The styling of the Go + Play immediately brings to mind the '80s-style boomboxes that folks used to rock on the subway, the bus, at the park, on the beach. The Go + Play emphasizes portability thanks to its handle, its surprisingly light weight (it looks heavier than it is) and its ability to run off 8 D-cell batteries.

But no boombox ever sounded this good. The Go + Play has speakers on each side, letting it project its music in all directions at once. And the music sounds great. The speakers produce a deep, thumping bass, clear, detailed notes, and get very, very loud. It’s hard to imagine anyone complaining about the sound from this system.

If the Go + Play did nothing more than this, it would be a worthy product, but it does much more.

It also serves as a dock for iPods (it is compatible, thanks to a set of included adapters, with most recent iPods), able to not only recharge the iPod when the Go + Play system is on or off, but also lets you connect the system to your computer via a USB cable to sync the iPod. Connectivity abounds with the Go + Play, as it also offers ports to send iPod video to a television and to connect other audio sources, including PCs, CD players, MP3 players, and satellite radios.

An Innovative Remote
A highlight of the product is the included remote control that uses radio waves rather than infrared to communicate with the base. In practice, this means that not only do you not need to point the remote at the Go + Play when operating it, you don’t even need to be in the same room! The remote has two modes, one to control the power and volume of the speakers, the other to let you browse content on your iPod.

And this is one of the only places where the Go + Play falls down on the job. Browsing the iPod using the remote is impractical. Because the iPod lies down flat in the system, you need to lean over the speakers in order to see its screen. And, if you’re already leaning over it, why would you use the remote? Trying to use the remote to navigate the iPod is flying blind, and you likely won’t end up with the song you’d hoped for.

Drivers : Two Atlas™ and Two Ridge transducers
Power Output : 2 x 30 Watts for tweeters, 2 x 30 watts for woofers
Connections : Main connection – iPod docking connector
Auxiliary – 1/8" (3.5mm) Mini stereo jack

Frequency Response : 40Hz – 20kHz
Input Impedance : >10k Ohms
Signal-to-Noise Ratio : >85dB
Voltage Input : 120V AC U.S., 100V AC Japanese, 230V AC Europe
Dimensions : Width – 9" (229mm)
Height – 9.5" (241mm)
Length – 20" (508mm)
Weight : 4.6kg