Want an iPod speaker system for the office or dorm room that leaves a pleasant sound in your ears and some cash in your pocket? XtremeMac’s Tango Studio is one of the best options in the sub-$100 speaker range.
What does $80 buy these days when it comes to iPod speakers? The answer can be found in XtremeMac’s new budget offering, which is a surprisingly stylish unit that has good audio performance and OK FM radio reception. Throw in an infrared remote and it’s hard to imagine any buyer would feel cheated by the asking price.
The system is small, measuring 11.5” by 6.5” by 3.875”and weighing a little less than 3 pounds. With its small footprint and retractable dock, a casual shopper might assume the Tango Studio is a portable speaker. It is not. It runs on electrical power only (no battery bay) and does not come with a carrying case.
With sleek lines and a cloth grill, the Tango Studio is a good-looking speaker. When turned on, a blue LED display shines through the cloth above the centered dock, spelling out such information as volume, audio selection (iPod, radio or auxiliary) and station setting.
With little room for speaker separation and no woofer, the Tango Studio’s audio performance the depth and breadth found in more expensive and larger systems. There are no controls for audio settings, so in order to get a little more bass the user has to use the settings on the iPod. If the intended use of the speaker is to fill a small room with steady sound that does not distort as the volume pumps up, then the Tango Studio will fit the bill.
Volume and basic song tracking functions are controlled by either use of the remote or small buttons on top of the unit. The remote requires a clear line-of-sight between the remote and speaker. The remote’s performance starts to drop at a distance of 40 feet.
The radio antenna is one of those collapsible units that attach through an antenna jack at the back of the speaker. It does a good job pulling in high-powered stations, but struggles to receive all of the weaker options on the dial. A better radio — with presets — can be found in XtremeMac’s more expensive speakers.
Compatible with all dockable iPods, the Tango Studio’s outstanding feature is its price. Consumers familiar with XtremeMac’s other speakers know the company is capable of producing better-sounding units. However, shoppers with a limited budget for iPod speakers would be wise to check out Tango Studio.
