Digital Trends

XtremeMac Tango April 20th, 2007 | by Jason Tomczak

Tango Vs. iPod Hi-Fi

When Apple first announced the iPod Hi-Fi, I was smitten. The morning it was released, I bought one and brought it home. Once set up, I tested it with some of my favorite songs. Sadly, my music sounded different, and not in a good way. Although all the notes were audible, somehow the spirit and vivacity was diluted. I was disappointed.

When I saw the Tango for the first time, my first instinct was to discount it as an iPod Hi-Fi wannabe. Prematurely critical, I started it up to see how long it would hold my attention. I was very pleasantly surprised! After 40 minutes of fiddling with the Tango and experimenting with numerous songs over and over again, I was drawn in. I decided to get one and continue testing it in my office.

Listening to the Tango and iPod Hi-Fi side by side – dueling speakers, if you will – I found that the Tango offered much better mids and highs. Even though the iPod Hi-Fi's bass was a bit stronger, bass from the Tango seemed cleaner and truer to original recordings.

What surprised me most was the low price of $149 USD vs. $349 USD for the iPod Hi-Fi. I checked online and saw Tango prices as low as $129 USD.

Conclusion

The Tango is an awesome iPod speaker system for home or office use. With its two mids, two tweeters, and beefy bass pumping out sound, the Tango easily fills rooms with crisp, clean sound. In most cases, the Tango sounded as good as or better than the much more expensive iPod Hi-Fi.

I found myself constantly impressed by the Tango's performance. That said, I realize that the Tango won't replace more complex, receiver-based home audio systems. But if you're in need of a simple, high quality solution for enjoying your iPod music, the Tango is a great choice. Although I love Apple products, I have to say that if you've been considering the iPod Hi-Fi, you may want to reconsider. Get two Tangos and a $45 iTunes gift card for less than the iPod Hi-Fi.

Pros:

• Impressive sound
• Very affordable
• No bulky power brick
• External audio in and out

Cons:

• No iPod menu navigation
• No battery option for mobility