Audyssey Audio Dock Review
It's not everyday you come across an audio dock that completely changes your opinion on these small, not so good looking and sounding audio docks. Audyssey isn't new to audio, in fact they are the makers of sound systems for movie theaters, home theaters, recording studios, cars and more. The South Of Market audio dock is Audyssey's first standalone product for consumers, and their first audio dock is simply amazing.
If I could express how the South Of Market audio dock looks, let alone sounds, I would say it's stunningly beautiful in every way possible. Catch the full review after the break!
Amazing looks and curves, the South Of Market audio dock is very modern and elegant. This dock was made for the iPhone but you can also use it with iPods, plus you can hookup your computer to take full advatage of the South Of Market audio dock. Bluetooth is a big feature that works flawlessly with the iPhone 4. You can listen to your music wirelessly without docking and charging. There is almost no lag over bluetooth even while using the South Of Market audio dock with a computer to watch movies and videos. Got a call while your iPhone is docked? Not a problem, you can answer calls even if your iPhone is docked by using the wireless remote. The built-in mic on the front works very well and can pick up your voice across the room. I wouldn't suggest being far away from the dock just because it doesn't sound as clear as if you would have been near it.
You can also sync while docked into the South Of Market audio dock using the supplied USB sync cable that plugs into the back of the dock. All of this reduced cable clutter and keeps all the focus around your dock sitting pretty on our desk.
On the front you will find the dock port with a three-button control interface that has a volume up/down and mute. Just under it is the round IR remote receiver. In the middle you can see a rubber node, which can actually be moved in and out to accommodate various cases. Yes that's right, you can use almost any case with your iPhone, even the chunky ones. Above the rubber node you will find the mic and volume LED's which glow in a white color to indicate the level of volume and incoming calls or mute mode. The white LED indicators glow very bright but then dim after a few seconds. And finally at the top you will find a play/pause button which is touch sensitive and also lit in a white color.
The Audyssey South Of market audio dock has some serious specs under it's hood. Under the hood are two 4-inch woofers, two .75-inch tweeters, four discrete amplifiers and active crossovers with bi-amplifications.
So how does this dock perform sound wise? You won't believe the sound coming out of the South Of Market audio dock, it doesn't even sound like an audio dock but more of a full audio system. It fills a big living room without sweating. After listening, I thought I could actually use it as my sound system for my TV. It's that good. Let's talk bass performance -- the Audyssey South Of Market audio dock has the most powerful subwoofer Iv'e ever encountered in an audio dock. It's purely amazing. The bass is floor rumbling, wall piercing, window shacking good. And all of this does not interfere with your music at all which is pretty amazing.
So, home theatre bass inside a small audio dock, check. The audio quality is crystal clear and does not distort at high volumes. Mids are a bit hidden and the instrumental separation is noticeable but could be better. Overall the the South Of market sounds very detailed and clear. One of the best features about this audio dock is that you can go ahead and change the sound characteristics yourself using the free Audyssey iPhone app. When you're docked, fire up the app and you can change the bass, treble, lows and highs. All of this gets hardcoded and saved into the South Of Market system so you can really change the way it sounds which is just perfect.
You've got full control over the sound unlike other audio docks and speakers. The Audyssey audio dock has an extremely well built quality, it feels very solid and it has a hefty weight to it which is good for it's great sound quality.
Small details like a magnet attachable remote control are very much appreciated. You don't need to go looking around for this small remote, just stick it onto the site of the dock and you're good to go.
All of this awesomeness doesn't come cheap though, you're going to have to drop a pretty penny if you want the best of the best. At $399, the Audsyssey South Of Market audio dock is a bit pricy, but when compared to the new Monster Beatbox By Dre. at the same price, it's not bad at all. After listening to the Beatbox at an Apple store, I would tell you without a doubt you should consider the South Of Market audio dock.
The Audyssey South Of Market audio dock is purely an amazing audio dock like no other. Price $399.