iSymphony W2 120-Watt Wireless Micro Speaker System with Built-in Universal Dock for iPod (Black) | 
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| Brand: iSymphony
Category: CE
List Price: $269.99
Buy New: $222.99
You Save: $47.00 (17%)
New (19)
Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 14.3
Dimensions (in): 14.2 x 10.5 x 15.9
MPN: W2
Model: W2
UPC: 827396512197
EAN: 0827396512197
ASIN: B001D559Y8
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Compatibility: iPod mini 1G; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch 1G | | • | Expandable wireless micro music system--add as many speaker pairs as you like | | • | 120 Watts Peak Power/30 Watts Output Power | | • | Built-in universal dock for iPod | | • | Slot-loading CD player with CD/CD-R/RW compatibility |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
The W2 audio system from iSymphony combines a sleek and compact wall-mountable wireless main unit with wireless speakers for flexibility unrivaled by conventional audio systems. Right out of the box, W2 delivers crystal-clear CD-quality music wherever you want it, without the drawbacks of previous-generation wireless systems--no pops, squeaks, or audio drop-outs; all you hear is your music. Set it up in one room or put speakers in every room of your house; you'll never need to run a single speaker wire again.  iSymphony's W2 Audio System with Wireless Speakers combines a sleek and compact wall-mountable wireless main unit with wireless speakers for flexibility unrivaled by conventional audio systems. Click to enlarge. | The W2 allows you access to all your favorite music sources. An integrated iPod dock smoothly extends from the front of the main unit. A slot-loading CD player on top lets you play your CDs, and SD/MMC and USB slots on the side support playback of music in MP3 and WMA formats. A built-in FM tuner keeps you up-to-date with the latest hit songs and what's happening in the world.  Control your system from the speaker in a different room. |  No cables and a 100-foot range. | W2's wireless speakers fit wherever you need them and can be wall-mounted with the wireless main unit for extra style points. Thirty Watts of audio power ensures a full, rich sound to really bring out the details of your music. The W2 forms the center of the iSymphony wireless audio experience. Included in the package is the wireless main unit with iPod dock, CD player, SD/MMC/USB slots and tuner, one pair of wireless speakers, and a full-function remote control. Additional pairs of speakers are available separately and allow you to expand the system to fill your home or office. Wireless Main Unit
- Built-in universal dock for iPod
- Slot-loading CD player with CD/CD-R/RW compatibility and MP3/WMA playback
- USB, SD, and MMC slots supporting MP3 and WMA playback
- FM Stereo with digital synthesized tuner
- Full-function remote control included
- Wall mountable, compatible with VESA 75 (LCD TV) wall mount
Wireless Speakers
- Fully independent wireless speakers allow limitless placement options within 100-foot range
- 30 Watts (RMS) total output power
- Control volume and playback from the speakers
- Compact desktop or wall-mountable design
- Wall mountable, compatible with standard speaker wall mount
Additional Wireless Speakers (Available Separately)
- Expand your wireless system as you wish for true, whole-home wireless audio
- Indoor and outdoor speaker designs for ultimate flexibility
- Control your music volume and playback from the speakers using the dedicated remote control
What's in the Box
iSymphony W2, one pair of wireless speakers, remote control.
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| Customer Reviews:
Another iPod docking station... with a wireless twist November 30, 2008
With the W2 compact stereo system, iSymphony introduces a fairly competent, full-featured music center with "wireless" speakers.
The W2 supports a variety of sources:
- FM tuner
- CD player
- iPod
- auxiliary input
The audio is sent wirelessly to speakers (a pair comes bundled in the box, but the system supports a total of 20 speakers), there also is an audio output jack in the back.
The system and speakers come on removable pedestals; the music center can be attached to a wall using a standard VESA monitor mount; you need to leave about 6" clearance on top if you plan on using the CD player.
A button on the bottom left side of the unit releases a drawer which contains the iPod dock, and an assortment of 8 iPod dock adapters is provided in the box. My second generation iPod touch works great with it (including charging) although for some unfathomable reason charging stops when you switch to stand-by mode.
Each unit (the system and both speakers) is powered by a very large "wall wart"-type power adapter. The system is wireless, but you still need to be able to plug in the speakers where you want to use them.
The W2 comes with an infrared remote control; an RF remote would have made more sense considering the whole house aspirations of the system. All the functions are accessible from the remote, and there is also a small pull-out control panel on the bottom right side of the unit opposite the iPod drawer.
The sound quality is not bad at all for a wireless system; although I am running a wireless router, a microwave oven and a cordless phone in the vicinity, the W2 had no problem delivering interference and static free music. Don't expect ear-splitting sound levels and thunderous bass, however; with small midrange drivers and no sub, the speakers can't deliver that much in the lower range.
So, should you consider this unusual system? If you are looking for ambient sound at moderate levels, can't run speaker wires but have power outlets near where you want to locate the speakers, the W2 is definitely worth looking into, especially if you think you might want to add more speakers in the future (for instance in a rec room, kitchen or patio): you get quite a lot of features for the price of a single-unit dock. If you don't have these requirements a more traditional system might be a better choice.
Headed in the right direction November 26, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've never heard of "iSymphony" but if all their items are similar to this product in design, they will definitely become a player in the electronics realm soon.
Disappointments:
1) Speakers are not really "wireless" if you count the power cord that runs from the speaker to an outlet. I was hoping for battery-operated speakers that have NO cords coming out of them whatsoever. Still, they are much more portable than traditional "hard-wired" speakers.
2) Not compatible with iphones. It appears to be compatible with just about every other Apple product (including itouch which looks almost identical to iphone) but for $300 or so, I expected it to work with iphone too. Not so.
3) Remote control is infra-red (meaning you need line-of-sight). You can't be in any room of the house (without base unit) to adjust volume, turn on and off, etc.
4) Speakers are very pricey if you want extras, costing nearly half of what the whole unit costs.
5) "Adapters" for ipods and other MP3 players are somewhat cheap, and a pain to keep track of. Would have been nice to have some sort of built-in storage for these on the base unit.
Nice things about it:
A) NO problem with interference despite having several other "wireless" devices in our house (router, cordless phones, iphones, baby monitor, etc.) (I'm not including the iphone in this comment, as it interferes with just about everything unless it is in airplane mode.)
B) Sound is full, rich and clear. Very crisp, very good sound.
C) Remote is a definite plus, even if it is IR technology.
D) Nice look and style, sleek and not bulky.
E) Compatible with most digital sources of music.
Don't hit snooze on this one. November 25, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The fact I even have this media player is quite a departure for me and in all honesty if I hadn't received it for free I doubt that I would have ever given it a second look, regardless of how reviews of it might turn out in the end. At this point, it is so new I couldn't find any and even the manufacturer's site is silent on this unit.
My first thought was if it turned out to be a keeper, I could get a labeler and cover the name with an appliqué listing Denon, B&O, Yamaha, Harmon/Kardon, Sony, even Panasonic or Logitech or any other of the usual suspects, but iSymphony? Isn't that one of those mass market big box store brands - what will my friends think? As it is, ISymphony appears to be a relatively new company without an easily traceable history for product durability, customer support and warranty commitment. Reviews for other media devices they have on the market have been mixed.
Turns out I could care less. In spite of a few minor flaws, I consider this unit to be competitive and in most respects superior to comparable devices marketed by more prestigious vendors. Granted, it has a few flaws that objectively precluded the highest possible star rating since those areas may be of significance for some consumers, but based on my most frequent intended use they were not of major importance to me.
General Features
*30 Watts RMS (15W per channel) output power
*Built-in Universal chassis Dock for iPod - Charges your iPod while docked
*Slot loading CD player with MP3/MP4, WMA, and CD/CD-R/RW playback
*Clock radio functions - wake and sleep to your iPod, CD, or favorite radio station
*20 program memory
*USB compatible - play music from USB flash memory devices including the iPod shuffle
*SD, MMC card slots supporting music playback
*FM Stereo Tuner and 20 station memory
*Dynamic Bass Boost ( from remote control only)
*Removable dock adapters to fit all docking iPods (Touch, 5G, nano, 4G, mini, 3G)
*Equalizer with Classic, Rock, Pop and Jazz presets (remote control only)
*Front-ported wireless speakers rated up to 100 feet in range
*Auxiliary line-in to accommodate other media players and media devices
*Headphone jack
*Line out
* Detachable base on main unit and speakers for wall mounting.
*90 day warranty for labor, 1 year for parts.
The main unit has a vertically oriented slot load for CDs, electronically operated iPod dock , LCD media function/clock display and side connections for USB, SD/MMC, auxiliary, headphones and line out. An FM antenna is attached to the rear. I do not happen to be a fan of vertically oriented CD players and one issue I encountered was a propensity for disc skips and freezes even though I tried a variety of discs including a group of brand new retail units. My typical utilization will not include a significant number of CDs however it is a detraction that should be mentioned. Nearly all functions can be controlled from a panel on the front of the unit or via the remote control. Equalizer and bass boost options are resident on the remote only. The main unit also includes a full function clock with two alarm settings.
FM sensitivity is typically a challenge for devices such as this and I did have some flutter with lower powered stations and signal separation could be improved. Naturally, adjusting the antenna and moving the unit to other locations in the house could impact reception quality. However, it is another secondary concern as picking up local over the air stations is not one of my primary objectives for the device.
Since this unit was designed specifically for iPods other MP3 players are accommodated via the auxiliary line and I have no idea about the quality of sound in those instances. For iPods reproduction is above average although at higher volume levels I did notice perceptible bass distortion regardless of use of bass boost. The unit is more than adequate for average size rooms and it will not reach volume levels to blast out the neighbors. Any iPod protective cases will probably require removal in order to fit the unit on the docking station but that seems to be a minor concern in my opinion. The media player includes 8 adapters for most iPod units and for the other OCD users among us if you still have the original that came with your iPod it will also fit the compartment.
Each wireless speaker with a detachable front cloth cover is independently powered by a humongous adapter so other electrical outlets may be blocked. Speakers are paired therefore powering down one in a set automatically powers down the other just as they may powered off from the main unit, either from the encasement or remote control. Additional paired sets up to a maximum of 10 may be purchased separately. A couple of nice features are the ability to control paired set volume from any speaker and the ability to change program tracks from controls on each speaker. While I didn't test the rated wireless range, I did place the speakers two floors from the main unit and they worked flawlessly even though a number of other devices transmitting in the 2.4 GHz range were in between. Each speaker has a multi-directional antenna (the base unit has two).
This is a well-designed and thought-out device, in spite of its' black acrylic smudge attracting face plate. Excluding the aforementioned issues with the CD player, my greatest concern has been becoming acclimated to controlling the docked iPod with the remote since the command keys do not mirror commands entered via the iPod nano 3g touch wheel so I inadvertently but consistently change media types. Another minor annoyance is the dimmer setting. When the unit is powered off brightness drops to a state where it is difficult identify the time on the LCD screen which might be an implicit benefit if the media player is used in a bedroom but it will not be much of a help if one wakes up in the middle of the night and wants to know the time.
It is far too early to make a full assessment but from what I have experienced thus far, the iSymphony label on the front is okay with me.
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