Curvaceous Docks: Monitor Audio i-Deck 100 and 200, Now Available

British manufacturer Monitor Audio has a deserved reputation for well-designed, high-performing speaker systems, and the latest offerings in the company's line of iOS device docks, the i-deck 100 and 200, follow in those footsteps. And now they can be yours.

Bucking the trend towards wireless streaming, the i-decks forgo AirPlay support in favor of access to your iPhone/iPod's digital output; rather than squeezing its way through your iDevice's quotidian anolog circuitry, your audio data visits Monitor's own 28/56 bit dual precision DAC on its way to your ears. The biamplified i-decks (30 watts per woofer/15 watts per tweeter for the 100, 50/20 for the 200; managed by a digital active crossover of Monitor's own design) should dish out plenty of power for most listening situations.

The real story here is the onboard Automatic Position Correction system - the i-decks include an integrated analysis microphone that measures your room and tweaks the devices' digital EQ and DSP to suit placement in a corner, against a wall, or in free space. An automated bass management system aims to keep the bottom end solid, whatever your desired listening volume.

You'll also find the usual dock accoutrements here as well, such as an IR remote and a 3.5mm analog auxilliary input. These aren't cheap ($499 for the i-deck 100, $599 for the i-deck 200), but well worth a look if you're interested in the ever-expanding universe of iDevice docks with high-end pedigrees.

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