Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Minato1990

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 12, 2017
360
639
I can't believe Apple failed with this.
I was able to get one for 150$ Canadian including a 60gb iPod Classic, and I bought a second unit off Ebay for 155$.

I bough it since my beats by dre Beatbox(Monster) died on me, and I must say its so much better than it. Crazy thing I got the beatbox in 2011, and the Hi-Fi came out in 2006!

Now I'll use both for my tv speakers and also for music.

If the HomePod is not as loud as the Hi-Fi Apple might as well not release the Homepod and just reintroduce the Hi-Fi with the Homepod features.

By the way anyone who has multiple iPod Hi-Fi is it better that I put them side by side in my room or far from each other for sound placement?
 

xxstatic

macrumors member
Sep 16, 2006
75
3
I picked one up for $60 a few months back, I took it to work and use it daily in my office, all that did is make me regret not having one at home :)
So I have been on the lookout for another one, I did recently stumble into finding a Griffin Amplifi while I was searching for one, I grabbed it for only $20 so I figured it was low risk, surprisingly it's a decent rival to the Apple HiFi, so now at last I have something at home now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Minato1990

Minato1990

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 12, 2017
360
639
I picked one up for $60 a few months back, I took it to work and use it daily in my office, all that did is make me regret not having one at home :)
So I have been on the lookout for another one, I did recently stumble into finding a Griffin Amplifi while I was searching for one, I grabbed it for only $20 so I figured it was low risk, surprisingly it's a decent rival to the Apple HiFi, so now at last I have something at home now.
Check out ebay if I could have a third one hooked up to my tv I'd get one haha. Having them both connected through an optical cable splitter is heaven like.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xxstatic

MacGuyMI

macrumors newbie
Aug 15, 2017
4
3
I found a 30 pin bluetooth connector by Cool Stream on Amazon and it works great with streaming from my iPhone/iPad.

Only issue has been a slight hum from the iPod Hi-Fi when connected to power and not streaming anything. Easy fix is to unplug when not in use.
 

xxstatic

macrumors member
Sep 16, 2006
75
3

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,565
On eBay in the UK someone seems to believe they are "collectors' items" with prices from £200 (much to expensive) to over £500 (absolutely ridiculous).
 

Minato1990

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 12, 2017
360
639
On eBay in the UK someone seems to believe they are "collectors' items" with prices from £200 (much to expensive) to over £500 (absolutely ridiculous).
Best bet is to check ebay from time to time or Kijiji/craiglist or the equivalent of classified ads in the UK.
The same day found out about the Hi-Fi I went to look for it on kijiji and a person had put one for 150$ Canadian including an iPod classic 60gb for like 2 days I contacted them right away and got it the next day. Good thing he didn't know about how much people were trying to sell them online haha
 

Anonymous Freak

macrumors 603
Dec 12, 2002
5,563
1,255
Cascadia
Well, it failed because it was ridiculously overpriced at the time - and the iPhone came out soon after and didn't work with it. (The iPod Hi-Fi only supports charging the device over the Firewire pins of the Dock connector, not the USB pins - and later iPods, along with the iPhone, only support charging over the USB pins.)
 

kipiscool

macrumors newbie
Sep 6, 2017
1
1
I own two of these. Purchased my original when they launched. Whoever commented that these were overpriced at launch is a dang fool. Nothing then or today sounds like this for $349. I enjoy it more than my $1,300 5-Driver customer in-ear monitors.

As far as paring them up left and right, I've done a bit of experimenting. I really wasn't happy with any of the results. It's as if a strange phasing issue occurs, balance just doesn't sound right. So I placed each back in their respective rooms and run them as AirPlay speakers using Airport Expresses.

I will continue to own these for as long as they keep working.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrUNIMOG

Dimazlov

macrumors newbie
Sep 10, 2017
5
0
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
I own two of these. Purchased my original when they launched. Whoever commented that these were overpriced at launch is a dang fool. Nothing then or today sounds like this for $349. I enjoy it more than my $1,300 5-Driver customer in-ear monitors.

As far as paring them up left and right, I've done a bit of experimenting. I really wasn't happy with any of the results. It's as if a strange phasing issue occurs, balance just doesn't sound right. So I placed each back in their respective rooms and run them as AirPlay speakers using Airport Expresses.

I will continue to own these for as long as they keep working.
There are some chinese FLAC players out there for the fraction of cost of original ipod classic today. I own two, as well as the classic, but they get the job done even with Beats, although u have to compromise with controls.
 

840quadra

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 1, 2005
9,261
5,979
Twin Cities Minnesota
Glad to see these are still doing well.

I have a pair of Apple’s iMac HK speakers connected to a lepai amplifier as my desktop speakers. Been looking for another pair to use in my kitchen to enhance the terrible TV speakers I use out there. Always been happy with any Apple audio product, so perhaps I should look for a hifi , as I do have a small shelf that would host that device well.

How have they been for those of you using audio out from an LCD TV? I always worry that the inverters for the backlighting would cause some type of hiss / hum. Perhaps I should look at updating that TV to an LED backlit, but, I have an issue throwing out / recycling good working tech...
 

G.McGilli

macrumors 6502a
Oct 19, 2015
614
508
Bought it when it came out after reading all the negative reviews. All of the reviews were... well seemingly by people who were not like me. I didn't mind spending $, and hell, i was listening to 128kbs music from an iPod, so how great did I need the sound quality to be? So yes, I could have bought a much cheaper product, but I loved the look of it....

(BTW it's sound quality excellent as I've found out in later years with higher quality sources).

I used to take it to work - and at lunch time there was a skate park nearby. I bought some high quality rechargeable D batteries, and would take it to the skate park and a bunch of us would crank it up. Heavy as hell, but worth it!

Now I've just been using it for about the last... 8 or 9? years as speakers for whatever Mac I have. Still have the original box, and the case with all the iPod adapters that came in it etc. Looked smoking hot with my white iPod in the day :)

http://www.minimallyminimal.com/blog/apple-ipod-hi-fi
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MrUNIMOG

sshambles

macrumors 6502a
Oct 19, 2005
766
1,128
Australia
I think I found out somewhere close to them being released that they were announced and always wanted one and never thought I would. Got one, with it's box, all accessories - everything for cost price. The lady was hassled by her family about keeping the box and everything in it, but glad she stuck to her guns.

I recommended it to a cousin and my partner also has one. Gorgeous piece of technology. Great sound.
 

yellowbunny

macrumors 6502
Jun 27, 2010
284
449
For UK people. There's loads on ebay. I got one a few weeks ago for £65. Added a £9 30pin bluetooth adapter from amazon. It's a beautiful thing.
 

WolfSnap

macrumors 65816
Sep 18, 2012
1,071
911
SoCal
Still use and love mine. Ordered the day it became available. Has been in use every day ever since.
So, apparently 11.2 gets rid of the iPod Hi-Fi settings UI.. For science, could you screenshot the settings screen and post it? Really curious. :)
 

Arran

macrumors 601
Mar 7, 2008
4,856
3,800
Atlanta, USA
So, apparently 11.2 gets rid of the iPod Hi-Fi settings UI.. For science, could you screenshot the settings screen and post it? Really curious. :)
Here you go. This is what it looks like on iOS 11.1.2
iPod Hi-Fi UI on iOS Ver 11.1.2.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrUNIMOG

Arran

macrumors 601
Mar 7, 2008
4,856
3,800
Atlanta, USA
Thank you! :)
You're welcome. The pictures come via a series of dongles and adapters plugged into my Hi-Fi's dock connector:
1) A Scosche 30-pin firewire to 30-pin USB 'dock' adapter. (because orignal iPods charged over firewire only)
2) An Apple 30-pin to lightning adapter (the 9" cabled version)
3) An original white apple lightning dock stuck to the top of my Hi-Fi!

All that gives me a "lightning-dock Hi-Fi"! Not pretty, but great sound. Got it for $150 on clearance at Target ten years ago.

It'll still be going strong in 20 or 30 years because, unlike most Apple electronic products made now, it has NO built-in batteries. So nothing to fail (until the circuit boards give up the ghost, of course.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrUNIMOG
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.