The day I lost my J-Cup
No, this isn’t a post about breast reduction. It also isn’t a review of the iGroove speaker system, as it’s definitely too big to be considered pocketable.
Most reviews on the Klipsch iGroove contain only an elusive mention of the included J-Cup insert designed for use with non-iPods. Pictures of the cup were so scarce that I almost didn’t buy the iGroove for fear of what it would look like with my ZVM. Since the ZVM is champion of all current digital audio players on the market today (such a statement may not seem objective, but point for point and dollar for dollar it is the best choice), it calls all the shots at my house and simply requires attractive accessories.
Turns out that the J-Cup is not too bad on its own, even though it’s basically just a 3.5 mm stereo cable sandwiched between two pieces of molded plastic held together by a few screws.
Everything was going great. Sound quality was superb, silver finish was impeccable, design was stunning. The problem arose when, for some reason, I decided to dig through some drawers to find my husband’s third-generation iPod. I just had a hankering to see what the iGroove was "supposed" to look like.
And I used to be happy? Sure, my ZVM can be in any kind of case and connect through its (shudder) headphone jack, but look at the way the iPod just completely meshes with the speakers’ design! It’s part of the iGroove, not some hideous (yes, it went from "not too bad" to "hideous" in a matter of minutes) protrusion. I refused to let this go on. So I did the unthinkable.
I. Removed. The. J-Cup.
Since I have a docking station, my ZVM didn’t need to be relegated to a pathetic on-its-back position to plug in through the line-out jack (I’m using the stero cable that came with the iM3c, which may not be the best-looking option but at least all the colors match). The ZVM can now stand proudly in front of the iGroove in its own custom-fitted dock. Even better, with the J-Cup removed and no iPod in the dock, I finally have a place for the remote.