Review: iHome iP71 Notebook/iPhone Speakers

iHome’s iP71 notebook speakers are feature packed and include an integrated iPod dock. The iP71’s sound quality isn’t stunning, but there’s still a lot to like about this product. The speakers are shielded, which means they’re resistant to interference caused by iPhones and other mobile devices.

The iHome iP71 system retails for about $130. It consists of a pair of black and silver speakers, remote control, USB cable, iPod inserts and audio cables.

The left speaker has an iPod dock that can charge and sync any iPod or iPhone. The back of the left speaker has a USB port, which can be used to sync an iPod or iPhone. There are a pair of audio inputs so users can be plugged into your notebook and another source. There’s a port for the AC adapter and for a cable that connects the right speaker. There’s a sync button on the top of the speaker.

The right speaker has a power button and volume controls on the front and a single port on the back that connects it to the left speaker.

I tried using the iP71 with my iPhone 3G and MacBook Pro for a couple of weeks. I found it very convenient to have an iPhone dock integrated with the speakers, which means there’s one less device cluttering up my desk.

Setup was pretty straight forward and I was able to play audio from both my notebook and iPhone in no time. The iP71 speakers looked right at home next to my uni-body MacBook Pro. I placed the right speaker out of reach, which means the speaker’s volume controls were out of reach. I used the remote control instead to adjust the volume, navigate through my music collection and control playback.

Unfortunately, music sounded extremely dull and flat at first. I used the included remote control turn on the sound expander and boost the bass and treble. This made my tunes sound a lot better, but these speakers do have their limits. Each speaker only has a single driver, which means the highest and lowest frequencies don’t come through very well. While they are loud enough to fill an office or bedroom with sound, audio enthusiasts will be sorely disappointed since they can get much better sounding speakers (without an iPod dock) in this price range.