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Like most small speaker sets, Macally's IceTune system favors softer vocal music played at modest volumes. Unlike most speaker sets that sell for $69.99 (MSRP, online prices start well under $60), the IceTune includes a Dock connector to charge your iPod along with a compelling design. The three piece system stacks vertically and fits snuggly into the corner of an office cubicle where the "cool blue mood lights" can enhance your listening experience. The controls are simple, just a volume knob and a power button, with a line in jack on the side.

How can you beat that?

By throwing on some aggressive rock or a hefty orchestral piece and turning up the volume, or listening in an extremely quiet room.

Colin Hay's "I Just Don't Think I'll Get Over You," from the Garden State soundtrack, is a perfect example of music that works well on the IceTune speakers. It's a simple tune that relies on voice and guitar, and the Macally's do a reasonable job bringing depth and warmth to the vocals. Picture a Frank Sinatra song that focuses on his voice and a piano, and you've got the idea of what works well on the IceTune speakers.

Scroll your iPod to a driving punk song and the IceTune speakers start to lose their shine even before you crank up the volume. While Macally claims they offer a 20 to 20,000 MHz range, we can't believe there's not a huge drop-off at the low end of that range. The IceTunes lack oomph in the low end and get increasingly grainy and harsh sounding as you turn the volume up. With a mere 1 Watt per channel the amp in the IceTune doesn't have a lot of power to work with.

Of course, here at ExtemeiPod our desktop speakers are a pair of first generation B&W DM601 monitors wired up to an 80 Watt per channel stereo amplifier fed directly from whichever iPod we're using that day. Oomph is something this combo doesn't lack. It's also highly impractical for using in a typical office, behind the counter of a shop, or on a desktop that isn't the size of a door. Let's face it: finding a spot to perch a pair of 14"x8"x9" (HxWxD) speakers isn't very convenient for most folks.

But the IceTunes, which measure out at 4"x8"x4" (HxWxD) when stacked, beg to be tucked into a corner of a cubicle or on a bedside table. Snap in the appropriate fitting to the charging base (which stacks on top of the speakers and casts a soft blue light from its underside), and you'll have a snug place for your iPod, iPod mini or iPod photo to rest. They're a solid set of speakers to keep some music going in the background without annoying the person in the next cubicle.

Solid, at least as long as it's not too quiet. If there's any background noise at all, you won't notice the (very) soft hiss that emanates from the speakers whenever an iPod is plugged into them. The hiss doesn't get louder as you turn the volume up, but in very quiet rooms we did notice it in pauses between songs. The fan in our notebook computer is orders of magnitude louder, but in the wee small hours when our lab is quiet, we did notice the IceTune hiss.

We also noticed that the cables that connect the speakers and the amp/iPod base are short. Stashing the IceTune cables behind a regular CRT monitor isn't going to happen without using an extension cable, separated, the speakers would just reach around to either side of a notebook computer. Of course, when all three pieces are stacked up, you end up with cables hanging around the back of the IceTune that beg to be rolled up and zip-tied.

Stacking the speakers pretty much kills off any stereo soundstage, but for casual listening it works just fine.

Serious listeners should plan on spending more money for a set of speakers that focus more on audio and less on snappy design. The IceTune doesn't offer spectacular audio performance, but if you want something to keep the music going and your iPod charged while you're deep inside a spreadsheet, Macally's IceTune will deliver.

And at $69.99 for the pair, your wallet won't take a mortal hit if somebody in the office walks off with them.

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