Booming Apples

We have all had a boombox; that portable radio that we dragged along with us to a friend’s barbeque or to the cottage. They started off being cumbersome and only had the radio and cassette as your source options. Soon you could get the CD version but it still came with a cassette player (or sometimes two) even though the popularity of tape recordings was fading fast.

Around 2001, MP3 players and iPod's changed all that. Many companies developed players for the new technology. It wasn't until 2006 that Apple stepped up and made something that would equal their iPod. It was simple and stylish; a heavy white box that would thump like no other. The weight is from the 150 Watt amp hidden inside; 75 Watts per side and the full 150 Watts for the subwoofer. It provides a warm sound and bigger bass than other systems. The simple remote worked the same as the iPod. It was brilliant. 

The issue was that it cost the same amount as an 80G iPod. It would never replace the home stereo and you were limited to listening to your iPod or jacking in an external source to the back. It is not exactly something you would see John Cusack hoisting on his shoulder like the infamous scene in Say Anything, but it still has presence. Bose’s SoundDock is a bigger name and probably the best one on the market. It is surprising that Apple discontinued making this unit after a short eighteen months when their main competition costs relatively the same.

All I know is that I can't imagine summer without the Apple Hi-Fi. It impressed my brother so much that he went looking for one on eBay. I couldn't believe when he found one in Montreal for a third of the original price. With the great sound and great quality it is totally worth the hunt. You wouldn’t want to have all your tunes ending up on a fried iPod. Now that would not rock.