Unreleased Black iPod Hi-Fi photos reveals an alternative color scheme

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion

Photographs of an unreleased black version of the iPod Hi-Fi have surfaced, showing what consumers could've bought had Apple not discontinued the audio accessory.

A black edition of the iPod Hi-Fi [X/@Jose_Cong]
A black edition of the iPod Hi-Fi [X/@Jose_Cong]



Apple launched the iPod Hi-Fi as a boombox speaker system for the iPod in February 2006, but was enough of a flop that it dropped off the online store in September 2007. Years later, a version of the speaker that didn't actually make it to retail has appeared.

Tweets on February 28 and 29 from Jose Benitez Cong, formerly of Apple but now at Humane, included pictures of a variant of the iPod Hi-Fi that lost the white elements of its enclosure, in favor of a black version. The result is an all-black iPod Hi-Fi, which Cong refers to as the "only black HiFi in existence."

Tell me this is not badass? pic.twitter.com/HQRKybpqEk

-- Jose Benitez Cong (@Jose_Cong)



In the tweets, Cong explains he "helped build the team behind" the speaker. Of the device itself, he refers to it as a "marvel of a design for its time," and thinks it may be the "only one that survived" in that particular color scheme.

That black speaker has since been gifted "to a good friend" of Cong's.

The iPod Hi-Fi was a large box of a speaker, with an all-in-one design that could be powered from a wall socket or six D-cell batteries. It included a unique isolated enclosure system with two custom-designed wide-range speakers and a tuned ported bass system to minimize vibration.

It also had a removable front grille, touch-sensitive volume controls, Apple Remote support, and built-in handles. It would also recharge the connected iPod.

Apple's audio efforts have expanded considerably since then, though its speaker offerings consist of the HomePod and the HomePod mini.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    ajeffreyajeffrey Posts: 5member
    I bought one of the white ones and it still is today one of the best speakers I have bought, the bass, clarity and clearness of the sound from it is incredible. I did upgrade it to support AirPlay via a third party attachment so it lives on it all it glory...
    Alex_Vsphericwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 6
    prokipprokip Posts: 178member
    Yep, I've got one too that is still going strong attached to an AirPort Express with the Airplay 2 firmware.

    And yes, for the price it is one of the best speakers I have had and I have had a lot of speakers including stuff that cost more than $10k.

    Pity it was discontinued and was not developed further.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 6
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,308member
    prokip said:
    Yep, I've got one too that is still going strong attached to an AirPort Express with the Airplay 2 firmware.

    And yes, for the price it is one of the best speakers I have had and I have had a lot of speakers including stuff that cost more than $10k.

    Pity it was discontinued and was not developed further.
    Arguably it was developed further ... without this, we wouldn't have gotten the HomePod line, which also sounds incredible.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 6
    foregoneconclusionforegoneconclusion Posts: 2,689member
    It's probably just a customization of a white Hi-Fi to black. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 6
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,040member
    foregoneconclusion said:
    It's probably just a customization of a white Hi-Fi to black. 
    Well it certainly isn't painted. Apple designers probably asked for samples in various colors from whoever manufactured the enclosure parts.

    For sure gloss black plastic/polycarbonate is going to show fingerprints and scratches very easily.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 6
    jeffharrisjeffharris Posts: 789member
    1 box = giant mono.

    I’ll take two separate speakers every day of the week over one box.
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