Griffin Evolve

WIRELESS SOUND SYSTEM FOR THE IPOD

Let’s face it—one of the reasons you purchased an iPod was for the coolness factor. And now you want to add some really cool accessories. That’s where products such as the Griffin Evolve come in. The slick design of the speakers and base unit and the solid feel of everything in the package had me rushing to hook it up. Evolve is easy to set up and looks very good once it’s in place.

The hardest part was waiting for the speakers to charge. One great feature is that when a speaker is placed on either side of the base unit, it will automatically sync to the left or right channel. No worries of mixing up the speakers. The sound is about what you’d expect from these types of speakers—not a lot of bass and an ever-so-slightly-tinny sound, but still a very pleasant listening experience. The unit also offers plenty of volume, but you have to find just the right mix of iPod volume and Evolve volume to avoid distortion. Once the speakers are charged, you can place them anywhere in the room and the separation makes a big impact on listening pleasure.

Evolve claims that the speakers have an effective range of 150′. Most of my testing was done about 50′ away through three rooms. The signal and sound quality remained strong, but on rare occasions the sound dropped out for a fraction of a second. And the coolest part—the remote works through walls, so you can keep the remote wherever you keep the speakers.

The Evolve also includes RCA, composite, and S-Video hookups so it’s easy to incorporate it into your home theater. My only hesitation with the Evolve is the price. At almost $300, you’ll have to decide if wireless convenience is worth that kind of investment.—Chris Main

PRICE: $299.99
FROM: Griffin Technology, Inc.
WEB: www.griffintechnology.com
RATING: 3.5

LAYERS VERDICT
HOT Speakers go anywhere; RF remote
NOT Average sound; occasional dropouts