Klipsch iGroove SXT iPod Speaker System

Klipsch iGroove SXT iPod Speaker System review - iGroove Blows Its Horn

August 2007 By Marshal M. Rosenthal

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The iPod’s great strength is portability and as a result, we’ve not only grown accustomed to listening to low quality audio through cheap headphones, but few seem to care. So it can be shocking at first to hear your iPod playing through Klipsch’s iGroove SXT, because its audio reproduction capabilities really reveal the flaws in compressed music. Don’t call this a “boombox.”

Now I really don’t care that its flat design allows for wall mounting. Or that there are inserts for iPods with the 30-pin connector and an audio input for use with the Shuffle or other audio sources. Or even that there’s a video out for watching videos from iPods equipped to do the same. What I want is to keep hearing the impressive sound this 4 lb. baby has going for it.

Which comes courtesy of Klipsch’s Horn technology. Read the specs, it sounds more like a micro stereo system: dual 3/4-inch polymer dome tweeters coupled to custom designed Horns and dual 2.5” long-throw woofers. Among the results are a wider “soundfield” as well as the quality of bass reproduction (placement also affects the sound, depending upon whether used in an open space or closer to a wall or corner).

To be fair, you can get higher resolution audio into your iPod (EMI just agreed to a deal with iTunes to double the bit-rate of their catalog offerings for example). Ripping at a high bit-rate or purchasing lossless files can greatly enhance the sound quality, but at the expense of hard drive space. It’s hard to beat The Beach Boys at harmonizing, so I ripped a few MP3 tracks from “The Warmth Of The Sun” at a high bit-rate and frankly it sounded great coming out of the Klipsch because it doesn’t just have deep bass but a solid mid and high-range that’s really important to fragile harmonies that shouldn’t be mushed up. And just to push it, I attached the stereo outs from my DVD player to the audio input and listened to Elvis Costello’s Live - A Case For Song (filmed at the BBC in London in 1997). This really shows what the Klipsch can do - it’s a robust and clear sound as good as any micro-stereo system you could ask for. And because these are real speakers working, even cranked up they hold their audio without hissing back at you.

The addition of the video out is nice. As far as the quality goes, having an S-Video connection improves upon the playback in comparison to composite only - just don’t expect standard video resolution to look as good on a TV or monitor as it does on the small screen (higher resolutions will provide for a much better view).

Audio found on an iPod can vary wildly, but the iGroove impresses with the same level of authority and precision as you’d expect from a Klipsch loudspeaker. And the euro-curved shape and black and silver finish ain’t bad either. The minimalist design sits well on a desk or coffee table, even with the fair sized power supply hugging the floor, and don’t forget those cloth speaker covers either. Also appreciated is the slightly larger than credit card size remote (basic controls being play/pause, forward/back, volume control and mute). So while the name might run with the pack of other “i” products, the iGroove’s performance definitely stands out.

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