I received the Gear4 Houseparty III speakers for Christmas and have so far been delighted with them.
The box is a suitable shape and gives a short description of the speakers on the back which is very informative:
The HouseParty III is a high-quality stereo speaker system for iPod with FM radio. Also included is a fully functional remote control with direct access to the menus of your iPod and an audio cable to link up to other portable music devices and laptops.
Its sleek design fits superbly into any room of the house, so you can sit back and enjoy your crystal clear tunes in style.
Also on the back is a list of the speakers' main features:
-30 Watt total speaker output -Built-in FM radio -Retractable dock for iPod -Hidden LED display -Charges iPod while playing -Compatible with all iPod models with dock connectors and other portable music players -Fully functional remote control for iPod and speaker system included -USB port for data transferring
The speaker output is very high and the volume is on notches from 0-40 giving a suitable difference between each one. It can be changed by the remote control or by buttons on the speaker itself. I have rarely needed to go above 25 with an iPod connected but if you are connected with a different music player via the cable the volume does not go anywhere near as high as it will for when an iPod is being used on the speakers.
The FM radio features a search which finds the next clear radio station and also manual tuning. It can be tuned from the remote control or by buttons on the speaker itself. The radio aerial is about 1 and a half metres long but radio quality will rely on the direction the lead is pointed in and the reception you receive in your area.
The retractable dock is very handy as if you are connecting an iPod, fine, but if not you can push it in to the speakers and it will stay in there out the way until you push it to make it come out again. This is very useful for moving the speakers as when it is out the way it leaves them in a very box-like shape which is easy to move or say pack into a suitcase for going on holiday.
The LED display shows you what mode you are on (iPod, AUX and FM) It displays what radio frequency you are listening to when on FM mode. The mode can be changed with the remote control or by the buttons on the speaker itself.
It plugs into the mains and when plugged in charges the iPod whether it is playing or not. This is very useful as usually you would have to have the iPod plugged into the computer with the computer on or into the mains using an adapter which then means you cannot listen to the iPod but the speakers enable you to charge and play music at the same time without the computer being on.
All iPods with dock connectors are compatible with the speakers and also other music playing devices with a 3.5mm earphone jack. This is great as it means future iPods with this earphone connection will also be compatible with the speakers. Additionally it means whether you are an iPod fan or Zen lover you can connect both to the speakers (not at the same time) and enjoy great quality sound although it is much louder with iPods.
There are three buttons on the speaker system, Power, Plus and Minus. These can be used for turning it on and off, changing modes volume and tuning (FM frequency). The remote is small, light and durable. It can turn it on and off, change modes, volume, mute the sound, tuning (FM frequency), play/pause and skip change track back and forward. The best bit though is that you can use the remote to scroll through you iPod menus just as you would normally with up, down, menu and enter buttons. The remote uses infra red and it's range is not very good at all but apart from this it is a very useful tool.
The speakers have a USB output so rather than plugging your iPod directly into the computer you can do it via the speakers and still do all the same things such as music syncing, changing song info and putting more music on or taking it off.
The Speakers are of a great design which as stated in it's short description is sleek and allows it to fit into any room. They are of a box-like shape so would be easily portable and fit into a suitcase for going on holiday or a trip. They are quite heavy but this should not be too much of a problem.
The sound quality is amazing and I have not experienced any crackling or bad quality even at full volume.
Overall I believe these are the best iPod speakers I have owned and for only £39.99 are amazing value for money.
I highly recommend them to any music lover with a desire to free their tunes.
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