Rating  - Sitting on the Dock of the Day
That's right: We didn't expect to give this baby the "sit on" test, but unfortunately it happened. The bad news is my son sat on the dock loaded with iPod (could've been double-trouble). The good news is that it was my son and not I who sat on it, and the fact that it was on a cushy, cushiony couch that gave way. However, I have to tell you: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!
Now for the skinny (not me) on the dock: I love iPod docks. From the first time I saw (I think it was a Belkin) an iPod dock at MacWorld in San Francisco closer to the turn of the century, I thought it was the coolest idea. Everyone in our family has at least one iPod, and only my wife is still on her first one. So we've had plenty of experience with iPods of all sizes and generations. A dock-to-fit is the first thing we buy, even before getting a cover/holder for the unit.
Unless you buy one of the high-priced docks, multifeatured or not (probably anywhere in three figures), you're buying the dock not for wonderful sound but rather for portability of listening and convenience of charging. One of the great things about this unit is that the entire rig is shirt-pocket small--even with the iPod in it! It's almost like having a speaker built into the iPod itself.
Having the controls on the side is a little awkward, but you have to give something to get something. Though the name "TravelSound" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, the name says what it is: a little guy who lets you watch or listen to the nano while you're on the go. Given the convenience, I can live with the small, thin controls.
One little thing really makes this product work for me over all its other features: the ability to charge both the dock and the iPod at the same time. It just makes sense, and that's something not all manufacturers adhere to--especially when deciding which features to pack into a small item.
Bottom line: It's a tiny bit pricey but worth it for the features you get to complement your cute little nano. And if you want GREAT sound, get another, more expensive dock to keep at home.
Oh, and one more thing: DON'T SIT ON IT.
Rating  - Needs a lower price to match its quality
In the box: Docking station, adjustable stand, rechargeable adapter. It does not come with a USB cable.
Size test: When you put the latest iPod Nano (third generation -- short one with rounded corners) with the TravelSound i80 and you get a speaker about the size of a classic iPod. It passes the portability test -- lightweight and not bulky.
Sound test: I don't proclaim to be a pro when it comes to sound, bass, and synthesizers. So I couldn't evaluate the product at that level of detail. From what my family and I hear -- we think the speaker provides good sound quality for its size. The kids notice the bass doesn't come through as strongly as it does through headphones or the full-sized speaker we have. We still enjoy the music -- just not at its full bassy effect.
The other problem is that the speaker is on the back of the device. So if you're looked at the iPod (photos, lyrics, whatever) -- the speaker turns away from you.
Control test: Sometimes we have trouble adjusting the volume because of the plastic in front of the wheel. Annoying. Otherwise, the controls work fine.
Compatibility: It's frustrating that many iPod accessories only work with one generation or one type of iPod. We've owned three different types of iPod and don't bother buying anything other than headphones because we know accessories often don't work with older or newer iPods.
Cost: While Creative Labs has a long history of producing quality speakers, I'm disappointed the price is as high as a BOSE speaker. We can usually count on Creative Labs to provide good to great quality sound at a lower cost. Here, we lose on cost. I wouldn't pay this much for the quality we get from the speaker.
Lower the price and maybe more people will overlook its issues and buy it -- It's worth about $40 or less.
Rating - Giving my first iPod a bigger voice!
I am new to the world of iPods, having just bought my Nano 3G in the last few months. My intention when I bought it was to use it pretty exclusively for exercise--i.e., wear it in an armband and listen to it with earbuds. However, when I found out about this little speaker dock, I was really excited; I could see the possibilities of expanding the the places where I could listen to it. My thoughts on its features:
Size: The speaker dock is not much bigger than the Nano itself, which gives it great portability--you could easily tuck it into a pocket or purse to take it along with you just about anywhere. The weight of the whole unit--iPod Nano, speaker dock and stand--is only 5 1/4 ounces (according to my food scale), so it's very light to boot.
Sound: I was pleasantly surprised at the sound quality for the size of this speaker. After a few minutes, I completely forget that I'm listening to a speaker that's only a few inches high and barely 1/2" deep. However, its weakness is that there is a noticeable absence of the bass register in the sound so, depending on what kind of music you like, this could be a problem--i.e., if your enjoyment of music is dependent on heavy bass. Personally, though, I have not found it a bother, even when listening to dance music, which tends to be heavier on bass.
Controls: The controls (and the USB port) are on the side of the speaker. My only beef is that there is a half-moon of plastic in front of the volume wheel, so every time I try to adjust the volume, it takes me a second to realize that the volume isn't changing because I am running my finger over the plastic and not the volume wheel. However, once I have some more time under my belt using the speaker dock, that will likely cease to be an issue. I'm sure the plastic half-moon serves a purpose--like protecting the volume wheel when you slip the speaker dock into your pocket or something--but I just wish they'd put it on the BACK vs. the FRONT of the wheel.
Accessories: The dock comes with a stand that angles the iPod for best viewing if you were using it for videos, etc. It also comes with a plug that allows you to recharge the iPod and speaker dock at the same time. (Note: I had to charge my speaker dock when I first took it out of the package, before I could listen to my iPod on it.)
Looks: Since I bought the brushed silver/nickel iPod, the speaker portion matches my iPod nicely and looks like it came as one unit. The white of the stand and non-speaker parts of the dock are about the same color as the white part of the control wheel on the iPod. I found it a very harmonious look--i.e., it looks like there was thought put into what the iPod would look like in the speaker dock. It looks rather space-age and cool.
Edited a few weeks later to add that I am really loving this little dock. I carried it around with me from room to room last week while cleaning so that I could listen to my tunes. I cleaned the bathroom in nothing flat thanks to some very uptempo classic R&B hits and surely burned a few calories while doing it because I was boppin' to the beat! :)
Rating - Terrific Sound! Great Looks! A LIttle Pricey!
Creative Labs, which I have known for their "Sound Blaster" sound cards for years, has put together a great little player for the 3rd Generation 4 GB Nano iPod. At about the same size as a "classic" iPod (those 80GB and 160 GB models) and with a color combination of "iPod white" plastic and a gray anodized aluminum metal finish, the i80 goes perfectly with the basic 4 GB iPod's metal finish.
The TravelSound i80 has many outstanding features: self-contained rechargeable batteries that give you over 15 hours worth of playing; a wall charger that allows the unit to play and recharge itself; it is small in size (even hooked-up with a 4 GB iPod it is as small as a "classic" iPod); it is easy to use all of the controls of the iPod while it is plugged-into the dock; and it has enough volume (that is controlled by the volume wheel on the side of the i80) that when you are on the beach, you will have to watch the volume or the lifeguard will be asking you to "turn it down!"
There are some drawbacks, though: the two channel sound comes from speakers so close that you do not get any sound separation between channels (and the sound is a little "thin;" (lacks bass on some tunes); the plug for the charger/adapter comes apart in such a way that it appears to be made for the international market and I found that I, and others, did not fully put it together at times; there isn't included a mini-USB to 2.0 USB cable supplied (but you can get one at 3M Type A To Mini B Hi-speed USB 2.0 Cable; and the $75.00 price tag. I, also, would have liked to have seen it have an adjustable dock so it could have played a regular video iPod, too.
All that said and noted, would I purchase one myself? Maybe, if I needed something small in size that looked great and would produce a fairly good sound. However, having had the use of an iHome Portable Stereo to Go iHome Portable Stereo Speaker for iPod Shuffle (Black) for a while that plays both the 4GB and "classic" iPods and sells at a price slightly more than one-half the price of the TravelSound i80, I probably wouldn't. BUT, had I not known about the iHome, or had I not had one, the TravelSound i80 would have been just the thing for traveling, the beach, the kids in the backseat of the car, or a campsite.
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