The good:The Creative TravelSound i80 offers a unique, supercompact design and an integrated iPod dock. It comes with a stand, travel pouch, and power adapter.
The bad:The Creative TravelSound i80 suffers from tinny sound and lacks stereo separation. It will not work with any player other than the third-generation iPod Nano.
The bottom line:The Creative TravelSound i80 speaker is a solid option for third-generation iPod Nano owners who value portability and integration over top-notch sound quality.
If you're an iPod owner searching for a way to share tunes, there's no shortage of iPod speakers from which to choose. The problem is distinguishing them from one another, and one of the easiest ways is to look for something with a unique or innovative design. Creative Labs manages to do both with the TravelSound i80 for iPod Nano, an ultracompact speaker that sells for $80 and gets surprisingly loud. It's only compatible with the third-generation iPod Nanos and it doesn't sound great, but it's cute and travel-friendly, so it's still a solid choice for frequent-fliers with an eye for design.
Since 2003, Jasmine France has worked at CNET covering everything from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices to MP3 players. She currently cohosts the Crave podcast and spends the majority of her time testing headphones, music software, and mobile apps. Full Bio
