zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound:
After 10 months the amplifier is producing a steady humming sound that covers soft music and is very annoying during silences. I would rate this as 1
As new the sound quality was good, probably 8, so the average is 4.
Feature:
In theory it has all the right features. It is a great idea: a portable amplifier where you can plug iPods or other devices (to the jacks) . It also comes with a microphone.
The materials have to be poor since the amplifier is not lasting a year of gentle use and now produces a distorted sound.
Ease of Use:
It is very easy to use: just plug and set the volume. You can not modify the sound but I was not expecting an equalizer.
Quality:
Looks nice white an shiny but it is more appearance.
The amplifier is not working after less than a year: produces continuously a humming sound.
The device is not very sturdy considering that is designed for outdoor use.
It is not designed for easy maintenance: not even the battery is easy to replace.
Probably ION is aware of the problems since it offers only 90 days warranty (on the new product, not a refurbished one)
Value:
It is not expensive for the features it offers but it lasted less than a year of gentle infrequent use and attentive care (I followed the demanding instructions to keep the battery in good condition)
Manufacturer Support:
ION provides only 90days warranty.
The customer support difficult to reach (their unadvertised toll free number is 1 888 8000681).
The first time I called, Monday mid day, after a long menu selection I waited 45min (the expected time announced was 18min) only to be sent to a voice mailbox. No one called me back.
The second time I called early morning and was able to reach them. They gave some trivial and ineffective troubleshooting suggestion and referred me to a repair shop in NJ (I'm in Chicago).
The Wow Factor:
It looks good but it is kind of expensive as piece of furniture.
Overall:
I'm not satisfied with the product. I was very happy with it only for the first few months. I will look for an alternative product.
It was working well but it is really short lived.
15 of 15 people
(100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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Sound:
The sound is great! packs a punch for 15 watts! Good bass response. No onboard EQ, but i just do that through my applications.
Feature:
i didn't really need the mic that is included but am not complaining. I wish the wheels were bigger though--I have to walk a lot with my gear and this thing does not like brick sidewalks. but it is really no worse than carrying a heavy wheeled suitcase.
Ease of Use:
The manual is 2 pages--it just looks thick because it is multilingual. You really don't need anything more, just guidance for charging the battery.
Quality:
The knobs seem a little cheap but other than that it seems well made.
Value:
It seemed pricey at first but now that I have started using it i think it is worth it.
The Wow Factor:
It looks gorgeous!! White and silver. Very cat-proof. I cannot own carpeted speakers with 2 cats so this is perfect.
Overall:
If I lost this item I would buy another one.
60 of 66 people
(90.91%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Sound:
The music sounded better than the microphone, then it stopped emitting any sound at all.
Feature:
We had such high hopes of using it for family get togethers, school assemblies, and church functions...but it just didn't work. As promising as this product sounds, based on our experience it will be short-lived. Here are some facts about the unit and Ion Audio's business practices (as of 21Dec09) that you should know BEFORE PURCHASING:
1. 90 Day Warranty - that's about how long it took for our product to systematically malfunction. Our teenagers and we used the unit less than 10 times and never outdoors. You might even say it was pampered. And yet, it won't hold a charge and now emits no sound at all (regardless of the input device; in our case an iPod(G4 Nano, G1 iPod, and/or G2 iPod Video), microphone, and electric bass guitar).
2. Battery - oddly enough, according to Ion's own technical support staff (whose contact information was very difficult to find) you can NEVER overcharge the battery or allow it to drain completely, else the battery CANNOT BE REVIVED! Honestly, who builds batteries like that anymore or incorporates them into consumer electronics? We can't think of a single appliance that we own that doesn't self regulate. Furthermore, what human is so fastidious as to ever be able to monitor battery life with such expertise? Honestly, unless the device came with a meter, one would never know how close to overcharging or undercharging he actually is. And yet, one slip up and the unit is toast? That's an old-fashioned technology at best.
3. Repairability - finally, if you're going to install a battery of this sort or any other component that is likely to fail within 90 days, design and manufacture the unit in a repairman-friendly fashion(eg. easy to access compartments and swappable components). This unit required 22 wood screws to be removed for diagnostic purposes alone and nearly everything inside was soldered. As for the speaker, forget about ever getting to it without destroying the cabinet. You'll have to dissassemble the entire unit.
Take our advice, stay away from this product until the company addresses these 3 basic issues. We still love the concept, but this product is poorly executed. (Note: As far as we can tell, the: (1) Ion Audio iPA03 Portable PA System, (2) Alesis Transactive Mobile/Portable PA System and (3) PYLE PCMX240I Battery Powered Portable PA System are identical and probably manufactured by the same company, so beware. A lemon by any other name is still a lemon.)
Ease of Use:
No set up required, but when it malfunctions it quickly becomes a paper weight.
Quality:
The cabinet is well made, but the internal components are questionable. We experienced a complete systemic failure after 90 days.
Value:
If it works, great...but ours didn't so it was not money well spent.
Manufacturer Support:
Very difficult to reach. With just a 90 day warranty, we strongly recommend that you purchase an extended warranty or stay away from this product line altogether. (Note: As far as we can tell, the: (1) Ion Audio iPA03 Portable PA System, (2) Alesis Transactive Mobile/Portable PA System and (3) PYLE PCMX240I Battery Powered Portable PA System are identical and probably manufactured by the same company, so beware. A lemon by any other name is still a lemon.)
The Wow Factor:
It looks great and the feature set makes it very versatile.
Overall:
We are already disatisfied. While it's priced fairly, it's only cost effective if it works beyond 90 days.
48 of 50 people
(96%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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