boston acoustics blog

Using iPhones with the Duo-i plus and i-DS3 plus

Apple’s fantastic iPhone 4 (including the new Verizon version) works great with Boston’s Duo-i plus AM/FM/iPod radio and i-DS3 plus ipod and iphone speaker system. Here are some hints to getting the best performance. Boston includes plastic adaptors for a variety of iPhone and iPod models, and these adaptors pop into the top of our product, providing a secure fit for the player or phone. We follow the Apple standard of designing these adaptors to fit the iPods and iPhones naked – the devices that is – without any sort of cover, sock, armband, or bumper. This means you have to remove any cover to mount the iPhone or iPod in the Boston – but if you simply omit the supplied adaptor, you can often attach your iPhone/iPod directly, keeping the cover on, and a proper connection is made.

The iPhone 4 presents an interesting challenge because almost 100% of owners are using the thin elastic bumpers around the phone’s perimeter, to aid handholding and also reduce inteference to the external antenna (the shiny metal band). So regular dock adaptors made for the iPhone 4 typically won’t work while the bumper is in place. So Boston’s recommendation is to use our Duo-i plus and i-DS3 plus without the adaptor – you don’t need it and we don’t supply it – and then you can conveniently just leave the bumper band in place all the time, docked on your Boston, or in regular handheld use.

- Stephen Shenefield