It has a heavy duty and rugged but portable construction complete with a carry handle. It is just a single speaker, but most transportable docks are too small to really get stereo imaging anyhow. It has got a 2-way speaker design, with a six inch woofer and 1.5 inch 1.5″ dome tweeter. The sole real con is that it does not have any bass adjustment and the normal sound is a bit muddy, but this is often changed using the iPods equaliser. As for sound volume, it can get loud. Even out of doors I rarely go past third of full volume.
The Tailgater is well-matched with a good range of musical instruments and mp3 players. Additionally it is also compatible with CD and DVD players. The amp is designed with various inputs for the microphone and other devices and a high quality microphone with XLR connector is incorporated with the package.
A further great feature is that it operates on both mains power and the built in rechargeable battery pack. Battery life is rated at 8 hours at two thirds volume according to the instruction book. We have not been able to completely test it yet, but at two thirds volume it ran for over 3 hrs and the meter still showed 3 out of 4 lights! So there is no actual question that the eight hour claim is achievable which is amazing. Recharging takes about 4 hours and there is a handy battery level indicator to show the level of this battery charge.
This excellent piece of kit is an audiophile’s dream. The heavy duty sound and the light-weight but rough construction make it an ideal candidate for outdoor parties and performances. But that’s not all. The sound system can be employed within a venue just as effectively. The sound system has been widely appreciated by fans and critics alike.
So to summarize the Tailgater PA’s significant features:
+ portable iPod docking station that runs for eight hours on the inbuilt battery
+ actually loud enough to be useful outdoors
+ 8 hour battery life
+ good sound quality
+ comes with a microphone
+ works with iPhone and a range of other equipment
- no bass adjustment, need to use iPod equaliser to clean up sound output if you need to
- stated twelve hour full recharge timefor the battery, just need to plan upfront for usage
The Ion Tailgater is a professional quality speaker system and can be employed with a variety of inputs. Though designed essentially for the iPhone and the iPod, the speaker can be used just as easily with musical instruments in addition to mp3 players.
