Logic 3 i-Station shuffle

Most of the speakers we review on Playlist can be used with an iPod shuffle via a mini-to-mini cable, but if you’d like a system made specifically for your shuffle, there aren’t many choices. Although the pickings are slim, Logic 3’s i-Station shuffle is our clear favorite. Loosely resembling its bigger i-Station sibling (also reviewed here), this version features a shuffle-only USB dock that charges your iPod as it plays; a USB port on the back of the system lets you sync your shuffle with iTunes, as well. The i-Station shuffle also provides audio line-in and -out jacks (to listen to another source through the speakers or to connect the i-Station to a better audio system at home, respectively). Although the i-Station shuffle is fairly bulky compared to the shuffle itself, and doesn’t sound quite as good as the next step up the portable speaker ladder (JBL’s On Tour), its shuffle-specific design and syncing features are unique. Look at it this way: For $20 more than Apple’s iPod shuffle Dock, you get the same functionality plus some decent speakers.–Dan Frakes