, while mine didn't even last a month before having issues.
Also, paying $7.00 to ship a $20.00 item to be fixed is a little ridiculous.
So when buying this product, you could end up with a quality item that will seemingly last forever, or you could end up with a piece of junk.
*For the record, both were bought at the same Wal-mart.*
Customer Review: Pleasantly surprised
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this because my son is doing a science project to see if plants grow faster when exposed to music, so I was looking for something cheap that would just do the job of allowing him to tote it around to expose plants in one room to music while the other plants get no music. However, now that we've got it up and running, I can see that it's going to be something that I use regularly. The sound quality is amazing for the price. Yes, it runs on batteries, and no, it won't charge your iPod, but that really can't be expected for [...] bucks. On the other hand, to get sound like you're listening to a stereo from something so small and cheap is really a treat, and I can see that it would indeed be perfect for a bbq or party, or to take to my office. A friend of mine walked into the room today while it was playing, saw it, said "What's that?" and then said, "What did that run you, about 100 bucks?" When I told him [...], his jaw dropped and he said, "No way. It sounds really good." Enough said.Customer Review: Wow, really?
Summary: 5 Stars
*****THIS IS NOT A CHARGER--ONLY SPEAKERS*******
I have a Droid phone. I uploaded a bunch of music on it. I wanted to be able to listen to music in my bathroom in the mornings. Out in my room, I plug it into a set of computer speakers with a subwoofer. However, my bathroom, like most, has a multi-outlet near the sink. I wanted something small, compact and battery operated so I could keep it away from the sink. I bought this on a whim thinking I would probably return it if it had a tin-like sound. The speaker on the Droid is like that. So I found this at Walmart, took it home, hooked it up and plugged in my Droid. I was amazed at the sound that this produces. It's loud and clear enough to hear over the shower without sounding distorted. I also use it in the kitchen when I'm cooking and out on my deck if I'm outside. The front has a cradle that phone rests in nicely. I think this is the best 20 bucks I've spent in a long time.