iHome iDM11 review: iHome iDM11

After the success of the Jawbone Jambox, portable Bluetooth speakers are proliferating and iHome has two affordably priced compact models out for 2012, the iDM11 (reviewed here) and the iDM8.

7.3

iHome iDM11

The Good

The <b>iHome iDM11</b> is an attractively designed, affordably priced, compact Bluetooth speaker that sounds decent enough and plays reasonably loud. It also has a built-in rechargeable battery, speakerphone capabilities, and an audio input cable for non-Bluetooth devices.

The Bad

It's a little short on bass and detail; a protective carrying case isn't included; and a proprietary combo cable is needed for wired audio playback.

The Bottom Line

The iHome iDM11 doesn't sound quite as good as the Jawbone Jambox, but it's a better value at less than $70.

The iDM11 has a boxy design (it looks a little like a miniature version of the Boxee Box) with a corner shaved off so the speaker sits at an angle. It's pretty stylish (I liked the blue light at the base) and feels well-built. This is arguably one of the better-designed products from iHome I've encountered in recent years.

The iHome iDM11 borrows the 'melting cube' look of the Boxee Box.

You could put the iDM11 anywhere, but its design lends itself well to a home office, and the inclusion of a built-in microphone means you can use this as a speakerphone like you can the Jambox.

The iDM11 is compatible with all smartphones and devices that are Bluetooth-enabled (A2DP); we had no problem pairing an iPhone 4S with it. As with other Bluetooth speakers, you can range about 30 feet away from the speaker before you start to lose your wireless audio connection. There's a volume control on the speaker, but most people will choose to set that at the highest level--or near it--and control volume from a phone or other portable device.

Sound quality is quite decent for a speaker of this small size, though not great. It doesn't have as much bass as the Jambox and its sound isn't terribly detailed. However, most people should be impressed with its output and that it can play fairly loud. It'll fill a small room or office with sound, but you won't want to crank your tunes to the max because you'll get some distortion at high volumes, especially with bass-heavy music.

I tried a few calls using the speaker as a speakerphone and the sound coming out of the speaker sounded just fine. My test caller said that things on his end sounded decent, though not great (he said that there was a faint hiss and I sounded as if I were calling from outside when I was inside). But, all in all, not bad.

We would've preferred a dedicated 3.5mm input jack; instead, you'll need to use the proprietary USB cable to play audio from non-Bluetooth devices.

As noted, this is a portable speaker and has a built-in rechargeable battery. You charge the speaker via a cable that doubles as an audio connection for non-Bluetooth devices. iHome calls this a 2-in-1 USB/3.5mm audio-to-Micro-USB cable. You basically plug the 3.5mm jack that's part of the cable into the headphone jack or auxiliary input on the device. It works well enough, but if you lose the cable, you're out of luck.

Conclusion
There really isn't much to complain about here. No, the sound isn't going to blow you away, but it's decent enough considering the speaker's small size and relatively affordable price ($69.99 list). In many ways this is on par with the Logitech Mini Boombox, which costs about the same online and also has speakerphone capabilities.

While the Mini Boombox is easier to slip into a bag for transport thanks to its shape, the iHome iDM11 is arguably more stylish and swankier-looking overall, though they sound about the same.

As for those considering this model versus the iHome iDM8, that model doesn't offer speakerphone capabilities. While the iDM8's rounded design makes it a little more convenient to transport, I'm more partial to the iDM11 model and think it's worth spending the extra $10 on.