They are designed specifically for the most popular portable music playback device ever: the iPod, and they have attained quite the following. If you aren't into high quality audio, then they might be fine for you. Something even as cheap as an iHome may be perfect for you if you aren't a hardcore audio enthusiast, but for the rest of us most brands just dont fit the bill. Heres why: Poor sound quality. All of these iPod systems seem to be completely devoid of bass. They are high and tinny sounding, and extremely harsh. Another factor is price. While iHomes are relatively cheap more expensive systems like the Zeppelin and the Beat Box are insanely expensive for simply being a speaker dock. While the Zeppelin is, admittedly pretty good sounding, its price still doesn't constitute they way it performs. A custom speaker setup in a similar price range can sound significantly better and have far more bass presence. The only reason I could see people buying a Zeppelin would be its air play features, and at least the fact that it is the best iPod speaker dock I have listened to, but it pales in comparison to a custom system of the same price range. If iPod speaker docks are your forte, I am perfectly fine with that. I can see how they would be effective for traveling too due to their compact size. But to say that they sound better than a custom system only proves your lack of knowledge in premium audio equipment.
