Panasonic SC-SP100 iPod Speaker Dock

Typically an iPod speaker dock is just that; it’s a cradle that your iPod or iPhone sits in and syncs your device with your Mac or PC.

So it’s interesting to see that Panasonic have produced a genuine desktop iPod speaker dock that is also a genuine iPod speaker.

First things first, the SC-SP100 looks great. With it’s wave-like design and smart silver trims there’s a real feeling of quality as you’d expect from a Panasonic device.

Covering off the basics, the Panasonic SC-SP100 does what it should and syncs your Apple device quickly and easily to your Mac or PC when wired up to your computer.

The most surprising thing though, is how the SC-SP100 sounds alright too.

Within the Panasonic SC-SP100’s compact frame is a down-firing 6.5cm cone woofer (which has a dynamic bass boost function to give it what it needs) and dual passive radiators. There’s also a Surround Sound setting on the SC-SP100 that also helps to broaden the sound profile.

Along with an unexpected 20watt power output, this Panasonic speaker dock really does surprise on the sound front. The size and quality of sound that it produces are far superior than what you’d expect from such a small device.

Verdict – Nice looking, compact, decent sound for its size but a touch on the pricey side. Panasonic fans will probably not mind paying the price for the Panasonic quality, but there are other iPod speakers around this price that offer a bit more in the way of volume and extras, like the Gear4 CDB-50 or the Altec Lansing IM600

Price: £94.99 at Play.com

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Panasonic SC-HC3 and SC-HC4 iPod Speakers

Just like model Gisele Bundchen, the new Samsung LED TVs and many lamp posts around the world, it’s cool to be slim right now.

So Panasonic’s new speakers must be the height of cool as they have come up with a very slim and sleek design for their 2 new iPod speakers that are just 69 mm deep.

Very Bang & Olufsen, the SC-HC3 and SC-HC4 are designed to be lightweight and compact and comprise of 2 speakers either side of a central unit that houses the iPod or iPhone dock and the CD player.

Yes I said it a CD player. Let me speak directly to the iPod speaker designers of the world now when I say, ‘If I’m going to have an entertainment/audio system for my home I want it to be an iPod speaker, a CD player and a DAB radio. I don’t want 3 different devices on my book shelf or kitchen worktop and I’m not alone!”

So well done to Panasonic for getting it much more right that many manufacturers out there by giving the SC-HC3 and SC-HC4 speakers an iPod dock, AM/FM radio and a CD player.

The SC-HC4 is expected to arrive very soon in the UK, but the SC-HC3 is already here and has already received some serious recognition.

The European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) have awarded the SC-HC3 the European Micro System 2009-2010 Award.

The judges said, “Derived from the long audio tradition of Panasonic’s one-time sister brand, Technics, this micro audio system enhances any table or bookshelf like a piece of audio jewellery. Its slim and compact vertical design features a sliding door which opens to reveal both a CD player and an iPod docking station. Overall, it’s a system that’s slim in size yet big in sound.” High praise indeed.

Both the SC-HC3 and SC-HC4 comprise of two proprietary, 2.5-inch full-range bamboo cone speakers with a dual passive radiator design that produce 4o watts of power between them thanks to the onboard stereo amplifier. A Dual Passive Radiator design cancels unwanted vibration and helps deliver pure bass sound with minimal noise allowing a compact unit to deliver a robust and full-bodied sound. If you want even more body to the sound profile, there’s also the option to enjoy the Panasonic’s Surround Sound option if you wish.

The position of the motorised door on the front of the speaker dock dictates whether you’re listening to your favourite CD or the iPod, which I am quite excited about no matter however people judge me for that. Sadly though if you want to listen to the AM/FM radio then there’s just a boring button to get that started which isn’t so geek cool.

Panasonic have brought out the SC-HC3 and SC-HC4 out in Japan in a range of colours so they say; what they mean is that you can buy these iPod speakers with different coloured doors – so if you fancy a pink or blue door to front your new Panasonic speaker dock you might be in luck sometime soon – just not yet.

Hmm…what else is there to tell you? Well, the remote control for both devices has almost as many buttons on it as a Panasonic TV remote and is a similar quality, which is in contrast to many other iPod speaker remotes which often feel like they’ve been moulded from reformed clingfilm and only let you change the volume. The remote not only allows you to switch between the CD, iPod and Radio functions and step in to the iPod menu and move through the artist, album and song menus, it also lets you adjust the Treble or Bass and select your prefered EQ preset.

As far as the EQ presets, Panasonic let you choose from:

Another clever little feature of both speakers is the Digital Remaster setting, which you can use when playing CD’s. Panasonic say that the Digital Remaster feature reproduces the frequencies lost during recording to give you a sound closer to the original. Nice, huh!

The iPod dock is compatible with all iPods with the ability to Dock, which is just about them all apart from the Shuffle, which you could connect via a 3.5mm jack if you wanted to.

That’s pretty much everything there is to know about both speakers, there’s just one major difference with the still to be released Panasonic SC-HC4  and that is that it has an SD card slot and the SC-HC-4 allows you to rip your CDs straight on to the card at speeds of up to x8.

VERDICT – Both units come with an impressive list of features. Although not the loudest speakers, they should both provide plenty for a casual home user. Panasonic have produced two very well crafted iPod speakers which feel a little superior to some speakers from slightly lesser manafacturers.

As I mentioned the SC-HC3 is already available in the UK and as soon as I see the SC-HC4, I ‘ll update the post and let you know where you can buy it. For now check out the links below for the SC-HC3.

Price: £167 at Pixmania

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