If you have an iPod and want a premium docking station that produces good sound, then the Luna 5 Encore is definitely worth a look.
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There may be a lot of iPod docking stations out there, but the Encore is one of those products that just stand out because of how it looks. The unit comes in either white or black, which can complement any iPod/iPhone or room. The speaker housing looks like a chair’s back rest, while its semi-circular floating connector in the front claims to isolate the dock from any low frequency vibration.
Located on the dock are six touch-sensitive buttons (Power, Volume up/down, Next, Previous and Input) as well as the dock that can accommodate iPods and iPhones. The buttons light up when the unit is turned on, making it easy for users to control the device in dark rooms. While the buttons were responsive, there were times when we accidentally decreased the volume as we changed the song playing on our iPod.
Fortunately, Edifier has included a remote with iPod control. The remote allowed us to change the subwoofer and treble setting, put the system on mute, and change the input (FM, iPod, and AUX). It also allowed us to access the main menu on our iPod, although there were several instances where we pressed the previous/next button thinking it was a scroll wheel.
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The unit houses a 5.75-inch subwoofer, two 2.75-inch midrange drivers, and two 2.5-inch tweeters, all of them incorporating unique vibration and resonance control for great audio output. Vocals on Sade’s ‘Your Love is King’ were warm, while instruments sounded crisp.
Treble was also good, with orchestral music sounding good. Bass was handled well, with the unit producing that check thumping sound without drowning out the vocals. If you have a small gathering, you’ll be happy to know that the Luna 5 Encore can get loud without distorting.
While clearly designed for the iPod, the unit has a 2.5mm AUX line-in port. Included in the box are various connecting cables (2.5mm to 3.5mm, 3.5mm to RCA, and 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter cable), allowing a user to hook it up to any other device. The Edifier Luna 5 Encore comes with an FM tuner, allowing you to listen to your favourite station in case you are tired of listening to your music.
Overall, the Edifier Luna 5 Encore iF500 is a good iPod docking station to have at home. It takes up minimal space, has good audio, and can be customised according to how you want to hear your music. It is available at Harvey Norman stores for $499.
