I had to post this again. Everyone gave me so many suggestions (thanks all!) with certain assumptions that it started to get confusing. Let me narrow down my specs...
I want to play my iPod in the living/dining room with good quality sound. Not tinny. Yet I'm not an audio expert and don't need pro quality sound.
I don't want to play tunes on my Mac from my office in the basement that may allow me to listen to it in the living room. I don't want to run back and forth to change something or shut it off.
I don't want to use my old turntable, tape deck, CD player, amp and HUGE speakers any more. I want a smaller high quality sytem that will sit on a cabinet.
I want my iPod to be charging while it is playing. (Does the Audio Engine 2 do this or just the AE 5?)
My price range is $150 to $350.
So far, I'm considering the Bose Sounddock (on sale at Best Buy), and Audio Engine 2. Do either of those fit the best or is there something else?
Update: hmmm, their page for it is still up but the online store doesn't have it. Might be discontinued, in which case, have a look at this: Blue Raven
I've got the Altec Lancing iM7 and it's worked wonders for me! I'm actually looking to get a 2nd one for my room.. I use mine at work and it's the loudest boom box in the house I work in ceramic flooring so we've got the whole house to ourselves to blast away =) It's got great bass response and detailed sound. Only thing that may bother you is the remote... if you've got a big room it may not be great... you have to be like 4-5 feet from it for the remote to work properly... or at least that was the case with mine. I really dont like the HI FI one from Apple b/c the dock is in a *IMO stupid location! You have to leave a lot of clearance room on top for the iPod. Also if you ever use it on the field, great battery life with 8x D Cell batteries. Mine lasted 4-5 days 8hrs a day on average... n rechargeable batteries are highly recommended!
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I have to agree with the iM7. I love this. I've had it for over a year now and I'm so glad I didn't sell it last year like I wanted. If you go to iLounge.com they still give it top marks although I don't think they're making them any more. Fantastic sound with deep bass and high volume. It's also portable, took it to Mexico for my wedding. It's also got s-video out so you can watch video on your tv through the ipod. I use the video out constantly and if you convert your video with isquint using the highest settings it's got pretty remarkable quality.
I was in to BestBuy on Dec.23rd, and they had some Apple iPod Hi-Fis.
The iPod Hi-Fi was discontinued on September 5th, and is no longer available from Apple. Anything being sold now is just leftover in the distribution channels.
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The iPod Hi-Fi was discontinued on September 5th, and is no longer available from Apple. Anything being sold now is just leftover in the distribution channels.
But that probably means the price is NICE. How much was it at BB?
The best I've heard is the B&W's Zeppelin.. the housing is made of steel therefore produces amazing sound also weighs a ton and feels very solid and as asthetics goes it would look really cool and not out of place in a decent living room..price is killer also around 6 Bills.
The next best sounding is the Harmon Kardon Go and Play- Best Buy has it for $200 this week.. which I was thinking of buying but thought to myself that now we'r kinda going backwards with these little boom boxes which people started using in the 80's and then moved on to seperate amps and speakers for better sound -and now we're going back to these little guys for our ipods/iphones- so I don't want to put that in my living room, the best sound will always come from seperate systems.
So now I'm thinking of hooking my old Sony 5.1 amp and speakers- 5 satelite speakers which I already have in the wall in my living room (I have the wires running behind the wall) from when I had my 42" Tv, which I have now moved to the family room to replace an older set. All I'll have to do is get a universal dock (will charge my iphone ) which has a line out in it therefore will hook upto the amp and and works with the iMac remote-Done! way better sound than any boombox, charges the iphone, and looks good!
If you dont' need portability from a system in your living room go get a home theatre set which will give you 5 satellite speakers and small sub and amp with built in DVD/CD player for around $200.
All you do then is fish the wires behind the walls for the satellite speakers and hang them you don't need to hook the 5th speaker cause your only going to play music, put the receiver in a decent place with the universal dock on top of it for the ipod/iphone-buy the iMac remote, Just make sure the receiver has an aux in line most will. I think asthetically this is the best way to go for a decent living room set up, and with the sound coming from 4 speakers in all 4 corners of the room and bass from the sub, you'll be more happier, and you don't need to turn up the volume for great sound then.
I've been toying with getting something for my iPod Video,
I'm impressed with the iLuv, But do I really want another gadget in the house.
This system is nice though and I could put it on top of my livingroom T.V.
Dave
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I work in ceramic flooring so we've got the whole house to ourselves to blast away =) It's got great bass response and detailed sound. Only thing that may bother you is the remote... if you've got a big room it may not be great... you have to be like 4-5 feet from it for the remote to work properly... or at least that was the case with mine. I really dont like the HI FI one from Apple b/c the dock is in a *IMO stupid location! You have to leave a lot of clearance room on top for the iPod. Also if you ever use it on the field, great battery life with 8x D Cell batteries. Mine lasted 4-5 days 8hrs a day on average... n rechargeable batteries are highly recommended!
so I don't want to put that in my living room, the best sound will always come from seperate systems. 
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