As many of our readers have noted,
the iPod HiFi is no more. Goodbye little (big?) Apple speaker, we knew ye not very well. The original release of the thing was
a "bit of a letdown" in the first place, and the combination iPod dock-slash-speaker system never really took off. Anyone who was willing to spend that much on a speaker already had one that was better, or didn't listen to tunes straight from their iPod at home anyway.
Not that it was a bad device-- I have a friend that bought one, and it sounded great and worked perfectly in her apartment. But it looks like Apple's $349 boombox didn't make the cut today-- it's off of the online store, and likely gone from the retail stores as well. Bye bye, Apple HiFi.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Scott said 10:10PM on 9-05-2007
The iPod Hifi is still at the online store. It's first up under:
http://www.apple.com/ipod/accessories/ and it still has its own page:
http://www.apple.com/ipod/accessories/
What kind of fact-checking are you doing on these blog entries????
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Scott said 10:11PM on 9-05-2007
Oops, that second link should end in hifi and not accessories. Like the link you have in your first sentence. How do you have a link like that and then say it's gone from the online store???
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blinkcowz182 said 10:13PM on 9-05-2007
Um yea and then if you would take the time to click on the buy now link, you get "Sorry The item you have selected is currently not available from the Apple Store.
Please note that Apple cannot guarantee availability of any product."
What kind of fact checking are you doing for your comments?
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Scott said 10:19PM on 9-05-2007
I take it back. OK, so fact-checking isn't the problem. It is gone from the store. But the pages are still on the site--it's not like Apple to do something like that only halfway, is it? The wording in the article could be clearer. The story I just read on MacNN.com was much clearer, and explained the distinction.
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Xo said 10:34PM on 9-05-2007
i have one.
i like it and sync it up with a connected airport express as a secondary set of speakers with my itunes. i only wish they had one built in.
oh well. at least i didn't buy an iphone in the last 20 days. :P
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punkassjim said 10:33PM on 9-05-2007
I never owned one, but whenever we worked late at our local Apple Store, we usually chose to play our iPods in either that thing, or the B&O Go+Play. They both were able to fill the whole store with pretty damn good sound. I'm not surprised it stayed on the market as long as it did.
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Mike said 10:42PM on 9-05-2007
This is tragic. I also fell for the early reviews which completely missed the mark on this product. I only picked it up recently, and did so under great faith because I had heard so many negative things about it as a price/value concept. This is an amazing product and it never deserved anything like what was leveled against it by people who either never used it or didn't understand its design (e.g. iLounge). The thing is worth every penny I spent and I'll consider getting another before it vanishes into the ebaysphere forever. hrmph
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Chris H said 11:16PM on 9-05-2007
I picked up one for $200 awhile back. It makes for a very nice mobile speaker. Even at that price it is pretty expensive since I only use it a couple times a month. Still, it is very convenient when I use it (and it sounds very good too).
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Dan said 11:42PM on 9-05-2007
I find it weird that they would re-make an icon for the Hi-Fi with a new iPod Nano if they weren't going the keep it around.
The icon is on the horizontal sliding bar of http://www.apple.com/itunes/
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blah said 12:14AM on 9-06-2007
uhh…mike?
every section on apple's website where the ipod hifi was, it is now, with the exception of the store page, which is just down right now. in addition, there are plenty at apple store fifth avenue and the staff there says that ipod hifi has not been EOL'ed.
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Ang said 12:54AM on 9-06-2007
I have one, used it all the time to listen to my podcasts while I'm doing stuff around the house.
Am going to replace it with a AudioPro Porto, comes in leather and has rechargeable battery when I need to play in backyard, looks and sounds good as well.
http://www.audiopro.com/templates/audio_pro_products/?id_products=450
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Scott Meinzer said 1:28AM on 9-06-2007
http://www.apple.com/ipodhifi/ipodintegration.html
Next to the "Look Who's Talking" paragraph is an image of the new iPod classic...
Why would apple take the time to update the HiFi pages to feature the new iPod classic if it wasn't planning on selling it anymore. I don't think the HiFi has been discontinued, its just missing from the apple store right now.
Side note, the iPod HiFi is an awesome product if not a slight bit expensive, I was able to snag two from my local Target Store when it clearanced them 50% off. I really wish apple would add an AirTunes base station into them, especially if you could stream music remotely to one via iPod Touch/iPhone...
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Luigi193 said 8:28AM on 9-06-2007
Its really great when you are swimming and its playing on the deck. Very nice. And it can get dang loud too!!
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Lori said 9:38AM on 9-06-2007
I bought the iPod Hi-Fi when they first came out. I love it and everyone who hears the music coming from it is amazed. In the summer I have it out on the patio while we our having our cook outs and fire pit parties. The music plays into the night without a hitch.
Maybe they are going to redo it for integration with the new iPods and maybe add some new features.
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SubGenius said 10:20AM on 9-06-2007
I doubt the product has been killed.
They probably cleared out the old inventory but were not ready to introduce it's replacement.
I too am hoping for an integrated Airport Express Base Station and a $200 price drop! : )
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TigerPants said 10:26AM on 9-06-2007
I own one and actually never understood why Apple didn't integrate an Airport Express directly into the device. That's how I have it hooked up and have to say... I do love it. It's sound fills the room nicely and has been just portable enough to take outside for pool parties or whatever...
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Navstar said 10:57AM on 9-06-2007
The missing killer feature missing from HiFi was the lack of built-in Airtunes. That would have made it much more compelling in my book. I have to buy this AND and Airport Station to get it to work with my current setup. That's more than $450 total! If it was $299 with Airtunes, I'd be more interested.
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matt said 10:55AM on 9-06-2007
NOOOOO!!!!! I bought a HiFi some time ago, and i love it!!!!... It saddens me to see that Apple will no longer sell them! However, i must admit that Apple must do what they think is right... I just disagree (this time...)
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toper said 1:41PM on 9-06-2007
As Jobs would say, "That's technology!"
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Paul Warren said 2:31PM on 9-06-2007
Also, no more U2 iPod.
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