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MP3 speaker dock reviews: Compatibility with new iPods and iPhones

iPod nano touch shuffle classic speaker docks

Anyone who has purchased or intends to purchase the latest iPods – the third generation iPod Touch, the fifth generation iPod Nano, and the iPhone 3GS – should be aware that these and future Apple products may not be fully compatible with all speaker docks we've reviewed.

Though most speaker docks have a 30-pin connection point for directly docking an iPod, their internal technology can differ. 

Some charge iPods via an internal USB connection, whereas others use the increasingly outdated FireWire technology. Traditionally, iPods have been compatible with both technologies when it comes to charging.

The latest MP3 players from Apple are compatible with USB-charging only, and this will be the case with all future updates to the iPod range. This means that, though they will dock and play music through FireWire-based speaker docks, they will not be charged while doing so.

New Apple standard

Any speaker dock conforming to Apple’s new official ‘Made For iPod’ standard will have to be fully compatible with USB-based charging, and thus capable of charging all generations of iPods and iPhones.

Will a speaker dock play music from my iPhone?

You can experience interference from an iPhone’s mobile reception while using it to play music through a speaker dock. 

When docked, a message will often appear on the iPhone suggesting that you set it to ‘airplane mode’. This turns off its phone functionality and lets it function purely as an MP3 player. The disadvantage is that you won’t be able to make or receive calls.

Be sure to check the Which? reviews of MP3 speaker docks for any compatibility issues. 

Brand and model iPod compatibility

In 2008, we contacted the manufacturers of the most popular brands of MP3 speaker docks to clarify which of their products will be fully compatible with the newest Apple iPods and iPhones.

Be sure to check with our findings if you are in any doubt over whether or not the speaker dock you are after will function with your generation of iPod, or be future-proof as newer generations arrive.

Altec Lansing

Altec Lansing advised us that its latest ranges of speaker docks would all be compatible with the newest generations of iPods and iPhones, and would be able to charge as well as play music through these devices. 

The following models were singled out as being fully compatible, and all future models will also be manufactured to the ‘Made For iPod’ standard.

Check the Which? review of the Altec Lansing T612 to see how it fared in our thorough product testing.

Bose

Bose, the manufacturer of the popular Sound Dock series, had mixed news on the compatibility of its devices with the latest generations of iPod.

It confirmed that the original Bose Sound Dock will not be able to charge the latest generation of Apple products, as it is a FireWire-based speaker dock. Similarly, our tests found that the Sound Dock portable could not charge the latest iPods or the iPhone.

The Sound Dock and Sound Dock Portable can both play music through the newest iPods and iPhone, though they won’t charge them. Bose can convert models made before August 2008 to enable them to charge the newer iPods. 

There will be a charge for this service, however, as Bose does not consider this to be a repair to a faulty product. Call Bose on 0800 781 1274 to find out more about converting.

All current models from Bose are completely compatible with all lines of iPod.

Check the Which? review of the Bose Sound Dock and the Which? review of the Bose Sound Dock Portable for our impressions of these two devices.

B&W (Bower & Wilkins)

B&W confirmed that its Zeppelin speaker dock has a 5V USB charging system, making it fully compatible with the latest range of Apple iPods and the iPhone 3G.

Check the Which? review of the B&W Zeppelin to see how this model fared in our testing.

Gear4

Gear4 confirmed that a number of its latest speaker docks are fully compatible with new Apple products. According to Gear4, the following speaker docks are able to play music through and charge the new iPods and the iPhone 3G:

Check the Which? review of the Gear4 StreetParty III and the Which? review of the Gear4 HouseParty IV to see our impressions of these speaker docks.

Intempo

Intempo has confirmed that its newest speaker docks will be able to charge and play the new generations of iPod and the iPhone 3G, and all future products will also conform to the ‘Made For iPod’ standard. The following Intempo speaker docks are all able to charge and play music through the newest Apple products:

We also tested the IDS-03, and found that it could not charge the latest generation of iPod or iPhone 3G. 

Check the Which? review of the Intempo IDS-03 to see how this model performed in our other tests.

Logitech

Logitech told us that its latest range of Pure-Fi speaker docks are fully compatible with the very latest iPods and the iPhone 3G. The following models were singled out as being able to charge and play the latest Apple products:

Although not specifically mentioned by Logitech, in our own testing we found that the Logitech MM50 and Pure-Fi Elite models could also charge the iPhone 3G. 

Klipsch

Though we could not speak to Klipsch directly on this issue, the Klipsch website contained several statements about the compatibility of its speaker dock systems with Apple products.

Klipsch stated that the iGroove HG and Room Groove speaker docks are compatible with most iPods, but it did not include the second generation iPod Touch or the fourth generation iPod Nano among these. 

Klipsch explicitly stated that the iPhone 3G will not charge on either of these systems, though revised updates to these models were planned.

Check the Which? review of the Klipsch iGroove HG and the Which? review of the Klipsch Room Groove to see how each of these products fared in our extensive testing.