Hands-on with the Griffin Amplifi 2.1 iPod speakers
Griffin's Amplifi is an impressive and weighty all-in-one speaker setup for iPods. For just £90 we're really impressed at the power this stylish 2.1 system delivers
Hot on today's list of things we want to be given for free, is Griffin's Amplifi 2.1 speaker system for iPods. We've been playing around with this minimalistic beauty for a few days now and we love it. To start with, it looks awesome -- the buttonless form factor matches the styling of the iPod itself. It's also a solid, wood-encased system that's as weighty as the average horse's head.
Sound quality, too, is impressive for such an affordable system -- about £90. While highs and mids are balanced and nicely defined, considering the price, the bass is truly outstanding -- there's enough oomph here to blast a badger out of his sett. Some of our favourite drum 'n' bass tracks were incredibly well thrusted by the 5-inch sub woofer. While it won't worry your dedicated stand-alone sub, it wins hands-down for affordability.
A standard iPod dock connector sits in the top of the system while a 3.5mm input resides to the rear. The large central volume control is surrounded by a neon blue glow, further adding to the Amplifi's stylish aesthetic. Unfortunately, like many companies, Griffin ships one of those pitiful credit card-esque remote controls, for which it receives nul points.
The Amplifi's twin speaker drivers may lack the crystalline hi-fi sparkle of an audiophile-approved rack of separates, but we have no qualms about recommending this system to anyone who wants an affordable yet powerful all-in-one iPod setup. Look out for our review next week and pop to the next page for a look underneath the system. -Nate Lanxon
The underside of the Amplifi houses the large subwoofer and a bass reflex port. Muy impressivo.