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Customer Reviews for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Model: ITP280B
SKU: 9744089
UPC: 047323101298
Dock your Apple® iPhone® or iPod® with this 3.1-channel speaker bar and enjoy your favorite tunes and videos. The system also provides simulated 5.1-channel surround sound with SRS TruSurround technology.
Average Customer Rating:
2.9
out of 5
(21 Reviews) 21
Rating Snapshot 21 reviews
5 stars
4
4 stars
2
3 stars
6
2 stars
5
1 star
4
48% of customers would recommend this product to a friend
(
10 out of
21)
Customer Reviews for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Review 1 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Ilive sounds great... It's NOT A SOUND BAR!
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: hogg
from moreno valley ca
on 03/17/2012
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Appearance
5.0
Power
5.0
What's great about it: It packs allot of power in volume for it's size!
What's not so great: it does not have a digital coaxial input!!!
I've noticed allot of people making comments that are NOT so positive about this product. The truth of the matter is, IT IS NOT A SOUND BAR FOR YOUR TV (it can be used for it...but) IT IS A IPOD<IPHONE DOCK SPEAKER!!! I know because i bought the model before this one and it sounds great!!! But because my tvs (smart tv) only have a Digital Coaxial OUTPUT... The speaker that I had only had rca/av cable out/input options.
for the price, the sound is super good!!! If you want a sound bar for your tv, then stop being cheap and pay what they are going for.
for the price, the sound is super good!!! If you want a sound bar for your tv, then stop being cheap and pay what they are going for.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Nice For Basics, But That's It
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: RedJaron
on 12/16/2010
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Appearance
3.0
Power
3.0
What's great about it: Price, iPod Dock, FM tuner is nice addition.
What's not so great: Sound quality could be better, Equalizer settings very limited, Horrible IR angle for the remote to work
If you need an external speaker to compensate for weak flat panel speakers, the iLive is an adequate solution, but it's overwhelmingly "entry-level."
The main inputs on the back are composite, or RCA, only. It has two sets of inputs for both audio and video, one auxiliary set just for audio, a video output, and one 3.5 mm input jack on the side. Overall, it's enough for a poor-man's receiver since you can route A/V from both a DVD/BD player and TV to the speaker bar, but if you have a more robust theater setup, you won't have enough jacks to route everything through the iLive
Sound quality is utterly average. The internal equalizer can try to enhance the stereo audio source into a 3.1 output, but most settings seem to muddle the mid tones and exaggerate the high end treble. The very bottom of the speaker bar has a larger ( only 4" ) driver that tries to emphasize the bass, but it won't do as well as even a basic dedicated sub-woofer.
Other features include an FM tuner and a motorized iPod dock with cradles for most iPod models ( the iLive remote will control an iPod when docked too. ) The side 3.5 mm jack can also be used with a Zune or other music sources, but of course you won't get any remote control over those devices.
Most frustrating is the remote control reception. All IR remotes must be within a certain angle in front of the device to work, but the iLive's is ridiculously limited. If you're more than a few feet off center, the remote becomes useless.
While the iLive's performance is average at best, at $150 it's still a decent value. For a small room that's just used for casual TV viewing and the occasional movie, it will be adequate. But with lackluster DSP effects, limited input options ( particularly no digital audio, ) and a weak bass substitute, anyone looking for quality sound will be disappointed here.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+28points
29out of 30found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
remote control
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: Anonymous
from marina del rey, ca
on 11/29/2010
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Appearance
4.0
Power
3.0
What's great about it: Sound superior to flat screen tv sound.
What's not so great: Cant program directv remote to work with the itp280b.
The volume adjustment does not work well on the provided remote. The directv remote cannot be programmed to control the volume on the itp280b requiring me to use 2 remotes for normal tv functions.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+7points
9out of 11found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Sounds great in my apt living room
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: SunshinyDay
from Boston, MA
on 11/21/2010
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Appearance
5.0
Power
4.0
What's great about it: Charges iphone/ipod while docked, sounds great
What's not so great: You have to be in front of the speaker for the remote to work
I purchased the speaker on thurs, and JUST figured out how to set it up tonight and its working grrrrreeeeeat!!! I've been VERY FRUSTATED for the past 2 days trying to figure this out because the instruction booklet that came with the speaker was VERY CONFUSING to me. I AM NOT TECH SAVVY and was ready to GIVE UP on this thing.....until tonight :) Its working great and I'm happy.
I have an HDTV and its works fine with the speaker. The best buy employee suggested that I purchase the "rocketfish HDMI cable 10.2 gbps", and the "rocketfish stereo audio RCA cable" as well. Again let me repeat I AM NOT TECH SAVVY and I can tell by the reviews that I am not the only person that was confused :) I hooked up my Direct TV and Sony Blu-Ray DVD player so that they both can be used with the speaker. So I am going 2 explain, 2 the best of my ability how I got the bar speaker to work on my HDTV.
STEP1: On the speaker, connect the (yellow) cable into the VIDEO OUT. Connect the other end to the back of the TV in the AV 1 VIDEO.
STEP 2: On the speaker, connect the rocketfish RCA cable to the AV 1 R & L IN. Connect the other end to your Direct TV in the AUDIO OUT slots.
STEP 3: I used the rocketfish HDMI cable to connect my Blu-Ray DVD player to my HDTV.
STEP 4: On my Blu-Ray DVD player I used the red & white cord, and connected the cable to the AUDIO slot, and connected the other end to the back of the speaker in the AV 2 R & L.
Your speaker should now work perfectly in conjuction with your ipod/iphone, TV and Blu-Ray player. You should EASILY be able to switch between modes on your speaker remote. I hope this helps out anyone that was frustrated or confused about how to make the speaker work.
I also wanted to address another issue that was mentioned in others reviews. I also experienced the feedback noise from the speaker. But TRUST ME it is an EASY FIX! To put an END to the feedback noise all you have to do is MUTE the TV....PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!
I purchased the speaker in the store and it was on sale for $110, a great price for a great sound. The surround modes on the speaker are ok, the Music 3.1 mode I think is the best.
I hope this helps anyone that has already purchased the speaker, or anyone reading the reviews (as I did before purchasing).
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
+21points
23out of 25found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Nice for for beginer
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: Wendu
on 11/14/2010
Cheaper prize,specially has universal docks , you can mount it on the wall, works wig iPhone it is good but no Hdmi ,optical. No sound in all channels might be from my installation or it might have a problem I bought it few days before and sounds good.It has sub out put I added one and it sounds nice. Unless you use it for a party ,It is good item
I would recommend this to a friend!
-5points
3out of 11found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
keep the box!
Customer Rating
1.0
Posted by: lauraeta
from lexington, sc
on 11/08/2010
What's great about it: price
What's not so great: no optical input
i REALLY wanted to like this soundbar. i like the sound. i love the location of the display and that it shows the time when i'm not adjusting a setting. i love that my iphone/ipod doesn't need a separate cradle.
IT'S GOING BACK TOMORROW!!
its only audio source are rca components! most sound bar's use optical. IF YOU'RE RUNNING HD THROUGH HDMI YOU CAN NOT PLUG THE SOUND BAR DIRECTLY INTO THE TV. (thank you hdcp!!)
5 stars if you only want to use it as an ipod speaker, if you don't want to mount it near your tv, or if you know how to unlock your hd equipment.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+7points
10out of 13found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Good For the Price
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: DaxG
from Boston, MA
on 09/12/2010
Value for Price
3.0
Sound Quality
2.0
Appearance
3.0
Power
3.0
What's great about it: price and versatility
What's not so great: poor remote, average sound
Nice if you are looking for something versatile to play your ipod and watch a movie.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+4points
7out of 10found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
You get what you pay for.
Customer Rating
2.0
Posted by: 30something
from Georgia
on 09/09/2010
What's great about it: nothing
What's not so great: everything
I purchased this unit for my 42" flatscreen. We figures plug it in and its set but this thing took hours to hook up and configure. There is a tinny feedback sound and the highs and lows are terrible. There is an split second delay between this speaker sound and my TV with a echo effect. We never found the best setting for it. Right now its sitting in the box waiting for me to get it back to the store. I don't talk tech and all I can say is, I was totally dissatisfied with it, the sound quality was really bad. I will wait until I have more to spend on a sound bar and get a better quality one next time. There has to be a simpler better bar out there.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-1point
6out of 13found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Poor product
Customer Rating
1.0
Posted by: Memoore
from Leesville,la
on 09/01/2010
Value for Price
1.0
Sound Quality
1.0
Appearance
5.0
Power
1.0
What's great about it: Nothing was great about it
What's not so great: Won't work
I will NOT recommend this to neone, I spent to much money fa this soundbar not to work. The power came on but no sound came out the speaker.& the bad part iz I threw the box away before I hooked it up so now I have a soundbar just laying around
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-12points
5out of 22found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Excellent Versatility, Great Sound, Good Price
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Appearance
5.0
Power
4.0
What's great about it: Price, Versatility, Features
What's not so great: No Digital Input
Actually this is a great sound bar. Unfortunately, people expect more from it than what it really is. No, you won't get awesome bass out of this unit, but there again, you shouldn't expect it to. This unit is perfect for people who live in an apartment and don't want to offend the neighbors. The full spectrum of sound is here... bass is respectable with good mid-range and decent highs. The preset surround modes (Tru-Surround XT, DC, WOW) leave more to be desired. The bass is overprocessed, and the highs are almost non-existent. The best mode seems to be "MUSIC 3.1"... all 3 speakers plus the subwoofer work in this mode with much clearer highs, and also this mode also allows you to tailor the bass and treble to your liking. Place this unit in front of your TV and you get sound much better than many computer speakers. There are a variety of inputs, but there is no digital input; for most, this won't make much of a difference. The remote works well. The iPod drawer won't eject unless you have it in the iPod mode first. Most of the time, you'll just 'set it and forget it', using the 'variable' mode on your TV to adjust the sound volume vs. the TV itself. It's a good product, despite what others have said.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+27points
28out of 29found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Great Speaker
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Appearance
5.0
Power
5.0
What's great about it: rca switching, sound quality, stylish, includes wall hanger , charges and plays iphone and ipods, doesn't break the bank
What's not so great: weak remote
I actually bought this speaker to replace an equally priced Klipsch speaker set, so obviously I had high expectations. I can't believe there are so many negative reviews, it's a great product. It looks extremely nice, comes with a remote (though it tends to have lots of bad signal patches) and the sound quality is great. I love how I can plug my Xbox and my Cable into the back, and run just 1 RCA cable to my TV and boom, I just switch between the two. It also charges my ipods and iPhone, and keeps me organized. So not only is it a good speaker, it's a very good RCA Switcher, Charger, Docking Station, and more. the included RCA video cable isn't as great as the product, I'll probably replace it for $15 with a monster cable, but that isn't a big deal..
Of course your not going to get amazing Bose sound from $150 speakers, but you will be extremely satisfied with these. I enjoy them much more than any other speaker I've bought in a long time.
Oh and it includes wall mounts, that's huge, most speakers will charge almost $100 more to get the rackets.
If your on a budget and want a decent sound quality and some cool useful extras, this is for you.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+18points
18out of 18found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
You get what you pay for
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: 71Mike
from Chicago, IL
on 07/29/2010
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Appearance
4.0
Power
3.0
What's great about it: Decent value for the price.
I purchased this as an open item from the store and paid half price. It met my expectations and works fine. I'm using it as an extra speaker and ipod dock for a tv on the outside of my motorhome.
I would recommend this to a friend!
-1point
2out of 5found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Worth buying
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: legal1
from MS
on 06/29/2010
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Appearance
5.0
Power
4.0
What's great about it: Easy to set up; Ipod and Iphone plug right into system
What's not so great: remote only works within certain distance
I love this product. I knew I wanted it when I first saw it in store. I was looking for a sound system for the sunroom outside. This product was perfect for it, since it requires NO wiring. All you do is plug it up to the outlet outside and it's done. The subwoofer is made into the bar. Ipod and Iphone plugged right up; just plug and play and navigate with remote. It can be used inside with TV and computer, also. We are probably going to buy another one for inside in the bedroom. For $140, it is well worth the sound quality and simplicity of installation versus a sound system with several components.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+7points
7out of 7found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Very low end product
Customer Rating
1.0
Posted by: djb1
from Lake Butler,Fl
on 06/24/2010
Value for Price
3.0
Sound Quality
1.0
Appearance
3.0
Power
1.0
What's great about it: Looks Good
What's not so great: Not up to date on connections
Docking station power door didn't work,Audio input only has RCA in but TV has Optical Audio Out so it's like putting a round peg in a square hole it just did't match up.Was able to make connection from Headset out put on TV to RCA input on speaker but sound & power was terrible.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-4points
1out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
You get what you pay for
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: robie46
from North Dartmouth, MA
on 06/16/2010
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Appearance
4.0
Power
3.0
What's great about it: The price,easy set up
What's not so great: Don't expect movie theater sound effects
I was looking to add better sound to my HDTV without spending a small fortune as I expect to have to replace my computer soon. This reasonably priced sound bar won't blow you away with its power but if you want your TV to sound better this little number should fit the bill. I would like to get something better someday but for now I will settle for cheap.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+7points
7out of 7found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Don't waste your money!
Customer Rating
1.0
Posted by: emken119
from hartsdale, ny
on 06/02/2010
Value for Price
1.0
Sound Quality
1.0
Appearance
2.0
Power
1.0
What's great about it: nothing I can think of
What's not so great: poor sound quality, no digital connections, large and bulky
I purchased this primarily for a TV that didn't have working audio but also for the Ipod dock. The bar is long and bulky. Only has red/white audio input connections. Sound quality was poor - no better than a clock radio. I wouldn't waste your money on this. There are better options - for $150 you might as well spend the extra $50-100 for a decent quality home theather system and be happy with your purchase - at least you'll get DVD player as well as Ipod dock with most new home theaters.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+2points
4out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
It is what it is.
Customer Rating
2.0
Posted by: askibum02
from NC
on 05/17/2010
Value for Price
3.0
Sound Quality
1.0
Appearance
3.0
Power
2.0
What's great about it: Cheap
What's not so great: Sound is lacking
I bought this when my bedroom TV speakers went out, rather than replace the whole TV. Like the title says, it is what it is. It works OK for my purpose, but is no means an ideal solution. The sound is lacking highs in the surround modes, to the point where it is hard to understand some dialog. If I actually watch a movie, the bass is locking as well. The price is right, though.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Could've been better
Customer Rating
2.0
Posted by: OhMan
from Redlands, Ca
on 05/04/2010
Value for Price
3.0
Sound Quality
2.0
Appearance
4.0
Power
2.0
What's great about it: Easy to setup, Works great with my iPod touch 3rd gen
What's not so great: Clock, subwoofer sucks, weak radio reception
When I read the specs for this item I was so excited I couldn't wait to get it home. Unfortunately these last couple of months have been nothing but dissappointment. First theres the clock, I have to keep updating it every couple of days because it doesnt stay synched with the correct time. After a month or so I gave up so the time on the display is always wrong. Then theres the built-in subwoofer, sounds distorted when sorround settings are on. I disabled the built-in sub and bought me a real subwoofer it sounds way better now. Overall sound is ok not the greatest but for the room I have it in it works pretty good especially after removing the built-in sub and adding a 10" powered 100w Polk Audio sub. I only use this for my iTouch,TV, and gaming system so as long as those work and sound good I'm happy. I never found anything out there with similiar features otherwise I would've returned it. Oh and getting a hold of someone at iLive takes FOREVER so they're useless. I should've returned it but I just got to lazy so now I'm stuck with it.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 19 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Terrible Product
Customer Rating
2.0
Posted by: spyral
from Oklahoma City, OK
on 05/04/2010
Value for Price
2.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Appearance
4.0
Power
4.0
What's great about it: iPod Dock, Sound Quality, Cheap
What's not so great: Complete Unit Failure, Constant Resets, Lousy Tech Support
During the first month, the unit worked great with a few exceptions (iPod dock not ejecting, unresponsive remote). During the second month, the unit started constantly resetting itself, putting itself back to default channel/volume. During the third month, it started shutting itself off. And now, at the fourth month, it has completely blown it's speaker (I don't blast anything - no reason for this). I get a high pitched squeal on all of the Auxiliary channels, and garbled static on the radio portion. Needless to say, tech support won't offer me any assistance beyond "Reset the unit" and "We'll exchange it for $60" due to it being a month past the manufacturer warranty.
During the couple of months I got sound out of it, though - the sound was great for my apartment, not too bassy, no banging neighbors, but still good quality. The equalizer presets are useless, however. Plan to spend a good deal of time getting the equalizer set "just right" for your setup.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 20 for iLive 3.1-Channel Speaker Bar with Apple® iPhone® and iPod® Dock
Not Worth The Money !!
Customer Rating
2.0
Posted by: sgtal98
from Dolton, Il.
on 04/28/2010
Value for Price
3.0
Sound Quality
1.0
Appearance
4.0
Power
1.0
What's great about it: Good Price
What's not so great: Poor sound quality, bad instructions, cheap materials
Purchased this sound bar because of its reasonable price, without listening to a demo at Best Buy. Attempted to follow the instructions for set up, but the instruction book is vague and poorly written. Volume even at full blast was a disappointment, as well as the lack of bass response, and stereo effect . Also, the iPod/IPhone dock is poorly constructed, and the adapters that come with the unit are useless. All in all, a major waste of money !!!!
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+2points
3out of 4found this review helpful.
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