G4TV

TheFeed loves when we get our hands on some cool gadgets, so here's our take on Griffin's Amplifi...

Griffin Amplifi
Available: Now
Price: $149.00 MSRP

In a sea of iPod-dockable music systems, Griffin, a company known for making iPod accessories, brings you their latest incarnation, the 2.1 tabletop sound system, the Amplifi.

PROS:

• Acoustically-tuned wooden enclosure
• Docking station comes with 6 iPod adaptors and 3.5mm stero input jack
• Two 2.75" neodymium high/midrange speakers with 5" woofer and bass reflex port

CONS:

• Bulky appearance
• Power/Volume knob sensitivity
• Lack of player controls on unit means if the remote is lost, iPod must be controlled manually

In an age of MP3 players and iPods, it is difficult to find a sound system that offers an attractive finish matched with quality acoustics. Griffin attempts to fill this void with its latest 2.1 sound system, the Amplifi.

As appearances go, the Amplifi is very different than most of its competition. While other companies such as Altec Lansing, Bose and Polk Audio offer sound systems manufactured from hard plastic, the Amplifi has an all-wooden enclosure. The enclosure benefits the audio quality, but not necessarily the aesthetics. With a rectangular shape, supported by two thinner legs, the look of the Amplifi has an almost throwback feel to it. Easy on the eyes....yes. Slightly dated...yeah, that too.

The Amplifi provides an iPod docking station on the top of the unit with 6 included adapters/spacers so any iPod model from from the mini to the 5th Generation iPod with video will fit securely in place. For those that aren't rocking the iPod, your only alternative is to use the 3.5mm (1/8") input jack located on the rear of the unit. Unfortunately, the Amplifi does not come pre-packaged with this cord, so be prepared to run out to your local electronics store to get up and running.

Devoid of the option to use batteries, we plugged in the Amplifi's power cord and were ready to go in seconds flat. The overall design is a welcome lesson of simplicity. A single illuminated knob, located at the front of the unit, controls both the volume and power.

Cranking up the volume on the Amplifi, TheFeed found the audio quality to be very surprising....surprisingly good. Built with two forward facing 2.75" neodymium high/midrange speakers and a 5" downward firing woofer with a bass reflex port, the 2.1 system packs a decent punch. Using a wide range of music from rock to rap, the Amplifi was able to cleanly produce the high pitch shriek of Axel Rose to the bass heavy thumping of Ludacris.

If you are as lazy as we are, then the included remote with volume control, play/pause, forward/reverse and power buttons will keep you from ever having to play with your knob...that is, the knob on the front of the unit. The convenience that the remote provides you will also help you avoid one of the flaws we found with the Amplifi. On a couple of occasions, TheFeed reached for the knob to raise or lower the volume and accidentally shut off the entire system. We may have clumsy hands, but if you are rocking out to your favorite tunes, it can be a bit jarring to shut down the unit and find yourself singing without your backup.

While the infrared remote could save you from accidentally turning off the unit, one has to make sure to never lose it. Providing controls that are not available anywhere on the unit itself, the loss of the remote would force you to (gasp?!) manually control the iPod.

Overall, TheFeed found the Griffin Amplifi to be an impressive, albeit visually subdued 2.1 tabletop speaker system. You may have to strap some velcro on the remote to avoid losing it, but the high-end audio quality produced by the Amplifi's combination of acoustically-tuned wooden enclosure and high quality speakers makes the Amplifi and its $149 price tag very appealing.