Macally IP-n111 Portable Stereo Speakers for the iPod nano

For those times when you don’t care to shove earbuds into your
ears, or when you want to share your iPod nano
tunes with friends & coworkers, Macally’s IP-n111 desktop speaker can
come in pretty handy. This rugged (W) 4.2″ x (L) 1.4″ x (H) 4.2″,
3.3 oz. plastic stand with a metal speaker mesh, has a small foot
print that won’t overwhelm small desks. It is available in both
White and Black, and even comes with 3 AA batteries.

The physical design of the speaker looks good in my opinion. The
front has the nano cradle, with the speaker surrounding it.

The stand doubles as the battery compartment.

Pop the included batteries into the speaker, slide the nano into
the cradle, slide the power switch to On, and you’re good to go. A
Blue LED will glow through the top right corner of the speaker
mesh, while the power is turned On. This helps you to remember to
switch the power off when not listening to music.

The nano attaches to the speaker by way of the earphone jack.
This means that you’ll be required to adjust the volume using the
nano’s click wheel. That’s not a problem though, as the click wheel
is fully exposed and easy to use while docked into the speaker.

The only switch / button on the speaker is a small power slider
on the top edge. According to Macally’s product page, 3 AA
batteries should power the speakers for approximately 20hrs. It’s
just too bad that an AC adapter port was not included.

Sound quality through the speakers will not exactly put you into
audiophile bliss. They do have 800mW power output per channel, so
max volume is actually pretty good. But, no real bass sound to
speak of. What can you really expect from such a small battery
powered speaker though?

You can throw the IP-n111 into your gear bag or suitcase and not
worry about it getting broken. This little speaker has a fun shape,
small size, good sound and a decent price.