OTHER TECH

KLIPSCH ROOMGROOVE

Considered by itself, the RoomGroove is a pretty likable iPod dock. It eschews outward complexity, focusing instead on user simplicity. Its black cloth grille, small form factor, and retractable docking pad give it an exceptionally clean look (if a little plastic-y). It also contains a wireless transceiver that, via KlipschCast technology, lets it partner with other wireless devices, forming a whole-house audio-playback system.

Pressing the Klipsch logo releases the docking pad. Klipsch kindly gives you an assortment of well inserts; one of them is sure to fit your iPod's bottom, to more securely hold it in place. Conveniently, the dock automatically retracts when there's no iPod in place, and the unit is put into standby mode. According to Klipsch, the RoomGroove will charge all iPods.

Inside are two woofers and two horn-loaded tweeters, and the enclosure is ported. The cabinet has an analog input in back and a wheel for selecting the transceiver's home code. There's no video output. A small remote lets you choose sources and control the docked iPod and RoomGroove; it will also control a Klipsch CS-700 DVD system.

The RoomGroove's transceiver can transmit to and receive from other KlipschCast transceivers. For example, you can wirelessly receive audio from a CS-700 system and choose its sources with the RoomGroove's remote. You can even transmit from one RoomGroove to another, and change tracks on the remote iPod. Simply press the Transmit button on the source RoomGroove and the Listen button on the receiving RoomGroove. With any transceiving setup, you must first choose a matching home code.

For my test, I set up one RoomGroove in a basement office so that it would transmit to another RoomGroove in a second-floor bedroom. The signal was broadcast loud and clear.

I could listen to an iPod or some other source (such as streaming audio) in the office, with a duplicate feed in the bedroom. Even better, when I was upstairs, I could dock the iPod for playback there while still also receiving streaming audio from the office computer.

With the iPod back in the basement, I could use the remote upstairs to change tracks (talking to the basement RoomGroove through the bedroom RoomGroove). But there's no way to navigate iPod menus remotely, and it's easy to accidentally get into a menu status (like Music) that you can't get out of.

I was happy with the RoomGroove's clean and clear sonics. Vocal reproduction in particular was natural-sounding. The high-frequency response had good definition, but it was a little shrill on some massed guitars and percussion. There was a bit of bass from the smallish woofers, but it wasn't exactly kick-ass. The stereo soundstage had a relatively narrow width, with a squished and largely mono character. With the RoomGroove, it's clear that the sound is emanating from a small package. When cranked, though, it does play loud, with reasonably tolerable distortion at maximum playback level.

The RoomGroove really opened my eyes to the delights of simple, whole-house playback. Although its ability to remotely control an iPod is limited, its KlipschCast broadcast signal works like a charm. The opportunity to have music playback anywhere in your house, with the utmost simplicity, makes this a decent docking choice.