Review: TRON iPod Dock

With Tron: Legacy hitting home video today it’s a good time to bring attention to the best thing to come out of that film: Monster’s Tron iPod Dock (purchase link $100 off retail).

The proliferation of iPod (and their ilk) docks has reached maddening levels of overexposure. Grocery stores and gas stations are even in on the cash grab and the quality and prices for these devices range from horrific to life-changing in audio quality and from double to quad digits in price and there’s no real way of knowing if they’ll be worth the investment. This machine is a boutique item. Initially offered at $349, it is not a machine for every taste or budget. But for someone looking for pure, full sound to unleash their playlist (or from a different source using the AUX jack), Monster has delivered a piece of art with some serious muscle.

Or rather, a serious sound system that happens to be a piece of art.

The first thing you notice about the dock is that it’s very solid and the elegant design immediately sells the idea of a special item. This machine adds value to a room just based on its shape, usage of translucent rubber, and overall footprint. With an iPod docked, especially with the Tron:Legacy app running, the machine looks as if it came right off The Grid [the film's fictional video game universe] itself. Though the light show isn’t as stunning as anything featured in the movie, the green hues dancing and jumping with the beat makes for a memorable marriage of sight and sound. At times it feels as if this machine and Daft Punk’s soundtrack came from a different place than the film, bonded in their effortless simplicity but packed with nuance.

4 1.5 inch speakers adorn the upper circle of the dock, delivering superb highs and mids and not burdened with the thinness often found in iPod docks. This unit allows for the music to feel like music, harkening back to the stereo systems of old that didn’t show signs of strain when the volume crested the midway point. A 3.5 inch woofer underneath the machine delivers bass ample enough to satisfy all but the most demanding audiophiles. This isn’t necessarily the premier device for bass-heavy hip hop, but for most needs it is a versatile and robust sound system.

Sadly, it’s been saddled with a cheap and mostly useless remote. It is common in machines geared towards Apple products (there are an array of adapters to accommodate most i-Products). As remotes go, this is low on the list. The best feature is the ability to switch up the way the lights react and shift with the music, but even then the remote is subpar compared to the rest of the unit.

For someone looking for pure, full sound to unleash their playlist, Monster has delivered a piece of art with some serious muscle.

The lights also underwhelm for the most part. In a perfectly dark room with the app being used, it’s a moody and atmospheric show but not a worldbeater. Had the machine not sounded so well, it could have been a dud.

As it stands, Monster has crafted an impressive machine that luckily surpasses being just a gimmick. Though Tron: Legacy may fade from memory, this unit is one for the long haul. It sounds great, it looks great, and it is a rarity in that even when there’s no music playing at all, it’s a conversation piece worth investing in.

Pro:

• Clear, booming sound.
• Amazing to look at with the lights off.
• Tie-in with APP that enhances the experience.
• Gorgeous design.

Con:

• Extremely pricey.
• Remote is uninspired and not good at long range.
• Tron style isn’t for everyone.
• The movie’s not very good.

Rating: 4/5
Official Site