iHome iW1

iHome iW1 Wireless Speaker Review

iHome manufactures dozens of Apple-oriented audio devices, ranging from headphones to speaker docks. The AirPlay-capable iW1 wireless speaker is by far the company’s most advanced product, but its $300 price tag pits it against some tough competition, including the Sonos Play:3. Most people will stream music to the iW1 over their Wi-Fi network using Apple’s AirPlay technology, or by docking an iOS device using the provided USB cable. But you can connect any audio source to the speaker using a 1/8-inch cable. AirPlay is a very good media-streaming solution—as long as you don’t mind being tied to iTunes to manage your music library—but we think the Sonos Wireless Hi-Fi System is considerably more sophisticated. And Sonos players can work with AirPlay, too, if you really want that (although the work-around is a bit of a kludge). But iHome provides one feature in its iW1 that Sonos doesn’t include in any of its players: A Li-Ion battery that enables you to move the speaker from room to room—or even outside. The battery charger sits beneath the unit and is completely hidden while charging. The balance of the iW1’s industrial design is equally elegant.