Ronan

Thank you so much for the response. I tried re-inserting the iPod dock plug and making sure it is secure - no difference. I swapped the satellites and that seems to have shed some light on the problem - the problem remained on the left side, despite the switch. So it's the amp, then? What can I do about that? Thank you again - it's much appreciated.

For the past month or so, my left iFi satellite has been acting up. I first noticed that it seemed generally a bit quieter than the right sat. I was annoyed, but figured I'd just deal with it. But it is wildly inconsistent - it will sometimes get so quiet that I can barely hear any sound output, and during these periods there's also some audible fizzing and crackling. It tends to stay this way for anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, and then, for no reason, it will just jump back to a closer-to-normal volume level, and the crackling will stop. I have tried everything - playing every kind of sound sample for every kind of duration to try to "warm it up" or just leaving it with no activity - nothing seems to trigger it one way or the other - it just happens at random. This seems to be happening more and more. It is now in nearly-silent, crackly mode about 30%-40% of the time. The truly odd thing is that it is definitely capable of normal output that matches the right sat. About 10% of the time, again for no apparent reason, it will jump back to completely normal volume, all the crackling ceases, and it sounds great. If only that could last! I have tried carefully reinserting the wires at each sattelite and at the subwoofer; swapping the wires used on the left and right side... Nothing changed! Through it all, the right speaker remained rock solid normal and the left remained screwed up. The speakers have never been knocked or damaged or even moved in any way since they were installed! Help me, Klipsch and fellow Klipsch-ites! Advice? Things I haven't tried? Is it definitely a satellite issue, or could it be something to do with the terminal on the sub? I purchased these a little under year ago from Amazon, so I am not sure where I stand in terms of warranty. How much would it cost to send into Klipsch to get this fixed? How much to buy a replacement iFi satellite (or Amp, if that turns out to be the problem)? Thank you so much.

Thanks for being so open to feedback. And interesting point about the satellite grills. I've been keeping them on. I haven't done any extensive comparisons yet but taking the grills off does seem, at first listen, to make the treble less muffled and the overall sound a little brighter. I'm completely uninformed on this issue - can you explain the pros and cons of the grills? Is there any downside to leaving them off altogether?

Everything that could be said about iFi has already been covered by others here more ably and comprehensively than I'm prepared to do. So I'll just give some brief impressions. I have been using the iFi as my desktop 2.1 system, hooked up to a Dell Latitude laptop. I was initially hesitant to purchase these - I don't use an iPod - but on the recommendation of Klipsch engineer Andy W on these forums, I took the plunge. As promised, they work flawlessly as a PC sound solution. In my view, the fact that iFi is being marketed and reviewed as an iPod-exclusive system is a significant misstep on Klipsch's part. These should be packaged as a versatile solution for both iPod users and PC users looking for an upgrade over the aging Promedia 2.1s. On that note, the fact that the iFI doesn't come bundled with a standard headphone cable to allow connection to a PC or similar sound source is a niggling oversight. After several weeks of listening, my impressions are, for the most part, in line with the general consensus on iFi. The satellites have tremendous range, but handle mid-intensive classical music especially impressively - a considerable feat that most multimedia speakers seem to have trouble with. The system is surprisingly powerful for its size. It can get loud enough to be extremely uncomfortable even at a distance of several feet, but maintains clarity at low volumes. There have been some reports that iFi is geared towards distance listening, but I find them equally solid during close field listening. The subwoofer will either please or disappoint depending on tastes - it's tight and rather subtle. I like it - it's capable of providing significant rumble, but is never overpowering or noisy. It's highly musical. Friends used to boomy, loose bass seemed to find it unimpressive. If the iFi has a weakness, it's highs. I noticed this quickly, and went searching to see if I was crazy or if it had been noticed elsewhere. It turns out several reviews (see Playlist Magazine's comments) have made note of the same thing. It's subtle, but these speakers definitely generate recessed, slightly understated highs, which in turn makes the mids sound overpowering at times. This is only really noticeable upon critical listening of recordings with isolated, treble-intensive notes (ie, violin strings). It's the Achilles heel of the otherwise very balanced, uncolored sound iFi produced. The bottom line, though, is that the sound quality of the iFi is very, very good; possibly the best I've heard from a sub-$500 "all in one" system.

Needless to say, I wasn't planning on putting the subwoofer on a table! It's going on the floor, near a corner. But it will be within four feet of the laptop and I wanted to make sure there's no risk.

Stupid, flagrantly uninformed question: is it okay to put the iFi woofer and satellites near a laptop? Are magnetized components like the HD at risk? From what I understand it's a non-issue with the sats and that the sub will only be a problem with CRTs, but I wanted to get a definite confirmation from you guys.

Well, I bit the bullet and a shiny new iFi is on the way from Amazon. I hadn't wanted to spend so much - really, I was looking at the ProMedia 2.1s initially - but given the iFi's tried and true sattelites and high construction quality, I'm hoping it will be worth it. If it lives up to my expectations with a longer lifespan and enough audio quality and versatility to have it double as a small room stereo, the cost will have been fair. I'll post my impressions in the next few weeks. Can't wait!

Those BizRate statistics gave me pause. eCOST has 22% negative feedback and only 75% positive. And that's from a pretty sizeable sample size - 75,000 reviews. Maybe it's worth the risk though, given the price. Tough call. By comparison, Amazon.com's rating on the same site shows 2% negative feedback versus 96% positive.

I'm incredibly tempted. Can anyone vouch for the quality of this vendor? They have a blanket "no return" policy, which makes me suspicious. Can we verify that they're not selling refurbished/used units or anything?

007 - Great review. Detailed, comprehensive, and seemingly very fair. I'm aware of the independent price of the iFi's components - hence my earlier qualification that it's "not overpriced per se." But at this point it's still just too expensive for most people looking for the equivalent of an "Ultra 2.1" system. Here's hoping it eventually hits $299.

iPodLounge's most significant complaint seems to be the price. I do disagree with their heavy emphasis on aesthetics and size (two things I couldn't care less about) but otherwise it seems to be pretty even-handed. It's interesting to note that they say the GMXA-2.1 is "comparable" in terms of sound quality. Given the price of the components I realize that iFi isn't overpriced per se, but it is at an awkward price point. For anyone in the market for a great 2.1 multimedia solution, it's simply too expensive relative to the competition: more than 260% of the price of the Promedia 2.1s and by all accounts not 260% better in audio quality. And anyone seeking a true audiophile solution for their iPod at this price will likely use the money to get a good pair of bookshelf speakers. I would kill for a version of the iFi WITHOUT the iPod dock, priced at, say, $299. I'll snap it up as soon as it hits that price point.