Apple has been around longer than you think in the world of hi-fi. There was an Apple speaker many years before the HomePod, which coincidentally has just been resurrected. It wasn’t a big speaker, it was huge. And it was one of the most famous accessories (pun intended) of the iPod.
Maybe if you are of a certain age you remember it: I’m talking about the ipod hi fi. A true mastodon to which you could connect an iPod and have the whole neighborhood listen to your favorite songs. It was not successful, but has now become a star product for collectors.
The iPod Hi-Fi was launched in a keynote discreet, from the hand of Steve Jobs himself back in February 2006. At that time, iPods had created a fashion for speakers with a built-in Dock, and Apple was looking to merge that concept with that of high-fidelity audio. And from that idea was born the iPod Hi-Fi, a huge speaker with a power that even the HomePod envy today.
I didn’t buy it, but a friend did and I was able to try it. I remember its huge ‘block’ shape (imagine a sound bar but much thicker) and its handles to move it. It was also very curious that he had the option of powered by six (six!) size D batteries. Yes, those are so big. In IFixit they still have the manual to change them.
Unfortunately, the iPod Hi-Fi was a flop. It sold for $349 at the time (Apple argued that equivalent stereos cost more than twice that), but was considered expensive by the public at the time. Between that and other criticisms such as that it had no radio, Apple ended up stop selling it at the end of 2007. They drew a thick veil and devoted themselves to other things.
Now, you can find plenty of iPod Hi-Fi units on eBay. Prices vary widely (from 45 to 399 euros), but collectors do not skimp. And there are those who still know how to get the most out of them today: if you connect one of these speakers to an AirPort Express, you end up with an AirPlay 2 speaker through and through:
Ironic: two obsolete Apple products that, when connected, become a modern speaker capable of working with today’s devices. Sometimes Apple knows how to make veterans smile.
Image | Teofilo Ruiz Suarez
