Long gone are the days when your iPod was shipped to your home, and its box you will find white plastic a dock that enables you to sync your player with your PC or Mac and allow you to charge its batteries too. While the first and second gen iPod models enjoyed this accessory, price cuts in the third generation iPod made the company discontinue its inclusion as a standard for every purchase. The dock is still available, but why pay a hefty sum for a dock when you can get a dock that comes with a speaker system for a little bit more.

With the continuous upward surge in popularity of the iPod and its various models, third party manufacturers are now cashing in on this trend with a multitude of accessories, and one of these is the Intempo IDS-01B, a portable and very affordable dock and speaker combo in one. For just a little more, about a third more of the price of the iPod dock, you will be able to get the IDS-01B which can be used as a perfect dock and speaker system for travelling.

The Intempo IDS-01B comes in a variety of colours that any iPod owner can choose from; your colour options include pink, silver, and black. The unit itself is touted as more of a travel speaker than a general home use speaker because of its light weight, weighing in at only 600 grams, and because of its small size. The measurements of the Intempo are at 240 mm in width, 120 mm in height, and 90 mm in depth.

The design of the Intempo IDS-01B takes on a more contemporary form found in most iPod speaker systems. The iPod has a dock positioned at the front in between the two stereo speakers laid out on its background. The dock of the IDS-01B can accommodate all iPod models except for the shuffle which doesn’t have a docking port. The two stereo speakers featured in the Intempo dock each have 6 watts of sound output combining 12 watts of decent sound quality for a speaker system of its size. Don’t expect much bass quality though, especially when the system is cranked high, with a unit this small, there is no space for a decent sub woofer for bass delivery. But with the price you paid for it, asking for high quality bass is too much.

There are some issues with the Intempo IDS-01B concerning its sound quality. Even though the 12 watt total output of the speakers can get pretty loud in its high levels, it gives out a noticeable distortion as well. Play a tune with heavy bass and you see the system buzz and rattle. Another issue is a distinct whirring sound and high pitched whistles at the start, end, and sometimes even in the middle of a song.

To summarize the performance of the Intempo IDS-01B, it can be truthfully said that it is indeed a perfect travel companion. It can provide decent sound quality and high volume levels. Its ability to be powered by batteries and its diminutive size highly defines its portability. But, for dedicated home use, you can go better with another model.