iExecutive IEXEC-WHT-01 2.1 Stereo Docking Station and Speaker System for iPod and iPhone

I was a little disappointed with this product, the description says it fits all I phones when in fact it does not. To dock my phone or I pod I would have to buy a different connector....not what I was expecting. Other than that the system itself is great.

This review is for the iExecutive iPod/iPhone docking station in white.First impression: it is bigger than I thought it would be (17 x 13.3 x 4.6 inches) and it is a little strange looking.Even though there were no instructions, hooking it up was a snap. I did not have an iPod or iPhone handy and plugged in an MP3 player to the AUX port. It produced a full, clear sound with plenty of bass with balanced mids and highs.I plugged in an SD card and it automatically started playing the first file. Some of the remote functions only work when using an iPod/iPhone.You can select tracks with next/previous, volume up/down, use the treble/bass up/down, equalizer/device input, pause, set clock/alarm, and put on standby. The remote allows control of your iPod menu and bluetooth (not included) pairing as well.The numerous input options include:AUX 3.5 mm input cable (included)USB flash drive (up to 4GB)SD/MMC card (up to 4GB)bluetooth device,FM radioiPod/iPhoneIt charges while in the cradle. I did not test the video but it seems like a good option.Mine didn't come with a manual, but you can download the PDF from Speakal website.Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so I won't deduct anything for appearance and since it is primarily an iPod/iPhone docking station, I will only deduct a half star for not having more control for AUX, USB or SD inputs. The other half star deduction is for price. I would put it more in the $150 - $170 range. Otherwise, four solid stars.

The Speakal iExecutive docking system works wonderful with the iPod or iPhone and has decent speaker sound (not loud enough to blast the neighbors), but good enough sound to hear all the songs while I'm working out on the cross trainer. The unit I received is not the most attractive, but does blend well in an office setting. I plan to buy the cuter model of 'iPig' for a family member. They also have a variety of other cute models. I also was impressed with how well it picks up radio stations that I usually have great difficulty tuning in up here in the mountains where we live. This was a wonderful surprise, since it looks like it wouldn't have much more power than my regular radio. I love being able to load songs onto my iPod and have them ready to play while I'm doing chores around the house, etc. There is also a clock feature on this unit. Again, though it doesn't have the biggest speakers on this particular unit, they do have decent sound.

I'n going to address sound quality with this review. I tested it using a variety of files, from 196kb MP3 up to Apple Lossless.Firstly, a word on placement: this is effectively a big, flat, downward-firing subwoofer with four tweeters on top. The only way to get a balanced sound it to place it below you, for example on a desk. That way, you get the best projection of the high-end sounds and the bass is not quite so overpowering. I initially placed the unit on a high shelf, and the weedy tweeters just pumped all mid and high end sound to the ceiling, while the bass fired down at me, creating a very unbalanced sound.Also, the only way to get the unit sounding remotely normal was to adjust the EQ so bass was at its minimum level and treble half-way between zero and the highest setting.The unit excels at bass-heavy music. Hip hop and dance sound very good. The best music for the unit would be simple, with heavy bass and a lot of high-end sound, but little in the mid ranges. It simply can't play those sounds. I tested some Ministry Of Sound discs, Cream Future Trance, and Q-Tip's 2008 album The Renaissance. The latter was chosen because it needs a smooth system or else the combination of bass and extreme treble becomes very wearying on the ears. This unit gets a pass for those items.Unfortunately, if anything too complex happens in the bass area (like a lot of dubstep), the sub just can't relay the sound accurately. Burial's latest EP sounded downright muddy. That's a fail for music focused on the bass.Complex tunes are a struggle. Miles Davis' 1975 recording Agharta features nine musicians, often all playing at once. It is dense, extremely dense, and this unit just could not separate those instruments, even when playing the superior Japanese version of the album. That's a fail for complex, dense recordings.Where this really falls down for me is with rock / indie records. They rely on the middle sounds for rhythm... The vocals and guitars often are in that mid-range, and they uniformly sounded awful. I tested this years' Queen reissues and the latest Twilight Singers album, and they were not fun to listen to. I coul forgive their failings elsewhere: you would have to know how a record should sound to know this unit wasn't doing a good job. In the case of rock music, though, it just sounded wrong. A Major failure.Surprisingly, the unit performed well with 50's jazz. The over-done bass added some depth to Kind Of Blue's bottom end, and it's inability to accurately replicate the high end actually smoothed the sound somewhat, giving a pleasant listen.The unit was great for playing video. Movies and TV shows were etremely listenable. As computer speakers, they are only let down by the sheer size of the unit (like a dinner tray) and the difficulty in placement.In summary: good for simple dance or hip hop, passable with acoustic jazz, good with video and terrible at everything else.