iOS Docks & Speaker Systems

iOS devices go hand-in-hand with musicians. You might use your iPod to play back all of your favorite tracks, an iPhone to keep in touch with your bandmates and even an iPad with music apps to record and manage your own tunes. Whichever of these gadgets you like, pairing it with a dock or speaker system will help you get the most out of it. For use around the house, there are lots of basic speaker docks to choose from. These base stations allow your device to charge while cranking out the tunes, and come in a range of different speaker types and power levels for spaces big and small. Some speaker docks can even output to a TV, allowing you to push a movie from your iOS device to the big screen. An alternative to a dock is a Bluetooth speaker system, which connects wirelessly to your iPod, iPhone or iPad so you can still hold it in your hand while streaming out music. Some speaker and dock models are weatherproof (such as the Schosche boomBOTTLE) or waterproof (like the ION Sound Splash), letting you bring your music along outdoors or even in the shower. If you plan to use your iOS device to play sound at an outdoor event, reception, fitness class or similar function, you'll get the best performance from a professional-level system like Gemini's MS-POD. There are also iOS accessories made specifically for the professional musician. One of these is the Griffin StudioConnect, which provides audio in/out, midi in/out and a stereo headphone jack to turn your iPad into a MIDI recording and editing machine. Another is the Alesis JamDock, a mixer that lets you blend your iPod playback together with the sounds of your instruments. It doesn't matter if you're looking for a way to integrate your iOS devices into your professional recording studio or just a basic speaker system to play music from your iPod around the house, there are docks and accessories available to take full advantage of your gadget's tech.