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Provides: Wireless speaker system for audio playback in multiple rooms
Developer: IntelliTouch
Minimum Requirements: Dockable iPod or any audio device with stereo output
Price: $249.99 for Eos Core System (base station transmitter and one satellite speaker), $129.95 for each additional speaker
Availability: Out now

After I first set up the Eos Wireless Speaker System and turned it on, a thought occurred to me. I flashed back to my childhood, when my only source for music was a mono tape recorder the size of a Harry Potter novel. I used that thing constantly…I held it to my ear on car trips. I set it next to the TV speaker to record the theme to Airwolf. It followed me nearly everywhere I went so I could always have my music at hand. Now, of course, I’ve got an iPod, but that’s not always the best solution for listening to music. What if I’m moving around the house, getting things done? What if multiple people want to hear what I’m playing? Do I have to carry around a speaker dock? Buy more than one? No. Not with the Eos system.

Daddy Sang Bass (station)

At its most basic (the Core System), Eos is an iPod speaker dock—an expensive iPod speaker dock, but an iPod speaker dock nonetheless. The dock sits comfortably between two speakers (neodymium tweeters) and offers adapters for pretty much any dockable iPod you’d want to connect. The iPod is supported only by the dock connector, but because the back isn’t open, there’s no fear of accidentally knocking the iPod off the jack. Its recessed position makes the iPod awkward to control when docked, but the infrared remote partially addresses this issue. The remote’s iPod capabilities are limited, however, and it has to have line-of-sight with the base station to work at all.

The base of the base station features a down-firing ported subwoofer to help round out the sound, and yeah, it does a pretty good job…better than the included satellite speaker, which I’ll get to a minute. The base also features your standard touch controls (volume, input source, etc.), as well as LED indicators to let you know which of the satellite speakers (up to four) are currently on (each has its own power switch). The back of the base sports the auxiliary input, the power source input, and a range extender button that allows you to improve audio quality across greater distances when on, but will also cause a delay.

The unit is pleasingly curvy, with silver grills and a gloss black or white finish. Both are a decent match for your iPod or modern Mac, but it’s the satellite speakers that need the attention, here.

Satellite (speakers) of Love

You only get one with the Core System, so you’re likely going to need at least one more in order to justify such a system. $130 per speaker may seem like a lot, but consider what you’d spend for a entirely separate iPod speaker dock system that doesn’t communicate with a separate base station, and suddenly the price doesn’t seem so bad. Unfortunately, you’re really paying for the wireless functionality specifically, as the sound quality from the satellite speakers is more on par with what you’d expect from a $80 to $100 system; little separation, and output that largely floats around the middle.

The two stereo speakers sit side by side, which is what hurts the separation. The subwoofer fires backwards. This is fine if the unit is sitting on a desk, but not ideal if it’s plugged into a wall outlet. But speaking of that, I really like that the speaker can be plugged directly into the wall like a telephone. It’ll make the second plug in that outlet unusable by any other adapter device, but it gets the speaker out of the way; perfect for use in the kitchen and garage. In other rooms where my outlets were placed lower, I had to detach the plug from the unit and run it down to the outlet. The speaker sits fine on a desktop (6-1/2” high (minus antenna), about 6” wide, and 4-1/4” deep), but the plug’s wire isn’t that long (3 feet), and I had to use extension cords on a couple of them.

The satellites do not work with batteries, so you have no choice but to find a place to plug them in. This somewhat hinders their use as outdoor speakers, but I suppose the advantage is that you’re forced to use them as they should be used. It’s hard to extend past the 150 foot ranged if you’re bound to a power source, after all. And I must admit that I never had a problem with the satellites losing connection or dropping in sound quality. For testing, I had the base station in my computer room on the first floor, with satellites in the basement, my bedroom (second floor), kitchen and garage. The sound was consistent in each location, and I experienced no lag in signal transmission.

Roam (around the house)

What the Eos system lacks in sound quality, it makes up for in ease of use. Installing a whole-home audio system can be ridiculously expensive and complex, but Eos takes care of it in a matter of minutes. Simply plug in the speakers and base station, turn on what you need, and you’re done. And unlike installed systems, you’re not bound to a specific set-up with Eos. If you want to rearrange your bedroom, fine; the speakers move with you.

My only considerable gripe, then, is that you can’t turn off all units with one switch. If I’m in my bedroom listening to music at night, I can only turn off the speaker in that room; I’d have to walk downstairs to shut off the base station that’s actually playing the music. Plus, since the remote doesn’t work at all with the satellite speakers, you’ll have to get up to turn off the speaker if it’s not placed next to your bed. I’d prefer that each unit have a cross system power switch (although this would mean that other people could turn off each speaker in the house, so…), or, better yet, the system ship with a remote that can control any and all speakers from anywhere in the house.

The Eos Wireless Speaker system isn’t perfect. It’s also not cheap, but neither is this technology. If you’ve been looking to set up a house-wide speaker system that can be controlled by one unit, this is a very easy way to go. Set up is a breeze, and you can control the costs by only buying what you need. Want to add another room? Buy another speaker later. Need a speaker in another room? Move it. Want to wake up your entire family with the theme to Airwolf? Awesome. I’ve got it recorded somewhere, I’ll just need to find the C-60.