IF YOU WALKED THE FLOOR OF LAST SEPTEMBER’S CEDIA show, everywhere you turned there was a vendor talking about an iPod feature.
Leading the pack is the iPort, the device that lets homeowners play their iPods on a standard home audio system. Introduced in 2005 by Dana Innovations—which also makes Sonance speakers—the iPort now comes in five models, ranging in price from $200 to $1,100.
“When Sonance introduced the iPort last year, a lot of the other vendors said it was not worthy of the custom market,” says Torin Roher, a spokesperson for Dana Innovations. “But it’s not about high fidelity, it’s about lifestyle.”
Now, more vendors are singing along with iTunes. Look for iPod features in products from Crestron, Channel Vision, Niles Audio, and Oxmoor Corp.’s Zon Audio, among others.
