What is Being Reviewed?The iKurv iPhone/iPod Speaker Dock is up for review today. It’s $79.99 and fits any kind of iPod you may have in your possession. There are a lot of iPhone/iPod docks on the market today. They continue to be a hot commodity since the iPhone and various iPods steadily become the single music player customers use everywhere they go. The iKurv iPhone/iPod Speaker Dock is just one of many solutions for amplifying music in your home. I’ve been testing this device for a while and for the most part, it does its job well.
dock connectors
iKurv is compatible with just about any pocket-sized iOS device you can imagine. You can go into your closet and pull out your old 80GB iPod Classic and shouldn’t experience any major problems. iKurv also comes with a lot of detachable cradles that you can set your respective iOS device into. In my time with the device, I used a 32GB third-generation iPod Touch.
You’ll also get a stereo cable and a remote control in the box. The only thing iKurv doesn’t come with is a video cable, so if you want to use this device in conjunction with your television, you’ll have to make an additional investment.
The Design
iKurv is a pretty device. It has a glossy black finish that compliments the iPod Touch’s aesthetic quite well. Its stand-out feature is a curved blue light that illuminates when power is flowing through it. iKurv also has two speakers on either side and buttons to control the volume and power. It’s a minimalist design and it helps to keep the confusion down.
On the back, iKurv has two inputs for video-out and a MP3-out port for other devices. This is a feature I really appreciated. Even though iKurv is meant to be primarily used with Apple products, you can also use the included stereo cable play to music from another device such a phone, tablet, MP3 player or other devices that have a 3.5mm headphone jack. With a simple press of the “Mode” button on the remote, iKurv will essentially exit iPod mode and enter “other device” mode. I even used iKurv as a big speakerphone with no issues.
iKurv rear
iKurv’s remote is tiny, thin, light and functional. It comes with its own internal battery and functions like any other competent remote. The remote has access to media controls, it can control the brightness of iKurv’s light and can even navigate through albums and songs.
iKurv remote
The Set-Up
Setting up the iKurv with my iPod Touch was a pretty simple process. I plugged it in, stuffed my iPod Touch into the dock and turned it on. I did however have difficulty inserting the iPod Touch into the dock. The proprietary connector just wasn’t lining up with the dock with ease. I had to basically jam the iPod Touch down until I got an indication it was charging. From there, I navigated to my music and began listening.
The Sound Quality
iKurv’s sound quality is quite nice. It doesn’t provide a lot of bass, but it never produced a tinny or distorted sound as I listened to music and podcasts. In its defense, iKurv is not meant to be a speaker dock that can drown out noise at a party or provide musical entertainment for an outdoor affair, but it’s perfectly acceptable for apartments and reasonably sized homes. I never had to turn iKurv all the way up in order to hear it. In fact, if I were to do that right now, my neighbors would probably become annoyed.
Connectivity Issues
iPod error message
I’ve used iKurv just about everyday since I got it and I never stopped anticipating potential problems. I never wanted to move iKurv after my iPod was set because iKurv had trouble keeping a connection. Even though my iPod was still in the dock, it would suddenly stop charging if was disturbed too much. By disturbed, I don’t mean picked up and shaken. I’m referring to just touching the iPod to quickly select a song. It wobbles while connected to iKurv, and that caused some errors to happen on occasion. Sometimes, an alert would appear on my iPod that said,” This accessory is not supported by iPod Touch,” or “charging is not supported by this accessory.” Other times, my iPod thought it was connected to a television. When these things happened, iKurv’s remote would not perform because it thought there was no iPod to control. I resolved these problems by reinserting the iPod and starting over.
Benefits of iOS 5
I waited until iOS 5 was available before finishing this review because I wanted to see if the performance with iKurv would somehow change after the update. I didn’t encounter any problems, but iKurv does indirectly benefit from iOS 5. Since my iPod can now sync to iTunes wirelessly, there’s no need for me to disconnect it from iKurv. I was able to download a podcast from my computer, sync it to my iPod and start listening with no problems. This wouldn’t be possible if iKurv didn’t charge the iPod while it’s docked, so that’s one feature that makes iKurv look even better.
Overall
iKurv is a solid speaker dock that will definitely stand out in a dimly lit room. The sound quality isn’t mind-blowing, but it is loud and clear. The connectivity issues I experienced were annoying and it makes me question how long iKurv will hold up over time. However, its compatibility with other music devices and the optional video-out connection are great features that make iKurv that much more versatile. To me, iKurv’s benefits outweight its flaws.
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