Apple's iPod Hi-Fi Launched 18 Years Ago – and Lasted Just 554 Days

Reflecting on the iPod Hi-Fi, launched 18 years ago, many long-time readers may remember it as Apple's ambitious foray into the home audio market, long before smart speakers were a thing.

ipod hi fi
Priced at $349, it promised audiophile-quality sound within a compact design, offering home audio without the clutter of traditional stereo components. It featured a built-in Universal Dock for iPods, providing a seamless integration that allowed users to charge their device while playing music.

With its capability to produce a wide frequency range and room-filling sound without distortion, the iPod Hi-Fi combined Jony Ive's minimalist design aesthetic and high-quality audio performance. Its versatility was further highlighted by the inclusion of an Apple Remote, and the option for AC or battery power, making it portable.

Many products in the iPod series achieved remarkable success, but the iPod Hi-Fi wasn't one of them. The device was praised for its big rich sound, bass response, and ease of use, but its high price was a turn-off for many Apple device users. Also, the connector prominently positioned atop the speaker unit exposed docked iPods to potential knocks and damage.

Despite its innovative features, the iPod Hi-Fi remained a niche product in Apple's lineup​​, and the combination iPod dock/speaker system never took off. Apple discontinued it on September 5, 2007, just 554 days after its launch.

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Monday March 10, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to our website's visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released in the next week or two. iOS 18.3.2 will be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Don't expect any new features. iOS 18.3.2 will be an interim...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.2 With Bug Fixes

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:33 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.2 and iOS 18.3.2 come a month after Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release...

Top Rated Comments

mattkally Avatar
14 months ago
I bought it 10 years ago. Still going strong

Attachment Image
Score: 66 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FocusAndEarnIt Avatar
14 months ago
Still have mine. Bought a device to stream music to it via AirPlay. Still sounds amazing.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
14 months ago
iPod Hifi: "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."

HP Gen 1: "He told me enough! He told me you killed him!"

iPod Hifi: "No. I am your father." ;)

Great sound, fairly portable, somewhat like the modern day variations of the boombox... BUT... too locked down (though, unlike HPs, at least it had an optical input to use with other sources, making them still quite useful 18 years later, even without Apple audio sources), too relatively expensive, etc.

About 10 years later: "Let's roll out another branded speaker... but this time let's make it even more locked down (no AUX input at all) and offer it at the 'same great price' popularly judged as 'too expensive' before."

So when "Luke" was discontinued and < 2 years after Luke "went missing", "Rey" is rolled out with cuts in hardware (tweeters and microphones) to then basically offer what otherwise appeared to be the same for $50 less.

Cue The Imperial March ('https://youtu.be/-bzWSJG93P8?si=4c296G1SJU9jPPCb') theme music: "And let's make it so that Rey can't dyad pair with Luke so that one must buy TWO Reys if they want stereo." Crank up some big spatial echo and insert that Emperor Palpatine laugh ('https://youtu.be/4aCEjb5qnSY?si=eNpUpWxvJEptVKCM') here.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Account25476 Avatar
14 months ago
A project 1000 times better than building a car from exactly zero experience.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RodThePlod Avatar
14 months ago

I bought it 10 years ago. Still going strong
I got mine shortly after launch. I don't use it much these days, but it still works and sounds great!

I use it with my old iPod 3rd gen - which doesn't get updated in terms of music anymore. So it's great to listen to the music that I listened to back in the early-mid 2000s. Good for when I'm feeling nostalgic ?



Attachment Image
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GfulDedFan Avatar
14 months ago
Still in use and lovin it

Attachment Image
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)