Logitech AudioStation Express

With iPods still seemingly as popular as ever, no wonder the portable Dock Station industry is booming. Designs may vary but the technicality of the device itself is pretty standard. Mobility is the key factor. The idea of being able to take your music with you not just in the form of a small device that only you have access to and not having to carry amplifiers and speakers, is slowly fading away. The Dock station eliminates the need to cart around too many things. Logitech’s addition to this genre of portable speakers is the Audio Station express. Let’s see how it fares.

Form Factor
On the whole I’d have to say this is one of the more conventional designs. The “If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ’em all” kind. It’s simple and neat though. Essentially it’s a rectangular box with the volume knob jutting out in the dead center of the two 2.5 inch speakers. It also comes with a full function remote.

On the top is the universal adapter for your iPod. At the rear, to the right at the bottom, you’ll see a composite video out, a 3.5mm audio in and the DC adapter socket.

Here’s what I like best about the AudioStation. The bottom of the device has a battery compartment that allows you to use the Station without DC and simply use 6 AA batteries. This is what really makes it so portable.

__PAGEBREAK__Features and Performance

Let’s start from the top. Literally. When you have your iPod securely connected at the top and the dock is connected via DC, it will actually charge the iPod. Unfortunately there’s no USB connectivity so you can’t hook it up to your PC and update your player. On the plus side if you’d like to watch a video and aren’t too happy with small screen viewing, no worries, you can hook the Station up to your TV via the Video Out composite socket at the back and you’re good to go. You will however have to use the dock for sound.

Now in case you’d like to use your Mobile phone, you can. You can use a normal 3.5mm to 3.55mm wire to connect it to the Dock through the earphones to the Audio In. In case your mobile uses a propriety cable, or has a 2.5mm earphone socket, no worries, all you need is a converter (to 3.5mm) which is easily available. In case you don’t happen to own an iPod, any old MP3 player will work using the same connections. So not everyone needs to have an iPod. Connections are easy as pie.